There is a positive aspect to the conflict that should give hope to Kenyans and the world at large. The violence that has snuffed out about 1,000 lives in a month seems, outrageous mostly because Kenya, previously one of the most stable and peaceful nations, is not used to this level of violence. To put it into perspective, before the peace pact was signed in the Congo’s between the government of Joseph Kabila and the Lauren Nkunda’s rebel forces, only two weeks ago, the conflict was taking about 45,000 lives every single month.

The difference between Congo and Kenya is that in Kenya the center seems to be holding. The middle class and a vast majority of moderate Kenyans are rejecting the political voices instigating violence among the poor and nationalized. The security forces have not experienced any infighting even though they are made up of the same ethnic groups that are clashing in streets and city slums.

The Kenyan conflict, where most of the world first enters Africa when traveling on Safari, business in Africa or on a media assignment, has woken to the notion that the most peaceful African nation thus far, could go up in flames and take a lot of africa with it, if a political compromise is not reached.