Severe economic problems and political unrest, especially between warring clans in the northern region of Kenya, continue to contribute to instability in the East African nation known as a haven for peace. Last week, Defense Undersecretary Gilbert Siang'a was among 14 Kenyans killed in a plane crash in Marsabit. His wife, Rhoda Siang'a, moved mourners to tears this week when she said families had lost their loved ones because of unnecessary conflicts. She said it was a shame that 40 years after independence, Kenyans still butchered one another in tribal feuds.

"Were it not for insecurity in the northern region of the country, my husband would not be dead. What a shame that he died in the process of brokering peace 40 years after independence," she said.

Siang'a and the other crash victims were headed to a peace meeting in Marsabit when their plane crashed into a hill. His widow asked the government to end the clan feuds to avoid more deaths. The vice president, Moody Awori, admitted that the government had done little to resolve instability in the region. He said the region was prone to conflicts because of a scarcity of resources such as pasture, food and water, and a dilapidated infrastructure.

History

Some of the earliest human remains have been found in Kenya, dating back almost 2...