Clashes impact Kenyan Christian booksellers |
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Sunday, 06 July 2008 08:00 PM America/New_York |
Christian booksellers in Kenya are looking to bounce back after being severely impacted by a post-election crisis that rocked the African country earlier this year. Ethnic clashes following a disputed presidential election in December killed several hundred. Barine Kirimi, chairman of the Christian Trade Association-Kenya (CTA-K), said that members of the group were “affected both directly and indirectly as a result of the skirmishes” in the regions of Eldoret, Kericho, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nairobi and Naivasha. He said there were approximately 200 Christian bookstores in Kenya, some of which were vandalized and looted in January and February. “It is interesting to note that for those stores that were looted, the focus of the looters was so much on the equipment (rather) than the books,” Kirimi said. He noted that the violence also forced the closure of some stores during the peak business period. “The lack of sales and income coming meant that a number of Christian resource traders struggled to meet their obligations such as payment of bills to printers and suppliers and even to meet operational obligations,” Kirimi said. Sharon Malonza, projects manager of translations for International Bible Society-Send the Light Africa, told Christian Retailing “things are now picking up, though business is still slow in the most affected places.”
Read the full report in the July 7 issue of Christian Retailing International. |