Kenya
Towards the 2012 elections: Peacebuilding and Reconciliation in the Kenyan Rift Valley
In early 2008 the disputed general elections of December 2007 led to a wave of unprecedented violence in Kenya. Over 1,500 people died, more than 350,000 were displaced and many homes and businesses were destroyed.
The next elections are in 2012. To prevent a reoccurrence of similar levels of violence it is vital that both civil society and government work proactively to address the divides and tensions caused by the last elections.
Although it is not possible to fully address the root causes of this conflict in the short term a coordinated and strategic effort is required to promote dialogue and increase the capacity of Kenyans to respond quickly and effectively to issues and events which continue to cause tensions between different ethnic communities.
The deep-rooted causes of conflict in Kenya
Violence surrounding elections is not a new phenomenon in Kenya; but the scale of events in 2008 took many by surprise. In Kenya party politics is split along ethnic lines, and it was these divisions which were exploited for political purposes. Youth were both the perpetrators and victims of the violence; mobilised by politicians and local leaders for money and with promises of employment and land.
The politically motivated ethnic violence experienced in 2008 was just the visible tip of the iceberg. Underneath the surface there are real deep-rooted causes of conflict in Kenya which will take a long time to address.
These include: low-levels of development and high levels of unemployment (up to 60% in certain Rift Valley areas); historical land grievances and a scarcity of other natural resources, partly due to growing environmental degradation; poor governance and leadership and a culture of impunity at the highest level, and a culture which perpetuates looking after the interests of "my people".
Looking forward to 2012
Eighteen months on the picture in Kenya is deeply concerning
Wherever RTC has gone, people from village elders to organisational leaders have talked about their concerns with the political leadership. So far the coalition government has not worked effectively and has not been able to address any of Kenya's long-term issues. People are clear that they need their politicians to begin to work for the benefit of Kenya if real long-term change is going to take place.
A national reconciliation process was one of the key commitments made by all political parties yet it is still unclear what this will be. Will the main perpetrators of the violence be brought to justice or will a national reconciliation process take place? As a result both local communities and civil society organisations are unclear about how they should deal with the wounds and traumas caused by the violence.
'My grandfather helped to build this community, I have lived here all my life, but now I am an IDP in my own community'.
On the ground there are still many families living in camps for internally displaced people (IDP). People have not returned home for a variety of reasons. Some are able to return to their land to farm during the day but fear to remain at night. Some people lost their homes and are waiting to find the resources to rebuild their lives. Those who have returned feel uneasy about whether there will be violence in the future and tensions in many communities are just under the surface.
‘The politician has the matchbox and the youth are the wood. What we need to do is make the wood wet, so when the politicians come they can't easily start another fire'.
The government has implemented work schemes to give young people opportunities to develop some skills and earn an income. However many we spoke to who work for local community organisations believe that this is not enough as government schemes are short-lived and ad hoc. More needs to be done to engage young people so that they are able to resist calls for violence and begin to take responsibility for promoting peace and rights in their own communities.
Civil society peacebuilding - small steps are making a big difference
However, communities are mobilising themselves in a number of creative ways. In one town young people are coming together from a number of villages to sing songs of peace in a choir - they have already been invited to sing before the British High Commissioner! Peace Committees have been established to address some of the immediate issues such as counselling traumatised people and engaging in dialogue when disputes arise. But more needs to be done.
Our work in Kenya
RTC has been working in Kenya since the post election violence in 2008. We have been building partnerships with local peacebuilding organisations and looking at how we can support them in their peacebuilding efforts to prevent future violence and build peace.
Over the next three years RTC aims to work with organisations based in Nairobi and the Central Rift Valley. Our work will focus on:
Empowering communities to be able to deal with their own issues. Communities need the skills and knowledge to deal creatively with their own issues, resolve situations which at the moment only increase tensions, and ensure that their voice is heard by those in government.
'Without the youth any peace building effort will be thwarted....... it is the youth who have much energy and little hope'. 
Working with local organisations to identify creative ways in which young people can develop the skills to be leaders in their own communities and take responsibility for peace.
'People are just sitting around and waiting for a bomb to explode'.
Helping civil society to develop long-term strategies for peace.
Over the coming months RTC will be raising funds to support this work, and implementing a range of activities with our partners in Kenya. Our partners in Kenya are PeaceNet Kenya and the Centre for Conflict Resolution. If you would like to support our work in Kenya please contact simon@respond.org.
An analysis report on the current situation in Kenya will be available soon.