Jan. 9: Eye on Kenya
Prevent War: Eye on Kenya
January 9, 2008
This Prevent War email focuses on the crisis in Kenya. Before last week's election, Kenya was known as 'the stable country" in conflict-ridden East Africa. Now, an election rigged in favor of the incumbent, Mwai Kibaki, has led to violence leaving hundreds dead and nearly 250,000 displaced from their homes. By examining the political crisis in Kenya, we can better understand the problems which lead to violence in weak states.
Topics in this message:
- Crisis in Kenya
- Action: Support Reconciliation and Conflict Resolution Programs in the FY 09 budget
- Know a Student Interested in International Affairs?
- Additional Reading
- New Resources at fcnl.org
1) Crisis in Kenya
To the West, Kenya has been seen as a reliable partner in the 'war on terror,' a favorable place for international investors, and a prime vacation spot for Europeans. A week before the December 27 elections, The Economist magazine characterized Kenya "as a haven of stability and prosperity in eastern Africa." Conventional wisdom was that the challenger, Raila Odinga, would likely win the election by a slight margin and take power peacefully. Instead, a flawed election secured a win for the incumbent, Mwai Kibaki, causing post-election violence along ethnic, social and economic lines.
Reasons for Discontent
Kibaki is a member of the Kikuyu tribe, which has dominated business and politics in Kenya since the country became independent from Britain in 1963. He came to power in 2002, after the despotic and corrupt presidency of Daniel Arap Moi, promising real change.
Despite overseeing a rapidly growing economy, the gap between the haves and the have-nots increased in a country with already deep socio-economic inequities. The security situation in Kenya has been steadily deteriorating, according to Africa expert Gérard Prunier. The opposition leader Raila Odinga gained support from many ordinary Kenyans by capitalizing on widely held frustrations such as: rising crime and violence, a sense of betrayal by Kibaki, rising economic inequalities, and long-held discontent felt by other tribes towards the Kikuyu's elite status.
In the election, Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) won 95 parliament seats, while Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU) won only 43 seats. But in the presidential race, Kibaki reportedly won 4,584,721 votes while Odinga took 4,352,993 votes. While the official Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) declared Kibaki the winner, the very tight vote margin (among other reasons) led many Kenyans and international observers to suspect voting irregularities and fraud. By the time Kibaki was sworn into office on December 30th, Odinga supporters had taken to the streets. Organized violence directed at members of Kibaki's tribe left hundreds dead and displaced nearly 250,000 people from their homes.
Kibaki and Odinga will meet with mediators to try to hash out a solution to the political crisis. Kibaki has offered to form a unity government between him and Odinga, which Odinga rejected. Odinga wants a three-month interim government to set the stage for new elections in the spring.
For the moment, violence has subsided, but the root causes of conflict - such as socio-economic disparities - have yet to be addressed. Desmond Tutu, who recently arrived to urge the two sides to pursue peace, reportedly said, "This is a country that has been held up as a model of stability. This picture has been shattered." Find out more.
2) Action: Support Reconciliation and Conflict Resolution Programs in the FY 09 Budget
The crisis in Kenya highlights the need for the global community, including the U.S., to promote peace and reconciliation across ethnic, tribal and racial lines in post-conflict situations. Urge your Member of Congress to support programs in the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development that work to bring people together and help build a lasting foundation for peace.
3) Know a Student Interested in International Affairs?
Urge a middle school or high school student to take part in the U.S. Department of State's "Doors to Diplomacy" educational challenge, which encourages students to teach others about international affairs through web projects. Find out more.
4) Additional Reading
Kenya: Roots of Crisis - Gérard PrunierOpen Democracy
This article explores the root causes of the political crisis in Kenya.
Kenya on the brink - David AndersonProspect (UK)
David Anderson -- professor of African Politics at Oxford University -- says that "the violence will end if Odinga, Kibaki and their allies make it clear that it must end." Anderson further contends that Kenya's democracy "has fallen prey to a ravenous and greedy politics," and needs an overhaul reform of the political process.
5) New Resources at fcnl.org
Letter to Secretary Rice: Make Sustainable Peace in Kenya a Priority
FCNL's letter to Secretary Rice and key State Department personnel urges the U.S. government to commit diplomatic resources to bring a definitive end to the violence in Kenya. While the U.S. has committed substantial military resources to East Africa, FCNL urges the Bush administration to help support the peaceful resolution of conflict in East Africa by stepping up funds for accounts supporting U.S. diplomats and conflict prevention programs in the president's budget for Fiscal Year 2009.
FCNL's letter to Friends United Meeting, Africa Ministries in Kenya
Kenya has the largest population of members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in the world. Friends in Kenya and the Great Lakes Region are actively working to promote peaceful alternatives to violence. This letter expresses our support for Quakers working in Kenya during this trying time and informs them of our efforts to lobby the U.S. government for increased resources to prevent and resolve deadly crisis abroad.