Check out our NEW online marketplace.

Hopes for Reconciliation as the First Step Towards Healing Kenya's Wounds

After weeks of severe political and ethnically motivated violence in which 1,000 people have lost their lives, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon for wounded Kenya, when Kofi Annan today announced a move towards reconciliation between disputed president Kibaki’s government and the opposition Orange democratic movement under Raila Odinga.

Under Annan’s guidance significant progress has been made toward reaching an agreement and moving towards an end to the ethnic violence that has erupted throughout the country following the disputed election of December 27th in which Mr. Kibaki, of Kiyuku ethnicity was accused by Raila Odinga, of Luo ethnicity of rigging.

A political settlement will be the first step towards healing the deep wounds that have been inflicted on Kenya since the elections. While the moves toward reconciliation remain tentative, there is talk of a power sharing agreement between the rival parties. Next week shall see a meeting of government ministers, known as a Kamukunji, to discuss the issues at hand. Meanwhile the world waits with baited breath to know the precise outcome of the talks, set now to continue on Monday.

However, while there may be hope a breakthrough is not expected, “rather an agreement of principles," said a senior government official [1] an ultimate solution is not expected, but signs are positive, says Wiliam Ruto of the rival Orange Democratic Movement.

While Ruto does not believe that power sharing in a government of national unity will be an outcome of the talks, it is proposed that Mr. Kibaki may continue as president and Mr. Odinga become prime minister.

Mutula Kilonzo, a member of the government negotiating team stressed the importance of these moves towards reconciliation and the effect it is hoped to have on the ethnic tensions that had erupted between tribes within Kenya traditionally hostile to one another. Along with Kofi Annan he stressed that these talks must not be allowed to fail.

"We cannot afford our people using bows and arrows, people being pulled out of buses to be asked 'which language do you speak?' and then being chopped," Kilonzo said. [2]

The escalation of such tensions that have existed since British colonial rule were feared to escalate into ethnic cleansing on a scale as seen all to recently and devastatingly in Rwanda and Darfur, Sudan.

The rule of law and faith in the justice system are integral for ensuring the dissipation of these tensions and to approach reconciliation between the fractious ethnicities and the healing of the countries current divisions. Faith in the police force has been severely damaged following the brutalities committed by the police against their own citizens at the height of the violence. Reconciliation and a unified government are the necessary beginnings for this process.

Some wounds will not be so quick to heal however. Citizens of a country that lies at the source of many of Kenya’s current problems now play a vital role in the longer term mending of the countries economy. British tourists last year accounted for 200,000 out of a million visitors to the country. Only a tiny fraction of the projected numbers for the coming months is set to visit. The recent violence has cost the industry 126 million in lost revenue for the months of January to March, and has already seen the loss of 20,000 jobs for hotel workers and thousands more workers in other sectors such as waiters, cleaners, bar staff and taxi drivers put on compulsory, unpaid leave.[3]

While the short term violence may hopefully be quelled and tensions dissipated, the longer term effects of the recent crisis on the economy could spell disaster for an industry that directly employs a quarter of a million people and accounts for 15% of Kenya’s GDP.

Frustratingly the government has been slow to acknowledge the scale of the issue which could lead to a halving of the countries projected growth rate of 8%, one of the highest in the continent.

Mohammed Hersi, the general manager of Sarova Whitesands resort, the second largest hotel in East Africa [4], said that if reconciliation could not be reached by Kofi Annan in the coming week it could spell disaster for the tourism industry.

While re-establishment of the forces of order and the rule of law, through reconciliation between warring political parties that visibly represent ethnic divisions may succeed in forcing citizens to lay aside their machetes, the less visible wounds in the Kenyan economy run much deeper and will take much longer to heal.

Britain and other countries are able to provide a tangible balm to the economies’ wounds by encouraging their tourists to return. However this may only be achieved once the rule of law is again firmly established, when faith in the forces of order has been restored, when political differences can be reconciled and the democratic process prevail.

At the IIJD we strongly side with the democratic process in Kenya, advocating for the Kenyan people who will continue to suffer increasingly from the on-going political crisis. We strongly condemn any political interference in the electoral process; therefore, the underlying causes of the crisis need to be determined through an investigation by an independent and impartial party. We welcome the announcement today of an investigation of the events by a human rights team and the acceptance of Annan’s proposed truth and reconciliation commission.

However, President Kibaki must accept responsibility for the killings. The IIJD calls on the international community to refuse to reward dictators and those who violate the democratic process worldwide. By accepting Mr. Kibaki’s hold on power, even in the case of a coalition government, we are encouraging future African leaders to follow a corrupt and undemocratic path to power. Mr. Kibaki’s resignation should be strongly advocated by the international community and particularly by other African leaders.

The absolute rule of law and a stable and secure justice system are among the most important factors in restoring the promising prosperity of Kenya, of steering it away from a path of economic decline and a descent into ethnic cleansing which the past few weeks have shown to be an all too real possibility. As the International Community is working to bring long-term peace and stability to Kenya, we must seize the opportunity to develop a strong and independent justice system that can guarantee democracy, protect human rights, and assure sustainable development. Only through the reform of the institutions of government that strengthen the justice system and establish the rule of the law can we combat corruption, demand accountability, secure investments, and create an incentive for educated and capable Kenyans to stay and contribute to their countries' futures.

[1] AllAfrica: Kenya: Annan - 'We've Reached Far On Political Issues'. February 8th 2008.

[2] Guardian: Kenyan rivals close to deal, says Annan. Friday February 8, 2008.

[3] Guardian: Sun, sea and miles of empty beach: the paradise that faces disaster. Friday February 8, 2008.