Mediating postelectoral violence in kenya, 20072008. Kenya election violence and the police response chrips. To substantiate its list of perpetrators, which includes 20 mps, the knchr report goes into some detail about political meetings leading up to the election crisis and some held once the violence had started. Africa confidential releases details kenya after 2007 29 jul 12 at 20. Officials indicate that at least 900 cases of sexual violence occurred. The kenya national commission on human rights knchr 23 reports showed that about 70 people died from july, whereas in 2002, 325 kenyans lost their lives in political tension.
The knchr contends that an informed citizenry represents the last line of defence for democracy against those who abuse power. A knchr report released in november documented 201 cases of sexual assault in nine counties emanating from the. Commission of inquiry into the post election violence konrad. Media, elections and political violence in eastern africa. Knchr, numerous statements taken down by cipev investigators but who for. More than 250,000 people were internally displaced, made refugees in their own country. Still a mirage at dusk is a kenya national commission on human rights knchr report that.
Knchr release report on election aftermath violence. Full kenyan post election violence report 2008 wikileaks. Inquiry into postelection violence cipev concluded. A human rights account of kenyas post election violence, knchr, 2008. This report is a reflection study based on knchrs set of experiences as an institution and as a national human rights institution nhri following the kenya 2007 2008 post election violence, and its efforts thereafter in seeking to pursue justice and. The international media looks at this crisis through the lenses of ethnic cleansing and a fight for tribal supremacy between the luo and the kikuyu. Conflict analysis of 2007 postelection violence in kenya. Human rights watch report 2012 turning pebbles, evading accountability for postelection violence in kenya, pages 6769. Tens of thousands of houses and businesses were looted or destroyed. In a report dubbed mirage at dusk, knchr gives an account of the human rights violations in the election that was nullified by the supreme court. The announcement of the results of the 27 december 2007 general election in kenya triggered widespread violence, resulting in the deaths of over a thousand people, thousands of people being injured, and several hundreds of thousands of people being. Preventing mass violence does not mean that electionrelated violence was absent in kenya, or that elections are peaceful.
The commission had earlier launched investigations into the violence following august 8th election and october fresh presidential polls. The phenomenon of postelection violence is complex and has numerous facets but the present study focuses on the report of the kenya national commission on human rights knchr which is subjected to a missiological analysis, reflecting on what it. The report on commission on inquiry into the postelection violence waki report. The police were accused of using excessive force in response to the demonstrations, including through the firing of live ammunition at protesters. This report focuses on post election violations largely experienced following. According to the kenya national commission on human rights knchr, 24 people, including women and children, were killed by the police as a result of this process. An analysis of the post 2007 general election conflict mediation process in kenya submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree ll. In august 2008, the kenya national commission on human rights knchr released a report on the postelection violence. Following the announcement of the election results, violence erupted in many parts of kenya. The report says the 2007 post election violence led to the death of 1,3 people and displacement of about 600,000 people. Report from ohchr factfinding mission to kenya, 628 february. Knchr report says police raped during 2017 polls daily. When justice waki presented the report to the president and prime minister. Following the postelection violence in kenya after the 2007 general election, the national.
The kenya national commission on human rights knchr opines that general election is not limited to casting the ballot on a gazetted election day but encompasses the totality of preparatory actions that only concludes after the declaration of a winner. Key challenges 15 chapter 4 the role of civil society 17 4. Nature of the violence the majority of kenyas postelection violence took place in january and february, 2008. The fighting resulted in 1,3 casualties, at least 350,000 internally displaced persons idps, approximately 2,000 refugees, significant, but unknown, numbers of sexual violence victims, and the destruction of 117,216 private properties and 491 governmentowned. Report on postelection violence the new york times. Knchr postelection violence report names kenyan pundit. In this paper, i perform an analysis of the conflict to examine why widespread violence erupted in the wake of kibakis presidential reelection. Kenya national commission on human rights knchr the mountain of terror a report on the investigations of torture by the military in mount. Following the announcement of the elec tion results, violence erupted in many parts of kenya.
Report from ohchr factfinding mission to kenya, 628 february 2008. Kriegler reportsummarised version kriegler and waki reports on 2007 elections v list of acronyms aids acquired immune deficiency syndrome ap administration police cipev commission of inquiry into post election violence creaw centre for rights education and awareness csos civil society organizations eck electoral commission of kenya fida federation of women lawyers. A human rights account of kenyas post 2007 elections. The central isiolo region, a pastoralist dryland has been a hotspot of violence in recent years sharamo, 2014, p. Evading accountability for postelection violence in kenya. The report concludes that the postelection violence was more than a mere. Preventing mass violence does not mean that election related violence was absent in kenya, or that elections are peaceful.
Kenya has been riddled with conflict and violence throughout its brief history as a nation. The december 2007 elections and the challenges ahead. Kenya alternative report to the human rights committee. The 2007 postelection violence in kenya, however, was of a different magnitude.
Human rights knchr reported in 2017 that authorities killed between 35 and 100 persons and injured many others in opposition strongholds following the august 2017 elections. Enhancing the realization of your rights annual report for the 20092010 financial year ii. Majority of sexual violence cases reported during the 2017 general election were perpetrated by security personnel, a human right report revealed on tuesday. The 529page report, released october 15, 2008, records 3,561 injuries, 117,216 instances of property destruction, and 1,3 deaths as a result of the postelection violence. The kenya national commission on human rights has over the last two weeks been carefully and closely following the debate on the waki report. Kenya article 19 defending freedom of expression and. Institutional responses to the postelection violence in 20072008 3. Postelection political violence 2 joint mission to kenya to carry out research into the roots and repercussions of the violence. Postelection violence where there is persistent and sustained sense of. Public awareness programmes curriculum and training manual. The kenya national commission on human rights knchr 23 reports. Revisiting postelection violence openedition journals. The commission gives advice to the kenyan government on how to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights.
This report, based on interviews with victims of the postelection violence, police officers, defense and prosecution lawyers, judges, local officials, civil society organizations and others, and. Commissioner for human rights, to study this report and take note of and. The most recent example is the postelection violence that occurred in kenya in 20072008 between the kikuyus and luos and many other socalled tribes. Preventing postelection violence based on the kenyan. Knchr report exposes police brutality during 2017 polls. Following the waki report on kenyas postelection violence, the knchr offers its response to the report and its strong opposition to any political attempts to discredit the reports findings and undermine justice. The kenya national commission on human rights knchr is kenyas national human rights institution with statutory mandates to protect and promote the human rights of all individuals living in kenya. In october 2008, the commission of inquiry into postelection violence cipev concluded in its report that 1,3 kenyans had been killed and 600,000 more displaced from their homes in. Irec and the commission of inquiry on post election violence cipev. Knchr is perturbed by twist and turns and the political ping pong by. These are the difficult questions that the knchr postelection.
The impact of ethnic conflict on economic development. Post election violence cipev and we find the moves by some politicians. Silhouettes of brutalityan account of sexual violence during and. The kenyan commission of inquiry into postelection violence.
It monitors government institutions, carries out investigations on alleged human rights violations, and in appropriate cases provides redress to those whose rights have been violated. Kenya national commission on human rights publications. The report concludes that the postelection violence was more than a mere juxtaposition of citizenstocitizens opportunistic assaults. Knchr, which documented sexual violence during the 200708 postelection violence and noted similar patterns in 2017, has characterised ersv as a premeditated act used as a weapon for electoral. Report from ohchr factfinding mission to kenya, 628. The waki report kenya national commission on human rights. It is true the 1992 and 1997 elections led to postelection violence, but there were. One way of understanding postelection violence and the possible mediarelated imperatives is to look at the variety of contexts in which it can occur. The kenya national commission on human rights knchr is the countrys lead agency with the statutory mandate to protect and promote the human rights of all individuals living in kenya.
More than 1,000 peopl e have been killed and an estimated 350,000 reportedly displaced. To put the knchr figures in perspective, it should be remembered that it does not use the same criteria used by other human rights ngos in assessing election violence. By midjanuary, six hundred kenyans lay dead in an unprecedented orgy of postelection violence. More than 1,000 people have been killed and an estimated 350,000 reportedly displaced. Kenya national commission on human rights knchr released report on august and october post election violence. See khrc and icjkenya report 2012, elusive justice. M human rights and democratisation in africa faculty of law, university of pretoria, south africa by beatrice nyawanda odallo student number. Reflections 10 years after the 2007 post election violence. Election related reports kenya national commission on human. Sexual violence during and after the 2017 presidential election in its report following the political violence in 2017, the knchr noted that the majority of the survivors specifically pointed out security agents as perpetrators of the sexual violence. Knchr alternative report to the committee on elimination of all forms of racial discrimination march 2017 kenya national commission on human rights knchr website. An analysis of the post 2007 general election conflict. In august 2008, the kenya national commission on human rights knchr released a report on.
Failures to make these distinctions in analysis and evaluation risk distorting estimations of the potential for future violence, potential triggers, and underlying conflict drivers. Pev postelection violence plwa people living with hivaids pwg protection working group. The joint mission, which visited kenya between 29 march and 9 april 1998, had four main objectives. The kenya national commission on human rights, said 17 of the killings occurred in, nairobi. Postelection violence in kenya and its aftermath center. The kenya national commission on human rights knchr, referred to in this report as the commission monitored the election campaigns and found them highly ethnicized with various cases of hate speech, incitement to violence and ethnic hatred, including through the media. Peacenet%20updateelection%20eupdates%20edition%204. The knchr report also makes allegations against a bishop and several preachers, christian and muslim, for involvement in the violence. A status report on victims of 20072008 postelection violence in kenya.
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