Karuti Kanyinga

The legacy of the white highlands: Land rights, ethnicity and the post-2007 election violence in Kenya

Abstract A violent conflict engulfed Kenya after a flawed and disputed presidential election result in December 2007. Before then, Kenya was considered an icon, a bastion of political stability and economic prosperity in Africa. It surprised many that this icon would go up in flames so fast. Analyses of what went wrong with Kenya tend to gloss over the land question and ethnicity as factors behind the violence. Yet ethnicity and the manner in which the land question in the former white highlands and especially in the Rift Valley region has been addressed throughout the post-colonial period played an important role in the post-2007 election violence. This contribution argues that the reforms pursued through the settlement schemes and the land purchase programme by successive governments ethnicised the land question and established a ground for political conflict. It also shows that by looking at Kenyas politics of access to the former white highlands this violence becomes predictable. The discussion concludes that political leaders have not been keen to address the land question and it therefore remains a hot spot that, unless addressed in a democratic manner, may well ignite recurrence of violence.

The Political Economy of Reforms in Kenya: The Post-2007 Election Violence and a New Constitution

Abstract: This article explores the package of “Agenda item 4” reforms undertaken by the Kenyan government in the mediation process following the 2007–8 postelection violence, including those relating to long-standing issues over constitutional revision. It situates the previous lack of reforms within Kenyas political economy and demonstrates how political and economic interests thwarted progress and produced the postelection crisis. It also examines the more recent attempts to address reforms following the signing of the National Accord and the creation of a power-sharing government, and finds strong public support for constitutional revision. It concludes that these pressures from below, along with a realignment of political interests and institutional change from power-sharing, helped support reform.

Politics and struggles for access to land: ‘grants from above’ and ‘squatters’ in coastal Kenya

In Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa generally, there has been little systematic discussion of post-colonial struggles for land rights. Studies have ignored the fact that the ‘land question’ is not about production alone and have, thus, failed to assess its wider consequences for society. This raises questions about the current socio-political dimension of the land question and the consequences of the interplay between the ‘land question’ and other changes under way in the country. This study addresses these questions by discussing popular struggles of access to land in the coastal region of Kenya where the land question has a distinct political history. The analysis is based on a survey conducted in Kilifi district, Coast provinces, between September 1995 and November 1996.

Stopping a Conflagration: The Response of Kenyan Civil Society to the Post-2007 Election Violence

Kenya experienced unprecedented political violence following the flawed and disputed presidential election result in December 2007. Over 1,100 people were killed and another 600,000 displaced. The violence spread rapidly and threatened Kenya as a nation-state. Following international mediation by the African Unions Panel of Eminent African Personalities under the chairmanship of Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary General, the two main protagonists agreed to end violence and to share political power. Although much has been written about the Kenya post-election violence, little has been said about the role the countrys indigenous civil society groups played in the mediation process, and to end the violence. This article discusses the role they played in ending the crisis by responding to two questions: ‘How did civil society put out the fire?’ and ‘What lessons can other African civil society organizations learn from the experience?’

Devolution and the New Politics of Development in Kenya

Abstract: Joel Barkan had a special interest in decentralization and local development. He was persuaded that decentralization, and devolution in particular, had the potential of addressing Kenya’s longstanding challenges in regard to equity, ethnic inequalities, inclusion, and service delivery. Although political patronage and ethnic interests historically had hindered efforts to introduce decentralization, Kenya’s 2010 Constitution promised a devolved system of government to address regional imbalances in development, promote equitable access to basic services, and give powers of self-governance to the people. Will devolution under the 2010 Constitution succeed, or will it fail just like the other initiatives before it? Résumé: Joel Barkan avait un intérêt particulier pour la décentralisation et le développement local. Il était persuadé que la décentralisation et la dévolution en particulier, avait le potentiel de faire face aux défis de longue date du Kenya en ce qui concerne l’équité, les inégalités ethniques, ainsi que l’inclusion et la prestation des services. Bien qu’historiquement les intérêts ethniques et favoritisme politique ont entravé les efforts visant à introduire la décentralisation, la Constitution de 2010 du Kenya a promis un système décentralisé du gouvernement pour résoudre les développements d’inégalité régionales, promouvoir un accès équitable aux services de base et doter des pouvoirs d’autonomie gouvernementale au peuple. Une question se pause : Est-ce-que la dévolution, en vertu de la Constitution de 2010, réussira ou échouera-t-elle exactement comme les autres initiatives avant elle?