Internal displacement and local peacebuilding in Kenya

Peacebuilding after the 2007-08 post-election violence in Kenya is inextricably linked to the challenges of dealing with the hundreds of thousands of people that the violence internally displaced-- a problem recognized in the national accord drawn up after the violence occurred. Effective resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and reconciliation should be a key indicator of successful peacebuilding, which in turn requires appropriate monitoring and evaluation of resettlement, reconciliation, and compensation efforts. In addition to the broader reforms stipulated in the national accord, the legislature and judiciary should be encouraged to more systematically address the grievances around internal displacement. Currently, nongovernmental peacebuilding organizations continue to be urban and Nairobi-centric, focusing on sporadic small projects, youth exchanges, and workshops. They rarely tap into informal or formal networks of local people and institutions, and no rigorous monitoring and reporting of previous hot spots of violence occur in an institutionalized and continuous manner. Local-level government responses to displacement remain largely within a pre-election security paradigm, entailing the construction of more police posts and involving the provincial security apparatus in compensation and resettlement. This is not effective. Much more needs to be done, including structural reforms that improve transparency and accountability in government institutions at the local level.