AMANI SASA DAILY UPDATE: 8th
JANUARY, 2008[1]
TODAY: 700 dead, 100,000 displaced (54,000 IDPs in Rift
Valley, 16,000 in Coast and 3,000 in
Ø The meeting with donors was carried
out well yesterday where donors pledged support in terms of funding some
proposals.
Ø The 11.oclock meeting developed
white ribbons, collaborating with Amani Forum decided to push all elected MPs
during the swearing ceremony to wear them to enhance advocacy avenues..
Ø Decided that a long track will be
stationed along Uhuru highway with banners having massages of peace.
Ø The meeting with the government
official generated consensus on coming up with trauma and counseling team which
there proposal will be funded by the government. The government is willing to
mobilize as many as possible to be on the ground inn most affected areas.
Ø To start a community peace
initiative through mobilizing all the district commissioners in the country to
identify where community dialogue and mediation can be initiated immediately.
Ø Mobilization of MPS who have some
level of integrity to talk to there community on peace and mediation.
Ø Maendleo ya wanaawke and Peacenet
will be having the counseling sessions starting from today in six centers in
Eldoret and Nakuru
Ø Thinking convoy of buses with
messages of peace during the opening of the parliament under the auspices of
Maendeleo Ya Wanawake.
Ø Thinking of having peace ribbon
day for Kenyans spearheaded by.
Ø Baraza la Wanawake la Amani are
preparing four different women from Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Luo and Luhya to go to
the media and pass peace messages.
Concerned Youth for Peace Initiatives/Lyai
Ø T-shirts for youths are ready and
going for Ksh 300
Ø There is football match preparing
which will be taking place in Korogocho on Saturday and Sunday between Dandora,
Korogocho and Babandogo. The budget for this is Ksh 42,000 and looking for a
donor.
Ø Planning to invite public figures
to talk to the youth on Friday
Ø Waiting for the media proposal to
be finalized and approved.
Ø Meeting for media owners will be
held tomorrow to evaluate the situation come up with a way forward.
Ø The women editors will be
launching white ribbon for peace campaign at Holiday Inn and the guest of
honour will be a representative from Swedish embassy.
Ø
The
humanitarian aspect is very poor in Nyanza especially in Luo Nyanza and Kisii
district.
Ø The government is putting down a team to coordinate
this humanitarian effort which it has divided in to three committees, Security
committee to ensure the security is provided during humanitarian efforts by all
stakeholders, humanitarian committee and transport committee to ensure all
roads that lead to affected areas are open to facilitate humanitarian effort.
Ø There are people camping in Sagana
who are claimed to be from Luo community
Ø There are claims that in Pokot
there are people hired to kill coming from outside of the country
2
Ø Had a meeting with professionals
to give up a legal write
Ø Preparing a briefing package for
president Kufuor
Ø Have started a process of opening
an account with Kenya Commercial Bank
PROFESSIONAL
Ø To put a frame work on how best to
work out through this situation putting short-term as well as long-term objectives
in focus.
Ø To explores ways of creating an
impartial ground to come out the crisis
Ø To prepare a briefing for
President Kufor
07.00 Women editors meeting, Holiday Inn
OPEN
08.00 The Peace Makers Update, Caana room,
11:00 PEACENET, PEACENET offices, Maalim Juma road
opp Royal media, Hurlingham OPEN
_______________________________________________________________________________
Extract
from Dr. Tim Murithi article Beyond the Politics of Polarization in
Kenya
Today, Kenyans are experiencing a country that Fanon
predicted and described 46 years ago. The degree of ethnic animosity has been
fuelled by years of misrule, economic mismanagement, and corruption.
Effectively, the politics of polarization in Kenya today have become manifest
through the tragic confluence of this legacy, the deep seated sense of being
aggrieved politically among some ethnic groups, a restless and anxious
populace, and the failure by the ECK to fulfill its effectively mandate. In
terms of the way forward it is self-evident that political negotiations between
Kenyan political parties is a vital first step. These parties need to commit
themselves to preventing the further escalation of violent conflict and
outlining a roadmap for restoring stability to the country. This process would
be more effective through international mediation because domestic actors will
not be seen as impartial. Some have suggested that an independent audit of the
presidential votes may resolve the situation however this will only partially
address the core issue of how to govern the country in a way that does not
perpetuate the dominance of one ethnic group or groups. In the immediate
short-term a governing framework that promotes power-sharing would begin to
address this core issue. Even if elections were held again in the next few
months the fundamental problem of how the country is governed will not be
addressed. In the medium- to long-term a fundamental restructuring of the
configuration and distribution of state power in
Dr. Tim Murithi, is a Senior Analyst with the Institute for Security Studies and author of The African Union: Pan-Africanism, Peacebuilding and Development published by Ashgate.
[1] This daily update is a service to all working for peace. It records the various independent initiatives currently underway to restore peace, assist the displaced and promote truth and justice. It does suggest that these actions are being centrally coordinated.