Genocide Watch

Kenya

Genocide Watch: Kenya

1 January 2008
Genocide Watch has called a Genocide Alert because of genocidal massacres that are increasing daily in Kenya in the wake of a disputed election between President Mwai Kibaki, who is a member of the Kikuyu ethnic group, and Mr. Raila Odinga, who is ethnically a Luo.

Ethnic riots have broken out in Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, and numerous other places in Kenya. People have been pulled from their cars and their identification cards checked for their names, which symbolize their ethnic identity, and then killed if they belong to groups being targeted. Hundreds of people have already been murdered. Today a church in Eldoret was locked and the people inside were burned to death by a mob.

Ethnic massacres are an indicator that the risk of genocide in Kenya has risen to Stage 6, the Preparation stage. Kenya has not yet descended into actual genocide. However, the next stage in the process is actual genocide, and Kenya is close to that stage. Genocide can be bilateral, with perpetrators from two (or more) groups killing members of other groups because of their ethnic identity. Burundi had such bilateral genocide from 1993-1995.

President Kabaki claimed victory and was sworn in for another term as President despite strong evidence of election fraud in Kikuyu districts, some of which reported more votes than the voters registered in the districts. The European Commission and African Union have called for independent inquiries into the vote counting process, which the Kenyan Election Commission said gave a narrow victory to Kibaki, despite his party's loss of many seats in Parliament.

Genocide Watch makes the following recommendations:
1. No country should recognize or congratulate President Kibaki for his "re-election" until the results are confirmed by independent election inquiries.
2. Mr. Odinga should publically denounce violence against Kikuyus, and President Kibaki should forbid violence against Luos and other ethnic groups.
3. President Kibaki and Mr. Odinga should declare their willingness to abide by the decision of an independent election inquiry commission whose members are named by both men, including trusted leaders from other African countries.
4. Both President Kibaki and Mr. Odinga should refrain from holding mass rallies, and should firmly forbid their supporters from joining criminal militias that are murdering and looting. Members of such militias should be arrested quickly and tried for their crimes.
5. Religious and civil society groups in Kenya should vigorously oppose the violence and protect people who are targeted because of their ethnic identity.
6. The African Union should begin immediate planning to send well equipped police forces to Kenya to quell the ethnic rioting there. The United Nations should condemn the violence and financially support African Union efforts to mediate the dispute and prevent further violence.

Kikuvus in Nakuru, Kenya, were part of a mass exodus trying to get to Kenya's central highlands (Christophe Calais for the New York Times).

Updates

28 January 2012 " Kenyan Politics is Shaken up by the Indictment of Several Heavyweights" by The Economist

6 November 2011 "Six people, not tribes are on trial, ICC tells Kenyans," by Sunday Nation

24 October 2011 "Grenade Attack on Kenyan Bar Raises Fear of Widening Conflict," by Josh Kron, The New York Times

16 October 2011 "Kenyan troops enter Somalia to attack rebels," by Agence France-Presse

14 October 2011 "Analysis: Why set US troops on Africa militants?," by The Associated Press

September 2011 "The Risk of Genocide in Kenya," by The Sentinel Project for Genocide Prevention

8 September 2011 "ICC case ends with queries on Raila, Keter," by Judie Kaberia, Capital Broadcasting Network

8 March 2011 "The Hague: 6 top Kenyan politicians are summoned," by Marlise Simons, The New York Times

17 January 2011 "War Crimes Prosecution Watch Vol. 5, Issue 21," by Public International Law & Policy Group

16 December 2010 "Noted Kenyans are accused of election violence," by Sudarsan Raghavan, Washington Post

15 December 2010 "International Court Seeks Indictments in Kenya Vote Violence," by The New York Times

23 September 2010 "African Regional Committee on Genocide established," by Prof. William Schabas, President, International Association of Genocide Scholars

30 August 2010 "Kenya Ignores ICC Arrest Warrant and Plays Host to President Omar Al Bashir of Sudan," by Africa Legal Aid

5 August 2010 "Kenyans approved new constitution," by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

3 August 2010 "Kenya stakes reinvention on constitution vote," by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

19 July 2010 "War Crimes Prosecution Watch Vol 5, Issue 8," by Public International Law & Policy Group

5 July 2010 "War Crimes Prosecution Watch Vol 5, Issue 7," by Public International Law & Policy Group

21 June 2010 "War Crimes Prosecution Watch Vol. 5, Issue 6," by Public International Law & Policy Group

18 June 2010 "Peace Negotiations Watch Vol. IX, No. 21," by Public International Law & Policy Group

21 May 2010 "Peace Negotiations Watch Vol IX No 18," by Public International Law & Policy Group

29 April 2010 "War Crimes Prosecutions Watch Vol 4, Issue 26," by Public International Law & Policy Group

16 April 2010 "Peace Negotiations Watch Vol IX, No 16," by Public International Law & Policy Group

12 April 2010 "War Crimes Prosecutions Watch Vol 5, Issue 1," by Public International Law & Policy Group

9 April 2010 "Peace Negotiations Watch Vol IX, No 15, " by Public International Law & Policy Group

2 April 2010 "Peace Negotiations Watch Vol IX, No 14," by Public International Law & Policy Group

31 March 2010 "Court authorizes inquiry of Kenyans," by Marlise Simons, The New York Times

19 March 2010 "Peace Negotiations Watch Vol IX, No. 12," by Public International Law & Policy Group

12 March 2010 "Peace Negotiations Watch Vol IX, No.11," by Public International Law & Policy Group

26 February 2010 "Peace Negotiations Watch, Vol. IX, No. 9," by Public International Law & Policy Group

17 February 2010 "Halt Anti-Gay Campaign," by Human Rights Watch

8 December 2009 "Annan says Kenya leaders stoking ethnic division," by Reuters

26 November 2009 "ICC: Prosecutor Seeks OK on Kenya Inquiry" By Georgette Gagnon, Africa Director, Human Rights Watch

14 November, 2009 "The Mau Forest, near Marashoni, feeds many rivers," by Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times

6 November 2009 "Kenya's post-election violence suspects must be brought to justice," by Amnesty International

6 November 2009 "International Court to Begin Inquiry Into Kenya Violence," by The New York Times

5 November 2009 "ICC to investigate Kenya violence," by BBC News

22 October 2009 "Stop Recruitment of Somalis in Refugee Camps," by Human Rights Watch

24 August 2009 "Kenya Holds First Census In A Decade, Causes Outcry Over Ethnic Identity," by The Huffington Post

13 August 2009 "Healing scars of Kenyan violence," by Will Ross, BBC News

13 August 2009 "Murdered gems expert's son speaks," by BBC News

6 August 2009 "Kenya's Volatile Politics Shadow Clinton," by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

1 August 2009 "Tracking Africa's people smugglers" by Brian Hungwe, BBC News

22 July 2009 "Radical Islamists slip easily into Kenya" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

16 July 2009 "Kenya's bill for bloodshed nears payment" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

29 June 2009 "Kenyan forces again accused of torture, rape" by Reuters

29 June 2009 "Bring the Gun or You'll Die," by Human Rights Watch

8 June 2009 "Members hear briefings from top judicial officials" by United Nations

5 June 2009 "Relieve Somali Refugee Crisis," by Human Rights Watch

1 June 2009 "Ogiek tribe to become 'conservation refugees'" by Survival International

23 May 2009 "Wrestling with the Ghosts of Colonialism" by Alan Cowell, The New York Times

19 May 2009 "Memorial service boycoot underscores fragility of Kenya's peace" by Stephanie McCrummen, Washington Post Foreign Service

22 April 2009 "Kenyan Town Strikes Back Against its Tormentors" by Jerffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

21 April 2009 "28 Die in Clashes in Kenya" by The Associated Press

1 March 2009 "Starvation and Strife Menace Torn Kenya" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

13 November 2008 "Kenya: Protect Somali Refugees" by Human Rights Watch

16 October 2008 "Kenyan commission calls for tribunal" by Thijs Bouwknegt, International Justice

1 October 2008 "Account for Missing Rendition Victims" by Human Rights Watch

15 September 2008 "A Climb to Conquer Two Obstacles" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

7 September 2008 "In Kenya, Some Fear That Fissures Remain" by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post

9 August 2008 "Rights Group Seeks Inquiry on Violence" by Agence France-Presse

29 June 2008 "Kenya's PM urges African troops into Zimbabwe" by Reuters

28 July 2008 "Punish War Crimes in Mt. Elgon" by Human Rights Watch

12 June 2008 "Kenya Votes in Peace for 5 Parliament Seats" by Reuters

23 May 2008 "National Registration Processes Leave Minorities on the Edge of Statelessness" by Maureen Lynch and Katherine Southwick, Refugees International

23 May 2008 "Kenya urged to halt forced return of refugees" by Reuters

21 May 2008 "Concerns about the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission Bill" by Amnesty International

21 May 2008 "Kenya mob kills 11 accused of being witches" by The Associated Press

15 May 2008 "Kenya's coalition cabinet meets for the first time" by Wangui Kanina, Reuters

6 May 2008 "Scarred by Strife After Election, Kenya Begins to Heal" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

19 April 2008 "Annan: Kenya must prosecute militias for political violence" by The Associated Press

14 April 2008 "Unity Cabinet Formed in Kenya, Ending Deadlock" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

14 April 2008 "Kenyans killed in sect protests" by BBC News

13 April 2008 "Deal Reported on Dividing Kenya Cabinet Posts" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

9 April 2008 "Riots Erupt in Kenya as Peace Plan Falters" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

8 April 2008 "Violence as Kenya Talks Suspended" by BBC News

5 April 2008 "Naming of Kenyan Cabinet Delayed" by BBC News

2 April 2008 "Accusations fly as Kenya political deadlock deepens" by C. Bryson Hull, The Washington Post

1 April 2008 "Kenyan Police Tear Gas Protesters" by Malkhadir Muhumed, The Washington Post

30 March 2008 "At Least 10 Killed as Somali Troops Shell a Market Used as an Insurgent Base" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

29 March 2008 "Stalemate in Kenya Over Top Posts" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

25 March 2008 "Kenyans 'satisfied' with peace deal" by Alex Ndegwa, The Standard

25 March 2008 "ODM case against State to continue" by Peter Astiaya, George Olwenya and Karanja Njoroge, The Standard

March 2008 "Ballots to Bullets" by Human Rights Watch

10 March 2008 "Tribalism Here, and There" by Roger Cohen, The New York Times

7 March 2008 "Kenyan Parliament Opens on Theme of Unity as Rivals Sit Apart" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

3 March 2008 "African Genocide Averted" by Roger Cohen, The New York Times

1 March 2008 "In Kenya, U.S. Added Action to Talk of Democracy" by Helene Cooper, The New York Times

February 2008 "Containing a Rebounding Crisis" by Gayle Smith, Enough

29 February 2008 "Kenya Rivals Reach Peace Agreement" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

26 February 2008 "Annan Has Sharp Words for Kenyans as Talks Stall" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

27 February 2008 "Annan Tries to Spur Kenya Talks" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

22 February 2008 "Deal to Share Power in Kenya Appears in Reach" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

21 February 2008 "Machetes and Elections" by Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times

21 February 2008 "Kenya in Crisis" by International Crisis Group

21 February 2008 "Opposition in Kenya Threatens More Protests" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

19 February 2008 "Rice, in Nairobi, Offers Incentives to End Violence" by Sheryl Gaystolberg and Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

16 February 2008 "Major Power-Sharing Issues Stymie Kenya Peace Talks" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

15 February 2008 "Signs in Kenya of a Land Redrawn by Ethnicity" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

15 February 2008 "As Kenyan Rivals Haggle, a Mother Mourns at 2 Graves" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

9 January 2008 "Kenya Crisis Worsens as Opposition Cools to Talks" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

8 January 2008 "Kenyan Leader and Opponent to Meet" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

29 January 2008 "Revenge Killings Stoke a Violent Cycle in Kenya" by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post

12 February 2008 "A Deal We Can Live With" by Maina Kiai and L. Muthoni Wanyeki, The New York Times

11 February 2008 "Kenya's Middle Class Feeling Sting of Violence" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

28 January 2008 "Having Driven Out Business, Kenyan Town Faces Consequences" by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post

9 February 2008 "Annan Sees Small Gains in Peace Talks in Kenya" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

8 February 2008 "U.S. Intensifies Efforts to End Deadly Conflict in Kenya" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

6 February 2008 "The Kenyane Opposition Lodges a Complaint in the CPI" by Nouvel Obs

6 February 2008 "Death Toll in Kenya Exceeds 1,000, but Talks Reach Crucial Phase" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

5 February 2008 "South African Bows Out of Mediation" by AP, The New York Times

2 February 2008 "Spreading Banditry Dilutes Benefits of a Plan for Ethnic Peace in Kenya" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

2 February 2008 "A New Chapter in Ethnic Cleansing" by The New York Times

1 February 2008 "Second Lawmaker Is Killed as Kenya's Riots Intensify" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

31 January 2008 "Official Sees Kenyan Ethnic Cleansing" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

30 January 2008 "Would-Be Peacemaker Killed in Kenya" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

29 January 2008 "Opposition Legislator Slain in Kenya, Sparking Clashes" by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post

29 January 2008 "Vengeance Reignites Kenyan City" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

27 June 2003 "Bush Calls for Changes in Africa to End Wars and Promote Trade" by Richard W. Stevenson, The New York Times

28 January 2008 "19 Burned to Death in Violence in Kenya" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

27 January 2008 "Ethnic Violence in Rift Valley Is Tearing Kenya Apart" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

26 January 2008 "Violence Continues in Kenya a Day After Talks" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

25 January 2008 "Rivals in Kenya Meet, But Recriminations Follow" by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post

25 January 2008 "Kenya's Political Rivals Meet" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

24 January 2008 "U.S. Envoy Wants Political Pact in Kenya" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

24 January 2008 "Kenyan Rivals Meet but Accuse Each Other of Sabotage" by Nick Tattersall and Daniel Wallis, The Washington Post

23 January 2008 "Kenya Protesters Set Fire to Building" by Katy Pownall, The Washington Post

23 January 2008 "Kenyan Rivals Unyielding Amid Bloodshed" by Michelle Faul, The Washington Post

22 January 2008 "Annan Arrives in Kenya, Urges Rivals to Talk" by Reuters

22 January 2008 "Kenya Police Teargas Kibaki Supporters In Nairobi" by Reuters

22 January 2008 "Kenya Violence Augurs Ethnic Split" by Elizabeth A. Kennedy, The AP

21 January 2008 "Signs in Kenya That Killings Were Planned" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

19 January 2008 "Kenya's Opposition Switches Its Tactics From Street Protests to Business Boycotts" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

18 January 2008 "Protesters Clash With Police in Kenya and Loot Train" by Jeffrey Gettleman and Kennedy Abwao, The New York Times

17 January 2008 "Protests Bring New Violence in Kenya" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

16 January 2008 "Kenyan Opposition Wins a Skirmish" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

15 January 2008 "Oppositions should continue to use the rule of law in their struggles" by David Coltart, The Age

13 January 2008 "U.S. Presses Kenyan President and Opposition Leaders to Meet" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

12 January 2008 "Kenyan Opposition Calls for New Rallies and Sanctions" by Jeffrey Gettleman and Kennedy Abwao, The New York Times

11 January 2008 "Annan to Help in Kenya, Group Says" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

7 January 2008 "Kenya Kikuyus, Long Dominant, Now Routed" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

6 January 2008 "Seeds of Genocide Were Sown a Decade Ago by Moi" by Sam Kiley, The Guardian

6 January 2008 "No Country for Old Hatreds" Op-Ed by Binyavanga Wainana, The New York Times

6 January 2008 "Kenyan City Is Gripped By Violence" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

4 January 2008 "Kenyan Riot Police Turn Back Rallying Protesters" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

3 January 2008 "Kenyan Official Calls for Vote Probe" by Stephanie McCrummen and Howard Schneider, The Washington Post

3 January 2008 "Ambition and Horror in Kenya" Editorial, The New York Times

3 January 2008 "Tribal Rage Tears at Diverse Kenyan City" by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post

3 January 2008 "Kenya, Known for Its Stability, Topples Into Post Election Chaos" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

2 January 2008 "Mob Burns Church in Kenya" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

1 January 2008 "Genocide Watch: Kenya" by Dr. Gregory Stanton, President, Genocide Watch

1 January 2008 "Fighting Intensifies After Election in Kenya" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

1 January 2008 "Ethnic Fault Lines Emerge in Kenya's Post-Election Turmoil" by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post

30 December 2007 "Tribal Rivalry Boils Over After Kenyan Election" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

30 December 2007 "Riots Batter Kenya as Rivals Declare Victory" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

29 December 2007 "Kenya Erupts in Violence as Rivals Declare Victory" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

31 December 2007 "Turmoil Grows in Kenya" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

31 December 2007 "Disputed Election Plunges Kenya into Bloodshed" by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times

6 November 2007 "Kenya Accused of Mass Killings" Kenya Africa Mungiki.

31 July 2003 "11 Nations Join U.S.-Backed Force" The Associated Press.

Genocide Watch is the Coordinator of the International Alliance to End Genocide
P.O. Box 809, Washington, D.C. 20044 USA. Phone: 1-202-643-1405
E-mail:communications@genocidewatch.org

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