The Post _Election Crisis In Kenya: Necessary Steps Towards Genuine Reconciliation
Abstract
Kenya’s worst political impasse was broken
on 28
th
February 2008 when president Kibaki
and Honourable Raila Odinga took the tough decision
to sign a deal which enabled the
Kenyan people to move forward from the post electio
n stalemate. This was a positive step but
the journey is far from over. It is the beginning.
The remaining challenge is for the leaders to
take responsibility for healing the nation.
The crisis triggered by the 2007 presidential
election brought to the surface deep- rooted and
long standing divisions within Kenyan society (Dail
y Nation,29
th
, February,2008). Many
questions have come to the fore: how do people come
to terms with a legacy of past
atrocities, abuses, and criminal acts? How can the
wounds caused by ethnicity, division and
conflict be healed?
How can people recover from collective trauma?
What is the way forward, what solutions for
our beloved country? Reconciliation has been a majo
r proposal towards a solution.
This paper urges that despite all the challenge
s facing the country, the church still has a very
important role to play in reconciling people and br
inging stable peace to this country. The
paper explores the readiness of Kenyans for genuine
reconciliation and how well Kenyans
and their leaders understand the meaning of reconci
liation. We analyze the role of
reconciliation in bringing stable peace in Kenya. T
his is based on the realization that although
conflict settlement and resolution may terminate a
conflict, they do not necessarily stabilize
peace or prevent the emergence of new conflicts in
future, which may even lead to renewed
violence.
The paper defines reconciliation, examines the
meaning of genuine reconciliation and asks
why reconciliation is important in conflict situati
ons. It even explores challenges to
reconciliation and steps towards genuine reconcilia
tion. It also highlights the role of the
church in fostering reconciliation in the country.
Citation
MARTINON, MUMMA-CA. 2008. The Post _Election Crisis In Kenya: Necessary Steps Towards Genuine Reconciliation. In S.K Ahenda (Ed), The Church In Africa Service To Reconciliation, Justice And Peace. In The Light Of The Second Special Assembly Fro Africa Of The Synod Of Bishops, The Proceedings Of The 10th Interdisciplinary Theological Session . :Pp.86-114).Publisher
University of Nairobi Political science and Public Administration