(Contributed by UWR Participant: The Sentinel Project)

Background

Kenya is a country at high risk of genocide. Its society is strained by rivalry-prone inter-ethnic relationships which promote ethnocentrism and inter-tribal antagonism and make violence a constant possibility. These divisions are further exacerbated by severe economic difficulties and political conflicts that have left many people desperate and willing to follow charismatic leaders who promote hatred. The Sentinel Project has declared a situation of concern (SOC) to monitor Kenya for indicators of the genocidal process. This information can then be used to plan measures that can prevent genocide in Kenya.

The Act

One of the most important events in recent Kenyan political history was the large-scale violence in the aftermath of the December 2007 national elections. Given the country's history of ethnic and political division, polarization, and competition, violence has been a common feature of past elections. However, the events of late 2007 and early 2008 reached a new level of destruction when the disputed election results led to harsh police crackdowns on protesters, followed by running battles between groups of political supporters. These gangs and militias, divided largely along ethnic lines, committed many atrocities and some estimates place the number of people killed as high as 1,500 with hundreds of thousands more displaced from their homes.

Why it Matters Today

The post-election violence of 2007-08 was not an isolated event. Since it grew out of long-established characteristics of Kenyan society, the same thing is likely to happen again after the election scheduled for December 2012. In fact, recent changes to the Kenyan political structure raise the stakes higher so the violence could be even worse, potentially escalating into genocide. The world must now focus its attention on Kenya to ensure that warning signs will be recognized and responded to before it is too late.

What You Can Do

Get the latest updates on the situation in Kenya:

• Like us on Facebook at [www.facebook.com/stopgenocide]
• Follow us on Twitter @sentinelproject
• Donate to support our work. With your help, we can make a difference in Kenya.

Learn More

Learn more about the risk of genocide in Kenya by visiting the Sentinel Project’s Kenya SOC page http://thesentinelproject.org/situations-of-concern-2/kenya/

For more general information on Kenya, see the BBC country profile  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1024563.stm

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