Kenya Transition Initiative

Extracts from the Ambassador speech on KTI's role on reforms.

2010-01-27T11:33:00.007+03:00

The United States is supporting activities valued at more than $3 million annually aimed at promoting reconciliation and mitigating future conflict. At the national level, this includes technical support to the National Steering Committee tasked with overseeing peace building and conflict management. At the grassroots level, we are working to strengthen institutions such as District Peace Committees, civil society groups, and networks of community leaders – including women and youth – that have been trained in conflict mitigation and resolution.

We are providing $1 million to support the ongoing process of constitutional reform, including providing technical assistance to the Committee of Experts for international legal expertise;
research, drafting, and mediation are available as required. In an effort to increase the voice of citizens, the United States is providing $1.5 million to civil society to support civic education about the constitutional reform process and upcoming referendum.

In November, we supported a National Youth Forum that took place in Nairobi. The Forum was organized by 66 independent youth organizations and brought together over 700 delegates from every constituency in the country. The Forum took place in the context of our continuing efforts to expand outreach to youth and to expand support for independent youth organizations as part of the broader process of propelling domestic-driven pressure for implementation of the reform agenda. One of the outcomes of the National Youth Forum was that youth leaders committed themselves to mobilize millions of young people to provide input into the ongoing constitutional review process, and to push peacefully for implementation of the reform agenda.

Earlier this month, we supported a delegation of youth leaders and activists who went to Washington and met with Members of Congress, think tanks, and key officials of the Obama Administration concerned about the slow pace of reform in Kenya. The message these youth leaders heard is the same as I have shared with you today: keep at it, work tirelessly and constructively for positive change, and you have our active and unwavering support!

Harmonized Draft Constitution of Kenya, 2009

2009-11-19T08:48:00.003+03:00

The harmonized draft constitution of Kenya written by the Committee of Experts was released to the public on November 17, 2009 at KICC, so that the public could debate the document and then parliament can decide whether to subject it to a referendum in early 2010.
Proposed Changes
The key changes proposed were in the following areas:
• The Executive - who holds executive authority and the qualifications.
• The Legislature - the composition and representation of the people. An introduction of an upper house - the Senate.
• The Judiciary - qualifications to hold office and appointment.
• Devolution to the regions and counties
• Dual citizenship

The Executive
The executive at the top most levels will constitute a State President and a Prime Minister and Cabinet.
State President Key functions
• Head of State - largely be a ceremonial position.
• Commander-in-Chief - and will declare war and state emergency upon approval by the National Assembly and Cabinet respectively.
• Appoint the Prime Minister - The PM will be elected by the majority party in the National Assembly and the party will present a name to the President for appointment.
• Appoint - Deputy Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, their respective Deputies after they are nominated by the Prime Minister.
• Dismiss the Deputy Prime Minister or Cabinet Ministers upon consent from the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister key functions
• Head of Government - will yield executive authority and will co-ordinate and supervise all major sections of the executive branch.
• Nominate a Deputy Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, and their respective Deputies and present them to the President for appointment.
• Reside over Cabinet meetings.
• Advice the President on dismissals from the Cabinet.
NB: The State President will not be a member of the Cabinet and will not be capable of nominating persons to the Cabinet. He/she will not dismiss the DPM, Ministers without the consent of the PM.

The Legislature
The Legislative branch will constitute of the following
An upper house - the Senate
• Each of the 70 counties will be have a Senator
• A senator will be elected by their respective county assemblies acting as an electoral college and not directly by the voters.
• Each of the 8 regions will have 2 women Senators and
• Each region to have 1 Senator to represented persons with disability.
• Tentative total number of Senators will be 94.
A lower house - the National Assembly
• Each constituency (# of constituency to be determined by Independent Boundary Review Commission) - currently there are 222.
• Majority of the Members of National Assembly will be directly elected by voters
• Each county assembly will elect a woman MP - therefore guaranteeing a minimum of 70 women MP's in the National Assembly.
• Each region will elect 1 MP to represent persons with disability.
• Tentative total number of MP's will be 295.
Regional Assemblies
• Each of the 8 regions will regional assemblies - the regions are comparable to the current Province. The provincial administration will be abolished with the introduction of the new constitution.
• Each region will have a Regional Director elected by the county assemblies in the region acting as an electoral collage - An exemption will be for the Nairobi Region where the Regional Director - The Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be elected directly by the voters in Nairobi region.
County Assemblies
• The country will be divided to 70 counties - the county is comparable to the current District.
• Each county will have a county have a County Governor/Executive who will be elected by members of the county assembly acting as an electoral college. An exemption will be for the 4 counties in the Nairobi region which will not have County Governors.

The Judiciary
The setting up of an Independent Judiciary Service commission.

Devolution
Devolution of economic and legislative power to the regions and counties.

Dual Citizenship
Citizens are now allowed to hold citizenship in other countries.

NATIONAL YOUTH FORUM CONFERENCE

2009-11-19T08:18:00.004+03:00

The National Youth Forum held on November 17, 2009 at KICC, drew 600 youth from all the 210 constituencies in the country,also happened to coincidentally collide with the day the harmonized draft constitution was being released by the Committee of Experts (CoE).

The Youth Forum Objectives were to;
1. Mobilize youth to define their role in the Reform process.
2. Organize grassroots networks of youth to demand for accountability and drive the reform agenda at the constituency level.
3. Sensitize youth on the peaceful civic activism and non-violent articulation of grievances.
4. Develop a common plan of action on youth engagement in the reform process.

The National Youth Forum was a success.Youth from all over the country representing different sectors and interests came for the forum and were duly represented. The youth see NYF as a as a beginning, not an end. They feel that they count, that they matter and that there is, finally, a platform for them to participate in the reform process

The following are some of the direct messages received from the delegates of the National Youth Forum:

"Thanks for the opportunity you gave us to attend the national youth forum. It was worth the price. We look forward to utilizing ideas learnt. How do I access a copy of the draft constitution? We were supposed to get a copy yesterday, but we left before they arrived, please advice." Emilio Pondi, Khwisero

"Good morning W. Mbatia. Let me know if you are in Youth Agenda? Curiosity, want to know how to network with you people." Councilor Mutinda.

"Youths confessed that was the most organized, objective, participatory with promising goals to action and results. You spoke and moved me like never before" Lenny, Runyenjes- pre conference delegate.

"The forum was superb. Congrats and Kudos".

"Thanks a lot. I learnt a lot and would like to be part of people making the reforms, leaving the power sharing to 'them'! I am most interested in health and gender equality. If you get more than 1 draft copy please gives me to read and talk over with my classmates." Catherine Watare

"Thanks for the chance to attend the forum. I am proud to be associated with it."

Note of appreciation by Supportive Hearts International

2009-11-16T12:25:00.007+03:00

Supportive Hearts International Athletes jubliant after receiving Prizes

Greetings and Congratulations to all USAID/KTI and SHI Staff.

Our Athletes have been given the Best rewards and honor in the world this year.
Henry Kiprono Kirwa (Paralympics) is now confirmed as on 26th October 2009, as the Justice Ambassador to UNDP.
He is also being nominated as the best athlete (Sportsman Of The Year - SOYA 2009) of the year.

The Marathon Coach, Francis Bowen won in the Seoul, Korea, Marathon race last week.
On the other hand David Kipkogei Kiptum, the best Deaflympic (double Gold Medalist) of the year has been nominated to the panelists of SOYA Awards.

We are requesting USAID/KTI team to help us nominate Kipkogei (Deaflympics) for the post of good will Ambassador of Post Election PEACE into the UN bodies like the others.
It has been a great year of hard work and success to both USAID/KTI and SHI.
Many local leaders and K-Rep Bank have given us invitation to receive our athletes into their homes and institutions.
Usain Bolt will be with us here in Eldoret on 2nd November 2009.

Thank you USAID/KTI for the great support up to now.

James Kandagor.

Rob Jenkins visit to Kenya

2009-11-03T11:34:00.001+03:00

USAID/OTI, Amanda's Visit

2009-11-03T10:20:00.009+03:00

OTI's contracting officer Amanda Downing visited OTI's, Kenya program from the 18-27october.

Pictures from her visit

SOTIK MEETINGS

2009-11-03T10:05:00.007+03:00

Moving from peace building to reforms, how do we make progress?

Cohesion is necessary to move forward, we must all acknowledge that we may not agree on all the changes in the draft constitution is going to bring,the point however is to agree on what is going to work for us, to bring some of the change we have been yearning for.

points brought up in the series of meetings held in SOTIK;

The DRAFT Constitution is a step forward.
Peace without REFORMS is impossible.
Matters affecting the country are historical from the 1885 scramble and partition of Africa.

"Politician’s buy us and we are bought, then we later protest that the Politician’s are not doing anything for us. The Politician’s in turn are not bothered as they have already bought us... we must stand up and not be coerced or bought.
We as Kenyans should know what we want." (John Koech)

THANK YOU NOTE

2009-09-17T10:57:00.002+03:00

This email was sent to the KTI staff in appreciation of their support to the Supportive Hearts International.

Congratulations to all USAID/KTI Staff all over the World for the great support advanced to Supportive Hearts International and the Youths of Kenya and the Post Election Violence Victims.

Athletics As An Alternative To Violence (Raising Responsible Citizens) is now truly working well.

The 14 out 16 Deaf atheletes (from SHI/USAID/KTI Partnership) in Taipei, Taiwan have won 6 out of 7 Medals for Kenya; 4 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze. The 7th medal is Silver Medal won by David Njenga from Nairobi through Marathon race.

The winners are as follows
1. Daivid Kipkogei Kiptum, double Gold Medalist in 10,000 M and 5,000 M.
2. Baxton Cheruiyot Menjo, Gold medal in 1500 M and 1 Bronze medal in 3,000 M S/Chase.
3. Daniel Kiptum, 1 Gold Medal in Marathon and 1 Silver in 10,000 M.

We are saying thank you USAID/KTI for helping us achieve some goals in a short span of 4 months of support.

We are requesting for more support to enable us accomplish our dreams.

The Deaf athletes will return home on Thursday, 17th September 2009 at the JKIA at 2.30 Pm.

They have requested USAID/KTI through me for a home coming party at the USAID/KTI, Eldoret Office.

The parents of all the Deaf athletes in Taiwan and the SHI Chairman will travel via a hired Matatu no. KBE 550E, from Eldoret to Nairobi JKIA for reception of their Children with gifts.

More updates after arrival.

Thank you all USAID/KTI Staff.

James Kandagor.

MARITHIANO YOUTH

2009-08-13T10:40:00.007+03:00

Marithiano youth group,a group formed by the youth of Langas slum in Eldoret, have taken an intiative towards self dependency.This has been made possible through KTI provided equipment.They have many activities lined up and are in the process of making a 5-15 minutes documentary.The youth are increasingly becoming self dependent as they appear to take a stand on their issues.At a recent meeting one youth said "The most important thing is bringing us (the youth) together, helping the youth think, we were just there at the local level"
They are hopeful to get garbage tender from the municipal council of Eldoret.

2009-08-03T13:09:00.000+03:00

BURNT FOREST MARKET SLIDESHOW

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Get your own

2009-07-28T15:11:00.001+03:00

ACTIVITIES

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Get your own

KTI photo gallery

2009-07-20T16:27:00.006+03:00

To see pictures, related to KTI activities.
click on this link; PHOTOS

A Burnt Out Town Gets a Face Lift and a Symbol of Unity

2009-07-15T09:08:00.003+03:00

In March 2008, Burnt Forest county council had three separate markets in operation. The town was emerging from the ashes of the post election violence and most of the shops were in ruins following arson attacks in January. The common market had not been spared either.

The three markets were distinctly organized on tribal lines so that one market was for the kikuyu, and the other two for the Kalenjin. This was meant to send a stern message to the other; that they were now a separate group and therefore, not expected to trade as partners like before. Both the communities used a ‘’ferry’’ to access their respective markets. (A ferry was a vehicle used to transport members of each tribe across the market boundaries of another community for fear of attacks).

One year later, one big common market stands in the center of the town with complete stalls and an attraction to everyone who visits the county.

The market is doing a lot of miracles…it's not just an ordinary market, it is a monument that tells us that something was wrong, but now we have corrected it. Mr. Langat, Civic Leader, Burnt Forest Council.

According to the civic leaders, the market has improved the self esteem of the residents in the area especially given the number of visitors that came to witness it’s groundbreaking and commissioning by the US Ambassador.-Mr Michael Rannenbarger. Other travelers who pass by have been encouraged to make stops at the town and the farmers in the neighborhood are glad that they can find a market for their produce.

‘’I never knew I would ever step in the market again…I never knew I would ever meet my Kikuyu neighbors here again…” -Burnt Forest resident

The town council chairman, Mr. Koros says he now has the strength to talk with confidence about peace to his people. The market will be a watch tower to monitor any signs of emerging conflict based on the interactions by different communities.

The construction of the Market was made possible through a series of grants by USAID/OTI to Rural Women Peace Link (RWPL),who conducted initial dialogue and reconciliations meetings and later, in partnership with the Town council of Burnt Forest.

Eldoret; Athletics as an alternative to Violence

2009-07-13T15:50:00.004+03:00

Some athletes at the Supportive Hearts Camp in North Rift.

Athletics is an interesting experience that releases tension, stress and also contributes to the well being of our physical, mental and social health. With this in mind Supportive Hearts International Camp in North-Rift, came up with one of a kind camp, that rehabilitates youth who were involved in post-election violence while tapping latent talent. The essence of this camp was to rehabilitate the youth who were involved in post election violence through sports.With KTI support, their goals were achievable; KTI’s objective was to use athletics as an alternative to Violence and to increase capacity of Kenyan state and non-state actors to take prompt steps to address the underlying causes of instability that was brought about by the post election violence that rocked Kenya.The camp attracts youth athletes from all sections: normal , Blind , Paralympics and deaflympics athletes.The standard newspaper published an artice on June 28th on the Supportive Hearts International Camp

Nairobi; Decisive action by Annan sends Kenya into a flurry of activity

2009-07-10T14:36:00.004+03:00

The decision has been made, Kenyan politicians thought they could apply their usual escape tactics and why not? They always seemed to work! Well, not this time. They were beaten to the race by Chief mediator Kofi Annan.
Kofi Annan abruptly handed over the secret list to the International Criminal Court. The list covered the Perpetrators of 2007 general election violence that affected so many Kenyans, covered in the waki report.
Kofi Annan's move reinforces KTI’s efforts as it has in the past given out grants in support of the implementation of the Waki report.
This move could be viewed as a step foward towards ending the culture of impunity.

For further details click on the links; The East African Standard and the Daily Nation

Nairobi; It's Our Turn To Eat

2009-07-02T13:51:00.016+03:00

Cover of the book

As controversial book by Michela Wrong, made its headlines in Kenya in early 2009, Kenyans made a beeline to local bookshops to purchase a copy. Alas...there were none to be found.
The book titled It’s Our Turn to Eat caused a silent uproar on the political scene, where certain political player’s were keen not to see it sold in the bookshops.
This could be attributed to the book’s explicit thoroughness in incriminating self imposed political maestros, who were caught with their hands dirty. The book gives a detailed description of the shady deals that were going on in the plush offices, as the average taxpayer was busy laboring to make just enough for the day uncertain of tomorrow’s bread.
The book echoes, former anti-corruption boss, John Githongo’s, thoughts, triumphs, frustrations, and experiences as Kenya’s highest anti-corruption czar, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of governance and ethics, whose office was steps away from the President’s Office in State House. The facts in the book were not new to Kenyans – John Githongo submitted a report in late 2005 to the President. This report was widely published.

KTI's support in disseminating the book to the public was very successful as kenya's got to read first hand for themselves the details of the book.The book has widely been publicized and reviewed in the local and international media. One distributor sold a thousand copies in less than ten days in Nairobi, and now sellers are beginning to order and bring in their own books for sale and distribution in Kenya.

Related articles on the book, It's Our Turn To Eat

In Solidarity with the African Child:Case of Mt. Elgon District

2009-06-19T16:06:00.006+03:00

Mount Elgon has regained a relative calm after two years of incursion by a militia group, the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) and the successful disarmament process by the military personnel.However the insecurity in the region disrupted the normal lifestyle of the residents resulted into several attrocities ,destruction and looting of properties, closure of schools, rape of women and girls and killings. One very painful thing that will still linger and remain a threat to peace in Mt. Elgon is the fate of the young boys who were forcefully recruited into the militia and are now back in the villages without anything meaningful to engage with in life.
Mt. Elgon childrens department organized to mark the day of the African Child on the 16th june 2009,with the aim of providing opportunity for the children to interact with one another as a means to give hope to young boys whose lives have been wasted for a course not of their making.USAID/OTI - KTI programme with commitment to future stability of this nation, supported the one day event with less than US $ 5000 to print T/Shirts,purchase balls and trophies, print banners,publicize and amplify event through local radio stations for other stakeholders to participate,transport children from 3 locations to the venue and hire public address system to be used.There were entertainment from young boys and girls from various primary and secondary schools within the district, testimonies from community leaders and teachers, speeches from other actors and government departments and finally a friendly football match between the ex-child soldiers and children from the communities.The theme of the of plays by the various schools was on the protection of the children rights, provision of education and discarding of archaic cultures that violate human rights and the need to co-exist harmoniously.The testimonies by the Ex-child soldiers of Mt Elgon were moving and heart rendering .The district children officer, Mr Geoffrey Musoko is thankful to USAID/OTI- KTI program. He said that the childrens department will work with other stakeholders to help in the rehabilitation of the children and to provide them with necessary skills that can help them achieve their dreams in life.USAID/OTI- KTI Eldoret field office will be interested in seeing partnership among actors developed to support the department.The event was covered well by the Standard newspaper(Thursday,june 18,2009) which is a national print media in Kenya.

Kisumu: Luo Council of Elders Meeting

2009-06-12T08:28:00.003+03:00

The Luo Council of Elders after the meeting on June 11, 2009.

The Luo Council of Elders converged in Kisumu on 11th of June for a briefing on the National Peace Accord. The meeting was supported by KTI. The orientation meeting was conducted by Lawyer Jude Ragot, the Western and Nyanza Law Society of Kenya Chapter Chairman. In attendance were the Luo Council of elders Chairman, Elder Mechack Riaga Ogallo, the executive board and other elders drawn from all districts of Luo Nyanza Province. The Kenya Transition Initiative Program is supporting the council to organize and effectively play its advisory role to the Luo community and on a national level.

Langas, Eldoret: Empowering Youth for a Better Environment

2009-06-10T17:34:00.007+03:00

Langas is the biggest slum in Eldoret in the north Rift Valley. Langas experienced some of the heaviest violence in the Eldoret area during the post-election violence period. Murdered people were stacked and used as human barricades and the violence was ethnically motivated.

KTI initiated a grant in May for $17,000 to help the youth from diffrent ethinicities and across the political divide in Langas to come together through an effort to clean up the slum through garbage collection. This grant has assisted them to reduce community suspicion. Ethnic no-go zones have been made accessible through this work. During one of the discusions one youth commented that " through the sharing of garbage collection tools we are able to start a conversation with people whom we had not talked to after the violence."

The first step for this grant was to sign a partnership agreement with Langas property owners to allow the youth access to private property so that all areas of Langas could be cleaned. At the end of the grant, property owners will be motivated to pay the youth organization responsible for the garbage pickup to maintain the services.

KTI Funded Broadcast Equipment Arrives at Parliament

2009-06-10T12:45:00.008+03:00

On Thursday, June 4, more than US $400,000 of KTI purchased broadcasting equipment arrived at Parliament in Nairobi. The television production and radio will enable the Kenyan Parliament to produce TV and radio programs from Parliamentary floor proceeding and for selected events. In the coming weeks this equipment will be installed and bring to life Parliament's newest insitution, the Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit.

Commitment from the leadership and staff of the Parliament to a process that will open the activities of Parliamentarians to their constituents has been extraordinary. Through KTI's partner SUNY, the design for a new and scalable broadcasting operation from within Parliament has been completed.

Movers from the freight forwarding company bring one of 7 large "flight cases" or moveable racks of production equipment up the main stairs in the Parliament building to the 2nd floor home of Parliament's new Broadcast Unit.

Mr. Peter Iraya and Mr. Naim Yaseen in front of the area in Parliament that will be center for its new Parliamentary Broadcast Unit.

Harnessing People's Power in Kisumu

2009-05-22T12:43:00.010+03:00

Stickers being placed on boda boda taxis in Kisumu advocating for MPs to pay their taxes.

An SMS from Joshua Nyamori, head of the Nyanza Youth Coalition, was sent to KTI staff on May 21:

An indirect impact of the KTI grants for Marshalling People's Power and End Impunity -- Pay Tax has been felt in Kisumu on Thursday when Boda Boda operators poured into the streets in their thousands protesting against Kisumu Municipal Council's decision to levy a tax on them. They chanted no reforms no taxation, stating that they will only pay the tax if total reforms including the reforms of institutions like the Council are done to ensure that the taxes are used properly to their benefit. They also said they would not pay taxes unless MPs take the leading role of paying their taxes. The Council immediately suspended the new policy pending consultations. No stone was thrown, no tear gas fired. A number of people have called me attributing the peaceful but bold action to the radio stations and stickers plus public awareness campaigns.

Nyanza Youth Coalition: Youth Dialogue Forum, 19 May 2009

2009-05-21T08:35:00.002+03:00

KTI grantee Nyanza Youth Coalition conducted a youth town hall meeting in Kisumu at the National Museum grounds on May 19. In attendance were youth from Nyanza Province, including students, transport workers, informal sector workers and others. Panelists included the US Ambassador and youth representatives from Rift Valley and Central Provinces. The purpose of the meeting was to involve youth in a discussion about their role in the national reform process. The youth were urged to be assertive in demanding for their rights and to demand the governmnent to deliver on its promises of reform.

Nearly 500 youth were in attendance. The attendees made a resolution

Student at Maseno University making a contribution to the meeting.

Joshua Nyamori, head of the Nyanza Youth Coalition.

Traditional musician playing for the participants. He is playing an instrument called a nyatiti.

Opening of the New Burnt Forest Market

2009-05-21T08:20:00.005+03:00

2009, May 18: Official opening of the rebuilt Burnt Forest market.

Singing group at the Burnt Forest market opening ceremonies.

US Ambassador Ranneberger speaking at the opening ceremony. The new market structure is in the background.

Burnt Forest was a location of extreme violence in late 2007 and early 2008. The main Burnt Forest market was destroyed and largely abandoned by the community, with the Kalenjin and Kikuyu communities trading in different parts of town. In the intervening months, this situation has improved, but full integration has awaited reopening of the community market area centered around the new market buildings.

A Kenya Transition Initiative grant rehabilitated the town market in Burnt Forest that was destroyed in the post election violence. The grant is built upon a KTI grant implemented by Rural Women’s Peace Link (RWPL) that supported dialogues between the Kalenjin and Kikuyu communities in Burnt Forest. The dialogues resulted in the identification of several possible projects that could serve to unite the two communities, including the reconstruction of the Burnt Forest market. The market is controlled by the Town Council of Burnt Forest and its reconstruction represents a major milestone for the Council.

Youth in Kesses, Rift Valley Province: May 5, 2009

2009-05-12T09:43:00.005+03:00

In late May, KTI received the following letter from Fred Yego of the Wareng Youth Initiative for Peace and Development, which has worked with the youth of Kesses following a KTI grant:

"On behalf of the members of the Wareng Youth Initiative for Peace and Development I would like to thank KTI for their continued support to the youth.

We as the youth have gone to hell and back, the people who burned their fellow citizens alive in houses and churches were the youth, the people who blocked roads, the people who hacked their neighbors and innocent travelers were the youths, the people who raped innocent women and children were the youth, those languishing in jails are the youth, those with multiple injuries from the violence are the youth and the majority of those who died were the youth. All these demonstrate where the youth had reached.

KTI support has really changed the lives of these young people and most of them have reason to smile once again. They interacting together, the Kikuyu youth who are still in the IDP camps can now spend most of their nights and free time at the homes of their Kalenjin friends, thanks to KTI for supporting the dialogue and healing process, and we the youth promise and promise again that the violence will not happen again.

I remember one young Kikuyu lady from Lelmolok IDP camp, Ann Gashoka, who once said, "better remain single that get married to a Kalenjin." Today she spend most of her time amongst the Kalenjins, thanks to the various dialogue meetings supported by KTI.

We as the youth have decided to put our ethnicity aside, our political affiliations aside, and work together for our own good. As we embark on the process of empowering the youth for socio-economic change with the support of KTI, we can only see a bright future. We foresee a society that will embrace dialogue to solve differences, a society that will question the actions of their leaders, a good relationship between the youth and society, and the respect for rights of everybody. You have helped us to think this way and we can only say thank you.

Fred Yego, Chairperson
Wareng Youth Initiative for Peace and Development

New Media Center at Parliament

2009-05-11T13:58:00.001+03:00

On Thursday, May 7, Speaker Kenneth Marende of the Kenya National Assembly and US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger cut the ribbon on a new Media Center inside the Parliament building in Nairobi. The Media Center includes a small room for press conferences and a work room and filing center for journalists. The Media Center was built through funds from the Kenya Transition Initiative.

Kenya Burning Exhibition and Book

2009-04-30T22:13:00.000+03:00

The Kenya Burning Exhibition is now showing at the Old Law Courts in Mombasa, next to Fort Jesus, through May 30, 2009!

What is Kenya Burning? As February came to a close, Kenya marked the first anniversary of the National Peace Accord that drew the country away from the brink of civil war. Yet, as corruption scandals, a food crisis, and intra-party wrangling continue to dominate the headlines, many believe that Kenyans, including their political leaders, seem in a hurry to forget the past.

Activists at the GoDown Arts Center, however, felt that Kenya needed a public reflection on the key issues that sparked the violence in the early months of 2008. KTI supported their efforts by funding a photo exhibition based on the book Kenya Burning: Never Forget, Never Again.
The book is a collection of photographs from Kenya's contested December 2007 elections and the violence that followed. And while many objected to the graphic and disturbing photographs, the artists at GoDown believed that the explicit depictions would better generate discussions to help Kenyans understand what happened.

"Perhaps most people will agree that knowledge and reflection provided by the images are a prerequisite to healing," said Joy Mboya, GoDown's Executive Director. "The general feeling is that the book and exhibition need to be seen by as many people as possible because Kenya should never go down that path again."

GoDown published an initial 1,500 copies of the book, while KTI has funded the production of an additional 3,000 copies that the arts center is distributing to key stakeholders, including all Members of Parliament, universities, libraries, and civil society leaders.

By raising awareness of the scale and nature of the violence, GoDown and KTI are working to increase dialogue, hasten reconciliation, and spur communities and leaders to work for reform. Above all, the effort seeks to encourage reflection and dissuade the violence and destruction that can erupt when ethnic differences are exploited for political gains.

Welcome to the KTI Blog

2009-04-29T23:38:00.000+03:00