In the absence of an opposition due to the formation of the coalition government, more than 70 backbencher MPs supported the creation of a coalition opposition, feeling that it was important to have an opposition for the sake of democratic governance. However, on May 22, 2008, the Cabinet decided to oppose the creation of such an opposition, saying that it would be unconstitutional and would violate the spirit of the coalition. On the same day, the Cabinet decided to fast-track the commission of inquiry that is intended to investigate the causes of the violence. A proposed bill that would allow the backbenchers to create an official opposition (the National Assembly (Parliamentary Opposition) Bill 2008) was published in August 2008 and is expected to be debated in October 2008.
In addition to the two vacanies in Parliament created by the killing of ODM MPs Mugabe Were and David Too, results were never announced in two parliamentary constituencies due to violence, and another vacancy was produced by the election of Kenneth Marende as Speaker of Parliament. The five by-elections to fill these seats were to be held on June 11, 2008. During the campaigning for the by-elections, which concluded on June 9, the politics of ethnicity was again evident, causing anxiety among some observers; increased tension was also evident between the PNU and the ODM. The ODM alleged that some PNU ministers were guilty of "openly bribing voters, intimidating ODM supporters and misusing state resources", and ODM minister William Ole Ntimama said that his party "watched with dismay as our coalition partners sink to new lows without any regard for the consequences which may flow". The issue of a possible amnesty for those arrested in connection with the violence also proved to be controversial. Vice-President Musyoka downplayed the tension, saying that campaigning had "not interfered in any way with the smooth operations of the coalition".
On June 10, two ministers—Minister of Roads Kipkalya Kones and Assistant Minister of Home Affairs Lorna Laboso—were killed in a plane crash, leaving another two seats vacant.
In July 2008, an exit poll commissioned by Steadman International was released, claiming that Odinga won the election by a comfortable margin of 6%, 46% to 40%, well outside of the exit poll's 1.3% margin of error. This contradicted the exit poll commissioned by the Institute for Education in Democracy, which was released immediately after the election and provided more detailed information.
Casualties and displacement.
By January 28, the death toll from the violence was at around 800. Up to 600,000 people have been displaced. The largest single loss of life was when a church providing shelter from the violence to 200 people was set alight by rioters, burning 35 people to death. The people who were sheltering were members of President Kibaki's tribe, the Kikuyu.
Former Olympic athlete Lucas Sang died under unknown circumstances in a riot at Eldoret on January 1. Politician G. G. Njuguna Ngengi was hacked to death in Kuresoi, near Molo, on January 2. Marathon runner Wesley Ngetich Kimutai died after he was shot with an arrow on January 19 in the Trans Mara District, becoming the second international athlete to lose his life. On January 20 Donald Odanga, former basketball international was fatally wounded by a stray police bullet. On January 29 opposition MP Mugabe Were was shot to death on his driveway, and on 31 January another opposition MP, David Kimutai Too, was shot by a policeman in disputed circumstances.
On January 13, Human Rights Watch accused the police of having a "shoot to kill" policy, using live ammunition against protesters and looters. According to the police, they have shot looters but not protesters. On January 18, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said that 510 people had been killed in the violence and that 82 of them were killed by police. According to Kiraithe, the police were acting lawfully and were showing restraint because the protesters were being "used by politicians."
Later in January, Human Rights Watch accused "ODM politicians and local leaders" of organizing, instigating and facilitating violence against Kikuyus. The BBC reported on March 5 that government officials had met with members of the Mungiki militia, which is banned, at State House to arrange for the militia to protect Kiyukus. The government denied this.
Regional implications;The violence in Kenya has had serious economic ramifications throughout East Africa, particularly for the landlocked countries of the Great Lakes region (Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo). These countries depend upon Kenyan infrastructure links (particularly the port at Mombasa) for important imports as well as export routes. Significant shortages of gasoline were reported in Uganda as well as Zanzibar following the elections. The East African Community, despite having election observers in Kenya, has not yet issued a statement.
Reactions;
• A government spokesman claimed that Odinga's supporters were "engaging in ethnic cleansing".
• Odinga said that Kibaki's camp was "guilty, directly, of genocide" as he called for international mediation
• Concerned people in Kenya and around the world rallied and mobilized in order to respond to the crisis. Organizations such as the Kenya Peace and Solidarity Committee were created to help mobilize a constructive response to the crisisThere were demonstrations in support of peace around the world, such as in London, where the demonstrators assembled at Westminster Bridge South Bank at 1.00 p.m. on February 8, 2008, and marched across Westminster Bridge at 2.00 p.m. past the House of Parliament finishing at 10 Downing Street, where they presented their memorandum. People in North America wrote petitions to the US Congress, the Canadian parliament, and other governments, calling for sanctions targeting Kenyan leaders Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga personally, and also calling for the prosecution of the perpetrators of violence.
Mount Elgon insurgency;The Mount Elgon insurgency is an ongoing conflict that started in 2005 when the Sabaot Land Defence Force militia revolted in the Mount Elgon area, Western Kenya.The Sabaot Land Defence Force emerged as an armed group immediately after the December 2002 general elections. Recruitment of fighters began in March 2003 and training, at camps in the forest, began in July 2003. However, violent attacks did not begin in earnest until 2006.
The SLDF took up arms to defend land seized during the controversial Chebyuk settlement scheme, a government plan to re-settle landless people that was marred by corruption and arbitrary land-grabbing. In recent months SLDF forces were co-opted by opposition politicians to ensure particular candidates would win seats in the region in the hotly contested December 2007 parliamentary elections. Recent SLDF atrocities were related to that election, as militia members sought to intimidate opponents of their favoured Orange Democratic Movement candidates prior to the poll, and punish supporters of rival parties afterwards.
Throughout 2007, the police, General Service Unit (riot police), and Anti Stock-Theft Unit conducted some operations against the SLDF but they were sporadic and not sustained.
The Kenyan army was deployed in March 2008 to quell the insurgency, in an operation dubbed Operation Okoa Maisha (Operation Save Lives). Local residents initially welcomed attempts to deal with the rebellion but scores of eyewitnesses told the human rights organizations that the army has pursued a strategy of rounding up all the adult males in the district.
War crimes;Both rebel Sabaot Land Defence Force and the Kenyan military are responsible for horrific abuses, including killings, torture and rape of civilians, according to Human Rights Watch. (Courtesty of AP and DNA.)
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