USAID/OTI Kenya Field Report
April - June 2008
Program Description
This report covers the first quarter of the OTI/Kenya program, which was initiated following a March 2008 assessment. OTI’s decision to open a country program in Kenya was formalized on March 27 with an initial budget commitment of $5 million from FY 2008 Transition Initiative funds.
The impetus for the OTI/Kenya program was 2 months of violence triggered by Kenya’s December 2007 elections. The program’s goal is to facilitate an enduring stability based on national unity. The program will assist Kenyan state and non-state actors to more fully exercise their capacities and, thereby, support the following broad objectives:
- Promote and enable broad-based recovery from the 2007–08 election-related violence, and
- Prompt steps to address the underlying causes of instability.
OTI has selected Development Alternatives Inc. as its main implementing partner for the Kenya program and has also entered into a cooperative agreement with the State University of New York-Albany (SUNY-Albany) to support priority initiatives of the Kenyan Parliament.
Country Situation
Formation of a Grand Coalition Government – The power sharing between President Mwai Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU) and Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) brought about a cessation of violence in Kenya. A government of national unity was formed on April 13, creating a large multiparty cabinet and establishing the post of Prime Minister for Odinga. The ODM maintains a slim majority in Parliament. While the developments represent a major political milestone, the new government has yet to prove its ability to govern effectively, to put aside partisan differences, or to tackle the crucial problems affecting the country. The government remains largely divided along party lines; is further fragmented by coalitions within the parties; and, as yet, enjoys little trust from the Kenya people. Political actors seem to place a higher priority on positioning themselves for the 2012 elections than on working to heal the wounds opened by the recent election. Power-seeking along ethnic lines continues to drive Kenyan politics. The coalition government threatens to fragment under the multipolar tensions, and the new Prime Minister has yet to clearly define the power and role of his office.
Displacement and Resettlement Unresolved – Some 1,500 Kenyans were killed and more than 500,000 people were displaced by post-election violence, primarily from Rift Valley province and Western province. In May, the government instituted a hastily organized and poorly planned return process that was widely criticized. Critics said the attempt was driven more by a desire to create the appearance of a return to normalcy than by any real intention to address the issue. In addition, the security concerns of displaced citizens have been compounded by economic setbacks, as there has been widespread destruction of property and little compensation for losses. Rather than being returned to their homes, many IDPs (internally displaced persons) have simply been moved from formal camps, where they received a level of humanitarian support, to inadequate transit centers near their communities. It is estimated that some 90,000 IDPs remain in transit sites, 76,000 in camps, and 200,000 in host communities. The situation can be expected to deteriorate due to rising food prices and cooler July-August weather and as geographic separation along ethnic lines continues to solidify.
Looming Food Crisis – The high price of food, coupled with food shortages arising out of the post-election violence, could lead to mass unrest in August or September. Rift Valley, one of the provinces hardest hit by the violence, is Kenya’s major food-producing district. Grain was burned and farms were vacated in the region as violence spread, and the loss of agricultural production is exacerbating Kenya’s food problem. Up to 70 percent of Kenyans will be affected by food shortages, and the government is expected to import food at high prices. Stocks of food staples will be depleted by mid-August and replanted fields will not be ready for harvest until November.
Grand Regency Hotel Scandal – A corruption scandal implicating several high government officials is creating a serious fault in the governing coalition along party lines. While it is too early to predict the outcome, the scandal, which involves the sale of the Grand Regency Hotel in Nairobi, is the first major political challenge faced by the new government. The scandal has captured the attention of the entire country and is another reminder of the corruption that seems to permeate the Kenyan Government and the society. The way in which the coalition leaders handle the scandal will show much about their attitudes toward corruption as well as their commitment to bipartisanship. A resolution to this crisis in governance is further complicated by conflict within the PNU, which – in anticipation of the 2012 national elections – is arguing over succession.
Amnesty Debate – Another challenge facing the coalition revolves around the question of what to do with people arrested during the violence. As the detainees are largely supporters of the ODM, the issue is overwhelmingly a political one, with supporters of the President calling for prosecution and adherence to the rule of law and the Prime Minister calling for their release on the grounds that they were protesting an unfair election.
Land and SLDF – In the west of the country, an insurgency by the Saboat Land Defense Forces (SLDF), a militia in the Mt. Elgon area claiming to represent people who have unfairly lost their land, led to a government crackdown. Both the SLDF and the army appear to have committed significant human rights violations. At the moment, the government seems to have regained physical control over the area, but the situation is far from resolved, and land remains one of the primary sources of tension throughout Kenya. Beyond the hot conflict in Mt. Elgon, unresolved issues on land tenure – claims arising before and during the country’s 45 years of independence – are underlying causes of instability.
OTI Highlights
A. Narrative Summary
All major start-up operations were conducted during the reporting period. OTI entered into a contract with Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI), which will act as implementing partner for the small-grants program. The initial start-up meeting took place in early June, and an OTI team was deployed to Kenya. DAI has established an office in Nairobi and is conducting interviews for program staff.
Geographic parameters have also been determined. Initial activities will focus on the Rift Valley and Nyanza provinces (first in the town of Eldoret and then in Kisumu) once start-up grants have been implemented in Nairobi. Eldoret has been chosen as the initial site for field activities as it was a major scene of ethnic violence between the Kalinjen and Luo groups. It is widely believed that the town holds significant potential for renewed conflict. OTI has established positive relationships with a number of strong community-based organizations in Eldoret as well as with individuals involved in peace-building and reconciliation efforts.
B. Grant Activity
Since the program is in start-up mode, the total number of grants cleared remains small. However, due to the robustness of the start-up program, the rate of grant identification and development has been very high. OTI intends to clear 15 to 20 grants by September 30. The range was set after assessing projected operational capabilities.
OTI has initiated grants totaling $102,100. The table below lists grants developed and cleared during the last 3 weeks of the quarter. (Note: These activities are in addition to the $510,000 cooperative agreement with SUNY-Albany to provide live TV and radio broadcasts of Kenya’s parliamentary proceedings.)
| Pamoja (Padec) |
Football for Peace and Unity |
$19,400 |
Cleared |
| OneKenya OneNation |
North Rift Peace and Reconciliation Consultations |
$24,000 |
Cleared |
| Pamoja |
Strengthening Community Radio in Kibera |
$25,700 |
Cleared |
| Catholic Justice and Peace Commission |
Reducing Inter-ethnic Tensions in Eldoret through Village Committees |
$20,000 |
Cleared |
| Rural Women’s Peace Link |
Enhancing Inter-tribal Dialogue Between Women and Youth |
$13,000 |
Cleared |
C. Grant Activity Highlights
Grassroots Peace Building and Reconciliation – The majority of the grants developed to date deal with reconciliation between estranged communities. OTI will be engaging primarily with the three largest ethnic groups in the region, whose members were the main perpetrators as well as the primary victims of the violence. OTI is already heavily engaged with a number of community-based groups from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Most of these groups are located in Eldoret and Nairobi, but a few are in Kisumu.
Youth played a substantial role in the unrest and continue to pose a latent threat to stability. Therefore, OTI will prioritize activities that attempt to counter the lack of hope evident among a large percentage of Kenya’s young people. Activities will seek to help youth feel as if they have a stake in their community, their country, and the general peace. The start-up team has also built relationships with a number of vernacular radio stations, which wield considerable influence with key ethnic constituencies in these areas.
Parliamentary Support – OTI is working with the Kenyan Parliament’s Live Broadcast Committee to air live TV and radio coverage of parliamentary proceedings. The project aims to increase government transparency, and thus accountability, and bolster the Kenyan people’s trust and confidence in the legislature.
Land Reform – While the need for land reform is widely recognized at all levels of Kenyan society, little progress on the issue has been made beyond an effort to draft a reform bill. Consequently, OTI and SUNY-Albany have organized a conference with the Parliamentary Committee on Lands and the Kenyan Land Ministry to provide a forum for establishing a feasible political track for addressing this pivotal reform issue. The conference is scheduled for mid-July.
D. Indicators of Success
Speed – OTI has managed to get up to speed very rapidly. During its first quarter of operations, the program has established connections with community-based organizations, particularly in Rift Valley province, and national government bodies; identified geographic and programmatic priorities; recruited a talented, multi-ethnic program team; and developed initial grants.
Re-targeting/Flexibility – At this early stage of program rollout, flexibility is best demonstrated by the ability to identify and react to opportunities and challenges on the ground. One opportunity for program flexibility surfaced during the development of a media support project with KASS-FM, a popular radio station that became embroiled in a high-level political controversy. Although the project was in an advanced stage of development, OTI has put the project on hold until the political dust settles.
Policy Leveraging – OTI is currently developing linkages with the U.S. Military’s Combined Joint Taskforce for the Horn of Africa (CJTF-HoA). The program is coordinating with a CJTF Civil Affairs team to link OTI’s reconciliation and community relations expertise with their plans for school construction in multi-ethnic areas in Rift Valley province.
Program Appraisal
Given that OTI is still within the first month of actual program implementation, it is difficult to judge whether the program’s strategy is proving effective in meeting objectives. However, a number of indicators point to a very robust project: the cooperative agreement with SUNY-Albany and the contract with DAI are in place; the program has a clearly defined geographic and operational focus; the program is seeing a high rate of grant development and implementation; and the program has identified and recruited quality personnel.
OTI has encountered few constraints thus far, but high expectations from local nongovernmental organizations, as well as from U.S. Government actors, will need to be managed. At the local level, the sensitive nature of ethnic relations in areas that have witnessed violence cannot be overstated, and OTI will need to proceed cautiously, at times resisting the urge to proceed as quickly as the operational environment may seem to justify. In addition, it must be noted that there is a vast array of local actors in the region. And while it is often beneficial to work with these actors, particularly those involved in peace building, such associations can also present challenges.
Next Steps/Immediate Priorities
In the coming quarter, OTI will become fully operational in Kenya, establishing field activities in Eldoret and possibly Kisumu, as well as Nairobi. Currently, the program’s most pressing priority is the need to train partner staff for positions in Eldoret, in particular project development officers and grant managers.
Emergent issues include the following:
- Discontent over high food prices, food scarcity, and continuing price escalation due to rising fuel costs could lead to mass unrest.
- The coalition government could unravel over issues such as the Grand Regency Hotel scandal or the amnesty question.
- The ongoing displacement issue could provoke a popular outcry.
In the next quarter, OTI will –
- Develop and codify the Monitoring and Evaluation plan,
- Finalize the Branding and Marking plan,
- Explore potential activities, as well as the possibility for establishing a permanent field office in Eldoret,
For further information, please contact:
OTI/Kenya Contact: Brendan Wilson-Barthes, Africa Program Manager, (202) 712-5072,
bwilson-barthes@usaid.gov
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