Kenya: Support the efforts for peace and dialogue

Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke supports the recommendations by the EU’s election observers and supports the Kenyan organisations in civil society which work towards peace and dialogue.

Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke supports EU’s election observers’ criticism of the legitimacy of the results of the Kenyan elections on the 27^th of December. Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke also supports the recommendations of the observers for an impartial examination of the irregularities and an announcement of the results of from each polling station:

"It is crucial that peace and dialogue is re-established between Odinga and Kibaki. In the last days, we have witnessed riots in several areas. There are reports of several hundred killings; especially people from the Kikuyu ethnic group have been the targets. There are however also reports of losses from other ethnic groups, as well. The unrest stems from the political debate, but the violence that we now are witnessing, has acquired an ethnic dimension where the Kikyu, which is the president’s ethnic group, are persecuted", says Anne C. Hoff, who is Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke’s country director in Kenya.

The Kenyan elections ran relatively peacefully, with freedom of the press up until the results were announced. It was first on the actual day of the election that 20% of the polling stations reported irregularities, which has resulted in the last days of heated violence and unrest.

In general, Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke regards Kenyan democracy as being relatively well developed, and it has, since the democratic elections in 2002, improved in relation to other African countries. Today, the Kenyan voters are aware of their democratic rights and the constitutional elections ran peacefully.

Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke supported an array of local organisations in Kenya before the elections in their efforts to inform the citizens but their electoral rights, the process of voting at the polling stations so that it runs peacefully and about women’s participation in the democratic process.

"The situation right now is very serious. Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke supports the organisations from civil society working towards restoring peace and dialogue, as soon as possible. We have to point out that it is a healthy sign that Kenyans get angry when there are irregularities in respect to a democratic election process", says Anne C. Hoff, Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke’s country director in Kenya.

For more information:
Contact Country Director: Anne C. Hoff, tlf. 00254 72 425 5480
Director of Communication: Vibeke Vinther, tlf. +45 3167 0460

• Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke has been working in Kenya since 1968 and supports, among other issues, poor people’s influence in democratic decision making.
• At the moment, Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke has 13 Danish development workers and 12 Danish volunteers in Kenya. They are all safe and follow the safety procedure which Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke had issued in relation to the elections.