2.2. Consequences of Political Violence

The background of Kenyan condition, it is not a natural disaster but it is a kind of manmade situations especially the political violence. When you look at the natural disasters phenomenon or the risk phenomenon, even from the document of at risk or the CRED reports, it says almost more than 75% to 80% of the disasters are through the political violence.

In this chunk, we examine the nature of political violence in Kenya, particularly how it differs from natural disasters. Political violence is considered manmade, with a significant impact on society. Reports indicate that a substantial percentage of disasters in Kenya stem from political unrest rather than environmental factors. This highlights the importance of addressing political issues as a critical component of disaster recovery efforts.

Think of political violence like a storm that people create, rather than one from the weather. While natural storms are unpredictable, political storms arise from human actions, such as elections and conflicts. Understanding this helps us know that by addressing the root causes of these 'manmade storms,' we can reduce their devastating effects.

In 2007 and 2008, after the former President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner of the presidential elections in December 27, 2007, there has been a huge political clash along with various ethnic groups within the country and about 1200 people have been reported dead, almost 5 lakhs people displaced, that is as per the United Nations Office Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report.

This chunk shares specific details about the events following the 2007 elections in Kenya, where political violence led to tragic outcomes. Not only were lives lost—over 1,200 people died—but the violence resulted in vast numbers of people being displaced from their homes, totaling around 500,000. Such widespread displacement indicates a severe humanitarian crisis, requiring urgent response and recovery efforts.

Imagine a community where a major sporting event leads to a riot due to disagreements among teams. In the chaos, many fans get hurt, and others flee their homes for safety. Just like those fans who are forced to leave, many Kenyans found themselves having to escape their homes for safety during the political clashes.

One is the first was burning and looting all the shops, commercial premises and houses. So, all these mobs, they come to the city in the urban clusters and they started destroying, burning down whether it is a public property or commercial properties.

This segment describes three primary patterns of violence observed during the political unrest. The first pattern included acts of vandalism such as burning and looting, targeting both private businesses and public property. Such violence creates additional trauma and economic hardship for communities already suffering from displacement and fear.

It's akin to a neighbor's dispute escalating to a point where one side vandalizes the other's property. Instead of merely solving the disagreement, the behavior causes lasting damage to homes and livelihoods in the community, illustrating how personal conflicts can have far-reaching consequences.

So, in any kind of situations obviously what kind of responses, the immediate response how people cope up to this kind of shocks and distress. One is move to the host families and some of them, they tend to move to their host families or like people who are migrants from different places, they go back to their places, set up spontaneous camps in police stations and churches.

This chunk explains how individuals responded to the displacement caused by violence. Many sought refuge with host families or returned to ancestral homes, while others constructed informal camps in safer locations like police stations and churches. This grass-roots approach demonstrates the resilience of communities in the face of crisis as people band together for safety.

Imagine during a severe flood, friends and relatives take in those who have lost their homes, creating makeshift shelters wherever possible. These actions show human kindness and resourcefulness, similar to how Kenyan families and communities rallied to support each other during times of upheaval.

The Government of Kenya’s ministry of state for special programs, which we call it as MoSSP, the Ministry of State for Special Programs and this particular ministry’s mission is to provide the leadership in the development of risk reduction measures and disaster management within Kenya.

This section discusses the role of the Kenyan government, particularly the Ministry of State for Special Programs (MoSSP), in managing the situation arising from political violence. The MoSSP focuses on disaster management and the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Their leadership is vital for organizing effective responses to crises and coordinating with various agencies, including humanitarian organizations.

Think of MoSSP as a project manager overseeing a major construction effort after a natural disaster. They must coordinate resources, plan actions, and ensure that everyone involved works toward a common goal—creating safety and stability for those affected.

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