From the Nakuru County peace accord (2010-2012) to lasting peace
This case study provides a first analysis of the successful mediation process which took place in 2012 between two Kenyan communities who had taken up arms against each in the wake of the disputed Kenyan 2007 General Elections. The Nakuru County Peace Accord signed in August 2012 and which resulted from this mediation process, ensured that, for the first time since 1992, a peaceful election took place in 2013.
Written by Alice Nderitu, one of the mediators in the peace process and member of the Kenyan National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), the case study examines the post-election violence of 2007-2008 within a wider historical context of ethnic-based conflict.
It highlights the critical role of four groups – male Elders from the Gikuyu and the Kalenjin communities, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) working with the National Steering Committee on Conflict Management and Peace Building (NSC), and the HD Centre – who collaborated for a period of 16 months between 2010 and 2012 on this peace process. The publication concludes with some lessons drawn from the process, including the challenge of securing peace and justice, as well as recommendations for ensuring the durability of the Peace Accord.