Kenya: Political Violence, the Media and the Role of Vernacular Radio Stations

Abstract

In late December 2007, violence broke out in Nairobi, Kisumu and the Rift Valley in Kenya in protest against the results of the presidential election. There was a widespread belief among members and leaders of opposition parties, subsequently confirmed by election monitors from the European Union (EU) and the Commonwealth, that the results were fraudulent and that Mwai Kibaki had not been re-elected and should not have been sworn in for a second term as president. The violence lasted for nearly four months, between 1200 and 1500 people died and over 660,000 were displaced from their homes and localities.