Propagating Peace with Drama - October 2011
As Kenya's 2012 general elections approach and International Criminal Court hearings move forward, USAID-supported local non-governmental organization Vijana na Mageuzi (Youth for Change) is using drama to disseminate timely, objective information and mitigate the potential for tensions to escalate into another round of political violence.
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Kenya's Constitution, One Year Later - September 2011
The one-year anniversary of Kenya's new constitution provided an opportunity for candid reflection on the gains achieved since ratification, and USAID supported the Constitution Observation Group as it held "local to local" dialogue forums to assess progress and revive enthusiasm for full implementation.
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Countering Misinformation - September 2011
The Centre for Community Dialogue and Development has established 14 centers in the Rift Valley where Kenyans can watch International Criminal Court proceedings. The USAID-supported initiative aims to provide accurate information so citizens can draw their own conclusions about the court's investigation into the 2007-08 post-election violence.
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Demanding Accountable Leadership - August 2011
This summer, the Nyanza Youth Coalition, a popular youth-led organization based in Kisumu, organized a campaign to promote democratic and transparent mayoral elections. The OTI-supported effort sought to bolster processes that will allow alternative political viewpoints and leaders to emerge.
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Promoting Peace on the Radio - August 2011
To counter negative messages and foster peace and stability ahead of Kenya's 2012 elections, USAID is working with Radio Injili in the southern Rift Valley to enhance its capacity to broadcast accurate and balanced information.
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'Speaking as One Voice' - July 2011
Gideon Kubai joined 11 other participants in the International Visitor Leadership Program, traveling to the Unites States for a three-week learning experience on the principles of democratic governance. The 28-year-old founder of Vijana Na Mageuzi is working to unite the efforts of the youth of Kenya.
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Accountability Starts at the Local Level - July 2011
In 2012, Kenyans will for the first time choose representatives for county assemblies. To encourage citizens to begin thinking critically about the candidates seeking their votes, USAID supported the Rehema Kenya Enterprise Organization as it organized community forums where voters could interact with candidates for the local-level seats.
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Penalty Card to Football Mismanagement - July 2011
The Movement for Political Accountability saw an opportunity to promote good governance practices within Kenya's football industry while demonstrating open, issue-based discourse. It is the type of discussion Kenyans must demand from their politicians if they want to inject transparency into the country's 2012 election cycle.
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A Force for Positive Change - April 2011
USAID’s Yes Youth Can! program is supporting youth-led recovery and development by encouraging youth entrepreneurship, fostering economic opportunity, and helping to give the youth of Kenya a voice in their communities.
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Managing Land Records to Keep the Peace - March 2011
To help the Nakuru District Lands Office extract itself from a crush of requests for services, OTI stepped in with assistance for an improved file management system. Now staff can quickly find documents that are needed to complete transactions and resolve disputes over ownership.
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Educating by Entertaining in Kericho - February 2011
As the International Criminal Court investigated a number of Kenyans for complicity in the 2007-08 post-election violence, and detractors accused the court of bias and conspiracy, The Great Commission, with OTI support, crisscrossed Kericho in the Rift Valley to deliver important information on the issues packaged in an entertaining format.
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Improving Opportunities for Youth in Slums - December 2010
Unemployed youth are offered skills training to promote entrepreneurship and peace-building skills in an effort to reduce unemployment, community violence, and the lure of gangs in the absence of prospects of upward mobility.
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Road Show Highlights the Case for Reform - August 2010
A caravan of popular young musicians and dancers crisscrossed the Rift Valley this summer to present Kenya's reform agenda to the public. OTI, in partnership with GTZ, supported the artists as they sought to bolster youth participation in the reform effort and urge all Kenyans to take responsibility for the process.
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Youth Lead Effort to Reclaim Taifa Park - August 2010
To reverse the improper acquisition of Kisumu's Taifa Park and restore it to public hands, the Nyanza Youth Coalition, with OTI support, mobilized citizens in a nonviolent protest. The activities have empowered the town's residents and sent a strong message against impunity.
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Bringing the Vote to Pastoralists - August 2010
To help Kenya's Interim Independent Election Commission register voters in Garissa, OTI provided support to the provincial administration. In less than two weeks, voter registration rates in the area climbed from 38 percent to 62 percent.
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Interactive Theater Prompts Students to Weigh Reforms - February 2010
With OTI assistance, Betta Theatrix developed an interactive performance program to educate young people about the Agenda 4 reform movement. The youth theater troupe from western Kenya stimulated reflection and debate on the issues and urged its audiences to steer reforms forward by lobbying leaders to push for change.
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Electors and Elected Forge Partnerships for Better Governance - November 2009
To help Kenyans to better connect with their elected representatives, OTI supported a Kenyan nongovernmental organization as it hosted a series of forums on the partnership nature of governance. Citizens were encouraged to press their MPs to be more responsive and proactive, and MPs agreed to keep constituents better informed about parliamentary activities.
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Empowering Communities with Information - September 2009
Communities in rural areas of Kenya are setting up parliamentary viewing centers, with OTI support, to help raise citizen awareness of legislative developments in Nairobi and increase government transparency. The centers are also providing daily newspapers, books on topical issues, and recordings of the parliamentary sessions.
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Kenyans Watch as Parliament Asserts Power - September 2009
On September 17, Kenyans watched their Parliament send a message of legislative authority by rejecting the President's appointments for the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission. USAID/Kenya and its Office of Transition Initiatives have supported the Parliament's efforts to develop and implement reforms to strengthen its legislative and oversight functions.
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It's Our Turn to Eat - June 2009
The controversial book It's Our Turn to Eat recounts the experiences of Kenya's former anti-corruption boss. Following grants from OTI that helped break a de facto ban on the corruption-exposing tome, booksellers are beginning to order it and bring it into the country for sale and distribution.
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A New Market Marks a New Beginning in Burnt Forest - May 2009
The Burnt Forest market, which was destroyed in early 2008 following Kenya's contested election, has been rebuilt thanks to the efforts the Rural Women's Peace Link, the Burnt Forest Town Council, and OTI and has become a symbol of hope for the entire community.
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Youth Unite for Reconciliation in Keses - May 2009
Reconciliation in Kenya's Rift Valley took a positive turn following intervention of the Rural Women's Peace Link, a community mobilization group that, with OTI support, helped spur youth involvement in the process. The youth hope to bring positive change to the region and serve as a model for others in the country.
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Peace Committee Sparks Interest in Reconciliation - April 2009
The Nakuru District Peace Committee (DPC) is beginning its work coordinating conflict prevention and peace building in the district. The committee, which received operations and communication support from OTI, will serve not only as a model but also as the secretariat for all of Kenya's DPCs.
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Promoting Reconciliation through Schools - April 2009
The August 7th Memorial Trust and OTI are establishing peace clubs in Kenyan schools to help children in communities that felt the effects of Kenya's post-election violence learn and take the message of peace and reconciliation home to their parents. The project aims to challenge attitudes of mistrust and encourage those who were displaced to resettle.
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Kenya Burning: Never Forget, Never Again - March 2009
To coincide with the first anniversary of Kenya's peace accord, the GoDown Arts Center, supported by OTI, compiled an array of dramatic pictures as a unique testimonial record of the violence that befell the country after the 2007 election, publishing these images in a book and creating a travelling exhibition for Kenyans to see and experience.
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Building Dignity and Respect with Livelihoods Training - December 2008
The Dynamic Business Startup Project in Eldoret, supported by OTI, is working to improve personal business skills to bolster struggling local economies while also bridging social divisions and creating lasting relationships founded on mutual understanding and respect.
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Dialogue Heals Hatreds, Training Promotes Partnerships - November 2008
Two women are developing a business plan at an OTI-funded business skills training session in the town of Burnt Forest near Eldoret. The middle-aged Kikuyu lady talks excitedly about her plans with her Kalenjin neighbor. Their association is a consequence of the third OTI grant to promote reconciling dialogues in the town, which was hard-hit by the 2007–2008 post-election violence.
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Women’s Group Connects Elected Officials and IDPs - September 2008
The mistrust that both contributed to and resulted from Kenya's post-election violence has been a target of OTI's initial efforts in Kenya. In one of its earliest activities, OTI/Kenya worked with the Rural Women's Peace Link to provide practical opportunities for goal-oriented dialogue, using women and youth as key entry points.
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