As the 2012 general election date will be decided soon, Internews organized a roundtable discussion focused on “The State of Preparedness for the 2012 Election’ in Eldoret in October. US Ambassador to Kenya, Scott Gration, Reverend Maritim arap Rirei and IIEC Regional Coordinator Bilhah Kiptugen addressed the event which brought together 17 journalists from community, vernacular and mainstream media outlets.
All participants - diplomats, journalists and community leaders agreed on the need to be well prepared for a difficult election process, and to proactively gear their audiences for the countdown of activities that the Government needs to roll out to make the election possible. However, whilst giving his perspectives on peace and reconciliation in the Rift Valley, Reverend Rirei warned: “there is a relative calm now in the Rift Valley, but don’t forget the factors that led to the 2007 post election violence have not been addressed”, he said.
One of the factors that could jeopardize Kenya’s march forward is the incomplete resettlement of those who suffered directly from the 2007/08 violence: the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Internews TV Trainer Boni Odinga went to the Yamumbi camp in North Rift to meet IDPs and find out their challenges and expectations as the country embarks for an election year.
