A Discussion with S. K. Maina, National Coordinator for Peacebuilding and Conflict Management (National Steering Committee) Secretariat at the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration Internal Security in Nairobi, Kenya

With: S. K. Maina Berkley Center Profile

July 7, 2010

Background: As part of the Religion, Conflict, and Peacebuilding Fellowship, Consuelo Amat interviewed S. K. Maina, national coordinator for the Peacebuilding and Conflict Management (National Steering Committee) Secretariat at the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration Internal Security, in July 2010. Mr. Maina describes the work of the Peacebuilding and Conflict Management Secretariat and its efforts to prevent violence around the constitutional referendum. Besides establishing peace committees, the secretariat has worked to created specialized small arms and light weapons units in order to address the security concerns and rampant criminal activity, especially in Nairobi.

Mr. Maina, could you start by telling me about the beginnings of the Peacebuilding and Conflict Management Secretariat, and how you became involved in this kind of work?

The secretariat emerged as a result of violent conflict in northern Kenya in the late 1990s. These armed conflicts are between pastoralists who fight over resources such as cattle and land. These types of disputes have plagued Kenya for many years, and that was the initial focus of the secretariat, which plays the role of an interagency committee that brings many stakeholders together. Waves of violence pertaining to elections were sporadic and not the worst problem in Kenya up until 2007 and 2008. Since the failed referendum in 2005, Kenya has been bitterly divided, and we could see the signs of a latent conflict, especially due to hate speech.

As a consequence of the 2008 tragedy, the secretariat has set up peace committees in various cities across the country. In Nairobi we started with one in Kibera, the nation’s biggest slum and the third largest in the world. [Former UN secretary-general] Kofi Annan’s recommendations included establishing these peace committees, which would make the first peace and conflict management structures in Kenya. They are also great for early earning systems. In fact, for the past two weeks we have been consulting with the local peace committees to see if there are any signs of another violent uprising that could follow the constitutional referendum. If hate speech starts dominating the airwaves and the public discourse, our peace committees set up community dialogues to de-escalate the situation. In addition, they are prepared to warn the security structures of the country in order to prevent violence or act early to stop it. We are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. The good news this time is that the government is united in supporting the referendum, so [Prime Minister] Raila Odinga and [President] Mwai Kibaki are both campaigning for the Yes camp. The bad news is that the recent debate has taken on religious dimensions, and this could be dangerous.

Could you talk about other initiatives in addition to the peace committees?

We have a specialized unit on small arms and light weapons, which was initially dedicated to the pastoralist conflicts. The lack of state presence in those areas and the availability of guns compound the security dilemma of pastoralists. But we are expanding the small arms and light weapons campaign to our cities, and especially Nairobi, as the problem has become more acute. Criminal activity is rampant in the capital, and the aftermath of the 2007 elections showed the consequences of easy access to firearms. The Great Lakes region came together and signed the Nairobi Protocol, which is an effort to improve the mechanisms for control of the arms trade. Kenya is at the forefront of this international effort.

In addition, there are many more initiatives that have come into existence since the 2007-2008 tragedy, and the secretariat is taking advantage of these new provisions. For instance, hate speech has recently been criminalized. We are monitoring the radio and other media in order to help enforce this new law and prevent the escalation of conflict.

With regards to your personal background, could you share what has brought you to this point?

I have been a public servant for the past 30 years in areas related to conflict management, emergency relief, and humanitarian assistance. I have worked closely with international organizations and the Kenyan government, and I have been involved at the local level. The United Nations Development Programme supported the Ministry on Conflict Transformation, and I spearheaded that initiative.

I have lived through major changes in the history of Kenya, and that has all shaped me. Independence came in 1963, and that was a period of strong nationalism and patriotism. The difficulties during this period had to do with the Somali population in the northeastern side of the country, as they wanted to secede. Up until the 1970s, however, Kenya was growing at the rate of other Asian Tigers such as Korea and Malaysia. But in 1975, the president, [Jomo] Kenyatta, was aging and losing control. Daniel arap Moi took over in 1978, and there has been very poor governance ever since. There was a failed military coup, and Moi became a dictator by making Kenya a single-party state. From that time until 1992, which is when Moi allowed for multiparty politics to return, there was very little space for democratic discourse. It was a very tough period for Kenya, as there were detentions without trials, extrajudicial killings, and many other crimes that happened with impunity.

The transition to a multiparty system, however, was not all positive: even though there was more space for dissent, the opposing parties formed along ethnic lines, which paved the way for more hatred and violence. There are people who are still very bitter about the 2007 presidential elections, so revenge is still a danger. Despite these sobering facts, I have definitely seen a change in the big picture. Kenyans are now talking about peace, reconciliation, and are starting to move beyond tribalism.

Today our challenge as a governmental institution dedicated to peacemaking is to craft a clear policy framework that is approved by parliament and funded well. We need an overarching framework with clear goals and cohesive plans for all relevant public institutions. Some of the larger issues we need to deal with are youth gangs, as 60 percent of the population in Kenya are younger than 18. Organized crime, especially around the drugs and arms trade, is also a major problem, and it is present across all tribes. We have to pay more attention to the rural areas in this country: poverty makes people vulnerable for all these kinds of criminal activity and violence.

Despite these challenges I see that we have improved in education: there are now evening universities for people who work and would still like to earn a higher degree. In addition, civil society is becoming more sophisticated and prepared to tackle very complex problems of development, violence, tribalism, and corruption. Increasingly, the government is working closer to civil society and the NGO sector, which only increases our chances of success.

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