State pledges to heal rifts left by vote hunt

The Government is working on ways to deal with effects of the highly charged referendum campaigns, which have left in their wake a wave of perplexing intolerance.

Aware of the need to heal the country and bridge the division brought by the campaigns, which started more than two months before the official date, the Government is grappling with structures aimed at reconciling the nation, and mending the cracks brought about by the vote-hunting crusades.

For a start, the Cabinet is expected to discuss and approve a strategy on post- referendum peace building and ways of preventing conflict to ensure national cohesion and reconciliation.

It is understood that the strategy paper will be laid out in the Cabinet for debate, most likely at its first meeting after the vote, to start off the healing process. The strategy has been drawn by the Ministry of Justice, which has been spearheading the campaign for a new constitution.

Go on retreat

Consequently, the ministry’s top officials are expected to go for a retreat on Monday — four days after the Wednesday vote — to plan the healing and reconciliation strategies.

Apparently, the Government has prioritised peace building and conflict prevention even as it starts off the most challenging phase of the reform movement — implementation — with the growing realisation that the country is bound to suffer from effects of the campaigns.

Besides, the desire to guard against ugly situations, such as the one that greeted the results of the 2007 elections, is a matter of national priority, with the world keenly watching whether or not the vote will spark a similar response.

There is a general unanimity that the country needs healing after the chasms created by the Red and Green camps. Anglican Church of Kenya head, Eliud Wabukala, has called for a healing forum that he says should be put together jointly by the government, the Church and Parliament.

Evidently, it is for the same reason that, on the eve of the vote, President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga were reconciliatory in their separate statements calling for peace. The Nation has learnt that the Government will draw up a programme for a year-long civic programme aimed at reaching out to Kenyans, targeting, in particular, those who opposed the new constitution.

A major target in this civic education programme is Parliament, which faces the uphill task of passing a raft of laws spelt out in the new constitution. A reliable source who did not want to be quoted discussing classified Government information said a series of meetings with MPs, both inside (Kamukunji) and outside Parliament, will be convened to prevail upon MPs to enact and amend crucial laws, as well as have the legislators take active roles in reconciling the country.

The Government also intends to work with regional peace committees set up by the Internal Security ministry ahead of the referendum in various parts of the country. Further, a planned national conference to discuss peace and ways of conflict prevention is expected to take place in Nairobi three weeks after the referendum.

The national peace initiatives, the Nation has learnt, will involve members of the civil society, community councils of elders, women and youth organisations, security officials and the media. Assistant Minister for Youth Kabando wa Kabando suggests that national prayers involving all clergy be conducted across the country within a month after the referendum to heal the rift brought about by the campaigns.

“Green politicians should reach out to all Christian clergy for reconciliation and solidarity for collective sharing on national renewal, rebirth and proclamation of the Second Republic,’’ says the Mukurwe-ini MP. “We must attract and engage our Christian clergy in post-referendum programmes, including civic education on transition and legislative agenda.’’

But Mr Kabando says winners must show magnanimity and avoid chest-thumping and humiliating losers. On retired President Moi, whose large presence was felt in the campaigns as he opposed the new constitution, the assistant minister suggests that he should now choose a “non-controversial’’ retirement.

Heritage Minister William ole Ntimama fears that the outcome of the vote could divide the people with the Church/State relationship remaining sour. The Narok North MP talks of the need for “a high profile reconciliation’’, especially among politicians in rival camps who are now likely to set their sights on the 2012 elections.

Former Subukia MP Koigi wa Wamwere, who was in the Red camp, says the Government needs to treat the ‘No’ side with ‘‘a great deal of magnanimity so they can continue feeling that they are an integral part of the society.’’