Nakuru will on Monday 21st September host the national commemoration of the International Day of Peace, nearly two decades after the county was at the centre of some of the worst violence witnessed after Kenya’s disputed 2007 General Election.
The choice of Nakuru is significant, The county carries the memory of lives lost, families displaced and communities divided during the 2007/08 post-election violence, but it also has a history of bringing previously divided communities together to address the tensions that fuelled the conflict.
“Nakuru County is significant and symbolic as it carries a history that reminds us of the devastating consequences of conflict but equally has a powerful story of resilience, healing, reconciliation and hope,” Part of NCIC statement stated.
As Kenya looks towards the 2027 General Election, that history raises a question that goes beyond Monday’s celebrations, what lessons from Nakuru’s experience can help prevent election related violence in the future?
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From conflict to a peace accord
The violence that followed the 2007 election exposed deep political, ethnic and social divisions across parts of the country. Nakuru was among the areas badly affected.
A later peace process in the county brought together elders from two main communities in the county, with the involvement of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the National Steering Committee on Conflict Management and Peace Building.
The process also expanded beyond the two main communities involved in the mediation. Women, young people, political leaders and representatives of other communities in Nakuru were brought into the wider peace effort.
“The effects of PEV notwithstanding, Nakuru County rose through that painful chapter. Today, Nakuru stands as a county that has made remarkable progress towards peace and stability,” NCIC added.
Nearly two decades after the 2007/08 post-election violence, Nakuru’s experience of reconciliation offers lessons as Kenya prepares for another General Election.
The 2027 question
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission’s decision to hold this year’s International Day of Peace celebrations in Nakuru comes as Kenya prepares for the 2027 General Election.
The commission says this year’s commemoration will focus on the global theme “Invest in Peace For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”, with discussions expected to cover political polarisation, hate speech, ethnic contempt, youth vulnerability, community and resource-based conflicts, violent extremism and declining public trust in institutions.
These issues are particularly relevant in an election year, when political competition can sharpen existing divisions.
The challenge for institutions and communities is therefore not simply to respond when conflict erupts, but to identify tensions early and address them before they develop into violence.
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Beyond the speeches
The International Day of Peace event will bring together state and non-state actors, political actors, communities, young people, women, religious leaders, civil society, the private sector, development partners and the media.
For Nakuru, the commemoration provides an opportunity to revisit what happened nearly 20 years ago and examine what has been done since.
But its significance will ultimately lie beyond the speeches delivered at Nyayo Gardens.
“The Day provides an opportunity for the world to reflect on the importance of peace, nonviolence, dialogue, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence,”
As the country heads towards another General Election, the question is whether the lessons learnt from that painful period have become part of Kenya’s everyday approach to conflict prevention.
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