Briefing Paper

Identity, Democracy and Internally Displaced Persons in Kenya

“Contrary to the popular belief that participatory democracy should promote greater inclusion, Kenya’s increasingly open and competitive political system has also been a source of exclusion for groups perceived not to ‘belong’ to certain areas.
Though equal rights to land and location are guaranteed by Kenya’s constitution, the country’s long history with the politicization of ethnicity and autochthony has complicated efforts to alter the perception of ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders.’
Though the government’s national policy response to the 2007-08 election violence has been robust, its continued ethnic orientation has not addressed underlying causes of resentment that initially enabled internal displacement.”