• Juliana, David and myself met about a week ago to discuss what an Ushahidi 2.0 might look like. We’re exploring creating a free, open source version, rebuilt from the ground up that anyone will be able to use around the world.
• Ushahidi is a finalist in the NetSquared Challenge, a competition amongst mashup applications to win some money for further development. David and I will be going to San Francisco in just over a week to represent Ushahidi. Thank you all for helping us get this far!
• I gave a talk yesterday at the Where 2.0 conference where I gave some of the history behind what we did, and explained why tools like Ushahidi are needed.
• Ory and I have been working to create Ushahidi as an organization so that we can start to receive funding and do more work on the project. We’re looking for more developer/programmer types who would like to pitch in on this too!

We’ll keep you posted on any other news, and there’s some big news coming…

Next Steps
We need you to leave comments on our blog (here) or project profile with your thoughts, opinions and offers to help. If you want to be involved in growing this African-led project to the world, get in touch with us and we’ll make you part of our extended development team. We need all the help we can get!

Again, thank you so much for your support. We truly wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you going through the (lengthy) voting process. Personally, I hope that we get a number of you on board as part of the Ushahidi team.

The composition of ther IDP’s is 33 male adults over 18 years, 2 of them fathers to the families, 2 women with nursing babies born during the skirmishes and on transit from Molo, 1 High school boy who needs to go to shool, 11 primary shool children and 3 kids at home based motherly care.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a report on Wednesday following a three week fact-finding mission focussing on the violence that engulfed Kenya in the wake of the disputed Presidential election on 27 December 2007.

The report suggests that greater accountability and an end to impunity will be key to addressing the underlying problems and preventing further outbreaks, thereby reinforcing the ongoing reconciliation process and power-sharing agreement.

The 20-page report by an OHCHR fact-finding team that visited Kenya from 6 to 28 February concludes that, while irregularities in the election process were the primary trigger of the violence, a number of underlying causes – including discrimination, poverty and disenfranchisement – fuelled the crisis.

The team visited 15 of the worst affected locations, and interviewed 188 victims and witnesses of post-electoral violence, as well as members of the Government and opposition parties, law enforcement agencies, members of civil society, NGOs, UN agencies, diplomats and other interested parties.

The report identifies three “distinct but sometimes concurrent patterns of violence – spontaneous, organised and retaliatory.” The first phase began immediately after the announcement of the contested election results, when opposition supporters took to the streets in protest, especially in Kisumu and the Nairobi slum areas; the second wave consisted of organised attacks in the Rift Valley which appear to have targeted non-Kalenjin communities and those perceived as opponents of the opposition ODM party, including the Kikuyu, Kisii and Luyha communities. In retaliation, gangs of Kikuyu youths subsequently attacked non-Kikuyu groups in Naivasha, Nakuru and Mathare

In all, more than 1,200 Kenyans were reported killed, thousands more injured, over 300,000 people displaced and around 42,000 houses and many businesses were looted or destroyed. A significant number of cases of sexual violence were also reported.

Noting that under international law, states bear the primary responsibility for protecting the rights of all individuals within their territory, the OHCHR report indicates that in most districts, the police were unable to maintain and enforce law and order. According to most of the victims and witnesses interviewed, the police were often present but were either overwhelmed or passive during the attacks.

However, the fact-finding team also received detailed information describing how in various places, most notably in the Kibera slum area of Nairobi, Eldoret and Kisumu, the policing of demonstrations and crowds was conducted with excessive use of force resulting in death and injuries of many, including children. According to the Government’s figures, 123 people were killed by the police, although an analysis of hospital reports suggests the actual number may be higher. The OHCHR team notes that, at the time of the mission, only one police officer was under investigation for brutality, and says the disparity sends a clear message to the public of impunity for police abuse.

According to the report, impunity is deeply entrenched in Kenya and is not confined to the police alone. The report concludes that consistent failure to act on the findings and recommendations of various state-commissioned inquiries and studies have distanced the citizens from state institutions. Most of those interviewed identified the failure to prosecute perpetrators (including planners and organisers) of past violence and human rights violations – and the consequent message this gives to perpetrators that they are able to act in total impunity – as “major contributing factors to the violence.”

Noting that the violence had caused massive displacement, the report also stressed the need for the authorities to ensure that displaced people are able to freely decide when or whether to return, resettle or reintegrate through a voluntary and informed choice, free from political considerations or other pressures.

The report welcomed the 28 February power-sharing agreement reached within the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation process, and noted that important commitments have been made in the context of the dialogue to carry out reforms to address long-standing issues, including inequalities and accountability, constitutional and institutional reforms. The accords include an Independent Review Committee to investigate all aspects of the 2007 Presidential electoral process; a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission; a constitutional review process, and a Commission of Inquiry with a mandate to investigate the circumstances surrounding the violence that occurred during the two months following the election.

The OHCHR report makes a number of recommendations related to these processes, laying a strong emphasis on accountability.

Failure to carry out reforms could undermine the fragile improvement in security that has taken hold since the signing of the power-sharing agreement, the report said.

The rest of the itinerary for the convoy includes the following stops:
NAKURU
Tue Mar 11th:
* Msafara travels to Nakuru
* Pastor’s Prayer meeting to confess on behalf of city
* Volunteers work with Nakuru IDP’s
Wed Mar 12th:
* Prayer service/concert to cleanse city
ELDORET
Thur Mar 13th:
* Pastor’s Prayer meeting to confess on behalf of city
* Volunteers work with Eldoret IDP’s
Fri Mar 14th:
* Prayer service/concert to cleanse city
KISUMU
Sat Mar 15th
* Pastor’s Prayer meeting to confess on behalf of city
* Volunteers work with Kisumu IDP’s
Sun Mar 16th
* Prayer service/concert to cleanse city
Mon Mar 17th
* Travel Back to Nairobi
To contribute or participate, the contacts to reach out to are on the Msafara weblog, and if you would like to donate, the bank account information is available on the Msafara website.

The clip was filmed by Slum-tv reporters, who had been reporting on life in Mathare through the eyes of the residents themselves. Slum-tv continued to document the disruption of communities due to post election violence, by featuring first hand reports from Mathare slums in Nairobi. You can find more videos, information and blogposts on the Slum-tv site.

On 27 February, people can show their outrage at the continuing human rights abuses in Kenya in a series of events organised by Amnesty International; including an online Facebook action and a series of street demonstrations.

Please click here for more information; there will be updates on events in Canada, Germany, Mali, Mexico, Uruguay and other countries.

To join the protest:
Turn up and show your support at the following locations on 27 February. …

Washington DC, 4:30-6:30pm - outside the Kenyan Embassy, 2249 R. Street N.W in Dupont Circle

London, 17:00 to 19:00 pm, outside the Kenyan Embassy, 45 Portland Place, W1B 1AS

Please send your photos to cold27south@photos.flickr.com

THE PRIZES:

• First Prize: Art equipment worth Kshs. 30,000.00
• Second Prize: Art equipment worth Kshs. 20,000.00
• Third Prize: Art equipment worth Kshs. 10,000.00

Cartoons may be sent via email to katuni@gmail.com

Find out more about the contest here.

From the Kwani Blog,

The Sunday Salon will feature four writers; four unique voices in a tranquil outdoor setting:

Simiyu Barasa
Parselelo Kantai

Charles Matathia

Prof Wambui Mwangi

*links added above are to samples of the writers’ work available online/blogs.

Blending both fiction and non-fiction, these writers will bring a literary eye to bear on the Kenyan psyche in the wake of violent and troubled times.

TIME: 7 – 9 pm
DAY: Sunday 17th February
VENUE: Kengeles, Lavington Green
TICKETS:KSh 300 (Available at the Door)