The pre-mediation phase in management of the electoral violent conflict in Kenya (2008)

Abstract

The electoral violent conflict that occurred in 2008 brought Kenya close to a failed state. The political crisis attracted the attention of the international community that moved in swiftly to try and prevent it from degenerating to civil war. This is what brought the idea of third-party intervention through mediation to the electoral conflict. This study analyses? ‘. pre-mediation phase to the electoral conflict which in most cases has been downplayed in most conflict management yet it is an important phase that sets the stage on which mediation is conducted. The decisions made at the preparatory level and the activities of this phase have a great influence in mediation phase and determine the outcome of the entire process. The methodology applied to this project is primary and secondary data from journals, books and reports on pre-mediation phase and electoral conflicts that made it possible to analyze the initial stages of mediation in the Kenyan electoral conflict. The focus of the study was on the activities by the parties to conflict, mediator and other third parties at the pre-mediation phase. Therefore, a clear analysis has been done on the identity of the parties to electoral conflict, the mediation environment, the issues surrounding the conflict and the role this phase played in the mediation process.