The politics of displacement in multiparty Kenya

Abstract

Since the transition to multipartyism in the 1990s, internal displacement in Kenya has been part of political strategies to retain or win power. Cycles of aggression and antagonist articulation of ethnic identity of perceived hostile voters have enmeshed grievances over unequal land distribution into political discourses of exclusion. Increased use of hate speech, intimidation and inability to recover from the effects of cyclic violence have encouraged ethnic balkanisation in some areas and institutions. This contribution argues that pervasive impunity for all perpetrators and lack of political will to address perceived marginalisation and landlessness has made durable solutions impractical for the majority of internally displaced persons.