Back from the brink

Kenya | The government’s “grand coalition” settled the violence, but is it enough to make neighbors trust one another again? | Sarah Clark

NAIROBI, Kenya—Property destroyed. Homeowners displaced. Innocents killed. Food prices rising. Kenyans have experienced all of that, along with accusations of ethnic cleansing, in the four months following last December's general election. International media covered the loss of life and displacement of over 350,000 following accusations of vote-rigging, but since the signing of a peace accord between the leading political parties on Feb. 28, the world has moved on to other stories.

The peace accord by President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga created expectations of "a grand coalition" government. Tension rose and fell as the country waited six weeks for the announcement of a coalition cabinet. Those displaced by violence waited for assurances that it was safe to return home, and every delay in implementing the peace accord caused Kenyans to collectively hold their breath.