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THE WAKI REPORT

A Nation on the Brink

The Kenyan presidential election of 2007 was held in December 2007. The main contenders were incumbent President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki and his former ally Raila Odinga. The election was strongly marked by tribalism, with Kibaki coming from the most numerous Kikuyu ethnic group which has dominated Kenyan politics since independence and Odinga an ethnic Luo allied with other smaller ethnic groups. Kibaki was declared the winner and sworn in on 30 December, despite opposition leader Raila Odinga's claims of victory. Odinga and many international observers claimed the elections were at least partially manipulated. Following the declaration, violent protests erupted particularly in Kibera, and this included ethnic violence targeted against Kikuyu people living outside their traditional settlement areas, especially in the Rift Valley Province. Luos and Kalenjin were also targeted in the areas surrounding Nakuru and Naivasha.
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