"What we found, far from being spontaneous, was that it was organized as elders and youth met," spokesman Ben Rawlence said at media briefing where he launched the report titled: Ballots to Bullets: Organized Political Violence and Kenya's Crisis of Governance.

Researchers documented serious abuses in the worst affected areas of Nairobi, Nyanza, Rift Valley and western provinces. The 81-page report delves deeply on the two main issues of excessive use of force by the police and the organized violence that took place.

Police were criticized for taking sides during the crisis and for the deaths of 81 people nationwide. Most of the dead were from opposition strongholds. When police were faced by pro-government mobs killing and burning in Naivasha and Nakuru, they made little attempt to intervene.

The rights body called on the new coalition government to support the various inquiries established since February. During president Kibaki's first term in 2003, three major commissions of inquiry; the multi-billion Goldenberg scam, a report on land reforms and that of shadowy foreigners. The election related violence left more than 1,000 dead and half a million displaced.

"For the new government to function well and earn the peoples trust, it needs to first heal the wounds by prosecuting those behind the violence," Georgette Gagnon, the Africa director at HRW said. The report's authors say the extent of links between those who perpetrated the violence and national politicians needs to be looked into further.

In efforts to bring stability, the country's parliament is expected tomorrow to debate on two bills in an historic pact that will see the stage set for a grand coalition government. The National Accord and Reconciliation bill and the constitution of Kenya (Amendment) -- form the basis of the power-sharing and peace deals brokered by former UN SG, Koffi Annan.


Keywords: kenya elections