Early Warning and the Role of New Technologies in the Prevention of Violence and Conflict in Kenya

Abstract

This paper considers the structural uses of new technologies (information communication technologies) in Kenya’s early warning and conflict prevention mechanism managed by the National Steering Committee on Peace-building and Conflict Management (NSC), a multi-agency organization established in 2001 and mandated with the coordination of all peace-related activities. The NSC is domiciled in the Ministry of Provincial Administration and Internal Security in the Office of the President. The paper conducts an analysis of the NSC’s early warning system (which is also the national plank of the regional Conflict Early Warning System established for the implementation of the CEWARN Protocol adopted by IGAD Member States) with a view to establishing the use, impact as well as limitations of technologies in early warning. These technologies include social media (Facebook, Twitter), cell phones, wireless radio, etc. Other than NSC, it also outlines other national initiatives that can be considered part of the broader national early warning and conflict prevention framework. For comparative purposes, the paper reviews IGAD’s ICT 4 Peace Project that were piloted in the Karamoja Sector. The aim of the review is to establish the role of technologies in early warning and preventative context, its impact and to draw any lessons for national and regional early warning systems on the potential for technology in conflict prevention.