Timeline: Kenya's post-election path

Dec. 27, 2007 Elections are held between Presi- dent Mwai Kibaki of the Party of National Unity and presidential can- didate Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Zhu Xianoguang/Xinhua/Sipa Press/NEWSCOM

August 5, 2008

Dec. 27, 2007

Elections are held between President Mwai Kibaki of the Party of National Unity and presidential candidate Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Dec. 30, 2007

President Kibaki is announced the winner of the elections and sworn in for a second term. Amid charges of vote tampering from both parties, ethnic violence breaks out between the Luo tribe to which opposition leader Mr. Odinga belongs and the Kikuyu tribe to which Kibaki belongs. Odinga publicly rejects the results of the election.

Jan. 1

Thirty women and children of the Kikuyu ethnic group are burned alive in a church where they sought refuge from an angry mob in Eldoret, in Kenya's Rift Valley.

Members of the Electoral Commission of Kenya and a chief European Union election observer voice doubts about the legitimacy of the election results.

Jan. 9

African Union chief John Kufour meets with Kibaki and Odinga separately in an effort to encourage the two to negotiate.

Jan. 20

The Mungiki sect, a militia formed to protect Kikuyu interests, uses violent methods in reprisal attacks on non-Kikuyus in the Nairobi slum of Mathare, killing three and maiming more than a dozen.

Jan. 22

Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrives to mediate between Kibaki and Odinga. At least 650 people have already been killed and 250,000 have been driven from their homes.

Jan. 24

Mr. Annan facilitates a discussion between Kibaki and Odinga, who meet for the first time since the election. Kibaki's statement that he was the "duly elected" president angers Odinga supporters and undercuts the success of the meeting.

Jan. 28

The killing of Melitus Mugabe Were, a parliament member for the ODM, stirs more violence in Nairobi. Meanwhile, people throughout Rift Valley flee as mobs of Luos and Kikuyus attack each other.

Feb. 1

Violence continues in the Rift Valley after David Kimutai Too, another member of parliament for the ODM, is shot by a police officer. Police say that the officer acted out of jealousy due to an affair, but ODM members call it a government assassination.

Feb. 2

Police in the Rift Valley shoot into an armed mob who killed at least 9 people, and set homes and businesses on fire in retaliation for the murder of Mr. Too. At least 14 are killed by police.

Feb. 3

Odinga and Kibaki agree to take action to end the violence and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. They agree to meet again within the week and call for an investigation into all crimes committed and for illegal militias to disband.

Feb. 5

The Kenya Red Cross announces that 1,000 people have been killed, thousands injured, and 304,000 homeless.

Feb. 6

The Peace Corps announces plans to withdraw all remaining volunteers from Kenya.

Feb. 9

Speaking at the funeral for a slain ODM parliament member, Odinga reinstates his demands that Kibaki resign or new elections be held, creating new fears that a power-sharing agreement is far off.

Feb. 16

Annan announces progress has been made in talks between Kibaki and Odinga. Both sides agree that an independent commission will review all aspects of the election and issue a report in 3 to 6 months.

Feb. 27

Amnesty International plans a Day of Action for Kenya. Gatherings and vigils take place around the world urging Kenyan politicians to end the violence.

Feb. 28

Kibaki and Odinga sign a power-sharing agreement that creates a prime minister position, which will be filled by Odinga. More than 1,000 people have been killed and 600,000 displaced since violence erupted in December.

Sources: Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, media reports.

Compiled by Corinne Chronopoulos