Kenya Elections Electoral Violence Prevention Monitoring | INL21GR0049 AMEKENYA ELECTIONS 061921

FAQs: Kenya Elections Electoral Violence Prevention Monitoring (INL)

What is the Kenya Elections Electoral Violence Prevention Monitoring grant?

This is a competitive grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of State, run through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). It supports projects in Kenya intended to help reduce election-related violence and prevent human rights abuses connected to the August 2022 national elections.

Who is offering and administering this funding?

The program is offered by the U.S. Department of State and administered through INL (Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs).

Why was this grant created?

The opportunity reflects concerns that Kenyan elections can trigger periods of unrest and that state security forces conducting public order operations have at times been credibly accused by independent media and monitoring organizations of serious human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings. INL frames the funding as a way to strengthen accountability, deter abuses, and improve real-time observation and engagement.

What is the main goal of the program?

The program aims to strengthen independent monitoring capacity and support practical prevention of election-related violence and abuses by (1) improving real-time observation and reporting on security force conduct and (2) facilitating direct engagement among key election security stakeholders to prevent, mitigate, and respond to abuses.

What types of activities does the grant fund?

The opportunity funds two closely linked types of work:

• Monitoring, assessment, and reporting: observing and analyzing the operational effectiveness of Kenyan state security forces and their compliance with human rights standards before, during, and after the elections, and producing credible reporting to inform stakeholders and encourage corrective action.
• Direct engagement with key actors: engaging with Kenyan security officials, political parties, electoral management bodies, and civil society leaders to build shared understanding of rights and responsibilities, improve communication, and advocate for concrete preventive measures.

What does "monitoring" mean in the context of this grant?

Monitoring refers to structured observation and analysis of how state security agencies manage public order and political tensions in the election period, along with credible reporting on both operational effectiveness and compliance with human rights standards.

What does the grant mean by "engagement" with key actors?

Engagement means direct interaction with stakeholders who shape election security outcomes, including security officials, political parties, electoral management bodies, and civil society leaders. The purpose is to improve communication across institutions, build shared expectations around rights and responsibilities, and push for concrete steps that reduce the risk of abuses.

Which election is this program tied to?

The program is connected to Kenya's August 2022 national elections, with attention to the period before, during, and after the vote.

What geographic area does this program focus on?

The supported projects are intended to operate in Kenya.

What issue areas does INL want projects to address?

The stated focus is on election-related violence prevention and human rights abuses, particularly those connected to the conduct of state security forces in the election period, including public order operations.

How does INL describe the prevention approach?

INL emphasizes strengthening accountability and deterrence by expanding the ability of independent and local actors to observe, document, and engage on election security and human rights issues in real time, while creating channels for practical, preventive engagement among institutions.

Is this a competitive program?

Yes. The opportunity is described as a competitive U.S. Department of State program.

What type of grant is it (formula vs. discretionary)?

It is a discretionary grant, meaning funding is awarded competitively rather than through a formula allocation.

What is the program category and CFDA number?

The opportunity is listed in the Law, Justice and Legal Services category under CFDA 19.703.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is INL21GR0049.

When was this opportunity posted?

The creation date provided is July 23, 2021.

What was the application deadline?

The original application deadline provided is August 12, 2021.

How many awards were expected to be made?

Awards were expected to be made to roughly four recipients.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is listed as $100,000 per award.

Who is eligible to apply?

The eligibility field is broadly listed as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced elsewhere in the full notice. The narrative indicates INL is particularly interested in resourcing local monitoring organizations in Kenya, either to launch new initiatives or expand existing programs related to election-period monitoring and human rights protection.

Does INL prefer any specific type of applicant?

Based on the narrative description, INL is particularly interested in supporting local monitoring organizations, including those starting new initiatives or scaling existing monitoring and human rights protection work tied to the election period.

What kinds of outcomes are expected from funded projects?

Expected outcomes include strengthened independent monitoring capacity, credible assessments and reporting on security force conduct and human rights compliance, and more effective channels for engagement among security services, political actors, electoral institutions, and civil society to anticipate, reduce, and address abuses promptly.

How does this grant address accountability and deterrence?

The program is framed as strengthening accountability and deterring abuses by improving real-time observation, documentation, and reporting by independent and local actors, and by supporting engagement that encourages corrective action and preventive measures among relevant institutions.

What time period should project activities consider?

The opportunity emphasizes the run-up to the elections and the aftermath, and also references monitoring before, during, and after the vote.