Oxfam Peace and Reconciliation Officer Daniel Kiptugen explains the work of some of the grass roots peace groups Oxfam is supporting.

Right now, there are so many initiatives going on across the country. All you see on the news is fighting, but I'd like people to know about the efforts of all the Kenyan citizens who are trying to bring peace to their country.

Oxfam is supporting PeaceNet, a national umbrella body made up of organisations and individuals supporting human rights, peace, reconciliation and justice.

Saving lives with mobile phones
Through an 'SMS Nerve Centre', funded by Oxfam, violence early warning systems are starting to take shape.

Crucial information about potential or actual attacks is being collected, verified within the affected areas, then transmitted to the nerve center in Nairobi. From there it's relayed to the district Peace and Security Committees who can galvanize urgent responses to stop potential conflicts.

These peace committees bring together local community leaders and local security bodies. This information has proved crucial, enabling swift action to avert possible violence and further bloodshed in some parts of the slums.

For instance, last Monday, 28 Jan, after the killing of an MP in Nairobi, some young people got together and planned to attack residents of a certain community.

The message received at the SMS Centre was relayed quickly and a team was dispatched which was able to persuade the youth to disperse and thus lives were saved.

It is moments like these we breathe a sigh of relief, because a few more lives have been saved.

Averting attacks in the rift valley
In Eldoret in the Rift Valley, leaders and local communities, through PeaceNet, are also forming Peace Committees comprised of local leaders, religious and community based organisations.

Recognising that this is one of the hardest hit parts of the country, communities are providing crucial, often highly sensitive information that is helping to avert more killings.

In one case, a camp for internally displaced people had been targeted for attack, and once information reached the peace committees, it triggered negotiations with the attackers and the displaced people were protected. An attack was averted and lives saved.

It's due to this early warning system that more trust is being built among communities to provide information that could save lives.

Creating the space for dialogue
In Nairobi, PeaceNet is involved in promoting low-key 'dialogue meetings' in the badly hit slum areas of Huruma, Kariobangi and Kibera.

People are coming together in groups, seeking peace and volunteering to diffuse tension in the slums. These meetings are creating space for dialogue and discussions on peace and ending the violence. They are inviting local leaders and politicians - both elected MPs and parliamentary aspirants. They are pushing for peace to be restored and maintained, arguing that those who are suffering are the most vulnerable and poor, marginalised communities who have lived together in peace in the past.

PeaceNet is also reaching out to Members of Parliament to encourage them to go back to their constituencies and talk to the youth to maintain peace. Several members of parliament have already begun door-to-door visits in their constituencies urging the youth to shun violence and embrace peace.

A night vigil was held in Nairobi, attended by multi-ethnic groups of youths from the slum areas. Musicians supporting the peace initiative played for free and speakers from peace groups had an opportunity to talk to the youth. They spoke about the need to end violence, respect sanctity of life and promote tolerance and reconciliation among communities regardless of their political or ethnic backgrounds.

There is so much happening, so many Kenyans who are determined that peace shall prevail in our country.

What is happening in Kenya today, the violence, is playing out along ethnic lines, but it is not true that people have always hated each other. This has been caused by politics. But the root causes go much deeper, into poverty, inequality and frustration.

It's only by understanding the real root causes of the violence that we can hope to bring about peace.