Abstract Background: Post-election violence (PEV) in Kenya has recurrently fractured inter-ethnic relations, with Kapseret constituency in Uasin Gishu County among the most severely affected areas following the 2007/2008 electoral crisis. Despite multiple reconciliation initiatives by churches, government agencies, and community-based organizations, coexistence between victims and alleged perpetrators has remained precarious, with persistent ethnic suspicion threatening renewed violence. Objective: This study assessed whether participation in reconciliation programs by victims and alleged perpetrators of PEV fostered peaceful coexistence in Kapseret constituency between 2007 and 2017. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design was employed, drawing on in-depth interviews and non-participant observation with 50 purposively and snowball-sampled participants, 30 residents and 20 peacebuilding service providers, across Kapseret's five wards. Data were analysed thematically, guided by Lewin's Theory of Change. Results: Findings revealed a tripartite reconciliation architecture: faith-based forums prioritised spiritual forgiveness over justice; government-led barazas (public meetings) projected stability but pressured premature reconciliation; and community peace committees, though chronically underfunded, achieved the deepest legitimacy through local embeddedness and cultural responsiveness. Victim participation provided visibility and cathartic healing, yet repeated testimonial demands inflicted secondary trauma. Perpetrator confession and apology created symbolic openings for relational repair, though survivors consistently questioned sincerity when behavioural change was absent. Survivors articulated a clear conceptual distinction between coexistence, tolerating proximity, and genuine reconciliation, which they linked to justice, accountability, and material redress. Conclusion: Reconciliation programs succeeded in containing revenge cycles and enabling basic coexistence yet failed to achieve sustainable peace because they prioritised symbolic gestures over structural transformation. The study concludes that durable coexistence requires community-led, trauma-sensitive, and justice-integrated reconciliation frameworks supported by sustained institutional investment. Keywords: post-election violence, reconciliation, peaceful coexistence, transitional justice, peacebuilding’