Africa's Limping Democracies: Lessons from Kenya (original) (raw)
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Democratisation in Africa: Lessons from the 2022 Kenyan Presidential Election
African Journal of Democracy and Election Research (AJDER), 2023
The principal objective of this paper is to examine conduct of the 2022 Kenya's presidential election. More precisely, it attempts to identify the best practices as lessons for democratization of the entire continent of Africa. The study that culminated in the paper was qualitative in nature, being based on the case study of the presidential election conducted in August 2022 in Kenya. For this end, this paper used observation, expert opinions, and documentary review for getting both primary and secondary data. The presidential election in Kenya largely met the threshold of a free, fair and credible election. The transparency was lauded by many and the constitutional provisions on timelines and corresponding activities served to boost predictability of events, which contributed to cooling tension and avert post-election violence like witnessed in 2007/8. The election was challenged in the Supreme Court and the hearing was open to the public until determination, that upheld the result. The role of the media and police was highlighted. However, several issues were observed that needs to be fixed to improve participation, voter turnout, voter education, budgetary constraints, resource allocation and communication of results and clarifying issues. Despite the glitches, the Kenyan electoral experience confirms the theory that repetitive elections breed democratic values, hence it offers good lessons to African countries. This paper recommends improvement in independence of the electoral management bodies and commissioners, solidifying election processes in legislation. Others include transparency of the entire process, adequate preparation including testing technologies involved, adequate resources released timely. It also recommends sufficient voter education, involving stakeholders and better communication. Keywords: Africa, Kenya, Democratisation, Electoral management Bodies, Elections
2014
The aftermath of recent Kenyan elections has been marred by violence and an apparent crisis in democratic governance, with the negotiated settlement resulting from the 2007 election bringing into sharp focus longstanding problems of state and society. The broader reform process has involved electoral, judicial and security sector reforms, among others, which in turn revolve around constitutional reforms. Written by an eminent gathering of specialists, this highly original volume interrogates the roots and impacts of the 2010 constitution; explains why struggles for reforms were blocked in the past but were successful this time around, and explores the scope for their implementation in the face of continued resistance by powerful groups. In doing so, the book demonstrates that the Kenyan experience carries significance well past its borders, speaking to debates surrounding social justice and national cohesion across the African continent and beyond.
New Constitution, Same Old Challenges:Reflections on Kenya's 2013 General Elections
This book follows up on the publication Tensions & Reversals in Democratic Transitions published by Society for International Development and Institute for Development Studies after Kenya’s 2007 Elections. It is a product of a series of consultative meetings by a group of civil society actors and academics convened by SID and Uraia Trust to capture the lessons learnt from Kenya’s 2013 General Elections and interrogate the actors and factors involved. The book paints a picture of an electoral environment which, buoyed by far- reaching institutional reforms driven by the newly promulgated Constitution of Kenya 2010, raised high expectations among Kenyans that the 2013 elections would not only be peaceful but also a lot more credible than those held in 2007. In the end however, the manner in which the 2013 General Elections were conducted did not show evidence of any remarkable departure from what was experienced previously, despite the raft of legal and institutional reforms carried out. The book attempts to explain why things went the way they did and explores what needs to be done differently in future to ensure more free, fair and credible elections.
Rethinking our Electoral Processes :Case Study of the 2017 general elections in Kenya
Rethinking Our Electoral Processes: Kenya 2017 General Elections , 2018
The concepts of peace and security in Africa in general, particularly Kenya, are closely linked to electoral processes which are an embodiment of the idea of structural conflict presupposing an un-peaceful situation that exists between the dichotomies of peace and war. Guided by the main objective of the study, the research used secondary data to investigate electoral process before, during and after the 2017 general elections and how the activities involved impacted on human security. Subsequently, the activities, events and reactions investigated in the study have been put into perspective with specific reference to the two theories: institutional theory and the hierarchy of needs which established that the complex multifaceted democratic electoral process shaped by political affiliations, ethnicity and access to resources, institutionalism and stakeholders in the 2017 general elections had a huge impact human security. Categorically, the study developed knowledge on how these predisposition activities pertinently; the political comments and activities during campaigns and elections, forceful calls for electoral reforms by politicians coupled by the evident lack of trust by the stakeholders in the electoral process informed by the expensively procured inefficient electoral system elicited negative reactions led to demonstrations in areas of Kisumu and Nairobi. The use of excessive force by the police in their attempts to contain the protestors lead to massive loss of live and significant registered injuries. Extrajudicial killings, yet to be resolved, violations of human rights, curtailed media freedom and sexual violence left the victims with traumatic distress. Chiefly, the politically unstable environment instilled fear among investors leading to reduced long term investment plans with major projects being put on hold. Generally, the prolonged electioneering period marred with protests resulted to loss of lives, widespread looting, destruction of property and limited productivity in major economic sectors. This study recommends that in order to guarantee the integrity of an electoral process, protection of the results and the process is paramount. The study also recommends professionalism and impartiality among the IEBC commissioners. Their appointments into office should be done 12 months to election for efficient planning and execution of the audit report recommendations. Civic education should be integrated into the curriculum. On issues of promotion of human rights and protection personal/physical security, institutions that facilitate the electoral process should be strengthened to be proactive, rather than reactive, in ensuring peaceful co-existence, prevention of inter-ethnic conflict and intimidation before, during and after elections. There is also need for the protection and expansion civil society space. In order to sustain economic security, the study recommends sustainability of election cost, minimal disruption to businesses and political stability to boost investor confidence. This study recommends further research on food and environmental security subject to electoral processes with aims of finding sustainable solutions during an election cycle.
Democracy unravelled in Kenya: multi-party competition and ethnic targeting
African Identities, 2011
The introduction of competitive multi-party politics in Kenya has led to intense struggles for the ultimate political prize, the ‘imperial presidency’. Given the country's multi-ethnic character which is dominated by five large ethnic communities or tribes, parties tend to be erected on ethnic foundations. Strong political personalities are elevated to represent and advance the interests of their people. Given the power and resources associated with the capture of power, electoral competition becomes a struggle for ethnic dominance. The Kikuyu who were the first community to rise to power after independence see the presidency as belonging to them. The others however seek to marginalize and/or displace the Kikuyu at every opportunity. In 2007, two political titans – Mwai Kibaki of the Kikuyu and Raila Odinga of the Luo – fought a harsh and virulent campaign which ended in a deeply flawed vote count. Kibaki won but Odinga claimed a stolen election. Immediately, severe ethnic violence was wreaked on one community only to be followed by revenge violence on others. The country came perilously close to collapse. The pattern of political violence to wound and destroy ethnic opponents arose in 1992, then in 1997 and finally in 2007. Multi-party electoral competition has brought untold grief to hundreds of thousands of Kenyans. In essence, democracy has become a curse for ordinary Kenyans.
Electoral Fraud and the Erosion of Democratic Gains in Kenya 1
2010
their help in the management of the exit poll, and the many Kenyan enumerators from Strategic Research for their excellent assistance in the implementation of the poll. All errors remain with the author. 2 Despite voters' attempts to use elections as mechanisms of accountability, weak institutional environments in emerging democracies do not always succeed at providing its supply. Indeed, a number of institutional deficiencies affect the lives of citizens in developing countries, from poor rule of law and ineffective courts to corrupt police and security forces. As we have seen in previous chapters, in equilibrium democratic elections should allow citizens to improve government performance by allowing them to sanction errant leaders and vote for politicians that promise to enact reforms. In this chapter, I examine a specific institutional failure with respect to Kenya's 2007 election that severely vitiated the accountability mechanism elections are designed to promote. The E...
The 2013 Elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe: Lessons for Africa and Beyond
The 2013 elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe took place in the context of both optimism and fear. Held under new constitutional dispensations that promised democratic progress, these were ‘first-generation’ elections that followed the gruesome electoral-related violence of 2007 and 2008 in Kenya and Zimbabwe respectively. Those earlier violent polls infused renewed scepticism about elections as a peaceful mechanism for choosing governments. In a diametric departure from the previous electoral process, the 2013 elections were conspicuously peaceful in both countries, albeit with a nonconsensual outcome. This policy brief highlights several lessons drawn from the experiences of these elections, with policy insights for the rest of Africa and beyond.