Patronage politics, a history of violent conflict and high-stakes elections increase the risks of poll violence in Kenya.
Uhuru Kenyatta (centre) holds hands with opinion polls’ favourites, Deputy President William Ruto (left) and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
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As an outlier in Kenya’s political power matrix, Ruto was elbowed out by the establishment. But he has somersaulted back by appealing directly to the masses.
Kenya’s first ever face-to-face presidential debate screened ahead of elections in 2013 won by Uhuru Kenyatta (on screen).
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Aditi Malik, College of the Holy Cross e Philip Onguny, Université Saint-Paul / Saint Paul University
Elites have strong incentives to foment violence. The way they speak about election issues in the media can inflame tensions.
Charles Njonjo, then Kenya’s Attorney General, hosts Helen Suzman of the Progressive Party in the South African parliament in Nairobi in 1971.
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Twitter will be part of many Kenyan candidates’ campaign activities ahead of the August 2022 elections.
Law Society of Kenya official Mercy Wambua holds a placard at the Supreme Court in Nairobi after a protest over government disobedience of court orders.
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The purpose of a constitutional dismemberment is to unmake and remake the constitution.
President Uhuru Kenyatta (centre), former opposition leader Raila Odinga (right), and Deputy President William Ruto launching the first Building Bridges Initiative report in 2019.
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Kenya’s constitution-making process has exhibited a gyration pattern that often starts with a belief that governance reforms can rectify the country’s problems, but ends up as a power struggle.
Kenya’s founding president Jomo Kenyatta attends a ceremony in 1964 in Nairobi.
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Far from the myth of the omnipotent father of the nation, big man or dictator, the Kenyan presidential system was built on divisions and uncertainty.
Former President Mwai Kibaki [centre] smiles after being handed the new constitution document by former Attorney General, Amos Wako [right] in 2010.
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For democracy to work in Kenya the country needs good leadership. Politicians must uphold the constitution to infuse trust and confidence in state institutions.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (left), and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga
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The Building Bridges Initiative is best understood by recognising that Kenyan politics is fundamentally shaped by competition between political elites and their ethnic groups.