Raila Odinga’s swearing-in has rattled Kenya’s government thanks in part to the large crowds that turned up.
Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa. There are renewed calls for citizens to directly elect their president and other representatives.
Reuters/Sumaya Hisham
Changing the South African system to allow for direct election would require the country to look carefully at how a directly elected president should be held accountable to parliament.
Kenyan opposition supporter is confronted by policy during clashes in Nairobi.
Reuters/Thomas Mukoya
Elections, even free and competitive ones, don’t always mean that a country is more democratic. Instead of weakening the elite’s grip on power, elections might actually make them stronger.
Kenya’s National Super Alliance opposition leader, Raila Odinga.
Reuters/Stringer
Raila Odinga has been at the forefront of the struggle for democracy and upholding the rule of law in Kenya. His latest battles are bound to cement his legacy as a progressive force for good.
An opposition supporter in Nairobi’s Mathare area.
Siegfried Modola/Reuters
Key institutions steering Kenya’s election have evidently broken down, leaving the country open to an iron fist to reestablish political stability by any means necessary.
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga announced his exit from the re-run of the presidential election scheduled for October 26.
Reuters/Baz Ratner
Kenya’s upcoming poll will continue despite opposition leader Raila Odinga’s decision to exit lawful processes prematurely. This will mean Kenyatta will likely win his second term in a row.
A supporter of the opposition leader Raila Odinga faces off against riot police officers during a protest in Nairobi.
Dai Kurokawa/EPA
Elections in Kenya are never just a matter of casting ballots. Historically, they have been marred by ethno-political violence, exacerbated by vigilantes and militias deployed by politicians.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and contender Raila Odinga in happier times. The two are now embroiled in a bitter political contest.
Reuters/Thomas Mukoya
Democracy doesn’t seem to work within societies governed by politics of ethnicity. Instead, elections continue to offer up the hard choice between electoral credibility and political stability.
Kenya’s Supreme Court judges preside before delivering the judgment that nullified last month’s presidential election
Baz Ratner/Reuters
Kenya’s electoral commission faced many legal challenges before the general election, and yet another after the poll. But how will the Supreme Court’s historic ruling impact the country’s democracy?