Elections in Africa in 2018: Lessons from Kenya’s 2017 Electoral Experiences
The year 2018 will see general elections in at least 15 African countries. Although many African countries have, during the last several years, strengthened their democracies, the rise of ethnic-based political parties has become a major challenge to electoral processes.
Like Kenya’s 2017 presidential elections, electoral contests in countries such as South Sudan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Mali are likely to involve some level of sectarian conflict, especially given the rise of identity politics. Kenya’s elections offer a few lessons on how to deepen, institutionalize, and sustain democratic governance.
The Kenyan elections Kenya is a relatively stable and mature democracy, and an economic powerhouse in a region beset by seemingly insoluble sectarian conflicts, dysfunctional governments, and humanitarian crises.
The 2017 general elections tested Kenya’s democratic system, which is undergirded by a separation of powers with checks and balances. After the elections on August 8, 2017, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta the winner with 54.17 percent of the votes.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga claimed that the elections “were hacked and rigged in favor of the incumbent, Kenyatta,” while international observers assessed the elections as “free and fair.” Odinga and his coalition appealed to the Supreme Court.
On September 1, 2017, the court overturned the results and ordered a re-run election within 60 days. Reactions to the ruling were swift: Odinga and his supporters welcomed the decision, while Kenyatta expressed both anger and willingness to respect it.
Preparations for the re-run election were, however, marred by controversy. Odinga’s opposition coalition argued that October 17, 2017, date did not allow enough time for the IEBC to organize credible elections. Even after the commission moved the date up to October 26, 2017, the opposition still refused to participate.
On Election Day, turnout was extremely low—less than 35 percent of registered voters participated. On October 30, 2017, the IEBC announced the results and declared the process “free and fair.” Kenyatta, the only serious contender, captured 98 percent of the votes.
Odinga immediately rejected the results, characterizing them as a “mockery of elections,” but decided not to challenge them in court as he had done previously. Several petitions filed by private citizens to nullify the elections were rejected by all six justices of the Supreme Court.
Since then, Odinga has refused to recognize Uhuru Kenyatta as the legitimate president of Kenya. Nevertheless, late last year he called off an opposition-backed swearing-in ceremony that would have declared him President.
Kenya’s experience offers Africans important lessons on the role that leadership, good citizenship, and strong democratic institutions can play in fostering a peaceful democratic process.
Lessons for 2018
First, acknowledge the rights and grievances of all citizens, not just those of supporters.
No matter who ultimately wins an election, all political actors must acknowledge the anxiety of those, including minority ethnic and religious groups, who feel marginalized. In Kenya’s neighboring countries, such as South Sudan and Somalia, many groups that perceive themselves as marginalized have resorted to sectarian violence.
The perception that the state is not providing all groups with opportunities for self-actualization is a major issue that must occupy the efforts of any government.
Political and economic participation, as well as the creation within each country of an institutional environment within which citizens can organize their private lives, must be a top priority for all governments and members of the opposition. To foster political and social unity, in 2010, Kenyans enacted a new constitution with the goal of binding the country’s subcultures through common ideals and shared values.
Nonetheless, many citizens still feel marginalized. Kenyatta announced during his inaugural address that his government would encourage unity based on a common citizenship and the values enshrined in the country’s constitution. He also committed to serve all Kenyans, be “the custodian of the dreams of all”, and “the keeper of the aspirations of those who voted for me and those who did not.”
If Kenyatta is able to keep this