Kenya’s new civic sensibilities
If all goes well in Kenya’s Aug. 9 presidential election, it will result in a rare occurrence in Africa: the second consecutive peaceful transfer of power after a fair vote. That hope is why observers are worried about recent political skirmishes in a few cities. One survey calculates a 53% risk of election-related violence.
Yet other signs suggest a different outcome. Past outbreaks of political violence, especially after the 2007 election, are not forgotten in one of Africa’s strongest democracies. “Kenyans still have a strong desire to have a peaceful election,” finds the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
That view reflects more than simply violence fatigue. It underscores how democratic norms have matured since Kenya adopted a new constitution in 2010. The two main presidential candidates, Raila Odinga and Vice President William Ruto, have been quick to condemn acts of political violence. Such acts, says Mr. Ruto, are divisive and tear down democracy.
Such comments represent a break from the past when candidates often stirred up conflict between rival ethnic groups for electoral gain. Those rivalries have not gone away. Mr. Odinga represents Kenya’s second-largest ethnic group, the Luos, who have never had a candidate win the presidency. Dr. Ruto is a Kalenjin, a small group that held power for 24 years. But the coming election may reveal a deepening respect for constitutional norms and a national civic identity.
The country’s Supreme Court has helped. In 2017, it took a bold step to annul the presidential election over ballot irregularities, sending a signal about rule of law. In March the court flexed its muscle again when it rejected a constitutional amendment proposed by outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta that would have enabled him to remain powerful in a new role. That sort of constitutional mischief is common in Africa.
This election will be Kenya’s third under the 2010 constitution with signs that voters are eager to hold elected officials at all levels to account.
In one of the most troubled regions in Africa, challenged by drought, civil war, and Islamist extremism, Kenya is showing how democracy can take hold when society embraces a higher identity of citizenship, one based on equality and rule of law.
