image of a compass
NDI

The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

Kenya

Kenya Referundum 2005 (queue)

NDI has supported Kenyan efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and advance democratic reforms since 1993.  Programs initially provided skills training to women interested in politics and worked with nonpartisan civic groups to monitor elections.  Since 2001, NDI and its local partners have benefitted from the support of various donors, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the British Department for International Development (DFID) and the British Foreign Office.

  Subscribe to updates about Kenya

Country page tabs

Political Situation

Kenya is preparing for its first elections since 2007, when post-election violence resulted in 1,500 deaths and the displacement of more than 600,000. The passage of a new constitution in August 2010 introduced sweeping changes to the political system, including: the creation of a new devolved system of government that transfers authority for many government functions from the national level to 47 newly-created counties; reduced presidential powers; the introduction of a bicameral system; the introduction of majority and minority parties in the national assembly; a more defined separation of powers between the three branches of government; electoral reforms; a restructured judiciary; security sector and land reforms; affirmative action for under-represented groups; and an expanded bill of rights.  

Many political and logistical obstacles will have to be overcome to ensure the successful implementation of the constitution and associated legislation, especially during the transition to devolved government. While progress has been made to provide some of the necessary foundations for general elections and the devolution process, the overall reform process has been marked by delays and uncertainties. Security issues, particularly in Coast Province, have become a concern, and are expected to intensify as Kenya moves closer to the March 4, 2013, elections. Confidence in the electoral process is decreasing, while expectations for ethnic tension and violence during the polls are increasing.

The success of devolution in Kenya will depend on the extent to which political leaders understand and respond to citizens’ concerns, share information freely, solicit feedback about their own performance, and respect the rights of minority populations. Going forward, government institutions, civil society, political parties and citizens face a challenging period as they prepare for the polls, and Kenyan leaders are under increasing pressure to continue rebuilding their country and avoid a repeat of the 2007 post-election crisis.  

Political Parties

NDI has helped Kenya’s major political parties build consensus on issues of national importance, engage in dialogue with each other and the election commission, comply with the new constitution, and enhance their ability to represent citizens’ interests. NDI’s assistance has helped political parties improve their understanding of the needs and priorities of Kenyan citizens to develop representative, issue-based policy platforms.

Through work with parties and civil society, NDI also is helping women and young people overcome barriers to political participation. The Institute supports the Inter-Party Youth Forum, which brings together youth from the main political parties in Kenya. NDI also is helping women candidates share their platforms through radio programs during the campaign period.

NDI has contributed to the constitutional implementation process by supporting the participation of political parties and civil society organizations in discussions on what should be included in new legislation being debated in parliament. The Institute supported improved communications between political party leadership and the electoral commission during the reform process through the creation of political party liaison committees (PPLC). The PPLCs have been established nationally and in each of the 47 counties and provide a venue for regular dialogue on contentious issues during constitutional implementation. An NDI Leadership and Campaign Academy was created in 2011 to equip potential candidates with the knowledge and skills to run successful campaigns and become strong leaders once elected.  It has trained 1,688 potential candidates, including more than 700 women. A manual accompanying the training has reached thousands more. 

Election Observation

In addition to its work with political parties, NDI works with the Kenyan Election Observation Group (ELOG), a coalition of 10 civil society organizations, to independently monitor electoral and political processes.  NDI is working to improve ELOG’s ability to function as a permanent, nonpartisan domestic election monitoring body. NDI helps ELOG use scientific methods and new technologies to improve the speed and impact of its election monitoring.  During the 2010 constitutional referendum, NDI helped ELOG use short message service (SMS) technology to provide rapid reporting of both qualitative and quantitative information about the conduct of the referendum to the public and to the election commission.

NDI is supporting the ELOG deployment of short- and long-term observers to monitor and report on the electoral environment in the lead up to, during, and after election day, March 4. ELOG is monitoring and reporting on political and electoral violence, participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in the electoral process, the use of money in politics, and voter registration.  NDI also helps ELOG and partners use mapping technology to visualize and analyze election information.

In May 2012, NDI hosted a pre-election delegation to Kenya to consider the state of electoral preparedness, review the broader political environment, examine factors that could affect the credibility of the electoral process, and offer recommendations to support increased dialogue and consensus building toward peaceful, credible elections. The delegation found that remarkable progress has been made in reforming Kenya’s election laws, and it developed a set of 44 recommendations to the electoral commission, political parties, religious and civil society leaders, and citizens to remove uncertainties that could threaten the integrity of the elections.   

Contact Information

FFor more information about these programs, use our contact form or contact:

Washington, D.C.
Alison Paul DeSchryver, senior program manager
(202) 728-5410

Resource
02/08/2013
Resource:
Resource
01/23/1992
Resource: Press Room
Our Perspective
05/05/2012 | NTV
Our Perspective:
Blog entry
Blog entry: NDI in the News
Resource
01/31/2012
Resource:
Blog entry
Blog entry: NDI in the News
Blog entry
Blog entry: NDI in the News
Blog entry
Blog entry: NDI in the News
Blog entry
Blog entry: NDI in the News
Blog entry
Blog entry: NDI in the News
Blog entry
Blog entry: NDI in the News
Resource
02/29/2008
Resource:
Resource
12/01/2005
Resource:
Resource
12/31/1997
Resource:
Resource
11/01/2002
Resource:
Resource
09/04/2002
Resource:
Resource
10/30/1997
Resource: Press Room
Resource
05/01/2010
Resource:
Published Publication Title Author
04/16/2013 Statement of Keith Jennings Before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, "Kenya's 2013 Elections: An Effective Assistance Model?"
Testimony
Keith Jennings
03/09/2013 Official Kenya Election Results are Consistent with ELOG's Parallel Vote Tabulation
Statement
Election Observation Group (ELOG) Kenya
02/08/2013 Kenya Election Manual
Election Manual
NDI
05/05/2012 Statement of the National Democratic Institute Pre-Election Delegation to Kenya
Statement
National Democratic Institute
01/31/2012 Leadership & Campaign Academy Candidates' Manual
Manual
National Democratic Institute
10/27/2010 The Youth Bulge in Africa - Opportunities for Constructive Engagement in the Political Process
Speech
Shari Bryan
05/01/2010 Civic Updates
Civic Update
National Democratic Institute
12/01/2008 NDI Reports: A Review of the Activities of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs
Newsletter
National Democratic Institute
02/29/2008 EALA Workshop Summary
Report
National Democratic Institute
02/27/2008 East African Community - East African Legislative Assembly Workshop Resolution
Report
National Democratic Institute
01/01/2008 Promoting Transparency and Accountability of Revenue of the Extractive Industries: A Workshop for Legislators of the East Africa
Agenda
National Democratic Institute
05/01/2007 Engaging Young People in Politics in Conflict and Post-Conflict Settings
Manual|Handbook
David Larson
12/01/2005 NDI 2005 Annual Report
Report
National Democratic Institute
07/01/2005 Party Finance Reform in Africa, Lessons Learned from Four Countries: Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and South Africa
Report
National Democratic Institute
03/01/2005 Political Parties to be Funded by the State, CGD Policy Brief, Issue 01/03
Report
Centre for Governance and Development
03/01/2005 Finally, State Funding for Political Parties, CGD Bills Digest, Issue 01/03
Report
Centre for Governance and Development
01/01/2005 Money in Politics: The Case of Party Nominations in Kenya
Report
Centre for Governance and Development
11/01/2002 Electoral Peace Charter
Report
National Democratic Institute
09/04/2002 NDI Election Watch, Kenya 2002 Elections
Newsletter
National Democratic Institute
03/15/1999 Political Party Developments Issue VI: How Political Party Programs Increase Women's Participation in Political Processes
Newsletter
National Democratic Institute