Overview
On December 27, 2002, Kenyans voted overwhelmingly to change 30 years of one-party rule under the Kenya African National Union (KANU), by electing Mwai Kibaki, candidate of the opposition National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), as President and giving the opposition a significant majority in Parliament. The conduct and outcome of the elections surprised even the most optimistic of Kenyan analysts, as the day passed without the widespread violence that had characterized past elections in Kenya. Moreover, with a few exceptions in parliamentary races, the results were readily accepted by all parties and candidates. Kenya is now faced with a historic transition: Kibaki was sworn into power on December 30, and announced a cabinet comprising key coalition leaders on January 3.
Public expectations for the new government are high, as Kibaki promised in his inauguration speech that, "Corruption will now cease to be a way of life in Kenya," and that, "Provision of free primary education for all [Kenyan] children will be our immediate goal." The challenge of meeting these and other considerable promises, including the adoption of a new constitution, is further exacerbated by the disillusionment with government in general that many observers say is widespread among Kenyan citizens. Dissatisfaction stems largely from the significant economic insecurities facing Kenya, a crumbling infrastructure and uncertainty with respect to financial support from the international community, all of which many citizens attribute to years of misrule and corruption. Nevertheless, a strong commitment to democratic principles remains in Kenya, and citizens appear eager to support elected officials and political parties as they seek to build on the momentum generated by the successful elections.
In the coming months, the stability of Kenya will continue to be tested as the NARC works to establish itself as a strong, functioning coalition government and KANU aims to transform itself into an effective opposition party. Both political groupings have been thrust into new roles, and the recent political situation has been accordingly volatile, with reports of disputes within NARC and high-level resignations from KANU. For that reason, NDI's program in the post-election period will build on its previous work and relationships with Kenyan political parties to strengthen their role in the good governance of Kenya. NDI activities will focus in particular on increasing political parties' ability to constructively engage in public policy debates in their new capacities as ruling and opposition parties, respectively.
In order to achieve this goal, NDI will adopt a two-track approach centered on multiparty and individual party activities with high- and mid-ranking officials at the national level as well as multiparty activities at the grassroots level with party branch officials. Through this program, NDI seeks to enhance parties' understanding of their role in, and the rights and responsibilities of, both opposition and government, and to help parties to develop the capacity to aggregate and represent citizen interest.
Previous NDI Activities in Kenya
Since 1993, NDI has actively supported Kenyan democrats as they seek to strengthen democratic institutions and advance democratic reforms. The Institute's programs have included enhancing women's political participation in the democratic process and assisting a coalition of civil society organizations engaged in nonpartisan election monitoring.
Since July 2001, NDI has worked intensively with all major Kenyan political parties through its Nairobi office, including providing key assistance to members of the NARC to develop an operating structure for the coalition. In the months leading up to the December 2002 Kenyan elections, NDI focused its activities on deterring election-related violence by introducing confidence-building measures among the political parties and the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) at both the national and grassroots levels. In addition, NDI was instrumental in forming and training Inter-Party Provincial Committees (IPPCs) for party, ECK and local government officials to work together to deter violence at the grassroots level. Assistance focused on "hotspots," defined as areas where the risk of electoral violence is particularly high based on historical evidence. NDI also sought to help Kenyans to curb electoral violence by promoting the constructive involvement of youth in the electoral process through its Youth Political Leadership Academy (YPLA) and trainings in response to direct political party requests.
Contact Information
For further information on our programs in Kenya, please contact:
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