This article will be updated once further information becomes available.
Term limits in Kenya prevent the incumbent President, Uhuru Kenyatta, of the Jubilee Party, running for a 3rd term.
Front Runners:
Deputy President, William Ruto, also in the ruling Jubilee party. He’s now a political adversary of the incumbent because he’s fanning the anger to get elected. Despite being wealthy, he is presenting himself as a champion against the political Kenyatta and Odinga family dynasties. Ruto is no saint, having been accused of crimes against humanity relating to electoral violence in 2007-8. (These charges have since been dropped after witnesses ‘changed’ their testimonies).
What are the issues affecting today’s electorate?
Ethnic divisions. Since the introduction of multi-party politics in 1992, tribal identities (rather than ideologies) have driven politics.
Dodgy elections. Elections are frequently marred by violence and the 2017 presidential elections had to be re-run because of ‘irregularities’.
The Dynastic Rivalries:
Kenyatta made peace with his political rival, Raila Odinga, a member of the Luo community. The deal led to a set of proposed constitutional changes to promote ethnic power sharing amongst rival ethnic groups. It was known as the ‘Building Bridges Initiative’.
Kenya’s Constitution:
Established in 2010 with the intention of acting against a bulwark against traditional abuses of power.
Sources and further reading:
Africa’s Complex 2022 Elections: Restoring Democratic Processes
https://africacenter.org/spotlight/elections-2022/
What’s at Stake in Kenya’s 2022 Presidential Election
https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/what-s-stake-kenya-s-2022-presidential-election