Kenya's Political Background
Kenya gained independence from the British in 1963. It was a time of great promise and Kenyans were filled with hope for a democratic future in which their voices were heard.
However, successive presidents failed to live up to the expectations of the public. This has led to a generation of impoverished, angry citizens who were denied the promise of change.
Political Background
Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyatta became Kenya's first president on 12th December 1963, ruling until his death in 1978. Under Kenyatta's presidency, Kenya developed into one of Africa's most stable and prosperous nations. Kenyatta is still seen as one of the few success stories of Britain's withdrawal from empire but he was by no means without fault. He held an excessive bias in favour of his own tribe and an escalating paranoia about dissent. Opponents of his regime who became too vocal frequently "disappeared" and corruption soon became endemic at all levels of the power structure.
Daniel Arap Moi
Kenyatta was succeeded in 1978 by his vice president, Daniel Arap Moi, a Kalenjin. Moi was regarded by the establishment power brokers as a suitable front man for their interests, as his tribe was relatively small and in thrall to the Kikuyu. Moi developed an autocratic rule which lasted almost twenty five years. Although Moi's regime was stable compared to the desperate situation in many surrounding countries, it was also characterised by nepotism, corruption, arrests of dissents, censorship, the disbanding of tribal societies and the closure of universities, as well as the disruptive, sometimes violent activities of KANYU Youth, the party's student body.Severe corruption has led to him becoming one of the richest men in Africa.
Mwai Kibaki
When the election came on 27th December 2002, people were desperate for change. The election was peaceful and fair and the result was a dramatic landslide two-thirds majority for Mwai Kibaki of the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc).
What went wrong?
President Kibaki made great promises during his election campaigns. Whereas he stayed true to some, such as free primary education, even these were not without fault. Indeed school fees were dropped but attendance at school is based on every child wearing a school uniform, which many families cannot afford. Students must supply their own stationery, pay exam fees and tuition fees to attend compulsory revision classes in the lead up to their exams.
The optimism that swept Kibaki into power soon faded and Kibaki's brave new democracy was plagued with a constant stream of accusations of corruption and economic problems. Above all, the path to reform has been slower and more tortuous than many people had hoped, leading to dissatisfaction and an increasing tendency to blame the government for the country's ills. Kenyans are dissatisfied with their impoverished way of life. They are promised change and yet fail to see the materialisation of these promises. Despite having being promised democracy for over forty years, they largely feel their voices go unheard.