November 3, 2024

Political Parties, Democracy, and the 2022 Kenyan Elections

Political parties in Kenya are erratic. Every election year since 2002 has seen the formation of a new political ruling party. Under the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), the late President Mwai Kibaki was sworn in in 2002. 

The United Republican Party (URP) coalition and the National Alliance (TNA) party won the elections in 2013. The Party of National Unity (PNU) had won in 2007. After combining the forces of URP and TNA, the Jubilee party won the 2017 election.

 Thus, a new political party will take over as the ruling party in 2022, regardless of the results of the election. Due to this trend, Kenya’s political parties are now categorized as unstable political formations in terms of both organization and operation.

Political parties in Kenya are structured on ethnic kingpins who mobilize their ethnic communities to advance to positions of national leadership. This explains why a large number of political parties are frequently stronger in one region of the nation than another.

 The Luo ethnic group dominates the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party; the Kalenjin control the United Democratic Alliance (UDA); Luhya dominates the African National Congress (ANC); Kamba dominates the Wiper party; and Luhya dominates Ford Kenya, among other ethnic groups. These parties’ fundamental strength lies in their ability to articulate the interests of the areas from where their followers hail. 

Opinion leaders, religious leaders, wealthy businesspeople, and other stakeholders from those areas frequently support the parties, which makes them platforms for articulating local interests at the federal level. 

Because ethnic kingpins control who is elected to office as governor, senator, women’s representative, member of parliament (MP), and member of the county assembly (MCA), those who frequently oppose them typically lose out.

In addition to the legally required party nomination fee, several candidates incur additional costs by agreeing to support the kingpins’ campaigns, and they must appear to be supporting the kingpins’ wishes. One election triumph is virtually always ensured by the kingpins’ support. 

For instance, it’s expected that the current ODM and UDA candidates for governor, senator, women’s representative, MP, and MCA will prevail in their home states. Political parties become unstable tools of democracy in this setting, open to manipulation.

 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have heavily invested in party development in Africa and other regions of the world because of this. The way Kenyan political parties perform indicates that the large sums of money that internal and foreign stakeholders have invested in them are not yielding enough returns.

The Kenya Kwanza Alliance, led by Dr. William Samoei Ruto, and the Azimio One Kenya Alliance, led by Raila Amolo Odinga, are the two obvious front-runners in the 2022 Kenyan elections.

 The Jubilee party, which has substantial support in central Kenya, the Wiper party in the lower eastern region among the Kamba and other political entities, and ODM in Luo Nyanza are presented by the Azimio One Kenya Alliance as a coalition.

 It is understood that several kingpins, including Wafula Wamunyinyi from Bungoma, Martha Karua from the central region, Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya from the western region, and Ali Hassan Joho from the coast, will deliver votes.

Convincing the kingpins that their interests will be looked after after elections is a problem that many parties encounter. Pre-election talks are frequently a part of the process, during which seats are distributed.

 Raila Amolo, the head of the Azimio One Kenya Alliance, has pledged to elevate Kalonzo Musyoka to the position of chief minister and Kamba kingpin should he establish the next government. The job of Deputy President and Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs has been promised to Kikuyu Martha Karua.

 Among the people who have been offered positions are Wycliffe Oparanya as Minister of Finance, Peter Munya, a Meru, as Minister of Agriculture, and Ali Hassan Joho as Minister of Lands.

 In the UDA camp, the same set of promises is occurring. It is assumed that the kingpins would have an impact on how resources are distributed for development by the government. 

The appointment of Martha Karua as Raila Odinga’s running mate has created a new gender dimension. It is hoped that this will inspire women to rally behind the Azimio alliance and assist them win.

Kenyan political parties don’t have a consistent ideology. The majority of them tend to center around a strong person who is frequently taken for granted as the source of funding and sponsorship for the political party’s operations.

 The success and well-being of the party leader are frequently connected to the party’s development and expansion. Following the departure of its founders from politics, many parties have been known to deteriorate and even fade away.

 For instance, after Mzee Moi, the party leader, left politics, the Kenya African National Union (KANU) lost its significant position. Similar to this, the Party of National Unity (PNU) became less prominent after President Mwai Kibaki left office. This trajectory has been followed by numerous additional parties.

Outside parties frequently have a significant influence on Kenyan politics. Numerous stakeholders, both internal and external, also provide them with material and advising support. For instance, conservative think groups in the USA and many regions of Europe provided strong support for KANU.

 Christian social democrats from Germany, Sweden, and other countries formed a large number of these think tanks. It is also said that numerous liberal think tanks in the USA and Europe back the ODM party. 

To draft manifestos and policies, they provide them with inspiration, capital, knowledge, and consultants. The results of the Kenyan elections in 2022 will be of great interest to many governments in the West and the East because of the large investments made in Kenya by international corporations from the US, Europe, and Asia.

In conclusion, Kenya’s political parties are still growing, lacking in ideology, and subject to the pressures of identity politics and personalization. Everyone hopes that as democracy spreads throughout Kenya and the wider region, a political party culture will develop and parties will become more stable in terms of their structure and operations.

Political Parties, Democracy, and the 2022 Kenyan Elections