Kenya Election 2022: What you need to know

On August 9, Kenyans will not only be electing a new president but also a new parliament and county governors.

But all eyes are firmly set on the fiercely contested presidential race, with its astounding shifts of alliances, a first for women, and a front-runner crying in public.

Who is running?

Only four candidates were cleared to run for president out of a list of 17. It is the smallest number since the first multiparty elections in 1992.

Hoping for peaceful elections with front-runners Raila Odinga and William Ruto

The constitution bars incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta from running again after two five-year terms. But, in a surprising move, Kenyatta threw his weight behind veteran opposition leader, Raila Odinga, putting an end to a bitter, decades-long family feud between two of Kenya’s wealthiest political families. 

Raila Odinga,77, is vying for the top seat under the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition. It is his fifth try after defeats in 1997, 2007, 2013, and 2017. Kenyatta’s support could play decisively in his favor. The same applies to his choice of a woman as running mate, Martha Kaura, who would be the country’s first female vice-president if their ticket wins.

Odinga’s main rival, Vice President William Ruto, 55, is a candidate for the Kenya Kwanza political alliance. He has built a power base among the Kikuyu, despite not being one. A video showing him shedding tears during a prayer service went viral, pulling at many heartstrings and earning him much derision on social media.

The competition between the two favorites is very close, leaving the two remaining candidates, George Wajackoyah and David Mwaure, struggling for the country’s attention.

Who is voting?

More than 22 million Kenyans registered to vote in 2022. Half of them were women. Voter turnout in Kenya is usually high, reaching 80% in 2017.

Voter intention is high for 2022, with 93% of male voters saying they plan to cast a ballot as compared to 91% of women, according to the mobile surveying platform GeoPoll. 

But only half of the first-time voters signed up, fueling fears of voter apathy among the young. In a country where the median age is 20, many young people do not feel represented by the veteran political elite.

Surveys say about 90% of elligible voters intend to cast their ballot

Ethnicity is unlikely to influence voters as much as in the past. Neither front-runner is a member of the largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu. They account for a quarter of overall votes. Most aspirants have tried to win the region by naming deputies from central Kenya. There has also been a deliberate attempt not to focus much on ethnic politics as this would be seen as not embracing the entire nation.

What are the issues?

As in previous elections, corruption and the economy remain key issues. The fallout in graft, mismanagement, and ballooning debt of the Nairobi to Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), financed and built by China, has been a constant feature of the public debate. In addition, the enormous fortunes accumulated by the political elite, including presidential hopefuls, have also been a hot topic.

Kenya is East Africa’s main economic hub and registered strong growth under Kenyatta’s rule.

But the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and drought have pushed price increases for food and fuel. In addition, a third of the country’s youth are unemployed, and the East African nation is grappling with a debt crisis. Nairobi owes its biggest creditor, China, $8 billion (€ 7.9 billion).

The Standard Gauge Railway has turned into a symbol of everything that is wrong in Kenyan politics

Is violence to be expected?

Electoral violence driven by ethnicity has been a constant in Kenya, culminating in the death of 1.1000 people and the displacement of 600,000 in 2007/2008 post-election violence. But with the importance of ethnicity receding, hopes are high that no significant violence will ensue in 2022.

However, for several female candidates and politicians, these hopes are moot. Many who dared to run were singled out for gender-based physical violence and verbal abuse during the campaign.  

What are the world’s expectations?

The front-runners have said little about their foreign policy plans; instead, they have concentrated on domestic issues and mudslinging. But the stakes are high for the whole of East Africa. And to the West, Kenya is a reliable key counter-terrorism partner and an anchor of stability in a region beset by strife.  

Under Kenyatta, Nairobi has led talks to broker peace between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, tensions are rising over accusations by the DRC that Kigali is supporting the M23 rebel movement, further threatening security in the area.

Western governments also hope that a trouble-free election will enable Kenya to take up its critical diplomatic role again in peace talks in Ethiopia.

The results of Kenya’s elections are expected by August 18. However, a second presidential round seems likely owing to a tight race.

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/kenya-election-2022-what-you-need-to-know/a-62743092?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf