Evolving Political Accountability in Kenya

Abstract

The political structure of Kenya changed dramatically in 1992, when multiparty elections were held for the first time in the country’s history. This development was a divergence from the past of Kenya as a one-party state in which public dissent and oppositional politics were dealt with by violence, detention, and loss of access to political patronage. In adopting the democratic principle of multiparty elections, Kenyan politicians entered into a new political world where accountability, a key characteristic of a functioning democracy, would be expected from leaders. Throughout this paper I analyze Kenya’s evolving political accountability from a historical perspective. I argue that the push for accountability by the voting public, the media, civil society groups, and the international community has been a highly contested and has evolved into battle as entrenched politicians have abused power in order to avoid being held accountable, thus allowing them to engage in politics as usual. The chapter opens by indentifying a working definition of what political accountability is and its importance to democracy, followed by a discussion of accountability (or lack thereof) in Kenya. Next, I turn toward different arenas, where the game of political accountability manifests itself: the media, the judicial court system, and the involvement of international actors in domestic politics in Kenya.