2018 Kenyan general election

2018 Kenyan general election
Election name	2018 Kenyan general election
Country	Kenya
Type	parliamentary
Previous election	2013 Kenyan general election
Next election	2022 Kenyan general election
Election date	2018

2018 Kenyan general election The 2018 Kenyan general election was a national electoral contest that featured parliamentary, presidential, and local ballots and involved leading figures from across East Africa; it attracted attention from observers associated with the African Union, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the United Nations, the East African Community, and the International Criminal Court. The contest occurred within a political landscape shaped by constitutional reforms following the 2010 Constitution of Kenya, legal decisions by the Supreme Court of Kenya, arbitration by the International Court of Justice, and the legacy of the 2013 Kenyan general election and the 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis.

Background

Kenya's modern political development traces through the independence era including Jomo Kenyatta, the Kenya African National Union, and the post-1990 multiparty transitions involving Daniel arap Moi, the National Rainbow Coalition, and the Orange Democratic Movement. Constitutional change culminated in the Constitution of Kenya (2010), which reconfigured institutions such as the Supreme Court of Kenya, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, and the High Court of Kenya. The aftermath of the 2007 Kenyan crisis and the 2013 Kenyan general election influenced reforms by commissions including the Waki Commission and the Kriegler Commission, while regional frameworks like the East African Community and international actors such as the African Union and the Commonwealth of Nations monitored developments.

Electoral system

Elections were administered under procedures set by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission consistent with the Constitution of Kenya (2010), combining single-member constituencies used for the National Assembly of Kenya and proportional representation for county women representatives to the Senate of Kenya. Presidential selection followed a two-round plurality rule influenced by jurisprudence from the Supreme Court of Kenya and comparative practice in countries such as France and Nigeria. Boundary delimitation invoked the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and drew comparison with delimitation processes in South Africa and India. Election petition mechanisms referenced precedents in decisions of the Supreme Court of Kenya and were subject to oversight by the High Court of Kenya and potential appeals to regional bodies like the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights.

Candidates and parties

Major political figures participating included leaders associated with coalitions such as the Jubilee Party (Kenya), and opposition formations influenced by actors from the Orange Democratic Movement and other parties. Prominent personalities who featured across party lists and candidate slates evoked names linked to national politics like Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga, and regional leaders comparable to figures from neighboring states including William Ruto and Kalonzo Musyoka. Parties filed nominations through the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and invoked party structures drawing on histories of organizations such as the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy–Kenya and the Party of National Unity (Kenya). International movements and donors followed candidate selection practices similar to monitoring efforts by the United Nations Development Programme and observer missions from the European Union.

Campaign and issues

Campaign themes centered on development agendas tied to infrastructure projects like the Standard Gauge Railway (Kenya) and policy debates about land reform recalling land commissions such as the Njonjo Commission; public service delivery discussions referenced institutions including the Kenya Revenue Authority and the National Hospital Insurance Fund. Corruption narratives invoked investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (Kenya) and references to scandals mirrored inquiries conducted by bodies such as the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission and international probes by the Transparency International. Security concerns referenced deployments of the Kenya Defence Forces in counterterrorism operations against groups like Al-Shabaab (militant group), while constitutional matters recalled the 2010 Constitutional Referendum (Kenya) and funding debates engaged the Parliament of Kenya and county assemblies established under devolution.

Results

Results were tallied by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and announced amid comparisons with outcomes from the 2013 Kenyan general election and projections used in academic work by scholars at institutions such as the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and Strathmore University. Parliamentary seat distributions affected the composition of the National Assembly of Kenya and the Senate of Kenya, while county-level outcomes determined representation in county assemblies created by the Constitution of Kenya (2010). International observers from the African Union and the Commonwealth Observer Group issued statements comparing procedural elements to standards applied in elections monitored by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.

Aftermath and disputes

Post-election disputes followed legal pathways through the Supreme Court of Kenya, where petitions cited the Constitution of Kenya (2010) and electoral law overseen by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. Political negotiations involved mediators linked to figures with experience in regional diplomacy, such as former leaders associated with the African Union Commission, and drew attention from the United Nations Security Council and diplomatic missions from countries like United States and United Kingdom. Civil society organizations including Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and non-governmental groups akin to Human Rights Watch documented demonstrations and raised issues comparable to previous post-election periods, while oversight agencies such as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (Kenya) monitored allegations of irregularities.

Impact and analysis

Analysts from think tanks including the Institute for Security Studies (South Africa), African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, and universities like the University of Oxford produced studies situating the contest within wider trends in African Union electoral politics, devolution debates tied to the Constitution of Kenya (2010), and governance challenges addressed by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (Kenya). Commentary compared the electoral cycle to precedents in Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa, assessing implications for regional integration under the East African Community and economic partnerships including the African Continental Free Trade Area. The election's legacy influenced subsequent contests, institutional reforms at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, and ongoing dialogues among political actors such as party leaders, county governors, and members of the Parliament of Kenya.

Category:Elections in Kenya