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| Kenyan general election, 2013 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kenyan general election, 2013 |
| Date | 4 March 2013 |
| Type | General |
| Previous | 2007 Kenyan general election |
| Previous year | 2007 |
| Next | 2017 Kenyan general election |
| Next year | 2017 |
| Turnout | 86.5% (approx.) |
Kenyan general election, 2013 The Kenyan general election held on 4 March 2013 was a nationwide poll to elect the President, members of the National Assembly, members of the Senate, county governors, and county assembly representatives under the new constitutional framework promulgated in 2010. The contest marked the first time that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission conducted a simultaneous presidential and county-level election, involving major personalities such as Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga, William Ruto, and Martha Karua. The poll was observed by a wide range of international and domestic missions including delegations from the African Union, the Commonwealth, the European Union, and the United States.
The 2013 poll followed the adoption of the 2010 Constitution which restructured the parliamentary system, created 47 counties, and introduced a bicameral legislature with the Senate and the National Assembly. The election came after the disputed 2007–08 post-election violence that involved figures like Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga and led to the Grand Coalition mediated by former UN officials and diplomats including Kofi Annan. The political landscape featured new alignments such as the TNA and the ODM, as well as the URP, the Wiper, and the Amani National Congress.
The presidential election used a two-round system requiring a candidate to obtain over 50% of the vote and at least 25% in a majority of counties to win outright, as set by the 2010 Constitution. The National Assembly combined first-past-the-post single-member constituencies with nominated seats for gender balance allocated under constitutional provisions; the Senate used a plurality vote for county-based seats with nominated positions for party lists and special interest groups including youth and persons with disabilities. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission was responsible for voter registration, boundary delimitation, and vote tallying, while the Judiciary of Kenya retained jurisdiction to hear electoral petitions through the Supreme Court of Kenya and the High Court of Kenya.
Key presidential contenders included Uhuru Kenyatta of the TNA allied with William Ruto of the URP under the Jubilee ticket, and Raila Odinga of the ODM allied with Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper under the CORD banner. Other notable candidates included Martha Karua of Narodowa? (note: Karua was associated with the Narc Kenya and later new formations), Peter Kenneth of the Kenya National Congress and Eugene Wamalwa of the Ford–People. Campaigns emphasized national unity, constitutional implementation, and service delivery. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission declared a winner after tallying results, with the outcome later subject to scrutiny by domestic observers and international missions.
Voters elected members of the National Assembly from single-member constituencies and nominated representatives to meet the constitutional thresholds for gender representation, while the newly reconstituted Senate was elected to represent county interests. Simultaneous elections for 47 county governors and county assemblies took place, marking the operationalization of devolution provisions in the 2010 Constitution. Major parties contesting legislative and county seats included TNA, URP, ODM, Wiper, Amani National Congress, Ford–Kenya, and KANU.
Campaign narratives centered on constitutional implementation, devolution, land reform, ethnic reconciliation, and economic development with central figures such as Uhuru Kenyatta, William Ruto, and Raila Odinga framing their platforms around infrastructure, agriculture, and anti-corruption measures. Security concerns referenced the role of the Kenya Defence Forces in regional engagements including operations against Al-Shabaab in neighboring Somalia. Youth unemployment, public service delivery, and the operationalization of devolved budgets at the county level were recurrent topics raised by civil society actors including the Katiba Institute and media outlets such as the Daily Nation and the The Standard. Campaign financing, patronage networks associated with figures like Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki, and alliances brokered by political operators influenced voter mobilization strategies.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission announced the presidential result which was contested by opposition leaders and prompted demonstrations in several urban centers including Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu. The newly elected administration formed a cabinet drawing from allied parties and international partners monitored the transition. Legislative outcomes transformed the composition of both the National Assembly and the Senate, affecting subsequent policy debates on devolution, the Public Finance Management Act, and constitutional petitions brought before the Supreme Court of Kenya.
International observer missions from the African Union, the Commonwealth, the European Union, the United States, and the International Republican Institute and National Democratic Institute provided assessments that noted logistical successes and reported irregularities including issues with the Integrated Electoral Management System and voter list discrepancies. Domestic observers such as the ELOG and IRENE highlighted procedural concerns. Legal challenges were filed with the Supreme Court of Kenya, and political tensions led to debates over the credibility of the electoral process and the role of institutions such as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the Judicial Service Commission. The post-election period influenced reforms aimed at bolstering electoral integrity ahead of subsequent cycles.
Category:Elections in Kenya