View source for Elections in Kenya

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{{Politics of Kenya}}

'''Elections in Kenya''' take place within the framework of a multi-party democracy and a [[presidential system]]. The [[President of Kenya|President]], [[Senate of Kenya|Senate]] and [[National Assembly (Kenya)|National Assembly]] are directly elected by voters, with elections organised by the [[Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission]] (IEBC).

==Electoral history==
Nationwide elections have taken place in [[Kenya]] since 1920, when the [[1920 East Africa Protectorate general election|first elections]] to the [[Legislative Council of Kenya|Legislative Council]] were held. The legislature initially had 11 elected [[Whites in Kenya|Europeans]] and three members appointed to represent [[Indians in Kenya|Indians]] and Arabs, together with a number of nominated officials. By the [[1924 Kenyan general election|next elections]] in 1924, suffrage had been extended to Indians and Arabs, with five seats given to the Indian community and one to the Arabs, as well as one seat appointed to represent the majority African population. However, the Indian community demanded equal representation with the Europeans, and when this was not forthcoming, boycotted the elections, with not a single Indian candidate standing. This boycott continued for the [[1927 Kenyan general election|1927 elections]], although one Indian candidate did stand.

All five Indian seats were filled by election in the [[1931 Kenyan general election|1931 elections]], and further elections took place under the same system in [[1934 Kenyan general election|1934]], [[1938 Kenyan general election|1938]], [[1944 Kenyan general election|1944]] and [[1948 Kenyan general election|1948]]. Prior to the [[1952 Kenyan general election|1952 elections]] the number of European seats was increased to 14 and the Indian seats to six, with six African members appointed. The same system was used in [[Kenyan general election, 1956–57|1956]], but in March 1957 [[Kenyan general election, 1956–57|elections were held]] for eight African seats, the first time the African population had been able to vote.

The [[1961 Kenyan general election|1961 elections]] were the first held under universal suffrage, although 20 of the 65 seats in the expanded Council were reserved for Europeans (10), Indians (8) and Arabs (2). The [[Kenya African National Union]] (KANU) emerged as the largest party, winning 19 seats and taking 67.5% of the vote. The electoral system was changed again prior to the [[1963 Kenyan general election|1963 elections]], with the creation of a 129-seat House of Representatives and a 38-seat Senate. KANU won a majority in the House of Representatives and the most seats in the Senate, allowing [[Jomo Kenyatta]] to become the first Prime Minister, and upon independence the following year, President.

Multi-party politics remained in place for a few years after independence; when several KANU MPs left the party to form the [[Kenya People's Union]] (KPU) in 1966, a constitutional amendment was passed requiring them to face by-elections. This came to be known as the [[1966 Kenyan parliamentary by-elections|little general election]], in which the KPU received a majority of the vote, but KANU won more than 60% of the seats. Later in the year the Senate was abolished, as it was merged with the House of Representatives to form the National Assembly. The KPU was subsequently banned in 1969 and Kenya became a [[one-party state]]. As a result, KANU won every seat in elections in [[1969 Kenyan general election|1969]], [[1974 Kenyan general election|1974]], [[1979 Kenyan general election|1979]], [[1983 Kenyan general election|1983]] and [[1988 Kenyan general election|1988]], with the elections seeing multiple KANU candidates run against each other.

With the wave of democratisation sweeping across Africa in the early 1990s, multi-party politics was reintroduced, together with the direct election of the president. [[1992 Kenyan general election|General elections]] took place in 1992, and saw KANU retain control of the government, with President [[Daniel arap Moi]] re-elected with 36% of the vote and KANU winning 100 of the 188 seats in the National Assembly. Moi was re-elected again in [[1997 Kenyan general election|1997]] with 40% of the vote, whilst KANU retained its parliamentary majority, taking 107 of the 210 seats.

The [[2002 Kenyan general election|2002 elections]] saw KANU's first defeat; Moi stood down and the KANU candidate [[Uhuru Kenyatta]] was defeated by [[Mwai Kibaki]] of the [[National Rainbow Coalition]] (NARC) alliance. NARC also won a majority in the National Assembly. However, the coalition fell apart as a result of the [[2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum|2005 referendum]], and Kibaki's former ally [[Raila Odinga]] became his principal opponent in the [[2007 Kenyan general election|2007 elections]]. Although Kibaki was declared the winner in the presidential contest, opposition parties won a majority of seats in the National Assembly. Accusations of electoral fraud were made, resulting in [[2007–08 Kenyan crisis|violence]] that left around 1,000 dead. The following year the [[National Accord and Reconciliation Act 2008]] was passed and Odinga became the first Prime Minister since 1964.

A new constitution was introduced in 2010, and the first elections were held under it in [[2013 Kenyan general election|2013]]. Running as the [[Jubilee Alliance]] candidate, Uhuru Kenyatta defeated Odinga, receiving 50.5% of the vote. Although Kenyatta's [[the National Alliance|National Alliance]] emerged as the largest party in the re-established Senate, Odinga's [[Orange Democratic Movement]] won the most seats in the National Assembly, with 96 of the 349 seats. The  [[2017 Kenyan general election|2017 general elections]] saw Kenyatta defeat Odinga again for the presidency, with Kenyatta's [[Jubilee Party]] winning the most seats in the National Assembly and Senate. However, the presidential election results were annulled and a [[October 2017 Kenyan presidential election|re-run]] held in October, which was won by Kenyatta after a boycott by Odinga. In the [[2022 Kenyan general election|2022 elections]] [[William Ruto]] defeated Odinga in the presidential elections, Odinga's [[Azimio la Umoja]] coalition won the most seats in the National Assembly, while Ruto's [[Kenya Kwanza]] alliance won the most seats in the Senate.

==Referendums==
Two nationwide referendums have been held in Kenya, both on proposed new constitutions. A [[2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum|2005 referendum]] saw the proposed constitution rejected by 58% of voters, whilst a [[2010 Kenyan constitutional referendum|2010 referendum]] saw a new constitution approved by 69% of voters.

==Electoral system==
===President===
The 2010 constitution provides for a [[two-round system]] for presidential elections, the president having previously been elected on a [[first-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]] basis. To win in the first round, a candidate is required to receive over 50% of the vote, as well as 25% of the vote in at least 24 [[Counties of Kenya|counties]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121216232349/http://www.kenyadiasporavote.com/presidential-candidates/ Presidential Candidates] Kenya Diaspora Vote</ref><ref>Article 138 (4) Constitution of Kenya 2010</ref>

===Parliament===
The National Assembly has 350 members, of which 290 are elected in single-member constituencies and 47 are reserved for women and are elected from single-member constituencies based on the 47 [[counties of Kenya|counties]]; all are elected by [[first-past-the-post voting]].<ref>[http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2167_B.htm Electoral system] IPU</ref> The remaining 13 seats include 12 nominated by political parties based on their number of seats and a Speaker.<ref>[http://www.parliament.go.ke/index.php/the-national-assembly About the National Assembly] Parliament of Kenya</ref>

The Senate has 68 seats, of which 47 are elected from single-member constituencies based on the counties using first-past-the-post, and the remaining 21 are appointed; 16 women based on party's seat numbers, two representing disabled groups and two representing youth (both of which must consist of a male and female nominee) and one elected Speaker.<ref>[http://www.parliament.go.ke/the-senate About the Senate] Parliament of Kenya</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://africanelections.tripod.com/ke.html Elections in Kenya] African Elections Database (of historical interest only; last updated in 2012)
*[http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/k/kenya/ Kenya] Psephos

{{Kenyan elections}}
{{Africa in topic|Elections in}}
{{Kenya topics}}

[[Category:Elections in Kenya| ]]
[[Category:Politics of Kenya]]