Monday 22 August 2011
Kenyans love to talk about politics and during our time here the media and the people we have met have been obsessed with two key issues: the Kibaki succession in 2012 and the Gender Balance Act.
The Kibaki succession debate concerns the question of who will succeed the current president in next year's elections. There are a large number of potential candidates currently campaigning already for nomination but a shadow hangs over two of the most powerful politicians, who face charges of inciting racial violence in the 2007 elections. Jennie and I have witnessed burnt out hotels and shops – evidence of the widescale tribal violence which saw many Kenyans losing livelihoods and lives in the last election. The International Criminal Court is about to confirm the charges facing these men and they will be called to The Hague for trial. The question occupying many Kenyans is whether these men should be allowed to stand for president, given the accusations against them and there is a subtext present which implies that if they do stand and win, the international charges against them could then be refuted. Obviously this could act as a serious deterrent for those currently involved in giving evidence against them.
The Gender Balance Act was brought in with the new constitution, announced last year – the first post-colonial Kenyan constitution. The Act states that no more than two thirds of one gender should occupy the total seats in the government, meaning that in practical terms, one third of ministerial posts should be held by women. Many people hope that this will be a way of navigating out of the murky waters of corruption which have ensnared Kenyan politics over the last decade. Unfortunately implementing this act is proving difficult and if agreement cannot be reached soon, it risks being dropped from the constitution: many who stand to loose by it are actively conspiring for this to happen.
Jennie and I will continue to follow these events with interest, long after our return from Kenya.
Rosalind Camp
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