Author: Maina Kiai | Journal of Democracy

Maina Kiai is chairman and founding executive director of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights as well as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya. This essay draws on his keynote address at the Fifth Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy in Kyiv on 6 April 2008.

July 2008, Volume 19, Issue 3

The Crisis in Kenya

Maina Kiai

For years Kenya was regarded as one of Africa’s sturdiest democracies. The fraudulent 2007 presidential election, however, exposed the fragility of Kenya’s democratic framework.

Democratization in Africa: Progress and Retreat

Marc F. Plattner
Larry Diamond

At a time when democracy seems to be in retreat in many parts of the world, Africa presents a more mixed picture. Democratization in Africa: Progress and Retreat brings into focus the complex landscape of African politics by pairing broad analytical surveys with country-specific case studies.