Kenya’s President William Ruto and longtime opposition leader Raila Odinga recently agreed to a power-sharing deal. Under certain circumstances such arrangements help to resolve conflicts and usher in democratic reform. But often they make matters worse by weakening political opposition and undermining democratic accountability. Kenya has a long history of these types of handshake agreements. As Alexander Noyes explains in a new JoD online exclusive, this latest deal may do more harm than good.
The Journal of Democracy essays below, free for a limited time, chart the trials and triumphs of Kenya’s democracy over the last two decades — plus key essays on the theory and practice of political power sharing.
Kenya’s Shaky Handshake Deals
The country has a long history of power-sharing deals that are sealed with a handshake. The truth is that this type of political bargaining typically does more harm than good.
Alexander NoyesKenya’s Electoral Misfire
Sophisticated technology could not keep Kenya’s August 2017 presidential election from leading to renewed ethnic tensions and a painful standoff from which the country appears only now to be emerging. What went wrong?
Michael ChegeKenya’s 2013 Elections: Choosing Peace over Democracy
In March 2013, Kenyans took to the polls in what turned out to be another disputed election. Why did the peace hold this time, unlike in 2007, and what are the implications for democracy in Kenya?
James D. Long, Karuti Kanyinga, Karen E. Ferree, and Clark GibsonKenya’s New Constitution
Wracked by postelection violence in 2007 and 2008, Kenya embarked upon a course of constitutional change that culminated in an August 2010 referendum. How was the new basic law framed and passed, and what will it mean for democracy in this key East African country?
Eric Kramon and Daniel N. PosnerKenya: Back from the Brink?
After the ethnic violence that marred its 2007 presidential election, Kenya must reform its institutions to better represent its diverse polity.
Michael ChegeThe Crisis in Kenya
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.
Maina KiaiKenya: Third Time Lucky?
After falling short in 1992 and 1997, Kenya’s large but fractious opposition coalition swept to victory at the polls in 2002. Transition has arrived, but can democratic transformation follow?
Stephen N. NdegwaPlus, these essays on power sharing:
The Pitfalls of Power Sharing
People are calling for a so-called unity government to stem the violence in Mozambique. But there is a better way to set the country on the right course.
Alexander NoyesEthnic Power Sharing: Three Big Problems
In severely divided societies, ethnic cleavages tend to produce ethnic parties and ethnic voting. Power-sharing institutions can ameliorate this problem, but attempts to establish such institutions, whether based on a consociational or a centripetal model, face formidable difficulties.
Donald L. HorowitzBuilding Democracy After Conflict: Constitutional Medicine
The art or science of designing constitutions can benefit from the insights and methods that undergird the arts and sciences of medical diagnosis and therapy.
Andrew ReynoldsConstitutional Design for Divided Societies
Constitution writers in ethnically or otherwise divided countries should focus on designing a system of power-sharing rules and institutions. Studies by political scientists point to a set of basic recommendations that should form a starting point for constitutional negotiations.
Arend LijphartAfrica: The Limits of Power-Sharing
Often recommended as a means of ending intractable civil wars, power-sharing may in fact be least likely to work when it is most needed.
Ian S. Spears
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