Waging Peace: Kenya

Monitoring Elections

Breaking a 34-year political hold by the ruling party in Kenya, a former ally of the longtime president won the presidency in a milestone election that The Carter Center observed to be open and competitive despite some irregularities.

Mwai Kibaki, a former finance minister, was elected Dec. 27, 2002, to succeed President Daniel arap Moi, who was president for 24 years before Kenya's Constitution forbade him from running again.

Although there were incidents of violence and political intimidation during the 2002 campaign season, the Dec. 27 election was conducted calmly. Thousands of enthusiastic voters formed long lines at polling centers.

Carter Center observers, led by former Zambia President Kenneth Kaunda and then Carter Center Associate Executive Director Gordon Streeb, visited more than 200 polling stations in Nairobi and six provinces on election day. The Center praised Kenyan citizens for their peaceful participation and the Electoral Commission of Kenya for their determination during a new process.

"The Electoral Commission of Kenya should be commended for its preparations and impartiality in conducting the elections," Streeb said. "Although there were inequitable media access for the opposition parties and a highly unequal distribution of voters among Kenya's constituencies, both of which contributed to an unequal playing field, the elections were well-managed and reflected the will of the Kenyan people."

The Center commended the Electoral Commission of Kenya for enforcing the Electoral Code of Conduct by handing down judgments in several cases of bribery, attempted rigging, and violent rivalry among political parties. The Electoral Commission further ensured a fair election by openly tabulating ballots in the polling station and following strict procedures at the tally centers.

Still, the Center noted some minor problems with the voting process. Although most of the voting began on time, approximately one-third of the polling stations opened late. Due to the new election process, the Electoral Commission of Kenya made several last-minute changes to election policy, which delayed registration and forced voters to endure long lines. The Center also noted that voter security was not fully protected, particularly in cases concerning disabled or illiterate voters.

Election Reports

View Carter Center election reports for Kenya >