From: wsargeant@igc.apc.org (Winslow L. Sargeant)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:Kenya, nation on rough ride to demo'
Date: 27 Jul 92 14:21:06 GMT

/* Written 12:04 am  Jul 27, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "KENYA: NATION ON ROUGH RIDE TO DEMO" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: KENYA: NATION ON ROUGH RIDE TO DEMOCRACY


an inter press service feature

by horace awori

nairobi, jul 24 (ips) -- although africa's march towards
democratisation has made significant progress in the past two
years, it has been a rough ride in kenya.

however, kenyans suspect the most difficult part of the
transition from one-party dictatorship to active pluralism is
about to unfold.

if human rights and the rule of law are not respected and the
opposition fails to act coherently in the run-up to general and
presidential elections, due to be held early 1993, it is feared
that the process could end in chaos to the advantage of
president daniel arap moi.

''it has been a long rough ride from the single party
dictatorship of moi to the current situation where we have many
parties and can freely talk'', martin shikuku, general secretary
of the main opposition party, forum for the restoration of
democracy (ford), told ips.

kenyans last held multiparty elections in 1966 when former
vice president oginga odinga split from the ruling kenya african
national union (kanu) to form kenya people's union (kpu) as an
opposition party.

although kpu was banned three years later, parliament
officially declared kenya a one-party state in 1982 after a
series of political detentions and increasing press censorship.

shaken by an attempted coup in 1982, moi, who became
president after the death of jomo kenyatta in 1978, re-organised
kanu into a tightly knit political apparatus of servile
politicians.

''if you did not dance to the tune of moi, you were expelled
from the party and thereby lost your parliamentary seat'', said
shikuku, a former assistant minister in moi's administration.

when expulsions did not work, the regime introduced ''a new
way to ensure they had psychophants in parliament'', said
shikuku.

''this was the queue-voting system and the 70 percent rule
that enabled those so favoured by the establishment to garner 70
percent of those who turned out for the party nomination poll to
go to parliament unopposed.'' (more/ips)


kenya: nation (2)

''but even when they were outside the political system,
critics continued to give moi a difficult time'', said professor
gideon mutiso, former lecturer in government studies and now a
development consultant.

political discontent culminated in campaigns for an open
system but this led to detentions and political trials that saw
many kenyans thrown into jail on trumped up charges.

excesses reached their peak after the 1988 general elections.
with people cowed, it was only the clergy who were able to stand
up to moi and pulpits from all corners of the country echoed
with sermons that denounced the system.

churches were soon joined by lawyers in their attack on a
regime so entrenched that the constitution could be changed in
minutes to do away with security of tenure, and the
independence of state organs such as the judiciary and the
auditor-general's office.

''the church was accused of acting as an opposition party'',
says reverend stanley kobia, general secretary of the national
council of churches of kenya which groups protestant
denominations.

''but we are merely fulfilling our prophetic duty of pointing
out the evils in our society'', the cleric adds.

''as lawyers, there was no way we could have kept silent
while the state rode roughshod over the laws and rights of the
people'', observes george karuiki of the law society of kenya.
''we could not operate in a situation where the rule of law was
so threatened''.

belated pressure from kenya's donors played a major role in
getting moi to accept the change to a multiparty system. the
donors' embargo on development aid to kenya, in force since
november 1990, is not likely to be lifted until free and fair
elections are held.

the drought that hit the country this year and the influx of
more than 500,000 refugees from ethiopia, somalia and sudan have
added to the economic distress.

but moi hangs these problems on the multiparty process, in
comparison to the ''stability'' under his previous authoritarian
rule.
(more/ips)


kenya: nation (3)

''in many ways moi is right and this is a message that the
ordinary kenyan may well accept'', argues dr. eric masinde of
kenyatta university and a known sympathiser of the regime.

running a modern presidential campaign in kenya will be
politically and logistically complex. at least nine parties,
including kanu, will be in the race in which ethnic obstacles
have to be negotiated by candidates.

ethnic violence, which many observers believe was stirred by
the government engulfed the rift valley province from january
to june. the kalenjin -- moi's own people and a minority ethnic
group -- attempted to drive out other communities from the area,
and in the conflict 300 died and more than 10,000 were
displaced.

hostility -- and sporadic tit-for-tat violence -- still
simmers in many areas of western kenya where kanu politicians
have openly equated multiparty rule with the end of kalenjin
influence.

on the opposition side, however, only ford which enjoys grass
roots following and the broadly kikuyu-based and better
organised democratic party (dp), led by mwai kibaki, appear to
enjoy mass support.

ethnicity was not an important factor in formation of the
opposition parties, although it has surfaced now. the luo people
within ford would prefer as presidential nominee their
flag-captain the veteran odinga.

but ford's other big guns, namely, kenneth matiba, a kikuyu,
shikuku and masinde muliro -- both luyia, have declared their
intention to stand as candidates.

ford has been so hit by internal jostling for top positions
that analysts here warn of a possible comeback for moi if ford,
the party to beat, does not close ranks. he is already on the
campaign trail with undisclosed funds at his disposal.

ford's potential candidates agree that once the party has
chosen its presidential nominee, the party will unite behind its
leader.

''we assure all party members that although we four are
candidates aspiring for the same seat, we have agreed to put the
interests of our party and the members above whatever may be our
personal ambitions'', odinga, matiba, shikuku and muliro said in
a statement this week. (end/ips/ha/ar/oa)


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