# 1997 Kenyan general election

General elections were held in Kenya on 29 December 1997 to elect the President and the members of the National Assembly. The result was a victory for the ruling Kenya African National Union, which won 107 of the 210 seats in the National Assembly, and whose candidate Daniel arap Moi won the presidential election. Following the election, Moi appointed a further 12 members to the Assembly.

## Results
### President

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Daniel arap Moi | Kenya African National Union | 2,500,865 | 40.40 |
| | Mwai Kibaki | Democratic Party | 1,911,742 | 30.89 |
| | Raila Odinga | National Development Party | 667,886 | 10.79 |
| | Michael Kijana Wamalwa | FORD–Kenya | 505,704 | 8.17 |
| | Charity Ngilu | Social Democratic Party | 488,600 | 7.89 |
| | Martin Shikuku | FORD–Asili | 36,512 | 0.59 |
| | Katama Mkangi | Kenya National Congress | 23,554 | 0.38 |
| | George Anyona | Kenya Social Congress | 16,428 | 0.27 |
| | Kimani wa Nyoike | FORD–People | 8,306 | 0.13 |
| | Koigi wa Wamwere | Kenya National Democratic Alliance | 7,745 | 0.13 |
| | Munyua Waiyaki | United Patriotic Party | 6,194 | 0.10 |
| | Godfrey M' Mwereria | Green African Party | 4,627 | 0.07 |
| | Wangari Maathai | Labour Party | 4,246 | 0.07 |
| | Stephen Oludhe | Independent Economic Party | 3,691 | 0.06 |
| | David Waweru Ng'ethe | Umma Patriotic Party | 3,584 | 0.06 |
| Total | Total | Total | 6,189,684 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 9,063,390 | – |
| Source: Nohlen et al. |||||

#### By province

| Province | Moi | Moi | Kibaki | Kibaki | Odinga | Odinga | Wamalwa | Wamalwa | Ngilu | Ngilu |
| Province | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Central | 56,367 | 5.6 | 891,484 | 89.4 | 6,869 | 0.7 | 3,058 | 0.3 | 30,535 | 3.1 |
| Eastern | 370,954 | 35.6 | 296,335 | 28.5 | 7,787 | 0.7 | 7,017 | 0.7 | 349,754 | 33.6 |
| Coast | 257,065 | 63.4 | 51,909 | 12.8 | 24,844 | 6.1 | 11,306 | 2.8 | 38,089 | 9.4 |
| Nairobi | 75,272 | 20.6 | 160,124 | 43.9 | 59,415 | 16.3 | 24,971 | 6.8 | 39,707 | 10.9 |
| North Eastern | 70,506 | 73.2 | 20,404 | 21.2 | 311 | 0.3 | 4,431 | 4.6 | 440 | 0.5 |
| Nyanza | 215,923 | 23.6 | 138,202 | 15.1 | 519,180 | 56.8 | 14,623 | 1.6 | 15,301 | 1.7 |
| Rift Valley | 1,140,109 | 69.5 | 343,529 | 21.0 | 36,022 | 2.2 | 102,178 | 6.2 | 11,345 | 0.7 |
| Western | 314,669 | 44.9 | 9,755 | 1.4 | 13,458 | 1.9 | 338,120 | 48.2 | 3,429 | 0.5 |
| Total | 2,500,865 | 40.4 | 1,911,742 | 30.9 | 667,886 | 10.8 | 505,704 | 8.2 | 488,600 | 7.9 |
| Source: Nohlen et al. |||||||||||

### National Assembly

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
| | Kenya African National Union | | | 107 | +7 |
| | Democratic Party | | | 39 | +16 |
| | National Development Party | | | 21 | New |
| | FORD–Kenya | | | 17 | –14 |
| | Social Democratic Party | | | 15 | +15 |
| | Safina | | | 5 | New |
| | FORD–People | | | 3 | New |
| | FORD–Asili | | | 1 | –30 |
| | Kenya Social Congress | | | 1 | 0 |
| | Shirikisho Party of Kenya | | | 1 | New |
| Appointed members | Appointed members | | | 12 | 0 |
| Total | Total | | | 222 | +22 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 5,813,599 | 98.39 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 95,349 | 1.61 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 5,908,948 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 9,063,390 | 65.20 | | |
| Source: IPU ||||||
Of the 12 appointed members, six were representatives of KANU, two from the Democratic Party, and one each from the National Development Party, FORD–Kenya, the Social Democratic Party and Safina.

## Aftermath

In 1998 Mwai Kibaki took a petition against Moi to court, having served Moi by publishing the notice of the petition in the Kenya Gazette. However, judges Emmanuel O'Kubasu, Mbogholi Msagha and Moijo ole Keiwua ruled that Kibaki should have served Moi with the petition personally. Their position was upheld at the Court of Appeal by judges Omolo, Bernard Chunga (Chief Justice), AB Shah, AA Lakha and Owuor JJ.