Editing History of Kenya (section)

==== Presidency of Uhuru Kenyatta (2013-2022) ====

After Kibaki's tenure ended in 2013, Kenya held its [[2013 Kenyan general election|first general elections]] after the 2010 constitution had been passed. Uhuru Kenyatta won in a disputed election result, leading to a petition by the opposition leader, Raila Odinga. The supreme court upheld the election results and Kenyatta began his term with [[William Ruto]] as deputy president. Despite this ruling, the Supreme Court and the [[Supreme Court Judge|head of the Supreme Court]] were seen as powerful institutions that could check the powers of the president.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Supreme Court upholds Uhuru's election as president |url=https://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/1064-1734782-jlg2e7/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130055614/https://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/1064-1734782-jlg2e7/index.html |archive-date=30 January 2019 |access-date=29 January 2019 |website=Daily Nation}}</ref>

In 2017, Kenyatta won a second term in office in another [[2017 Kenyan general election|disputed election]]. Odinga again petitioned the results in the Supreme Court, accusing the [[Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission]] of mismanagement of the elections and Kenyatta and his party of rigging. The Supreme Court overturned the election results in what became a landmark ruling in Africa and one of the very few in the world in which the results of a presidential elections were annulled.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Burke |first=Jason |date=25 October 2017 |title=Kenya election rerun to go ahead after court fails to rule on delay |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/25/kenya-presidential-election-rerun-to-go-ahead-supreme-court |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128001939/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/25/kenya-presidential-election-rerun-to-go-ahead-supreme-court |archive-date=28 January 2019 |access-date=29 January 2019 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> This ruling solidified the position of the Supreme Court as an independent body.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 2017 |title=Kenya court decision demonstrates respect for rule of law {{!}} IDLO |url=https://www.idlo.int/kenya-court-decision-demonstrates-respect-rule-of-law |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130110210/https://www.idlo.int/kenya-court-decision-demonstrates-respect-rule-of-law |archive-date=30 January 2019 |access-date=29 January 2019 |website=idlo.int}}</ref> Consequently, Kenya had a second round of elections for the presidential position, in which Kenyatta emerged the winner after Odinga refused to participate, citing irregularities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Standard |title=President Uhuru Kenyatta declared winner of repeat presidential election |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001258851/uhuru-kenyatta-wins-repeat-election-with-7-4-million-votes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130000122/https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001258851/uhuru-kenyatta-wins-repeat-election-with-7-4-million-votes |archive-date=30 January 2019 |access-date=29 January 2019 |website=The Standard}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Moore |first=Jina |date=30 October 2017 |title=President Uhuru Kenyatta declared winner of repeat presidential election |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/world/africa/kenya-election-kenyatta-odinga.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725033311/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/world/africa/kenya-election-kenyatta-odinga.html |archive-date=25 July 2018 |access-date=29 January 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

In March 2018, a historic [[2018 Kenya handshake|handshake]] between Kenyatta and his longtime opponent Odinga signalled a period of reconciliation followed by economic growth and increased stability.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Tom |date=1 November 2019 |title=Handshake ends crisis and leads to signs of progress in Kenya |url=https://www.ft.com/content/59339450-d555-11e9-8d46-8def889b4137 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514095330/https://www.ft.com/content/59339450-d555-11e9-8d46-8def889b4137 |archive-date=14 May 2021 |access-date=27 June 2021 |website=Financial Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-31 |title=The Handshake that Shaped a Nation |url=https://kenyaconnection.org/the-handshake-that-shaped-a-nation/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423095259/https://kenyaconnection.org/the-handshake-that-shaped-a-nation/ |archive-date=23 April 2021 |access-date=2021-06-21 |website=Kenya Connection |language=en-US}}</ref> Between 2019 and 2021, Kenyatta and Odinga combined efforts to promote major changes to the Kenyan constitution, labelled the "Building Bridges Initiative" (BBI), saying that their efforts were to improve inclusion and overcome the country's winner-take-all election system that often resulted in post-election violence.<ref name="bbi_blocked_2021_05_14_bbc">Omondi, Ferdinand: [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57094387 "Kenya's BBI blocked in scathing court verdict for President Kenyatta,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514132005/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57094387|date=14 May 2021}} 14 May 2021, [[BBC News]] (Africa), retrieved 14 May 2021</ref><ref name="kenyan_court_2021_05_13_reuters">Miriri, Duncan: [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kenya-politics-idAFKBN2CU24L "Kenyan court slams brakes on president's constitutional changes,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514144827/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kenya-politics-idAFKBN2CU24L|date=14 May 2021}} 13 May 2021, [[Reuters News Service]], retrieved 14 May 2021</ref> The BBI proposal called for broad expansion of the legislative and executive branches, including the creation of a [[prime minister]] with two deputies and an official leader of the opposition, reverting to selecting cabinet ministers from among the elected Members of Parliament, establishment of up to 70 new [[constituencies]], and addition of up to 300 unelected members of Parliament (under an "[[affirmative action]]" plan).<ref name="bbi_blocked_2021_05_14_bbc" /><ref name="kenyan_court_2021_05_13_reuters" />

Critics saw this as an unnecessary attempt to reward political dynasties and blunt the efforts of Deputy President [[William Ruto|Willian Ruto]] (Odinga's rival for the next presidency) and bloat the government at an exceptional cost to the debt-laded country.<ref name="bbi_blocked_2021_05_14_bbc" /><ref name="kenyan_court_2021_05_13_reuters" /> Ultimately, in May 2021, the Kenyan High Court ruled that the BBI constitutional reform effort was unconstitutional, because it was not truly a [[popular initiative]], but rather an effort of the government.<ref name="bbi_blocked_2021_05_14_bbc" /><ref name="kenyan_court_2021_05_13_reuters" /> The court sharply criticized Kenyatta for the attempt, laying out grounds for his being sued, personally, or even [[Impeachment|impeached]] (though the Parliament, which had passed the BBI, was unlikely to do that). The ruling was seen as a major defeat for both Kenyatta (soon to leave office), and Odinga (expected to seek the presidency), but a boon to Odinga's future presidential-election rival, Ruto.<ref name="bbi_blocked_2021_05_14_bbc" /><ref name="kenyan_court_2021_05_13_reuters" /> On 20 August 2021, Kenya's Court of Appeal again upheld the High Court Judgment of May 2021, which was appealed by the BBI Secretariat.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 August 2021 |title=Kenyan court rejects disputed bid to change constitution |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/20/kenyan-court-rejects-disputed-bid-to-change-constitution |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826074033/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/20/kenyan-court-rejects-disputed-bid-to-change-constitution |archive-date=26 August 2021 |access-date=27 August 2021 |website=Aljazeera}}</ref>