Editing Politics of Kenya

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{{Use Kenyan English|date=March 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Politics of Kenya}}
The '''politics of [[Kenya]] ''' take place in a framework of a [[presidential system|presidential]] republic, whereby the [[President of Kenya|president]] is both [[head of state]] and [[head of government]], and of a [[multi-party system]] in accordance with a new [[Constitution of Kenya|constitution]] passed in 2010.

[[Executive power]] is exercised by the executive branch of government, headed by the President, who chairs the cabinet, which is composed of people chosen from outside parliament. [[Legislative power]] is vested exclusively in [[Parliament of Kenya|Parliament]]. The [[judiciary]] is independent of the executive and the legislature. In Kenyan politics, the executive wields considerable power and other institutions have limited means of checking that power.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Gichohi |first1=Matthew K. |title=Kenya |date=2023 |url=https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/60999 |work=Democratic Backsliding in Africa? |pages=137–162 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-286732-2 |last2=Arriola |first2=Leonardo R.|hdl=20.500.12657/60999 }}</ref>

{{Democracy Index rating|Kenya|hybrid regime|2022}} The [[Political terror scale]] gave the country a rating of 4 meaning that civil and political rights violations had expanded to large numbers of the population. Murders, disappearances, and torture were common parts of life.

==Executive branch==
{{office-table}}
|[[President of Kenya|President]]
|[[William Ruto]]
|[[United Democratic Alliance (Kenya)|United Democratic Alliance]]
| 13 September 2022
|-
|[[Deputy President]]
|[[Kithure Kindiki]]
|[[United Democratic Alliance (Kenya)|United Democratic Alliance]]
| 1 November 2024
|}
The president is elected for a five-year term by the people. As of the 2013 March general election, the [[Constitution of Kenya]] has two requirements for any candidate to be declared winner:
*to win at least 25% of the vote in a majority of Kenya's forty-seven counties<ref>Article 138 (4) The Constitution of Kenya, 2010</ref>
*to garner 50% + 1 vote of the total valid votes.

If none of the candidates fulfills these requirements there is to be a runoff between the two contenders with the highest number of votes.
The [[Vice-President of Kenya|Deputy President]] is the running mate of the candidate that wins the presidential election<ref>{{Cite web |last=Githinji |date=2023-01-04 |title=Qualifications for Position of the Presidency in Kenya |url=https://blog.afro.co.ke/deputy-president-qualifications/ |url-status=live |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=AfroCave |language=en-GB}}</ref> whilst other cabinet members will be appointed, with the approval from the National Assembly, from outside Parliament.

Between 2008 and 2013 Kenya was governed by a Grand coalition, established by a power-sharing agreement, signed by then President [[Mwai Kibaki]] and Prime Minister [[Raila Odinga]] of the [[Orange Democratic Movement]]. That government was [[semi-presidential system|semi-presidential]] in form, with the executive headed by a president and a prime minister, and ministers were appointed to reflect political parties' relative strength in Kenya's 10th Parliament in which [[Raila Odinga]]'s party, the [[Orange Democratic Movement]] was the largest party. Under the power-sharing agreement, each of the two major parties also nominated a deputy prime minister.<ref>BBC News – Kenya rivals agree to share power 02.28.08</ref> The post of the Prime Minister was abolished after 2013, returning Kenya to a presidential system of government.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-07-12|title=The Political System Of Kenya - One Of The Best In Africa
|url=https://gpotcenter.org/political-system-of-kenya/|website=GpotCenter|language=en-US}}</ref>
{{See also|Grand Coalition (Kenya)}}

==Legislative branch==

[[File:Parliament Buildings, Nairobi, Kenya-21April2010.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[National Assembly of Kenya]] is based at [[Parliament Buildings (Kenya)|Parliament Buildings]] in [[Nairobi]].]]
The [[Bicameral]] [[Parliament]] consists of two 'houses'; the National Assembly and the Senate.

The National Assembly, or ''Bunge'', has 349 members. They include: 290 members elected each elected by registered voters in their respective [[constituency|constituencies]] for a five-year term, 47 women representatives elected from each county, 12 members nominated by political parties in proportion to their share of seats won in the single-member constituencies, and the speaker,<ref>Article 97, Membership of the National Assembly, The Constitution of Kenya, 2010</ref> who is an ex officio member.

The Senate consists of 67 members: 47 members elected by registered voters from the 47 counties; 16 women nominated by political parties; a man and a woman representing youths and a man and woman representing people with disabilities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Githinji |date=2018-09-18 |title=The Functions and Role of the Senate in Kenya |url=https://blog.afro.co.ke/role-of-senate/ |access-date=2020-10-13 |website=AfroCave |language=en-GB}}</ref> The speaker is an ex-officio member.<ref>Article 98, Membership of the Senate, The Constitution of Kenya, 2010</ref>

== Political parties and elections ==
{{Main|List of political parties in Kenya|Elections in Kenya}}

==Judicial branch==
{{Further|Judiciary of Kenya}}

The [[Judiciary of Kenya|Kenyan judiciary]] is divided into Superior Courts and Subordinate Courts.<ref>Article 162, the Constitution of Kenya 2010</ref> The judiciary is headed by the [[Chief Justice of Kenya|Chief Justice]] who is also the president of the [[Supreme Court of Kenya|Supreme Court]]. Superior Courts consist of: the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court. Supreme Court judges, [[High Court (Kenya)|High Court]] judges, and judges of the [[Court of Appeal of Kenya|Court of Appeal]] (no associate judges) appointed by an independent [[Judicial Service Commission (Kenya)|Judicial Service Commission]]. The Chief Justice and his or her deputy are nominated by the President from names selected by the [[Judicial Service Commission (Kenya)|Judicial Service Commission]] and voted by the [[National Assembly (Kenya)|National Assembly]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Countries|url=https://www.commonwealthgovernance.org/countries/|access-date=2022-02-08|website=Commonwealth Governance|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>Article 166, Constitution of Kenya 2010</ref> Subordinates Courts are [[Magistrates' Courts]], [[Kadhi Courts]] and [[Courts-Martial]].<ref>Article 169, Constitution O Kenya 2010</ref> The current chief justice is [[Martha Koome]]. Then the [[Tribunal]] are bodies which are established by Acts of Parliament to exercise judicial or quasi-judicial functions and these supplement ordinary courts in the administration of justice but do not have penal jurisdiction.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenyan Judiciary|url=https://www.judiciary.go.ke/courts/}}</ref> 

==Administrative divisions==
{{Further|Administrative divisions of Kenya}}

Under the 2010 Constitution, Kenya is divided into 47 [[Counties of Kenya|counties]] (including the Cities of [[Nairobi]] and [[Mombasa]]), each comprising a whole number of Parliamentary [[Constituencies of Kenya|constituencies]]. Each county has an elected Assembly,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-14 |title=Functions and Role of the County Assembly in Kenya |url=https://blog.afro.co.ke/role-of-county-assembly/ |access-date=2020-10-13 |website=AfroCave |language=en-GB}}</ref> whose members are elected from single-member wards.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-04-12 |title=Role of Members of the County Assembly in Kenya |url=https://blog.afro.co.ke/role-of-county-assembly-members/ |access-date=2020-10-13 |website=AfroCave |language=en-GB}}</ref>

There are provisions for additional Assembly members to be appointed to improve the gender balance and to represent special groups such as persons with disabilities and youth. Each county is administered by an elected County Governor and [https://blog.afro.co.ke/functions-of-deputy-president/ Deputy Governor], backed by an [https://blog.afro.co.ke/county-executive-committee/ Executive Committee].

==Political conditions==
[[Image:LamuPoliticalParade (July 2001).jpg|300px|thumb|A political parade in [[Lamu]], held in July 2001]]

Since independence in 1963, [[Kenya]] has maintained remarkable stability, despite changes in its political system and crises in neighboring countries. Particularly since the re-emergence of multiparty democracy, Kenyans have enjoyed an increased degree of freedom.
A cross-party parliamentary reform initiative in the fall of 1997 revised some oppressive laws inherited from the colonial era that had been used to limit freedom of speech and assembly. This improved public freedoms and contributed to generally credible national elections in December 1997.

In December 2002, Kenya held democratic and open elections and elected Mwai Kibaki as their new president. The elections, which were judged free and fair by local and international observers, marked an important turning point in Kenya's democratic evolution. President Kibaki campaigned on a policy of generating economic growth, improving education, combating corruption, and implementing a new constitution, the draft of which was produced by Professor Ghai under the Moi regime. Considerable success has been achieved in the first two policy areas, the constitutional process had become mired (see below) and the fight against [[Corruption_in_Kenya|corruption]] has been a disaster.

There have been major scandals (including [[Anglo-Leasing]]), which the government has failed to investigate. [[John Githongo]], then Permanent Secretary to the President on Ethics and Governance, resigned in protest, and donor nations, in particular the British, have made public criticisms of the lack of progress.
Following disagreements between the partners in the then-government coalition, constitutional reform proceeded slower than anticipated. The NAK faction (allied to President Kibaki) favored a centralized presidential system, while the LDP faction—which had fewer parliamentary seats in that coalition than NAK—demanded a federal, parliamentary system, referred to in some circles as [[Majimbo]].

[[Image:Kenyan security officer.jpg|140px|thumb|A Kenyan private security officer.]]
Prior to the 2002 election, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was agreed between NAK and LDP, which laid the basis for the two groups to contest the election under the NARC (Rainbow Alliance) banner. The MoU agreed that a new constitution would be established shortly after the election, which provided for the new role of a strong prime minister while weakening the role of the president. Raila Odinga, then leader of [[Liberal Democratic Party (Kenya)|LDP]], maintained aspirations to become prime minister. However, that draft constitution was modified by the government from what was written by Professor Ghai and amended by the Bomas committee.

This maintained a strong president, who controls a weaker prime minister. This led to a split between NAK and LDP, with the former campaigning for a 'Yes' vote in a 2005 referendum on the constitution and the latter a 'No'. Also supporting a 'No' vote was the majority of Uhuru Kenyatta's KANU party, the sole party of government from independence to 2002. The outcome of that referendum, in which the draft constitution was rejected, signalled a wider re-alignment before the 2007 elections, in which the No team reorganised itself as the [[Orange Democratic Movement]] with Raila Odinga as their presidential flag bearer whilst those in the Yes team ended up in several political parties including the [[Party of National Unity (Kenya)|Party of National Unity]].

Internal wrangling within that governing coalition also negatively affected other crucial areas of governance, notably the planned large-scale privatisation of government-owned enterprises. The 2007 presidential elections were largely believed to have been flawed with international observers stating that they did not meet regional or international standards. Most observers suggest that the tallying process for the presidential results was rigged to the advantage of the incumbent president, [[Mwai Kibaki]], despite overwhelming indications that his rival and the subsequent Prime Minister of Kenya, [[Raila Odinga]], won the election. In July 2008, exit polls commissioned by the US government were released, revealing that Odinga had won the election by a comfortable margin of 6%, well outside of the poll's 1.3% margin of error.<ref>The Nation, 8 July 2008 {{cite web |url=http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=2&newsid=127059 |title=Nationmedia.com &#124; Daily Nation &#124; POLITICS &#124; US-funded exit poll says Raila won elections |access-date=24 July 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724031125/http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=2&newsid=127059 |archive-date=24 July 2008  }} US-funded exit poll says Raila won election</ref>

There was significant and widespread violence in Kenya—[[2007–2008 Kenyan crisis]]—following the unprecedented announcement of Kibaki as the winner of the [[Kenyan presidential election, 2007|2007 presidential elections]]. The violence led to the death of almost 1,000 people and the displacement of almost 600,000 people. Some [[Overseas Development Institute|researchers]] note it allowed the violent settlement of land disputes between ethnic groups over controversial concepts of 'ancestral homelands'.<ref name=ODI>Samir Elhawary (2008) [http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=1522&title=crisis-kenya-land-displacement Crisis in Kenya: land, displacement and the search for 'durable solutions'] [[Overseas Development Institute]]</ref>

A diplomatic solution was achieved, as the two rivals were later united in a grand coalition government following international mediation, led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, under a power-sharing National Accord on Reconciliation Act, entrenched in the constitution. Following the agreement, power was shared between President [[Mwai Kibaki]] and prime minister, [[Raila Odinga]].

Several steps were recommended to ensure stability and peace for the Nation during the negotiations that led to the formation of the Coalition government. One of these reforms was the famous Agenda 4 which deals with reforms in various sectors. A new constitution was identified as a key area in fulfilling Agenda 4. A draft constitution was published and Kenyans adopted it in a vote on 4 August 2010.

In 2013 the coalition government was rendered ineffective due to the constitution. General elections were held and the Jubilee coalition with president, [[Uhuru Kenyatta]] and Deputy President, [[William Samoei Ruto]] clinched victory. The new constitution also provided for a bicameral house, the Senate and the National Assembly. These were duly filled up with elected candidates. The nation was also divided into counties headed by governors and represented in the Senate by senators. Women in these counties were also represented by electing women Representatives. The five-year term ended on 2017 and the country went in for the elections. The President [[Uhuru Kenyatta]] and Deputy [[William Ruto|William Samoei Ruto]] were re-elected on 30 October 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001258851/uhuru-kenyatta-wins-repeat-election-with-7-4-million-votes|title=President Uhuru Kenyatta declared winner of repeat presidential election|website=The Standard|language=en|access-date=18 February 2020}}</ref> This will run up to 2022 when the next elections will be conducted. The historical [[2018 Kenya handshake|handshake]] in March 2018 between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his long-time opponent Raila Odinga meant reconciliation followed by economic growth and increased stability.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Tom |date=November 2019 |title=Handshake ends crisis and leads to signs of progress in Kenya |newspaper=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/59339450-d555-11e9-8d46-8def889b4137}}</ref> [[William Ruto]] was declared the winner of the [[2022 Kenyan general election]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-08-15 |title=Kenya election result: William Ruto wins presidential poll |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-62554210 |access-date=2022-08-16}}</ref> On 13 September 2022,  William Ruto was sworn in as Kenya's fifth president.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Obulutsa |first1=George |last2=Mersie |first2=Ayenat |title=William Ruto sworn in as Kenya's fifth president |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/william-ruto-be-sworn-kenyas-president-2022-09-13/ |work=Reuters |date=13 September 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

In July 2024, after weeks of anti-government protests, president Ruto dissolved the Cabinet, firing every Cabinet secretary and the Attorney General, with the exception of Prime Cabinet Secretary [[Musalia Mudavadi]]. The office of the Deputy President was not affected.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Oruta |first1=Brian |title=President Ruto sacks all Cabinet Secretaries |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2024-07-11president-ruto-sacks-all-cabinet-secretaries/ |work=The Star |date=11 July 2024}}</ref>

'''Representation in Kenyan Elections'''
[[File:Jomo_Kenyatta_(cropped)_in_June_15th,_1966.jpg|thumb|Kenya's first President Jomo Kenyatta in 1966]]
Recent elections in Kenya have demonstrated divisions in the Kenyan population, especially among different ethnic identities. <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lynch |first=Gabrielle |date=2006-12-01 |title=The Fruits of Perception: ‘Ethnic Politics’ and the Case of Kenya's Constitutional Referendum |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00020180601035674 |journal=African Studies |volume=65 |issue=2 |pages=233–270 |doi=10.1080/00020180601035674 |issn=0002-0184}}</ref> [[Ethnicity|Ethnic identities]], which are a type of social construct dependent upon a person's identified family background and connection to others; have largely impacted contemporary Kenyan elections.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Lynch |first=Gabrielle |date=2006 |title=Negotiating Ethnicity: Identity Politics in Contemporary Kenya |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4007111 |journal=Review of African Political Economy |volume=33 |issue=107 |pages=49–65 |issn=0305-6244}}</ref> Like many other African nations, ethnic identities were fairly trivial until the colonial period, in which delineations were made so colonial authorities could categorize people.<ref name=":0" /> However, after Kenyan Independence in 1963, the Organization of African Unity decided to maintain the colonial borders of Kenya, leading to problems in creating a nationalist feeling among the preexisting groups.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Abraham |first=Korir Sing'Oei |url=https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=3bIMEQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA2&dq=have+indigenous+groups+in+kenya+had+representation+in+government%3F&ots=lP3kzD0u8L&sig=1nQLyzkHR6fpLvhxMhy6Pg_tLnA#v=onepage&q=have%20indigenous%20groups%20in%20kenya%20had%20representation%20in%20government%3F&f=false |title=Kenya at 50: Unrealized Rights of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples |date=January 2012 |publisher=Minority Rights Group International |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-907919-21-3}}</ref> While there are more than 70 distinct ethnic groups in Kenya, scholars often separate ethnic groups based on linguistic differences. <ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=East Africa Living Encyclopedia |url=https://www.africa.upenn.edu/newsite/pages/Ali/eastafricanencyl/newone/kenya/kethnic.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=www.africa.upenn.edu}}</ref> There are three groups made from these linguistic differences: [[Bantu peoples|Bantu]], [[Nilotic peoples|Nilotic]], and [[Cushitic-speaking peoples|Cushite.]]<ref name=":1" /> While these linguistic categories do not encompass all ethnic groups in the country, they include most ethnic majorities in Kenya. Importantly, the [[Kikuyu people|Kikuyu]] People are the largest ethnic group in Kenya, and are a part of the Bantu linguistic group. The Kikuyu represent slightly over 17% of the Kenyan population, including Kenya's first president, [[Jomo Kenyatta]].<ref name=":1" /> Some other prominent majority and minority ethnic groups in Kenya include but are not limited to: [[Embu people|Embu]], [[Meru people|Meru]], [[Kamba people|Kamba]], [[Luo people|Luo]], [[Maasai people|Maasai]], [[Somali Bantus|Gosha]], [[Somali people|Somalis]], [[Kisii people|Kisii]], [[Kuria people|Kuria]], [[Teso people|Teso]], [[Rendille people|Rendile]], [[Samburu people|Samburu]], [[Turkana people|Turkana]], [[Swahili people|Swahili]], [[Luhya people|Lukhya]], and [[Mijikenda peoples|Mijkenda]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Balaton-Chrimes |first=Samantha |date=2021-01-02 |title=Who are Kenya’s 42(+) tribes? The census and the political utility of magical uncertainty |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17531055.2020.1863642 |journal=Journal of Eastern African Studies |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=43–62 |doi=10.1080/17531055.2020.1863642 |issn=1753-1055|doi-access=free }}</ref> Out of all of these ethnic groups, only 5 groups make up over 50% of the Kenyan population: Kikuyu, [[Luhya people|Luhya]], [[Kalenjin people|Kalenjin]], Luo, and Kamba.<ref name=":3" />

'''Indigenous Groups in Kenya and Government'''

In general, the designation of "Indigenous" in Africa is difficult to place because most people living on the continent have generational ties to somewhere on the continent.<ref>{{Citation |last=Kipuri |first=Naomi |title=Human Rights Violation and Indigenous Peoples of Africa: The Case of the Maasai People |date=2017-05-15 |work=Indigenous Peoples’ Wisdom and Power |pages=246–256 |url=https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315252414-15 |access-date=2025-05-06 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-315-25241-4}}</ref> However, there is mass migration within Africa whether that be for better opportunities of socio-economic opportunities, war and conflict, environmental disasters, and a plethora of other unique reasons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Somewhere to call home; the migration dynamics in Africa {{!}} African Union |url=https://au.int/en/articles/somewhere-call-home-migration-dynamics-africa |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=au.int}}</ref> Despite this, there are still many Indigenous groups in Kenya who have lived and subsisted in the country for centuries. These groups are mainly made up of hunter-gatherer groups and pastoralists.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Kenya - IWGIA - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs |url=https://iwgia.org/en/kenya.html |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=iwgia.org}}</ref> Some Indigenous hunter-gatherer groups include the [[Okiek people|Ogiek]], [[Sengwer people|Sengwer]], Yiaku, [[Waata]], and [[Aweer people|Aweer]] (Boni) people.<ref name=":4" /> Additionally, some Indigenous pastoralist groups include the [[Turkana people|Turkana]], [[Rendille people|Rendille]], [[Boorana|Borana]], Maasai, [[Samburu people|Samburu]], [[Ilchamus people|Ilchamus]], Somali, [[Gabra people|Gabra]], [[Pokot people|Pokot]], and Endorois.<ref name=":4" /> Each group has individual land claims, many of which have been disputed over the years both in the colonial and post-colonial period.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - United Republic of Tanzania : Maasai |url=https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/mrgi/2018/en/121798 |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Refworld |language=en}}</ref> Due to the contentious nature of land rights, Indigenous groups have had conflict with the government and other groups over traditional lands.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |date=2013-01-28 |title=Taking diversity seriously: minorities and political participation in Kenya |url=https://minorityrights.org/resources/taking-diversity-seriously-minorities-and-political-participation-in-kenya/ |journal=Report |language=en}}</ref>

'''Maasai Representation in Government and Elections'''
[[File:Maasai_tribe.jpg|thumb|A group of Maasai People]]
Despite there being so many ethnic groups in Kenya, historically, there has been limited representation among different ethnicities in Kenyan government.<ref name=":2" /> This underrepresentation especially affects Indigenous groups such as the [[Maasai people|Maasai People]].<ref name=":2" /> The Maasai are a group of people indigenous to Kenya and Tanzania, who have practiced [[pastoralism]] for centuries.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=P |first=Kerubo, Isanda |title=African Indigenous Education As Practiced By The Maasai Of Kenya |date=November 2016 |publisher=University of Nairobi |url=https://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/99982 |language=en |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240913184054/http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/99982 |archive-date=2024-09-13}}</ref> The Maasai's traditional lands stretch from the Rift Valley lakes in Kenya down through the Serengeti plains into Tanzania.<ref name=":5" /> The Maasai People make up only 1.8% of the current Kenyan population.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-04-13 |title=Beyond 'Tribes': Violence and Politics in Kenya {{!}} Origins |url=https://origins.osu.edu/article/beyond-tribes-violence-and-politics-kenya |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=origins.osu.edu |language=en}}</ref> The Maasai have historically faced repression from both the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments in the form of evictions from traditional lands and a takeover of locally generated funds earned through [[Ecotourism in Kenya|ecotourism]] such as safaris.<ref>{{Cite web |last=International |first=Survival |title=Maasai |url=https://www.survivalinternational.org/tribes/maasai |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=www.survivalinternational.org |language=en}}</ref> In recent years, while not unheard of, it has been uncommon for a Maasai person to hold a governmental office. However, there have been increased efforts recently by groups of Maasai to run for election. For example, Maasai man Meitamei Olol Dapash was a candidate for Kenyan senate in 2022.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Meitamei Olol Dapash |url=https://maasaierc.org/meitamei-olol-dapash/ |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=MERC |language=en-US}}</ref> Prior to these efforts, Olol Dapash also ran for office in Narok North District of Kenya in 2007, 2013, and 2017.<ref name=":6" /> These efforts come out of grassroots movements to improve local Maasai representation and help the international community understand the history and culture of Maasailand.<ref name=":6" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Hassan, Mai. 2020. ''[[doi:10.1017/9781108858960|Regime Threats and State Solutions: Bureaucratic Loyalty and Embeddedness in Kenya]]''. Cambridge University Press.
*Michaela Wrong (1986), ''It's Our Turn to Eat: the Story of a Kenyan Whistle Blower'', [[Fourth Estate]], [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/5165045/Its-Our-Turn-to-Eat-the-Story-of-a-Kenyan-Whistle-Blower-by-Michela-Wrong.html Reviewed] in ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''.

==External links==
; News
* [http://www.nationmedia.com/ Daily Nation]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19991128035701/http://www.eastandard.net/ The Standard]}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19991207013828/http://www.coastweek.com/ Coastweek]}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160213112305/http://kenyanissues.blogspot.com/ Kenyan Issues]
* [http://kenyanstuff.blogspot.com/ Kenyan Stuff]

; Others
* {{cite book  | last = Kitching  | first = Gavin  | author-link = Gavin Kitching  | title = Class and Economic Change in Kenya  | publisher = Yale University Press  | year = 1980  | url = https://archive.org/details/classeconomiccha0002kitc  | isbn = 0-300-02385-5  | url-access = registration  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Kimaiyo
  | first = Towett J.
  | title = Ogiek Land Cases and Historical Injustices – 1902–2004
  | publisher = Ogiek Welfare Council
  | year = 2004
  | location = Nakuru, Kenya
  | pages = 127 pages + appendices
  | url = http://www.geocities.com/OgiekLand/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071029164155/http://www.geocities.com/OgiekLand/ |archive-date=29 October 2007}} <small>(Full text of book at link.)</small>
*{{unfit|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060115184447/http://www.heritage.org/Research/Africa/bg766.cfm Strengthening U.S. Ties With Kenya]}}, Michael Johns, Heritage Foundation, 24 April 1990.
* {{cite web
  | title = Who Owns Kenya? — What is the Queen Doing in Parliament?
  | date = 31 March 2007
  | url = http://www.geocities.com/WhoOwnsKenya/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080318221033/http://www.geocities.com/WhoOwnsKenya/ |archive-date=18 March 2008}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080513052751/http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/category/nairobi/#blogs_top/ Notes from Nairobi] Blog about Kenyan politics for [[The Walrus]] magazine,
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7268903.stm BBC News – Kenya rivals agree to share power] 28 February 2008.
* [http://www.ryanspencerreed.com/ Photojournalist's Account] – Images of Kenya's last presidential election
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kenya/ CIA World Factbook Entry]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131644/http://badejo-on-raila.com/ Kenyan politics]

{{Kenyan elections}}
{{Kenya topics}}
{{Africa in topic|Politics of}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Politics Of Kenya}}
[[Category:Politics of Kenya| ]]