Kenya - 35.95
128
Powerful potential in East Africa
Kenya may soon be counted among the developing world’s best success stories. Often overshadowed in the news cycle by the historically more successful Ghana and the troubles of more volatile countries in the region, Kenya has been developing quietly yet quickly. Since 2000, Kenya’s GDP has increased by nearly 900% and the country has made rapid progress against Somalia-based terror organization al-Shabaab in recent years. However, a number of factors hold Kenya back from the levels of development seen on the other side of the continent in Ghana and Senegal. Kenya suffers from endemic corruption and rampant disease. Kenya’s emerging democracy still struggles with electoral violence and party hegemony. Additionally, police brutality is rampant in the country and the Kenyan government is generally not hesitant to suppress dissent. The government’s willingness to prioritize anti-poaching efforts has come into conflict with the country’s consistent displays of corruption, as park rangers are known to accept bribes in exchange for allowing illegal hunting. While the country still has a number of hurdles to overcome, Kenya’s future is bright.
Human Rights - 38
Kenya has functionally abolished the death penalty; the last execution was carried out in 1987. The police have used live ammunition to disperse protests on several occasions, on one occasion killing a seventeen-year-old protestor. Police killed over six people for violating COVID lockdowns in the first ten days of COVID lockdowns. Several beatings took place hours before the lockdown was set to go into place. These beatings reportedly stopped roughly ten days after the imposition of the curfew. Despite this, in one instance a man was beaten to death for driving a woman to the hospital during lockdown. On one occasion, police beat a journalist for filming them. The Kenyan military and police extrajudicially executed suspected terrorists near the Somali border with impunity. The government conducted some investigations into police misconduct in 2020. The government reported that fourteen officers accused of gross misconduct were indefinitely suspended pending an investigation and an officer who killed a thirteen-year-old boy on his balcony during lockdown was charged with murder. Amnesty International reported that eleven people were disappeared by the government in 2020. Journalists were regularly detained for violating COVID lockdowns despite their press pass exemptions. The police claimed that the journalists arrested did not have their press passes on their persons at the time of their arrest. “Publishing misleading information about COVID” constituted “incitement of the public against the government.” Several journalists were arrested under this law. People could be forcefully held in quarantine for violating mask laws. People would be forced to quarantine for weeks and were only allowed out of their homes or hotels to report to quarantine centers. The government frequently evicted people for infrastructure products without proper compensation. The government evicted over seven thousand people in Nairobi in 2020 to install sewers and water processing plants. Homosexuality is illegal. Abortion is legal to preserve the physical health of the woman.
Democracy - 48
The president is directly elected, and while voting is first-past-the-post, the winner must carry a quarter of the vote in twenty-four of the country’s forty-seven counties. The 2017 election went to a runoff and the result of the runoff was annulled by the Supreme Court. The opposition boycotted the second runoff, citing major shortcomings in the independence of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The incumbent President Kenyatta won the second runoff with 98.3% of the vote, in an election that saw 39% voter turnout (compared to the first runoff’s 80%). Additionally, the 2017 election was marred by violence. The chief vote-counter of the IEBC was murdered and his body showed signs of torture. Another commissioner fled Kenya and sought asylum in the United States. The IEBC eventually announced that under the current political conditions in Kenya, a free and fair election could not be guaranteed, citing violent attacks against officials as well as voter intimidation by vigilante groups. The government has also been accused of voter intimidation in some areas. Kenya’s parliament is partially directly elected in a byzantine appointment system. 290 assemblymen are directly elected, 47 women are elected by each county, and twelve are nominated by parties based on their share of directly elected seats. Forty-seven senators are directly elected, sixteen women are appointed by parties based on their share of seats won, and four are nominated members representing youth and those with disabilities. Parliamentary elections noted few irregularities - not enough to swing the results in any given district. The IEBC is subject to intimidation, as well as political pressure from the incumbent Jubilee Coalition. Electoral Laws favor the incumbent. The National Assembly passed a controversial measure in 2017 making it significantly more difficult for the Supreme Court to annull the results of a presidential election. Coalitions regularly form with the sole goal of contesting election results. Party allegiances are fickle and parties and coalitions regularly dissolve and reform. The Jubilee Coalition and the National Super Alliance (NaSA) have historically dominated politics but the strength of these coalitions has been weakening and they may split before the next election. Ethnic minorities are disenfranchised.
Freedom - 36
Police used live ammunition to disperse protests on several occasions, killing a seventeen-year-old protestor on one occasion. Police killed six people for violating COVID lockdowns within the first ten days of the lockdowns going into place. Several beatings took place hours before the lockdowns were set to go into place. While these beatings reportedly stopped approximately ten days into the lockdown, police beat a man to death for driving a woman to the hospital. Police beat a journalist for filming them on one occasion. Journalists were regularly detained for violating curfews despite their press pass exemption. Police claimed that journalists did not have their press passes on their person at the time of their arrest. “Publishing misleading information about COVID” amounted to “incitement of the public against the government,” and several journalists were arrested and charged under this law. Muslims face attacks and harassment in the wake of numerous al-Shabaab attacks. Random Muslims unconnected to terror groups or even fundamentalist organizations are often brought in for questioning after terror attacks. The government is known to monitor tweets tagged with #KOT (Kenyans On Twitter). Taking photos of official buildings without permission has sometimes resulted in detention. Drug possession is punishable by ten years in prison in Kenya. The government may issue gun ownership licenses for semi-automatic rifles and handguns and rifles. The government may issue gun ownership licenses for semi-automatic rifles and handguns. Weapons used by the military and police are prohibited from civilian ownership regardless of legality otherwise. 7.62 and 5.56 mm ammunition are both banned.
Economy - 21
Health - 9
Kenya has a life expectancy of 67 years and an infant mortality rate of 3.3%. 7.1% of Kenyans are obese and 27% are malnourished. The government’s semi-universal health insurance scheme is free for pregnant women and the elderly and heavily subsidized for everyone else. However, Kenya’s healthcare system is patchwork and leaves some rural Kenyans without easy access to healthcare. 59% of Kenyans have access to clean, running water. Kenya has major issues with a number of communicable diseases, namely HIV/AIDS, cholera, and a several mosquito-borne tropical diseases.
Corruption - 7
Kenyan courts are less corrupt than others in the region. While judicial verdicts are still bought and sold at low levels, higher-level courts are not polluted by corruption. Police must be bribed into action and police extortion at road checkpoints is a fact of daily life in Kenya. Land rights are not adequately protected and the government has evicted thousands of people for infrastructure projects, mostly in Nairobi. Tax money is embezzled at all levels of government and Kenya’s tax administration regularly extorts bribes. Kenya’s borders are highly porous and it is very easy to smuggle anything in and out of the country. Migrants are often harassed by police at Kenya’s borders and it is nearly impossible to cross Kenya’s borders without paying a bribe. Public contracts are nearly impossible to obtain without corruption. Despite widespread public disapproval, park rangers often accept bribes to turn a blind eye to poaching. The government makes a special effort to prosecute corrupt rangers as poaching is bad for public relations.
Competency - 18
The government is failing to provide for the people, as significant portions of the population lack access to basic public services. Poverty remains rampant throughout the country. Corruption is rampant and forma a major hinderance to development and investment in the country. Disease is also a major problem in the country.
Future - 79
The Kenyan economy was growing rapidly before COVID and took a relatively minor hit during the pandemic. Additionally, the government has been making significant progress against al-Shabaab in the Northeast. As a result, the group’s activity has largely reduced. The fracturing of large coalitions will likely be good for Kenyan politics, as it will open to door for less consolidated opposition to enter.
Actions Abroad - 74
Kenya has been a key player in negotiating peace deals in the area, brokering a peace deal between Sudan and the SSPDF in 2003 as well as one between the DRC and the M23 rebels in 2013. Kenya is currently working to broker a peace deal between Ethiopia and the Tigray rebels. Kenya is a major participant in the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) and has been instrumental in fighting al-Shabaab militants in Southern Somalia. Kenya sees occasional border disputes with its neighbors, especially Ethiopia and Somalia. The International Criminal Court sided with Somalia over a dispute of a handful of offshore islands and their associated EEZ. The oil-rich offshore islands were awarded to Somalia. Despite this, Kenya has rejected the ICC’s ruling and continues to drill oil in the area. Somalia does not have de facto control over the area. Kenya is part of the Belt and Road Initiative and maintains very close relations with China, which is currently building a railroad in Kenya.
36.8% of Kenyans live below the international poverty line and 36.1% live below the national poverty line. 6.6% of Kenyans are unemployed. Kenya has a high economic disparity. The minimum wage in Kenya is $126 per month. The government offers semi-universal health insurance. Healthcare is free for children, pregnant women, and the elderly. While the government offers heavily subsidized health insurance, it is not completely free. Most wealthy Kenyans pay for private insurance. Many rural areas lack adequate access to healthcare facilities and are reliant on NGOs. The Kenyan economy shrunk 0.3% in 2020 and grew 5.3% in 2019.