| The Working Group on Institutions and the State in Africa and the Center for African Studies are pleased to invite all interested faculty and graduate students to attend our upcoming virtual roundtable panel on the 2022 Kenyan elections. |
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Talk Title
Kenya’s 2022 Elections: Exploring the Processes, Outcomes, and Implications for Democracy and Governance.
Panelists
Dr. Charles Hornsby (Independent Scholar)
Dr. Kathleen Klaus (Uppsala University)
Dr. Oscar Otele (University of Nairobi)
Dr. Bonfas Owinga (Clark Atlanta University)
Moderator
Dr. Sebastian Elischer (University of Florida)
Date & Time
Monday, September 19, 3-4:30 PM (EST)
How to Attend
Attend on Zoom (Click Here)
Roundtable Abstract
On August 9, Kenyans voted in the seventh national elections since the reintroduction of the multiparty rule in 1992. The presidential contest matched up William Ruto, Deputy President and leader of the Kenya Kwanza coalition, against Raila Odinga, former Prime Minister and leader of the One Kenya coalition. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared Mr. Ruto the winner on August 15, with 50.49% of the vote. Although international observers rated the campaign and election processes as generally free and fair, the outcome of the elections was marred in controversy as senior IEBC officials questioned the integrity of the final results. Moreover, Mr. Odinga challenged the outcome of the elections by filing an electoral petition in Kenya’s Supreme Court. Although the Supreme Court dismissed Mr. Odinga’s petition and upheld Mr. Ruto’s victory on September 5, it remains unclear how the contested elections will impact democracy and governance in Kenya.
The virtual roundtable will explore several key aspects of Kenya’s 2022 elections by bringing together a panel of leading Kenyan-based and international scholars and experts on Kenyan politics. Panelists include Dr. Charles Hornsby (Independent Scholar); Dr. Kathleen Klaus (Uppsala University); Dr. Oscar Otele (University of Nairobi); and Dr. Bonfas Owinga(Clark Atlanta University). Dr. Sebastian Elischer (University of Florida) will serve as moderator. Following presentations by each panelist, there will be a 30-45 minute Q&A with attendees.
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About State & Institutions Working Group
The working group examines the role of formal and informal institutions in African political life. It is particularly interested in the effect of institutions on the relationship between the state and society. It examines to what extent the state is the key driver of the political developments on the continent and under which institutional constraints the state is operating. The group further wants to interrogate the ways that institutions vary between scales of governance as well as how institutions are affected by non-state actors. The focus on the state thus does not mean that we neglect other actors and their impact. Instead, we wish to examine the state and its effects in relation vis-à-vis other actors and within the context-specific institutional framework surrounding the state.
The group is open to all disciplinary approaches, all methodologies (qualitative, quantitative, and experiments) and all levels (local, national, international) of analysis. At this early stage the working group unites faculty and graduate students from the following disciplines: political science, economics, and anthropology. We intend to broaden our interdisciplinary focus over the course of the next few months as we remain open for other disciplinary approaches. We deliberately do not focus on any region within Sub-Saharan Africa but are open to scholarship covering all parts of the continent.
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