Kenya: Samson Otieno

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Protesters shout slogans during a demonstration against tax hikes as members of the parliament debate the financial bill in Nairobi, Kenya on June 19, 2024. By Samson Otieno

Samson Otieno is a freelance photojournalist and documentary photographer based in Nairobi, Kenya. He was born and raised in Kibera, where he documents the everyday life of ordinary people. His work focuses on daily life, environmental, cultural, political, and socio-economic activities of day-to-day life. Otieno’s involvement in the selection panel for the African Resilience in the Wake of a Pandemic campaign demonstrates his recognition within the photography community and his commitment to using his talent to address pressing issues and collaborating with organizations like Bobby Pall Photography and the MasterCard Foundation during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.His work has been published in international media outlets such as the Washington Post, Der Spiegel, Al Jazeera, the Washington Times, and the Guardian. He is a frequent contributor with the Associated Press. He was also chosen as one of 21 award-winning international photographers to exhibit at the Apfelweingalerie in Frankfurt, Germany.

Instagram: @otiienosamson

https://otiienosamson.mypixieset.com/

A group of armed police or military personnel in green camouflage uniforms and riot gear stand on a road. They are carrying weapons and shields, suggesting preparation for crowd control. — Kenyan police officers wearing riot gear stand on the side of the road near Bomas in Nairobi on August 15, 2022 as Kenya waits for the results of the general election in Nairobi, Kenya.

A person throws a burning tire in a street, with bystanders watching nearby. The scene shows civil unrest, with smoke and flames visible. — A protester carries a burning tire to block the road in the Kibera neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. Anti-government protesters are demonstrating in a number of Kenyan cities against newly imposed taxes and the cost of living.

A group of protesters, some holding signs and a megaphone, demonstrate in an urban area. One sign reads "You forgot to tax the voices in my head", indicating dissatisfaction with government policies. — Protesters shout slogans during a demonstration against tax hikes as members of the parliament debate the financial bill in Nairobi, Kenya on June 19, 2024.

A large group of people stand in front of a concrete wall covered in voting roll papers. — Voters look for their names on the voters’ roll at a polling station in the informal settlement of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya on August 9, 2022 during Kenya’s general election.

A woman in a striped top walks on a street with burning tires and riot police in the background. The scene depicts civil unrest in an urban area with makeshift structures. — A woman runs as she passes Kenyan police troops in Kibera, Nairobi on May 2, 2023. Anti-government protesters are demonstrating in a number of Kenyan cities against newly imposed taxes and the cost of living.

A joyful family scene unfolds on a bustling street, with a man in yellow smiling on a motorcycle, a woman in bright party attire holding a blue horn, and a child between them. The background reveals simple buildings and other community members, suggesting a festive or political event in an African setting. — Kenya Kwanza political alliance supporters celebrate after the supreme court confirms Deputy President William Ruto as the duly elected President of Kenya in a judgment over six petitions on September 5, 2022.

DEMOCRATIC DECLINE IN KENYA AND PROSPECTS FOR AN AFRICAN DEMOCRACY

By: Fredrick Ogenga

For several years, Kenya has been considered an island of peace and a beacon of democracy in the turbulent Horn of Africa region. It seems it has not lost this position just yet, judging from its recent admission by the US into a non-NATO ally State, a first for a Sub-Saharan African country. But since 2007, the country has witnessed a series of electoral challenges animated by post-election violence following disputed elections. So what is the current democratic profile of Kenya?

In 2007, hundreds lost their lives and thousands of people, mainly women and children, were displaced by electoral violence. Senior politicians were indicted at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. In the elections of 2022, former Vice President William Ruto was elected president. His election was opposed by his former boss, Uhuru Kenyatta who supported the opposition leader, Raila Odinga. Odinga has competed for the presidency unsuccessfully four times, each time accusing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of stealing his victory. These accusations led to deadly protests and violence in each electoral cycle.

The 2007-2008 electoral violence brought about a national reconciliation process mediated by the then United Nations Secretary General Koffi Annan. This process resulted in reforms that led to the promulgation of the 2010 constitution, and this has remained Kenya’s only hope amidst signs of a steady backsliding of democracy. However, the constitution alone means nothing if its dictates are not adhered to, thus transforming subjective experiences of the citizens in terms of governance, ethnic inclusivity, opportunities for all, civic participation, and economic prosperity.

The democratic decline in Kenya has been seen in the documented lack of trust in virtually all public institutions, especially the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive branches, and in state agencies such as the national police, the IEBC, the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission, and, most recently, in the church. The IEBC has been accused of conducting opaque elections, which are later sanitized by the Judiciary and protected by a brutal police force. The Kenya National Commission for Human Rights has been vocal about police brutality, kidnappings, and extrajudicial killings, especially around electoral cycles.

Further, the growing number of unemployed youth has often been regarded as a social time bomb. This exploded recently through the protests in opposition to Finance Bill 2024. The protesters, popularly referred to as Gen Zs, demanded a rejection of the bill, job creation, and government accountability. The democratic decline has also been evidenced through corruption and malgovernance, unprofessional police service, rising public debt, and voter apathy. Democratic deterioration in Africa broadly has been manifest through military takeovers. Some civilians, in fact, were excited at the prospect of such a takeover during the recent deployment of Kenya Defense Forces in the streets of Nairobi. This response speaks to Gen Z’s desire for change, no matter the means to the end.

Should Kenya, like many other African countries, strive for democracy in Africa or seek African democracy? Democracy in Africa implies the imported application of a Western version of democracy while African democracy means the organic adaptation of democracy to suit the Kenyan context. The question of whether Kenya needs African democracy or democracy in Africa leads to two different prospects. It seems Kenya has been experimenting with both possibilities, resulting in mixed democratic prospects for the country. The aspiration to apply Western-style democracy in Africa has largely betrayed the hopes for an African democracy and is now affecting Kenya’s democratic prospects. An approach that attempts to import a version of Western democracy without regard for the nuances of Kenya will not succeed. The assumption has often been that democracy largely creates the conditions that lead to economic development. However, Western-style democracy as applied in Africa has been hijacked by local and international actors who have neocolonial interests that have left African economies in shambles.

Fredrick Ogenga is an Associate Professor of Media and Security Studies and Director of the Center for Media, Democracy, Peace and Security both at Rongo University Kenya. Ogenga is also the CEO of The Peacemaker Corps Foundation Kenya

Samson Otieno | Jit Chattopadhyay | Hannah Reyes Morales | Fred Ramos | Agata Szymanska-Medina