On March 4th, hundreds of Kenyan citizens lined up at the voting booths to partake in the most critical Kenyan election since Kenya gained independence 50 years ago. This election is considered such an important one because it is the country’s first election since its western-esque liberal constitution was instituted in 2010. The constitution was created following the aftermath of the 2007 election, which was fixed for President Mwai Kibaki to win yet again. Most of the country voted for the other candidate and claimed voter fraud within the election.
In many ways, this is less about the election and more about the example Kenya and its new constition has set for the rest of Africa. Thanks to the new constitution, people will have more rights and the power of the government is going to be limited to prevent absolutism from taking place. Notably, 75% of Kenya’s population is below the age of 30, and never in it’s history has it had a healthier, more educated, and tech- savvy lifestyle than it does now.
