Violence surrounding the recent election controversy between Mwai Kibaki of the Party of National Unity and Raila Odinga has vaulted Kenya into the limelight of the global eye.
A small but visible part of McGIll, Kenyan students are worried about the unrest. "Most Kenyans are worried about their families back home, especially those in the affected areas," said Kenyan U1 management student Kevin Nzoma. He also expressed his fears concerning the economic impact of the elections as many businesses and banks remain closed in the wake of the violence. "Continual unrest will undoubtedly have an adverse impact on the economy, while a damaging effect on the exchange rate will make Canadian education for Kenyan students less affordable than it already is."
Historically, power struggles have been common in Africa where leaders' attempts to grab power have led to serious issues of corrupting the democratic process.
"The problem with democracy in Africa is that it is often stifled by leaders who ferment local ethnic rivalries and construct them from scratch in order to hold on to power," said McGill political science professor Khalid Medani. He added, "there is little evidence that the more diversity you have, the less likely democracy is. Democratization is most often conducted through a political bargain between elites."
Kenya has previously been lauded as one of Africa's more politically stable countries, with free primary education and a recent economic recovery. The United Nations estimates that the recent upheaval has displaced over 180,000 people.
The European Union claimed that the elections failed to reach international standards due to irregularities in the counting process and the sudden appearance of thousands of votes for Kibaki. A constituency reportedly had a voter turnout of over 115 per cent of the registered voters list. Odinga subsequently refused to accept the result, deeming it unacceptable.
The results led to widespread civil unrest, especially in areas with strong support for Odinga. Many accused the Kikuyu tribe, of which Kibaki is a member, for the irregularities. Election protesters vandalized, looted and burned buildings. Live coverage of any news was banned by the government on grounds of national security.
2008 Woodie Awards
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