The political turmoil that followed Kenya’s 2010 election was resolved with international help – an example of foreign affairs significantly influencing domestic politics. It is therefore time for Parliaments to become actively involved in all aspects of international diplomacy as part of their duty to ensure all policies suit the nation, not just the executive, argues a leading Kenyan Member.
Hon. Gitobu Imanyara, MP, in
Nairobi. A human rights lawyer, Mr Imanyara represents the Chama Cha Uzalendo party in the National Assembly and was first elected to Parliament in 1997. He now sits on the Speaker’s Panel. This article was facilitated by the Department of Research of the Kenya National Assembly.
Since Kenya relinquished its colonial relationship with Great Britain in 1963, we have enjoyed unique international media attention for a variety of reasons ranging from our world-beating athletes and to being an “island of peace in a sea of turmoil”. We have been the host nation to the highest concentration of international media correspondents covering the African continent and our tourism industry has “Anglicized” such common Kiswahili words and phrases as safari and hakuna matata.
Many international
organizations including United Nations agencies are domiciled in Nairobi and our democratic tradition that saw elections held every five years enabled successive administrations from that of Founding Father Jomo Kenyatta, to Daniel arap Moi and now to Mwai Kibaki to claim that we were a “functional” democracy even though we were far from one. Persecution of dissidents and arrests and intimidation of
32 | The Parliamentarian | 2010: Issue Three - Kenya
Hon. Gitobu Imanyara, MP.
Members of Parliament including unlawful detentions did not capture international attention. Then, suddenly, 2007 came and the country erupted into an ethnic killing frenzy that left more than 1,000 dead, several hundred injured and thousands displaced internally and in neighbouring countries, particularly Uganda.
International involvement in domestic politics Soon after the 2007 elections, the immediate devastating effects of the post-election violence led to
the intervention of the African Union through the deployment of African Eminent Persons after the initial visit by H.E. President John Kuffor of Ghana, then the Chairperson of the African Union (AU), and later H.E. Kofi Annan, Dr Graca Machel and former Tanzanian President Mr Benjamin Mkapa among others. The need for an internationally brokered agreement became increasingly urgent and necessary in the absence of an amicable local truce and given the mistrust between the two main contesting parties (the Orange Democratic Movement and Party of National Unity) at that time, and the inherent lack of confidence and trust that justice and fairness could be obtained from the internal organs charged with dispensing justice and ensuring expeditious legal redress. Kenya played host to numerous visits from various distinguished statesmen and leaders from the Commonwealth, African countries and beyond in attempts to bring to