Winds of Change Blow Through in Kenyan Elections

With only a fraction of the votes counted, it looks like Kenya will be ushering in a new government. In what has been touted as a test of the democratic process, the December 27 elections have shown that Kenya is capable of carrying out an election without extreme violence and corruption. Raila Odinga, Mwai Kibaki's biggest rival, has accused the President of rigging the elections, a claim denied by Kibaki. In the Diaspora there are many who are watching the elections with bated breath.

Although President Mwai Kibaki brought many positive changes, he seemed unable to deal with corruption, a source of frustration for Kenyans on the continent and in the diaspora. The Kenyan elections will likely herald in a new era where it is hoped that corruption and economic disadvantages will be addressed and solutions set forth. The international body is very interested in these elections, (although they have their hands full with Benazir Bhutto's assasination [God rest her soul]), as it will determine whether they can fund economic development projects. An weary Kenyan nation is ready to go back to being a country to be reckoned with. The lines were long and orderly, and the Kenyan election went on without too much fanfare. We are all hoping that the changes in leaders will be followed by decisive leadership that is more interested in developing a great infrastructure, tackling corruption, and promoting an atmosphere that is conducive to encouraging investors to sink some money into the country. We shall see.

The following incumbents will be spending the new year hunting for new positions after a vote of no confidence from the Kenyan citizens:

Moody Awori -Vice President
Musikari Kombo - Minister for Local Government
Mutahi Kagwe - Minister for Information
Moses Akaranga - Minister for Public Service
Paul Sang' - Minister for Health
Raphael Tuju - Minister for Foreign Affairs
Joseph Munyao - Minister for Livestock
Mukhisa Kituyi - Minister for Trade and Industry
Mohamed Abdi - Minister for Regional Development
Newton Kulundu - Minister for Labor

The current count (as of this writing) is as follows: Mwai Kibaki 1,850,805; Raila Odinga 2,446,766; Kalonzo Stephen Musyoka 295,601.

The official tally is expected to be announced on December 29, 2007. In the meantime you can view an interactive chart that is being updated regularly by Nation Newspaper. Jump TV is showing the election results live from KBC and the Kenyan Pundit has been actively posting hourly updates for those of us who can't find anything on the international newspapers. Stay tuned for more updates coming soon. If you are up to a lively debate about the Kenyan elections, visit Kenya Imagine and voice your opinion.