"These crackdowns are the latest sign that Kenya, the most vibrant economic power in East Africa, is slipping off its democratic path. Kenya rewrote its constitution and election laws over a decade ago, after election-related violence between two of the country’s largest tribes, the Luo and Kikuyu, killed more than twelve hundred people. But the laws failed to prevent clashes after last year’s Presidential election, in which Kenyatta, the incumbent, was declared the winner with fifty-four per cent of the vote. Police and security forces used tear gas and water cannons against protesters in opposition strongholds who were supporting Odinga, killing dozens. In a move widely regarded as a milestone for judicial independence in Africa, Kenya’s Supreme Court voided the election results on September 1st, citing irregularities in the voting process, and ordered a new election within sixty days."
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