ABSTRACT
The political structure of Kenya changed dramatically in 1992, when multiparty elections were held for the first time in the country’s history. This development was a divergence from the past of Kenya as a one-party state in which public dissent and oppositional politics were dealt with by violence, detention, and loss of access to political patronage. In adopting the democratic principle of multiparty elections, Kenyan politicians entered into a new political world where accountability, a key characteristic of a functioning democracy, would be expected from leaders. This chapter analyzes Kenya’s evolving political accountability from a historical perspective. This chapter presents a working definition of what political accountability is and its importance to democracy, followed by a discussion of accountability in Kenya. It focuses on the different arenas, where the game of political accountability manifests itself: the media, the judicial court system, and the involvement of international actors in domestic politics in Kenya.
