- More than three-fourths (77%) of Kenyans say many political parties are needed to give voters real choices. o More than eight in 10 (82%) reject one-party rule. o Support for multiparty competition has increased by 15 percentage points since 2011.
- While 43% of Kenyans think it is better for political power to change hands occasionally, a majority (56%) deem it acceptable for one party to dominate so long as it wins power in free and fair elections.
- Fewer than half (47%) of Kenyans say they “feel close to” a political party, a significant drop from 68% in 2003
- About four in 10 citizens say they trust opposition political parties (43%) and the ruling party (38%). o Popular trust in the ruling party has declined from 65% in 2003, while trust in opposition parties has risen from 16%.
- About one in seven Kenyans (14%) say they contacted a political party official during the previous year to discuss a problem or share their views.
- Three-fourths (75%) of respondents say they voted in the 2022 election, though self reported voting rates are far lower among youth (61%).
With more than three decades of multiparty democracy, Kenya has established itself as a political powerhouse in the region (Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, 2024; Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, 2010). Since one-party rule ended with competitive elections in 1992, the country’s 2010 Constitution has further entrenched the multiparty principle by explicitly guaranteeing every Kenyan the right to form, join, and participate in the activities of any political party (Republic of Kenya, 2022; Ichim, 2017; Githinji & Holmquist, 2011). Currently, there are 90 fully registered political parties in Kenya (Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, 2024).
Like many African countries, Kenya contends with the challenges of weak political and democratic institutions, electoral malpractices, civil society suppression, patronage, and corruption (Branch & Cheeseman, 2009). But perhaps the most significant challenge for its multiparty system stems from tribalism, as political leaders and parties often mobilise support based on ethnicity (Wambua, 2017). In the past, this has led to a divisive political landscape and polarised politics, undermining national unity and cohesion (Kenya Human Rights Commission, 2018; Shilaho, 2023), most notably in election-related violence in 1992 and 2007/2008 that killed hundreds and displaced thousands (Kagwanja & Southall, 2013).
How do ordinary Kenyans see their multiparty system?
Afrobarometer survey findings show that Kenyan citizens have consistently and strongly supported multiparty democracy while rejecting one-party rule. However, a majority say it is acceptable for one party to dominate politically as long as it wins power through free and fair elections.
Political party affiliation has declined significantly in Kenya. And popular trust in political parties remains low, with confidence in the ruling party declining steadily while trust in opposition parties has been on an upward trajectory.
While most Kenyans say they voted in the last election, few have engaged directly with political party officials.
