Our Kenya

Kibaki Presidency Timeline

4 min read

2002

  • November: Mwai Kibaki, leading the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition (NARC), campaigns for presidency with anti-corruption and reform platform
  • December 27: General elections are held with international observation
  • December 30: NARC decisively defeats KANU, with Kibaki winning presidency with 62 percent of vote
  • Kibaki pledges to implement anti-corruption measures and constitutional reform

2003

  • January 8: Kibaki is sworn in as Kenya's third president
  • January: Free primary education policy is announced and immediately implemented
  • Millions of children enroll in school following elimination of school fees
  • Government announces ambitious anti-corruption campaign
  • Constitutional reform process begins

2004

  • Constitutional draft is prepared by a process including government and civil society
  • Infrastructure development projects expand, including road construction and rehabilitation
  • Economic growth accelerates with real GDP growth exceeding five percent
  • Tourism begins to recover from security concerns of previous era

2005

  • April: Constitutional referendum is held on a draft constitution
  • The draft constitution is rejected by Kenyan voters in a surprisingly close vote
  • Constitutional reform setback signals tensions between government and civil society on governance issues
  • Government announces new constitutional reform process

2006

  • Kibaki begins second term following reelection in 2002
  • Corruption scandals emerge involving government officials, contradicting anti-corruption rhetoric
  • Infrastructure development continues with expanding road and water projects
  • Agricultural production expands with improved crop varieties and fertilizer use

2007

  • December 27: Presidential, parliamentary, and local elections are held
  • Election results are contested, with apparent victory for Kibaki disputed by opposition leader Raila Odinga
  • December 28-29: Post-election violence erupts in multiple regions following announcement of results
  • Ethnic violence spreads across Rift Valley, western Kenya, and coastal regions, displacing hundreds of thousands
  • Roughly 1,000 people are killed in post-election violence

2008

  • January: Mediation led by Kofi Annan begins to address post-election violence
  • February: Power-sharing agreement is reached between Kibaki and Odinga
  • April: Raila Odinga is appointed Prime Minister
  • Government of National Unity is formed combining Kibaki as President and Odinga as Prime Minister
  • Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission is established to examine Kenya's human rights history

2009

  • Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission begins operations examining historical violations
  • Tensions persist between President and Prime Minister in the power-sharing arrangement
  • Economic recovery proceeds following post-election violence disruptions
  • International Criminal Court announces investigations into post-election violence

2010

  • August: New constitution is approved in a public referendum
  • The constitution creates significant institutional changes including devolved county governments
  • Kibaki's government campaigns for constitutional approval, which succeeds overwhelmingly
  • Constitutional reform that earlier efforts had failed to achieve is finally accomplished

2011

  • Severe drought affects pastoral regions, creating humanitarian crises
  • Kenyan military undertakes operations in Somalia against Al-Shabaab terrorist organization
  • ICC charges prominent political figures with crimes against humanity related to post-election violence
  • Unemployment and inflation create economic pressures on urban workers

2012

  • Constitutional transition preparations intensify as 2013 election approaches
  • County governments are established under new constitutional framework
  • General election preparations begin with 2013 scheduled as the date for nationwide elections
  • Kibaki's presidency winds down with increasing focus on succession and institutional transition

2013

  • March 4: General elections are held under new constitutional framework
  • Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto win presidency and vice presidency
  • December 18: Kibaki hands over power to Kenyatta in presidential inauguration
  • Kibaki exits the presidency after 10 years in office
  • Kibaki's government is succeeded by first government under new constitution

See Also

Sources

  1. Lynch, Gabrielle. "I Say to You: Ethnic Politics and the Kenyan Presidency." University of Chicago Press, 2011. https://www.press.uchicago.edu
  2. Branch, Daniel. "Kenya: Between Hope and Despair, 1992-2011." Yale University Press, 2011. https://www.yalebooks.com
  3. Throup, David and Hornsby, Charles. "Multi-Party Politics in Kenya." Currey Publishers, 1998. https://www.jamescurrey.com