Elections, handshakes and the illusion of democracy

Kenya has once again witnessed a political truce, this time between President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga, a pattern that has defined the country’s politics for decades. 

While some celebrate this handshake as a move toward national unity, it raises fundamental questions about democracy, governance and the role of the opposition in keeping the government accountable. Are we trapped in a vicious cycle where elections serve no real purpose beyond determining who will eventually shake hands and share power?

Political handshakes in Kenya are nothing new. In 2008, following the disputed 2007 elections, President Mwai Kibaki and Raila entered a power-sharing agreement. This led to the formation of the Grand Coalition Government in which Raila became Prime Minister.

This was hailed as a necessary solution to the post-election violence, but it also set a precedent: bitterly contested elections followed by negotiations that bring the opposition into government. A decade later, in 2018, Raila shook hands with then President Uhuru Kenyatta, abandoning his opposition role. Now, history has repeated itself, leaving Kenyans wondering whether elections still have any meaning.

When opposition leaders consistently merge with the ruling party, voters are left without an alternative voice to challenge government excesses. What we end up with is not democracy but an elaborate political theatre where leaders pretend to disagree, only to later unite for their own convenience. This contradicts Article 10, which outlines the national values and principles of governance, including democracy, participation of the people, integrity, transparency, and accountability.

Revolving door

Kenya’s governance increasingly resembles a revolving door where political figures recycle themselves in different roles, but little progress is made on systemic challenges. Corruption remains deeply entrenched, yet no real political will exists to eliminate it. Policy instability is another major issue, each handshake or government reshuffle shifts policy direction, affecting economic growth.

Further, public trust in governance is eroding as citizens realise their votes do not translate into meaningful change, leading to declining voter turnout.

One of the most concerning aspects of political handshakes is the violation of the principles enshrined in the 2010 Constitution. Kenya was designed as a pure presidential system, where the President is directly elected and holds executive authority. However, handshake deals and back-door negotiations create a quasi-parliamentary system that contradicts this structure.

Beyond governance, political handshakes have also led to human rights violations, as victims of electoral violence, police brutality and economic mismanagement are often forgotten in the rush to secure political alliances.

For Kenya’s democracy to mature, we must break this cycle of political mediocrity. Institutionalising opposition is crucial, amending the Political Parties Act to prevent opposition parties receiving public funding from merging with the ruling party within an electoral cycle would be a step in the right direction.

Electoral reforms should also be prioritised, including restructuring the electoral commission to restore public confidence in elections and implementing strict regulations against post-election coalitions that betray the will of voters.

A government without an opposition is a dictatorship in disguise, and until Kenyans demand better, we will remain trapped in a cycle of elections that change nothing and handshakes that serve only the political elite.

Ms Monari is a programme consultant at ICJ Kenya.