Crackdown on Dissent Puts Kenya’s Democratic Credentials at Risk
- Government blocked TV stations, deported high-profile opponent
- Kenya’s political, constitutional make-up being tested: Exotix
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Once considered an island of stability in a neighborhood bedeviled by conflict and one-party rule, Kenya is mired in a protracted electoral dispute that’s undermining its democratic credentials.
Political tensions have been simmering in the East African nation since opposition leader Raila Odinga boycotted a rerun of a presidential vote in October and rejected the declaration of Uhuru Kenyatta as the winner. They flared again when Odinga declared himself the so-called people’s president last month, and the authorities cut off TV stations airing the ceremony, initially ignored a court order to restore broadcasts and deported a prominent opposition lawyer.