Government & politics — Kenya

• history: current
• constitution passed by referendum on 4 August 2010 amendments: amendments can be proposed by either house of Parliament or by petition of at least one million eligible voters; passage of amendments by Parliament requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses in each of two readings, approval in a referendum by majority of votes cast by at least 20% of eligible voters in at least one half of Kenya’s counties, and approval by the president; passage of amendments introduced by petition requires approval by a majority of county assemblies, approval by majority vote of both houses, and approval by the president

• chief of state: President William RUTO (since 13 September 2022); note - the president is
• President William RUTO (since 13 September 2022) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, subject to
• confirmation by the National Assembly elections/appointments: president and deputy president directly elected on the same ballot by majority vote nationwide and at least 25% of the votes cast in at least 24 of the 47 counties; failure to meet these thresholds requires a runoff between the top two candidates; election last held on 9 Aug
• ust 2022 (next to be held on 10 August 2027) election results: 2022: William RUTO elected president in first round; percent of vote - William RUTO (UDA) 50.5%, Raila ODINGA (ODM) 48.9%, other 0.6% 2017: Uhuru KENYATTA reelected president; percent of vote - Uhuru KENYATTA (JP) 98.3%, Raila ODINGA (ODM) 1%, other 0.7%; note - Kenya held a previous presidential election on 8 August 2017, but Kenya's Supreme Court on 1 September 2017 nullified the results, citing irregularities; the political opposition boycotted the October vote

Description

• bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate (68 seats; 47 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 20 directly elected by proportional representation vote - 16 women, 2 representing youth, 2 representing the disabled, and one Senate speaker; members serve 5-year terms)
• National Assembly (350 seats; 290 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 47 women in single-seat constituencies elected by simple majority vote, and 12 members nominated by the National Assembly - 6 representing youth and 6 representing the disabled, and one Assembly speaker; members serve 5-year terms)
• elections:
• Senate - last held on 9 August 2022 (next to be held on 10 August 2027)
• National Assembly - last held on 9 August 2022 (next to be held on 10 August 2027)

Election Results

• - Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA
• seats by party/coalition - Kenya Kwanza 33, Azimio La Umoja 32, independent 2, other 1;
• composition - men 47, women 21, percent of women is 31%
• National Assembly - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Kenya Kwanza alliance 176, Azimio La Umoja alliance 161, independent 12, other 1;

Composition

men 268, women 82, percent of women 23%

• highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of chief and deputy ch
• ief justices and 5 judges) judge selection and term of office: chief and deputy chief justices nominated by Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and appointed by the president with approval of the National Assembly; other judges nominated by the JSC and appointed by president; chief justice serves a nonrenewable 10-year term or until age 70, whichever comes first;
• other judges serve until age 70 subordinate courts: High Court; Court of Appeal; military courts; magistrates' courts; religious courts

Summary

47 counties; Baringo, Bomet, Bungoma, Busia, Elgeyo/Marakwet, Embu, Garissa, Homa Bay, Isiolo, Kajiado, Kakamega, Kericho, Kiambu, Kilifi, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Kisumu, Kitui, Kwale, Laikipia, Lamu, Machakos, Makueni, Mandera, Marsabit, Meru, Migori, Mombasa, Murang'a, Nairobi City

Regions or States

• Nakuru
• Nandi
• Narok
• Nyamira
• Nyandarua
• Nyeri
• Samburu
• Siaya
• Taita/Taveta
• Tana River
• Tharaka-Nithi
• Trans Nzoia
• Turkana
• Uasin Gishu
• Vihiga
• Wajir
• West Pokot

• Azimio La Umoja–One Kenya Coalition Party [Raila ODINGA] (includes DAP-K, JP, KANU, KUP, MCC, MDG, ODM, PAA, UDM, UDP, UPA, UPIA, and WDM-K)
• Amani National Congress or ANC [Musalia MUDAVADI]
• Chama Cha Kazi or CCK [Moses KURIA]
• Democratic Action Party or DAP-K [Wafula WAMUNYINYI]
• Democratic Party or DP [Joseph MUNYAO, Chairman]
• Forum for the Restoration of Democracy–Kenya or FORD-Kenya [Moses WETANGULA]
• Grand Dream Development Party or GDDP [Fabian KYULE]
• Jubilee Party or JP [Uhuru KENYATTA] (previously the National Alliance Pary)
• Kenya African National Union or KANU [Gideon MOI]
• Kenya Kwanza coalition [William RUTO] (includes ANC, CCK, DP, FORD-Kenya, TSP, and UDA)
• Kenya Union Party or KUP [John LONYANGAPUO]
• Maendeleo Chap Chap Party or MCC [Alfred MUTUA]
• Movement for Democracy and Growth or MDG [David OCHIENG]
• National Agenda Party or NAP-K [Alfayo AGUFANA]
• National Ordinary People Empowerment Union or NOPEU [Rodgers MPURU, Secretary General} Orange Democratic Movement or ODM [Raila ODINGA]
• Pamoja African Alliance or PAA [Amason KINGI]
• The Service Party or TSP [Mwangi KIUNJURI]
• United Democratic Alliance or UDA [William RUTO]
• United Democratic Movement or UDM [Philip MURGOR]
• United Democratic Party or UDP [Cyrus Jirongo]
• United Party of Independent Alliance or UPIA [Ukur YATANI]
• United Progressive Alliance or UPA [Kenneth NYAMWAMU]
• Wiper Democratic Movement-Kenya or WDM-K [Kalonzo MUSYOKA]
• Note: includes only parties with seats in the Senate and National Assembly

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one
• yes residency requirement for naturalization: 4 out of the previous 7 years

ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, C, CD, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCT, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Margaret "Meg" WHITMAN (since 5 August 2022) embassy: P.O. Box 606 Village Market, 00621 Nairobi mailing address: 8900 Nairobi Place, Washington, DC 20521-8900

telephone

[254] (20) 363-6000

FAX

[254] (20) 363-6157

Email address and website

• kenya_acs@state.gov
• https://ke.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Lazarus Ombai AMAYO (since 17 July 2020)

chancery

2249 R St NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 387-6101

FAX

[1] (202) 462-3829

Email address and website

• information@kenyaembassydc.org
• https://kenyaembassydc.org/#

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles consulate(s): New York