A wave of protests across Kenya’s big cities is threatening to plunge one of Africa’s best performing economies into political crisis as the country gears up for elections next year.
The main opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy said its supporters will return to the streets on Thursday if the government doesn’t meet its demand for talks on changes to the national electoral body.
According to Raila Odinga, former prime minister and leader of the opposition Coalition, Kenya was facing “a major national crisis” because President Uhuru Kenyatta and himself could not agree on a process of reforming the electoral commission.
Odinga’s coalition has staged weekly protests in the capital, Nairobi, and other cities since April to demand the resignation of officials at the electoral agency over alleged corruption and bias. Clashes with police have left at least five people dead.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, who teamed up with one-time rival Deputy President William Ruto to win power in 2013, will seek a second term in August 2017 elections.
President Kenyatta has proposed that any reforms be discussed through a select committee of parliament, which his Jubilee coalition controls. But Cord wants the two sides to agree to a deal before reaching the assembly for approval.
Kenyatta said on Friday he would not directly participate in the talks himself.
The continuing political turmoil threatens to destabilize East Africa’s biggest economy.