Opposition continued to reject President Kenyatta’s victory in presidential election re-run 26 Oct. Police 17 Nov fired on crowd cheering opposition leader Raila Odinga, five killed; rights groups condemned use of live ammunition. Supreme Court 20 Nov upheld re-run result, unanimously rejecting two petitions presented by opposition activists challenging vote. Kenyatta sworn in as president for second term 28 Nov. Odinga same day said he would be sworn in as president 12 Dec in parallel to official celebrations marking Independence Day.

Political standoff over presidential election re-run continued, fuelling clashes between opposition supporters and security forces and intercommunal violence, tens killed. Main opposition candidate Raila Odinga pulled out 10 Oct citing insufficient electoral reforms since first vote 8 Aug, saying that new vote would not be free and fair. Repeat election held 26 Oct: voter turnout reported at 38.8% (nearly 80% voted in Aug poll) and voting suspended in some areas due to clashes between opposition supporters and police. Odinga 29 Oct rejected “sham” election and called for fresh vote in 90 days. Electoral commission (IEBC) 30 Oct declared incumbent President Kenyatta winner with 98% of vote. Odinga 31 Oct rejected results and vowed to embark on campaign to “restore democracy”. After vote ethnic violence erupted in Nairobi slum and in west where one man was killed; up to 55 people reportedly killed since 8 Aug vote. Demonstrations held frequently throughout Oct after NASA opposition coalition 2 Oct urged supporters to protest to demand electoral reform. Govt 12 Oct banned protests in central business districts of capital Nairobi, Kisumu in west and Mombasa at coast, fuelling clashes between opposition supporters and police; high court lifted ban 17 Oct. Parliament 11 Oct approved electoral law amendments proposed by ruling Jubilee Party that privileged manually transmitted results over electronic tallies. Senior IEBC official 18 Oct resigned and left country citing death threats; said IEBC unable to deliver credible election within timeframe due to politicisation and internal divisions. In south east, military 9 Oct killed five Al-Shabaab militants during clash in Boni Forest, Lamu county; two university staff killed 10 Oct when gunmen attacked convoy carrying staff and students in Kwale.

Political tensions and uncertainty mounted after Supreme Court 1 Sept annulled 8 Aug presidential election result on grounds that process was not conducted in accordance with constitution and ordered new vote to be held within two months; electoral commission (IEBC) set 26 Oct for new poll. Opposition NASA coalition 14 Sept threatened to boycott vote unless major changes made to IEBC leadership. Ruling Jubilee Party 28 Sept proposed changes to electoral laws including dropping electronic transmission as primary mode of relaying tallies from polling stations; NASA walked out of talks 28 Sept, said if laws passed it would launch nationwide protests and boycott election. Suspected Al-Shabaab gunmen 3 Sept killed two police officers guarding church in Ukunda town, south of Mombasa. In Lamu county, suspected Al-Shabaab militants 6 Sept beheaded four people. In north east, Al-Shabaab 19 Sept destroyed telecommunication mast in Mandera county and exchanged fire with soldiers before retreating. One police officer killed 11 Sept when police vehicle hit IED in Lamu county.

National and local elections unfolded peacefully 8 Aug; President Kenyatta re-elected with 54.27% of vote against leading opposition candidate Raila Odinga’s 44.7% and ruling Jubilee party won 25 of 47 county governorships (opposition NASA coalition won eighteen) and secured majority of seats in national assembly and senate. International observers broadly endorsed elections, but Odinga 9 Aug rejected results, said electoral commission’s (IEBC) server had been hacked to manipulate results in Kenyatta’s favour; IEBC next day said it had thwarted attempted hack. Following release of provisional results, protesters in opposition strongholds in Nairobi and Kisumu in west clashed with police, leaving at least seventeen civilians dead. Odinga’s NASA coalition 18 Aug filed petition with Supreme Court to challenge results; ruling scheduled for 1 Sept. Al-Shabaab continued attacks on security forces and civilians in north east and at coast. In north east, in Mandera county militants attacked police post in Lafey 2 Aug killing one police, and roadside bombing attributed to Al-Shabaab killed two soldiers in Damasa area 28 Aug; suspected militants killed five police in ambush on Bodhai-Ijara road near Alijize, Garissa county 15 Aug. In coastal Lamu county, suspected militants attacked passenger bus on Mombasa-Kipini road near Witu, killing three 2 Aug; and militants attacked Christians in Maleli and beheaded at least three 18 Aug. Police 19 Aug in Bamburi, Mombasa county killed prominent Al-Shabaab militant Hussein Said Omar reportedly in charge of logistics for militants operating in Boni forest stronghold on Somali border.

In run-up to 8 Aug elections, Al-Shabaab intensified attacks in Lamu county on coast and political tensions rose amid election-related violence. Some 200 Al-Shabaab militants attacked Pandanguo police station 5 July killing at least three officers; suspected militants beheaded nine civilians in Jima area 8 July; militants ambushed govt convoy in Milihoi on Lamu-Mpeketoni road 13 July killing at least four security officers and one civilian and briefly abducting senior official. Govt 8 July imposed three-month curfew in Lamu, Garissa and Tana River counties. Security forces 10 July said they had launched airstrikes on Al-Shabaab stronghold Boni forest in Lamu county. Some 30 Al-Shabaab militants 18 July made abortive attempt to attack police station in Mokowe, Lamu county; no casualties reported. Court of Appeal 20 July overturned 7 July decision by High Court to cancel award of tender to print ballot papers to Dubai-based firm which opposition said had links to ruling Jubilee party. Police shot dead gunman 30 July eighteen hours after he broke into Deputy President Ruto’s home compound near Eldoret in west, killing one guard and wounding another. Electoral commission’s head of IT, missing since 28 July, found dead 31 July, commission said he had been tortured and murdered.

IEDs suspected to have been laid by Al-Shabaab continued to kill civilians and security forces in north east: three people killed when vehicle hit IED on way to Liboi, Garissa county 6 June; four police officers and one civilian killed when vehicle triggered landmine between Fino and Sheikh Barow, Mandera county in north east 16 June; four police officers and four civilians killed 27 June after lorry hit landmine near Somalia border. Security forces in collaboration with Somali authorities 9 June arrested six suspected militants in Bula Hawa in Somalia, adjacent to Mandera and seized explosives. Opposition coalition National Super Alliance (NASA) 15 June rejected decision by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to award tender to print ballot papers for Aug elections to Dubai-based firm which NASA said had links to ruling Jubilee party. Audit firm KPMG 9 June reported irregularities in voter list and recommended removal of names of over 92,000 dead people.

Al-Shabaab increased attacks on security forces and civilians including local govt officials in north east, mostly in Mandera and Garissa counties, and livestock raids escalated in north. Jihadists carried out nine attacks 8-25 May killing eighteen people, notably roadside blast which hit Mandera county governor’s convoy 24 May killing five bodyguards. Police vehicle detonated landmine in Lamu county on coast 31 May, four police and one civilian killed, two other police missing. Livestock raid in Isiolo county 26 May left seven Borana herders dead. Three livestock raids in Turkana county 21 May pitting ethnic Pokot against Turkana left two dead. Pokot bandits attacked Turkana residents in Kapedo, Baringo county on border with Turkana county 27 May, killing three. Intercommunal tensions rose along boundary between Tana River and Kitui counties in south east; following farmer-herder dispute police 27 May reportedly shot 120 camels belonging to residents and torched houses at Boka wells in Besan Hergeisa, Tana River county.

Party primaries ahead of Aug general elections marred by small-scale violent protests, clashes between candidates’ supporters and logistical issues mid-April in many areas especially in west and north, forcing several parties including ruling Jubilee Party to postpone voting to late April. Opposition coalition National Super Alliance 27 April announced Raila Odinga, leader of Orange Democratic Movement, its presidential candidate. Ethnic conflict and raids by armed herders in north declined slightly: cattle rustling reported on border between Isiolo and Meru counties during month; Gabra and Borana communities 7-12 April clashed in Marsabit county, seven people killed; suspected Pokot gunmen 23 April shot and wounded ranch owner and renowned conservationist in Laikipia county.

Ethnic conflicts and raids by herders spiked in north. Borana raiders 20 March attacked Samburu herders at Kom area on border between Isiolo and Samburu counties, ten people killed. Fighting in Baringo county continued: after three Pokot women killed 16 March, Pokot bandits same day attacked Illchamus community in Makutani area, ten people killed, govt deployed police and army. Police 25 March shot dead four armed Pokot who tried to block burial of ten killed in bandit attacks. As drought forces thousands of herders into private ranches in Laikipia county in search of pasture, armed herders 5 March killed ranch director; army deployed to improve security. Security forces 27 March shot dead about 100 cattle in efforts to drive herders out of Laikipia area, Pokot warriors 29 March burnt down safari lodge in neighbouring ranch and shot at owners.

Ethnic Pokot and Tugen clashed 17-25 Feb in Baringo county, over fifteen people killed; suspected armed Pokot 24 Feb killed local official from Ngorora in Baringo North. Tugen set up roadblocks and 25 Feb turned back Kenya Red Cross aid convoy on way to Kapedo and Lomelo areas in Turkana county, forcing organisation to suspend operations in Baringo county. Govt held talks with Ethiopia in Nairobi 15-17 Feb to resolve dispute over Ethiopia’s use of water from rivers that feed Lake Turkana in Kenya, on whose water local communities depend.