Crisis Chronology

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KENYA

11/16/2023

Kenyan parliament approves sending police force to Haiti. However, the supreme court is still considering the legality of the mission. The force consists of just 1,000 Kenyan officers, who would be joined by promised deployments from other nations, bringing the total to 2,500. Combined with roughly 9,000 Haitian National Police officers, the proposed mission would still be outnumbered. Haiti’s roughly 200 gangs – estimated to have had at least 100 members each in 2021, totaling 20,000-plus — have merged into two large coalitions, fighting both each other and the police for control.

10/02/2023

UN approves Kenya-led security force for Haiti.

09/25/2023

US and Kenya sign security agreement that will provide Kenya with resources and support for deployment in Haiti as part of a multi-national force to control gang violence there.

08/01/2023

Kenya offers to send police force to Haiti to lead a multinational force to restore order if given a UN mandate.

03/28/2023

Police fire tear gas at protests against the election. Odinga has called for protests this day and the next, despite a ban by the government. Protestors also attack the family farm of former president Uhuru Kenyatta.

03/19/2023

Police fire tear gas and arrest opposition figures at a protest against the outcome of the election of Ruto.

11/02/2022

Kenya deploys troops to the DRC to help with the fight against the M23 rebel group.

08/23/2022

Odinga files a petition with the Supreme Court challenging the outcome of the election.

08/16/2022

Odinga declares that the vote is “null and void” because the commissioners were not part of the final decision. He indicates he will take his case to the Supreme Court. The election commission says that its parallel voting tally “corroborates the official results.” The country is relatively calm compared to the last election.

08/15/2022

Ruto wins disputed election

Electoral commission declares that Ruto has won with just over 50% of the vote. Odinga received 48.8%. However, just before the decision is announced, four of the members of the commission, all appointed in 2021 by Kenyatta, assert that they were excluded from the final steps of the decision. The opposition rejects the outcome.

08/09/2022

Voting in Kenya is relatively orderly. Some have fled possible violence, but not as many as in last election. It is the first election in which a Kikuyu, the dominant ethnic group in Kenya, is not one of the candidates.

05/17/2022

Kalonzo Musyoka, Odinga’s running mate in 2013 and 2017, leaves the Azimio La Umoja coalition and accepts the presidential nomination of the Wiper Party.

05/16/2022

Odinga, running for the Azimio La Umoja (Quest for Unity) coalition, selects Martha Karua as running mate.

05/15/2022

Ruto picks Rigathi Gachagua, a former aide to Uhuru, as running mate.

05/02/2022

Animosity between Ruto and Kenyatta becoming more open.

04/18/2022

Drought worsens in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia as rainy season remains dry.

04/04/2022

Severe fuel shortages. Last week, the government and oil companies could not reach agreement about subsidies. The government pays the companies a subsidy to keep prices down for consumers, but the companies say they have not been paid for four months. The government blames the shortages on hoarding.

03/31/2022

Supreme Court rules that the proposed constitutional changes were introduced unlawfully because President Kenyatta initiated them. They rule that the so-called Building Bridges Initiative should have been created by the citizens, not the head of state. Among other things, the BBI would have created a prime ministership and added seventy new parliamentarians, all appointed by the president.

03/12/2022

Kenyatta endorses Odinga for president in the election on 8/9.

02/25/2022

Kenyatta says his vice-president, William Ruto, is “inexperienced.” Ruto, who is a candidate for president, has criticized Kenyatta for his handling of the debt and for not fulfilling campaign promises, and using the state apparatus to persecute political opponents. He has called for an end to voting along ethnic lines. However, Ruto was accused, though acquitted, of directing violence after the 2007 election.

02/08/2022

Severe drought in Horn of Africa threatens famine for millions in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Three seasons of dry rainy seasons have decimated harvests and forced migration.

11/18/2021

Continuing drought and likelihood of starvation in north.

10/12/2021

UN court largely sides with Somalia in maritime border dispute, saying there was no clear established border and draws one close to that suggested by Somalia. Kenya rejects the decision.

10/08/2021

Kenya rejects the jurisdiction on the UN International Court of Justice ahead of its ruling on the Kenya-Somalia maritime border.

10/06/2021

Maasai to give up their nomadic life to unpredictable climate changes.

10/04/2021

Drought devastating the north.

03/15/2021

Kenya boycotts International Court of Justice hearing about its maritime dispute with Somalia. The court will hear Somalia’s argument.

01/26/2021

Heavy fighting on Kenya-Somalia border. Somalia accuses Kenya of training rebels and fomenting attacks in Jubaland. Kenya denies this. Somalia cut diplomatic relations with Kenya in 12/20 over the dispute over this territory.

12/15/2020

Somalia severs diplomatic ties to Kenya due to that dountry’s alleged interference in Somalia’s internal affairs.

06/01/2020

Government calls for easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Kenya has about 2000 cases and 70 deaths.

04/02/2020

Protests about excessive police brutality in enforcing stay-at-home curfew due to COVID-19.

03/06/2020

Kenya confirms its first case of COVID-19.

03/04/2020

Kenya accuses Somali military of attacking Kenyan town on the border. Somali forces were pursuing forces loyal to Ahmed Madobe, president of Jubaland, one of the semi-autonomous regions of Somalia. Madobe has been resisting central government and is considered a key ally of Kenya. Somalia accuses Kenya of harboring a fugitive Somali minister. Kenya and Somalia dispute a large maritime regime in the Indian Ocean. Kenya accuses Somalia of not going enough to fight al-Shabab and has discussed annexing parts of Somalia.

01/25/2020

Locust swarms devastating Kenya.

01/06/2020

Al-Shabab overruns a US military base in Kenya, killing three before being repulsed.

01/06/2020

Al-Shabab overruns a US military base in Kenya, killing three before being repulsed.

09/25/2019

In talks mediated by Egypt, Kenya and Somalia agree to normalize relations and work out disagreements about territory. In 2/19, Somalia accused Kenya of auctioning offshore oil fields in a disputed maritime area. The dispute is currently with the International Court of Justice. It is the second time the two countries have attempted to work out their problems.

06/11/2019

Kenya closes border with Somalia and imposes a trading ban. The move is likely due to Kenya’s dispute with Somalia over ocean rights, now at the International Court of Justice.

04/25/2019

Kenyatta meets with Chinese Pres Xi seeking $3.6 billion loan.

10/31/2018

Amid rumors of an attempt to change the constitution to allow Kenyatta to serve another term, he says he is not interested in running again.

10/31/2018

Amid rumors of an attempt to change the constitution to allow Kenyatta to serve another term, he says he is not interested in running again.

01/30/2018

Odinga takes symbolic oath of office. Government shuts down all television channels.

12/07/2017

Kenya warns Odinga that the proposed parallel “inauguration” on 12/12 would be considered treason.

11/20/2017

Supreme Court affirms Kenyatta victory

Kenya Supreme Court dismisses challenges to election and affirms Kenyatta’s victory.

11/17/2017

Riots break out when Odinga returns from an overseas trip.

11/13/2017

Kenyatta calls on Kenya Supreme Court to throw out challenges to election.

11/06/2017

Legislator’s suit contesting Kenyatta’s election is thrown out by Kenya Supreme Court due to lack of standing.

10/31/2017

Odinga says the Kenya election “must not stand,” but calls for a group to study how to protest it.

10/26/2017

Low turnout in second election for Kenya president, with the opposition boycotting vote. Some clashes between police and demonstrators. Election postponed in four counties until 10/28 due to insecurity. Participation reported to be 34%.

10/25/2017

Supreme Court fails to rule on a petition to delay the election due to lack of a quorum. Opposition cries foul. Kenyatta declared public holidays 10/25 and 10/26, but Chief Justice David Maraga ordered the court in session anyway. However, Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu failed to appear after her driver was seriously wounded in an attack and three other justices failed to appear.

10/18/2017

Senior member of Kenya election commission, in New York, resigns. Demonstrations protest a lack of fairness in election process.

10/12/2017

Kenya bans protests in its three largest cities, but opposition vows to continue.

10/11/2017

Kenya legislature passes bill saying that if a single candidate remains in an election because all others have dropped out, that candidate wins without any further voting. Other sections allow for manual vote results transmission among other measures. Opposition lawmakers boycotted the vote. There are protests in the streets and calls for major reforms of the election system.

10/11/2017

Kenya court allows opposition candidate Ekuru Aukot to run in the new election, though he received less than 1% of the vote previously.

10/10/2017

Odinga quits presidential race, saying the election commission needs more time to make reforms that will allow for a credible election. He was reported to be concerned that the 10/26 election would also be tainted. Odinga may be thinking that Kenyatta knows that unless both run in an election, at least half the country will not consider the president valid.

10/04/2017

National Assembly Speaker approves constitutionality of proposed election law changes, which some fear will give the government more power over eledtions. The laws will be debated after parliament resumes on 10/10. The law seeks to trim the powers of chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), reduce the number needed for a quorum, and make manual transmission of voting.

09/19/2017

In an increasingly confused situation, Kenya Supreme Court criticizes electoral commission in more detailed report on the election. Opposition protestors outside the court were tear-gassed.

09/19/2017

Supreme Court agrees to hear case on independence referendum for the Western Province, which was part of Uganda before the departure of the British in 1962.

09/05/2017

Kenyatta agrees to second election scheduled for 10/25, but criticizes Supreme Court members. Odinga calls for guarantees that the election will be held fairly.

09/01/2017

Supreme Court annuls the election due to “irregularities and illegalities” and orders a new election.

08/19/2017

Opposition formally files challenge to the election in the Supreme Court.

08/16/2017

Odinga says he will challenge election results in Supreme Court to expose vote fraud, not to overturn result.

08/11/2017

Kenyatta is officially called the winner of the election with 54% to Odinga's 45%. Protests follow and the opposition Super National Coalition says it will respond on 8/15.

08/08/2017

Presidential election dispute cause crisis

Voting in Kenya is peaceful, but Odinga says that the election results may have been manipulated electronically using Msando’s identity.

07/31/2017

Head of election commission, Chris Msando, is found dead.