Weak Mandate Clouds Kenya’s Future President Moi’s Questionable Re-Election Threatens Rebuilding In Crucial Land

As Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi got ready to embark on a fifth five-year term after his re-election in grossly flawed and chaotic general elections last week, many Kenyans and outside observers expressed doubt that he will be able to carry out the overhaul needed to ensure the country’s position as East Africa’s pivotal nation.

Confronted with the challenges of eradicating corruption, promoting development and forging national unity, analysts said, Moi must remake himself and his government to achieve in five years what he has failed to do in 20.

Although voting results were still expected Saturday from the country’s sparsely populated northeastern region and from a couple of constituencies in Nairobi, the capital, election officials confirmed that Moi had garnered the necessary 25 percent of the votes in five of the country’s eight provinces to declare victory.

Unofficial results gave the president, whose inauguration was anticipated as early as Sunday, 39 percent of the vote. His closest challengers, Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga - who reportedly won 33 percent and 11.5 percent, respectively - have rejected the results, charging widespread rigging.

Irregularities at last week’s poll included mixed-up and missing ballots and ballot boxes.

The demise of basic services has been attributed to economic losses caused by high-level graft and by theft from the country’s public coffers.

Evidence of poor governance last year led the International Monetary Fund to halt a three-year, $205-million aid package. That decision caused the stock exchange to slump, interest rates to skyrocket and the currency, the shilling, to depreciate by 25 percent.

Many analysts are doubtful that Moi will be able to ensure the country’s economic recovery by honoring his pre-election promise that a recently created anti-corruption unit takes “its work seriously and that the law is followed to the letter, irrespective of who is involved.”

Despite the problems, the ruling party insisted in a public statement Friday that the election results indicated that Kenyans “have demonstrated their faith in KANU and its leader, President Daniel Arap Moi.”

Not quite, say some observers, who believe that the vote was evidence of a timid electorate demonstrating its traditional caution and reserve.