Why Muslims need to be more active in elections

Muslims make up about 30 per cent of Kenya’s population. However, the official figure, according to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, shows a figure much lower than that. In Kenya’s politics, the Muslim community has decided to take a back seat. In Tanzania, there is an agreement that Muslims and Christians alternate in succession politics. When President Julius Nyerere retired from active politics he handed over power to Hassan Mwinyi, a Muslim.

Since then presidents of Tanzania alternated between Muslims and Christians. Hassan Mwinyi was succeeded by Benjamin Mkapa, a Christian, who in turn handed the baton of power to Jakaya Kikwete, a Muslim. The current President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu succeeded the late John Magufuli who succumbed to illness recently. The situation in Tanzania might be a little different because Tanzania has a federal system where power is shared between Tanganyika and Zanzibar – two nations that combined to form the federal republic of Tanzania.