Are we relying on ethnic bases and political autocracy in polls?

 A Nasa supporter jumps from a bus after riot police fired teargas canisters to disperse them on January 30, 2018. [File, Standard]

The reintroduction of multi-party competition in December 1991 heralded a new brand of democracy anchored in the opposition’s collective desire to dislodge the Kenya African National Union (Kanu) from power and on ethnic numeric prowess.

These political parties were initially urban-based although enjoying near-fanatical support from the ethnic communities of their leaders. Kanu being the independence political party, had along its long political hold on Kenyan politics vanquished Opposition politics since 1969, with Kenya having become a dejure one-party State in 1982.