The 'Handshake' Politics in Post-Independence Kenya: The Long Search for Elusive National Unity

This paper examines the handshake politics in post-independence Kenya. In a nutshell, the paper examines the truce between Kenya African National Union (KANU) and the opposition parties: the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU) and African Peoples Party (APP). It also discusses the truce between KANU and National Democratic Party (NDP) and the subsequent folding up of the NDP in 2002. The paper also analyses the handshake between National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) and the opposition parties after the failed referendum in 2005. Thirdly, the paper also discusses the truce between the Party of National Unity (PNU) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) in 2008 and the subsequent formation of the Government of National Unity. The paper also examines the truce between Jubilee Party and ODM in 2018 which gave birth to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). Finally, the paper discusses the handshake between ODM party and the Kenya Kwanza government in 2024 following the successful anti-finance bill 2024 protests. The objectives of the paper are; to trace the historiography of political handshakes in the post-independence period. Secondly, to examine the reasons behind the political handshakes among the political elite in post-independence Kenya. Finally, the paper analyses how the handshake politics has shaped the political landscapes in the Kenyan post-independence period. This paper is anchored on Rational Choice and Liberal Democracy theories. A historical research design informs the methodology of the study. Likewise, the study adopts the use of both primary and secondary sources of data for the purposes of data collection. Primary data was collected from archival records such as speeches, newspapers and television interviews while secondary data was collected through the use of published journals, books, theses, periodicals and internet resources. These sources are supplemented by personal observations and reflections by the author. The collected data was analysed in a thematic manner. The paper argues that political handshakes have not been vehicles for achieving Kenya’s national unity. Rather, they are backdoor deals among political elite aimed at protecting their political and economic interests. Thus, these political co-operations are all about bringing on board rival political elite into the government for rent-sharing so that they are dissuaded from antagonizing the state.