Nature of Elections in Africa: A Review of Kenya and Zimbabwe Elections (2000-2020)

This research examines the persistent failure of electoral processes to ensure democratic consolidation in Africa, with specific focus on the Eastern African countries of Kenya and Zimbabwe over a 20 years period from 2000 to 2020. It contends that though periodic elections are a fundamental precept of representative democracy, their conduct in numerous African states is often marred by systematic deficiencies that undermine their integrity and legitimacy. The paper while employing a comparative historical analysis, discovers that flawed elections in these nations emanates from some deeply ingrained issues like the weaponization of ethnic identities (Kenya), state-sponsored violence and coercion (Zimbabwe), biased election management bodies, partisan security agencies, and the pervasive manipulation of media and legal institutions to the interest of the incumbent. The research however unravels that elections, rather than serving as genuine expressions of public will, often function as rituals for the legitimization of entrenched power, leading to recurring post-election violence and political instability. The paper concludes that achieving democratic consolidation (in Africa) requires indeed substantive, not merely procedural, electoral integrity. It recommends comprehensive institutional reforms encompassing truly independent electoral management bodies (EMBs), the re-professionalization of security forces, effective judicial independence, equitable media access, and more robust, principled election observation team by regional bodies like the African Union and SADC to foster credible elections that reflect the reliable aspirations of the citizenry.