How development organizations have navigated Kenya's election uncertainty

NAIROBI — Kenya’s Supreme Court this week upheld the reelection of President Uhuru Kenyatta, pushing the country toward another wave of heightened political tensions. In recent days, faceoffs between protesters and security forces have left at least five dead, just the latest in a series of violent clashes since August, when an initial election result was voided by the courts.  

The tensions have put development actors in a complex bind, trying to navigate whether this instability is a temporary flare up or simply the new normal. Some have placed projects on hold, while other initiatives have been delayed. Programs involving large community meetings were particularly vulnerable during the campaigning periods, as well as projects that involve registering people with their national identification card, as they could be misconstrued as political. Programs in areas that have seen sporadic violence, such as in the informal settlements of Nairobi and in Kisumu, located in Western Kenya, have been hit especially.