outside view
MAMELLO MATIKINCA: Confidence in Kenya likely to improve as election tensions ease
While it is difficult to predict a court ruling, the election has been widely viewed as free and fair
The resilience of the Kenyan economy is put to the test while we await a court ruling of the contested election results, following allegations by Raila Odinga that the electronic voting system was compromised. Polls ahead of the elections suggested that the incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta was the preferred candidate; however, the gap had narrowed significantly. While this is not new to Kenya, tensions will nonetheless remain elevated. Fortunately, Kenya has one of the better-performing economies in the region, though challenges remain. For instance, Kenya has historically been prone to sluggish growth during an election year and this will remain the case over the course of 2017. Furthermore, it is still emerging from the drought that had engulfed parts of the region over the past year. Growth in the agriculture sector - the backbone of the Kenyan economy - fell to levels last seen in 2012. This weighed on food security and exports. Business sentiment has also weakened on the back of comme...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.