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Abstract:
The 2013 elections were Kenya's fifth since the country returned to multiparty politics and the direct election of its president in 1992. Three of the preceding four elections were marked by violence. But in only one—the 2007 presidential contest—was the violence triggered by deep dissatisfaction with the electoral process and the electoral commission that administered the balloting. In an effort to avoid repeating the 2007 electoral debacle, Kenya's election commission turned to technology, but its high-tech voter-registration and vote-count processes fell short. Its experience has important lessons both for emerging democracies and for international donors.

The 2013 elections were Kenya's fifth since the country returned to multiparty politics and the direct election of its president in 1992. Three of the preceding four elections were marked by violence. But in only one -- the 2007 presidential contest -- was the violence triggered by deep dissatisfaction with the electoral process and the electoral commission that administered the balloting. In an effort to avoid repeating the 2007 electoral debacle, Kenya's election commission turned to technology, but its high-tech voter-registration and vote-count processes fell short. Its experience has important lessons both for emerging democracies and for international donors. Adapted from the source document.

Abstract:
Although the efficacy of democracy assistance (DA) has long been the subject of critical debate, there have been few systematic efforts to evaluate the impact of this complex form of foreign aid. How and why has such assistance helped recipients and the organizations that they lead in their efforts to advance democratization in their respective countries? What are the greatest strengths of DA? What are its principal shortcomings? What about the personnel of the international donor agencies and NGOs that provide DA? Are they competent in their dealings with recipients? How knowledgeable are they about the countries in which they work? And most important, what has been the overall impact of DA, both for the individual recipient organizations and at the societal level?

It is possible that in 10 years' time Kenyans will look back on the current crisis as the turning point at which the country came close to political disintegration, but drew back and established a long-term framework for democratic consolidation.

Abstract: Although legislative performance is uneven across the African continent, the legislature is emerging as a "player" in some countries. It has begun to initiate and modify laws to a degree never seen during the era of neopatrimonial rule or even in the early years after the return of multiparty politics. And in some countries (Kenya, Malawi, and Nigeria), though not in others (Namibia and Uganda), it has blocked presidents from changing the constitution to repeal limits on presidential terms. In short, legislatures in Africa are beginning to matter. That said, there is no uniformity across Africa and we are only beginning to understand and explain the variations.