Kenya drops on Freedom of the World Ranking for 2018

President Uhuru Kenyatta defeated his rival Raila Odinga in polls held in October after the country's Supreme Court annulled the first  election held in August.

Kenya’s Supreme Court initially won broad praise for annulling the results of what it deemed to be a flawed presidential election. However, the period before the court-mandated rerun was marred by a lack of substantive reforms, incidents of political violence, and a boycott by the main opposition candidate, Raila Odinga. These factors undermined the credibility of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory, in which he claimed 98 percent of the vote amid low turnout.

The report also criticised Tanzanian president John Magufuli—who took office in 2015 as a member of the only ruling party the country has ever known—stepped up repression of dissent, detaining opposition politicians, shuttering media outlets, and arresting citizens for posting critical views on social media.

In Uganda, 73-year-old president Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, used his party's majority in Parliament to remove the presidential age limit of 75, which would permit him to run again in 2021.

Museveni had just won reelection the previous year in a process that featured police violence, internet shutdowns, and treason charges against his main challenger.