Kenya’s Spiritual President and The Making of a Born-Again Republic: William-Ruto, Kenya’s Evangelicals and Religious Mobilizations in African Electoral Politics
Over the last two decade, the growing influence of Evangelicals and their leaders in electoral politics is one of the most significant developments in the East African region and the Horn of Africa. Their numerical and demographic growth seems to go together with their growing influence in these countries’ political scenes, especially in the spheres of electoral politics, society, and governance.
This paper examines the impact of Evangelicals in the region’s politics and the implications for democracy and public policy making, with a focus on East Africa. The Kenyan case study highlights new developments in the East African region. Using the Kenyan 2022 general election and an in-depth analysis of the relationship between President William Ruto and Evangelicals, the first section of the paper investigates the multifaceted dynamics between Evangelicals and Kenyan elites and tackles their recent engagements in electoral politics. It engages with emerging trends that shape not just Evangelical leaders’ relationships with African politicians but also theological fluctuations and religious factors that shape their political behavior, religious mobilization, strategies of engagements, and their influence on electoral processes and outcomes.
The role of the First Lady in religious diplomacy is detailed in section two, and the emerging shifts and tensions from historical, theological, and transnational perspectives are discussed in section three. The demonstration elucidates the complexities inherent in Evangelical political participation before, during and after election campaigns, including the tensions between religious values, civic responsibilities, and political ideologies.
By unpacking these dynamics, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the intersections between religion and politics in the African continent and offers insights into the evolving landscape of electoral dynamics in the East African region in particular.
Note produced by the French Institute for Research in Africa (IFRA-Nairobi) for the Directorate General of International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS) of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces as part of the East and Central Africa Observatory in partnership with IFRI.
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Kenya’s Spiritual President and The Making of a Born-Again Republic: William-Ruto, Kenya’s Evangelicals and Religious Mobilizations in African Electoral Politics
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Founded in 2007, Ifri's Sub-Saharan Africa center produces an in-depth analysis of the African continent and its security, geopolitical, political and socio-economic dynamics (in particular the phenomenon of urbanization). The Center aims to be both, through various publications and conferences, a space for disseminating analyzes intended for the media and the public but also a decision-making tool for political and economic actors with regard to the continent.
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