The Cost of Politics in Kenya

In this episode, Kamau Wairuri talks to Tom Mboya, a governance consultant, on the cost of politics in Kenya. Our discussion is based on the findings of a study that Tom conducted with Prof Karuti Kanyinga on the topic. The study is a part of a global study. The findings can be found on https://www.costofpolitics.net/ Tom and I discussed how much candidates spend in their election campaigns and why this cost varies by party, region and gender of the candidate. We also talked about the impact that the rising costs of election campaigns is having on Kenyan politics, including how it influences the kind of people who can offer themselves as candidates for election. References: Karuti Kanyinga & Tom Mboya. The cost of politics in Kenya Implications for political participation and development. (Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), London and Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), The Hague, July 2021).