When did multiparty politics return to Kenya?

Multiparty politics returned to Kenya in December 1991, when President Daniel arap Moi accepted a constitutional amendment that reinstated multiparty elections.1

This shift followed years of mounting domestic and international pressure for political reform. A significant turning point occurred on July 7, 1990—now commemorated as Saba Saba—when a rally calling for the restoration of multiparty democracy was violently dispersed by police, sparking widespread protests and emboldening political activism. Following this, Western financial aid became increasingly tied to demands for democratic reforms, ultimately leading to the 1991 constitutional change. The country’s first multiparty elections under this new system were held in December 1992.213