Politics of Kenya cross-party parliamentary reform initiative in the fall of 1997 revised some oppressive laws inherited from the colonial era that had been used to limit freedom of speech and assembly. This improved public freedoms and contributed to generally credible national elections in December 1997. In December 2002, Kenya held democratic and open elections and elected Mwai Kibaki as their new president. The elections, which were judged free and fair by local and international observers, marked an important turning point in Kenya's democratic evolution. President Kibaki campaigned on a policy of generating economic growth, improving education, combating corruption, and implementing a new
Simeon Nyachae During the 2002 General Elections he did not succeed in his presidential bid but was able to enter parliament with a 14-member strong FORD-People faction after collecting all constituencies in Kisii. Ford-People was the only sizeable opposition party besides KANU in the 2002 parliament. When president Kibaki's NARC-Coalition started to crumble the support of FORD-People became most welcome and in 2004, when president Mwai Kibaki was facing strong opposition from his cabinet he recalled Nyachae to government as Minister for Energy and later for Roads. Nyachae was named in the Waki report as one of the masterminds of the 2007-2008