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
Chirau Ali Mwakwere but he left to join the new opposition National Rainbow Coalition which won the 2002 elections. He is a Muslim and enjoys playing golf. Mwakwere remained Minister for Transport in the Cabinet named by President Mwai Kibaki on January 8, 2008, following the controversial December 2007 presidential election, and after Kibaki and his rival, Raila Odinga, reached a power-sharing agreement, Mwakwere remained in his post as Minister for Transport in the grand coalition Cabinet named on April 13, 2008. As of Friday, February 5, 2010, Mwakwere lost his cabinet and parliamentary seat. This was due to a petition filed by