By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu
“The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.”
–Article 21(3), Universal Declaration
of Human Rights
In April 2017, Maina Kiai changed the face of presidential elections in Kenya. He is neither a politician nor was he a candidate or aspirant seeking political office. Maina trained as a lawyer. For five years, from 2003 he Chaired Kenya’s National Human Rights Commission. In 2011, Maina became the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association. He held that position until 2017.
