At the time the county was a one-party state with the Kenya African National Union as the sole legal party.

The mlolongo or queue system involved party members lining up behind photographs of their preferred candidate.

[2] In a country of 20 million people, 4,528,480 were KANU members, and there were accusations that the mlolongo system resulted in voter intimidation and fraud during the primaries.

[2] Beyond, a church-based magazine was banned after it condemned the public voting as "a mockery of justice.

"[2] At the first meeting of newly elected Assembly in April 1988, Fred Mbiti Gideon Mati, who had been Speaker since 1970, resigned, and the National Assembly elected Moses Kiprono arap Keino as his replacement.