Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye wants the West to rethink its political strategies if elections are to have an impact on African governance.

Dr Besigye was delivering a keynote address during the launch of a book on last year's general election in Kenya at a Nairobi hotel.

The book, Kenya: The Failed Quest for Electoral Justice, was written by John Onyando, through a grant from the Kenya Human Rights Commission.

It examines the political events around the 2017 election within a historical framework and concludes that what was to be Kenya’s most free vote turned out to be its most tainted in the multiparty era.

“The elections were so flawed that their true account would be established only through an independent audit such as the one led by former South African judge Johann Kriegler into the 2007 elections,” Mr Onyando said in a statement to the media.

According to Dr Besigye, Western governments have had a negative influence on African elections out of a desire to impose their own idea of stability.

“Let Western nations revisit their template on elections and invest in sustainable peace and stability underpinned by justice. There can never be peace and stability without justice,” Dr Besigye said.

Dr Besigye hailed Kenyans for their resilience and the civil society for remaining steadfast, adding that they have made "a significant step in the democratic struggle."

Other speakers at the launch were former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, political leaders and lawyers who handled election petitions.