Assessment of the Ethnic Factor in the Kenyan Electoral Violence: a Case Study of Mathare, 1992-2017

Abstract

This thesis set out to assess the ethnic factor in the Kenyan electoral violence with a specific case study of Mathare. The study was guided by three specific objectives which includes; Assess how politicized ethnic factor triggers electoral violence in Kenya since 1992, Examine the role of political parties in ethnic politics and post-election violence since 1992, Investigate the efficacy of the approaches to mitigate electoral violence in Kenya. The study was anchored of conceptual framework integrating primordial and instrumentalism theories together. The study has chosen to apply both theories because neither of the above theory has adequate explanatory and prescriptive power to guide the study on its own. However the two theories combined in study exhibit fundamental variables which effectively connect the research to the existing body of knowledge. The study largely employed qualitative research methods of analysis. The study has noted that Kenyan society is a victim of ethnic loyalty. Most people vote along tribal lines as opposed to performance and policy of leaders. Formation of political parties is also tribal lines; the study has actually noted that there is barely any political party in Kenya with proper philosophy and ideological basis. What exist are just legally registered tools for with just one interest of acquiring political power. This has made tribalism to be an important factor in Kenyan politics. Additionally, political parties play a major role in shaping a destiny of a country. From 1992 when multiparty politics were reintroduced in Kenya, politicized ethnicity has been a major strategy of mobilizing for votes by political parties formed along ethnic lines. The political parties have influence over independent institutions like IEBC and Judiciary; therefore to a large they do influence the outcome of elections as was the case in 2007/8 post-election violence in Kenya. The study has identified that political parties are emblematic of everything evil in Kenya since they are the main agents of politicized ethnicity and any election related violence in Kenya. Whenever controversy over elections arises, political parties are at the center of events. The political accuses each other for colliding with IEBC and other institutions to rig presidential elections. When democracy fails to deliver, losers cannot accept victors as legitimate; therefore this has left the burden of fighting for restoration of democracy to the opposition parties which has been at a heavy cost. Post-election violence arises as opposition political Parties question the extent to which elections were conducted in free and fair manner, whether the electoral rules were followed and whether the outcome of the elections reflect the true preferences of the voter. This issues results electoral related violence which contested along different ethnic groups in support of different political parties. Since 2007/8 post-election violence different approaches have been established to mitigate the risks of electoral violence before, during and after elections, however the risk of future post-election violence still remains high. The approaches undertaken include; improved management and administration of elections, effective electoral dispute resolution, engagement of the security sector, monitoring of elections, civic and voter education programs, peace campaigns, voter consultations and youth programming aided in averting mass violence. These approaches have varying level of success but are less effective to counter politics of ethnicity and post-election violence.