| dc.description.abstract | Political participation is the embodiment of democracy; it not only legitimizes the
state and the policies emanating from it, but also reinforces accountability,
participatory government, links individuals to the governing process and acts as a
conduit for articulation of interests, voicing citizen concerns and giving feedback on
various subjects.
Facilitation of political participation is considered the preserve of the state mainly
through the provision of an enabling environment, however the state has realized very
little. This has necessitated civil society, a non-state actor to address this government
deficiency through advocacy to create awareness, raise political interest and
facilitation of dialogue among the citizens, all which are vital elements of political
participation. This is cognizant to the need for greater inclusion of various
stakeholders including institutions and individuals to participate in governance.
The purpose of this study is to establish the role of civil society in political
participation through linking Kenyans to the governance structure and civil society
contribution to political discourse, focusing on the years between 2007 and 2013. It
further examines the dynamics that influence political participation, the trends of
political participation in that period and tries to establish the point of disconnect that
translates to dismal political participation among Kenyans despite government efforts
and how civil society is addressing this gap.
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), a German, non-profit foundation will be the case
study civil society in this research, where its various programmes, activities and
partnerships will be used to highlight civil society advocacy in political participation.
The study will also analyse other civil society organizations to have a holistic
understanding of political participation. | en_US |
