Overview

The path towards democracy in Kenya has been long and often tortuous. Though it has been trumpeted as a goal for decades, democratic government has never been fully realised, largely as a result of the authoritarian excesses of the Kenyatta, Moi and Kibaki regimes. This uniquely comprehensive study of Kenya's political trajectory shows how the struggle for democracy has been waged in civil society, through opposition parties, and amongst traditionally marginalised groups like women and the young. It also considers the remaining impediments to democratisation, in the form of a powerful police force and damaging structural adjustment policies. Thus, the authors argue, democratisation in Kenya is a laborious and non-linear process. Kenyans' recent electoral successes, the book concludes, have empowered them and reinvigorated the prospects for democracy, heralding a more autonomous and peaceful twenty-first century.

Full Product Details

Author:   Shadrack W. Nasong'o ,  Godwin R. Murunga
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Zed Books Ltd
Dimensions:   Width: 13.80cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 21.60cm
Weight:   0.458kg
ISBN:  

9781842778579

ISBN 10:   1842778579
Pages:   368
Publication Date:   15 February 2007
Audience:   General/trade ,  Professional and scholarly ,  General ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Part I: Introduction 1 Prospects for Democracy in Kenya - Shadrack Wanjala Nasong'o and Godwin and R. Murunga Part II: Civil Society and the Politics of Opposition 2. Negotiating New Rules of the Game: Social Movements, Civil Society and the Kenyan Transition - Shadrack Wanjala Nasong'o 3. Religious Movements and Democratization in Kenya: Between the Sacred and the Profane - Margaret Gathoni Gecaga 4. The Contemporary Opposition in Kenya: Between Internal Traits and State Manipulation - Adams G.R. Oloo Part III: Major Consituencies in the Democratization Process 5. Leaders of Tomorrow? The Youth and Democratization in Kenya - Mshai S. Mwangola 6. Women in Kenya's Politics of Transition and Democratization - Shadrack Wanjala Nasong'o and Theodora O. Oyot 7. Intellectuals and the Democratisation Process in Kenya - Maurice N. Amutabi 8. The Role of the Police in Kenya's Democratisation Process - Edwin A. Gimode Part IV: Donors and the Politics of Structural Adjustment 9. Governance and the Politics of Structural Adjustment - Godwin R. Murunga 10. From Demiurge to Midwife: Changing Donor Rules in Kenya's Democratisation Process - Stephen Brown

Reviews

Riveting, compelling, engaging and inspiring. Not only is Kenya: The Struggle for Democracy a book of first-rate scholarship, it is an informative and readable treatise on the everyday expressions of Kenyan citizens' intense passions for openness, justice and responsible governance. Murunga, Nasong'o and their contributors lay bear the plethora of shenanigans the Kenyan state, its lenders and its clients have used over time to ensure the monopolization of power by the few . - Lisa Aubrey, Ohio University A very refreshing, rigorous, informative, and multidisciplinary analysis of Kenya's transition to democratic governance. Kenya: The Struggle for Democracy not only identifies the reasons behind Kenya's failure to institutionalize democracy, but it also provides possible solutions. - John Mukum Mbaku, Willard L. Eccles Professor of Economics and John S. Hinckley Fellow, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah 'A moving and comprehensive analysis of institutions and actors that have shaped Kenya's future ... For Africanists, this is compulsory reading which requires a response.' - Winnie Mitullah, University of Nairobi 'The collective wisdom on Kenyan tribal matters represented in this book is difficult to doubt...the authors' preconceptions about Kenyan governance are noble...the book contains valuable material for understanding Kenyan tribal politics.' - Jonathan Stevenson, Survival

'Riveting, compelling, engaging and inspiring. Not only is Kenya: The Struggle for Democracy a book of first-rate scholarship, it is an informative and readable treatise on the everyday expressions of Kenyan citizens' intense passions for openness, justice and responsible governance. Murunga, Nasong'o and their contributors lay bear the plethora of shenanigans the Kenyan state, its lenders and its clients have used over time to ensure the monopolization of power by the few.' Lisa Aubrey, Ohio University 'A very refreshing, rigorous, informative, and multidisciplinary analysis of Kenya's transition to democratic governance. Kenya: The Struggle for Democracy not only identifies the reasons behind Kenya's failure to institutionalize democracy, but it also provides possible solutions.' John Mukum Mbaku, Weber State University 'A moving and comprehensive analysis of institutions and actors that have shaped Kenya's future ... For Africanists, this is compulsory reading which requires a response.' Winnie Mitullah, University of Nairobi 'The collective wisdom on Kenyan tribal matters represented in this book is difficult to doubt...the authors' preconceptions about Kenyan governance are noble...the book contains valuable material for understanding Kenyan tribal politics.' Jonathan Stevenson, Survival

Author Information

Godwin R Murunga is a lecturer in history at Kenyatta University, Nairobi. Shadrack W. Nasong'o is currently Assistant Professor of International Studies, Rhodes College, Memphis.

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