Ethnicity in kenya pdf

In the multiparty system ethnic communities tended. The meanings of these terms became more confused when they were translated into. The history of ethnic conflicts in kenya is long traced from the colonial era. The book which features papers by zein abubakar, karuti kanyinga. Experts say politicians beat the drum while many dance to the. In south africa, apartheid recognized and stratified races and. Ethnicity, governance and stability in east and central africa objectives. As we say goodbye to the organization of african unity o. Ethnicity in kenya s elections in 2007, elections in kenya erupted in violence, leaving 1,000 people dead lynch, 2011, 2.

Ethnicity and breast cancer characteristics in kenya article pdf available in breast cancer research and treatment 1672 september 2017 with 592 reads how we measure reads. It is up to the people and the leaders to make sure that it doesnt happen. In other parts of the world such as yugoslavia, burma, and sri lanka, ethnicity has been politicised and has consequently played a major role in triggering violence. A crossnational survey of the 2000 census round ann morning department of sociology, new york university i. Since the period of decolonization, many of these places have been the scenes of significant. This could be brought about by the fundamental differences in the cultures of those different ethnic groupings. Politics is a worldwide concept so why kenya is greatly affected by negative ethnicity is a question only kenyans can answer. Kenya is a patriarchal society and has high levels of. Citizenship and citizen rights are completely divorced from religion or culture. The country has multiple ethnic groups that occupy different regions in the nation each with their language. Introduction many if not most countries around the world categorize their inhabitants by race, ethnicity, andor national origins when it comes time to conduct a census.

The 2009 kenya population and housing census is being managed through an elaborate structure as detailed below. Knbs has released a pdf report of 2019 census population results which indicates the total number of people living in kenya. Ethnicity and democracy in the case of kenya politics essay. Whereas religion played a role in the struggle against colonialism in sudan, somalia, kenya. The report calls for immediate action to address inequality and the marginalization of communities as the best way to ensure kenya remains free of major con. Kenya is one of the most varied lands on the planet both in terms of its geography and its ethnic population. Ethnicity and political pluralism in kenya shilaho westen kwatemba shilaho kwatemba is a phd candidate in the political studies department, university of the witwatersrand, johannesburg email. Pdf ethnicity and breast cancer characteristics in kenya. Major conflicts have also led to exoduses of ethnic minority communities with roots in other. Ethnicity, nationhood and pluralism katiba institute. There are several basic dimensions which ethnicity includes, on either the collective or individual level. Ampicillin products, 20 capsules, 2 tablets and 23 dry suspensions were evaluated for quality by liquid chromatography at thedrug analysis unit university of nairobi. Ethnicity and politics in kenyas turbulent path to.

Ethnicity, human rights and constitutionalism in africa published by. Sudan, somalia, kenya, tanzania and uganda, providing a brief overview of the history of religion and con. Kenya, and there is no denying that ethnic affiliation and loyalty play a significant role in determining electoral choice, but ethnicity can also be seen as an epiphenomenon however, there are material foundations of ethnic thinking that are often not brought to the fore tostensen 2008. Tribalism in africa the complexity of ethnicity 4th semester spring 2009 hib 03. Kenyan perspectives edited by yash ghai and jill cottrell ghai and published by the katiba institute, a civil society organization in nairobi dedicated to the implementation of kenya s 2010 constitution. Present day ethnic and political conflicts in kenya have their roots in colonialism and are exacerbated by a presently dual narrative as to the mau mau and other rebellions that took place across kenya in the 1950s. It gives a clear view about historical and contemporary negative ethnicity in kenya. Where religious attachments of the immigrants are strong, and economic disparities are. A significant increase in the severity of such conflicts between the various ethnic groups inhabiting the country was witnessed after the introduction of multiparty politics in the early 1990s, especially during the 200708 kenyan crisis. Most countries in subsaharan africa are home to diverse ethnic groups living together within borders that were arbitrarily drawn during the colonial period.

The challenges of ethnicity, multiparty democracy and. Ethnic tensions are an enduring phenomenon in kenyan national life. These groups can be classified into three different linguistic groups. Pdf this paper examines the ethnicity as an issue prevailing upon the kenyan society and its implication on the social, economic and political. Examine the regional geopolitical dynamics that have shaped are shaping the relationship between the various actors, i. Races are differentiated by inherited characteristics racial categories are often define based. East and central african journal of pharmaceutical sciences. The impact of ethnic conflict on economic development. Kenya has a very diverse population that includes most major ethnic, racial and linguistic groups found in africa. The kenyan section of the international commission of jurists p. Many are afraid that it could reach the levels of post.

The ethnic violence in kenya in the 1990s may be a thing of the past, but it is very much a part of the present. Ethnicity and multiparty politics in kenya by 1990 when kenya s movement towards democracy had intensified, the ruling party kanu decided to extract political mileage from ethnicity. Kenya is an east african nation with an estimated population of 46. Kenya has led to a stagnating of the discourse when it comes to approaches to address ways. In kenya, tribal politics has given rise to rampant corruption, marginalisation, disenfranchisement of entire. Ethnic politics in kenya violence in twentieth century.

Ethnic group whose big man is in power gets to eat first while others get thescraps later. It calls for disaggregated data, a new constitution to. The study in this paper is about the scholarly view on concepts which are consistent with the study topic. In kenya ethnicity has been used as a partial criterion for apportioning benefits and burdens among the citizenry. Many kenyans thought, perhaps wrongly, that under democracy, there should be competitive politics, that parties would be free to. Politicised ethnicity, competitive politics and conflict in kenya. In kenya there are many ethnic groups and each has its own customs since each ethnic has a distinct origin. A youth alliance armed with a hashtag is hoping to end tribalism and its legacy in politics. Every ethnic group or tribe has its own distinct culture though some cultures may be shared by different ethnic groups.

It concludes that whereas ethnicity manifested itself in both phases, in the oneparty system the contest was often confined to intraethnic friction and rivalries among clans, subtribes and regionalism. Together, the five largest groups the kikuyu, luhya, luo, kamba, and kalenjin make up 70% of kenya s population. This paper attempts to tease out the complex transaction between competitive politics, ethnicity and ethnic con ict in kenyas multiparty system. The report discusses the use and abuse of ethnicity in. Kenyan politics, also raising the problem of the defensive ness of many in politics on ethnic issues. But democracy and participation of this kind cannot function without some sort of social solidarity. People from asian or european heritage living in kenya are estimated at around 200,000.

Posner bound but because, in a context where the goal is to capture resources from the state, and where politicians woo support by promising to channel resources to wouldbe voters, ethnicity provides a cue that helps voters distinguish promises that are credible from promises that are not. Conventional wisdom suggests that ethnicity is phenomenally problematic in africa it is held partly responsible for the irrationalities of the development project, for political instability and weak national identity. The republic of kenya sits on the equator where its bordered by the indian ocean, uganda, tanzania, ethiopia, south sudan, and somalia. U, and usher in new african union, one of the issues african leaders need to ponder over is how to balance ethnic consciousness and national patriotism in. Minorities, indigenous peoples and ethnic diversity. In kenya, ethnic communities are generally classified into bantu, nilotes and cushites. It is a clash of interests between two or more tribes. The key concepts that need wide understanding include. Census results 2019 in kenya population per county report. The chapter nuances the nexus of ethnic nationalism, competition for state control and fragmented tribal alliances in kenya. The official language is english as the country was formerly a british colony, while kiswahili is the national language.

Jommo kenyatta of kenya forged a delicate alliance of ethnic groups behind the dominance of his kenyan african national union party. This practice is rampant during employment and discharge of public services in which special and undue consideration is given to a person on the basis of hisher ethnic identity. Ethnic identity refers to ethnicity as an individually experienced phenomenon. Regime change and ethnic cleavages in africa daniel n. The few comparative studies of inequalities in education in kenya stem from the 1960s and 1970s, and are mostly based on regional and socioeconomic factors. Pdf ethnicity as the root cause of conflict and its. Elections and violent conflict in kenya claire elder, susan stigant, and jonas claes. The largest are the kikuyu, with about 7 million people, making up 20% of the nations citizens. Kenyan politics ethnicity even though it s not supposed to single party state kanu until 1992. As in previous elections, the roles played by ethnicity and tribalism are likely to be decisive. Women have been active in both promoting conflict and peacebuilding in pastoralist communities. This article examines the manifestation of ethnicity in kenyan politics and its impact. The foundation and objective of the study topic also has a history which will be a great asset in the topic of study. Many attacks are based on ethnic affiliation and are used to punish certain groups.

The fact that the administrative and ethnic boundaries were coterminous nurtured negative ethnicity as different communities competed for colonial ethnic competition would resources. In post independence kenya, politics has developed along tribal ethnic lines. Given electionrelated tensions, violence has already broken out in various parts of the country. How kenya could move away from the politics of ethnicity.

This paper compares the development of the high politicization of ethnicity in kenya to the low politicization in tanzania by tracing the impact of ethnic structures, colonial administration, land distribution, and nation building policies on the politicization of ethnicity. Bantu and nilotic populations together constitute around 97% of the nations inhabitants. Ethnicity ethnic identity politicisation of ethnicity kenya democracy. Below are figures of the top most populated counties according to kenya national bureau of statistics. There are over 70 different ethnic groups of kenya.

Retrospective analysis and prospective solutions 97 1 introduction 98 2 ethnicity and ethnic fragmentation in kenya 98 3 ethnic exclusivity in the kenyan public service 100 4 remedies for ethnic politics and their applicability in kenya 111 5 conclusion 118 references 120 author biographies 125. Rather, the study will examine some of the main ethnic communities as an illustration of the construction and use of ethnicity in kenya s political arena. Most african countries are considered to have the highest. A global challenge for the christian church and its mission introduction ethnic, tribal, and racial identities are. Ignorance brought about by high levels of illiteracy in africa. Ethnic conflicts in kenya occur frequently, although most are minor skirmishes. In kenya, politics split on ethnic divide africa dw. It highlights the link between politics devoid of principles, ethnic based political parties and state fragility in kenya. When kenyans cast their ballots to pick the president, the roles played by ethnicity and tribalism are likely to be decisive. Ethnicity itself is an abstract concept which includes an implicit reference to both collective and individual aspects of the phenomenon. Advantages and disadvantages of ethnic cultures and. Little is known about the extent of ethnic inequalities in education in kenya, and whether it is an important factor influencing the effectiveness of the education system. Ethnic conflict is an armed warfare between ethnic groups.