Kenya The Struggle for Democracy

by Murunga, Godwin R.; Nasong'o, Shadrack W.

• ISBN13: 9781842778579
• ISBN10: 1842778579
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-03-15
• Publisher: ZED BOOKS

Summary

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.

Author Biography

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.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures	p. ix
Acknowledgements	p. x
List of Abbreviations	p. xii
Preface	p. xvi
Introduction
Prospects for Democracy in Kenya	p. 3
Civil Society and the Politics of Opposition
Negotiating New Rules of the Game: Social Movements, Civil Society and the Kenyan Transition	p. 19
Religious Movements and Democratisation in Kenya: Between the Sacred and the Profane	p. 58
The Contemporary Opposition in Kenya: Between Internal Traits and State Manipulation	p. 90
Major Constituencies in the Democratisation Process
Leaders of Tomorrow? The Youth and Democratisation in Kenya	p. 129
Women in Kenya's Politics of Transition and Democratisation	p. 164
Intellectuals and the Democratisation Process in Kenya	p. 197
The Role of the Police in Kenya's Democratisation Process	p. 227
Donors and the Politics of Structural Adjustment
Governance and the Politics of Structural Adjustment in Kenya	p. 263
From Demiurge to Midwife: Changing Donor Roles in Kenya's Democratisation Process	p. 301
About the Contributors	p. 331
Index	p. 333
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