The growth of a democratic system in Kenya may be hindered by these and other factors.
Hughes (1951) points out various characteristics of a democratic society. These include:
a) Community or social interests have precedence over individual interests:
In a democratic state, all power is derived from the people. It is the will of the people that rules: the collective will of the people dictates decision making. There are shared beliefs of what is good and bad, right and wrong. These shared values help to determine the character of the group. The community expects everyone to behave in accord with established norms. However, in Kenya, personal interests sometimes supersede community interests. In the constitutional review process, Wanjiku - who symbolized the common majority - clearly defined the type of constitution that is needed. Her views were largely ignored by those in power. In fact, Wanjiku's views were further debated in parliament. 'This is an example of social interests being ignored. It further indicates that citizens. are marginalized by elected officials who believe that the questions of the day are too complex for the average citizen to have any meaningful opinion. There is a shift from social to individual orientation. This phenomenon is not unique to Kenya, it is common throughout Africa.
b) The majority, if not all, in the community share common goals and accept broad policies for their achievement:
In a democratic state, certain values are accepted and respected by all members. These include the value for hard work, discipline, dedication, sincerity, patriotism, morality and efficiency.
In Kenya, there is a lot of emphasis on national unity and national development. However, Kenya is among the few African countries where . tribal clashes still occur due to conflict over water catchment areas and livestock thefts, Majority of Kenyans believe that corruption is wrong ' and perpetrators should be punished. However, those in power/authority have not shown a similar conviction, Despite escalating poverty (56% of Kenyans are absolutely poor), there are advanced plans to create forty two new constituencies before the next General Elections in 2007,'despite opposition from the public. This will bring the total number of elected members of parliament to 252 from 210. Add to this number 12 nominated members and you have 264 MPs in the 10th Parliament. Now consider that each Member of Parliament takes home about half a million shillings in salaries and allowances. The cost of the next parliament is likely to be colossal. In addition to this, each MP has at his/her disposal 20 million shillings in form of the Constituency Development Fund every year. This Fund was overwhelmingly endorsed by representatives of-50 registered political parties. Nonetheless, the National Social Health Insurance Scheme Bill which could have given the majority of poor Kenyans access to medical care and thus relieve the suffering of millions - was rejected "(allegedly) because the government could not afford it. It was too expensive! Such behaviour challenges democratic ideals in society.
c) All those who wish to participate may and have a right to do .so Democratic principles require that all those who want to participate in any activity are free to do so as long as they met the laid down requirements.
However, disparities and differences in the share of opportunities and resources deny people equal access and participation in development. One's socio-economic status determines the extent to which he/ she can participate in various activities. In Kenya, rarely do you find someone from the slum areas like Mathare playing golf, tennis or horse riding. These sports are dominated by wealthy people from Muthaiga, Karen, Kileleshwa and other rich neighborhoods. This is due to the costs involved. As much as parents may want to enroll their children in expensive private schools, the fee required is out of reach of many. A study by Kombo (2004) on public and private schools in Kenya noted that some top private schools catering for elite members of Kenyan society typically charge between KShs 300,000 and KShs 600,000 per year, equivalent to US $3,800 and US $7,600. Others charge about KShs 100,000 per year. This is beyond the annual savings of most families. Some hotels and hospitals are exclusively for the elite in society because they charge exorbitant fees. This is a mechanism to keep off the riff raffs (commoners).
Cultural practices also hinder many people from pursuing their dreams. For example, parents still circumcise their daughters in large numbers in Tana River district despite a government ban. The practice has forced many girls out of school and into marriages at a very tender age (Martin, 2005).
In some communities, female children are not al-lowed to go to school. Some men also forbid their wives from pursuing higher education. Regional disparities and hostile terrains have resulted in some areas being cut off from the rest, thereby affecting-students' desire for education. Political interference in many African countries, under the guise of ensuring security, has hindered people from exercising what they feel is a democratic right: freedom of expression.
d) Diversity is accepted and appreciated as an enrichment of the social fabric:
Democratic ideals encourage creativity. People are free to explore their talents and to be objective. A healthy democracy depends on the ability of citizens to express their views freely. This includes the right and obligation to criticize and oppose the actions and policies of their governments.
In Kenya, demonstrations by groups such as city council workers, matatu crews or students have been disrupted in crude ways; sometimes resulting in death of some demonstrators. Diversity of opinions has at times been curtailed, for example, the curtailing of press freedom. According to Mugo (2005), a media and communication officer at the Kenya Human Rights Commission, despite its pre-election pledges, the government did not revoke laws that threaten press freedom including the Official Secrets Act, sections of the Penal Code and the Books and Newspaper Act. She points out that although making it mandatory for public servants to declare their wealth would ideally help control abuse of power and looting of government resources., it makes no sense to keep such information highly confidential. Mugo wonders how the public can hold the government accountable if too many laws deny the same public access to information. Though the constitution provides sometimes, what the public is told is affected by what government, business and the media choose to highlight. This tends to limit open mindedness in society. Democracy is impossible without accountability and transparency. Media have a crucial role to play; they are the mouthpiece of the silent majority.
e) Policies must be dynamic and amenable to change:
Democratic ideals require that whatever policies are made should be for the good of all citizens. Unworkable policies should be amended.
In Africa, structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) have been criticized for the massive increase in poverty levels among citizens. Little has been done to improve SAPs. Tendering procedures have also been criticized for the increase in stalled projects. However, social forces near the center of power are often so entrenched in the national bureaucracy as Jo "be constant in the political setting within which national policy-making takes shape. Their influence is so powerful that policy makers give virtually no voice to principled criticism from the common man. Escalating unemployment and retrenchment are an indication that policies related to citizen welfare are not viewed with the seriousness they deserve. When machines, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than the basic needs of people, then democracy cannot be achieved. Majority of people in Africa need (affordable) national health care but their need is strongly opposed by lobbyists of insurance firms, medical industries, private hospitals and elites. Majority of people have campaigned against tobacco companies but these firms have crushed all opposition. In fact, some decision makers have ..enjoyed luxurious holidays paid for by these very companies.
The majority wants a livable wage but the Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers undermine efforts to raise the minimum wage to a decent level. Overall,, social interests often have very little impact on decision making in Africa.
f) The leadership must be able to inspire and integrate divergence:
In a democratic organization, the leader is liberal. Divergent views are allowed and encouraged for the welfare of the whole group. This helps create group and personal fulfillment. However, some leaders are not sufficiently immune to political interference, kinship considerations and bribery. Such leaders, therefore, display excessive sensitivity to divergent views. They try to control what the group thinks and does on a day to day basis.
g) Authority (legitimate) must exist to ensure consistency in pursuit of policy:
In a democratic organization, rules, regulations and individual roles are clearly defined. This facilitates standardization and equality in the treatment of all. However, in some organizations., the 'kitchen cabinet' makes all decisions, leaving the rest to follow blindly. Intimidation and Victimization are rampant in Africa.
francis1897 answered the question on August 22, 2022 at 08:32