Describe the historical perspective of democracy in Kenya.

The question of whether or not democracy exists in Kenya is a debatable one. There are those who view Kenya as a democratic state while others insist that it is a authoritarian country. Historically, democracy hardly existed during colonialism. In the first election of 1920, only whites had the right to vote. This was justified by the- view that Africans were ignorant and disorganized. The colonialists' fear of democracy was based on their desire to maintain the status quo. In 1923 and 1924, the Phelps/Stokes Commission visited Kenya and introduced the Devonshire White Paper which advocated a policy of separate development along racial lines. It was in 1944 that the first African was nominated to the Legislative Council (LEGCO).

Internal and international pressure led to the establishment of liberal democratic politics in the 1950s and 1960s.

The 1963 elections were complete, with all legal and institutional frameworks. These included a constitution, many parties, electoral competition and civil rights. Since 1963, Kenya has witnessed a transformation of the Executive, Legislature and judiciary. Through successive constutional amendments, the Executive has become so powerful that functions of the Legislature and Judiciary have sometimes been severely curtailed. There has been a trend of ever increasing authoritarian ism by the Executive, embodied a presidency that has neutralized democracy.

Today, elections are held at regular or semi-regular intervals. The citizens are asked to choose representatives from a narrow array of candidates chosen by special interest groups; people about whom they knew almost anything and whose credentials for the job are almost always highly suspect. Once elected, these representatives no longer represent the wishes, desires and needs of the populace.

Most of the time, people have complained that their elected representatives are free to do as they wish and are not answerable to anyone
until the next poll in five years. In between elections, the representatives are rarely asked by their constituents to explain their actions or
inactions because many citizens countrywide have disengaged from the political process".' Some simply have busy lifestyles or blind trust in the electoral systems. But for many others, it is out of frustration due to a realization that they are 'voiceless.
Increasingly, many Kenyans, particularly 'commoners', arc marginalized by elected officials who believe the questions of the day are too complex for the average citizen to give meaningful opinion. The truth is that many members of society are woefully uneducated about political issues, largely because there is never any reliable information for them to use as guidance. The ruling political parties propose things which opposition parties oppose.

Special interest groups support one or the other, or sometimes, third, fourth or even fifth alternatives. And each of these groups gives members of the society 'facts' with their own special spin. During elections, huge numbers of people choose not to exercise the right to vote, mainly due to security reasons or indifference.

Although democracy is emphasized in Kenya, the fact is that external controls dictate some actions of the country. Powerful bodies like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund dictate the terms of doing business with Kenya. When these dictates are not adhered to, these bodies often threaten to move to more favourable locations.

The education system in Kenya has also been affected by undemocratic practices. During the the colonial era, the purpose of the education given to Africans was towards serving the cause of Christianity and creating loyal subjects. The education system was oppressive and curtailed freedom. The aim of education then was to empower the rulers, No attempts were made to relate education to cultural traditions.

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francis1897 answered the question on August 22, 2022 at 08:41