Kenya : The Struggle for Democracy

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.

“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

“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 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