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Kelcey Grogan
Located in East Africa, Kenya is hailed as the cradle of civilization. Some of the
earliest findings of remains of humans’ ancestors were discovered in the Great Rift Valley
in Kenya. Like many African nations, Kenya is home to different ethnic groups and tribes,
contributing to both a vibrant, diverse culture, and some historical conflicts (Country
Profile: Kenya, 2010). 36 million people call Kenya home, with 4 million living in the capital
city of Nairobi. These 36 million people are members of 42 different ethnic groups (KenyaInformation at a Glance). Kenya’s has some neighbors with tumultuous governments
including Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Somalia. Comparatively, Kenya has
enjoyed a relatively stable political history (Country Profile: Kenya, 2010).
In 1895, Kenya became part of the Britain’s East African Protectorate. This act
promoted the settling of the fertile highlands in Kenya by Europeans. Local Kenyan settlers
were displaced. Kenya was officially made a British colony in 1920, however Africans were
not allowed to participate politically. In 1944, a few native Kenyans were appointed, not
elected, as representatives to act on legislation (Background Note-Kenya, 2010).
Beginning in 1952, Kenya entered into a state of emergency during the “Mau Mau”
rebellion. This was an uprising against British colonial rule and their unfair land practices
that were disadvantageous to native Kenyans. During the insurgency, tens of thousands of
members of the Kikuyu tribe lost their lives. British lives lost numbered to 650. For the first
time in their history, the African participation in government and political demonstrations
increased dramatically (Background Note-Kenya, 2010).
On December 12, 1963 Kenya gained its independence from British rule. One year
later Jomo Kenyatta became the country’s first President. He ruled until his death in August
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1978. Vice President Daniel Arap Moi then became interim President, and, in October 1978,
was formally elected President. Moi, a member of the Kenya African National Union party,
would rule for the next 24 years (Country Profile:Kenya, 2010).
Kenya’s original constitution established it as a Republic. However, in 1982 the
National Assembly amended the constitution, officially making it a one party state. Despite
opposition and unsuccessful attempts to change this ruling, it was not until 1991 that the
constitutional measure was repealed. It took until elections in 2002 for Moi to be voted out
by a coalition of opposition parties that joined together to form the National Rainbow
Coalition. Mwai Kibaki was then elected as the country’s third President (Background NoteKenya).
One explanation behind the difficulty in voting Moi out in elections throughout the
1990s was the set up of Kenya’s election system and parliament. Kenya’s government was
modeled around a Plurality-Majority System. In Plurality Systems, the candidate who
gathers the most votes, not necessarily the absolute majority, is the winner. Moi was able to
remain in power despite only having 36.91% of the vote in 1992. His three opposition
candidates garnered 25.95%, 19.83%, and 17.31% of the votes. It was only once the
oppositions parties banded together that were they able to successful defeat the incumbent
candidate in 2002 (Nasongo, 2007).
Presidents Moi served as head of the executive branch of government as head of
both the state and military. Cabinet members were appointed to their positions. The
judicial branch of the government included the high courts, court of appeals, various lower
courts, and courts on Sharia (Islamic law) (Background note-Kenya, 2010). The unicameral
National Assembly makes up the legislative branch and is a parliamentary system. There
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are 210 members who are elected to a term of five years from single member
constituencies. Local administration is divided among 140 rural districts that are led by a
commissioner who is appointed by the president. These districts join to form seven rural
provinces. Nariobi is its own province (Background note-Kenya, 2010).
There was widespread political unrest after the 2007 elections. Both incumbent
candidate Mwai Kibaki and his political opponent, Raila Odinga claimed to have won the
presidency. They entered in a power sharing agreement with Kibaki maintaining his role as
President and Odinga assuming the role of Prime Minister. This deal aimed to end the
violence that erupted after the elections, which left 1,500 people dead and more than
300,000 injured or displaced (Country Profile: Kenya, 2010).
In another attempt to quell citizen uprising, the new coalition government expanded
its cabinet to forty two ministry positions to further distribute power away from the
president. This cabinet was the largest in Kenya’s history (Background Note-Kenya, 2010).
Three of the ministries that the Children and Youth Empowerment Center (CYEC) deals
with are the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Development, the Ministry of Local
Government, and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
There was a lack of information and research on the various ministries because many
of them were recently found. The following information is from the government
website, and it was difficult to check the validity of the statements and claims.
The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Development states in its mission that
it seeks to promote equal rights and a higher quality of life for men, women, and children.
Through woman’s empowerment and social development initiative, the ministry, under the
direction of the Honorable Dr. Naomi Shaban, looks to provide for all of its citizens. This
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department is home to the AIDS control unit which looks to provide resources for both the
prevention and treatment of AIDS. The ministry is also responsible for occupational safety
and health policy. Within its Children’s Services Department, the ministry states it provides
child protection from trafficking, maintains adoption services, and supports charitable
children’s institutions (Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Development, 2005).
The Ministry of the Local Government is part of the same office as the Deputy Prime
Minister. Some of the programs this ministry is responsible for include solid waste
management programs; rural poverty reduction initiatives; working with local
governments to improve municipal management; and improving the Korogocho Slum. The
Ministry of Local Government, under the direction of Honorable Wycliffe Musalia
Mudavadi, is also responsible for the Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund. This
funded, managed and maintained by both the private and public sectors, provides
programs for the more than 300,000 children and families living on the street. Through this
fund the CYEC was established (Local Government, 2010).
The Ministry of State for Youth Affairs was established in December 2005. After the
political restructuring in 2008, the Department of Sports was transferred to this branch of
government, forming the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. This ministry looks to
address the challenges and issues facing these young people in a country where over
seventy five percent of the population is under the age of thirty. The ministry’s main
concern is addressing the high unemployment rate especially. The Honorable Dr. Paul
Nyongesa Otuoma, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, looks to facilitate youth
participation in the development process, develop youth resource centers, and facilitate
leadership, entrepreneurship and life skills training (Youth Affairs and Sports).
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Despite attempts from the president to quell political turmoil through the
establishment of the prime minister’s office and new ministry offices, the Kenyan people
still remained unsatisfied with their government. On August 4, 2010, over twelve million
people went to the polls to vote on amendments to their constitution. This referendum
included provisions to reduce the president’s power, distribute power to different
provinces and local districts, establish committees to manage public land, create a senate as
a second part of the legislative branch, and recognize Kadhi (Muslim) courts. Cabinet
members would be appointed from outside parliament, and the number of ministers would
be reduced from forty-two to twenty-two (Kenya holds referendum, 2011). Over 12 million
Kenyans peacefully voted with 66% of the population supporting the new constitution.
Implementation of the new constitution will be a process over the next five years in order
to pass the necessary legislation (Background Note-Kenya, 2010).
Kenya has the potential to remain a peaceful, stable country in Africa. Despite high
unemployment and a treacherous job market, it has been able to serve as a mediator and
beacon of light in the conflicts in its neighbors of Sudan and Somalia. While its government
structure is still flawed, the recent constitutional referendum is a sure sign of progress.
Now the government needs to streamline its administration and increase its capabilities to
help its people. Until the AIDS pandemic is addressed and more sustaining jobs are created,
there will still be great barriers to prevent the progress of the Kenyan people.
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References
Background Note: Kenya. (2010, December 28). Retrieved February 6, 2011, from
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2962.htm
Bratton, M. (1989). The Politics of Government-NGO Relations in Africa. World
Development, 17(4), 569-587.
Country Profile: Kenya. (2011, November 24). Retrieved from BBC News website:
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk
Kenya holds referendum as part of peace deal. (2010, August 4). Retrieved from BBC News
website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-10856761
Kenya- Information At A Glance. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2011, from
http://www.kenya-information-guide.com/about-kenya.html
Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Development. (2005). Retrieved February 9, 2011,
from http://www.gender.go.ke/
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2011, from
http://www.youthaffairs.go.ke/
Muthuri, J., Chapple, W., & Moon, J. (2009). An Integrated Approach to Implementing
‘Community Participation’ in Corporate Community Involvement: Lessons from
Magadi Soda Company in Kenya. Journal of Business Ethics, 85, 431-444.
doi:10.1007/s10551-008-9739-7
Nasongo, S. W. (2007, April). Political Transition without Transformation: The Dialectic of
Liberalization without Democratization in Kenya and Zambia. African Studies
Association, 50(1), 83-107. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20065343
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Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and local government. (2011). Retrieved February 9,
2011, from http://www.localgovernment.go.ke/
Q&A: Kenya’s constitution referendum. (2010, July 26). Retrieved from BBC News website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-10729860