Analysis of multiparty politics and democratization in Kenya

Abstract

A political party system is a key component of the democratization process of any society. The utility and role of political parties in any political party system determines socio-political and economic development. Political parties, nonetheless, can equally be abused by the political system, members and environmental structures within which the party is situated. This jeopardizes the democratization process. The general research objective was to study multipartism and its impact on democratic elections in Kenya. The specific objectives were to trace the historical development of multipartism in Kenya, explain the role of the political party in Kenya’s political system, and illustrate the link between multipartism and the democratization in Kenya and to explore the role of electoral practices to the democratization process in Kenya. The theory used is Rokkan and Lipset’s Social cleavage theory. The research design adopted was the descriptive survey design. The target population for this study were the electorate and institutions and included; the IEBC staff, Registrar for party’s staff, Political Parties members, Election Observers, Government administration Staff and Independent Institutions. The targeted electorate consisted of registered voters in the four sampled constituencies from the four Counties.The populations included members of the two major coalitions, professionals from the electoral commission, government and academia. Purposive sampling was used to get the desired sample .Data was collected using interviews and open-ended questionnaires. Data was analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. Quantitative data was analyzed by frequency tables and percentages. Qualitative data was evaluated, classified into logical thematic categories based on the objectives and then coded. The analysis of the structured items was done by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Unstructured items were analyzed manually along major concepts and themes, and the results presented using descriptive statistics. Conclusions were drawn from the analyzed data, leading to recommendations and suggestions for the role of political parties in the electioneering process. This study uses Kenyan General Elections from 1992 to 2013 as units of analysis in investigating the level of democratic development in the country since the inception of multipartism and comparing them with the elections between 1969 to 1992 when Kenya was a single party system. This is then based on the democratic structure of politics, the place and contribution of political parties and the manner of electioneering. The main findings of the first objective included the democratization process in the country being hampered mainly by social cleavage-based patron-client politics in the country. The second objective’s main finding is that the institutional character and internal dynamics of political parties needs reform so as to be in tandem with the demands of democratization, while the third objective’s key finding was that regardless of the constitutional changes, the political structure in Kenya does not have regard for developing multiparty and democratic structures. The last objective’s key finding is that the electoral process in Kenya needs reform and development to international standards. This study recommends a review of the manner with which social cleavages are constructed, political party development and the entrenched patron client politics that are now part of political culture. This thesis argues that while multipartism offers an opportunity for political development in Kenya, democracy needs to be nurtured so that it can be fruitful. By use of political parties, electoral processes and institutions and other related public institutions, multiparty systems should be exploited for the benefit of democracy in developing countries like Kenya.