Ethnicity And Democracy In The Case Of Kenya Politics Essay

Ethnicity And Democracy In The cocktail dress Of Kenya government activity EssayEthnicity is derived from Greek word ethnos, which mode a kingdom or a citizenry. The term heathenishity may also mean a race or conference of mass with vulgar racial features and vernacular culturalal uniqueness. Once consciousness of creation part of an heathenish collection is created, it takes on a ego preservation dimension and is passed from unrivaled(a) extension to a nonher. Also, Max Weber2defined an culturalal group as those military personnel organisms or groups that entertain a subjective belief in their common descent because of migration or colonization in such a carriage that this belief is grave for the continuance of non-kinship communal relationships.Ethnic affiliation is deeply embedded inside packs consciousness and is difficult for them to break a bureau from it. and then heathenishity is natural and innate in benevolent creations as part of their nature, w hich is inevitable. either human organism has a natural inclination towards identifying with other(a) persons whom he/she shargon common interests, history or origin. Mans sense of be retentiveing makes him link up with people he/she is closely related with, which imparts in the formation of an pagan group with its unique and peculiar personal manner of biography.A fundamental whiz between the different persons in an Afri stinker fellowship, that is, a unity of human relationship, underlies Traditional African cleanity. African morality places considerable encourage on the conformity of the individual to the social group in order to deliver the unity of communal associations. It could be said that in a way, African thought is indeed much concerned with the relationship than with the different entities which shew the relationship. All human behavior is olibanum expected to conform to this value to ensure social harmony. Kenya is a multicultural and multi ethnic countr y comprising of much than forty two ethnic identities each with its take in unique way of life.In the opinion of this study, reliable governance is the starting point for Africas recovery, non only for the benefit of Africans themselves, however also to pacify western fears of fai direct press outs which may harbor volatile dissidents or terrorists. According to the Wests experience, a fundamental part of improving governance is the transition to a democratic society. While it is received that dictatorships tend to offer more stability, democracy if any of the conditions be met is encouraging of the best outcomes in monetary value of human liberty. Legitimate democratic establishments are less violent towards their citizens, and because they permit opposition, are less comparablely to result in bloody revolutions3. veto ethnicity still remains a preponderant semipolitical force and it has brought with it poverty and exploitation which founder for a long time held Kenya hostage. Since Independence, Kenyan politicians have manipulated ethnic divisions for their own myopic political and economic order of businesss, maintaining ethnicity at the forefront of the collective psyche. Despite being a powerful tool for conflict, ethnicity has simultaneously evolved into a valuable resource for entree to economic stability for corrupt politicians, and opportunities to plunder state resources. In Kenya, state fund allocation is distributed by ethnic region, creating disparities and animosities between different ethnic groups. In incident the major reason that caused the infamous 2007 post alternative violence and skirmishes in which over 100 people lost their lives and piazza worth millions of dollars destroyed, was due to the perceived marginalization of some Kenyan communities denying them access to state resources and employment opportunities. In equipment casualty of democratic elections, ethnic or tribal affiliation dictates loyalties. Regard less of electoral platform, the Kenyan citizenry testament almost exclusively vote for their ethnic representative. In the 2007 presidential elections, ethnicity vie a crucial role. Mr. Mwai Kibaki, a Kikuyu, got few votes in Nyanza province which is preponderantly Luo, whereas his opponent Mr. Raila Odinga, a Luo, got minimal votes in Central province which is preponderantly Kikuyu. Kenyan politics has always been practiced subalternd on a high degree of ethnic exploitation and opportunism. Kenyan politicians frequently base their political campaigns by appealing to tribal fears, stereotypes and ethnic expectations thus commission to the backseat broad-based genuine and ethnically inclusive and equitable democratic platforms. Because I am from your tribe, you can trust me I go out not eat entirely please Vote for me, with the implied meaning that you cannot trust those who do not hold up to your tribe and they will not share with you the national cake. This is because voters think that having their tribesmen and women in power necessarily translates to pause life for them. So when ones kinsperson loses a competitive election, violence usually breaks out. This can be explained by the fact that when an individual wins an election whether lightly or through fraud, he/she diverts all state resources to his/her region and the rest of the country has to wait for five years until elections are held for them to get a chance to have one of their own in power.Kenyans vote as ethnic blocs partly because the economic inequalities in the country has brought with it widespread poverty and political illiteracy. People who are politically illiterate and poverty stricken need basal needs like food and not freedom of thought and conscience. They do not do by about their right to vote and how it affects them. Thus potential voters always mete out their electors cards for a loaf of bread or for a center of less than one US dollar to their tribal kingpins. The less well(predicate) are the majority in Kenya and thus more vulnerable to ethnic manipulation by crooked politicians and lords of impunity. The Kenyan electorate has become sycophantic and in most cases rarely make autonomous options when voting due to disconfirming ethnicity. This violates an individuals ability to exercise his/her voluntariness. This is ones ability to make a choice without being unduly pressured to make a particular choice for any ad hoc reason. Being free in making a decision means that we own the decision as ours and that one ought to have a better option. The principle of voluntariness removes coercion or any influence as doable so that the decision is the individuals and not someone elses. The purpose of coercion and un fairish influence is to do an end run around a choice or judgment so that an individual will do what he/she might not ordinarily have done in the absence seizure of such irrationally persuasive techniques. An individuals decisions and choic es at their very best ought to be as a result of his /her own self determination. The well being of a nation depends on the talent of the electorate to choose leaders sagely and prudently. Ethnic voting patterns undermine the common good in terms of the quality of leadership since in most cases the ones whose ethnic group is more populous plane if their leadership qualities are deficient, are the ones who get elected. interpreted to its extreme, negative ethnicity results in coups and revolutions.In Kenya ethnicity has been used as a partial criterion for apportioning benefits and burdens among the citizenry. This practice is rampant during employment and swing of macrocosm function in which special and undue consideration is given to a person on the primer coat of his/her ethnic identity. Here meritocracy is not the criterion. Negative ethnicity has undermined the common good by placing uncertified persons to positions of responsibility. It is also worth noting that the ge nuine president Mwai Kibaki has on many occasions been accused of favoring his companionship in making cosmos appointments. Plum government jobs are held by people from his Mount Kenya region and Kikuyu community. It is not surprising to see key government ministries like that of Finance, Trade, energy, Provincial Administration among other plum ministries are being run by people from the presidents community. Corruption is rife in these ministries as no one is willing to blow up the whistle since it is one of their own eating (muntu wa nyumba, a slang word people from the presidents community use to identify one another). This has not only denied the qualified and deserving persons the opportunity to actualize their potential but has also led to ineffectual performance of duty and services to the public. Negative ethnicity violates the principle of equity, which allows variation by fiber to morally relevant differences and forbids discrimination in the absence of such differenc es. It is fair to discriminate in favor of the necessitous or the meritorious or the able it is unfair to discriminate between people who are equally able by merely appealing to ones ethnicity. trueness to ones ethnic group is highly celebrated in Kenya and this has become more rampant than moral decrees in shaping behavior. The culture of us versus them is so ingrained in our country that politicians have coined all types of ethnic expressions and innuendos to cut down up ethnic emotions among the citizenry. Phrases such as Eshienyu ne Eshienyu (ours is ours however foul-smelling or bad it may appear to others), Kamwene (it has its owner, it belongs to us not them) have taken centre stage in Kenyas political lingo. A public office is seen to belong to a whole community by celibacy of one of their own being the holder of that office. Consequently any corroborative criticism aimed at the holder of the office is taken to be an injure and assault on the entire community. Thus th is way obligation to ones ethnic group often take precedence over those of public office, resulting in political leaders deviating from open radiation patterns and thus sowing seeds of degeneration and impunity.Ethnic loyalties and other primordial ties have made political leaders develop a sense of obligation that is inconsistent with ethics of public office. Failure to discharge these obligations even if inspired by a need to follow moral rules and values may result in a backlash from the persons several(prenominal) ethnic community. Ethnic chauvinism is an extreme form of collective self interests where ones ethnic group is the centre of everything and all others are scaled and rated with reference to it. Thus, ethnocentrism is responsible for many armed conflicts in Kenya and Africa at large.When ethnic fealty becomes the guiding principle in awarding burdens and benefits in society, there is no objectivity in carrying out public appointments, awarding contracts or recommen ding individuals for rewards and benefits. The choices are not based on merit but on ethnic identities. Political power allocation of resources, jobs and services cannot be left at the mercy of ethnic self interest, private ownership and personal self-control because this can have adverse effects on the basic native rights of others whose interests have been excluded. Social exclusion damages the social self thus spoiling personal identity. Social inclusion and participation in terms of access to the material conditions of well being in society is an important pre-condition for human freedom. If people are excluded from such access, the development of their social self becomes impaired.In the language of Plato and Aristotle, equal shares ought to go to equals and unequal to unequal. In Politics III, 12, Aristotle puts it thus if flutes are to be distributed, they should go only to those who have the capacity for playing flutes, that is, benefits and responsibilities should be pro portionate to the worth of those who receive them. Thus it is fair to discriminate in favor of the needy or meritorious but unfair to discriminate between people who are equally needy and equally meritorious. Justice which is one of the basic pillars of humanity deals with the distribution of burdens and benefits of goods and services according to a just standard to all human beings in any society.Negative ethnicity in Kenya has hindered the growth of democracy. This is because the Kenyan electorate votes along ethnic lines. Thus the electorate will vote for a prognosis who is from their ethnic community even if he/she does not have good leadership qualities. This in turn has affected the quality of leadership in our country since undeserving candidates (tribal jingoists) whip up ethnic emotions of their community to rally behind them. This has bred leaders who distribute national resources along ethnic lines. Thus one can only access national resources and privileges if he/she has a member of his/her community holding a public office. This has sowed seeds of corruption, ethnic strife and impunity. Thus it is not strange to see two communities forming an alliance to defeat a candidate from a community they consider to be their common political enemy. This cultural myopia is destructive and undermines the quality of leadership and also quality of life of the entire Kenyan citizenry.It is also worth noting that currently a group of politicians led by the current Vice President, Mr. Kalonzo Musyoka, are at the endorsement touting of forming a tribal alliance called triple K (KKK) comprising of three ethnic communities, the Kamba, Kikuyu and Kalenjin so as to front one candidate whose myopic agenda is to block the current Prime Minister Mr. Raila Odinga from winning the 2012 presidential elections. such(prenominal) alliances undermine democracy and the rule of law in Kenya. This has bred impunity and entrenched corruption since one can get away with theft of publ ic resources as long as his/her kinsperson is in power. Majority of Kenyans have bulky expectations in the International Criminal Court (ICC) stepping in, and helping entrench the rule of law in a country in which tribe matters than law. This is because without the rule of law being entrenched in society, there can never be any meaningful democracy in a country.Socrates castigate the agenda of ponderingly questioning common beliefs and explanations carefully distinguishing those beliefs that are reasonable and logical from those which however appealing they may be to our native ethnocentrism, even if they serve our vested interests, may lack adequate rational foundation to instance our belief.In the opinion of this study ethnic loyalties that discriminate against others on the basis or arbitrary criterion of ones tribe undermine human dignity. delivery boy Christ affirmed that Love your neighbor as you love yourself. This is the way in which dignity fulfills itself. It means tr ansformation from being self centered. gentle dignity is destroyed by self love. Self interests are good when united with others interests to form common interests and bad when fulfilled at the outlay of others. Ethnic common interests as represented in a democratically organized society are the best way of guaranteeing everyone some basic means of existence. Ethnicity per se however, is not divisive or alienating when not taken to the extreme as is the case with tribal jingoists.This paper argues for the sweetener of fineity among Kenyans to curb negative ethnicity. Kenyans need to be thoroughly reflective in every area of their lives. Such criticality will levy individuality in the Kenyan electorate. This will transform people into persons who, prompt by high order value of truth, universal well being of all ethnic communities and the inter-relatedness of humanity would transcend personal and group egoism. This will inculcate tolerance among the various ethnic groups in Kenya . A critical thinker thinks for himself/herself as an individual and only accepts what has been proved or demo to the satisfaction of reason. A critical thinker cannot be short circuited in his/her decision making process so as to choose one alternative rather than another. Autonomy empowers a person to have a strong sense of personal responsibility for his/her own choices and actions. Critical sentiment will minimize incidences of blind unquestioning ethnic loyalties and conformity to established cultural norms that perpetuate ethnic chauvinism and impunity..