Date of Award
January 2015
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
African American Studies
Advisor(s)
Sang N. Sangmpam
Keywords
Class Relations, Democratization, Ethnic politicization, Kenya, Marginalization, Post-Election Violence
Subject Categories
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
Until recently, Kenya was considered an icon, a bastion of political stability and economic growth in East Africa and Africa in general. Forty-four years after gaining independence, and fifteen years since the beginning of multiparty democracy, the ruling elite touted this exceptionalism to conceal the historical grievances of marginalized communities. Given this background, the electoral violence experienced between December 2007 and March 2008 came as a surprise to many. Much scholarship on the topic focuses on the immediate triggers such as voting irregularities rather than the underlying conditions that existed prior to the violence. In this study, I attempt to identify the root causes of the electoral violence in Kenya by focusing on two main areas of historical marginalization: class and ethnic marginalization. The Kenyan crisis helps show some lessons for pan-African world.
Access
Open Access
Recommended Citation
Tartarini, Hamdi Ibrahim, "Marginalization and Democracy: Kenya's 2007 Post Election Violence" (2015). Dissertations - ALL. 348.
https://surface.syr.edu/etd/348
