Ethnicity and Democracy in East Africa: Following Kenya footsteps?
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Elisabeth Janaina
Aug 13, 2017, 11:31:26 AM8/13/17
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Ethnicity and Democracy in East Africa: Following Kenya footsteps?
Posted: August 13, 2017 by PaanLuel Wël in Commentary, Contributing
Writers, Opinion Articles, Opinion Writers
0
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By Junior William Deng, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
the-politics-of-south-sudan-ig-vs-io
The tragicomedy of the South Sudanese politics: SPLM-IG vs SPLM-IO
August 13, 2017 (SSB) — Electoral democracy in Africa has caused
various political damages; it is specifically designed to benefit
incumbency and discriminate against oppositions and minorities. In
Kenya, electoral frailties are not generated by political opposition
as alluded by international and regional observers, it is about the
political history of Kenya ethnically conceived by Jomo Kenyatta and
implemented by President Moi political patronage system for thirty
(30) years.
This, in 1966 when Jaramogi resigned from the government, he formed
his party with which he decamped KANU with a great number of Kikuyu
politicians. Unfortunately, during snap elections in 1980, the
majority of Kikuyu politicians who had followed Jaramogi to formed KPP
were beaten and ethnically forced to abandon Jaramogi.
In another snap elections, all these politicians sought political
representation from their areas where they were unanimously elected.
This, however, made Jaramogi consolidate his political organization
from Nyanza, Western and a few from Ukambani. This political trend
continued to mesmerize equal and democratic representation in the
country.
Today, ethnocracy in Kenya is entrenched and always perpetuated with
pride. The political history of Kenya tells that the only politician,
who has worked for equal democratic representation in disregard to
where he comes from, and whose party has cut across country’s
political divides since 1992, is Raila Amollo Odinga. He has also
groomed a number of politicians including DP William Ruto.
Today, given 2017 elections, we are aware that everything in the last
electioneering process was highly tainted with irregularities. No one
could give absolute claim that Uhuru won elections fairly; history
reminds us of where the elite segment Uhuru represents come from,
thus, last election process was a matter of death and life in
irrespective of democratic requirements thereof.
Democracies in the world have different electoral systems for example;
there are many but two are very common: majoritarian, proportional
electoral Systems. Most East African countries, UK, America, India,
Japan, and France to just mention few have the majoritarian electoral
system.
This system, however, depends on the type of political system a
particular country wield. These systems have advantages and
disadvantages, much of it is determined by Political culture, agency,
and structure of political operation and ideology.
In Africa, Tanzania’s CCM has stood out and outperformed ANC, KANU and
many revolutionary parties in Africa. Elections in Tanzania are not
based on ethnic majorities but on political parties and ideology and
that is why in Tanzania, politics of fear and security dilemmas is
completely a trace particularly at political parties’ level.
Not on ethnicity as in Kenya. Uganda and Rwanda also beat Kenya in
terms of political organization and party democracy: RPF, NRM, and FDC
are widely politically representative.
In South Sudan, we don’t have political democracy and party system,
let alone electoral system. As things stand, Salva Kiir is likely to
follow Jomo Kenyatta and Moi footsteps; he has already fastened ethnic
belt by consolidating tribal support. Dr. Riek, Bakasoro, Olony and
among others have already gone the same way.
To undo this political discrepancy, we need leaders with ideological
underpinning to unite the country, otherwise, all the prototypes of
political parties we have are disruptive, abrasive and consequently
apolitical!
Solution to our political problems is not specific but we must design
it. We need to choose to change from presidential system to
parliamentary or we decentralize presidential system; that’s creating
the office of the President, Prime Minister’s office with deputies and
devolve economic function to the states.
This could give a temporal solution as parties build democratic
resistance against political ethnicization and political patronage
system.
The author, Junior William Deng, studied Master of Arts in Security &
Strategic Studies at Nkumba University, Entebbe, Uganda and is
currently a Ph.D. student of Political Science at the University of
Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania. You can reach him via his email:
dength...@gmail.com
The opinion expressed here is solely the view of the writer. The
veracity of any claim made is the responsibility of the author, not
PaanLuel Wël: South Sudanese Bloggers (SSB) website. If you want to
submit an opinion article or news analysis, please email it to
paanlu...@gmail.com. SSB do reserve the right to edit material
before publication. Please include your full name, email address and
the country you are writing from.
Posted: August 13, 2017 by PaanLuel Wël in Commentary, Contributing
Writers, Opinion Articles, Opinion Writers
0
Rate This
By Junior William Deng, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
the-politics-of-south-sudan-ig-vs-io
The tragicomedy of the South Sudanese politics: SPLM-IG vs SPLM-IO
August 13, 2017 (SSB) — Electoral democracy in Africa has caused
various political damages; it is specifically designed to benefit
incumbency and discriminate against oppositions and minorities. In
Kenya, electoral frailties are not generated by political opposition
as alluded by international and regional observers, it is about the
political history of Kenya ethnically conceived by Jomo Kenyatta and
implemented by President Moi political patronage system for thirty
(30) years.
This, in 1966 when Jaramogi resigned from the government, he formed
his party with which he decamped KANU with a great number of Kikuyu
politicians. Unfortunately, during snap elections in 1980, the
majority of Kikuyu politicians who had followed Jaramogi to formed KPP
were beaten and ethnically forced to abandon Jaramogi.
In another snap elections, all these politicians sought political
representation from their areas where they were unanimously elected.
This, however, made Jaramogi consolidate his political organization
from Nyanza, Western and a few from Ukambani. This political trend
continued to mesmerize equal and democratic representation in the
country.
Today, ethnocracy in Kenya is entrenched and always perpetuated with
pride. The political history of Kenya tells that the only politician,
who has worked for equal democratic representation in disregard to
where he comes from, and whose party has cut across country’s
political divides since 1992, is Raila Amollo Odinga. He has also
groomed a number of politicians including DP William Ruto.
Today, given 2017 elections, we are aware that everything in the last
electioneering process was highly tainted with irregularities. No one
could give absolute claim that Uhuru won elections fairly; history
reminds us of where the elite segment Uhuru represents come from,
thus, last election process was a matter of death and life in
irrespective of democratic requirements thereof.
Democracies in the world have different electoral systems for example;
there are many but two are very common: majoritarian, proportional
electoral Systems. Most East African countries, UK, America, India,
Japan, and France to just mention few have the majoritarian electoral
system.
This system, however, depends on the type of political system a
particular country wield. These systems have advantages and
disadvantages, much of it is determined by Political culture, agency,
and structure of political operation and ideology.
In Africa, Tanzania’s CCM has stood out and outperformed ANC, KANU and
many revolutionary parties in Africa. Elections in Tanzania are not
based on ethnic majorities but on political parties and ideology and
that is why in Tanzania, politics of fear and security dilemmas is
completely a trace particularly at political parties’ level.
Not on ethnicity as in Kenya. Uganda and Rwanda also beat Kenya in
terms of political organization and party democracy: RPF, NRM, and FDC
are widely politically representative.
In South Sudan, we don’t have political democracy and party system,
let alone electoral system. As things stand, Salva Kiir is likely to
follow Jomo Kenyatta and Moi footsteps; he has already fastened ethnic
belt by consolidating tribal support. Dr. Riek, Bakasoro, Olony and
among others have already gone the same way.
To undo this political discrepancy, we need leaders with ideological
underpinning to unite the country, otherwise, all the prototypes of
political parties we have are disruptive, abrasive and consequently
apolitical!
Solution to our political problems is not specific but we must design
it. We need to choose to change from presidential system to
parliamentary or we decentralize presidential system; that’s creating
the office of the President, Prime Minister’s office with deputies and
devolve economic function to the states.
This could give a temporal solution as parties build democratic
resistance against political ethnicization and political patronage
system.
The author, Junior William Deng, studied Master of Arts in Security &
Strategic Studies at Nkumba University, Entebbe, Uganda and is
currently a Ph.D. student of Political Science at the University of
Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania. You can reach him via his email:
dength...@gmail.com
The opinion expressed here is solely the view of the writer. The
veracity of any claim made is the responsibility of the author, not
PaanLuel Wël: South Sudanese Bloggers (SSB) website. If you want to
submit an opinion article or news analysis, please email it to
paanlu...@gmail.com. SSB do reserve the right to edit material
before publication. Please include your full name, email address and
the country you are writing from.
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