How the West was Won: Regional Politics and Prophetic Promises in the 2007 Kenya Elections

MacArthur, Julie

doi:10.1080/17531050802058344

Cited by 20 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…23. MacArthur (2008) and Gona (2008) show how these factors played out in the 2007 election in Western and Coastal provinces respectively. 24.…”

Section: A Preview Post-script: a 2008 Poll On The 2007 Pollsmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Poll poison’?: Politicians and polling in the 2007 Kenya election

Wolf

2009

Journal of Contemporary African Studies

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The debate continues about the causes of the post-election violence that led to the most serious challenge to Kenya's national integrity since independence. However, there is one aspect of the pre-election period about which there is little disagreement: the far more frequent and widely disseminated results of opinion surveys by several research organisations than in any previous election year. Often controversial and provoking highly acrimonious exchanges, these polls and the alleged motives of those behind them became central features of the various campaigns. While their precise contribution to the violence cannot be determined, this analysis makes use of a selection of such results to consider this issue while arguing that: (1) they achieved considerable accuracy in tracking fluctuations in the candidates' standings in what was a very fluid political landscape; (2) the reactions to them highlighted enduring and significant commonalities within the political class; and (3) this polling experience is certain to have longer-term effects on the country's political culture.

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“…23. MacArthur (2008) and Gona (2008) show how these factors played out in the 2007 election in Western and Coastal provinces respectively. 24.…”

Section: A Preview Post-script: a 2008 Poll On The 2007 Pollsmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Poll poison’?: Politicians and polling in the 2007 Kenya election

Wolf

2009

Journal of Contemporary African Studies

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“…There exist some single-case studies of party systems and/or voter behavior across the continent (e.g. Crook, 1997;Marcus and Ratsimbaharison, 2005;Moser, 2008;MacArthur, 2008). Especially Botswana has achieved quite some scholarly attention: According to Danevad (1995), Botswana's dominant Party Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is quite responsive although it is biased towards the policy preferences of the country's elite.…”

Section: Programmatic Responsiveness and Democratic Consolidation In mentioning

confidence: 99%

Elite-Mass Congruence in African Dominant Party Systems: The Cases of Botswana and Lesotho

Eerd

2011

SSRN Journal

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“…In the 1990s, members of Moi's regional networks intimidated and evicted an estimated 300,000 and killed about 1,500 Kikuyus in the Rift Valley, invoking majimbo as justification (HRW 1993). During the 2007 elections, the claim for majimbo by opposition leader Raila Odinga fuelled fears amongst Kikuyus of another outbreak of violence against their community (Lynch 2008;Macarthur 2008). These fears were confirmed when, after the announcement of Odinga's defeat by his Kikuyu opponent Kibaki, rumours of voterigging spread, and Kikuyus were evicted from western Kenya and their properties destroyed (ICG 2008;throuP 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Belonging and recognition after the post-election violence: a case study on labour migrants in Naivasha, Kenya

Lang¹,

Sakdapolrak²

2014

Erdkunde

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The 2013 general elections in Kenya entailed no recurrence of the 2007-08 post-election violence. Closer examination at the local level, though, indicates that the experiences of violence continue to influence the social sphere. Divisions between a long-established population and newcomers are blatant especially at places with high levels of immigration. This paper addresses how experiences of violent conflict over identitary and territorial belonging affect and transform sociospatial organisation. The analysis is based on an empirical study at one of the venues of the post-election violence, a poor and heterogeneous workers' settlement in Naivasha in Kenya's Rift Valley. Naivasha area is internationally known for its horticultural production and massive labour immigration. After the 2007 elections, radical individuals of the local Kikuyu ethnic majority claimed Naivasha as their territory as a reaction to the displacement of Kikuyus from other parts of the country. Migrants of unwanted ethnic identity or political positioning were murdered or forcibly evicted from the place. Yet, due to poor job opportunities, especially in western Kenya, job seekers continue to migrate to Naivasha. The repercussions of the violence are expressed in the lack of acceptance, on the part of the long-established population at the place, of the presence of labour migrants. Experiences of ethnicised prejudice, mistrust, and fear between the self-described autochthonous population and labour migrants are tenacious. Kikuyus perceive Naivasha as their place of refuge and are willing to defend it if necessary. Migrants barely develop feelings of belonging to Naivasha, seeking rather to enhance their own security during their stay at the place. This study illustrates that memories of the violence still regulate socio-spatial realities and reinforce and accelerate processes of spatial and societal division. Zusammenfassung: Nach dem Ende der postelektoralen Gewalt von 2007-08 befindet sich Kenia heute in einem friedlicheren Zustand. Auf lokaler Ebene wirken die Gewalterfahrungen jedoch nach und bewirken eine Spaltung des sozialen Gefüges. Besonders deutlich wird dies an Orten mit hohen Zahlen interner Migration, an denen die Brüche zwischen langansässiger Bevölkerung und Zugezogenen verlaufen. Dieses Paper gibt ein Beispiel dafür, wie Erfahrungen gewaltsamer Konflikte um identitäre und territoriale Zugehörigkeit sozialräumliche Organisation beeinflussen und transformieren. Die Analyse stützt sich auf eine empirische Studie an einem der Austragungsorte der Gewalt, einer ärmlichen und heterogenen Arbeitersiedlung in Naivasha in Kenias Rift Valley. Naivasha ist international bekannt für seine Gartenbauproduktion und die massiven Zahlen an Arbeitsmigration. Nach den Wahlen 2007 deklarierten radikale Individuen der lokalen ethnischen Mehrheit der Kikuyus Naivasha als ihr Gebiet, nachdem Kikuyus aus anderen Landesteilen vertrieben worden waren. Mi-grantinnen und Migranten mit unerwünschter ethnischer Identität oder politischer Positionierung wurd...

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How the West was Won: Regional Politics and Prophetic Promises in the 2007 Kenya Elections

Cited by 20 publications

References 9 publications

‘Poll poison’?: Politicians and polling in the 2007 Kenya election

‘Poll poison’?: Politicians and polling in the 2007 Kenya election

Elite-Mass Congruence in African Dominant Party Systems: The Cases of Botswana and Lesotho

Belonging and recognition after the post-election violence: a case study on labour migrants in Naivasha, Kenya

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