In the context of the upcoming elections in Kenya in August 2017, debates on Twitter have highlighted the gap between the political elite’s electoral agenda and the population’s daily struggles of...Show moreIn the context of the upcoming elections in Kenya in August 2017, debates on Twitter have highlighted the gap between the political elite’s electoral agenda and the population’s daily struggles of surviving and coping with harsh realities. Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, recently launched an online campaign calling for voters registration – #UhuruDabChallenge – which was met with fierce protestations online, formalised under the #DabOfShame. This thesis will analyse the framing of this clash of priorities on Twitter by looking at the spread and use of one hashtag in particular – #DabOfShame – and one of the subtheme the #KOT community highlighted, that is the country’s hunger and drought crises. Indeed, analysing the #DabOfShame highlights the gap between the state discourse and the subsequent online responses, which has a huge impact on the way pertaining daily issues and their realities are depicted online. In particular, looking at Kenya’s most salient and recurrent difficulties – the hunger and drought crises – pinpoints how the users shed light on the problems, thus “framing” an opposition of concerns, and pushing the political elite to address them. Interestingly, the users and content analysis of this specific hashtag give insights into the political socialisation processes that Twitter enables and the platform it provides for the Kenyan connected generation to express its grievances in the everyday context. Eventually, this can inform discussions on the possibility of social media to influence the government’s agenda and produce a united common front in a context of political polarisation. This, however, also reveals concerning trends in the way Twitter is used by the political elite in Kenya, in particular by its president, which suggests that social media are possibly developing into new podiums on which political legitimacy is fought and gained.Show less
The African Union (AU), whose main objective is to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development of the African region, presents itself as an energetic and ambitious driving force for change...Show moreThe African Union (AU), whose main objective is to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development of the African region, presents itself as an energetic and ambitious driving force for change in the continent’s human rights landscape. In June 2014, the AU adopted the Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statue of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights, often referred to as the Malabo Protocol. The Malabo Protocol extends the jurisdiction of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights (ACJHR) and empowers it to try serious crimes of international concern such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Although the ACJHR is not yet an operational court, it has the potential to bring positive contributions to a continent tormented by persistent conflicts and a culture of impunity. AU member states now stand before various paths in the realization of human rights and they have been involved in an ongoing discussion on Universal Jurisdiction and its life-form, the International Criminal Court (ICC). A thorough consideration of all the grounds for the AU’s decision to give the African Court jurisdiction over international crimes will then show that the process has been motivated by other reasons than late anti-ICC sentiment alone. This study will not only examine the ICC versus Africa debate, it will also go beyond it. In this way, an African perspective will be offered that explains a larger focus on regional processes of African human rights law not only as a result of growing anti-ICC sentiment. Instead, it will be argued that there has been a legal and historical necessity for the development of an African perspective to international human rights law that is not necessarily meant to duplicate or impede on the work of the ICC.Show less
Plastic carrier bags are a big source of plastic pollution all around the world. To combat environmental degradation, Kenya has adopted a ban on plastic bags in 2017. This action has made Kenya...Show morePlastic carrier bags are a big source of plastic pollution all around the world. To combat environmental degradation, Kenya has adopted a ban on plastic bags in 2017. This action has made Kenya join the forefront of global environmental policy with regards to plastic pollution. Despite the accompanied strict penalties, the Kenyan ban on plastic bags is globally regarded as an environmental success story. Nonetheless, there are various other positive and negative effects of the ban. This thesis examines the social, environmental, and economic effects of the plastic bag ban in Kenya to determine how effective the 2017 ban has been. These three factors are intertwined and affect one another, sometimes leading to indirect negative side effects of an initial positive consequence. Taking all of the effects of the ban into account, this thesis concludes that although the environmental intentions behind the ban were to reach sustainable development in Kenya, there have been many negative consequences of the ban that have lowered its success.Show less
Abstract: Facing the end of the colonial state during the Mau Mau crisis in 1950s, Britain sought to reshape native Kenyans. This process was dependent on the construction of various imaginations...Show moreAbstract: Facing the end of the colonial state during the Mau Mau crisis in 1950s, Britain sought to reshape native Kenyans. This process was dependent on the construction of various imaginations of the Mau Mau. The British sought to eliminate the Mau Mau “sickness” by responding in a comprehensive manner to what they saw as the issues which precipitated its development. Politically, religiously, economically, and intellectually, the British tried to control this conclusion to the colonial period and shape the future of Kenya by “rehabilitating” those “infected” by anti-British Mau Mau sentiments and create new citizens in the British image. Missionaries, teachers, economists, agrarians, doctors, anthropologists, and government officials in Kenya would contribute various constructions of the Mau Mau upon which rehabilitation efforts were based. Whitehall tried to reform or rehabilitate Mau Mau in prison work camps and in communities, freeing them from the political and psychological constraints of Mau Mau in a variety of while also creating a new economic and political structure in the colony which would allow those who had been successfully been rehabilitated to stay loyal to the British and maintain a privileged place in this nascent state. This essay will explore the efforts of the British to create new citizens and their efforts to define the Mau Mau upon which these responses to the conflict were based. The British government recognized the threat of Mau Mau and the implication its demands for “land and freedom” could have on their control of the State, thus they placed great emphasis on trying to understand, explain, define, and then reform Mau Mau adherents. For the British, this process was contingent upon the development of a construction of Mau Mau identity, an effort manifest in the research of colonial representatives and in their plans for “rehabilitation”. While Mau Mau was, indeed, a movement amongst ethnic Kenyans, it was also the subject of various colonial constructions. The various manifestations of this ‘movement of the mind’ which Mau Mau represented was as much a product of the minds of colonial officials, subjects, and representatives as it was a construction in the minds of the Kikuyu. These conceptions developed in tandem, informing each other, and shaping the development of the state. ‘Rehabilitation’ was at once, a response to the rebellion and a construction in the minds of colonial officials and one imposed upon the Kikuyu, one which was as much a representation of the colonials’ understanding of the conflict as it was an attempt to construct in Kikuyu minds a vision of the future that was already manifest in the minds of those colonial officials trying to shape it. These different perspectives would exist in the minds of colonials who would attempt to actualize their conception of the phenomenon in their plans for reconstruction. As the conflict progressed and conceptions of the phenomenon of Mau Mau and plans to counter the rebellion developed, the various colonial and Kikuyu constructions of Mau Mau would shape each other.Show less
Studies on China’s involvement in Africa have proliferated in the past 20 years, reflecting China’s increasing political and economic interests in the continent. China is keen to portray itself as...Show moreStudies on China’s involvement in Africa have proliferated in the past 20 years, reflecting China’s increasing political and economic interests in the continent. China is keen to portray itself as a new partner in Africa, unfettered by colonial ties. This thesis focuses on Kenya’s biggest infrastructure project since independence in 1963, a railway linking the port city of Mombasa with the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. It looks at official Chinese pronouncements on the rationale for Chinese involvement in the context of China’s “win-win” rhetoric; explains Kenya’s drive to improve its infrastructure and the potential benefits not only for Kenya but for the East African region; and investigates the extent to which the China-Kenya deal on the new railway is, or could turn out to be, a “win” for Kenya.Show less
Many scholars today are occupied with China’s engagements with Africa, as China is slowly changing the rules of development. One of the largest nations it is interacting with today is Kenya, and...Show moreMany scholars today are occupied with China’s engagements with Africa, as China is slowly changing the rules of development. One of the largest nations it is interacting with today is Kenya, and this thesis will apply three theories in international relations to the case of economic development under Chinese investments in Kenya: the theories of Wallerstein, Alden and Nurkse which elaborate on global, regional, and national engagement with developing economies respectively. The main objective of this thesis is to identify and illustrate the effects of China’s financial support and investments in Kenya’s economy. China’s rhetoric of mutually beneficial cooperation reflects, at least theoretically, its benevolence and underlying focus on development. China’s underlying economic and diplomatic motivations will be discussed, followed by expounding on the presence of Chinese businesses in Kenya, the Chinese One Belt, One Road initiative, and Kenya’s Vision 2030. The Kenyan government should be careful to keep the economic growth in its own hands by not relying too much on Chinese credit loans and investments, but focus at generating its own capital.Show less
Research master thesis | Political Science and Public Administration (research) (MSc)
open access
Post-election violence is often associated with structural conditions including poverty and ethnicity, and/or the strategic behavior of ‘big bosses’ and/or the electoral institutions. This thesis...Show morePost-election violence is often associated with structural conditions including poverty and ethnicity, and/or the strategic behavior of ‘big bosses’ and/or the electoral institutions. This thesis explains the post-election violence in Kenya 2007-8 by structurally testing existing explanations of this kind of violence. The analysis shows that constituencies in which the opposition won the elections with a small margin of victory experienced most violence after the elections. In these cases the election battle was most severe. After the elections politicians use violence to punish voters of their rival party by organizing violent action including protests and the deployment of criminal gangs. Besides, violence is used as negotiation strategy by both the opposition and the incumbent to influence the formation of a government. Politicians seduce individual citizens to use violence since their supporters depend on clientelist rewards in exchange for their political support. The allocation of state resources follows ethnic lines for which the political competition and the subsequent violence are ethnical in nature.Show less
Citizen journalism is a relatively new term, especially in many non-western parts of the world. It is best known to make it easier for people to share information and stories with the rest of the...Show moreCitizen journalism is a relatively new term, especially in many non-western parts of the world. It is best known to make it easier for people to share information and stories with the rest of the world through online platforms. The negative sides of citizen journalism are however sometimes hard to overlook, especially in situations where citizen journalism may completely replace the mainstream media. This can be seen to have happened during the 2007 Kenyan presidential election crisis, when the elections took a violent turn.Show less
This thesis analyses the role of political factors in conflict arising from climate change through a single case study of the farmer-herder conflict in Laikipia, Kenya. A better understanding of...Show moreThis thesis analyses the role of political factors in conflict arising from climate change through a single case study of the farmer-herder conflict in Laikipia, Kenya. A better understanding of climate change and conflict is necessary, as there is no clear consensus among scholars. This thesis uses political ecology that states that political factors, such as politicised ethnicity, access to land tenure, and perception of identity have a direct influence on conflict. It criticises the environmental scarcity theory, which states that resource scarcity due to climate change directly influences conflict. Mixed methods are used to analyse the role of political factors. The process tracing method is used to test whether power relations in politics influence conflict and the qualitative content analysis method is used to support process tracing by providing inside into the political factors presented in three major Kenyan newspapers. The results show that perception of identity, access to land tenure, and politicised ethnicity all contribute to a negative impact on the ability of pastoralists to access and influence the distribution of resources. This causes the competition for resources to become violent. The findings also show there is indirect link between climate change and conflict. These findings are in line with political ecology theory. Therefore, this thesis contributes to the theory and discussion in the literature about climate change and conflict.Show less
The main scope of this thesis is the use of the State of Emergency as a tool in colonial counterinsurgency. The State of Emergency allows us to draw connections between three colonies in three...Show moreThe main scope of this thesis is the use of the State of Emergency as a tool in colonial counterinsurgency. The State of Emergency allows us to draw connections between three colonies in three different continents, Malaya, Kenya and Cyprus. The comparison, assists in adding the Cyprus Emergency within the colonial framework and analyse it as a colonial case. The state of emergency is seen as a tool in counterinsurgency. Finally, the thesis is also connected to scholaraship on Human Rights.Show less
This thesis examines the relation between post-colonial Kenyan nationalism and ethnicity, and the construction of modern Kenyan identities. It analyses how hybrid identifications are created in...Show moreThis thesis examines the relation between post-colonial Kenyan nationalism and ethnicity, and the construction of modern Kenyan identities. It analyses how hybrid identifications are created in light of a Western colonial education in Kenya, as well as increased urbanisation and Westernisation.Show less
The concept of Sustainable Development is increasingly used in development policies. Still, it remains questionable whether sustainable development is feasible in reality. Since a few years, China...Show moreThe concept of Sustainable Development is increasingly used in development policies. Still, it remains questionable whether sustainable development is feasible in reality. Since a few years, China aims to be leading in sustainable development. Their Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could secure that leading role at a global scale. Nonetheless, many scholars argue that this project is far from sustainable. Others refute this criticism and state that the BRI has the most potential for sustainable development. This thesis aims to investigate this debate by answering the following question: To what extent is ecologically sustainable development implemented within the Chinese BRI Railroad projects in Sub-Saharan African Countries? A qualitative data analysis (small-N) will answer this question. The conditions of sustainable development will be compared to practice by studying three railroad projects. This thesis will view sustainable development through an ecological lens with a focus on Strong Sustainability. This thesis analyses how the projects relate to the criteria of Strong Sustainability: protecting and promoting biodiversity, sustainable water management and carbon emission reductions. The results show that the SGR projects do attribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. Still, they could have done more to make the project genuinely sustainable; a lot of environmental concerns remain unaddressed within the projects. Therefore, these projects cannot be labelled as ecologically sustainable under the criteria of Strong Sustainability.Show less
In this study, nurses’ well-being is explored in the context of the local efforts working towards nurses’ wellness. The often silenced voices of Kenyan nurses are transformed into a theatre script...Show moreIn this study, nurses’ well-being is explored in the context of the local efforts working towards nurses’ wellness. The often silenced voices of Kenyan nurses are transformed into a theatre script to portray the findings. An ethnographic research gap on the topic focuses on the qualitative study of well-being through psychological, socio-economic, and political lenses. The research is grounded in theory from Giddens (1984), Sen (1993), and De Bruijn and Both (2018), and navigates the agency-structure debate along with the model of duress to reflect on and understand the nurses’ position in a constraining environment. The research focused on two level 5 facilities, which are county referral hospitals, in two different counties of Kenya. The following research methods are conducted: a survey on socio-economic well-being with 65 respondents; interviews focusing on factors affecting nurses' well-being conducted through 4 focus group discussions with 39 nurses of different seniority levels and facilities, and informal interviews with approximately 25 nurses; and lastly, participant observation focusing on nurses agency and structures in places of gathering. Altogether, the results conclude that the healthcare structures pertain as constraints on the nurses’ agency and well-being despite the local efforts against this that may seem to have a positive impact. This is not to say that such local efforts should not continue, but rather to add a widespread focus on changing the outdated health structures that are limiting the majority of Kenya’s health workforce.Show less
While female genital mutilation is considered a violation of human rights, it is still widely practised in many countries. With a rate of 21%, Kenya is not one of the countries with the highest...Show moreWhile female genital mutilation is considered a violation of human rights, it is still widely practised in many countries. With a rate of 21%, Kenya is not one of the countries with the highest prevalence rates. Nonetheless, despite the implementation of a law and many policies to prevent it, female genital mutilation is a persistent tradition. It is argued that this is the case due to ineffective implementation of the law and policies. This research investigates the effects that the law and policies implemented by Kenya’s government and non-governmental organisations have affected the conduct of female genital mutilation and influenced local perceptions of it. Through the analysis of existing literature and 9 interviews, it will contribute to the debate about anti-female genital mutilation legislation and strategies by generating insights about their effects in Kenya. Effects of the legislation on the conduct of the practice that are studied are secret conduct of the practice, lowering the age of cutting, medicalisation, and cross-border cutting. Effects on local perceptions of the practice that are highlighted are opposition to legislation, opposition to the practice, social divisions, stigmas, and increased awareness.Show less
The late 20th century has seen a rise of debates on the real effectiveness of international development cooperation programmes, at least in the way they were conceived and implemented starting from...Show moreThe late 20th century has seen a rise of debates on the real effectiveness of international development cooperation programmes, at least in the way they were conceived and implemented starting from the first post-WWII decades. The main outcome of these ongoing discussions has been the urgency of a “paradigm change” in development cooperation, in order to enhance its social impact and increase the resources dedicated to it. In chapter two, which is about my conceptual framework, I discuss this change more in detail. It implies shifting from a model based on unilateral actions from governments, public society organisations or private actors, in favour of multi-stakeholder collaborations between these three categories of actors, to pool together their specific resources and expertise towards the achievement of development goals. Chapter three is dedicated to presenting the emergence of this new paradigm of development cooperation, as well as the historical reasons that led to it, and how it is presently being implemented in the form of cross-sector collaborations. Of the latter, we will focus on the case of public-private partnerships and specifically on their application as instruments of blended finance, explaining the origins and the definitions of the concept and its potential advantages – as well as limits – compared to pure public or private development interventions. Chapter four will present a case study of a public-private partnership established between Dutch development agency “Aqua for All”, and Kenyan company “Hydroponics Africa”, for the realisation of a development project in the area of Nairobi and its surroundings. After introducing the project, we will evaluate the strong points and the shortcomings of Aqua for All’s approach to development cooperation in relation to the project at hand. This will be done by analysing the outcomes of interviews conducted with Hydroponics Africa’s CEO, directly involved in the elaboration and implementation of the partnership, as well as the people targeted by the project, to assess its results in terms of social impact.Show less
Through analysis of 36 articles in Kenya's most-read newspaper 'the Daily Nation', it has become apparent that most articles concerning the Belt and Road Initiative in this medium were written by...Show moreThrough analysis of 36 articles in Kenya's most-read newspaper 'the Daily Nation', it has become apparent that most articles concerning the Belt and Road Initiative in this medium were written by people in the employ of the Chinese government. The articles were also extremely positive on joint cooperation between Kenya and China and made a big point of China's goodwill vis-a-vis the Kenyan populace.Show less
