Is Kenya Out of The Woods Yet?

Half a decade after Kenya’s worst political tragedy that claimed

over 1,133 lives and displaced over 350, 000 persons, elite

capture that is the main catalyst of the socio-political unrest still

permeates every level of the Kenyan society.

If constitutional reforms are to take root, there’s an urgent need

for a national renaissance that will confront an elite bent to

maintain the status quo by all means necessary.

THE CLARION CALL

EDEN IN TURMOIL is a new book about Kenya’s

journey from an election centered democracy to an

institutional and cultural reforms anchored democracy.

Whereas the 2008 post election violence staged a ground

revolt perpetuated by the elite, EDEN IN

TURMOIL argues that future elections and

governance will be determined by a society slowly

internalizing the culture of reforms to confront elite

capture.

THE CONCEPT

The concept of EDEN IN TURMOIL is based on a

global comparative analysis of 5 big insights that

shift our understanding of how people respond at the

democratic market place.

Each of these insights is something that has been

reported over and over in media, extensively analyzed

in leading conferences and explored through academic

research and spotlighted in trend reports. They are

global and affect every culture.

#1. There is a modern believability crisis.

The race for development has become an intense

preoccupation of every nation. The unresponsive

government stature is being defaced by a revolution

of rising expectations that has fuelled a fundamental

distrust of politics. Social media has bridged the

mobilisation gap and rural populations previously

thought to be state propaganda compliant are

churning astounding revolutions. This is the modern

believability crisis, and it is impacting every

government.

#2. People make decisions

emotionally, not logically.

The way we make decisions has not changed, but our understanding of it has. When a government undertakes structural development projects on one hand and at the

same time perfects elite capture that benefits a minority at the expense of the majority, feelings of frustration fester

and these are bound to escalate to full blown violent conflicts against the state or those perceived to benefit

from the state.

Mountains of research on structural and intractable conflicts point to the fact that people are inherently irrational and

emotions play a fundamental in decision making especially when it comes to survival economics.

#3. Precedent is the most compelling

form of communication

Our understanding and relationship to a political establishment is determined to a large extent by precedents set. A government cannot oversee

marginalization yet expect society to practice peace and social cohesion.

Likewise, a movement cannot utilise violence as the ladder for political ascendancy and expect to govern

over the “aggressor” fairly and equitably.

Precedent inspires society to either latent violence or social anarchy.

#4. Press Freedom is the foundation

of all great democracies.

Where state run propaganda and misinformation dominates the information space, conflict and xenophobia are more likely to fester.

Former World Bank President, Paul Wolfowitz, and senior Bank economists made the case that strong, independent news media play a

key role in promoting transparency and good governance, which in turn lead to economic and political development.

Wolfowitz once said, “You really can’t talk about economic developmentwithout talking about freedom of the press.

Corruption can only flourish when governments operate with impunity outside the bright lights and public exposure that independent media

bring.

#5. In “Counter-democracy” we trust.

Not the opposite of democracy but rather a form of

democracy that reinforces the usual electoral democracy

as a kind of buttress, a democracy of indirect powers

disseminated throughout society.

In other words, a durable democracy of distrust, which

complements the episodic democracy of the usual

electoral-representative system.”

Concretely, this system of counter-democracy includes

citizen oversight, obstruction and judgment.

Contents Page

• CHAPTER ONE: Background of The 2007 General Elections

• CHAPTER TWO: The Role of Elections Within a Democracy

• CHAPTER THREE: Kenya’s Approach to Democracy

• CHAPTER FOUR: The Sequence of Violent Intractable Conflicts

• CHAPTER FIVE: The Typology of Electoral Violence

• CHAPTER SIX: Cultural Domination Movements

• CHAPTER SEVEN: Media Conduct During Elections

• CHAPTER EIGHT: Addressing Youth Disenfranchisement

• CHAPTER NINE: The Church in Competitive Politics

• CHAPTER TEN: State Responsibility to Protect

• CHAPTER ELEVEN: Tracing International Criminal Justice

• CHAPTER TWELVE: Kenya’s Case at The ICC

• CHAPTER THIRTEEN: The ICC Prosecution Strategy

• CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Transitional Justice and Reconciliation

• CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Interventions in Conflict Situations

• CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Call for National Renaissance

About The Author

Edward is a strategic communications and Media

Engagement consultant with the Kenya Data Journalism

Project. He is also a frequent commentator on the BBC

World Service Nairobi Bureau and a regional journalism

trainer.

Edward teaches Communication and Media

concentrations at St. Paul’s University and when not

working, takes time to enjoy Children theatre, classical

literature and political history.

Contact The Author

Edward Wanyonyi

P.O Box 3875-00506, Nairobi

Tel: 020 2098248, 0724 768895

Email:edward.marks09@gmail.com