Big Man” of East Africa
National Issue in Kenya
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7173258 |
|---|---|
| Authors | K Tur’inskaya (0000-0001-5536-6278, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 32a, Leninskii Prosp., 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 69 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 127-136 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | World Economy and International Relations (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0131-2227 • E-ISSN: 2782-4330 |
| Publisher | Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.20542/0131-2227-2025-69-6-127-136 |
| OpenAlex | W4411027878 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 3 |
The article is about the national issue in Kenya. It is noted that the socio-economic and political situation in Kenya is largely determined by such a factor as tribalism. The author examines the national issue and tribalism in connection with the development of Kenyan statehood, problems of internal politics and stability, party life, security problems in the country and the region, the federal experience of the country at the dawn of independence and since the 2010s. The “majimbo” (regionalism, federalism), devolution (transfer of powers from the upper level of government to the lower, to the county level) system adopted in Kenya defines the country’s role in the regional East African federal process. Kenya is called the “big brother”, the “big man” of East Africa. It is the most economically developed country in the region. Kenya’s political weight is determined by its special allied relations with the United States and Great Britain, and leadership in the East African Community. It is planned to create a political federation based on EAC, preceded by the creation of a confederation. The country’s system of “majimbo”, devolution provide grounds for currently considering Kenya a “regional, semi-federal” state. The administrative and territorial structure, the borders of the regions correlate with the national/tribal composition of the country. Also since independence, the origin of a leader from a certain tribe has determined the phenomenon of “ethnic eating”, the system of distribution of material and symbolic benefits in the state among representatives of different nationalities, and there are at least 40 of them in Kenya. The origins of this phenomenon date back to the colonial period, when the British administration established “ethnic boundaries”, divided and ruled Kenyans, clashing the economic and political interests of tribal groups that differ in language, culture
Development economics · Economics · Geography · Political science · African history and culture studies · African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues · African studies and sociopolitical issues
| Highly cited | No |
|---|