När etnicitet står i fokus - En fallstudie av Kenyas presidentval 2007
ElectionsKenyaEthnicityViolence'Democratic transition'Political and administrative sciencesStatsvetenskapFörvaltningskunskapLaw and Political Science
This thesis discusses the 2007 elections in Kenya, and its aftermath. The aim is to examine whether or not ethnicity played a major role in the outbreak of violence that followed the referendum. As well as different theories and discussions on ethnicity, I will also try to explain the course of events by using theories of increased civil violence during a democratic transition, and the fact that weak political institutions can cause violence. My conclusion is that ethnicity has played a part in the violence, but is too simple to blame the events following the election on just that. A number of different factors all contributed to the outbreak, but all to a different extent. The election and its results was the direct event that triggered the violence, but other more underlying factors can also be a reason, such as frustration over continued corruption within the political institutions and political instability during a democratic transition.