2007 Kenyan Crisis

The 2007-2008 Kenyan Crisis: Identity Politics and Disorder in Africa Thousands of Kenyan people were brutally, relentlessly, and mercilessly murdered because of the presidential candidate that they supported. How can such an electoral system exist and even further, how is it possible that such a system can be looked upon as a democracy? A country cannot be deemed legitimate, or function properly and in the best interest of the people, if the people’s voice cannot be heard and enacted through elections. The 2007 Kenyan presidential election was a glaring example of the corruption and illegitimacy that has defined Africa, starting from the end of the Cold War and continuing into the modern era. By investigating the Kenyan Crisis of 2007-2008, during which thousands of people were killed based upon ethnic identification following the presidential election, one is able to objectively examine the effects that violence, corruption, and conflict can have upon a prosperous and stable country. The process of state decomposition and reconstruction of power relates to case studies across the globe, not just Kenya. When analyzing the Kenyan conflict, it is beneficial to consider theories like that of Crawford Young, which attempts to explain the epidemic of disorder in Africa. He mainly relates and attributes said disorder to the concept of identification and the fact that violence may erupt when two groups, motivated by factors like ethnicity, race, or religions, clash in contestation for power. Throughout this analysis, the causes, characteristics, and consequences of the Kenyan Crisis of 2007-2008 will be explained and probed in relation to Crawford Young’s theory for disorder in order to fully comprehend not only the major determinants within Kenya at the time, but to understand how Young’s theory applies to a wide range of warring African countries. In order to best understand the political, economic, and social climate in Kenya during the crisis period, a brief

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