African Union Participation in Resolution of Post-Election Violence in Kenya (2007-2008)
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Date
2024-10
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Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
This study evaluates the effectiveness of the African Union (AU) intervention during the 2007/2008 election violence in Kenya. It examines the results of the AU's mediation process and assesses its role in preventing future violence. The specific objectives of this study were to assess the effectiveness of the African Union (AU) intervention against electoral violence in Kenya in 2007/2008, to determine the effectiveness of the AU in preventing future violence in Kenya, and to examine the outcomes of the intervention The AU mediation process after the violence in Kenya. The study used a case study research design, a research design that allows a study to examine in depth a program, event, activity, process, or person or individuals, and was based on North's (1990) institutional theory and mediation Theory formulated by Zartman (2000). The subject of the study was the AU's intervention against electoral violence in the 2007/2008 elections in Kenya. The study was conducted in Nairobi, Kenya targeting informants from the AU, Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The sample size of this study was 35 informants. Officials from the AU, Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the study, through qualitative insights. Qualitative data collected was analyzed thematically and presented in qualitatively in form of verbatim notes. The findings identified the factors leading to the AU in electoral violence intervention to include lack of institutional capacity, weak laws that govern the operations of institutions, insufficient dispute resolution mechanisms, weak legal framework to handle electoral issues, political patronage and lack of political goodwill. The study indicate that AU was effective in electoral violence intervention as it attained the three elements of legitimacy that include the regulative, normative, and cognitive legitimacies. The findings show that AU was better positioned to undertake electoral violence intervention through negotiation, diplomacy, and innovative peace-building approaches. The study concludes that the government needs to strengthen institutions that handle elections and conflict resolution arising from electoral process. The study concludes that AU was better equipped in handling electoral violence intervention that local institutions as it had the elements of legitimacy. The study conclude that the AU was effective in electoral violence intervention by employing various strategies ranging from negotiation, mediation, diplomacy, and innovative approach. The study recommended that a multilateral approach to electoral violence intervention that incorporates international organizations and governmental agencies to boost legitimacy and capabilities in resolving electoral violence.
Description
A Project Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy in the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences of Kenyatta University, October 2024.
Supervisor
Boniface Muoka