Deconstructing Intergenerational Politics Between ‘Young Turks’ and ‘Old Guards’ in Africa: An Exploration of the Perceptions on Leadership and Governance In Kenya
Loading...
Date
2014-05-21
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Routledge Taylor and Francis Group
Abstract
Arguably, political leadership in Africa has been characterized as an occupation of the old.
This has spurred heightened intergenerational conflicts, which pre-existed the formation of
independent nation states. Conflicts over power and leadership among young and older
generations were evident, and still are, in many traditional African societies. Such
relationships continue within contemporary social, economic and cultural contexts. Aside
fromethnicity being at the heart of defining political developments in Kenya, the ‘generation
card’ is often invoked in the unfolding of political reform and democratic space. This paper
interrogates the emergent relationship between ‘Young Turks’ (those characterized as
‘young’, full of ideas and impatient for change) and ‘Old Guards’ (those believed to be
unwilling to change and accept new ideas), and questions its relevance for social, political
and economic policy. It reveals how public space in Kenyan polity has been controlled by its
older generations, who maintain a firm grip on the country’s resources. It concludes by
calling for a meaningful intergenerational dialog, where both young and old share ideas on
how best to proceed on Kenya’s path to social, political and economic development.
Description
Article
Keywords
Citation
Wilson K. Muna, Anne Stanton & Diana M. Mwau (2014) Deconstructing intergenerational politics between ‘Young Turks’ and ‘Old Guards’ in Africa: an exploration of the perceptions on leadership and governance in Kenya, Journal of Youth Studies, 17:10, 1378-1394, DOI: 10.1080/13676261.2014.918248