Why Kenya Is a Nation in Embryo
50 Years Since Independence: Where is Kenya? ed. Susan Wakhungu-Githuku (Nairobi: Footprints Press, 2013), pp. 238-245
9 Pages Posted: 6 Feb 2014
Date Written: 2013
Abstract
Kenya, like most post-colonial African states, has yet to cohere into a nation. It is a nation in embryo. Nation building has been retarded by a kleptocratic elite incapable of defining -- and sustaining -- Kenya's national interests. Public corruption, political mobilization along ethnic lines, and an underdeveloped party culture have undermined the creation of a national consciousness in East Africa's anchor state.
Keywords: Kenya, post-colonial state, national consciousness, state in embryo, national interest, ethnicity, public corruption
JEL Classification: N47
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation