Liberal Democracy and the Challenges of Multiparty Politics in Kenya and Uganda

Abstract

Since the Third Wave of democratization started challenging authoritarian regimes in the mid-1980s, African countries reacted differently to it. Majority adopted liberal democracy characterized by multiparty politics, but the path each took, and the effect it had on them, differed significantly. Kenya and Uganda present examples of this divergence. While Kenya's transition was violent, Uganda's was relatively peaceful. What accounts for this? What explains Uganda's peaceful transition despite her history of violence or Kenya's violent transition despite having been regarded "an island of peace” in the region? This paper examines these varied paths. It argues that while Uganda's peaceful transition is a function of Museveni's unquestioned grip on power, Kenya's violent path resulted from three factors: a). the weakening of Moi's dictatorship resulting from domestic and international pressures; b). conflict between advocates of multipartyism against those advocating for Majimboism; and, c). the introduction of militias in Kenya's politics.