Journal of Social and Political
Sciences
ISSN 2615-3718 (Online)
ISSN 2621-5675 (Print)
Published: 31 January 2024
Ethnicity, Inequality and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Influence of Ethnicity in Political Mobilization and Resource Distribution: The Case of 2013 Presidential Elections in Kenya
Fred Jonyo
University of Nairobi
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10.31014/aior.1991.07.01.464
Pages: 38-45
Keywords: Identity Politics, Resource Distribution, Political Mobilization, Primordialism, Constructivism, Instrumentalism
Abstract
This article examines the influence of ethnicity in political mobilization and resource distribution the case of 2013 presidential elections in Kenya. Politics of identity have long created incentives for political mobilization and resource distribution in ways that have direct and indirect correlation to economic development. The 2013 presidential elections in Kenya provide a useful platform to examine how identity politics continues to shape resource access and distribution with its attendant dynamics. The study uses both primary and secondary data to display the hypothesis that identity politics unfairly influences resource distribution in Kenya. A combination of Primordialism, Constructivism and Instrumentalism theory provide the lens of analysis. It concludes that ethnicity if not securitized, could eventually lead to inequality and weaken the fabric of economic development.
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