The Interventions of Negotiated Democracy in Political Inclusion: A Case Study of Migori County

Abstract

This research study addressed the dynamic paradigm of political inclusion in Migori County, a region characterized by high ethnic diversity and a history of political antagonism. The gap between the theoretical potential of negotiated democracy to create political inclusion and the actual practice of negotiated democracy in Migori County, where minority groups feel marginalized, constituted the research problem. The basis of this study was to assess the impact of negotiated democracy on enhancing political inclusion. To achieve this, mixed research design was applied to examine the three study objectives, including assessing the effects of corporatism, identifying the effects of consociationalism, and evaluating the effects of regimes of veto players on political inclusion in Migori County. The study employed a mixed-method design which incorporated quantitative data based on a survey, reinforced by qualitative data pegged on focus group discussions. The target population was the political leaders, community elders, civil society members, and citizens actively participating in the politics of Migori County. The results showed that negotiated democracy, especially through consociational and regimes of veto players practice, has influenced political inclusion, which, though has always been short-lived in every instance, has taken place, as evidenced by the power-sharing agreements during the 2013 general election. The study, however, revealed that the stability of such agreements over time is threatened by the lack of formal legalities and the superiority of majoritarian politics, resulting in a sense of exclusion among minority ethnic groups. In addition, the study recommends, formulation of legal framework and institutionalization of power sharing within the county for sustainability, frontrunner political party (ODM) to exercise the provision of direct nomination to candidates from minority communities to enhance their election, the civil society and interest groups to heighten civic education and need for compromise to realize political inclusion, and the researchers to undertake further study on the possible modalities of establishing legal framework and institutionalization of negotiated democracy within the county for longevity and sustainability