Civil Society, NGOs and Democratic Governance in developing countries. A case of KHRC in Kenya

Master's Thesis , 2014 , 83 Pages , Grade: 7

Politics - Topic: Development Politics

Scholars agree that modern political democracies are almost impossible without vibrant, free and activist civil societies. In Africa, as in many other parts of the developing world, civil societies have arisen as a response to the dysfunction and despotism of the postcolonial state.

Given the current political developments in Kenya, including a new constitution promulgated in August 2010 that has been applauded as being very progressive and with an elaborate chapter on Bills of Rights, and its continuing implementation, the relatively peaceful, largely “free and fair” general elections of March 2013 that KHRC monitored, it can be said that the organization has positively played a positive role in the last quarter of a century but there is still a long way to go for real democratic principles to be permanently enshrined among the Kenyan political elites and state institutions and as such KHRC must continue on its struggle to keep the various regimes that come into power on their toes and engage them on the way towards ensuring a strong and stable Kenyan state that is deeply rooted in democratic governance and that has accountability, transparency and respect for human rights.

This thesis there seeks to examine how civil society, represented in this case study by KHRC have contributed to the increased democratic space in Kenya, and therefore be able to conclude whether civil society and NGOs contribute to democratization and democratic governance within the state.

Scholars agree that modern political democracies are almost impossible without vibrant, free and activist civil societies. In Africa, as in many other parts of the developing world, civil societies have arisen as a response to the dysfunction and despotism of the postcolonial state.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Summary
• Contents
• Abbreviations
• 1.0 Introduction
• 1.1 Structure of the Thesis
• 1.2. Problem statement
• 1.2.1 Context
• 1.3 Assumptions
• 1.4 Research Objectives
• 1.4.1 Specific Objectives
• 1.5. Research Questions
• 1.6. Hypothesis
• 1.7. Research Methodology and research design
• 1.8. Limitations of the Study
• 1.9. Conceptual Clarifications
• 2.0 Defending Qualitative Methods
• 2.1 The Merits of Case Study
• 2.2. The Narrative
• 2.3. Secondary Sources
• 3.0 State of Art/Theory
• 3.1 Liberal Democracy Model
• 3.1.1 Civil society and democratization: The Liberal school of thought
• 4.0 Democracy in the Developing Countries
• 4.1 Civil Society and Democracy in the Developing Countries
• 4.1.1 Role of the Civil Society in a developing country context
• 4.2 Democracy in the developing countries post Cold War
• 5.0. Kenya
• 5.1. Kenya's Political Discourse
• 5.2 Democracy Transition in Kenya
• 5.3 Kenya's unfinished Agendas
• 5.4. The Civil Society and Democracy in Kenya
• 5.5 CSOs as advocates and monitors of Democracy in early 1990s
• 5.6 Political Developments in the decade 1990-2000
• 5.7 State and Civil Society Relations
• 5.8 Close relationship between Civil Society and the NARC Government: Beyond 2003
• 6.0 The Kenya Human Rights Commission
• 6.1 History of the KHRC
• 6.2 KHRC's Vision and Mission
• 6.3 KHRC's strategies and activities that contribute to democratization and democratic governance
• 6.3.1 KHRC's Strategies
• 6.3.1.1 Advocacy
• 6.3.1.2 Research, Monitoring and Documentation
• 6.3.1.3 Rights Based Approach to Change
• 6.3.2 KHRC's Activities
• 6.3.2.1 Civil and Political Rights
• 6.3.2.2 Equality and Non-Discrimination
• 6.3.2.3 Economic Social and Rights
• 6.3.2.4 The Human Rights Education Programme
• 6.3.2.5 Electoral Monitoring
• 6.4. Relations with the Government
• 6.5. Influence on state policy formulation and implementation
• 6.5.1 The New 2010 Constitution of Kenya
• 6.6. Relations with other organizations
• 6.6.1 International NGOs and other development agencies
• 6.6.2 National NGOs
• 6.6.3 Grassroots and Community Based Organizations
• 7.0. Analyzing KHRC's role in promoting democratic governance
• 8.0 Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Appendix 1: List of Bills drafted by KHRC
• Appendix 2: List of press statements by KHRC

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

The thesis examines the role of civil society, specifically the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), in contributing to the expansion of democratic space in Kenya. The study aims to determine whether civil society organizations and NGOs effectively contribute to democratization and democratic governance within the state.

• The role of civil society in promoting democratic governance in developing countries
• The impact of civil society organizations on democratization processes
• The relationship between civil society and state institutions in Kenya
• The specific strategies and activities of the KHRC in advancing human rights and democratic governance
• The challenges and opportunities faced by civil society organizations in their efforts to influence state policies

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• The introduction lays out the thesis's structure, problem statement, research objectives, questions, hypothesis, methodology, limitations, and conceptual clarifications.
• Chapter 2 defends the use of qualitative methods, specifically the merits of case studies and the narrative approach.
• Chapter 3 delves into the theoretical framework of liberal democracy and its relationship to civil society and democratization.
• Chapter 4 explores the broader context of democracy in developing countries, focusing on the role of civil society in this context.
• Chapter 5 provides a detailed analysis of the political landscape in Kenya, examining the country's transition to democracy and the evolving relationship between civil society and the state.
• Chapter 6 presents an in-depth look at the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), its history, vision, mission, strategies, activities, and its interactions with the government and other organizations.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key terms and concepts explored in this study include democratization, democratic governance, civil society, human rights, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), developing countries, Kenya, Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), and state-society relations.

• College: University of Aarhus (Institute of Culture and Society)
• Course: International Relations
• Grade: 7
• Author: Timothy Mugo (Author)
• Publication Year: 2014
• Pages: 83
• Catalog Number: V424915
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668705418
• ISBN (Book): 9783668705425
• Language: English
• Tags: Democracy, Democratization, Civil Society, Civil Society Organizations., Kenya, Kenya Human Human Rights Commission, KHRC, Non Governmental Organizations, democratic governance