2004: Partner NEWS Vol. 7 no. 2

The Role of Civil Society after the Political Transition

Most civil society organisations are urban based and single subject organisations often so preoccupied with their single and highly localised agenda that they have no interest in developing the necessary outreach capacity to address wider political issues. This lack of interest, a recent report shows, results in a significant negative impact on the nation...

By Patrick Ochieng

02. July 2005

It is difficult to situate the civil society organisations (CSOs) after the transition in 2002. Even before the transition they had serious structural shortcomings in terms of social fragmentation based on urban-rural; class, ethnicity; political-ideological divide; programmatic nuances just like the political parties; etc. They were just like the political parties some of which went on the form governement. Yet one thing remains certain: government must always be made accountable to the people and those responsible to do so are the opposition and the civil society.

Ironically the December 2002 general elections although it resulted in the collapse of the autocratic state also prepared fertile ground for the germination of new seeds of autocracy in Kenya. One result of the ellection was that the CSOs who have emerged as the most active and vigorous force particularly since the advent of multipartyism in 1990 have become more or less moribund. Many CSO key players contested parliamentary seats and therefore a situation has arisen where civil society and the new government look much like the same side of one coin. This means that there is no vigorous engagement with the new government by both the opposition and civil society. This presents a situation where NARC’s governance could retrogress to autocracy...

Refine mandate

It seems that the CSOs must invest in refining their mandate and identity in the post transition period. For example, by placing the poor and marginalized at the forefront of the struggle. Communities must lead the struggle for emancipation so that we get out of the saviour-savage-villain paradigm where one group feels they can save another group. CSOs should take the lead especially those with linkages and get inspiration from the common people, because they are the only force capable of becoming agents of change. Kenyans must lead because they are the ultimate beneficiaries and if empowered they can demand and sustain their gains. CSOs have to become more holistic change their ideological orientation and account to Kenyans rather than donors for the work that they do.

The challenge for CSOs after the transition really is about how they can broaden the base of their membership. How trade unions, workers, environmental organizations, peasants, villages, social forums, natural resource frameworks and a host of others can be brought on board the struggle. And how the constitutional debate can be taken forward by civil society to found a democracy in Kenya. Therefore, in order to develop strategies for the future, there is a need to reassess the present situation in Kenya taking into account the responses of the CSOs.

NARC's new dawn?

The monumental changes witnessed in Kenya’s governance landscape as a result of the political transition have come to pass. The NARC government has still a long way to go in making real progress in the fight against poverty and human rights abuses in Kenya. No new thinking can be traced in NARC’s approach to governance. It mentions poverty without appreciating its dynamics and it neglect the poor as the market mechanisms are left to take control of essential services, which is why many more are joining the ranks of the poor since it came to power.

Most CSOs agree that the government is anchored in the old school of thought, believing foreign exchange and foreign investment is the only panacea to Kenya’s woes. But the worst mistake is the government’s interference with the constitutional making process.

In shch a senario, civil society is not overly optimistic about the future of Kenya and evidence abounds to suggest that we are slowly but steadily sliding into a state of despair, hopelessness and melancholy, which seems set to prevail, the government is exhibiting dictatorial tendencies once again. This could lead to widespread human rights violations, insecurity and civil strife and transitional justice. This means that past wrongs will not be addressed and reforms will at best be only minimal even the constitutional review is now in great doubt. New aspects of corruption seem to be stalking the nation and will be further entrenched especially given the fact that there will be no devolution of power as the Provincial Administration remains intact. In such a scenario, overall poverty will intensify and free education and affordable health care that NARC so loudly advocated will have no legs to stand on.  If we continue to urge respect for the rule of law when we neglect the structural environment that permit poverty and human rights abuses to continue with impunity, CSO work in Kenya will remain marginal, ineffective to the political struggle.

Continuous CSO activism

In the post transition phase CSOs must make deliberate steps to link socio economic rights of the people with governance and take the issue of resource redistribution in Kenya to it right place. Responsibility must be devolved in a meaningful way to the people, activism must be legitimized and capacity for it created. To do this more investment must be made on coalition building or rallying together on topical issues, agitation, defiance and popular action must become our way of life around socio-economic rights issues that affect us.

New socialization will have to happen around the student’s movement, the religious sector, workers, peasantry, and communities across Kenya. CSOs, I believe, must set the agenda for the opposition and parliament and this must be made the goal of community mobilization. Attitudes towards minorities must change. The gains made during the constitution review process must be protected and safeguarded particularly around sections on devolution, culture and natural resources. Reason beeing, these are frameworks that have direct impact on ordinary citizens and their social, cultural and economic rights.

In order to realize results in the areas highlighted above the CSOs must: -