An examination of Kenya's attempted transition to democracy

In 1992 Kenya held its first multiparty elections in almost thirty years. Though there were high hopes for a successful transformation of the political scene, President Moi's authoritarian regime was returned to power. Various causes for this failed transition to democracy are proposed and examined in order to determine which were significant to the outcome. These causes are situated in a theoretical framework drawn from the relevant literature in comparative politics. The methodology falls within the tradition of comparative historical analyses. The results of this examination point to the lack of political institutions and the inability of the opposition parties to assume the functions of these institutions as the primary cause for the failed transition in Kenya. In conclusion, this thesis suggests that a useful avenue for further work in African democratization lies in exploration of the role of parties in ethnically divided societies.