Role of European Union in Kenya’s Democratization Process (2010 – 2017)

The 21st century marks the global rise of the democratic system of governance and the fall of authoritarian regimes. Authoritarian rule have increasingly fallen across the developing countries especially in Africa. This wave was further propelled by the fall of the bi-polar international system and rise of a multi-polar one which heralded the emergence of external actors particularly western donors including NGOs, INGOs and IGO‘s which have spurred and supported the democratization processes of developing states. This is after a paradigm shift in aid conditionality to focus on support for the democratic model of governance. This background motivated this study which sought to examine the role of the European Union in Kenya‘s democratization process. It sought to assess the role of the EU in strengthening the civil society in Kenya; to evaluate the role of the EU in capacity building of political institutions in Kenya; and to examine the role of the European Union in electoral reforms in Kenya. The study adopted the liberal democratic school of thought which advocates for democratic ideals such as a free media, free and fair elections, and respect for human rights. These characteristics are progressively introduced to weak and failed democracies through a democratization process supported by development assistance. Methodologically, this is was case study and capitalized on secondary data from authoritative sources. Gathered data was analyzed through content analysis. The study found out that the EU has been a critical actor in pushing for democratic political reforms through emphasizing on reforms as a key factor in determining economic assistance. The assistance programs by the donor community utilize a range of tools which pressure and influence the position and course of political organization in Kenya; international aid to Kenya has been channeled towards development of democratic values by the civil society which has been a beneficiary especially in its agenda of opening up the political space; the electoral management body has been directly and indirectly strengthened by the EU through financial and technical assistance in order enable for successful electoral management; and lastly the capacity building of political parties and party systems by the EU has contributed to and hastened democratic processes and the shift towards a democratic society. This study concludes that European Union‘s forays in Kenya‘s democratization process have largely been felt in the electoral management reforms. The civil society has also been a great beneficiary and influencer in the shift towards a democratic society but the support has benefited elite civil society and affected sustainability of the civil society organizations