The Impact of Democratization Process on State Stability in Kenya: A Case Study of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission

This study determines the influence of democratization process on state stability in Kenya using IEBC as its case study. Elections are pre-dominantly considered as the institutional mechanism at the center of democracy. Legitimacy of governments and citizen accountability can only be achieved through the discipline of acquiring power through an election. This study uses IEBC as a case study considering that it acts as link to stable democracy through transparency in voting at the same time linking it to unstable democracy if elections fail to be transparent. The trust developed by the citizens participating in political organization is important for building a stable regime that is democratic. The specific objectives of the study were to establish the effect of freedom of voting, staff capacity and the independence of the IEBC on State stability. This study exposes quintessential factors in understanding and explaining Kenyan politics. It goes further in identifying various malpractices involved in Kenya’s electoral process. The study was anchored on Rational Choice Theory of Voter Turnout and David’s Easton System Theory of Political Science. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The population of study was 197 staff of IEBC Nairobi Office. The research applied stratified random sampling during sample size determination. The primary data collection was achieved by use of questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics aided by the SPSS package for measures of central tendencies such as standard deviation and mean. Findings were then presented in the form of tables and charts. From the findings, the study established that it was noted that election events in Kenya are an extension of political and tribal lines and that proper development of institutions that deals with election may help in bringing down the cases of armed conflicts in Kenya which ultimately promote state stability. The electoral commission may have complete capacity over operations of the commission and in terms of staffing and budgets and how the budget is spent, but if the budget is significantly less than what is required to protect key aspects of the electoral process, it may not be enough to improve election credibility. The study recommends that accountability and openness must be improved. The IEBC should develop a strong public communication strategy and mobilize resources to carry it out election. There is need to improve separation of board and management of the IEBC especially where overlaps exist, these should be highlighted and mechanisms of minimizing organizational conflict set out. The country should consider the possibility of having part-time commissioners as a way of minimizing board and management conflicts.