Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Dissertations Graduate College 6-2004 The Politics of HIV/AIDS and Implications for Democracy in Kenya Wambuii Henry Kiragu Western Michigan University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations Part of the African Studies Commons, and the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Kiragu, Wambuii Henry, "The Politics of HIV/AIDS and Implications for Democracy in Kenya" (2004). Dissertations. 1117. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/1117 This Dissertation-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE POLITICS OF HIV/AIDS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DEMOCRACY IN KENYA by Wambuii Henry Kiragu A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Political Science Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan June 2004 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE POLITICS OF HIV/AIDS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DEMOCRACY IN KENYA Wambuii Henry Kiragu, Ph.D. Western Michigan University, 2004 Democratic consolidation in newly transitioned democracies has traditionally been attributed to widely accepted political and legal mechanisms, like elections and constitutions. Existing literature on democratization in sub-Saharan Africa is preoccupied with these mechanisms as prime indicators for democratic takeoff in specific countries. Hardly any attention has been paid to other less openly political mechanisms, such as the response to external shocks, as potential sources of institutional development that could advance democratic practices. Yet national response to any external shock can entail a host of actions with potentially far ranging political implications, including transformation of the form and means of political contestation in a given country. The practical need for means to address urgent issues in response to the external shock could lead to the emergence of institutional mechanisms that foster democratic practices. A logical question to ask is: How does mobilization against external shocks affect the process of democratization in fragile democracies? This project identifies the institutions that emerged in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Kenya and examines their impact on the country’s democratization. The dissertation adopts a historical institutionalist perspective, advanced through analyses of policy documents and a review of the secondary literatures dealing with HIV/AIDS and with post independence political developments in the country. Tracking Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. institutional developments before and during the HIV/AIDS era, and examining the contribution from responses to the HIV/AIDS pandemic to these developments, provides insight into this kind of political change. I conclude that although consolidation of democracy in Kenya is still in its infancy, mobilization against HIV/AIDS has inadvertently led to the emergence of institutional mechanisms that, along with other factors like civil society agitation and international pressure, have built a significant structure for the practice of democracy. I emphasize that while HIV/AIDS has been documented in existing literature as set to reverse political gains across sub-Saharan Africa, mobilization against the pandemic in Kenya has led to the emergence of citizen driven institutions that contribute to advancing democracy. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3130622 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 3130622 Copyright 2004 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Copyright by Wambuii Henry Kiragu 2004 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE GRADUATE COLLEGE WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN D a te . 5/11/2004 WE HEREBY APPROVE THE DISSERTATION SUBMITTED BY Wambuii Henry Kiragu ENTITLED THE POLITICS OF HIV/AIDS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DEMOCRACY IN KENYA AS PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Doctor of Philosophy Political Science (Department) Paul Clements, Ph.D. Dissertation Review Committee Chair Political Science (Program) Sushi Datta-Sandhu, Ph.D. Dissertation Review Committee Member Bllinda Straight, PtwD. Dissertation Review Committee Member APPROVED Date Dean of The Graduate College Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation is the culmination of a long held aspiration to contribute to the search for solutions in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The pandemic is a sad reality that for over two decades has affected those not only close to my heart in Kenya, but also has caused many needless deaths across the world. This dissertation is foremost an acknowledgement of man’s ability to overcome, a salute to goodwill and cooperation for the sake of human kind, and an ode to the many hapless victims of a pandemic beyond their comprehension. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Paul Clements, my committee chair, for helping pick up the pieces that make up this study, and for many years of mentoring and friendship throughout my stay at Western Michigan University. I am also deeply indebted to Dr. Sushi Datta-Sadhu, and Dr. Bilinda Straight, both members of my dissertation committee, for their advice, encouragement, and extensive research support throughout the years, and especially the two years that I undertook this project. To all my committee members, I am grateful for your patience and understanding as we carried forward the dissertation process, and for your challenging me to explore every possible aspect in this project, never accepting nothing short of my very best efforts. I am also very grateful to Drs. Steven Benfell, and Lawrence Ziring, whose advice and support was instrumental in the formative stages of this study. Throughout my doctoral studies, I was fortunate to receive logistical support from the Department of Political Science at W.M.U. I am grateful to Dr. David Houghton for the many opportunities for self-improvement, and to the entire faculty in Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgments—Continued the Department for various forms of advice and encouragement. For Ms. Dotty Barr and Ms. Mary Grant in the Department office, i appreciate the many things you have done for me over the years, i was blessed to have around me a team of very supportive, intelligent people always willing to offer a helping hand, or to criticize whenever the need arose. To fellow graduate students in the Political Science Department at W.M.U., you have taught me a lot. I am thankful for the many years that we have labored together. While the list is long, I especially appreciate the academic companionship of Alper Dede, Jianfeng Wang, Moataz Abdel-Fattah, Duane Gundrum, Katia Levintova, and Aparna Thomas. Secondly, I am deeply indebted to a special group of people. Thanks Stacy and the entire Frattinger family for years of nurturing support; Dr. Tom Wolf for taking on the role of lifetime friend and mentor; Gamo Tounkara and Mareme Ngom for watching over me; and Mukaria Itang’ata, Felix Omondi Onyango, Jeremiah Christos, William Crockett, and Victor Garcia, for the constant encouragement, friendship and attention as I pursued completion of this study. Finally, this dissertation could never have been possible were it not for the vision and determination of my late mother, Margret Wanjiku Wachira, a hard working, blessed woman who kept her promise to her children, and sacrificed her dreams along time ago sd we could achieve ours. This dissertation is for you mom. Thanks for loving me, and for being the wind beneath my wings. May God rest you, my sister Wairimu, Cucu, and all the other dearly departed in eternal peace. For all my other family members, your patience and concern for all those years is highly appreciated. To all of you who have made such a big difference in my life, thank you. Wambuii Henry Kiragu Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................................ii LIST OF TABLES..........................................................................................................