Abstract

The proper place to begin any analysis on ethnic conflicts is the partisan governance systems in which ruling elite favour some ethnic groups at the expense of others Since the 1960s the national executive in Kenya has had the exclusive power to grant or deny economic resources to ethnic groups that were deemed to be disloyal Murithi 1997 The Kenyatta Government 1963-1978 applied this political ideology towards the Luo Community and the Moi Government 1978-2002 marginalised the Kikuyu community Laaksol 2007 CIPEV 2008 The discriminatory allocation of resources by the executive influenced a heightened sense of ethnic consciousness among ethnic communities Even with the return of multi-party politics ethnic groups that perceived themselves as the out-group sought to win over state power to enable a fairer distribution of public goods and service Alesina Ferreira 2004 This political culture occasioned the in-group and out-group mentality in politics and socio-and economic phenomenon