IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v9y2025issue-44927-4935.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Level of Internal Democracy in Political Party Primaries in the 2017 and 2022 General Elections in Kirinyaga County, Kenya

Author

Listed:
  • Murithii Kennedy Macharia

    (Department of History, Archaeology and Political Studies, Kenyatta University, March 2025)

  • Otieno Isaiah Oduor

    (Department of History, Archaeology and Political Studies, Kenyatta University, March 2025)

Abstract

This study assessed internal democracy in political party primaries in the 2017 and 2022 general elections in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. This study was anchored on two complementary theories namely; classical elite theory and the theory of parties. The classical elite theory argued that although a political party has a semblance of mass participation it is under the control of small elites who select members to represent the party at the larger level. This study took the form of an exploratory research design. This study utilized a combination of primary and secondary data collection methods. A sample of 400 individuals was chosen for field interviews. Questionnaires were distributed to 360 regular party members, encompassing men, women, and youth. This group of respondents was identified using random probability sampling. Additionally, interview schedules were conducted with 40 participants, which included party officials, experts, IEBC officials, observers, and primary candidates. This group was selected through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The data gathered was analyzed and interpreted using both quantitative and qualitative methods. This study noted that lack of political party institutionalization and weak political party structures result in lack of internal democracy that undermined party primaries in Kirinyaga County, Kenya.

Suggested Citation

  • Murithii Kennedy Macharia & Otieno Isaiah Oduor, 2025. "Level of Internal Democracy in Political Party Primaries in the 2017 and 2022 General Elections in Kirinyaga County, Kenya," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(4), pages 4927-4935, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:issue-4:4927-4935
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-9-issue-4/4927-4935.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/level-of-internal-democracy-in-political-party-primaries-in-the-2017-and-2022-general-elections-in-kirinyaga-county-kenya/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jocelyn Alexander & JoAnn McGregor, 2013. "Introduction: Politics, Patronage and Violence in Zimbabwe," Journal of Southern African Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(4), pages 749-763, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Eneriko Mbofani, 2024. "Political Tolerance Challenges and Strategies in Multiparty Societies’ in Sadc: The Case of Zimbabwe (2017-2023)," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(10), pages 1368-1393, October.
    2. Sara F. Brouwer, 2023. "Kumusha and masalads: (inter)generational foodways and urban food security in Zimbabwe," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(2), pages 761-775, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:issue-4:4927-4935. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Pawan Verma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.