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

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.