| dc.description.abstract | An electoral management system is made to make sure that the outcomes reflect the preferences
of the majority of voters, to give elected officials credibility, and to prevent any challenges to
the election results. However, post-election violence has continued in Kenya despite numerous
reforms and adjustments to the country's electoral system. This indicates structural issues with
the nation's electoral administration system. In light of this, the goal of this study was to
establish a connection between post-election violence since 1963 and the electoral management
system. This involved analyzing the core components of Kenya's electoral management
system, pinpointing the causes of the post-election carnage, and evaluating the difficulties and
opportunities that Kenya's electoral management body (IEBC) will encounter in planning and
overseeing elections. This study examined the relationship between Kenya's majoritarian
electoral system and post-election violence by reviewing related literature studies thematically
in accordance with the research goals. Consociationalism theory, voting theory, and rational
choice theory served as the foundation for this work. A historical study design using both
qualitative and quantitative methodologies was used by the researcher. The research was
carried out from July 2022 to December 2022. Citizens eligible to vote, lawmakers, IEBC
members, political analysts and journalists (both print and electronic media), representatives of
humanitarian aid organizations, local and international observers, security personnel, and
county administrative staff were the study's target audiences. The researcher employed the
stratified random sampling technique. The target population established the strata, and a
random sample was taken from each stratum. In the study, primary and secondary data were
both used. Data were gathered utilizing a questionnaire, interviewing guidelines, and secondary
sources that included question items derived from the research's aims and questions. Voters
received questionnaires, and information was gathered via interviews with political experts,
electoral experts, IEBC officials, lawmakers, humanitarian aid officials, security agents, local
and international observers, and county administration personnel. While qualitative data was
classified into themes, subjects, and important issues, quantitative data was calculated and
displayed in figures and charts. Regarding the first goal, the study found that Kenya's electoral
administration method is based on the First Past the Post concept, a type of plurality/majority
system. Regarding the second goal, the study found that the "winner-takes-it-all" election
system, disputed election results due to perceived bias of the electoral management body, and
voter incitement by politicians are among the major causes of post-election violence in Kenya
dating back to 1963. Regarding the third goal, the study revealed that the IEBC has a variety of
operational, administrative, and legal difficulties while planning, running, and overseeing
elections in Kenya. Based on first objective results, the study came to the conclusion that
Kenya's electoral management system is fundamentally based on the First Past the Post
principle. On third objective, the study came to the conclusion that the electoral management's
ability to supervise fair and credible elections is hampered by the impunity and self-interest of
political leaders, ethnicity, mistrust, and fear of exclusion. The study's second objective's
findings also support the conclusion that voter provocation by politicians has been one of the
main drivers of post-election violence in Kenya since 1963. Among other recommendations,
the study suggested that the cure to the current divisive first past the post electoral management
system in use in Kenya is to explore other electoral management system options such as
proportional representation and mixed member models as they are more inclusive and result in
fair representation. In drawing a nexus between electoral management system and post-election
violence which is a relatively understudied new field in Kenya and the region, this study made a
contribution to peace and conflict studies | en_US |
