Western donor countries consider a proper functioning multiparty democracy as one of the most import conditions for achieving more legitimate governance and subsequently economic development and... Show moreWestern donor countries consider a proper functioning multiparty democracy as one of the most import conditions for achieving more legitimate governance and subsequently economic development and reduction of poverty in their partner countries. Support to free and fair elections is an integral part of the ‘good governance’ agenda of the traditional donor community. On the basis of the findings of this study, it appears however that it is not so much the acceptance of Western type political institutions or compliance with generally endorsed liberal-democratic standards that determine the possibilities for developing countries to achieve economic transformation and substantial poverty reduction, but rather the nature of the political settlement among the political elites. Show less
In 2050 zullen er in de Afrikaanse steden naar schatting 1,3 miljard mensen wonen, tweemaal zoveel als in heel Europa. Deze steden ontwikkelen zich vanuit een geheel eigen dynamiek. De stad Kisumu... Show moreIn 2050 zullen er in de Afrikaanse steden naar schatting 1,3 miljard mensen wonen, tweemaal zoveel als in heel Europa. Deze steden ontwikkelen zich vanuit een geheel eigen dynamiek. De stad Kisumu in Kenia telt in 2018 700.000 inwoners, waarvan er 550.000 in krottenwijken wonen. De informele straateconomie beheerst de openbare ruimte en levert de meeste werkgelegenheid. Bijna de helft van de mensen leeft onder de absolute armoedegrens. In zijn onderzoek richt Rob van Gemert zich op Obunga, een wijk van Kisumu. Hij schetst een beeld van het wonen en werken in deze krottenwijk. Samen met de bewoners zoekt hij naar mogelijkheden om de wijk te verbeteren. Terwijl hij door de wijk loopt, rondkijkt, luistert en vergadert, vormt zich een integraal plan. De eigenheid van de wijk vormt hierbij het uitgangspunt; niet als probleem, maar juist als oplossing. Dan presenteert het stadsbestuur een stedenbouwkundig plan, ontworpen door Franse adviseurs. Ze hebben een nieuw imago voor het centrum bedacht, negeren de straateconomie volledig en willen alle krottenwijken ombouwen tot woongebieden voor de middenklasse. “Niemand luistert naar ons”, zeggen de mensen in Obunga. Show less
Contesting Control is about the Loita Maasai in Kenya who, faced with increasing outside interventions and pressure from neighbouring communities, the state and other agencies, have been... Show moreContesting Control is about the Loita Maasai in Kenya who, faced with increasing outside interventions and pressure from neighbouring communities, the state and other agencies, have been struggling to maintain access and control over the land they inhabit and the forest they use. They have been on the losing side in territorial struggles with neighbouring Purko Maasai and (non-Maasai) Sonjo. However, with regard to the state, NGOs and environmental organizations, the Loita have successfully navigated policies and projects and retained access and control of their land and forest. Interventions have, nevertheless, changed the way people engage with the land and forest and with each other on these issues. This study investigates the (in)direct effects of interventions and how they have articulated with existing relations, practices, processes and struggles in Loita. It considers the state-led land adjudication programme of the 1960s that sought to convert Kenya's pastoral lands into privately owned group ranches, the attempt by Narok County Council to turn the Naimina Enkiyio Forest into a nature reserve for tourism in the 1990s, and a forest co-management project carried out by IUCN in the early 2000s. This volume captures the process of property-in-the-making and socio-political change among the Loita Maasai as they struggle for autonomy and self-government. Show less
This volume attempts to dig deeper into what is currently happening in Africa's agricultural and rural sector and to convince policymakers and others that it is important to look at the current... Show moreThis volume attempts to dig deeper into what is currently happening in Africa's agricultural and rural sector and to convince policymakers and others that it is important to look at the current African rural dynamics in ways that connect metropolitan demands for food with value chain improvements and agro-food cluster innovations. It is essential to go beyond a 'development bureaucracy' and a state-based approach to rural transformation, such as the one that often dominates policy debate in African government circles, organizations like the African Union and the UN, and donor agencies. Show less
This study connects the topic of natural resource conflicts with political elements, especially elections and looks into clashes between a pastoralist (Orma) and an agricultural (Pokomo) community... Show moreThis study connects the topic of natural resource conflicts with political elements, especially elections and looks into clashes between a pastoralist (Orma) and an agricultural (Pokomo) community in Kenya. It analyses the clashes in the Tana delta which escalated in August 2012 from a political angle. The main aim of this study was to see how elections and conflicts influence each other but also which role other (political) aspects played in the case of the Tana delta. The Tana delta is a wetland area at the Kenyan Coast which is mainly inhabited by pastoralist Orma and agricultural Pokomo communities. Also, it is a fall back area for pastoralists from as far as Ethiopia, who migrate to the delta in times of drought in search for water and pasture. The area frequently sees conflicts which occasionally claim lives or even end in severe violence. The latter one was the case in 2012-2013 when almost 200 people died in ethnic clashes. On 4th March 2013 Kenya held its first elections under the new constitution which was embarked in 2010 and foresees a new government structure delegating more responsibilities to the regional level, the counties. This study analyses how the clashes in the Tana delta were influenced by these transitional elections and how institutional failure and legal pluralism contributed. Also, it identifies the root cause of natural resource conflicts in the Tana delta. Due to the fact that theories on election violence suggest that politicians instigate violence to unite their voters or to reduce the number of their competitors' supporters, this study also takes into account how the clashes influenced the elections. In this respect it examines which consequences the conflict had on the electorate, how it affected the popularity of different aspirants and what effects it had on the relevance of factors for the voting decision. Show less
There are regions in the world where socio-economic deprivation, ecological marginality, political exclusion, poverty and violence all seem to converge. The cases presented in this book describe... Show moreThere are regions in the world where socio-economic deprivation, ecological marginality, political exclusion, poverty and violence all seem to converge. The cases presented in this book describe various violent conflicts in rural Kenya and aim to understand spatial insecurity while searching for explanations beyond the mainstream narratives that blame poverty, ethnic diversity, resource scarcity or rapid cultural transition for violent conflicts. 'Spatial insecurity' is a societal context that people themselves shape, make use of, exploit and suffer from. The overall conclusion is that 'ethnic identity' can no longer be used as a refuge behind which violent conflict can be justified. Show less
Drawing on the sustainable livelihood approach, this book explores gender dynamics in urban agriculture, which is an integral part of the diversified portfolio of livelihood strategies adopted by... Show moreDrawing on the sustainable livelihood approach, this book explores gender dynamics in urban agriculture, which is an integral part of the diversified portfolio of livelihood strategies adopted by residents of Eldoret town to cope with hard economic times. It explores the motives, needs, preferences and contributions of men and women in urban agriculture and the benefits they derived from it individually and for their households. It shows how these were mediated by social norms and gender ideologies, entitlements to farming resources, individual capabilities and personal agency. Also explored in the book are the inter-linkages between urban agriculture and other livelihood strategies and the role of gender relations in the process, as well as policy implications for sustainable and more equitable urban agriculture. Show less
This publication provides a set of guiding principles for constitutional reform on the basis of practical experiences of constitutional reform processes in selected countries: Bolivia, Ghana,... Show moreThis publication provides a set of guiding principles for constitutional reform on the basis of practical experiences of constitutional reform processes in selected countries: Bolivia, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The focus is on the role of political parties in constitution-building processes. The publication shows that although country-specific reform processes may be unique in terms of objectives, context, popular involvement, and achievements, they go through similar phases: preparatory, consultative, drafting, and implementation. All cases illustrate the political nature of constitutional reform and the central role of political parties in the process. [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
Many people associate hospital treatment with 'getting better', the restoration to health and normal life. The onset of a life-threatening disease such as cancer, however, can transform the... Show moreMany people associate hospital treatment with 'getting better', the restoration to health and normal life. The onset of a life-threatening disease such as cancer, however, can transform the hospital into a place of constant struggle and suffering. Hospitalisation in this sense coincides with the deterioration of patients' and their families' overall wellbeing. Drawing on twelve months of ethnographic research in a cancer ward in Kenya, this monograph shows that patients' suffering should be viewed within the context of a wider spectrum of adversity. The book demonstrates the ambiguity of a hospital stay and treatment, showing how a hospital can both alleviate as well as increase human suffering. The author advocates patient-centred hospital ethnography as a way to improve the understanding of cancer patients' needs, both medical and non-medical, as they struggle to restore their wellbeing. Benson A Mulemi is a medical Anthropologist from Kenya. He obtained a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology from the Institute of African Studies, University of Nairobi in 1998 and was admitted to the PhD programme at AMIDSt, University of Amsterdam in 2004. He has worked on several projects as a researcher and lecturer at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, visiting lecturer at the Institute of African Studies; University of Nairobi, Christ the Teacher Institute for Education, Tangaza College (affiliated to St. Mary's University Minnesota, USA), Tangaza and Hekima Colleges of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi. Show less
Health and healing in Africa have increasingly become subject to monetization and commodification, in short, the market. Based on fieldwork in nine countries, this volume offers different... Show moreHealth and healing in Africa have increasingly become subject to monetization and commodification, in short, the market. Based on fieldwork in nine countries, this volume offers different perspectives on these emerging markets and the way medical staff, patients, households and institutions navigate them in their quest for well-being. Contributions: Introduction: Economic ethnographies of the marketization of health and healing in Africa (Rijk van Dijk and Marleen Dekker); Milking the sick: medical pluralism and the commoditization of healthcare in contemporary Nigeria (Akinyinka Akinyoade and Bukola Adeyemi Oyeniyi); Organizing monies: the reality and creativity of nursing on a hospital ward in Ghana (Christine Böhmig); Market forces threatening school feeding: the case for school farming in Nakuru town, Kenya (Dick Foeken et al.); Dashed hopes and missed opportunities: malaria control policies in Kenya (1896-2009) (Kenneth Ombongi and Marcel Rutten); The market for healing and the elasticity of belief: medical pluralism in Mpumalanga, South Africa (Robert Thornton); Medical knowledge and healing practices among the Kapsiki/Higi of northern Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria (Walter E.A. van Beek); The commodification of misery: markets for healing, markets for sickness (Zanzibar) (Nadine Beckmann); Individual or shared responsibility: the financing of medical treatment in rural Ethiopian households (Marleen Dekker); Can't buy me health: financial constraints and health-seeking behaviour in rural households in central Togo (Andr‚ Leliveld et al.); Marriage, commodification and the romantic ethic in Botswana (Rijk van Dijk). [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
Overexploitation of natural resources is often associated with poverty among local populations. A multi-disciplinary team studied artisanal fishers along the Kenyan coast on the Indian Ocean. The... Show moreOverexploitation of natural resources is often associated with poverty among local populations. A multi-disciplinary team studied artisanal fishers along the Kenyan coast on the Indian Ocean. The main focus of the research was on income diversification of fishers, the pressure on marine resources and the relation between the two. Income diversification did not reduce the pressure on the marine environment. Rather, indications are that many part-time fishers are entering the profession. Moreover, fishers with alternative employment stayed in-shore and used damaging gear more often. Policies to stimulate employment opportunities for coastal communities cannot be expected to lessen the pressure on marine resources and need to be planned carefully in terms of industry location, labour requirements and degree of coastal pollution. Show less
The major focus of the book is on food security and coping mechanisms in an arid environment; a case of West Pokot in Northwest Kenya. The area suffers from livestock and crop diseases; human and... Show moreThe major focus of the book is on food security and coping mechanisms in an arid environment; a case of West Pokot in Northwest Kenya. The area suffers from livestock and crop diseases; human and cattle raids between the Pokot and their neighbors; has no major industries or developed roads; and relies on relief food during famines. This well researched study will benefit readers and policy makers to comprehend that: sound policies and actions at national and local levels are needed to tackle droughts and famines; relief food is not a solution to food insecurity; and if Kenya cannot feed its citizens, sustainable development will continue to elude the nation. - Anne Kisaka Nangulu is currently Dean, and Associate Professor of History, in the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Moi University, Kenya. She received Bachelors and Masters Degrees in History at the University of Nairobi, Kenya; and her Doctorate in History from West Virginia University, USA. She has received scholarly awards/scholarships; and authored several book chapters and articles in scholarly journals on the History of Kenya and Africa. Her research has mainly focused on indigenous knowledge, the state, politics, security issues, corruption, urbanization, unemployment, education, gender, poverty, HIV/AIDs, ethnic conflicts, resource allocation, search for economic justice, and food security. Show less
When discussing development issues in Africa, it is not sufficient to simply stress the ubiquity of failure, malnutrition, disease, predatory states and war, one also has to recognize that... Show moreWhen discussing development issues in Africa, it is not sufficient to simply stress the ubiquity of failure, malnutrition, disease, predatory states and war, one also has to recognize that important aspects in the lives of millions of ordinary people have been transformed over the last five decades. The contributions in this book are rooted in extensive empirical research, some at a local, regional and/or national level in different African countries (Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa and Uganda), while others take a pan-African view. All, however, offer insight from different analytical perspectives into the heterogeneity of poverty and development processes in Sub-Saharan African and confront the ideas, concepts and assumptions that lie behind pro-poor policies. The volume also encourages policy makers to choose realistic policy prescriptions in an attempt to move people out of poverty. Show less
Urban agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa has gained momentum in recent years in terms of research and policy, as well as in practical terms. The paradox of accelerated urbanization and the increase... Show moreUrban agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa has gained momentum in recent years in terms of research and policy, as well as in practical terms. The paradox of accelerated urbanization and the increase in urban agriculture in developing countries is widely recognized. More than ever before, urban residents all over the developing world are cultivating urban plots and/or keeping animals to sustain their livelihoods. This volume looks at urban farming in the Kenyan town of Nakuru and is based on surveys and in-depth studies carried out by various researchers, including Kenyan Masters students, 1999-2002. It considers farming techniques (crops and yields, animal production and rearing systems), socioeconomic aspects of urban farming (income, food supply, employment, assistance to urban farmers) and the environmental issues involved, and there is also a chapter on school farming. Specific attention is paid to urban farming in relation to poverty, with the conclusion being that those who depend on urban agriculture the most are, in fact, benefiting the least from it. [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
This collective volume presenting recent environmental research on the Kenya coast contains 27 contributions differing widely in scope. Subjects range from coral reef restoration to butterfly... Show moreThis collective volume presenting recent environmental research on the Kenya coast contains 27 contributions differing widely in scope. Subjects range from coral reef restoration to butterfly breeding, from river sediments to Kaya forests, and from marine fisheries to elephant management. Following the introduction by Jan Hoorweg and Nyawira Muthiga, the papers are presented in six sections, viz. Coral reefs, intertidal and littoral communities (contributions by Priscillah N. Boera, T.R. McClanahan, S. Manohar, R.M. Mdodo, C.M. Muthama, N. Muthiga, G.A. Mwayuli, D. Obura, J.B. Okeyo-Owuor, M.P. Tole, J.N. Uku, B.C.C. Wangila); Sediments, erosion and pollution (contributions by J.O.Z. Abuodha, P.D. Jungerius, Samuel Maende, T.M. Munyao, Muendo Muthini, Marifa Ali Mwakumanya, Dismas Otieno, M.wakiop. Tole); Marine fisheries (contributions by Bernerd Fulanda, Jan Hoorweg, Edward N. Kimani, Anthony King, T.R. McClanahan, Delphine Malleret-King, S. Mangi, Joseph G. Tunje); Mangroves and terrestrial forests (contributions by Ian Gordon, Francis Karanja Kamau, Koen Maes, A.M. Makee, M.T.E. Mbuvi, K.A. Mwendwa, Mwakiop. Tole); Biodiversity (contributions by T.M. Dzeha, A.N. Githitho, S.M. Halevy, Randal Jeske, Moses Litoroh, W.R.Q. Luke, Z.N. Otieno-Ayayo, W.A. Overholt); Community participation (contributions by Washington O. Ayiemba, H. Becha, I. Gordon, Ted Kombo, M.T.E. Mbuvi, J.M. Maweu, K.A. Mwendwa, Joseph Rasowo). [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
This study was carried out in the districts Kilifi and Malindi. It focusses on the activities of artisanal fishermen and their households: the livelihood strategies they have, their attitude... Show moreThis study was carried out in the districts Kilifi and Malindi. It focusses on the activities of artisanal fishermen and their households: the livelihood strategies they have, their attitude towards conservation, their indigeneous environmental conservation practices and the effects of the Watamu Marine National Park on these. In this study, data were collected through semi structured questionnaires, participant observation, life and career histories, network analysis and genealogies in Uyombo, Takaungu and the Watamu Marine National Park. Discussions were also held with the fishermen, Kenya Wildlife Service employees and people employed at the Watamu Marine National Park. In order to analyse the findings, an actor oriented approach is used, combined with the theories of political ecology and legal pluralism. By using these theories attention is paid to the historical background, wider context, human agency, property rights and community based natural resource management.The study revealed that fishermen are aware of the degradation of marine resources but are unable to do something about it because of their poor situation. Due to their declining standard of living people start to diversify. Two types of diversification can be found: fishermen who diversify by starting to cultivate on a shamba and farmers who diversify by starting to fish. Because of this, people of other ethnicities and religions, than those of the traditional fishermen started fishing. This ended indigeneous ways of conservation. Finally the study revealed that many fishermen are willing to stop fishing. However, the lack of employment possibilities will probably only drive more people to fishing, causing more severe degradation of marine resources. The thesis ends with some recommendations which might attribute to a decline of the degradation of marine resources and the deteriorating situation of fishermen at the Kenya Coast. Show less
