Muslims in Kenyan Politics : Political Involvement, Marginalization, and Minority Status

Hassan J. Ndzovu

• Publisher: Northwestern University Press
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9780810167872
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: World History
• Index: History

Muslims in Kenyan Politics explores the changing relationship between Muslims and the state in Kenya from precolonial times to the present, culminating in the radicalization of a section of the Muslim population in recent decades. The politicization of Islam in Kenya is deeply connected with the sense of marginalization that shapes Muslims' understanding of Kenyan politics and government policies.Kenya's Muslim population comprises ethnic Arabs, Indians, and black Africans, and its status has varied historically. Under British rule, an imposed racial hierarchy affected Muslims particularly, thwarting the development of a united political voice. Drawing on a broad range of interviews and historical research, Ndzovu presents a nuanced picture of political associations during the postcolonial period and explores the role of Kenyan Muslims as political actors.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Preface and Acknowledgments
• List of Abbreviations
• Map of Kenya
• Introduction
• Chapter One: Historical Evolution of Muslim Politics in Kenya from the 1840s to 1963
• Chapter Two: Postcolonial Kenyan Attitudes Toward Religion and the Predicament of Muslims
• Chapter Three: The Development of Muslim Civic Associations and Political Parties
• Chapter Four: Muslim Politics in the Legislative, Judicial, and Constitutional Arenas
• Chapter Five: The Controversial “MOU” and Muslim Topics in an Election Period
• Appendix A: A Brief on the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM)
• Appendix B: The Original MOU between NAMLEF and ODM
• Appendix C: The Controversial MOU between NAMLEF and ODM
• Notes
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Index