The rise of a party-state in Kenya : from "Harambee" to "Nyayo!" /

This important, interesting case study provides the best analysis to date on how KANU (Kenya African National Union) was transformed from a loose-knit grouping of politicians into a "party-state" dominated by President Moi. The dynamics of Kenyan political life made it difficult to protect "space" for freedom of association, as the unifying slogan "let's pull together" (Harambee!) yielded to the power-based idea "let us follow in the footsteps" (Nyayo!). Widner, one of the best young Africa specialists, updates previous excellent scholarship on Kenya by Henry Bienen, Kenya: The Politics of Participation and Control (CH, Jun'74) and Colin Leys, Underdevelopment in Kenya (CH, Jun'75), among others. Although Widner's study ends prior to the December 1992 elections, it clarifies the nature and consequences of control: greater salience of ethnicity, the role of external pressure in opening the door for multiparty competition, and contrasts with other would-be African party states. Of interest to all serious students of African politics. C. E. Welch; SUNY at Buffalo