A Comparative Analysis of Traditional Governance and Modern Democracy in Kenya: An African Feminist Perspective, 2021–2026

This comparative study, situated within African feminist political thought, interrogates the complex interplay between enduring traditional governance structures and the institutions of modern liberal democracy in Kenya from 2021 to 2026. It contends that mainstream political analyses frequently marginalise the gendered dimensions of this interaction, obscuring how women navigate and are impacted by these dual systems. Employing a rigorous qualitative comparative methodology, the research analyses policy documents, electoral data, and conducts semi-structured interviews with women activists, community elders, and female political representatives across three selected counties. The findings reveal a contested synergy: while modern democratic frameworks have created constitutional spaces for women’s political participation, patriarchal traditional structures often persist, actively undermining substantive representation. The study delineates the specific, strategic ways women engage with both systems during this period, at times leveraging cultural legitimacy to advance political agency, yet consistently facing contradictory expectations and co-option. The research concludes that a transformative African feminist governance model for Kenya must move beyond mere inclusion within existing liberal democratic templates. It necessitates a critical re-evaluation and selective integration of communal, non-patriarchal elements from traditional systems with democratic principles, centring relationality and collective wellbeing. This analysis offers significant implications for reconceptualising participatory democracy in pluralistic African societies.