The illusion of stability and the entrenchment of oligarchic rule: Dominant and subdominant power configurations in postcolonial Kenya, 1895-2022
Author(s): George Odhiambo Okoth
Abstract: This paper examines the nature and character of dominant oligarchs in Kenya’s post-independence political landscape. It interrogates how the illusion of political stability has been used to mask elite consolidation of power, perpetuating historical patterns of centralization and authoritarian governance under the guise of democratic transition. Drawing on historical analysis and the “Iron Law of Oligarchy,” the study explores how political dynasties, patron-client networks, and colonial legacies have shaped Kenya’s state institutions and governance practices. It argues that the political oligarchs have consistently reconfigured state structures to serve class interests, reproduce their dominance, and neutralize popular dissent.In addition to examining dominant oligarchs, the study incorporates the role of subdominant oligarchies, elite factions that, though not in direct control of state power, wield significant influence through regional networks, ethnic constituencies, technocratic positions, and oppositional politics. These subdominant actors often act as buffers or challengers within the elite structure, shaping political competition, coalition-building, and the circulation of power. Their existence reinforces the illusion of democratic pluralism while sustaining the broader framework of elite rule.Despite periodic reforms such as theadvent of multipartyism in the 1990s and the 2010 Constitution, Kenya's political system remains entrenched in an ethnicized and stratified oligarchic order. This pattern of elite entrenchment draws heavily from colonial institutional frameworks, with the British colonial state in Kenya structured around domination, militarization, and extractive governance. Post-independence governments inherited these structures wholesale. The paper contributes to debates on African governance by exposing the limits of democratic institutionalism in contexts where both dominant and subdominant elites monopolize power and negotiate the boundaries of political change.
DOI: 10.33545/26646021.2025.v7.i6a.561Pages: 39-46 | Views: 64 | Downloads: 3Download Full Article: Click Here
How to cite this article:
George Odhiambo Okoth.
The illusion of stability and the entrenchment of oligarchic rule: Dominant and subdominant power configurations in postcolonial Kenya, 1895-2022. Int J Political Sci Governance 2025;7(6):39-46. DOI:
10.33545/26646021.2025.v7.i6a.561
