非洲風情：肯尼亞─庇護主義的力量

東非肯尼亞在六十年代獨立，首任總統由肯亞非洲民族聯盟的喬莫・肯雅塔出任。盧歐族領袖賈拉莫奇・奧丁嘉，卻扶植激進派勢力，引起黨內重大分歧。肯雅塔唯有放棄黨員支持，重新啟用前殖民機構，試圖更有效管治國家。

總統肯雅塔善用稱為「harambee」的傳統習俗，斯瓦希里語意指「凝聚一起」。在這個制度下，政府鼓勵議員滿足當地社區需求。基礎設施一旦落成，政府將會承擔營運成本，作為獎勵各個社區的政策。

他期望議員能集中解決區域性議題。因此，即使政客在過程中貪污，只要選民受惠其中，亦不會積壓太大民怨。第二任總統丹尼爾・莫伊亦繼承這項政治傳統，甚至竊取國家資源，利用庇護主義來鞏固自身的政權。

在非洲，庇護主義是普遍政治現象。領袖透過分配資源、就業機會或禮物，換取「顧客」支持。政客會動員民眾支持政府，作為一種回報方式。官僚資產階級，或新一代的中產階級，傾向保持穩定的現狀，從而減少批評在位者。

Kenya - The Power of Clientelism

Following independence in the 1960s, the first President Jomo Kenyatta led a wave of euphoria with Kenya African National Union. The Luo leader, Oginga Odinga split into a more radical faction and caused a major rift.

Instead of earning support from members, Kenyatta allowed the party apparatus to wither and die, and maintained control through the colonial bureaucracy, known as the Provincial Administration.

On the other hand, Kenyatta also expanded the local custom, the harambee, which literally means “all pull together” in Swahili. The whole system encouraged the community to channel resources and meet local demands. 

Once the infrastructure is well established, the government will reward the community by taking the running costs. As a result, the leaders are more accountable to the local issues, regardless of the political stances.

Even the second president Daniel arap Moi stole the state resources and channeled to his constituents, in order to preserve the regime. Voters allowed leaders to accumulate wealth, as long as the system benefited themselves. 

The deployment of clientelism is a common technique in African context. Leaders (aka the Big Men) rewarded the patron-client networks with resources, jobs, or gifts, in exchange for political support.

In return, the clients are supposed to mobilise support to the government. The creation of bureaucratic bourgeoisie and the new middle-class, are prone to preserve a steady status quo, instead of challenging the incumbents.

名稱：非洲民主：成功、失敗與政治改革的鬥爭 (暫譯) (Democracy in Africa: Successes, Failures, and the Struggle for Political Reform)

作者：Nic Cheeseman

年份：2015

出版地：美國

出版社：劍橋大學出版社

類別：非洲政治

評分：7/10

IMG: https://www.kbc.co.ke/hilary-ngweno-documentaries-available-to-stream/