Kenya After 50: Reconfiguring Education, Gender, and Policy

by Mickie Mwanzia Koster (Editor), Michael Mwenda Kithinji (Editor), Jerono P. Rotich (Editor)

Overview

This book explores the key milestones in education, gender, and policy that Kenya has achieved since independence, the challenges of this experience, and the future prospects. This edited collection of chapters also aims to illuminate the lessons learned from the experiences of the postcolonial period as well as postulate on the way forward. Through this exploration of the Kenyan experience since independence, the authors present an optimistic view that despite the many obstacles and challenges, the country still has promising prospects as a nation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781349564583
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan US
Publication date:	01/29/2016
Series:	African Histories and Modernities
Edition description:	1st ed. 2016
Pages:	265
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Mickie Mwanzia Koster is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Texas, USA. She is the recipient of the 2015 Junior Scholar Excellence Award in African Studies. She is the author of The Power of the Oath: Mau Mau Nationalism in Kenya, 1952-1960 and the co-editor of Hip Hop and Social Change in Africa: Ni Wakati.

Michael Mwenda Kithinji is an Assistant Professor of History and the interim director of the African and African-American Studies program at the University of Central Arkansas, USA. He is a recipient of the Ohio Academy of History (OAH) 2011 Outstanding Dissertation Award.

Jerono P. Rotich is a Professor at North Carolina A&T State University, USA. Her scholarship record includes, one co-edited book, several peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and proceedings. Her awards include; UNCG Board of Governors Teaching Excellence; NCAT Community Engagement scholarship and; National Phi Epsilon Kappa Society, Distinguished Advisor Award.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Mickie Mwanzia Koster, Michael Kithinji and Jerono Rotich
PART I: RECONSIDERING EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGY, AND ROAD SAFETY POLICY
1. Education System and University Curriculum in Kenya: Contentions, Dysfunctionality and Reforms since Independence; Michael Mwenda Kithinji
2. Geoffrey William Griffin's Work at the National Youth Service and its Contributions to Kenya's National Development; Peter Otiato Ojiambo
3. Teach Our Children in Their Mother Tongue; Margaret W. Njeru
4. Reassessing Jomo Kenyatta's Crackdown on Theatre for Education and Development; Samson Kaunga Ndanyi
5. The Role of M-Pesa in Kenya's Economic and Political Development; Frank Jacobs
6. Combating Road Traffic Accidents in Kenya: A Challenge for an Emerging Economy; Charles G. Manyara
PART II: CONTEXTUALIZING SPORTS AND GENDER
7. Kenya at 50: Contextualization of Post-Independence Sporting Success; W. W. S. Njororai
8. Can Kenyan Women Really Perform? Women on the Sports Field and in the Boardroom; W. W. S. Njororai
9. Gender, Archiving, and Recognition: Naming and Erasing in Nairobi's Cityscape; Besi Brillian Muhonja
10. Kenyan Women: Milestones and Challenges; Jerono P. Rotich and Kipchumba Byron
11. Feminism Unfinished: Towards Gender Justice and Women's Rights In Kenya; Brenda Nyandiko Sanya and Anne Namatsi Lutomia

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The themes covered in the two volumes are critical in igniting a wider conversation and debate on the issues that have plagued postcolonial Kenya especially mediocre leadership, mismanagement of national resources, and corruption.” (Mary Njeri Kinyanjui PhD. Senior Research Fellow Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi, Nairobi)

“ [These volumes] perhaps the most well documented evidence that Kenya Scholars and Studies Association (KESSA) has created a market place away from home where ideas regarding international research and development are exchanged.“ (Faith Maina, Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, Texas Tech University, USA and KESSA regional representative, Southwest USA)

“By drawing on the expertise of a wide multidisciplinary team of contributors, the two volumes present us with a deeply informative examination of the country’s history and memories, policies and politics, education, technology, and road safety policy, as well as contextualizing its sports and gender scene in the early twenty-first century.” (Kefa M. Otiso, President, Kenya Scholars and Studies Association, USA)

“This book critically examines Kenya's past achievements, present challenges, and future opportunities since a half a century of Independence. It is centered on the Kenya Golden Jubilee anniversary on December 12, 2013 as a moment to reflect on the nation's postcolonial experience and also to evaluate its future prospects. The authors show that although Kenya's postcolonial experience is a mixed bag of momentous feats but also several missteps that on occasion have severely strained the national fabric. Significantly, the country has distinguished itself as the hub for commerce and industry in East and Central Africa, and has mostly avoided destructive civil strife. Further, the new constitution promulgated in 2010 has been a source of confidence and optimism for a better future. Nevertheless, Kenya is confronted with many challenges the most significant being the inability to generate enough jobs for its youth, severe ethnic differences largely nurtured by the political class, and widespread corruption.”
(Toyin Falola, University of Texas Austin, USA)

Editorial Reviews

Kenya After 50 is a collection of contemplative essays that examine the accomplishments Kenya continues to make and the challenges it faces five decades after achievement of independence in 1963. … this book provides a broad perspective on select yet relevant topics covering Kenya’s journey since independence. It serves as an important reference point for anyone interested not just in the negatives or non-accomplishments but also in often undocumented milestones that can inform future action pathways.” (Sheila N. Maingi, African Studies Quarterly, Vol. 17 (4), February, 2017)

From the Publisher