Citizenship Education in Kenya: Revisiting Westheimer and Kahne's, the ‘Good Citizen'

Abstract

The concept of citizenship is at the core of democratic societies because the rights and responsibilities of the citizenry are drawn from it. Since independence in 1963, successive governments in Kenya have emphasised the importance of national unity, civic engagement and peaceful coexistence. To achieve the above, the past regimes introduced various forms of citizenship education in the country's education curriculum. The aim was to perfect social and moral responsibility, community involvement and political literacy so as to strengthen the democratic space and to uphold dignity of every Kenyan. In-spite of the above actions, Kenya has experienced ethnic tensions and violence over time more-so during election periods which have resulted in loss of lives and properties – example being the violence after the disputed 2007 presidential elections. Studies report that health and stability of a modern democracy depends not only on the justice of its ‘basic structure,' but also on the qualities and attitudes of its citizens which can be influenced by the education system. This study explored citizenship education in Kenya in relation to the arguments adduced by Westheimer and Kahne in 2004, in the ‘Good Citizen'. It found out that, with the promulgation of the new constitution in 2010, Kenya's civic education now emphasizes on the justice-oriented citizen and personally responsible citizen. Personally, responsible citizen is found to be popular with politicians and community leaders who preach peaceful coexistence while participatory citizen who help organize community efforts to care for the less fortunate in the society are increasingly required. Thus, much is yet to be done to build good citizens in Kenya and this can only be realized through effective citizenship education which may also help reduce tensions among the diverse ethnic groups.