Graft is slowly killing negotiated democracy in Northern Kenya

A section of Mandera County [File]

The advent of multi-party politics ushered in hope for many people.

The single party rule paved way for participatory democracy where elders at the local level were empowered to have a say on who should represent them. During the single party rule, leadership was prescribed from the top, particularly in Nairobi where the president gave directions on who should be elected. The concept of negotiated democracy became more pronounced after 2013 when the devolved system of government started taking root.