Sexualizing Politics in Kenya: an Evolving Strategy to Acquire Power?

Abstract

Politics has many strategies for the participants in their quest to acquire, use, and maintain power. The strategies have wide pronged approaches which require pragmatists in the field of political play to finding which suits their interests and desired end. As is practiced elsewhere globally, politics retains its shape as to the traditional rules of practice. Following from these background, it is not clear whether sexualizing politics is a new phenomenon, or a new practice (anti-discipline morality) that is gaining traction in some corners of the minimizing global political space or it has existed among the political societies with less publicity. Seemingly so, the theme narratively is gaining scholarly ground. In this article, with generalizations we deductively engage a discourse on this subject with Kenya in mind. As we interact with the existing knowledge that other scholars have written in related topics, we use objective guided themes and content literature review to arrive at our conclusions qualitatively. In our objectives; we are interested in finding out how sexualization of politics eventuates, establishing instances of sexualization of politics, and examining the context of sexualization of politics in power dynamics amidst constant morality in the society. This study argues from two theories, the objectification theory which propagates the ability to employ body as a tool to achieve political goals. On the other hand, our second theory – Foucalt Theory of power interpose to dis individualize power altogether. In the end, the article sums that whereas strategies are many in political power games, individuality is much shaped by their context in deciding whether to sexualize or to asexualize their politics.