The Lost Opportunity for Promoting Peace in Kenya: The Case of Education

Abstract

Education is an essential service in the society and also the most powerful pillar for and foundation of its culture (Kafu, 2004). Further, education is a recognized soft-ware for development in all societies in the world (Jung, 2001).  Therefore, the type of education system a society administers does determine to a great extend its culture and national character. Kenya has been exposed to five different education systems since pre-colonial era. These have shaped its political, social and economic destiny. These are widely contrasting education systems that have exerted unique and distinctive influence on the Kenya society. The consequence has been to prepare and produce individuals with widely differing cultural values and personalities. This scenario was candidly played out during the 2007/8 post-election violence in Kenya. This is the theme this paper attempts to address. The preferred approach to treating the paper is to trace and briefly discussed the role and contributions of the five phases of education systems so far practiced in Kenya and the linkage between these systems and the post-election violence of 2007/8. This is followed by suggestions of how the present system of education can be harnessed to promote nationhood in Kenya in which national unity, cohesion, integration, patriotism can become the cherished as national values.

Keywords: Education, education system, development, national values, culture