Lessons for National Social Integration from A Case Study of Kenyatta University Culture Week Activities

Abstract

Since independence Kenya has witnessed ugly scenes that point to possible national disintegration. Despite efforts to promote national integration and cohesion has not been fruitful. We continuously witness social and cultural incompetence among the Kenyan folks. Nepotism, negative ethnicity and other forms of disintegration are still rampant. This study establishes the reasons behind this failure to achieve integration and national cohesion. Most specifically it seeks to establish the relationship between goal consciousness in national integration efforts and the practice of the same goals. The study used Kenyatta University’s culture week activities such as drama, music, dance and plays as its case study. Kenyatta University is a micro-representation of the macro-national activities that schools, colleges and universities engage in at the national level with national integration and cohesion as the chief objective. This makes the collection of data much easier given that the research focal point is one. The study employed qualitative research approach. Through description of the attitudes towards culture week activities, the research sought to establish whether the attitudes of the participants in Kenyatta University’s culture week activities were conscious of the goals of the activities. Non probability convenience sampling was used to sample the respondents for the interview. Three respondents were selected from every academic department of the University to give a representative figure of the overall population of Kenyatta University. Interviews through semi-structured questionnaires were administered by selected research assistants. Data analysis was done thematically i.e. by categorization of related themes. Measurement of data was descriptive in nature. The study established that: the active participants in the culture week activities were less than the inactive participants thus influencing the level of awareness of the goals of the culture week activities; and two, there is need to boost awareness using other avenues. The study concludes that the culture week activities fail to achieve the desired social integration and this scenario is likely to be a replica of the macrocosm national social integration activities. It therefore recommends that: The University should adopt appropriate communicative programs that increase the awareness level among the participants in their activities of the social integration process. This can make the participants appreciate the goals of the culture week activities. The University administrators and workers who include the lecturers must work within their given code of conduct to minimize the scandalous nepotism, tribalism and favoritism within the University, thus enhancing social integration. The government of Kenya should initiate more appropriate awareness programs among the public to make them appreciate the practice of national social integration and cohesion.