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Preaching politics: Islam and Christianity on the Kenya coast

Deacon, G.; Gona, G.; Mwakimako, H.; Willis, J.

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Authors

G. Deacon

G. Gona

H. Mwakimako



Abstract

Focusing on the Kenya coast, this article analyses the developing contrast between the place of Islam and Christianity in public politics. It argues that Islam’s association with criticism of the political order contrasts with Christianity, but that this is not the result of inherent difference between the religions. Both have previously provided a language, and space, for political commentary and activism in Kenya. The contrast is rather the contingent result of particular circumstances in Kenya. Christianity has become increasingly associated with affirming clientelism and the accumulation of wealth in a way which is avowedly non-political but in practice legitimates the current political order. Meanwhile, although individual Muslims are more likely to enjoy high political office than was previously the case, Muslims are also more likely to locate their experience as symptomatic of a wider pattern of exclusion in Kenya and link this sense of local injustice to global inequalities.

Citation

Deacon, G., Gona, G., Mwakimako, H., & Willis, J. (2017). Preaching politics: Islam and Christianity on the Kenya coast. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 35(2), 148-167. https://doi.org/10.1080/02589001.2017.1287345

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 21, 2016
Online Publication Date Feb 8, 2017
Publication Date Apr 3, 2017
Deposit Date Mar 10, 2017
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Journal of Contemporary African Studies
Print ISSN 0258-9001
Electronic ISSN 1469-9397
Publisher Taylor and Francis Group
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 35
Issue 2
Pages 148-167
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/02589001.2017.1287345

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