Introduction

Politics in African power structures existed way before the entry of western civilization into the continent. However, concepts such as democracy and elective politics began either during or after colonialism. During the colonial era, participation in the voting process was a privilege of a selected few. 1957 became pivotal as Ghana freed itself from colonialism and proceeded to a democratic presidential election in 1960. Nkrumah took a massive lead of 89% of the total vote cast and was declared president for life. 

The Post-Independent Voter

From the 1960s to the 70s, more African nations gained liberation, and most of them held elections where the citizens of these newly independent nations actively participated. At this point, the voter needed more information regarding whom, why, and how to vote. For lack of better words, I would term this voter as uninformed, and naive. For this reason, the first regimes in no time would face resistance, massive opposition, and unending coups from unsatisfied citizens. The general reasons that would be attributed to this dissatisfaction were inequality in power sharing, uneven resource distribution, and the growing wave of neo-colonialism. From this vantage point, I conclude that this voter might have voted subjectively, their decision mainly inspired by ethnic forces that had earlier clamored for the attainment of self-rule. 

As political literacy and the ideas of democracy gradually penetrated the continent, the African voter seemed to have acquired the knack for a ballot with rationale and objectivity. However, time would prove otherwise as dictatorial powers would override the bits of democracy that were mushrooming. On the flip side, the voter would be denied the to democratically participate in elections. When democracy was given a chance to thrive, class, race, religion, and tribe significantly influenced the voter’s decisions. The 20th century would end with most African nations experiencing stagnated democracy, uninformed voters, and less civic education. Two East African countries could well illustrate perfect examples of stagnated democracies; Kenya and Uganda, where electoral processes were marred with irregularities. 

The 21st-Century Voter

Significant changes have occurred from the 2000s and onward in relation to voting patterns and the behaviour of the African voter. Taking Kenya as a case study, the 2002 general elections seemed to be more driven by agenda and developmental issues in lieu of subjective factors such as tribe and class. And although the country has faced back and forth in attempts to establish a steady democratic nation, scholars and the international community agree tremendous scales have been achieved. 

In 2022, the Kenyan voter was hailed for having voted objectively, where the race for the presidential position was issue-based and ideological. Devoid of heated tensions and violence, the election was conducted peacefully, breaking the cyclic patterns of post-election violence. One international media outlet would headline an opinion: “2022: The Most Boring Election .” This headline heavily reflects the failed expectations that predicted a nation that would sink into the horrors of physical violence and chaos. On the contrary, the Kenyan voter finally cracked the code for reasonable and objective voting. 

Conclusion

To conclude, some African countries have undergone significant changes in voter behaviour and political literacy. Africa needed to advance more to achieve voter enlightenment maximally. If diffusion theories are a thing to go by, countries such as Kenya, for example, will play an instrumental role in influencing positive voter behaviour and patterns.