POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND VOTING BEHAVIOUR IN NORTH EASTERN REGION OF KENYA

Abstract

Today, voters tend to evaluate party leaders based on a group of categories that incudes integrity, reliability, and competence. Such evaluation criterion is hardly considered irrational. This study aimed at establishing the effect of political leadership on voting behaviour in the north eastern part of Kenya. It used descriptive research design. The target population was 159 political leaders and 354, 061 registered voters. The sample size was made of 81 political leaders and 322 registered voters. Qualitative data was analysed by use of content analysis while quantitative data was analysed by use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. The study established that leaders personalitytraits influence voting behaviour in North Eastern Kenya most followed by past performance, leadership style and leadership capacity. The study also found out that authoritarian leaders employ coercive tactics to enforce the rule and manipulate people in decision making while transformational leaders demonstrate human understanding and guide others in creating and embracing a vision. Finally, social dominance, communication cues, political ideology, and competence were found to be a major influence on voting behaviour in North Eastern Kenya. The study recommends that political leaders should be made to avoid authoritarian leadership. Instead, they should employ servant leadership, charismatic leadership and transformational leadership. Leadersshould ensure stakeholdersinvolvement in decision-making, project implementation and avoid voter manipulations.