The role of secondary school teachers in shaping a political culture of ethnicity and ethnic favouritism: the case of Kenya

Abstract Since Kenya's independence in 1963, ethnicity has been an important factor Kenyan politics and everyday life. While recent research shown that ethnic favouritism impacted the allocation of educational resources past, so far, no systematic conducted on how teachers exacerbate, mitigate or countervail political culture favouritism. As agents socialisation, teachers’ attitudes behaviour can, consciously unconsciously, convey message is normal socially acceptable, conversely delegitimise such practices. Based a list experiment among 894 secondary school county Nairobi, we find at least 25% have already favoured coethnic pupils. Interviews indicate favours are seldom blatant nature mainly serve to show solidarity with one's kin. Still, even small – frequently well-intentioned may damage inter-group attitudes, trust relations, contribute persistence politics.