Which groups have the biggest influence in the process of making laws in Kenya?
A 24-year analysis of parliamentary debates reveals international organisations such as the United Nations hold that trophy.
Their research outputs remain the most cited by parliamentarians to justify their arguments in debates.
MPs scarcely cite the many think tanks in Kenya or local research bodies, suggesting their scientific authority is considered low.
The analysis, published last week, examines how often different organisations were mentioned as scientific authorities in parliamentary debates on new legislation in Kenya, Australia, Finland, and the United Kingdom.
The data consists of 576 debates, 144 from each country, evenly spread over 24 years from 1994 to 2017.
In Kenya, the World Health Organization is the most cited, followed by the United Nations and the University of Nairobi.
This suggests the UN bodies’ investments in disseminating knowledge to influence policy have been wildly successful in Kenya.
“The authority of IGOs (intergovernmental organisations) also relies on their advice being seen as ‘above’ domestic power struggles,” the analysis observes.
The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Helsinki and the University of Tampere in Finland.
The article, titled “From where do legislators draw scientific knowledge? Organizations as scientific authorities in four countries' parliamentary debates”, is published in the latest issue of the British Journal of Sociology.
UN organisations make 40 per cent of all instances where a scientific authority is mentioned in Kenya's Parliament.
The influence of universities – mainly the University of Nairobi – as scientific authorities is high with 18 per cent of all mentions.
“University science is routinely elevated above scientific output from other types of organizations. Typically, it is contrasted with knowledge produced for political purposes,” the authors say.
Public bodies such as the National Hospital Insurance Fund are also highly cited at 18 per cent.
Business lobbies such as the Kenya Private Sector Alliance or even the Kenya Association of Manufacturers are a growing force, gaining 12 per cent of all mentions in parliament.
Despite the abundance of public and private think tanks in Kenya, whose sole aim is to generate research output, they have almost no direct sway in parliament.
Their research is mentioned in only three per cent of all instances.
Non-Governmental Organisations (IGOs) in Kenya may be vocal, but their research output has minimal influence on policymaking and is cited in only three out of every ten mentions.
Politicians quote these organisations to lend credibility to their positions.
But how does an organisation gain such influence?
The authors say this depends on the organisation’s ability to present itself as a significant actor in its field, and non-partisan.
The UN appears to have played this game successfully.
“The distinctiveness of Kenyan debates (especially its legislators' heavy reliance on IGOs) suggests that the influence extends to political rhetoric,” the authors say.
However, advice from intergovernmental bodies such as World Bank and the International Monetary Fund is often viewed with suspicion as having been imposed on the country.
This is understandable because loans from the World Bank and IMF many times require that recipients implement certain policies.
In contrast, UN bodies enjoy little influence in the three developed countries analysed.
In Australia, the most cited research organisation in parliament is the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, followed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The UN is at position four.
The most influential in Finland is the local Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, followed by the OECD, with the WHO in fourth position.
In the UK the OECD tops, then the National Audit Office. The first UN body is Unicef at position five.