The role of language in peacebuilding: the case of the 2008 Kenyan coalition government

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Periodical article

Title:	The role of language in peacebuilding: the case of the 2008 Kenyan coalition government
Authors:	Nasambu Barasa, Margaret Khasandi-Telewa, Vicky Inviolata Ndambuki, Jacinta
Year:	2016
Periodical:	African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review (ISSN 2156-7263)
Volume:	6
Issue:	2
Pages:	74-93
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Kenya
Subjects:	government 2008 communication websites language usage
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/africonfpeacrevi.6.2.04
Abstract:	Conflicts arising out of disputed elections often result in the formation of coalition governments to secure peace and stability. Consequently, mechanisms such as mediation, arbitration, negotiation, and peacekeeping have been employed to restore peace in conflicting states of Africa. However, little attention has been paid to the role of language in the operation of a power-sharing government as a mechanism for conflict resolution and peacebuilding. This article examines lexicalization in the discourses of Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga as principals in the 2008 Coalition Government in Kenya. Written texts were purposively sampled and accessed from the Internet and authenticated from the official websites of former President Kibaki and former Prime Minister Odinga. The study applies Norman Fairclough's approach of critical discourse analysis to tease out the lexical choices. The textual analysis findings reveal lexical choices that were highly restrained, personalized, and mitigated. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract]