### Ethnic Geography & Officer Placement
This study examines how Kenyan autocrats strategically assigned officers during multi-party elections. The research shows a distinct pattern where presidents placed coethnic officers in swing areas while keeping opposition's coethnic officers away.
### Data Analysis
Using an unprecedented data set of 8,000 local security appointments from Kenya's 1990s period,
- researchers identified officer assignments based on ethnicity and area importance for the election
- analysis revealed systematic placement patterns across different regions
### Key Findings
The findings demonstrate a significant principal-agent problem:
* Autocrats strategically deployed loyal officers to key electoral districts.
* This ethnic matching strategy helps secure votes in competitive areas while avoiding potential opposition leverage.
### Significance for Democratization Theory
This research reveals how state institutions from Kenya's previous authoritarian era persistently influence democratic processes despite official multi-party reforms. The strategic use of coethnic appointments demonstrates a mechanism by which autocratic legacies can undermine electoral fairness and full democratization.
