Paper short abstract:

This paper focuses on how emotions shape intrastate interactions between different state institutions in Kenya.

Paper long abstract:

Although much research has been conducted on statehood in Africa, much work remains to be done about the ways in which different state institutions and officials interact in co-creating ideas and practices of the state and how emotions shape the way that state officials interact with each other. In this paper, I intend to explore how a specific set of state bureaucrats in Kenya experience their daily work and more specifically, their interactions with other state officials. I will focus on the emotions and experiences of state employees working for the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), a state institution that was established in 2012 to regulate and monitor misconduct of the Kenyan police. Armed with the primary mandate of regulating the practices of another state body, these intra-state interactions are marked by numerous conflicting emotions of frustration, hope and perseverance. By focusing on 'emotions at work', this paper aims to further uncover how intrastate interactions are shaped by emotions and how these influence the performance of state practices.