Democracy and Human Rights - Class 8 Social studies

- Democracy is a system where people are free to elect leaders of their choice.
- Voting or being voted for is a democratic right.
- When people practise their democratic right of voting they are then involved in forming a government.
- Human rights are the fundamental freedoms that people enjoy and practise as human beings.

• Ensuring that people are ruled well by the ruling party.
• Giving voters a wide range of leaders to choose from.
• Questioning the action of the government.
• Offering people freedom of choice.
• Making sure that leaders do not misuse power.
• Giving people an opportunity to vote or be voted for.
• Holding elections within the parties.

More about political parties
- Political parties must be registered by the government.
- They are registered by the registrar of societies.
- For a party to be registered it must meet certain conditions.
- A party has an outline of its aims and what it intend to do called policies.
- They are contained in the party's manifesto.

- This is a chapter in the Kenya constitution that lays down the rights and freedoms of an individual.
- These rights and freedoms are outlined in chapter 4 of the constitution.
- Rights can be divided into;

• Civil rights.
• Democratic and political rights.
• Social rights.
• Economic rights.

Some of these rights and freedoms are:

• Right to life.
• Freedom from discrimination.
• Right of equality.
• Right to liberty.
• Protection from slavery and forced labour.
• Right to privacy.
• Protection from torture.
• Right to own property.
• Right to start a family.
• Freedom and security of the person.
• Freedom of religion.
• Freedom of conscience, belief and opinion.
• Right to education.
• Right to health care.
• Freedom of expression.
• Freedom of movement.
• Freedom of association.
• Freedom to assemble and demonstrate.
• Freedom to make political choices.
• Freedom of the media.
• Right to reasonable working conditions.
• Freedom to fair justice.
• Right to be buried or cremated.

- Every child has a right to:

• a name and nationality.
• free and compulsory primary school education.
• basic nutrition, shelter and health care.
• be protected from all form of violence and harmful treatment.
• parental care by both parents.
• be held separate from adults when arrested.
be protected from child trafficking and slavery.

- Enjoyment of rights and exercise of freedom should be within the laws of the country.
- Exercise of rights should not prejudice the rights and freedoms of other people.
- Exercise of rights should not be a threat to national security, to other people or the person exercising the right.
- A lawfully detained person due to war, propaganda, incitement to violence, tribal hatred and hate speech.
- Persons demonstrating should be peaceful and unarmed.
- Freedom of movement does not extend to trespassing on private land or property.