Ideological Inclinations: An Analysis of Heads of Institutions' Speeches in Imenti North Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

This study employed a qualitative Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) design, integrated Speech Act Theory and Politeness Theory to interpret the ideological underpinnings of principals’ speeches. Twenty speeches from twelve secondary schools in Imenti North Su-county were purposively selected and transcribed verbatim. The analysis followed Fairclough's three-dimensional framework involving textual, discursive and social practices, supported by thematic categorisation of ideological expression. Findings show that principals' discourse simultaneously enforces school rules and aligns institutional practices with broader social, political, and cultural frameworks. The speeches legitimise authority by embedding dominant values in everyday communication, naturalising them through repetition, moral appeals, and cultural references. By invoking religious traditions, principals embed rules in sacred frameworks; by emphasising performance, they align education with neoliberal logics; by framing discipline as destiny, they normalise surveillance and obedience. The study argues that principals' speeches are not neutral acts of leadership communication but sites of ideological reproduction where authority is enacted and legitimised. The findings contribute to Critical Discourse Studies by extending CDA into African educational contexts and showing that the micro-level practices of school leadership sustain macro-level social hierarchies.