Tuesday 8, august 2017 was a big day in Kenya and indeed East Africa, as voters exercised their electoral democracy.
Indeed, the whole of East Africa had its sights on Kenya, because the classical French saying, that:'when France sneezes, Europe catches a cold' does appeal to East Africa, for the latter is arguably East Africa's best Economy.
But let us interest ourselves on a few bitter and better glimpses of this election and what we can learn from as a country. To begin with, I must accept that the Kenyatta government needs thumbs up for keeping the opposition alive. Kenyatta never even at one time did he interfere and trounce on the activities of the opposition, not withstanding their campaigns. It would sound ideal that that is what every government anywhere is ought to do, but ask yourself how many governments, especially in Africa observe such 'political hygiene'. Therefore, there he deserves a credit. It is also common place in African politics, that supporters of the divergent and rival groups fight during the electioneering period, but never did we see such happen in Kenya. It would be expected, given the traditional Kenyatta-Odinga family rivalry, but also Kikuyu-Luo, to have a bitter show down of campaigns, but the two men knew how to silence their hatchets for the sake of a peaceful electoral process.
It also needs no apprenticing someone to learn that the media, is the fourth estate of any society. Most dictatorial governments seem to have phobia for keeping the media alive during such times, but really Kenya set a challenge for most of us in the region particularly, and Uganda, just to be exact, that that when people keep track of what is happening, heightened tensions tend to come down. For those who followed the Kenyan election, you could easily tell that the media was let free to keep track of what was happening, not just from the constituency tallies, but also from the national tally centre, at the Bomas of Kenya. Therefore, as the Maji-maji rebellion(1905-1907) woman noted, 'I lost my virginity while trying to protect it', so do governments lost credibility of the electoral processes by shutting the media thinking there will be serenity .
From a legal point of view, the Kenyatta government, recognising the nostalgia of what caused the 2007 problems, in 2015, enacted a new constitution, in which by that new supreme law of the land, the electoral body, The Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC), must be constituted by members from the different political parties. This is the real play of multiparty politics. In Uganda, we can really borrow the latter, as a matter of enriching our electoral fairness, because by the current status quo on how the commissioners are chosen, the process only befits a one party system, where those chosen pay allegiance to the appointing authority, not the state. In fact why even the claims by NASA coalition were easily and immediately quashed, was because they had representatives, an evidence enough that there could not be foul play are they remain mute.
The other strength of the Kenyan Election, is the transmission and tallying of the votes. Kenya used an electronic transmission system, where total votes tallied at every polling station, were filled in form 34B, then sent to the constituency, and constituency results would be sent to the district for a final tally, so that the district would send to the national tally centre, the final results from that particular district. Fine, it may have its shortcomings, but the good tenet in this is the fact that, a person contesting, can easily keep track of what he or she got in that district, and in case of the contestation of the final outcome, it would be easier for him to get statistical evidence, otherthan having results sent directly from every polling station to the main tally centre.
The next is the time span with in which the commission is obliged by the law to announce the final results. According to the Kenyan electoral Act 2015, the commission has seven days from the time of voting, with in which to announce the outcome. The time lag, is really enough, to ensure accuracy in doing the tally, unlike in Uganda where there the law only provides for 48 hours from the time of voting, which is just two days, something that can cause mistakes to the commission in an attempt to beat the time. Therefore, I think the Byabakama equivalent of Kenya's IEBC in Uganda ought to be given ample time to do their work.
On the other hand, the Kenya election had flaws, although these came in mostly, during and after voting, and didn't present serious hicups to the process. Even as the US Ambassador to Kenya, His Excellency, Godec said, that there is no electoral process that is completely unflawed anywhere in the world, so was the Kenya process.
Firstly, the violence we saw in the NASA swing areas like Lower Eastern Coast, parts of western Kenya, Nyanza and Nairobi slums, was actually unprecedented, and worked to raise fears that Kenya was destined for a replay of 2007.
Raila Odinga, at 72 years, went out for it all, probably because this could have been his last shot at the presidency, assuring his supporters with much confidence, they were winning, something I may call lack of 'political hygiene' because when you go into the electoral process, you don't know what will come out, If you are not usurped by the gullibility of the crowds at the rally, for these, some are not registered voters, yet others could be 'political prostitutes' who attend rallies for all the candidates. In fact, because of biting unemployment in our societies, most of these youths are ferried to rally, sending those in the race, into deception that they have demonstrable support. Therefore, I find these isolated episodes of violence in which 24 people died, uncalled for, and partly because of the NASA defarmatory statements.
Even after the declaration, Raila Amoro Odinga had continued to call for holidays, for those who died, a move that is double edged. On one hand, and from a nationalistic perspective, it is patriotic enough to do so, but on the otherhand, it will keep the electoral memories alive in the minds of the people, and given the flagility of Kenya, this could result into protests culminating into more deaths.
Mr. Odinga is known to be a bad looser, who reluctantly concedes, having only conceded to have lost once in the 1997 election, and claims he was rigged in the 2007 and 2013 election. Fine we can agree, when he talks of 2007, but never did he command a win in the prior and subsequent election.
Moreover, the NASA campaigns were tailored at uprooting the Kikuyu rule, mindful that they have ruled Kenya since independence in 1963.
Such an aim, led to NASA coalition to tailor campaigns against the kikuyu. Remember , Kenya, like most African countries, is heterogeneous, and tailoring a campaigning on tribal lines, would really take the country back to the dogs.
On the whole, the Kenyan election, was a credible process, that most of the East African Nations, Uganda inclusive can learn from.
Written by,
Rurekyera Geofrey
Journalist and Editor
rurekyerageofrey@gmail.com
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