Next month Kenya goes to the polls, with national elections across the country. Everyone is hoping for peaceful politics and mass participation. But expectations are, it’s fair to say, cautiously realistic on both counts.
Elections are important to any democratic government; they
discipline governments and ensure the government-elect works towards improving
economic policy and governance. Elections increase accountability, they
determine the quality of economic policy and governance a country will have.
Despite their critical role in building nations, elections
can turn tragic, they can have a disruptive cyclical effect when not properly
taken care of, elections introduce frictions, and on such occasions what counts
most is accountability. When the quality of the electoral process is
compromised, elections do not create the structural effect we would expect in
many cases, it instead attracts conflicts and division.
Peace, on the other hand, is the primary foundation of any
given country, it is the factor that glues the people of a nation together, it also
brings prosperity and development and it promotes cohesion, peace is the pillar
that holds stability of a country.
There is no gauge scale for the importance of peace. The post-election violence in 2007/2008 can testify to this statement. If you think
peace is less important, take a good look at Somalia, Southern Sudan, and other
war-torn countries. The beauty of Southern Sudan has remained a shadow of its
former self, Somalia has been a battlefield for a while now, and this situation has
shaped a perfect breeding ground for terrorists due to a lack of stability
and governing laws. War which not only deteriorates the economy of a country
but also comes with famine has made the situation in these countries jump from
bad to worse.
As a country, we must carefully think through what we want to
achieve. It has taken us decades to bring Kenya to where it is now and we
cannot destroy it in a day. The glory of Kenya cannot be compromised. The
importance of this nation demands us to be watchful and elude any road leading
to violence and incitement; it calls for our leaders to unite Kenyans.
We all need to see, recognize, focus and exhibit our oneness
as united people; we need to make a difference this time round. Learning from
all the countries experiencing civil war you will realize the real meaning of
tranquility, in that without peace tying the fabrics together, everything we do
will eventually come to die.
Let no one hold hostage democracy and rule of law, for
without this there is no Kenya. Democracy begins with you and me when we
refuse to yield to violent calls and incitement from greedy and egocentric
individuals.
All the efforts we have made to position Kenya as the most
developed country in East Africa and as one of the fastest growing economies in
Africa can break down within a short time if peace is forsaken. Therefore, to
enable Kenya to continue scaling to greater heights we have to exercise our
democratic right without fear or favor, without inclining in our tribes, we have
to make the elections credible, our leaders have a mandate to leave a bequest of
their leadership to generations that will come, they should be on the forefront preaching peace to Kenyans, let them begin the song of peace and we shall
sing it together as a people of one peaceful nation.
We are privileged to be in a democratic country which gives
us the ultimate power to choose the leaders we want. We have room to express
our wants and needs through the formation of the government we want.
Why Kenya needs credible elections?
Elections are important to us as a country as they give us a
chance to exercise our democratic rights. Nevertheless, when an election is
conducted in a non-inclusive way, it leads to the loss of confidence, it
escalates structural disparities and inequalities which stimulates violence and
sometimes leads to civil war. Malpractices in elections have left many
productive people dead, and a good number of citizens homeless, it has led to the
fall of great nations.
This is not the first for general elections to be held in
Kenya; however, it is important to consider that any slight mistake resulting
from this democratic exercise can land the country into trouble. In 2013, we
had peaceful polls and this year I want to believe the commitment our leaders
expressed and Kenyans at large will again take the centre stage.
If we can only base our elections on the reflection of the
will of people, peace is guaranteed. All political aspirants should put Kenya
first by paving a way for the will of people of Kenya.
What Kenya needs is periodic and genuine elections, and considerate leaders willing to sacrifice for the sake of the nation. Kenya
needs visionary leaders, vibrant individuals with radical ideas, courageous and
charismatic individuals with open minds, and leaders who are ready to say no to
corruption. Leaders who will beat all the odds to place Kenya in the global
map, Selfless individuals who are willing to travel far and wide to convey to investors, a noble person, a straight talker who will not sweep things under
the carpet, this is the kind of a leader Kenya wants.
Kenya wants an electoral process that is trusted by all
citizens. The credibility of an election largely depends on the actual and
perceived integrity of the electoral process in that, if citizens believe the
electoral process is defective, dishonest or less than free and fair many may
be discouraged to vote.
Elections are important actors of democracy promotion; this
means they can never be compromised. Bodies and institutions concerned cannot
fail to avail reliable instruments to voters.
Credible elections are paramount and can easily be achieved,
however, the same can only be meaningful and effective if we fight and close
all the doors of impunity and instead provide instruments of support as well as
assurance of transparency.
Election management determines development of a country, it
attracts foreign investors, it builds international relations, the same boosts
manpower development to form the basis for a stable economy.
Democracy promotion and credible elections are often linked
together such that it is difficult to separate the two, while democracy
promotion support increases the chances of conducting credible elections, free
and fair election on the other hand is central to democratic consolidation. In
this regard, elections and democracy are inextricably linked together since
elections lead to the emergence of credible leadership in a democratic context.
In this case, Kenyans needs to emphasize on the credibility of the country’s
leadership since it is always linked to the ability of electoral management
bodies.
Kenya is said to be eons ahead as her projects are
alleged to be at the forefront compared to those of Uganda. The economic
stability which is thought to have been boosted by currency stability has
managed to keep inflation under control and within the target range of the
Central Bank.
The remarks by this report is a good indication of a
growing nation, it shows that we are on the right track, it displays a
visionary country with good leadership and my prayer is that the much-awaited
election in August this year will make us rise higher.
Our beloved leaders should also consider their
speeches and more especially during the campaigns, they should be vigilant in
the war against incitement and hate speech let them set a good example to the
young generation. Institutions responsible for promoting of peace and cohesion
should also be on the alert to ensure smooth running of the voting process.
It is important to note that, credible elections
guards against democratic reversal and guarantee sustainable development which
in turn secures cooperation and generates international political support from
other countries. The same is a strong tool for promoting trade as investors
feel secure in a peaceful and stable nation. In addition, credible elections
are an important vehicle for solving conflicts and promoting the development to a
nation.
The initiators of Mkenya Daima campaign, the private
sector under the KEPSA umbrella, should resound their drums and make their
dream of building a better Kenya known, they should proclaim their goal of
building a Kenya with leaders of integrity who will work to improve the quality
of life enjoyed by ordinary citizens everywhere in the country, a Kenya that
has responsible and actively engaged citizens from the civil society, youth and
the university students and the religious bodies who will all rise up to the
challenge of improving their own lives, a country whose citizens will hold
leaders and institutions to account. They should campaign for Kenya to have
peaceful elections and to put our country first and above all advocate for no
violence and no incitement amongst ourselves.
The significance of elections cannot be disregarded. In this regard, every Kenyan must be an ambassador of our beloved country. The world and especially Africa will be watching us in August. Let us be a living example and promote a peaceful election.