• It says there is need for an internal audit of the electoral agency to ascertain the state of the commission.
• The report says ORPP should ensure adequate capacity building within political party setups in a manner that guarantees long-term growth of the democratic space and principled political action.
Image: STATE HOUSE
There was low civic engagement in the last general election in Kakamega and Vihiga counties, a Catholic church report says.
The report by Kakamega Catholic Justice and Peace department reviewed how the polls were conducted in the two counties. It indicates that state agencies such as the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, NCIC and IEBC only engage in heightened activities during an election year, thereby limiting civic participation.
“IEBC should ensure sustained engagement with communities and political actors on matters civic or voter education and registration through collaboration with CBOs, CSOs and FBOs and avoid the temptation to be active only during the electoral season,” the report released on Thursday says.
It says there is need for an internal audit of the electoral agency to ascertain the state of the commission and ensure swift transition that allows both institutional memory and structural strengthening.
This will boost institutional growth and public confidence in its independence, the report says.
“Members of the commission found to have acted in contravention of the law and best interest of the Kenyan people should be seen to be held accountable,” the report reads.
“Recruitment of the chairman and commissioners currently underway must be seen to be above board and attract the public stamp of approval.”
The report says the commission is unable to effectively enforce election regulations, including those on election financing and ethnic mobilisation, as a strategy to gain political support and position remains alive, especially at presidential and governor levels.
It says the ethnic mobilisation strategy remains a potent threat to peace, especially in the post-election period.
Leaders in incumbency, the report says, used government funds and resources, including staff and vehicles, and rolled out community development initiatives. The initiatives included grading of rural roads, rehabilitation of urban roads, distribution of food to institutions and launching of otherwise long completed classrooms to induce political support.
The report says that though issue-based political discourse is slowly gaining ground, it is yet to be established among communities.
There was moderated deployment of security agents in the lead up, during and after the election, a positive development that elevates elections to a civic process as opposed to a security operation, the report indicates.
“There was observable unhindered enjoyment of all fundamental rights and freedoms, especially the freedoms of movement, assembly and association, which are key to a healthy democratic society,” it reads.
It says democratic practice within political party setups remains limited, as demonstrated by the significant lack of nominations for various political positions.
This, it says, is mainly due to lack of sustainable capacity to maintain offices, sustain party activities, maintain party discipline and a valid members register by political parties.
The report says ORPP should ensure adequate capacity building within political party setups in a manner that guarantees long-term growth of the democratic space and principled political action.
“It is our observation that political parties remain vehicles of political convenience adopted and discarded at will as opposed to vessels of political ideology shaping public engagement and leadership over time,” the report reads.
With approximately 2,070,000 registered political party members in Kenya out of 22,102,532 registered voters, it is clear there exists a huge gap in terms of civic engagement at the political party level, the report says.
It says that limitations should be provided to amendments of operational legal instruments or the introduction of fresh regulations and laws that may have an impact on elections in an election year.
This will forestall the use of legal instruments as tools of political convenience.
The report recommends greater efforts be made to improve levels of participation of women, youth and people living with disabilities in elections, especially at the leadership level.
It says government officials and institutions, both national and county, workers should refrain from active partisan political engagement.