As you line up to vote or are watching from the fence in boycott, know that you’re an actor who has set Kenya on a date with destiny. The fact that you’re facing each other like exhausted gladiators confirms destiny isn’t worth expecting. Everyone will be vanquished and with that the country called Kenya. If that be the case, why the headstrong exercise in futility?
You’re in good company voting or not. The futility of this exercise has many dimensions and is acknowledged by many. First off was NASA legal challenge of the August 8 election result, citing fraud. The Supreme Court affirmed “illegalities and irregularities” were committed and ordered the IEBC to hold a “fresh” election in strict compliance with the Constitution and existing law.
That was the point of departure. Jubilee went into an outpouring of scorn and diatribe against Supreme Court judges. President Uhuru Kenyatta called them rogue and the nullification a coup. He has since turned the coup into an advantage to hold the helm in permanence.
Expectations were that NASA and Jubilee, as victims of IEBC bungling, would join in a crusade to refurbish the commission. It was never to be. Matters spiralled out of control when the IEBC announced a rerun instead of a fresh election, without studying the “illegalities and irregularities” that needed surgery. While NASA swiftly reacted with a digest of irreducible minimums as it understood “illegalities and irregularities” to mean, Jubilee joined the IEBC in opposing reforms.
Amid the IEBC's seemingly deliberate legal malingering and incompetence, were filed countless petitions, among them that colourless complaint that Raila's withdrawal was contempt of court. To buy time for the 60-day constitutional ultimatum to elapse, the IEBC chose its own interpretation from fresh, which meant new elections complete with party nominations.
It initially only put Raila and Uhuru on the ballot until the court ordered Ekuru Aukot be included and the IEBC magnanimously added five other candidates minus bankrupt Cyrus Jirongo only to later to oscillate and include him. But there is no mystery in the IEBC's hesitation to revamp its systems, citing time limitation, yet meek in making changes meant to checkmate NASA. The objective was always election at all costs.
Meanwhile, Jubilee precipitated escalation of political tension by forcing through changes to electoral laws that made it mandatory for election officials to sign off whatever results at the threat of incarceration, reduced quorum of commissioners and allowed any one of them to announce presidential results.
Soon security for NASA leaders was revoked, prompting candidate Raila to withdraw from the race and announce a period of dissenting public protests. Ridiculously, the IEBC has chosen to retain his name on the ballot.
The stage was hence set on whether Kenya should have free, fair, transparent and credible elections or election at all cost. A brutal crackdown of peaceful protests accompanied by a whirlwind of Jubilee campaign to demonise the Judiciary and Raila, and unfortunately court ethnic segmentation followed. Social and mainstream media is the choice arena for ethnic hatemongering and profiling. Government emboldens these soldiers of doom to create a Kenya replete with martial law, fear, militia rejuvenation and oathing.
Security during elections is the function of the IEBC, but the government has usurped this role, determined to force voting on a reluctant populace with overt threats to unleash terror on dissenters. Militias are back with Interior CS Fred Matiang’i adopting the outlawed Chinkororo and Sirisia MP John Waluke revealing formation of militias as a constituency Jubilee election strategy.
But what begs logic is why we insist on an election we all know is dubious. NASA insists the menu isn’t right while Jubilee is obsessed with numbers of plateful turnout to legitimise a flawed process. Why are we second-guessing the scorching confessions of IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and resigned commissioner Roselyn Akombe? Both let it fly that in the prevailing atmosphere within and without the IEBC, the agency will not conduct a credible election. They confirmed that the IEBC has imploded under the weight of sabotage. That it’s externally captive to a cabal of criminal enterprise wanting elections at whatever the consequences.
I like Noah Webster’s caution that, “When a citizen gives his vote to a man of known immorality he abuses his civic responsibility and he betrays the interest of his country”. Substitute “man” with IEBC and you realise the folly of trusting your vote with “a man of known immorality”. Blindfolded by ethnic bigotry, we’re trudging towards a wilderness whose return is unknown.
Elections for the sake of elections to bolster the pay cheque of a few may be fashionable, but the cost to Kenya will be irredeemable and dire. Matiang’i, the poster boy of new ugliness, is forgoing a scorched earth policy to compel voting. The economy has dipped. None other than the President is lamenting too. The strands that bind Kenya are extremely strained. Give a thought to what happens after today?
Communications, publications and conflict management specialist, University of Nairobi
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