Voting is a right, privilege and duty of every citizen in a democratic society. Article 38 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 guarantees this right by providing that every adult citizen has the right to be registered as a voter and to vote without unreasonable restrictions. The final phase of the registration of voters’ process by the IEBC will end on February 17, after which the commission will embark on the preparation of the register of voters that will be used for the August 8 general election.
Is it important for you to register and participate in the upcoming elections by voting? Yes. Voting is the moral responsibility of all eligible citizens of a society. Sadly, the truth is nowadays many stay away from the polls for varying reasons. Some think their individual vote does not count in the larger scheme of things. Others think none of the candidates deserve to be in power. Both appear to be perfectly valid reasons, don't they?
Your vote does not affect only you as an individual voter. It has far-reaching consequences for people all over the country, many of whom do not have the right to vote themselves. At the national and county levels, the elected leaders make laws, policies and appointments that will have effects for years to come.
The right to vote allows you to voice your opinion on a variety of issues. Voting allows you to choose the political leader you believe can make the choices that will better the country. However, there are thousands upon thousands of individuals who have the ability to vote and yet do not.
Your vote can be the determinant of the margin of victory between two candidates in a closely contested election. The margin of victory is very important and that is why every vote matters. In the 2013 general election, Raila Odinga lost his presidential bid to Uhuru Kenyatta by a very lean margin of 7.2 per cent. A runoff was avoided by only 8,100 votes. Your vote matters.
While it is true that the outcome of election is seldom predictable, by not casting your vote, you are giving up on the chance of getting heard. Although voting does not guarantee the best candidate will elected, refraining from it improves the chances of an unsuitable person winning the polls. In the end, it is only you who will suffer the consequences of poor governance.
If nothing else, voting is a license to justifiably complain about your elected officials. Your grievances will carry more weight if you speak out as a voter trying to hold your candidates accountable for promises they made to you during their campaigns. By exercising your right to vote you become an agent of change — the change you want. If you feel that the current administration is marred by corruption and that it is not performing its duties satisfactorily, you can show it the door by voting against it. Refraining from doing so can result in the same party and same leaders, or a worse one(s), being elected for the next five years. The only way for your voice to count is by registering as a voter and voting during the next general election.
One of my acquaintances, Qasim, argues that voting is a right; not a duty. I disagree with him. Voting is a moral duty which obligates every citizen to elect the quality of government that serves the people. Voting generates a healthy democracy and can be compared to fighting for one’s country during times of war or paying taxes. These are burdensome activities that benefit the society as a whole. Voting is instrumental to utilitarianism. It contributes to increasing the overall welfare of the entire society even though it may not have a significant impact on your own individual life.
The freedom to elect an administration of your own choice is what characterizes democracy. It defines every revolution. It is a right that has been earned through the hardships suffered by past generations, quite possibly including your very own. It's a right that needs to be cherished, not discarded or ignored.
The government you elect on 8th August will develop policies that affect you. From the amount of taxes that you pay to the quality of infrastructure, everything will be decided by the policy makers that you elect. Don't you want someone who is going to have this much control over policies that affect you to be just the right person for it, and don't you want to do your best that the one you want is the one you get? Register and get out to vote on the D-Day.
Kennedy Kimani is the Programme Head, policy and Legal Reform at the Institute for Education in Democracy.