While I appreciate Anglican Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit’s call for the 2022 elections to continue uninterrupted, I painstakingly assert that we need to respond to problems that trigger violence in every election and eradicate them.
This should be done to prevent violence before the elections.
The people I encounter maintain that more efforts are needed to stop a repeat of past cases because of certain persistent violent incidents in the recent past.
For instance, on October 22 this year, a violent protest was reported when ODM nominated MP Wilson Sossion’s vehicle was hit by stones in Bomet town.
It is alleged that platoon of rowdy persons with crude items were linked to the attack. The former Knut secretary general is said to have expressed his interest in the Senate seat.
On October 25, Deputy President William Ruto’s motorcade was attacked and stoned in Busia. Another attack on the DP’s motorcade was witnessed in Kondele, Kisumu.
ODM chairman John Mbadi and Suba South MP and presidential hopeful Jimi Wanjigi were also attacked in Ndhiwa and Migori respectively.
These incidents depict a worrying trend ahead of the elections. In a diverse society like ours, we should respect cultural pluralism and philosophy of unity in diversity. It would also be wise for Kenyans to demonstrate a measure of tolerance that allows constructive relationship of dialogue and symbiotic existence.
There is a serious need for more induction training that may assist in deepening human relations, social harmony as well developing positive attitudes towards one another. The training can encompass rehearsing better ways of campaigning as against what we experience today.
It is advisable, for instance, for aspirants to desist from giving handouts. Even though one feels philanthropic to give people some token, it becomes a bribe. And other than being unethical, people’s anxieties are raised so high and what is distributed to them becomes a pittance, some getting as low as Sh50. People end up becoming violent.
The security service personnel can also be given more orientation to do more monitoring, vigilance and surveillance for all campaign venues before any rally takes place to avert clashes.
Prior to the handshake, there was chaos in various parts of the country but with social and emotional intelligence and wise intervention by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, peace returned.
I want to focus on living together socially since it is not possible to cover all the dimensions.
Aspirants and voters should be educated on social intelligence.
For the sake of easing election problems and curbing wrangles, there is need to not only develop the social quotient (SQ), but also the political quotient (P.Q), economic quotient (EQ), spiritual quotient (SP.Q) and emotional quotient (EMQ).
First, from a social quotient perspective, make everyone feel like one family. For example, there is a brother and sister relationship at work. All different groups call one another as such. It is good to try this to see how it works.
If we need a personal vision for change not only in the family but also among the diverse ethnic groups in Kenya, we can rehearse a similar concept like Ujamaa (familyhood in Swahili).
This is a socialist ideology that was ingrained in the people of Tanzania by President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. The term means one extended family or brotherhood ideologically and can be extended to all.
Second, we have to embrace humanness in which we see each other as brothers and sisters beyond ethnicity, politics and imaginary boundaries. Such a spirit brings us closer in camaraderie of inter-relationships that titrates brother-sisterhood and jockeys upon neurons of love, cohesion, peacefulness and acceptance of one another without denigration. This habit can reduce tribal animosities and ethnic antagonisms.
Third, such adaptations can assist us to cultivate better social skills and social harmony. These can have the best payoff for Kenya, which is normally torn asunder during and after elections. There is a need for us to simulate such ways of greeting each other and engaging until such interactions become part of our body chemistry.
Fourth is to foster the following but not limited to positive attitudes to people from different backgrounds, doing unto others as we would want them to do unto us, avoiding hate speech, supporting collaboration and cooperation beyond ethnicity and establishing ideology without prejudice and bigotry.
Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli’s public declaration was that we haven’t dealt with those things that make us fight after every five years such as the winner-takes-it-all arrangement, inequality and so on. Actually, we haven’t done much to enable us to hold on to the concept of ubuntu before, during and after elections.
Religious groups should be preaching to make people tolerant and unite, despite their differences of opinion and ethnic backgrounds. They can also provide guidance and counseling to the IEBC officials for them to conduct a free, fair, fast, credible and transparent elections.
We are all called to respect cultural pluralism and embrace the philosophy of identifying indifference, despite our differences of opinion for the national good.
Prof Awino is a university lecturer
