The Ballot Box
It’s the year 2007 and I’m living in a multi-ethnic rental compound. Kenyans vote across tribal lines and in my compound, we represented the major tribes on different sides of the political divide. We never fought though. We’d even be glued to the same TV screen watching the chaos in different parts of the country.
While the country was in a tense mood, our neighborhood was pretty calm. Was it because people in my hood were middle class? Or was it because we didn’t take politics to heart? But the biggest lesson was the political tolerance in my hood. People from all political divides roamed free in our hood.
Fast forward to 2022 and we’re witnessing a tough political contest. I happen to still live in the same neighborhood as in 2007. As I walk through the hood, I still see posters of candidates from the two main coalitions, Azimio and Kenya Kwanza. This is the Kenya I want to see, people who can disagree in terms of political choices but still stick together as one people.
This is going to be a transitional election as the incumbent will have to leave office after serving two terms, the maximum under the constitution. The first such election was in 2002 in which President Daniel Arap Moi handed over power to Narc opposition leader and president-elect, Mwai Kibaki. The next such election was in 2013 as President Kibaki exited office after handing over to president-elect, Uhuru Kenyatta.
In 2022, President Uhuru Kenyatta will hand over power to either William Ruto or Raila Odinga. While there are two other candidates in the presidential election, I don’t think they can garner the numbers to succeed Uhuru at the helm of the country. Will Uhuru hand over to Ruto, his ally turned foe if he wins? Or will he refuse to do so? I don’t know. I hope he will hand it over to the duly elected leader. Anything that looks fishy has the chance to turn this country into civil unrest.
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Kenyans can’t afford another economic downturn. The average Kenyan is feeling the pinch of the tough economic climate. The Covid-19 battered the economy and it’s yet to fully recover. The Russia-Ukraine war, punishing tax regime and inflation has made life tougher for everyone. Kenyans want to vote, go home and continue with life as usual. No more endless election dramas. We want the economy to be in full economic recovery.
Many Kenyans have focused on the presidential race but they should do more than that. They should also take a hard look through other seats such as the Governor, Senator, MCA, and MP seats. I’ll explain.
Kenya has had two levels of government since 2013, the national and county governments. The President and the MPs work hand in hand on the national government issues. One of the Mp’s job descriptions is to oversee the Executive arm of the government which is headed by the President. This means that if you elect a President, make sure you have a good MP who can oversee him properly. An MP also votes on crucial issues such as the tax rates to be imposed on commodities. Your MP takes part in vetting senior government appointees. You as a citizen have to make a great choice on the MP role.
The next thing is the Governor. Some of the devolved functions include health and ECDE. If you want better healthcare, vote for a governor who will ensure the hospitals have medicine, skilled personnel, and better equipment. Your life depends on it if you happen to fall sick. Do not be swayed by the flashiest candidate but rather the most qualified one.
The other seat is the Senator. Your Senator works to oversight your country governments’ funds and also legislate on issues touching on devolution. If you don’t have a good Senator, your county government’s likely to run rogue on you. A senator prevents your funds from getting stolen. Make a great choice.
The next seat is the MCA. The MCA legislates county laws. Your MCA also oversights your governor alongside the county senator. And in case the governor crosses the line, your MCA can initiate an impeachment motion alongside other MCAs. So is your MCA candidate likely to vote alongside party lines or according to the wishes of his residents? Think about that when you are at the voting booth.
This is a beautiful country and we have to make it better by making the right decisions during these General elections. Despite the euphoria associated with the major parties, listen to your guts. Do your research and make an inspired choice. Many candidates only want to amass wealth through the elective office. Weed them out and look for people who will serve the country diligently.
In this transitional election, let’s vote for better leaders than the current set. Let’s transition from bad leaders to good leaders. And then let’s be active citizens, always holding our leaders accountable. And please, don’t make the mistake of abstaining from voting in the forthcoming general elections. Here’s to making the right decisions at the ballot box.
