Kenya is at a standstill because of the outcome of the general elections 2022.
It appears the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) didn’t learn much from 2017 nullification of the polls.
Everyone is waiting with bated breathe, especially the ‘losers’.
On the other side, the winners have chest-thumped much with their rallying cry, ‘power is taken, not given’, exposing the rot. It is clear something went amiss with IEBC and DP Ruto, the ‘winner’ knows it.
This brings me to the fact of the matter, ‘what if the polls are overturned’, how will those that shouted much that, power is taken not given’ react?
Though we’ve never had such a sporadic and intense case of Post Election violence (PEV)since 2007/2008.
Many who voted in the 2022 election were very young and can’t comprehend what that particular PEV was.
Many have read on books about how Kenyans murdered each other, how over half a million were displaced in lawless abandon.
The gory images and stories are told and in the minds of those that didn’t experience it, they look at it as some folklore.
It seems like something made up.
That’s what it always looks like.
In all of us, the spirit of accepting, and moving on is ingrained by the power of focusing on the future.
The younger generation would look at someone with dimples and vote them in.
A study in the recent past showed that many young Kenyans would not hesitate to steal, in other words, copy what politicians and their wash wash do: living large without no known source of income.
A politician, with that salary, cannot afford to build flats, have over 50 vehicles and splash money in harambees.
Civic education will make this impossible because people will at least know that if a politician lives like that, they are stealing public funds and so people will make informed choices.
A mixture of poverty, ignorance and outright misinformation has meant that the electorates cannot link looting of country coffers to their poverty. They keep on making quick choices through the stomach, then suffer and complain for five years, the repeat – Ekoroi
However, I wouldn’t blame the younger generation for voting blindly.
Both sides of the political divide failed Kenya.
UhuRuto and civic education
The duo of Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto collectively known as UhuRuto managed to suppress one important element in voters.
Civic education is important to the electorates.
Kenya needs it more.
Every research and report on Democratic governance, election, conflict and peace research have pointed to that.
Voters make many mistakes such as electing people that bribe them, electing along tribal lines, commiting violence on opponents, attending rallies where they are bribed.
Voters cannot see the connection between a corrupt leader that loots public funds with their lack of jobs, high food prices, lack of social amenities, poor infrastructure etc because of the lack of civic education.
UhuRuto didn’t want civic education, and one of the most telling sign was the chasing away of IFES1984 sometimes in 2017 before the elections.
Raila Odinga
Raila Odinga has been a champion in this, but the PR against him has meant that he has to trudge through thick mud to reach Kenyans.
Raila can only do so much, because a politician will be branded as playing politics when they pass across their point.
Institutions
Of the three above, one is better at the scale at which he respects institutions.
All of them have been tested and it is clear for Kenyans to dig their pasts and see.
UhuRuto are still in power up to the time a new president will be sworn in and there’s nothing institutions like UNDP would have done to help between 2017 and 2022.
Conflicts are majorly caused by lack of education and in Kenya, inadequate civic education has cost us dearly.
In this election, as in many others since 1992, there will be some skirmishes.
What you need to do is, don’t get involved, stay at home. Be responsible on social media.
