Invalid, Null And Void; Words Many Didn’t Expect – More So, The International Community.

“The greatness of any Nation lies in it’s fidelity to the Constitution, and adherence to the rule of law – and above all, respect to God”  Chief Justice David Maraga.

These very words preceded the annulment of one of the most expensive -if not the most expensive- elections in Africa last Friday. A decision that many have hailed, across the globe, as a watershed moment for institutions in Africa. Although majority of Kenyans from across the political divide applauded this decision, it still did receive, and continues to receive, its fair share of criticism especially from Kenya’s President Uhuru and his Jubilee party.

This election process has brought a number of items to the fore, but two remain of particular interest. The first being the role of religion in politics, and the second being the role of international community in Africa’s democracy.

Religion and Politics.

When Jubilee party and its supporters were on the campaign trail, they will insinuate a couple of times how it is God who will deliver victory for them. That it is God who chooses, and that they already have a memo of who has been chosen. When Chief Justice David Maraga started the Supreme Court hearing on August 26th, the hearing had to commence from 7pm – since during the day, as a staunch Seventh Day Adventist, he had to observe Sabbath. When the Supreme Court decision was finally made, with Justice Maraga stressing on respect to God, Opposition’s NASA would celebrate and equally hail the decision as God’s doing. Now, I’m not knowledgeable in theology, but this clearly should raise concern among the Christian folk – who happen to be the majority in Kenya, and also the culprits in this web.

Christianity in Kenya seems to be a total failure. The need to follow the footsteps of Christ, to love humanity, to be just and truthful, and to respect fellow humans has already gone down the drain. The only relevance Christianity seems to have today, is the ability to make one rich. Anything goes, including peddling corrupt politicians at the altar.

But one rational constant – in this relationship between Politics and Religion – remains the ability of Politics to use Religion to its advantage. In the 16th Century, Niccolo Machiavelli would advice rulers on how to use, and if need be, manipulate naive religious folk in order to secure their rule. Citing instances on how the ancient Roman religion was instrumental in securing and advancing the Roman Empire. In his letter to the Prince of Florence, Machiavelli would emphasize on how religious coercion can be a great tool of maintaining political power.

Politics and Religion in Kenya needs to be re-looked at again – much cannot be dissected in this column. But Christians have to REDEEM themselves in this – they don’t have any option. Everything else remains food for thought.

The International Community and Africa’s Democracy.  

If there is one individual so far who has received his fair share of criticism – and counting- in Kenya’s ongoing 2017 elections, is one John Kerry. Former US Secretary of State. After the voting had concluded, and tallying began, the opposition NASA led by candidate Raila Odinga would raise concern about the streaming in of results. But Kerry will proceed to make his worst statement in Kenya so far -under the Carter Center banner. That, “The people who voted were alive. I didn’t see any dead people walking around” And that the “the opposition should get over it and move on” since according to him the election was free, fair and credible. Never mind the Electoral Body hadn’t even declared the final results.

For starters, allow me to take you down recent historical path. Ten years ago, Kenya went through it’s worst election, marred by malpractices and bloodshed. Myself I was relatively young, still in high school. But nevertheless, I was Politically awake. Citizens queued. Long queues. Some in straight, others in curved or even zigzag. And they voted PEACEFULLY. “Without dead people walking or trying to get in the lines” But the problem arose during the tallying, transmission and announcement of results.

It is this problem of tallying, transmitting and announcing of results – together with the identification of persons – that heavily influenced Kenya’s high costs of conducting elections. While a Country such as Tanzania will spend an average of five dollars ($5) per voter in an election, or Uganda four dollars ($4) per voter, Kenya will spend an upward of twenty five dollars ($25) per voter during an election. Why? because of vote tallying and transmission. So, an international observer observing elections in Uganda, should be alive to the fact that Uganda and Kenya are not homogeneous – even though they share a border. And that an election process should be looked at in its entirety.

The Product is as Good as the Process.

Looking at the scrutiny report ordered by the Supreme Court during the petition, one will not fail to observe two items that would cast doubt on 2017 elections – which the supreme Court ruled to be marred by irregularities and illegalities. That, as the Court ordered the electoral body to allow READ ONLY access to its servers, so as to ascertain that the logs provided actually originated from the said servers, the electoral body was unable to comply. That, as the Court ordered for the GPRS location of KIEMS kits be provided at the time of sending scanned form 34A’s to ascertain the locations at sending, the electoral body was unable to comply. The same form 34A’s that the electoral body was trying to figure out where they were – way after declaring the results. The same forms the lawyers ended up battling in Courts which were legal, and which should ‘pass as legal’

From the onset of the petition, the petitioners didn’t focus on trying to demonstrate that Uhuru was rigged in, or that Raila was rigged out – the focus was trying to get the Court to answer the question, “Was the electoral process legal or not?” To which the Court answered that electoral body ‘failed, neglected or refused to conduct the presidential election in a manner consistent with the dictates of the Constitution and inter alia the Elections Act….” A change of tact to traditional petitions which rarely see the light of day.

Back to The International Community.

Immediately the lead European Observer Mission arrived in Kenya, the first statement made was in relation to prospects of violence. So, throughout the election process, it seemed, that they would focus most of their efforts in trying to persuade the opposition not to react to anything. They were ready to let anything go  – as long as the opposition didn’t react. This, to an extent in which they didn’t observe the actual violence taking place. The obsession was on citizen versus citizen form of violence – which never took place. Instead, only poor citizens were meted with police brute violence to the extent of infant ones, as little as six (6) Month old baby losing its life.

This begging the question, was the exercise meant to observe a democratic process, or just influence – through their posture – whatever outcome? This bearing in mind interest that lead observers and their Countries of origin also have with respect to the African Country being observed.

Having been actively engaged in civic engagement and education, especially to young people of my age during this election period, I can confirm that young people in Kenya were and still are, not ready to fight each other irrespective of their political divide. They claim that they are too hungry to do so, and they would really want to be done with this election process as fast. Majority are not much obsessed with who wins the presidency (apart from a few sycophants here and there) – but the obsession with a sizeable majority is that the election be free, fair and credible regardless of who wins.

Kenyans are very assertive politically, and one of the reasons young people from both political divides are interested in a credible process, is because they know too well that it is only a credible process that will one day make a son or daughter of a peasant farmer -who doesn’t come from the current crop of moneyed elites – President.

And that credible process begins now – thanks to Chief Justice David Maraga. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KENYA’S POLITICAL LIES SOON BECOMING ‘TRUTHS’

In 1947, the then US Secretary of State, George Marshall, designed one of the best reconstruction strategies on Western Europe famously referred to as the Marshall Plan. In the next five years, a devastated Europe, destroyed during the WWII was able to come back to life- through aid assistance.

How was this possible in just five years? You ask. Apart from Western European countries being among the first world, most of their institutions were still intact. Yes, physical infrastructure could have been destroyed, the economy could have taken a nose dive, but their Political, Social, Cultural institutions  were still intact. The business goodwill and the general public will to reconstruct were still evident. Even if not physically, these institutions were well engraved in the minds and hearts of the people.

This story is more or less a replica of Japan’s post Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is more or less a replica of the so called Asian Dragons/ Tigers story. But when it comes to Africa, the story is a bit complicated. More than 50 years of her independence, Africa is still dependent on foreign aid. When you ask an African leader when (s)he thinks Africa will be able to stand on her own, majority of these leaders might not have a genuine answer to this. Why? because they might be very much clueless or not interested at all.

The focus here is not on foreign aid -that’s a debate for another day, rather, on these institutions that we keep talking about in our Politics.

Thus, let me bring it home. In Kenya today, we are being treated to a Political circus. From corruption, to unemployment/ underemployment, to nepotism, to negative ethnicity, to education crisis, healthcare crisis et cetera. And intrinsic to this circus are well thought out LIES that are being peddled around as ‘TRUTHS’. Some of them being;

1. THAT Devolution is the problem.
2. THAT The Constitution ( 2010) is the problem
3. THAT His/ Her hands are tied.
4. THAT It is the people around him/ her.
5. THAT It is the Cartels.
6. THAT It is foreign interference.
7. THAT Let’s choose the lesser evil.

Although, to a great extent we all agree that Kenya’s wage bill is at a high due to the public offices constitutionally created post 2010 (which can be rectified ), there is no chapter in the same Constitution that advocates for runaway corruption. The issue here is that in 2010, Kenyans created a legal framework for Political democracy but are yet to create a Political culture that respects the same framework.

It is this Political culture that thus  becomes an institution- in the minds and hearts.  An institution that goes ahead to protect chapter six of our Constitution. An institution that enables us subscribe to Kenya’s National Values in accordance to article 10 of the same Constitution.

It is this Political Culture that will enable us build other significant institutions including, Political Parties. If we, as a people will truly subscribe to our National Values, then Kenya will not need tribal parties or alliances. The people will be conscious enough to know their true needs thus forming Political parties that revolve around these needs -Just like the United Kingdom where societies are equally heterogeneous.

So, the moment an elected leader is clueless about the conduct of a state officer, and the majority of the citizens are equally clueless, statements such as ‘the problem is the constitution‘ becomes a ‘truth’. The moment the citizenry elect a leader even if their integrity is questionable, when this leader starts singing ‘devolution is the problem’, it becomes a ‘truth’.  Whenever jobless University graduates start tweeting and posting on how ‘cartels’ have tied the hands of the leaders, it is believed.

On the issue of University graduates, it is saddening to realize that the economy today is not creating much opportunities for them. Thus they have been trapped in this ‘bootlicking’ web where they have to sing political praises for their masters in exchange for ‘m-pesa’- but i digress.

And so these Political lies that the Politicians and business elites are serving the people don’t hold any water. If they have failed to deliver, they have failed- PERIOD.

The ‘let’s choose a lesser evil’ lies that the Kenyan citizens are serving themselves are pure balderdash. They need to wake up from their deep slumber.

The youth of this Country have the potential of moving this Country forward, they equally have the potential of completely destroying all the gains.

Change has to start somewhere- and it is my submission that Kenya’s change must start in the minds and hearts of the Kenyan people. Just like the Western Europe example, or the Asian tigers example, let’s put in order this institution called Political culture.

 

Long Live Kenya.

“The essence of the beautiful is unity in Variety”- W. Somerset Maugham

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2016; HER POLITICS AND GEOPOLITICS

2016 is here with us and no doubt it will be a year full of politics both in the Country and the region.  As Kenya and Rwanda prepare for their respective presidential elections in 2017, and as Museveni seeks to be endorsed once again by Ugandans to remain president. Magufuli on the other hand will be capitalizing on the relatively calm political climate in Tanzania to work on the economy. Some economists project that ceteris paribus, Tanzania’s economy will be 20% larger than Kenya’s by 2020. Pointing on corruption and tribalism as some of the factors that will largely undermine Kenya’s economic progress.

The US dollar is projected to strengthen further this year and weaker states, Kenya included, have already secured loans from the IMF to cushion against a strong dollar.

The refugee and rebel questions due to the unrest in Burundi might also prove to be a challenge for Rwanda, Tanzania and Eastern DRC.  Bearing in mind a Hutu Nkurunzinza and a Tutsi Kagame and the blame game that is already at play.

All said, so what are the politics of 2016?

Party Politics:- As is the norm, politicians will be looking to survive. Alliances, new parties, party hopping are just but a fraction of what to expect. Politicians will be looking to optimize on the tragedy of the masses voting for a party regardless of the candidate. Hence, majority will be seeking the best option for them to hide their underachievement yet still survive.

One interesting move to keenly look out for is the formation of the new party JAP. This is a vehicle, from my opinion, designed to be used more for the 2022 purpose than for 2017. Why? The incumbent does not really need it. But time will tell.

On the same note, I however, do not see the need to push for legislation for the country to have only two political parties. Dominant political parties even in mature democracies are not as a result of legislation but institutionalization. This way, citizens will find themselves naturally confining themselves into a political party. Look at the case of the US or the UK for instance.  They have dominant parties while at the same time smaller parties still enjoy representation. The Conservative and Labor parties for instance, in the UK jointly command 67% of representation as the Scottish National party, Liberal Democrats, Democratic unionist party, Green party of England and Wales among others jointly command the remaining 33%.

Give political parties mature structures. Make the parties stand for certain ideologies as opposed to personalities and voila, slowly you are institutionalizing the party.

Presidential Candidates:- It’s no doubt that we already have serious individuals bringing forth their candidature for the 2017 bid. Incumbent included.  And so, be ready to see more of their faces in funerals and harambees.

My top three who have high chances of making an impact this year being;

Uhuru Kenyatta:-  Being an incumbent, he needs to campaign through results and not promises. Big challenge for him being corruption cases in his regime. If he is able to demonstrate this year that he is indeed tackling corruption, and citizens get to see results, then that will be more than enough campaign for him.  A lot of people both in the country and the region have developed a liking for his personality. Thus, if he tackles this elephant in the room successfully, in 2017, he will not need a party or a running mate because the citizens of this great republic will all be behind him.  ( Goodluck Jonathan joined the club of one term presidents in Africa simply because Nigerians were tired of one thing- CORRUPTION )

Raila Odinga:-  This is a name that has featured for a long time now in Kenya’s political terrain. Still commanding a large following and always full of surprises, he is not to be overlooked. At the moment tactfully using the corruption allegations in Government for his advancement. He however, has a huge task of consolidating his coalition’s loyalty since some members have already started jumping ship.

Peter Kenneth:- Although not so much activity has been witnessed from this Presidential candidate in the recent past, 2016 is an opportune time for him to come out more aggressive than never before. It’s also the time to strategically identify a running mate. He is equally not to be overlooked. Reason being more and more Kenyans have started to realize that tribal politics is costly for this Nation. And that he has that needed charisma to unite Kenyans irrespective of ethnic background. With a good strategy, he is no doubt going to be a force in the 2017 bid.

One commonality among these three candidates is that all have the potential to at least command a following outside their ethnic communities.

Thus, 2016 is to remain a political year both in the country and the region.