Today, Monday the 4th
of March 2013, is truly a defining moment for Kenya. It is on this day that a
General Election will be conducted under the guidance of the new constitution
and it will pave way for a new order in the country. The long and short of it
is that, the leaders who will be elected into office will be the pioneers of an
entirely new system of governance in Kenya.
The last time Kenya went into
an election, she emerged jaded, badly bruised and battered. Her economy took a
nose dive and worse, she lost thousands of her citizens in devastating post poll
violence. Five years down the line, and with the disturbing images of the last
poll still fresh in most Kenyan’s memories, the need for peace and calm during
this election period cannot be overemphasized.
The unequivocal peace messages
reverberating across the media, social networks and all public and private
gatherings should be taken seriously by all Kenyans. Thing is, we all have a
part to play in promoting peace and calm during and after the elections.
Talking about the date with
destiny, it has been preceded by some most fascinating events, top of which was
the first ever Kenyan presidential debate. In a series of two debates, held
within a span of two weeks, one woman and seven men seeking Kenya’s most
powerful office were engaged in an ego bruising battle of the titans. The
debate was truly a defining moment where Kenyans got the chance to evaluate all
the candidates in one of East Africa’s most followed events. Broadcasted across
all television and radio stations in Kenya, the debate touched on all the major
issues such as land, corruption and the economy, all of which are paramount in
the determination of the right crop of leaders.
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| The Kenyan presidential debate. |
I am filled with nothing but
hope for a better and peaceful Kenya as the Kenyan electorate take to the
polling stations to elect the next crop of leaders. I wish to state as in my
previous posts that every voter must make a decision they can live with for the
next five years. It is their sole responsibility to vote for the best
candidates for the various posts. This opportunity comes only once every five
years and as such one must stand to be counted as making a contribution for
better governance.
We must not forget that in
every election, there must be winners and losers. Eight candidates are seeking
to lead Kenya but only one can be president at any given point. Kenya is a
democratic country and the principles of democracy demand that the majority
have their way while the minorities have their say. We must all be prepared for
the outcome of the election results and desist from activities which might
cause violence or tension regardless of whether our preferred candidates win or
lose.
The future of our beloved
country and its future generations highly depends on the vote you will cast and
your personal initiative to maintain peace and calm. Everybody is entitled to their
opinion and as such tolerance MUST be exercised now more than ever before.
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| Maintenance of peace during and after the election is the responsibility of each one of us. |
VOTE FOR PEACE, CALM AND
STABILITY IN KENYA!!
