It drains my
soul to kick off this New Year with such a poignant title, but the current
political tendencies leave me with little choice. As a Kenyan of goodwill, it
is my moral duty to raise a red flag when necessary. The year that was 2012,
saw Kenyans decry bad leadership and being the hopeful people we are, crossed
over to the New Year hoping for better leadership subsequent to the March
General Election.
The week
past saw most political parties hold their primaries to elect those that would
fly their party flag come the March 4th poll. The party primaries
were however not a walk in the park, as they were marred with violent
demonstrations heralded by claims of vote rigging. There were bitter claims
that some aspirants had been declared winners despite been unpopular among the
electorate, and the latter felt cheated in the process.
The
political parties concerned were faced with the headache of settling the
inglorious tussles that had proved a true test on the parties’ democratic
practices, albeit in a limited period of time. To say the least, the results of
the process were uncalled-for. The so called “big names” who had previously
suffered humiliating defeats courtesy of those perceived as “underdogs”, had
their names on some party’s final nomination lists! (How depraved!?).
This is
utter disregard of the democratic processes, where the electorate should be
left to vote for candidates of their choice. Some sections of the electorate
have decried the move and threatened to abscond from the March 4th
General Election if their preferred candidates are not on the ballot paper,
causing tension in parts of the country. Some have gone as far as flashing
placards stating that there will be no peace unless their candidate is on the
ballot; a very serious situation indeed.
The current
state of affairs points to a country that is trending on a dangerous path,
since a buildup of pre-election tensions could lead to a chaotic poll followed
by violence, similar to that experienced soon after the last general election
five years ago. The country has been reeling from the aftermath of those
shattering moments five years ago.
It is
against such a background that the government should desist from paying the
Kenyan citizenry mere lip service as far as ensuring a peaceful election period
is concerned. The law should be followed to the letter and without favor. Any
politician who tries to incite people to violence should be arrested and
brought to justice. Political parties on their part should ensure they conduct
peaceful campaigns and prepare their supporters to accept the outcome of the
elections, and seek legal redress in the event they are not satisfied with the
outcome.
The most
vital role goes to the individual citizens who are to ensure that they maintain
peace throughout the election period, bearing in mind that the same will come
and go, but Kenya and Kenyans will remain after the 4th of March. If
the trouncing of some big political personalities in the primaries is anything
to go by, then the coming General Election is one to watch; change beckons and
I pray its positive.
We should
all vote wisely and ensure we uphold peace, and coexist peacefully with our
neighbors irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds, religion or race. Kenya is
the home to each one of us and there’s definitely enough space for us all!
Forgive my
tardiness, but we’re still in the first month of 2013…therefore I wish you and
yours a HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!
