We cannot afford a bungled election in 2017

What you need to know:

  • Any person who has been named in connection with corruption, however tangentially, cannot be put in charge of elections in this country.
  • Those who do not support Jubilee openly express the view that this is a government of two communities and the pattern of government and parastatal appointments generally tends to support that.
  • Two British businessmen have been convicted of bribing, among others, Kenyan election officials. There is the briber and the “bribee”. If the briber is guilty, so is the “bribee”. It is a no brainer

The eyes of our American colleague would grow big as saucers with shock every time we sat down to discuss the election two years ago.
She never could understand how we approached such important things as elections.

The election was to be in March of the following year, but in October we were still running around like headless chickens trying to buy biometric machines, which were delivered the last week of the month. We had four months to deploy, train, and test the systems which, naturally, failed at the election.

The incompetence in the procurement and deployment of equipment and the uncertain voter education, contributed to the results debacle that saw delays and the spoilt ballot fiasco come election day and after.

Because we have the wrong attitude towards politics and elections — many of our so-called leaders have offered themselves to lead, not because they want to serve, but because they want to enrich themselves and their tribal supporters from the public purse — the stakes are so high for tribal chieftains that we are inevitably prone to electoral violence and state collapse.

EXCLUSIVIST REGIME

The next election is likely to be worse than the last one. First of all, there is a section of the maggot class which has been cut off from the tit of the State. It will be thirsty for corruption. Very thirsty.

Secondly, this is an exclusivist regime. Jubilee supporters, especially those from Central, have conducted themselves with a swagger that was entirely missing from the Kibaki years. Their attitude is: You are either with Jubilee, which will rule for 20 years, or you do not exist.

Those who do not support Jubilee openly express the view that this is a government of two communities and the pattern of government and parastatal appointments generally tends to support that.

A small footnote to add to this: I think there are also businesspeople who will feel that they were punished by Jubilee because they were perceived to have supported the Opposition.

This means then, that come 2017, the Opposition and its horde will want to get into power with a desperation that was missing in 2013. My own sense is that the fascist side of Kenyan politics is emboldened, going by what we see on social media, where seemingly untouchable political figures preach hatred with impunity.

STRESS TEST

Which brings me to the point: We cannot afford a bungled election in 2017. We cannot afford a bungled election ever. And it is an act of the grossest stupidity to try and carry out electoral reforms a few months to the election.

I think Parliament should not be contemplating shifting merely the date of the election, it should also be conducting a stress test on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to establish whether it is capable of holding an efficient and credible election.

From the “chicken” trial, we know that IEBC, like its predecessor, is capable of the most incorrigible corruption. To expect integrity from people who take money to cook tenders is like walking into a church expecting to be served a beer. You are barking up the wrong tree.

I know that politicians have complained about the IEBC and have been wanting its officials sacked. Cord leader Raila Odinga, the chief complainant, has little credibility in terms of crying electoral wolf, having cried wolf all his political life, but I take a cynical view of many of the political complaints.

The average Kenyan politician does not consider an institution independent unless it is headed by his campaign manager, his cousin is cooking the tenders in procurement, and his favourite niece is finance manager.

CONFOUNDING NONSENSE

My own opinion is that any person who has been named in connection with corruption, however tangentially, cannot be put in charge of elections in this country.

I sense that there is not too much enthusiasm for the “chicken” probe and I have seen some confounding nonsense coming from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

Well, EACC must make up its mind whether it is fighting corruption or fighting for corruption. If it is fighting corruption, then here is an argument to bear in mind: Two British businessmen have been convicted of bribing, among others, Kenyan election officials. There is the briber and the “bribee”. If the briber is guilty, so is the “bribee”. It is a no brainer.

The time to put the electoral commission into good shape is now, not two weeks to the election.