Losers must concede when they are beaten

The Homa Bay senatorial by-election featured eight contestants.

Six of the losers have rejected the results given by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission while one of them has conceded defeat.

It is a measure of maturity for one to concede defeat in a contest where the odds are stacked heavily against one, and for this reason, Bernard Owuor must be commended.

It is not in doubt that elections in Kenya, and indeed Africa, are never without incident.

It is the reason why countries like Sudan, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria have experienced upheavals that threaten their stability.

The six losers in the Homa Bay by-election have listed grievances they claim denied them a fair playing ground.

As reported during the campaign period, the Orange Democratic Movement's candidate appeared to bear the brunt of violence on the campaign trail.

Moses Kajwang' was stoned twice in the backyard of one of the losers who has refused to concede defeat.

Interestingly, Phillip Okundi of the Maendeleo Democratic Party did not speak vehemently against the violence at the time.

After the election, which many observers saw as peaceful, losers Okundi, Fred Rabongo, Hillary Alila, Innocent Masara and Edwin Matete are crying foul, citing cases of violence.

Statistics for voter turn-out are the exclusive province of the IEBC, hence a contestant claiming he had reports of a 20 per cent voter turn-out at polling stations is being dishonest and is in denial.

A loser in the 2013 General Election got less votes than at the time and believes this is evidence of irregularities.

Even if the agents of one of the contestants were ejected from some polling stations as claimed, it is doubtful that would substantially change the voting pattern.

Short of outright rigging, which none of the contestants has alleged, nothing can explain the huge gap in votes between the winner and the second placed contestant.

Even as the concerns raised should be investigated, losers must learn to concede defeat and allow victors time to serve.