Assure Kenyans of smooth 2017 elections

The panel to interview and nominate electoral commissioners is fully constituted, sworn in and ready to work. The ball, as it were, is now in the court of the panelists. Kenyans expect nothing less than a seamless flow of events up to the polling date. Too much pushing and shoving has dominated the road to 2017 General Election. It is very possible that a lot of Kenyans have been fatigued by the sideshows and real issues around the electoral process, long before the actual electioneering exercise started. But now there is hope that free and fair elections would be held on August 8, 2017. With only about ten months to the elections, crucial sectors of the country’s economy need the assurance that the 2017 contest won’t jolt businesses.

In a democratic society, the General Election must not necessarily disrupt a nation’s growth. Kenyans will need to be constantly reminded that everything is running smoothly at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The recent goings on at the commission this year will not help cool the palpable apprehension ahead of the big battle. Already, next year’s presidential contest is billed as one of the most competitive in recent history. The contestants and their supporters need to be assured of fairness and transparency.

This can only happen if the IEBC conducts every step of the electioneering process in a manner that demonstrates fairness and sufficient capacity to deliver credible results. The men and women named to the selection panel must therefore identify qualified individuals to serve as commissioners. The commissioners must be men and women of integrity and beyond reproach; no effort should be spared to rid the commissioners of an elements that fuel negative public perceptions of bias or incompetence.

Still, there are concerns that recently passed election laws have some loopholes that could affect the conduct of the 2017 polls. Indeed, as some stakeholders put it, the laws were hurried through Parliament and could have serious repercussions on the exercise. MPs from both sides of the political divide either ignored some of the provisions or are now distracted by campaigns. The laws include a provision that IEBC can stop an election citing a “breach of peace” in any of the electoral areas. The IEBC must come out quickly to give guidelines on such a provision because currently only security agencies can determine a “breach of peace” in any given region.

There is also the provision that makes it a criminal offence for any unauthorised person to be found in possession of a voters register. IEBC is the only custodian of the register and it is not even clear why it is an offence for a Kenyan to have the official register. Another provision sets the limit of money every aspirant should spend in the campaigns. The IEBC must come up with clear guidelines on how such a rule will be effected.