NAIROBI: Voters in Malindi and Kericho will go to the polls tomorrow to elect new leaders in two by-elections following the appointment of the previous office holders to the Cabinet. In Malindi, voters will be seeking to replace Dan Kazungu, the new Cabinet Secretary for mining, who had served the region as MP since the 2013 General Election, while in Kericho the contest will be to elect a senator to replace Energy CS Charles Keter.
Campaigns for these by-elections have been quite heated. In Kericho, Deputy President William Ruto has been leading a spirited campaign to have Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) candidate Aaron Cheruiyot replace his longtime ally Keter amidst reports that the South Rift region has turned hostile against the ruling coalition. Regrettably, this tension has triggered an intemperate campaign by the Jubilee team whose leaders have been asked to conduct a more civil campaign. The campaigns in Malindi have been just as ill-tempered with local leaders demanding greater respect from the Jubilee brigade which has been accused of needlessly insulting its rivals. This is unfortunate because during heated political campaigns, heated rhetoric can spark violent episodes and contribute to circumventing the democratic process.
Strong arm actions by the police against members of the opposition in the campaign trail have contributed to some of the tensions. Yesterday, it emerged that the police fired teargas at curious Kericho residents who had milled around Moi Gardens where supporters backing Kanu candidate Paul Sang had gathered. A day earlier, it was reported that police had arrested a member of the CORD campaign team in Malindi, allegedly because he had been bribing voters.
We do not condone voter bribery or unruliness during campaigns. Nor do we condone the use of State resources that benefit incumbents. But violence meted out against members of a political party detracts attention from legitimate issues voters want to hear about when candidates invite debate on their political agenda. Strong arm actions contribute to voter apathy and may disenfranchise those who want to express their democratic will in the ballot box.
We must allow voters to freely express their will, therefore any attempt to circumvent the democratic process must be resisted. We should use the mini-polls in Malindi and Kericho to feel the pulse of the nation. If we are honest with ourselves, it will be clear to us that the heated political atmosphere is not productive. Therefore, political leaders should step back and put a damper to the heated political exchanges and set the pace for more civil campaigns in the 2017 General Elections.
To set the pace, let peace prevail during tomorrow’s by-elections.
