Let us conduct a citizen-centic General Election

As we prepare to vote, let’s remember that polls aren’t a matter of life and death

The country is now hitting the home stretch in the run up to the General Election. The excitement and flurry is palpable, the tension is dense, and temperatures are at fever pitch. A worrying trend, however, has emerged where the focus is on the candidates, the actors and the institutions connected with the electoral process.

This in itself is not bad, but we appear to be forgetting that the central person who really matters is the citizen. It appears as if the voter has been relegated to be a spectator to the unfolding drama, whereas it is for the voter that this exercise is intended.

It must be emphasised that every good government is about the people and the common good. The people must relate with government and feel to be part of it, and not view it as alien. The ultimate rulers of our country are not the president, governors or senators, but the voters themselves. Therefore, the elections then must focus on the citizens and the rights due to them.

The danger being witnessed is where the citizen is carefully chiselled into a tool that catapults ambitious and greedy aspirants to positions of power. Voters are being bribed and carried away by euphoria, and treated to frenzied rallies of utopia amid promises of instant prosperity. And if previous trends are anything to go by, the voter will be discarded and no longer desired for the next five years. We must condemn and reject any attempt to dehumanise the voter and reduce him or her to a mere object, useful only at the time of elections. This shows disrespect of the citizen and their dignity. Just as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, the elections shall come and go. But shall the elections leave in their wake a paradigm shift that accentuates the true wish of the voter, enhancing his centrality? The manifestos being unveiled by aspirants must demonstrate the centrality of the citizen, and not be candidate-centered. They must meet the threshold of addressing what Wanjiku truly needs and how this shall be delivered.

Respect for the people

As we approach the General Election, we must condemn violence in whatever shape or form. Everybody has the right to life and it is evil to destroy and disrupt lives for the selfish sake of winning an election. Moderation in temper is a virtue, but moderation in principle is a vice. We must tolerate our divergent opinions, but at the same time jealously guard respect for the people, no matter their state of life. I am humbled by the words of Pope Francis: “Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is good... That would be enough to make the world a better place.”

The key players of these elections are the State, the IEBC, the Judiciary, the Executive, corporate organisations and the civil society. The elections are, however, not about them. At the center of this exercise is the voter, the citizen. It is imperative that these key players work towards ensuring that the elections are about the people and a true manifestation of the wishes of the people.

It is sometimes said that democracy is determined more by the counting than the voting. We call upon the organs involved in the electoral process to work hard to ensure and promote free, peaceful, fair, and credible elections. This is the right thing to do. Any attempt to manipulate the process by robbing the people of their right to choose leaders of their wish must be condemned from the outset.

Finally, I encourage and remind Kenyans that it is their right to elect leaders of their choice. Our collective prosperity (or lack of it) for the next five years is predicated on our ability as ordinary citizens to make careful and wise decisions. The leaders we elect are indeed a reflection of who we are. Let us participate in the electoral process in peace, and elect leaders we believe shall deliver good and credible governance, free of corruption and exploitation, and be willing to serve the people selflessly.

An election, win or loss, is not a matter of life and death. In fact, a successful election renders all people winners and not losers. Let these coming elections put the citizen at the center, and Kenya will prosper.