Standoff over IEBC has put Kenya on the brink of disaster

Kenya may very well be perched on the brink of a catastrophe, if we are not there already. We are edging in towards a general election as a hugely divided and ethnically polarised people. Mutual hate is the energy fueling the hearts, minds, words and actions of political leaders. The rest of us follow religiously, like victims of the Stockholm syndrome. Things are only made worse by an elections commission that nobody believes in, except the commissioners themselves.

Elections are about legitimacy and perceptions of fairness. There is widespread perception that the Issack Hassan-led Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) cannot be trusted to deliver a free, fair and peaceful election next year. This may not necessarily be true. However, this perception has now taken traction. It cannot be wished away. The question now is not whether this commission should be disbanded, but rather how and when. Next to this is the question of how a new commission should be reconstituted.