Here is 2017 election year; this is what you should expect

As the year 2017 is, of course, a lot is happening this being an election year. Every politician both the incumbent, the aspirants (those making debuts and comebacks in the political arena) is campaigning to see that he thwarts efforts and political weaponry of his arch rivals.

 This is the time when those aspiring will navigate through thickets and bushes to that remote part of the village that has never seen a vehicle for many years to attend burials and women group fundraising. In this era of a digital age, most of them are going digital such that they belong to every WhatsApp group, on several Facebook groups and Twitter.

Some spent a lot of their time campaigning using these social media platforms forgetting that majority of voters are illiterate and don’t know them. They should not be surprised that what envisaged late last year in the United States presidential elections as Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump will befall them.

Media may popularize you but that is not what is on the ground. For instance, some Facebook users have no votes or even identity cards. WhatsApp the same. Kenya is not a developed nation where a majority of its citizens are digital savvy individuals and worse enough most of them have no knowledge of it.

Kenyan voters, as usual, are hanging in between the lines. With those being told never to repeat the same mistakes they made in 2013 general elections and those who believe that they want to change, doing away with the current regime. Furthermore, there are those who are keen analyzing on which political alliance to join, especially where there is money. A lot of money indeed.

There are those who have already flocking aspirants’ homes as early as 6.00 am in the morning asking for money. Some will be frequenting their visits for three meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and supper respectively.

 It is funny that reasons given by voters are nut cracking. There are those who will go with lame excuses of asking money to meet delivery expenses by their wives or even pay dowry.

As if not enough the moment they walk out of aspirants house they are headed for mama pima. The cycle goes on till before and during elections. The moment the candidate losses they will vanish into thin air never to been again.

Furthermore, there are these local political technocrats in trading centers, village brewing dens, bus stations even in institutions. The question is whether they have qualified to be warranting themselves as point men and women influencing the political wave and deciding on whom to vote and why.

Every politician will try to reach out to them to solicit votes on every chance that it presents itself. They defend candidates of their choice with their lives. As politics is a game of numbers they will give the wrong impression their candidates. Candidates will be duped pour out money only to be shocked on Election Day.

Campaigning and voting are two different things and also supporters and voters are two different people those vying tread and jostle your political forays very well.