Chaotic party primaries undermine our democracy

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) last week announced that political parties primaries will start on April 13 to end on April 26, 2017.

The electoral agency was compelled to bring its authority to bear after some parties had set aside dates for their primaries even before IEBC had gazetted the list of shortlisted candidates.

Going by what we saw in the past week, the impending party primaries promise to be chaotic and violent. Violence has already been experienced in areas where Jubilee and ODM hold sway.

The positive side is that the disciplinary committees on both sides have moved to try and contain the situation.

In Nairobi, for instance, ODM's nominated Senator Elizabeth Ongoro led her supporters to protest the direct nomination ticket handed to her rival for the Ruaraka constituency, Tom Kajwang. Her supporters roughed up Oduor Ong'wen, ODM's Executive Director at Orange House; the party's headquarters.

In Kapseret, Uasin Gishu County, supporters of incumbent Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi clashed with those of his opponent in the Jubilee Party primaries, Steve Kewa.

Five people were injured. Many more incidents of violence have been reported and this bodes ill of the August 8, 2017 General Election.

While in some areas nominations are near guarantees of a win in the actual elections, we cannot lose sight of the fact that party primaries are a rehearsal of the real thing.

The rules must be uniform for, it follows that shambolic primaries will almost certainly lead to a chaotic election that leaves many voters disenchanted and bitter; voters who will conclude that their vote didn't count after all. That alone undermines democracy where the majority have their way and the voice of the minority is heard.

Parties and Kenyans at large must guard against such situations. At all times, each vote must count. That is an irreducible fact.