Why we should be proud of Kenya's democracy model

It was a long time coming. We have had ups, and a lot of downs. We have witnessed colonialism raping our land, dictatorship silencing our voices, and tribal conflicts tearing our social fabric to pieces. However, today as we near 2018, I believe that Kenyan democracy is coming into its own and maturing. This is something we should all be proud of.

Democracy, “a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives”, is a well discussed concept. 

It involves more than this basic dictionary definition. It demands the respect and representation of minority groups, a clear and viable voice for the opposition, and a crucial balance of powers.  It also requires an independent press, and perhaps most importantly, an independent judiciary.

During the recent election campaign, Kenyans saw every single element of our mature democracy. We saw minorities represented, voices heard, and an independent press express every view under the sun. We also saw a strong free judiciary annul one election and accept another one. 

We were blessed to have a president who respected these tenets of our mature democracy. Even when decisions went against him, he bowed his head, and got on with the work of seeking re-election within the bounds of our Constitution.

Tough year

The Supreme Court finally put the 2017 election season to bed. We should all bid this tumultuous year a hearty good night! 

Indeed, if anyone has earned a Christmas hibernation period it is our Supreme Court and its judges. Having ordered a repeat election, it was then faced by the tricky question of Raila Odinga’s move to boycott round two.

Round two, they decided, was free, fair and legal. While Odinga had the right to pull out of the election, this action by no means annulled the results.

Odinga’s claims throughout the election, from a dreamed up hacking scheme, to Jubilee women ‘scaring’ voters away in military fatigues have proven to be a pack of lies.

Justice Ojwang could not have been clearer when he averred that “all claims of irregularities have been effectively rebutted by the respondents”.

The judges also showed support for the IEBC. Yes, the August 8 election experienced irregularities (from both NASA and Jubilee!), however, we now know that many of them were completely beyond the control of the IEBC, and were on a level which even the oldest democracies experience. 

There is, after all, no such thing as a perfect process. Indeed, perhaps because we are such a young democracy, our historical context forces us to be sensitive even to the smallest human error.

During the second round of voting, the IEBC was unfortunately forced, at the last minute, to remove certain polls from troublesome areas. With Raila pulling out of the poll, this decision was of course irrelevant. 

However, the Supreme Court again showed its legal acumen, basing their decisions on both legal precedent and tangible facts. 

The violence in those areas, encouraged by the NASA leadership, endangered the lives of both citizens and officials, and made the entire process in these particular locations impossible.

Wisdom

Mahatma Ghandi said it best: “I understand democracy as something that gives the weak the same chance as the strong.”  The incredible participation rates, both in the campaign and in the first round of these elections, warmed our democratic souls. 

As we move from campaign to governing, from poetry to prose, it is incumbent upon President Kenyatta and his government to continue to empower the weak. 

The last four years were a good start. From roads to railways, internet to infrastructure, Kenya is moving in the right direction. Indeed, there is not one Kenyan who was not affected positively by the groundbreaking maternal healthcare policies of the last four years. 

Whether it is your sister or your mother, your daughter or a close friend; free maternal healthcare has been a real boost which “gives the weak the same chance as the strong.”

President Kenyatta’s manifesto too was developed with the goal of dividing up the pie in a fair manner, and his inauguration speech once again showed his commitment to the development of our democracy.

So while we should all be proud of how our democracy has coped with 2017, I wish to finish with a word of warning. The belligerent rhetoric we hear from Raila’s loyalists should concern us all. 

Ghandi taught us that “intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit”.

So while Kenya’s democratic body has proven itself, let us preach tolerance and unity, and continue to fight for Kenya’s true democratic spirit.

Mr Murkomen is the Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator