By clearing Wetang’ula, IEBC merely complied with law

While working in Kisumu City recently, I came across a rather strange fellow. Having parked in a public parking lot, I found a smartly dressed parking attendant waiting by the vehicle when I returned. In horror I realised I had in haste forgotten to pay parking fees. Quick calculations estimated that the clamped vehicle would set me back at least two hours to pay the fine and get the vehicle unclamped. Much to my surprise, I could not see any clamp despite the fact that the car had been parked for hours. I went round the vehicle confirming there was no clamp, to the bemusement of the attendant.

He then formally greeted me and courteously requested that I pay parking fees.

I promptly did so. Intrigued, I engaged the man and gathered that he saw himself as a facilitator rather than a blackmailer holding errant vehicles to ransom.

Our country has become the sort of place where the exceptions to the rule are people like that parking attendant. So conditioned have we become to skewed stimuli that we now praise people for doing what is right or expected of them and expect nothing less for ourselves as well.

I bring this up is because I have been repeatedly asked what “lessons” we can draw from the verdict by the IEBC not to strike the name of Moses Wetang’ula from the voters list which would have made him ineligible to contest future elections.

First, has the IEBC redeemed itself and is the ruling now “proof of its independence”? While the electoral body acted justly and followed the law, there are Jubilee mandarins, including some cabinet Johnnies-come-lately that would have us all singing hosannas from the rooftops now in praise of IEBC.

At this rate, we will soon have awards for Kenyans who get to the end of the day without breaking the law, as if that isn’t what is expected.

The primary role of the IEBC is not striking people’s names from the register but delivering free, credible and fair elections.

That alone is the basis of judging the commission’s work. This attempt to baptise and redeem the IEBC based on the Wetang’ula verdict is therefore missing the point. We should ask nothing more of the election body other than it follows the law, which for instance requires equitable distribution of voter registration resources and equipment, among other things.

The standard we should take as the norm needs to be calibrated as when the law is being adhered to. We ask for no favours and until the day the IEBC delivers a free, credible and fair General Election, it would be unfounded to call the current commission independent.

Second lesson; who are these people Wetang’ula is alleged to have bribed? Are they not Kenyans? When we say our politicians buy their way into political office from whom do they buy the votes?

Have we not as citizens surrendered our fate for a song by demanding and taking hand-outs from those who seek public office? The truth is there are still men and women like the Kisumu parking attendant who are ready, able and willing to do their jobs uprightly. Some of these people will seek public office. If we as voters keep insisting on receiving bribes from our representatives, then we must surrender the right to question their actions and accept that we will by natural selection bar those who are unwilling or unable to give bribes.

As we embark on the penultimate year before the next General Election, we should seek to ensure there will be more representatives elected on merit.

Some MPs have been known to brag that they win elections not by the amount of votes but by the might of their resources. As long as our votes remain for sale, there will be buyers.