Your vote will determine who wins

As we head to the General Election, emotions are high and tension among Kenyans is palpable. Families are travelling back to their rural homes for safety while the some of the well-to-do are leaving the country because they fear an outbreak of violence after the election.

For most of us, we only have Kenya. In which case, we must keep our sanity and behave maturely. This election will not and must not be the last thing we do.

I have argued before that the most important determinant of a peaceful process is the behaviour of our political elite. I see the view that a 'credible election' automatically leads to peace as myopic and misguided. Never mind that those who are out-competing themselves telling us how tired they are of 'this peace thing' will not tell us what a credible election is in their view.

Credibility of an electoral process must go beyond the declaration of your preferred candidate as the winner.

Politicians can find reasons to reject the outcome of an election and plunge the country into chaos no matter how credible the process is. As such, I don't buy the 'credible-election leads to peace' hypothesis. We must seek a credible poll and peace; each matters in its own right.

Numerous checks

Evidently, the IEBC is prepared and has said it is committed to delivering free, fair and credible election. The electoral agency has introduced numerous checks and balances to guard against ballot stuffing, interference with vote tallying and resurrection of dead voters.

They have upped the stakes for electoral officials by stating that they will bear personal criminal responsibility for any attempt to bungle the process.

The issues raised by political parties have been addressed including the vote tally at the constituency being final. I am convinced that the outcome announced by the IEBC will be a true reflection of the will of the Kenyan people.

Veto system

But some people seem to forget that only votes will count on Tuesday, not the intensity of emotions. How strongly you feel in favour of your candidate or against the other matters little if you don't turn up and cast your single vote for him or her. Don't waste your time hurling insults and threatening others.

Perhaps, you're better off encouraging others to also turn out and vote for your candidate. It is foolhardy to insist on only one outcome when you have only one vote amongst millions.

We need to exercise a humility, anchored in a realisation of what a friend terms as 'the insignificance of our insignificance.' Since each vote counts once, cast yours and let the others do so. The beauty of democracy lies in this simple, if seemingly obvious, truth.

Kenya is not a hecklers' veto system where the loudest voice carries the day. No! Candidates have to convince people to come out and vote for them.

Spreading hate and scare-mongering is tantamount to scoring an own goal if the result is Kenyans, who you should be convincing to vote for you, fleeing their homes for their own safety and that of their families.

At the end of the day, you may have travelled far, but certainly in the wrong direction. A classic case of the unintended consequences that result when people mistake activity for progress.

There is a chance that the person you vote for will not win.

But it is your vote that will determine if your candidate wins or not. This is better path than sticking to a faulty logic that argues that election results are only valid if your candidate wins. The intensity of your emotions will not count.

-The writer is a researcher and analyst in Nairobi. [email protected]