Disgruntled supporters will find it difficult to vote in future if process remains mysterious

Security officers guard ballot boxes in Mathioya. [Martin Mukangu, Standard]

The dust has yet to settle on Kenya's hotly contested presidential elections.

Azimio supporters are still stunned by the outcome, while Kenya Kwanza supporters are overjoyed with their victory.

This election, on the other hand, will have far-reaching consequences for our institutions' faith. In most parts of the country, our institutions will have to grapple with increased voter apathy. According to them, those who count votes win votes, not those who vote.

Many disgruntled supporters will already find it difficult to vote in the future if the electoral process remains shrouded in mystery. The Azimio team was skeptical of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairperson Wafula Chebukati, and the situation was exacerbated by delayed voting and election postponement in perceived Azimio strongholds of Mombasa, Kakamega, where Kiems Kits largely failed.

What we don't know is whether this was done on purpose to reduce voter turnout in these areas.

The behaviour of our courts, IEBC officials, and some government officials in charge of independent institutions has severely harmed their reputation. It will take time to restore people's trust in these institutions. The courts did not help matters by issuing contradictory rulings on the credibility of candidates or whether to use both manual and electronic voting systems.

The Kenya Kwanza brigade acted like IEBC public relations officers, vehemently defending them while pointing out that the government was using the courts to keep their candidates out.

As a result, the courts made dubious rulings in order to appease the political class. The courts were competing with government agencies to determine who should make the decisions. They issued last-minute rulings that perplexed both voters and IEBC officials on Election Day.

Some voters were turned away from voting in my polling stations during the morning hours because they could not be captured in the Kiems kits. Manual registers were only used late in the afternoon after some people had already been turned away. Court decisions should bring clarity rather than confusion to contested issues.

Our constitution spells out measures for leadership and integrity, which unfortunately do not apply to the wealthy and famous. On paper, it appears to be the case.

The Azimio Leader should pass the baton to Kalonzo Musyoka, Hassan Joho, Wycliffe Oparanya, Martha Karua, and others. He has done his best.

Letter from Joe Okore, Kisumu