The economics of national elections

Voters queue at Ziwa la Ng'ombe Primary School in Mombasa County, August 8, 2017. [Gideon Maundu, Standard]

In exactly 13 months’ time, Kenyans will be heading to the ballot to decide whom to entrust with the management of the economy. In many ways, what is usually on the ballot is never the individual candidates or the political vehicles they use to propel them into power. It still baffles me how we fail to appreciate this as a citizenry when it comes to exercising the power of the ballot.

For some strange reason, millions of voters do not connect their vote with their socio-economic welfare thereafter. Worse still, after six decades of self-rule and a fairly educated populace, Sh50 becomes a pricey commodity in the election year. Seasoned and fake professionals get commodified with free and insignificant political goodies. Even decorated professors, captains of industry and good neighbours retreat to ‘mtu yetu’ mantra and rationalise it as a democratic right. Yet, the outcomes of the electoral process have an enduring impact on our individual and collective livelihood across generations.