National healing: Kenya on right path after last year’s bloody polls

This time last year, the country was on edge. The police were engaged in running battles with protesters, mainly in opposition strongholds, where people heeded their leaders’ calls to boycott the repeat presidential election.
The poll had just been concluded two days earlier on October 26. At the National Tallying Centre at Bomas of Kenya, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was struggling to match numbers, unsuccessfully trying to justify varying turnout figures.
The poll had just been concluded two days earlier on October 26. At the National Tallying Centre at Bomas of Kenya, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was struggling to match numbers, unsuccessfully trying to justify varying turnout figures.
HIISTORIC
As a result of the confrontations, many people were killed and property damaged.
“October 26 last year was a difficult moment for Kenya. The low voter turnout alone, even in the Jubilee strongholds, sent a very strong signal that Kenyans are interested in an open, fair, democratic, credible contest,” Mr Frankline Mukwanja, the executive director of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy-Kenya (CMD-K) recalls.
The repeat election followed the nullification, by the Supreme Court, of the August 8 presidential election, saying the results as had been announced by IEBC could not be verified. It was a historic moment in Kenya and across the world.
As a result of the confrontations, many people were killed and property damaged.
“October 26 last year was a difficult moment for Kenya. The low voter turnout alone, even in the Jubilee strongholds, sent a very strong signal that Kenyans are interested in an open, fair, democratic, credible contest,” Mr Frankline Mukwanja, the executive director of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy-Kenya (CMD-K) recalls.
The repeat election followed the nullification, by the Supreme Court, of the August 8 presidential election, saying the results as had been announced by IEBC could not be verified. It was a historic moment in Kenya and across the world.
ALLEGATIONS
“There were certain systemic weaknesses and irregularities in the August election. That finding by the Supreme Court went to the core of the management of the elections. This calls for IEBC to look into its systems and strengthen them,” former IEBC commissioner Thomas Letangule told the Sunday Nation this week as the country reflects on that momentous period. As per the Constitution, IEBC had 60 days to organise a fresh presidential election. That set the country to a trying period leading up to and after the repeat polls.
“There were certain systemic weaknesses and irregularities in the August election. That finding by the Supreme Court went to the core of the management of the elections. This calls for IEBC to look into its systems and strengthen them,” former IEBC commissioner Thomas Letangule told the Sunday Nation this week as the country reflects on that momentous period. As per the Constitution, IEBC had 60 days to organise a fresh presidential election. That set the country to a trying period leading up to and after the repeat polls.
The anger by the National Super Alliance (Nasa) leaders and supporters over allegations of having been rigged out by IEBC and Jubilee’s claim that their victory had unfairly been taken away by the four Supreme Court judges — who ruled to nullify the election — fused into a major political and ethnic fallout that almost pushed the country to the levels of 2007/2008 post-election period.
Meanwhile, IEBC was also involved in their own internal wars, which to date continues to define the commission.
Meanwhile, IEBC was also involved in their own internal wars, which to date continues to define the commission.
FIDDLING
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati did not directly respond to our questions for this story, but the commission shared the strategy they developed after the Supreme Court decision.
The strategy introduced a raft of measures aimed at addressing the public concerns, including standardisation and harmonisation of training for election staff and standardisation of polling forms.
“The experiences and the faulting meant that things would be done differently,” the commission said.
In the results declared by Mr Chebukati on October 30, 2017, President Uhuru Kenyatta was re-elected with 7,483,895 votes, 98.27 per cent of all valid votes, in the poll that was boycotted by Nasa. The turnout, according to IEBC, was 38.84 per cent. However, this remains disputed as IEBC kept fiddling with the figure even after the results were declared.
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati did not directly respond to our questions for this story, but the commission shared the strategy they developed after the Supreme Court decision.
The strategy introduced a raft of measures aimed at addressing the public concerns, including standardisation and harmonisation of training for election staff and standardisation of polling forms.
“The experiences and the faulting meant that things would be done differently,” the commission said.
In the results declared by Mr Chebukati on October 30, 2017, President Uhuru Kenyatta was re-elected with 7,483,895 votes, 98.27 per cent of all valid votes, in the poll that was boycotted by Nasa. The turnout, according to IEBC, was 38.84 per cent. However, this remains disputed as IEBC kept fiddling with the figure even after the results were declared.
AFTERMATH
Now as Kenyans wait for IEBC’s post-election evaluation report, which is expected to be ready sometime in November, Mr Mukwanja wants IEBC, political actors and Kenyans in general to pick a few lessons from the events of October 26 and the immediate aftermath.
For IEBC, Mr Mukwanja says, they should realise that they have to constantly engage all stakeholders because trust is not going to come from results.
“It comes from a process. If people and stakeholders are not carried all through the process, IEBC cannot expect people to trust and support them,” he said.
Mr Mukwanja says political parties are the main culprits and victims of poor elections.
Now as Kenyans wait for IEBC’s post-election evaluation report, which is expected to be ready sometime in November, Mr Mukwanja wants IEBC, political actors and Kenyans in general to pick a few lessons from the events of October 26 and the immediate aftermath.
For IEBC, Mr Mukwanja says, they should realise that they have to constantly engage all stakeholders because trust is not going to come from results.
“It comes from a process. If people and stakeholders are not carried all through the process, IEBC cannot expect people to trust and support them,” he said.
Mr Mukwanja says political parties are the main culprits and victims of poor elections.
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