Victor Bwire/ FILE
We are back to routine-boardroom deals to make choices for our people ahead of the 2027 general election, denying voters the opportunity to pick their preferred political leaders.
Political parties are already endorsing candidates for various positions, making democracy a lost dream for many in the country. Instead of investing in open processes including party primaries to pick candidates for the various seats, behind the scenes deals are being brokered even as we shout about open, fair and democratic elections.
If the processes for getting candidates are already flawed, highly influenced and not fair, how then do we expect fair, open and acceptable elections.
We must ensure fair, credible and open candidate selection by political parties done in time to allow petitions, scrutiny and acceptance by voters, ahead of the general election, otherwise, our election will resemble the fake processes in our neighbouring countries.
While because of politics of the stomach supported by some cultures, negotiated democracy has flourished in some areas in Kenya-they defeat the very essence of elections.
They deny a lot deserving people the opportunity to be elected fairly, especially for the youth, women and people with disability. Equally, people from minority clans and groups miss the opportunity all the time.
Dictatorship by the majority, who can sit on the table, mention their number of votes and negotiate for positions. What happens to those who cannot reach the table?
Political realignments, strategizing and planning is something we are involved in our daily lives as political leaders, but to be paraded publicly and made to declare how one will sell his tribe for political gains is a bit on the low.
And keenly looking at the groups that are engaging in such will reveal a group of business, political and families that have since independence lived off cheating and manipulating members of their tribes and Kenyans in general for their individual gain.
With the zoning idea, early public endorsement of candidates by various parties and creation of tribal voting campaigns engulfing the country, what will be fate of fair and democratic election? Any place for election crimes being punished ahead of the election, as seen from cases from Mbeere North, Kasipul or Ol Kalou?
As we move towards the 2027 general election, voters need to ask themselves very hard questions about our leaders and the political parties we choose to belong to.
Outside the mere perception that the leaders seeking our votes will be standing on a party perceived to be controlled by my tribe people, do we belong to outfits that are guided by ideologies and foundations we believe in and support, or people we think and saw in the media showing off money, opulence, bravado, and associating with certain individuals. Do leadership values still count in the choice of our leaders, or we fully now subscribe to the herd mentality?
It would be interesting to let voters evaluate the performance of these tribal kings, and leaders who are chosen not because of their individual performance, character and standing instead of political/tribal hoarding that has marked our past voting patterns.
How for example are candidates in cosmopolitan counties who were voted on negotiated democracy as governors, senators and woman reps have performed so as opposed to if we allowed popular candidates to be elected? We need strong candidates from Presidential, Senators, MPs, Governors, and MCs for each of the political parties who will add value to the lives of Kenyans, and not merely candidates endorsed by political parties, clans or party leaders in our regions. A number of regions are serious suffering because of these elections of hoarding and boardroom deals.
How many of these politicians and party leaders consult others including their voters before declaring publicly on where they have sold their members or tribes?
The fact the these politics of the stomach are happening and our media is giving them full coverage has denied the voters the chance to interact and understand party policies and manifestos and engage party leaders substantively and even compare merits and demerits of various party manifestoes.
We are perpetuating the narrative that we simply have voting machines and not voters doing it from any informed point of view as would be expected.
Let’s build coalitions founded on ideologies, common thinking and strong foundations of service leadership instead of this coalition of filling our stomachs. Those in the opposition should know that you can still bargain and ask for Government projects in your areas without necessarily being paraded for being a beggar.
Let’s do our political machination with dignity and respect, and not necessarily show our communities as on the brink of collapse by way of parading ourselves as desperate individuals.
