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Accept poll outcome or seek legal redress

Tuesday, August 16th, 2022 06:00 | By
IEBC
IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati. PHOTO/Courtesy

One time Kenya’s Vice-President, the late Prof George Saitoti, though dead more than 13 years now, is still vividly remembered for his famous liner: There comes a time when the nation is much more important than an individual.

The statement, though made more than 20 years ago, still rings a bell in the ears of Kenyans who ever had the opportunity to witness the electoral violence that rocked the country in 2007.

By last Sunday, Kenya was on the verge of making history as an icon of democracy. All the international observers who oversaw the General Election had given it a thumbs up.

The East Africa Community (EAC), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Commonwealth, the African Union (AU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and the European Union praised the electoral body for conducting a smooth voting exercise, despite some reported challenges.

Like in any General Election across the globe, Kenya’s poll had its fair share of challenges. But despite the challenges, elections are no excuse for violence. Kenyans must always be guaranteed the freedom to exercise their fundamental right at the ballot box without the fear of a looming spectre of electoral violence.

Last evening’s events at Bomas of Kenya where some section of politicians dissatisfied with the outcome of this year’s General Election started to cause chaos cannot, therefore, be entertained in modern-day Kenya.

Like in a football match, in any election, there must be a winner and a loser. Anybody participating in an election should accept either of the two eventualities. And for those not ready to accept the outcome of an election, there is a clear-cut mechanism; filing a petition in the Supreme Court.

Elections in Kenya have become synonymous with chaos and the destruction of property, a trend that must come to an immediate end.

Elections in Kenya have become synonymous with chaos and the destruction of property, a trend that must come to an immediate end. Fortunate enough, Kenya’s Supreme Court has earned itself global recognition after it nullified the presidential poll in 2017, becoming the first of its kind in Africa, and among the few across the globe.

The just concluded General Election was anticipated to be one of the most competitive in the country’s history, and it indeed lived up to its billing. In any competitive race, there must be a victor. Those who lost must, therefore, rise from the ashes like a phoenix and continue with their daily lives.

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