Time for voters to reflect on future
Today is a day for the 22.1 million voters to reflect on the future they desire for the country and how their decision will impact on that future. It is important that voters make the right choices when they elect new leaders tomorrow.
Over the last few months, they have heard many mixed messages from all candidates, seeking the various elective seats.
Today should, therefore, be a day of prayer and silence. It is for voters to ruminate on all the promises politicians have made. The voters who have not made up their minds—and they are many—have until tonight to do so. Tomorrow, they need to make decisions that will affect how Kenya turns out over the next five years.
This is a momentous occasion. Citizens are set to bequeath their sovereign mandate to their elected representatives. It is, therefore, important for them to put the interest of the country at heart when they vote tomorrow.
What this year’s campaign season has demonstrated is that Kenya’s democratic space is expanding. So far, there have been few cases of ethnic violence. This is as it should be. We hope that peace prevails and that this becomes the norm going forward, rather than the exception.
In the past, Kenya’s electioneering has been marred by violence during the tallying of votes. That is why we urge all Kenyans, and more so politicians, to be partisan for peace and to give public institutions the space and time they need to discharge their mandates.
Those who might, for one reason or the other, feel they have been denied a rightful victory must commit to follow the law and refrain from violence.
The courts have taken steps to ensure they are well equipped to handle petitions at all levels. Any candidate who feels aggrieved should use courts to seek redress. It is the least they owe Kenya. Of course, it is the expectation of every citizen that judges will live up to public expectations and ensure justice is done.
In the final analysis, this year’s election is about giving the relevant institutions the chance to prove that they are up to the tasks assigned to them by the Constitution. They have been tried and tested in the past with mixed results. This time around, they must feel constrained to raise the bar and make Kenya proud in the community of nations. Nothing else will do.
