DUALE: Stop making excuses and let the people have their voices heard

Stop making excuses and let the people have their voices heard

It was once said that “excuses are the tools with which persons with no purpose in view build for themselves great monuments of nothing.”

In the lead up to these presidential elections, we, the Kenyan people are being robbed of an informed discussion. The lack of such a dialogue and exchange of opinions, manifestos and ideas greatly harms our democracy.

While some are trying to create this discussion, others are far too busy attacking the foundations of the electoral process and in turn, whether by default or design, trying to rob Kenyans of their right to have their voices heard.

Since the electoral process began in earnest, Raila has spent the lion’s share of their time at rallies, speeches and media interviews lambasting all the pillars of the electoral system. Their list of excuses is seemingly endless.

The prime target has been the IEBC, which many of the principals have been attacking and even inciting against since demonstrations last year. However, other Kenyan institutions, like the Constitution, the Judiciary, and even the KDF, have felt their wrath in this scorched earth policy.

This strategy is extremely harmful to our democracy for several reasons.

Firstly, Nasa are not just attacking the electoral system verbally but are challenging almost every element of it in court in the hope that if you throw enough mud at all a way, some of it will stick.

Raila and his other Nasa principals are now, only weeks away from the elections, creating so many court cases against the electoral process that it is not hard to imagine that the elections may be forced into postponement.

Raila knows full well that this will lead to a constitutional crisis, one that they may well be able to take advantage of, perhaps through entry to a transitional government, and bypass the will of the people.

Consistent polls have demonstrated that Raila is lagging behind Uhuru in every single poll that has been conducted, and despite the bravado of his “10 million strong” slogan, he knows it will be extremely difficult to close a gap between the two that only shows to be widening.

While this is certainly worrying, just as concerning is the fact that because of this constant white noise of delegitimization of democracy and the electoral system, the Kenyan people have been deprived of a focused issue-based campaign.

For the people to make reasoned decisions when in the polling booths, they must have a clear choice between candidates. So far, however, Raila has offered very little of substance.

Of course, there have been offerings of vague promises to make things better and to take Kenyans to “The Promised Land”, and while slogans can be helpful, if they are not backed up by an implementable programme, they are populist and worthless.

Jubilee, as the incumbent party, is running on their record of transforming the nation and showing very real results. While far from perfect, at least the Jubilee Party is giving the Kenyan voters something to judge them on.

Nasa, as an ad-hoc alliance of former political enemies, with little ideology in common, is perhaps purposefully trying to avoid the real issues knowing that it would nigh impossible to find an issue where all are in agreement.

None of these factors bode well for our nascent democracy.

Kenya is desperately trying to reach beyond its past with its tribal, regional and religious differences in line with our nation-building foundational document, the Constitution, which was meant to lead us towards a more peaceful, unified and equal Kenya.

However, even this document is under major assault by Nasa as it seeks to undermine many of its vital parts in the hope of assuring all of its principals will have new executive positions created for them.

If nothing is sacred in our public life, then everything is flexible and can be utilized and abused until it becomes a hindrance towards political goals.

Kenya cannot afford to let this happen because then it becomes a slippery slope away from democracy, and we have far too much bitter experience of that in our part of the world.

Elections must take place on August 8, all parties must present a well-thought out and implementable program for the future of our nation and state electoral institutions must be free to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections take place as is constitutionally mandated.

Above all, stop making excuses.

Anything less than that, and the voices of the Kenyan people, the employers of the political elite, will not be heard and our hard-earned democracy will be in tatters, perhaps beyond repair.

(Written by National Assembly majority leader, Aden Duale)