The turmoil in Kenya

Kenya, one of Africa’s most stable democracies and strongest economies, is reeling on its knees. The country has been struck by the blight of election malpractices and irregularities, which most democracies in Africa have suffered and are still facing.

Kenyans had gone to the polls on December 27, 2007, to elect a president. After a three-day counting process, president Mwai Kibaki who was seeking reelection was declared winner. But his challenger, Raila Odinga, said he was robbed of victory by fraud.

European Union observer mission, which monitored the elections said “they were marred by a lack of transparency in the processing and tallying of presidential results which raises concern about the accuracy of the final results”.

This damning verdict spurned agitations of different hues. Observers called for the setting up of an independent inquiry to resolve the dispute and urged the Kenyan Electoral Commission to cooperate fully in this regard. The observers also said that an audit of all the voting returns was vital and called for results from every polling station to be published in newspapers and on the Internet.

Even though the government denied complicity in all of this, Odinga, backed by the Luo community, rejected the results. But the issue went beyond the rejection of the outcome of the elections. Tribal rivalries have been ignited by the development. Violence and all manner of brigandage have ensued.

The people are now pitched against one another and this has taken a huge toll on life and property. The Red Cross said no fewer than 70,000 people have been displaced in the Rift Valley region of the country. Death toll is said to have risen above 300. By last week, the matter almost got out of hand with allegations of genocide and ethnic cleansing making the rounds. Last week as well, over 30 people were burnt to death in a church. They were said to be of the Kikuyi ethnic group, Kenya’s largest and richest tribe. President Kibaki is of this group.

The Kikuyis were initially believed to be the target of the killings. However, the violence escalated when they (the Kikuyis) rose in revenge against their assailants. The situation has put Kenya in a state of meltdown.
The situation in Kenya is unfortunate. It is another manifestation of the evils of election malpractices which most countries in Africa are known for. In a continent where incumbent presidents are scared stiff of defeat, untoward steps are usually taken by them to stamp their authority and impose their will on the people. This is usually the case in many countries of Africa.

However, Kenya’s case is particularly regrettable considering the fact that the country has enjoyed political stability since its independence from Britain in 1963. Even though the country has a history of guerilla warfare, the people have managed to live together in peace and harmony, and have withstood the turbulence that usually goes with political transition.

The situation in the country at moment is therefore an unfortunate reversal of the gains the country had made in the area of democratic growth and maturation. The breakdown of law and order may have resulted from an act of bad faith which should be redressed immediately.
But the way to go is not by taking the laws into one’s hands. Those who have taken up arms should sheathe their sword and give peace a chance. Violence and the deaths that come with it are disagreeable manifestations which do not make for progress.

The way out of the crisis is for the government and the electoral commission to listen to the wise counsel of concerned groups and observers who have called for a probe into the allegations of electoral malpractices. It is, indeed, salutary to note that the government of Kibaki has declared its willingness to allow an independent investigation into vote results that led to Kibaki’s disputed victory.

The investigation should be allowed to go on unhindered. While we hope that the probe will assuage the nerves of one and all, we urge other African democracies to learn a lesson from the Kenyan experience. In a world that has become a global village, peoples and institutions should always strive to conform to internationally accepted standards in whatever they do. African leaders must shun the easy route to power.