By Billy Mijungu
The recently concluded Mbeere North and Malava by elections should serve as a powerful lesson on what our politics must never become. These by elections exposed the persistent problem of violence and intimidation that continues to plague our democratic processes. Violence has no place in an exercise that should be as simple and as sacred as marking a ballot and casting it. Elections are meant to express the will of the people, not to showcase the capacity of politicians to mobilise chaos or deploy fear.
Any politician who instigates, encourages or benefits from electoral violence should be barred from running for public office. The Courts and the IEBC must take bold steps to enforce this principle. The penalties should be firm and significant, including the possibility of jail terms, so that those who seek leadership understand that public service cannot coexist with criminal behaviour. Kenya must move away from normalising violence as part of its political culture.
To restore confidence in our democracy, we must embrace transparency as the guiding principle of electoral reforms. Every citizen deserves to see how their vote is handled. There should be a public pavilion or open space where the counting of votes is broadcast live on large screens. Each ballot should be displayed clearly as marked, spoilt or rejected, following a transparent and predictable process. This simple change would greatly strengthen public trust and make it far more difficult for fraud or manipulation to occur.
The old habit of voting and going home must be abandoned. Citizens should be encouraged to remain at the polling station to witness the counting, the announcement of results and the transmission of the tallies. Elections should feel like a civic celebration, a moment when the community comes together to choose leaders openly, freely and fairly.
The most important part of an election is the counting of votes. Yet it has become the most secretive and vulnerable stage, where agents are bought, threatened or chased away. But why should agents even be necessary if the process were fully open? In a properly transparent system, every voter becomes an agent for accountability. The more open the process, the less room there is for mischief.
Kenya deserves an electoral system that inspires confidence, promotes peace and strengthens democracy. Electoral reforms must continue with determination so that our elections reflect the hopes of citizens rather than the schemes of politicians.
