Kenya – What an embarrassment!
By Temesgen Markos
January 5, 2007 — I remember how happy I was for Kenya five years ago. A very corrupt Moi dynasty was finally out and Kenyans demonstrated that they and we Africans can handle democracy and peaceful power transfer. I also wished that the incumbents in my home country Ethiopia will learn a thing or two from Kenya.
Although my regard for the Kibaki administration dwindled through time, I didn’t bother myself too much with it. After all the ultimate judgment lies with the Kenyan people and my belief was that they would vote him out if they are not satisfied with him and he will leave the stage graciously and join the small but swelling group of African leaders who left office peacefully and became elders and mediators. I was so wrong. The Ethiopian ruling cabal did not learn any thing as witnessed by the chaotic 2005 elections and worse Kibaki appears to have forgotten about the lessons I hoped he would pass on to my countrymen. What a difference five years can make!
At this point I want to make clear that I am not exonerating the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, Mr. Odinga, from blame. He is liable to blame at least for not dissuading his supporters from violence. However the brunt of the criticism should be directed to Kibaki.
The Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) did an impressive job tallying the results of the parliamentary elections and disclosing the results. On the other hand, the way it handled the presidential elections is ludicrous to say the least. First of all delaying the results of the presidential elections created the tensions and the ECK did not help in diffusing these tensions and assuaging the electorate. When about twenty cabinet ministers including the vice president lose their seats in the parliamentary elections, a delay in the presidential election results can understandably create suspicion that the commission is tampering with the votes to favor the incumbent.
The statements from the head of the commission Mr. Samuel Kivuitu made the impression that he does not have either the will or the power to control his subordinates. True delays in vote tallying can occur. But an adult way of handling this is to come out clean and tell the electorate why that is happening and when exactly they expect to disclose the results. Instead the commission resorted to asking for a day or two more which was not sufficient for proper redress. This might actually have intensified the tension than attenuating it. Despite pleas from foreign diplomats and the Kenyan human rights commission for taking time to sort the issue out, both the Kibaki and Odinga camps were restive and Kivuitu apparently buckled under the pressure coming from both the government and the opposition and declared, probably prematurely, a Kibaki victory triggering the deadly violence which rages through out the country to this date.
What transpired next was the most preposterous episode of the election drama: Kibaki’s hurried inauguration. Presidential inaugurations are for celebrating democracy and healing wounds which usually are inflicted during election campaigns. It is better to do them cool headedly after tensions are relieved and that’s how democracies function. They are one of the most important official events for the government and the country. Almost invariably local and foreign dignitaries and losers in the election too get invited. Kibaki carried out his second inauguration in the most unceremonious way fueling the already rampant suspicion of vote rigging. Even the head of the electoral commission was caught off guard. He revealed that he run into, almost accidentally, to a ‘president elect’ and chief justice ready for swearing in. There is definitely something fishy here!
Election results from some districts clearly showing they have been tampered with (115% attendance for one), an agitated electorate, chief election officer ‘not sure if Kibaki won’, a Kibaki apparently ready to remain in office at any cost, an Odinga vociferously after power even if it means condoning killing of innocent fellow citizens, surely Kenya has come such a long way in just five year. Too sad the journey was in the wrong direction. Add to that the absurd curtailment of the media in what used to be one of the most vibrant press in that part of the world.
A call by Mr. Odinga for cease fire (it’s almost a war) would go a long way in preventing further losses. He can offer the government with a reasonable reprieve to sort the election fiasco out. If the government fails to make amends during that time, then it will make sense to call his supporters to the streets. But as of now the most sensible thing to do is stop the violence. It is heart breaking to see Kenya which was a beacon of peace and stability in the region literally burn.
As a side note, I couldn’t help laughing when I heard Uganda’s president Museveni congratulating Kibaki. If there is any one Kibaki should not take congratulations or advices from is Mr. Museveni who has changed his country’s constitution to stay in power for life.
The author is a researcher at the Eindhoven
University of Technology, The Netherlands. He can be reached at [email protected]