KENYA: The Country’s Election Marred by Low Turnout and Violence, Proper Strategy to Unify the Country is Needed
Kenyan repeat of Presidential election on Thursday, 26, October, 2017 was marred by low voter turnout, boycott and violent protest that left some people dead and scores wounded.
According to the Election Commission, about 6.5 million voters (out of 19 Million registered Voters), that is less than 35 percent, went to the polls on Thursday. The turn-out was much lower than the nearly 80% of registered voters who participated in the August election that later was nullified by the Supreme Court.
The low turn-out was mainly caused by the National Super Alliance (NASA) party Honorable Raila Odinga’s (The main opposition party presidential candidate) refusal to take part in the re-run, on grounds that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries commission (IEBC) had failed to make the necessary changes to ensure a free, fair and credible elections. Despite of his call to his supporters to stay peacefully at home during the Election Day, still they attempted to block voting in some areas, a situation that created mayhem especially on opposition strong holds, prompting police to fire tear gas, water cannon and live bullets.
The vote came after a two-month political drama that began when the Supreme Court overturned the victory of President Uhuru Kenyatta in August 8 elections due to illegalities and irregularities.
President Uhuru Kenyatta who spoke to journalists after casting his vote in Gatundu South, said
he intends to reach out to the opposition leader, who boycotted the repeat presidential election, in a bid to heal the nation and bring it together. “As a responsible leader, you must reach out, and that is my intention,” Mr Kenyatta said of the initiative, which he said would take place after the election.
Recently, the Holy Father Pope Francis during the Angelus at St. Peter’s Square on 22nd, October, 2017 asked all the faithful to join him in prayer for peace in the world with special attention to the situation in Kenya, a country he visited in 2015. “I am praying that the entire Country may know how to face the current difficulties, in an atmosphere of constructive dialogue, keeping deep in their hearts the need to find and sustain the common good for all,” Pope Francis said.
The message of the Holy Father was reverberated by the Catholic Bishops in Kenya on 25 October (a day before the election) in their press statement titled ‘State of the Nation and the Fresh Presidential Elections’ in which they appealed to President Uhuru Kenyata and Honourable Raila Odinga to bring down the tension in the Country so as to avert the worst political and security scenarios prevailing at the moment. “It is important that they lead the Country to come to a closure of election period through a free, fair and credible election. We have also drawn their attention to look beyond post-election challenges which need their attention before and after the 26th October Presidential election,” read the statement of the Bishops.
By AMECEA Online News Reporter
