Interesting scenarios breathe life into political space
By PD columnist, June 17, 2022Kenya’s democracy keeps matching on even if in the most unsuspecting ways. This year’s political campaigns are opening yet another page in our democratic journey.
Prof George Luchiri Wajackoya; the Root Party candidate, is expanding the subjects on the table for debate.
Some of his proposals may sound comical, even illegal, but they have Kenyans talking. He is proposing to legalise commercial marijuana farming and recreational use.
He has proposed commercial snake rearing and the use of snake poison for medicinal use. He believes that exporting snake meat to international markets, particularly in Asia, could generate funds to offset the national debt.
Some of the planks on his campaign platform don’t sit well. He proposes to suspend the constitution and summarily execute the corrupt via a firing squad.
The second area of debate has been over the qualifications of those seeking offices. Are those seeking political offices playing by the rules and following the law? Do they have the qualifications as required by law?
The subtext to this has been the question of the integrity of leaders at the national level. While this has not been sufficiently prosecuted, it remains a concern as to the extent to which the claims that candidates make are true.
Does, for example, the UDA gubernatorial candidate for Nairobi County, hold the requisite qualifications? What about the Azimio candidate for the county of Machakos? This applies to several other candidates as well.
The institutions created to function in these spaces are being closely examined as well. So far, the electoral body has sought to portray itself as professional as possible and called upon other institutions to rise to the occasion.
The Commission for University Education (CUE), on the saga regarding recognition of qualifications, may come out worse and raise concerns about whether the regulation of higher education in the country is in safe hands under their tutelage.
It is impressive how a candidate sought their services to validate a qualification, CUE then contacted their counterparts in a foreign country the same day, the counterpart contacted the university in question on the same day, the university in question responded, and the response was delivered to them and CUE communicated their findings to the applicant, all on the same day. They have not been known in the past to function with the same level of efficiency.
That the nation is seized of these matters is progressive and enhances Kenya’s democracy. Prof Wajackoya is testing our freedom of speech, and whereas the matters he is raising have not been subjected to critical analysis and debate, he is certainly inviting the nation to go beyond the conventional and explore new frontiers. Suspending the constitution will be a first.
Is it possible that a candidate can run on the platform that once elected s/he will suspend the Constitution? It is a radical idea, but it is what those voting for him will be endorsing.
In this coming election, all but one of the tickets already approved have a female as the candidate for the Deputy President position. The all-male ticket, probably feeling left out, has signed a charter with the female constituency, promising to appoint women to half the Cabinet among other enticements. These are victories that once secured will not be rolled back easily.
We are witnessing a movement away from name-calling to the exploration of some substantial issues. The Agano party candidate has been explaining at every opportunity the ticket’s concern with corruption and prioritising dealing with the vice.
Even if the dominant candidates are likely to slip back to their habit of name-calling, the candidates at the periphery are already on to some substantial issues, which they are likely to keep pursuing in the days to come.
This is likely to be taken a notch higher if the nationally televised debates are to take place. The candidates at the periphery may lack mass public appeal but are not lacking in intellectual heft to give the establishment candidates a good run during the debate. The country is better off for it.
— The writer is the dean, School of Communication, Daystar University