NUMBER TWO CANDIDATE IN KENYA'S ELECTIONS SHOULD BE THE VICE-PRESIDENT


NUMBER TWO CANDIDATE IN KENYA'S ELECTIONS SHOULD BE THE VICE-PRESIDENT

Let this handshake cascade upto 2022 general elections. President Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga met and shook hands in public on march 9th. Previously they had animosity which led to constant acrimony. Months before elections in Kenya there is always a movement of people generally towards their rural homes to avoid ethnic violence. There is an air of despair as companies close business,people lose jobs and there is tension all over. With the advent of handshake let us propose that whoever is number 2 becomes the vice president or prime minister. That way handshake will continue and in Kenya there will be no tribal violence. The violence associated with elections of 1992, 1997 and the 2007 have had impacts on the political stability, economic and social development of the country. For example, there has been loss of lives, displacement of people and destruction of property. One way of managing devastating consequences of conflict in an increasingly globalizing world is the adoption of coalition government. This handshake has made people who were not in talking terms greet each other. In Kenya this is to avoid ethnic antagonism,lack of national ethos,inclusively, divisive elections,lack of security,corruption,non sharing of property and responsibility as some of the broad issues to be addressed so as to realize a new Kenya. Majority of Kenyans who felt excluded from state power, marginalized economically and leading a life below living standards believed that changing the constitution to newly engineer public institutions was their only surest way to address these plights, but every effort towards realizing this goal was blocked by successive governments. The National Accord laid the foundation for power sharing and for moving the country out of the crisis. This was followed by the promulgation of the 2010 new constitution for the Republic of Kenya and terminated with the expiry of the term of the grand coalition government on March 4th, 2013 preceded by the 5th general election under multiparty system. In Kenya today, elections are synonymous with shootings, death, sorrow and destructions in some parts of the country. Kisumu and the counties of Homa Bay, Siaya and Migori, where the Luo ethnic group is dominant have become associated with police shootings and killings during and after elections. A look into the history of elections in Kenya can help us understand the triggers of these conflicts. The unrest in Kenya began in December 2007, when Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner and his main opponent, Raila Odinga, claimed there had been countless instances of vote-rigging. The last election's carnage was so extreme that it launched a flurry of studies and reports centered on how to prevent it the next time around. Observers had feared that the voting could erupt into violence. Protests in August against the first election turned into clashes that left dozens dead. At least 1,300 people were killed and 600,000 displaced in ethnic conflict. But a 2013 contest between the two men was largely peaceful. History does repeat itself and 2017 has lived up to the painful consequence of death for protestors in Kisumu,Nairobi and other parts of Nyanza. Since the first election held on August 8, it is actually not possible to put a finger on the number of those killed and maimed. The only thing new elections have taught us in Kenya, is that we have learned nothing from the old. Why are elections in Kenya associated with death and tragedy? The simple answer is the lack of electoral integrity and credibility that is an essential ingredient in reconciling political conflicts peacefully. Elections in which the winner wins too much say, the right to favor his own group or region, for example tend to spark feuding because both sides have more at stake than simply seeing their party in charge. While supporters of the winner may be more likely to get civil service jobs or better development projects for their regions, losers may become economically disadvantaged. If the recommendations will include a change of the Constitution to have to accommodate the proposals, Kenyans can back it, well and good-the Constitution belongs to Kenyans. The referendum debate should not be the cause of a political party breakage, as a few politicians want to project. Let Kenyans remain stead-fast in ensuring we have an inclusive country where whoever is in power enjoys goodwill from a broader mass as has been the case with past regimes. That might explain why in Kenya, all three presidential candidates have campaigned along ethnic lines, and the tribal groups vote as units. A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament. A coalition government might also be created in a time of national difficulty or crisis, for example during wartime, to give a government the high degree of perceived political legitimacy it desires whilst also playing a role in diminishing internal political strife. In such times, parties have formed all-party coalitions (national unity governments, grand coalitions). If a coalition collapses, a confidence vote is held or a motion of no confidence is taken. Countries with coalition Governments include Albania: Socialist Party of Albania, Socialist Movement for Integration, Unity for Human Rights Party, Demo christian Party of Albania,Austria: Social Democratic Party of Austria, Austrian People's Party,Belgium: Christian Democratic and Flemish, Reformist Movement, Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats, New Flemish Alliance,Algeria,Gabon Guinea Bissau,Lesotho etc‘Coalition governments tend to produce a high degree of stability and little policy change. Coalition Government on the socio-political and socio-economic development contribute to sustainable of peace and democracy in post-conflict societies. Therefore with the looming referendum let winners accommodate losers. Meaning let the candidate who is second during the presidential elections should be made a vice president or a prime ministers so that Kenyans can say never again. Usually the candidate who becomes number two in kenya's elections  has a huge following and is likely to give the winner problems.This circle of violence has to end.
By

PhD student mount Kenya University
Publisher,author,motivational speaker,counselor,Educationalist,consultant, freelance writer
onjoroveronica@yahoo.com
veronica Onjoro
Mombasa

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