10 things that distinguish Kenyan elections from other countries in Africa

Kenya has held its General Election on August 9, 2022, and elected William Ruto as the nation's fifth President, defeating the veteran politician, Raila Odinga, who was running for the fifth time and who was supported by outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta.

It is the seventh election of the multi-party system and the third since the establishment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). Many observers of the election have praised it.

I have participated in 5 elections in Tanzania as a voter, 4 elections as a journalist, and one election as an assistant administrator of the election center, in the state of Moshi in the city, in the 2010 general election.

But I have closely followed other elections like Uganda, Rwanda, DRC, Ghana, South Africa and Nigeria.

So being in Kenya for almost a month to monitor and report on this year's election, I have learned a lot, but these 10, I see, distinguish this year's election in Kenya from the elections of many African countries to a certain extent.

1: Greater non-African openness

Everyone has witnessed the most transparent elections in the history of many African elections.

There was no other way to reduce grievances, anger or violence than to have free and open elections. The killing of more than 1000 people after the 2007 election and the decisions of the Supreme Court after the 2017 election have completely changed the transparency system in Kenyan elections.

On the day of voting, I visited various polling stations in Nyeri county including Temple primary schools and the one in Sagana where the co-candidate of Kenya Kwanza, Rigathi Gachagua, voted. Agents were free to carry out their duties, any decision on any matter was open and everyone was involved.

The Electoral Commission, IEBC opened an 'Online Portal' to allow anyone to monitor the results of the Elections on the Internet. Form 34A from all 46,000 polling stations from all 47 counties of the country were downloaded there. Just one day after the election (August 10, 2022), IEBC started to post Form 34B prepared by state Election officials starting with the Saboti constituency.

If you had a 'smart' phone or a computer, you didn't have to wait for announcements from officials or election commission commissioners to know how your vote is going. All news stations were free to broadcast the results from the commission system. And the commission clearly said that the difference in the results announced by television stations should not be confused, it is the cumulative speed of each news station but the final results will be confirmed by the Commission.

Agents of the parties were allowed to take pictures of the results and were given copies of the results, the citizens were immediately informed of the results through loudspeakers, everyone was aware of the results and how things were going. There was no announcement of results for the ambush.

This has reduced many grievances and conflicts that previously led to riots leading to killings and extensive destruction of property.

2: More investment in election technology

Kenya is mentioned as the country that has invested the most in the use of technology in elections in the East and Central Africa region.

I was present at Kerogoya Primary School, Kirinyaga County when 296 officers of 148 polling stations in Kirinyaga Central Constituency were given the most modern election equipment.

They did not start today in Kenya to have this kind of equipment. It started since the 2013 election. In the 2017 election, the country bought more than 45,000 Kenya Integrated Electoral Management System (KIEMS) equipment for more than 6.8 billion Kenyan shillings, before adding another 10,000 for the election. of this year.

All 46,000 polling stations were connected to the internet to allow for quick transmission of results. They did not rely on school electricity, modern solar lights, modern laptops and tablets, facilitated the counting of votes at night and the delivery of results on time. The goal of this large investment is to ensure that their choices become more transparent.

3: Election laws and procedures are friendly to democracy

Apart from the various election rules, the electoral system in Kenya is governed by 7 laws, including the country's Constitution of 2010, the main Election Law of 2011; The 2016 Election Misconduct Act, the 2011 Political Parties Act, the 2011 Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act, the 2013 Election Expenses Act and the 2012 Leadership and Ethics Act.

The Constitution of this country has allowed an independent Election Commission, a commission with high level of independence, despite the pressures and influence of existing politicians. It is a commission that does not receive 'instructions from above'.

The law for the example of the election, 2011 does not provide clear loopholes for the candidate to pass unopposed or cut off the candidates for 'thinkable' mistakes, more they bring the opportunity to have candidates with real competition in the leadership.

I have not witnessed or heard of a candidate being denied an election form because the election officer is sick or out of the office or has locked himself in the office. I have not heard or seen an officer refusing to receive any candidate's filled form or candidates being prevented from campaigning or agents being denied permission to enter the stations. Because the Laws are strict and they are administered equally.

Candidates were free to pass through the stations to see how things were going, I did not hear or see a candidate who was rushed to the station, injured or kept inside. Observers from each side were allowed, there were no legal restrictions on their activities.

The laws of Kenya allow for results such as the president to be questioned in court. Raila Odinga, presidential candidate through Azimio, has contested the presidential results that gave Ruto victory, and is heading to Court. Courts also have certain freedoms that are not complained of by bias. The law allows and thus makes the rights of parties and candidates compatible and strengthens democracy.

 4: Women candidates, Youth, independent candidates and disabled candidates are more than a study

Women have surprised me in Kenya. Their eyes are not on special seats like Tanzania. They enter politics to contest. There are women representatives in parliament, elected by all voters like any other member of parliament.

Apart from that, I have witnessed elections with dozens and dozens of candidates with disabilities, independent candidates and women candidates competing and winning the highest elected positions such as governorship, parliament and member of county assembly.

When I was in Nakuru County, I met a candidate for the position of councillor, (MCA), with a leg disability going from house to house asking for votes. Martin Wanyonyi, he has won the parliament for Wabuye East and became the first Kenyan with a skin disability (albino) to win the parliament.

I also met at his residence, the Governor-elect of Meru, Kawira Mwangaza, a former 'house girl' who raped veteran politician Kiraitu Murungi. If you leave the youngest parliament representative, the youngest in Kenya, Linet Chepkorir 'toto' a 24-year-old daughter. There is George Nenem, a 22-year-old young man, who won councilorship in Nakuru County, where almost all the big positions have been won by women.

This shows you a completely different field of democratic politics in leadership. Most of the candidates without parties (independent candidates) have won the positions they ran for. You are measured by your ability more than the strength of your party, your gender or your appearance.

5: Freedom to report and share information

This is another thing I learned from this year's election in Kenya. I spent 12 days reporting on the Elections in Nyeri County including witnessing the voting exercise on August 9, but what surprised me was the way people were free to share information.

By 2pm, many people with mobile phones, radios and televisions in the areas I passed by like Mathira, Othaya, Tetu and Nyeri in the city had information on the preliminary results and pictures of copies of the results. But I did not see anyone arrested for giving someone information about the results or being harassed. Laws recognize that it is their basic right.

If you stop being given permission to take and monitor the results on the Election Commission's special 'Portal' and report, reporters and news stations were given great freedom to report. Bomas, a large polling station was like a refugee camp, almost all the centers inside and outside were given permits, had their tents and temporary studios, allowed to report every event.

I remember using and announcing live broadcasts at one of the hotel halls in Nyeri county, again for free, all the services up to refreshments, high-speed internet reserved for journalists to help share information.

For this, the News Council of Kenya, MCK has made me see that the News Council of Tanzania, MCT, has a long way to go to prepare Tanzanian journalists, a good environment to report election news, for the benefit of the people, and not on any side of politicians or parties .

The candidates, the citizens themselves and even the staff of the Electoral Commission, IEBC, did not shut up, whenever you needed them for an interview, or for clarification, they gave 'wonderful cooperation'. I remember arriving at the main assembly center at the Nyeri Technical College, the Chief Electoral Officer of IEBC in Nyeri County, Anastacia Nduku, met with journalists and left, but she had to leave other activities and come back to listen to me what I needed to inform the audience of the BBC.

For the entire time I was in Kenya, I did not hear the electricity going out, or the Internet shutting down or being 'turned off' for any technical purpose or blocking information.

6: The police were security guards, they did not protect the votes of a person or a party

The role of the Police is known to be the protection and safety of citizens and their property. In the election centers in Kenya, when I visited, there were three to six guards depending on the number of centers, especially in schools. Their work remained only to protect security and they did not secure votes for a particular candidate or party.

Even in some areas where it seemed like there was a slight smell of conflict, they intervened without using force, calmed down and returned to their positions.

It is rare to witness that in many African countries. Moreover, the Police would seem to use force to ensure that the rulers win the Election. I didn't see that in Kenya this year and if it was there in some places I didn't get to, then it was done very secretly.

7: All candidates are given equal respect and value

This is another thing you don't expect to see in many African countries. July 30, 2022, around three o'clock in the morning when I was leaving the room at one of the hotels I reached, in Nakuru county, I met strong security and a line of more than 30 guards with guns. I didn't realize it quickly, but when I got to the place to drink tea, I saw George Wajackoyah, one of the four presidential candidates in Kenya who had a 'complex' argument including legalizing the use of cannabis in the industrial sector.

It was protection for him, he was led by security officers and protected as he was protected by the Deputy President, William Ruto. Ruto, in addition to having conflicts with President Uhuru Kenyatta, received all the services as was the case with his main opponent, Raila Odinga, who was supported by Uhuru and the Government. It was not a 'show off' protection, it was a real protection as required by the rules and laws.

Also, in the 15 days that I witnessed election campaigns and met with various candidates for the positions of Senator, Governor, Parliament and council, I did not witness or hear of a candidate being prevented from campaigning because he is an opponent, or he was denied protection because he does not support the government or for any of those reasons. Whether you are an opponent or an independent candidate, the services according to the election rules that you should get as a candidate were served at the same value.

8: If you don't have money, the election will be a great task

I do not deny the presence of very few candidates, who could be elected by spending less money, but many must prepare a larger amount of money to be elected. 'I had no money, I only spent Ksh 750,000', (an average of 6,000 US dollars or an average of 14.5 million Tanzanian shillings) said one candidate for Council in the Othaya constituency.

My little research after talking to four selected candidates for various positions, in order to run for the council you need to have at least a minimum of 200,000 dollars (more than 400 million in Tanzania, the Parliament should have twice the amount of the council, at least 400,000 dollars while the Senate should have at least twice as a member of parliament. That is why it is not surprising to see that most of the candidates for leadership positions in Kenya are self-sufficient people.

9: The people elect a person and not whichever political party one has

In Tanzania, along with the power of a person, a political party has a chance and a direct contribution to the victory or defeat of a candidate. There are a few with names that sell themselves than the party, but most of the parties The statement of 'supporting efforts,' flourished a lot during the 2022 election. I didn't see that much in this year's election in Kenya.

Since I left Nairobi County by road to Nakuru, Murang'a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Meru and Laikipia counties I did not see any party flag on the road. More are many posters of candidates. The party is the basis, but the ability of a person, his origin (ethnicity) and how he is presented to the voters, were the biggest things that the voters considered than the party he belongs to.

The UDA party has not even been recognized for two years, but it has produced the winner of the presidency, William Ruto, and given up more than 100 parliamentary seats. It fielded 261 candidates in 290 states. Jubilee, the ruling party from outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, has won 23 seats, while the party that founded the institution, KANU, has only 3 seats.

10: Campaign Language

It gave me problems in some areas, where I had to listen to the campaign in the Kikuyu language, especially in the Mt Kenya area, because it was easier for the candidates to advertise themselves in that language. It is common in many parts of Kenya, especially in some regions, to hear campaigns in native languages.

Kigooco FM, Gukena FM, Inooro FM, Kameme FM, Coro FM, Iganjo Fm, Rware FM are popular radio stations that I heard broadcasting campaigns in the Kikuyu language. There are candidates who wrote their campaign posters in native languages. And this shows that there is still a journey for this country to end tribalism. Tribalism still has deep roots, perhaps this could be a major flaw in the country's elections.