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ELECTIONS 2022

Students to remain in school in case of a by -elections

Students To Remain In School In Case Of By -Elections

by Ndungu Brian August 17, 2022

written by Ndungu Brian

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha said that the government is in talks with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ensure learners remain in school in case of any by-election.

Magoha said that this would avert the loss of more time in the already constrained academic calendar.

“If there is an election somewhere and it is going to take a day we are not going to ask our children to go home again. It is far much wiser to ensure that children who are in boarding schools remain there and avoid classrooms where voting will be taking place.” said Magoha.

While commissioning the competence-based curriculum classes at Makadara Sub-County in Nairobi on Wednesday, August 17, Magoha suggested that colleges, polytechnics and even universities be used for vote-tallying instead of secondary and primary schools.

“If the tallying of votes is supposed to, let’s say, take place at a secondary school, we want to urge the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to relocate the tallying centre to institutions of higher learning. This will avert the loss of more time in the academic calendar,” he added.

In the run-up to the August 9, 2022 General Election, schools were closed on August 2 and are expected to resume for normal learning on Thursday, August 18.

August 17, 2022 0 comment

Elections 2022 News

The African Commission On Human Rights Asks Government To Guarantee Freedom Of Opinion & Expression During Elections

by Ndungu Brian August 5, 2022

written by Ndungu Brian

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has asked the Government of Kenya to respect and guarantee the freedom of opinion, expression, assembly and the freedom of peaceful demonstration, as well as civil and political rights of all citizens during the August 9 general elections.

The Commission through its Country Rapporteur for Kenya Commissioner Solomon Ayele Dersso, and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa Commissioner Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie emphasized the need to protect the Rights of Women and prevent sexual and gender based violence in the run up to the presidential elections.

The Commission further commended the preparations under way towards ensuring the national elections are free, fair and credible. It also noted the enthusiasm of the electorate for exercising their sovereign right through participation in the electoral campaign process and balloting.

The African Commission was however alarmed by reports of increasing political tension and risks and incidents of violence, hate speech and the production and circulation of content for inciting division and violence during the electoral campaign.

“We particularly underscore the urgency and need to prevent the incidence of acts of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women, to prevent the recurrence of such violence reported during earlier electoral disputes in Kenya.” Said part of the commission’s statement.

The perpetration of brutal acts of sexual violence and rape that is weaponized in the context of electoral disputes in Kenya involving in particular, law enforcement personnel constitute serious breaches of the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter), the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol), and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance which it has severally reiterated to Member States. These include the rights to dignity, personal security, bodily integrity, personal liberty, peace and security, the right to participate in political and decision-making processes, as well as freedom from discrimination, torture, and inhumane or degrading treatment

During the last 2007 and 2017 Presidential Elections in Kenya, the Commission received several reports about the perpetration of brutal acts of violence and rape, weaponized in the context of electoral disputes in Kenya, involving in particular, law enforcement personnel engaged in dispersing election protesters, with a very low record of accountability accorded in justice to the victims.

According to the commission, such acts constitute a serious breach of the rights, and freedoms guaranteed by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter), the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol), and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance which it has severally reiterated to Member States. These include the rights to dignity, personal security, bodily integrity, personal liberty, peace and security, the right to participate in political and decision-making processes, as well as freedom from discrimination, torture, and inhumane or degrading treatment.

“The African Commission would therefore like to seize this opportunity to remind the Government of Kenya of its obligations under the above instruments, to recognize and guarantee the enjoyment of all the rights therein, through the adoption of appropriate measures to sanction SGBV in order to ensure that women participate fully in the electoral process without fear of any form of violence” sad the commission.

The African Commission urges the Government of Kenya and the Opposition, especially the presidential candidates to not encourage any form of violence and to initiate dialogue and use established dispute settlement mechanisms with a view of resolving any differences or disputes.

It also called on all parties taking active part in the electoral process including political parties and their supporters to fully refrain from any use or circulation of inciteful expressions that may subject any one or group to any attacks or discrimination. The institutions entrusted in conducting and overseeing the elections, ensuring the security of the electoral process and of certifying the compliance of the electoral process with applicable laws and standards should also ensure that they discharge their responsibilities independently, impartially and professionally.

The African Commission urges the government to respect and guarantee the freedom of opinion, expression, assembly and the freedom of peaceful demonstration, civil and political rights of all citizens during this electoral period in conformity with the Constitution of Kenya.

Finally, the African Commission called on the government to work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that all necessary measures are put in place to guarantee a non-occurrence of elections-related SGBV against women and that in the event this occurs, the perpetrators are put to account, with adequate relief granted to the victims where applicable.

August 5, 2022 0 comment

Editors choice Elections 2022

Tick Tock 5 Days To The Big Decision

by Jacky Muraba August 3, 2022

written by Jacky Muraba

According to Capital Markets Authority Statistical Bulletin Q2-2022;

Kenya’s overall year-on-year inflation stands at 7.90% as of June, this year,
Exchange for the Kenyan Shilling against the US Dollar at 117.83, a -9.26% currency depreciation, as of June,
Kenya’s total debt is at Ksh12.24 trillion,
Unemployment rates as at Q1-2021, indicates that 1.2 Million Kenyans are unemployed. In terms of age group, the highest percentage of unemployment was recorded among youths between ages 20-24 at 16.3%, followed by a 9.1% percentile among youth between ages 25-29.

What this means is, Kenyans will be, on August 9^th, voting in a new president amid a surge in the cost of living and a debilitating drought that will challenge whoever takes up the post.

With every election, Kenyans are inundated with new jargon. However, one particular jargon that remains etched in our minds is the Form 34A and Form 34B.

Raise your hand if you still have no idea what these forms are or their significance…

Relax. Here’s a short summary of their functions and importance. Lend me your ears, in this case eyes, for a few.

FORM 34A

Form 34A is the first form used to tabulate the presidential election results. The document is prepared and filed by the Presiding Officer after completion of vote counting at the polling station.

It contains the following details:

The total number of registered voters in that polling station,
The total number of valid votes cast,
The total number of votes garnered by each candidate,
The total number of rejected, objected and disputed votes.

Political party agents or candidates are required to sign and verify that the contents of that form are correct before the results are relayed.

The form is prepared in six copies, and are distributed in the following manner:

One copy is placed in the ballot box with the presidential votes,
Another is availed to the Constituency Returning Officer,
Three are distributed among the present agents of each presidential candidate,
And the last one is clearly displayed outside the polling station, either on the door or wall. Be sure to be on the lookout for this particular one.

FORM 34B

Form 34B collates the presidential election results. The form merely summarizes Form 34A.

It is prepared by the Constituency Returning Officer (CRO), but only upon receiving Form 34A from the polling station level.

The form contains the following information:

Name of the polling station and code,
Number of registered voters in that station,
Number of votes garnered by each candidate and,
Total number of valid votes cast.

If agents or candidates are presented, they should be afforded an opportunity to verify the details filled in the form and thereafter sign it off.

The CRO then hands over the form to the chairman of the IEBC, who is the Returning Officer for the presidential election, for the results to be announced.

file footage of polling station

What Next After The Forms…

By law, IEBC must declare the presidential election results by August 15^th, a week from the date of election.

If no petition against the election’s outcome is filed at the Supreme Court, then the new President will be sworn in on Tuesday, August 30^th, paving way for President Uhuru Kenyatta to retire.

Should the presidential outcome be challenged with a petition, such must be filed by August 22, holding that IEBC declares the results on 15^th.

Should that happen, the Supreme Court will have 14 days to consider and determine the petition by September 5^th.

If the election is upheld, the new president would be sworn in on September 13^th allowing President Kenyatta to retire.

And if the presidential election is nullified by the Supreme Court, a fresh election must be conducted by November 4^th being the last day of a 60-day requirement.

However, if the August 9^th election doesn’t produce a clear winner in the first round, a fresh election, should be held within 30 days.

My Parting Shot

Elections in Kenya remain a period of high tension, mainly due to the fact majority votes are cast along ethnic lines and in previous years, this has sometimes spilled over into nationwide violence with people being attacked, merely on the basis of ‘which community they come from.’

Kenyans recall the large-scale violence that erupted after the 2007 elections. The disrupted poll was followed by weeks of ethnic-based violence in which lives were lost and about 600,000 were uprooted from places they called HOME.

Many still remain displaced to date.

These recent histories have raised questions about Kenya’s ability to hold free and fair elections- and the 2022 elections will most likely provide a benchmark for how much progress has been made.

With only 5 days left to the election, reduce the emotional connections with the candidates you support.

Just like a good pilot, you can fall off the high skies. You are either reducing or you need to start reducing your speed gradually… starting now.

Lower emotional connection will open your eyes to accept that things can go the other way and that life will continue.

Start imagining life under the leadership of the candidate you oppose. Start accepting its possible… Because that’s why they vied in the first place.

Remember whoever you choose, highly influences the shape your life takes in the next five years.

Keep it peaceful. We have lost so many lives in 2007, in 2017… You could be the next statistic every-time we recall how many lives have been lost due to election violence.

There’s still life after elections, yeah?

Thank you.

Sources: Nation Africa, LinkedIn, CMA Statistical Bulletin Q2-2022.

August 3, 2022 0 comment