A REASON WHY I SHOULD VOTE
Yes, just give a reason why I should wake up at 6.00am on 8th August, line up for most of the day, to vote. Because as for me, I have a 1001 reasons why I shouldn’t.
Reason being, 6 months to 2017,as Kenyans we are shortchanged, and although it’s our constitutional right and responsibility to vote, I don’t see a reason convincing enough to go out and vote. This year’s elections by all virtues is between two political outfits; JUBILEE & NASA. And this leaves us without an option as far as leadership is concerned.
To start with the government
Having come into power at the time when we just ushered in a new constitution, a constitution we have all come to realize is so weak to govern our young country, I’d say they have performed considerably well. From infrastructures, we have seen a state of the art SGR close to completion. We have seen many industries which were on a verge of collapsing being reopened, hospitals have been built and equipped, although not to our satisfaction, but we give credit to their efforts in making sure we at least enjoy better services. They have really opened up Kenya to the outside world, having hosted world most influential leaders, among them former US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis. This has exposed Kenya to more investors and thus a step toward improving our economy. Their biggest, and possibly, only achievement is the National Electrification, which Dennis Itumbi always refers to as ‘powering Kenya’. On this one, I give them 90%, most of Kenya is now electrified, and more so, it is affordable.
But with all these, still they have failed, sorry to say, in the cruelest way, failed to make a priority the basic needs of Kenyans. At the age of 8, we already knew that the basic needs for human beings are food, clothes and shelter, access to affordable health care, and education. This is where the government has really failed.
When they were campaigning in 2013, they promised that food security would be among its priorities, that no Kenyan should die of hunger, but what have we seen, while the president and his deputy were flying all parts of Kenya telling us to register as voters, we watched Kenyans go hungry for days, their animals dying, and all he could say was #BambaKuraYako. Mr. President Sir, how can I BambaKuraYangu on an empty stomach? How can I BambaKuraYangu when our doctors have been on strike for the more than 3 months? Mr. President, how can I BambaKuraYangu when we’ve wasted half of our Semester with our lecturers’ strike still on. As a good Kenyan I lined up and registered, but I feel that I should come to your office, give you my vote and request you personally to #BringBackOurDoctorsNLecturers. Just as that one vote was important to you that you dedicated a whole month to it, my education and health are very important. Finally Mr.President would you #LipaKamaTender
The opposition as well is not spared
This is a collection (mark the word collection) of politicians who have been formerly in government but found themselves in opposition after the 2013 general elections in which Kamwana and his deputy won, fairly to say the least. Thanks to this strong opposition leaders, we have uncovered how corrupt this government have been, from the NYS scandal, the Eurobond, The 5B health fund scandal, the land scandals, just to mention a few. For that, we Kenyans are grateful that you were there to fight for us.
But come to think of it, is your coming together to save a common mwananchi from jubilee or is it to save yourselves from the tag of being in opposition? During the #IEBCMustGo campaign we saw how selfish you can be, instead of taking the war to parliament where most of you are members and where the constitution directs us, you took the war to the streets, where you knew the only people to suffer are we the common mwananchi. We later saw you dine with the likes of duale and laugh as you took photos together, calling each other brothers while some of us were nursing injuries.
Where have you been for the last 1 month?? Ooooh I get it, mobilizing people to register as voters and vote out jubilee. Well, just to inform you guys, for the past one month, as you were going round the country telling us to #BambaKura, our doctors intensified their strike, hunger hit most parts of our country and our lecturers refused to even give us the usual handouts. Unfortunately for us, our saviors, you, were nowhere to be seen. So our voting is more important to you than our health and education?
Btw when you claim the jubilee government is corrupt, what if we looked at your past as government officials, am sure it’s all marred with corruption scandals, each one of you. Personally I’d vote jubilee out in the morning if you showed me your accomplishment while you were in government rather than showing me what I can see; the failure of jubilee.
I see nothing different between you and jubilee, apart from the fact that they ‘Wanakula nyama peke yao nanyi mnataka kuila, sisi wakenya tuendelee kumeza mate’.
Unfortunately for us Kenyans we don’t have an alternative leadership, it is either Jubilee the corrupt or NASA the power hungry and not so clean themselves when it comes to corruption. So am tempted, to wake up very early on 8th of August, then go back to sleep since whichever team will be in power, am not convinced of how my life and that of so many Kenyans will be made better.
So Uhuru Kenyatta, William Ruto, Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetangula, give me just one reason why I and so many other Kenyans who have lost their trust in the electoral process and the politicians should wake up very early and vote for you…
BY PETER K GEORGE
THE HORIZON 