MT. KENYA REGION DISUNITED DURING GENERAL ELECTIONS

The August 9^th General Election is like no other political event for the Central Region of Kenya people, who for the first time are divided on who to vote for as the next president of Kenya. The race is seen to be between Deputy President William Ruto and former prime minister, Raila Odina.

The situation is akin to that of President Daniel Moi’s era from 1978-2002, when Central Kenya had to fight for what it desired from the government. Jomo Kenyatta (1963-1978), Mwai Kibaki (2002-2013) and the incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta were all from the region, making it easier for the region to get development projects.

It worries area elders, leaders and common people that the region is not united during these general elections.

“My greatest worry is that we are going into these general elections while divided. It would have been better if we had picked one formation and belonged to it to a man so that in forming government or opposition, we go into it solidly as a block for our numbers to be respected,” said career administrator Joseph Kaguthi.

His experience with government, he said, is that “it deals with organized numbers, not small groups of people in unstructured formations”. He said the outcome of the vote will give rise to Azimio and Kenya Kwanza Mt Kenyans who in the next five years will be competing against each other for political supremacy.

Kikuyu Council of Elders chairman Wachira Kiago and Gikuyu, Embu and Meru Association (Gema) chairman Lawi Imathiu warn that disunited, the region will miss a lot and be exposed to divide-and-rule politics.

“My worry is that we might end up being in an awkward position where we do not have our own political party and unity of purpose to channel our interests to the government of the day. Mt Kenya divided is very vulnerable,” Mr. Kiago said.

Key sectors declined as leaders wrangled

Though the President avoided saying he, too, split the Mt Kenya vote in 2002 when he contested against Kibaki, he said important sectors for the area’s people – like coffee, tea, dairy, horticulture, pyrethrum and cotton – declined as area leaders wrangled.

The fear is that the same wrangles, which have made an emphatic return, will deny the region the voice to lobby for development. Without one kingpin to lead them, they will be constrained to bid for power in future elections.

The region now has two political wings that are competing to control the numbers. One is led by the President himself, who has picked Martha Karua (Mr Odinga’s running mate) as a possible kingpin. Then there is Mathira MP, Rigathi Gachagua, who is acting as the President’s opposition in Mt Kenya, bidding for the kingpin position as Dr. Ruto’s running mate.

Below Ms Karua are younger political leaders like Agriculture CS Peter Munya, Murang’a Woman Rep Sabina Chege, Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria and Kieni MP Kanini Kega. These have been identified as worth grooming for the future.

Mt. Kenya Region voters make early turn out to cast their votes

Voting started smoothly in most parts of the Mt Kenya region, though some voters were turned away because they could not be identified biometrically.

Voting started as early as 6:00 am without many hitches.

At some polling stations, elderly citizens had difficulties finding their names before they could queue to cast their ballots, with no electoral officials available to help them.

In Nyeri, chilly weather and a morning drizzle did not stop locals from turning out to vote. Also several Nyeri residents failed to vote because they could not be identified in the biometric register.

Mr Zachary Mugo, a resident of Othaya constituency, was disappointed after the Kiems kit failed to read his fingerprints. Another resident who works as a casual labourer on coffee and tea farms, said IEBC officials told him that his fingerprints had been made unreadable by his work of plucking tea leaves. He added that he was advised to return home and go back to the polling station later in the day after cleaning and oiling his hands.

“But I don’t think I will be able to make it, because I waited in the voting queue from 4:00 am and I still have my work to tend to,” he told the press.

Othaya constituency has many coffee and tea farmers and they use their thumbs and index fingers to harvest the crops.

By 7.30am IEBC officials had turned away two voters who were asked to lubricate their hands and return later. Ms Hellen Nyawira, the presiding officer at the polling station  said that if the Kiems fingerprint identification system failed to work, the IEBC would rely on the ID documents of voters.

The IEBC said voting with a national ID card without using the Kiems kit was the last option for voters who could not be identified biometrically.

In Tharaka constituency, Tharaka Nithi County, voting was yet to start at most polling stations and materials were yet to arrive. The delay was caused by a misunderstanding between polling officials and IEBC officers over payment of allowances. The presiding officers and their deputies claimed they were being given Ksh 1,900 as allowance instead of Ksh 4,000.

The owners of vehicles transporting voting materials also declined to deliver the materials, claiming that they were also being paid less money than expected.

Meanwhile, Kirinyaga residents started streaming into polling stations as early as 5am. They braved chilly weather as they formed long queues to cast their votes.

At Mugumo Primary School, there was high voter turnout and candidates for various seats said they were impressed.

“Despite the harsh weather, voters’ response was good and encouraging,” one of the candidates said.

In Meru, voting started at 6 am with voters coming out as early as 3am. Meru Assembly Majority Leader Victor Karithi said no incidents had been reported and they hoped for a clean election exercise and peace after the general elections no matter who turns out to be the winner.