Kenya’s 2022 election holds lessons for Nigeria, writes Okello Oculi
In the run-up to Kenya’s 2007 elections, there were ominous signals which were ignored at high cost to the country after the announcement of the result of the presidential election was prevented on LIVE national radio and television broadcasts. Social Media had not yet emerged as the country’s ‘’Town Crier’’. Violence exploded in opposition strongholds before the victory of incumbent President Mwai Kibaki was announced.
One horrible signal was a brutal attack on a female candidate in Muranga District: with human faeces forced down her throat. The incident was of particular concern for us because 15 Nigerian female Secondary Students had landed in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. They were ‘Presidents’ of African countries from ANGLICAN GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL (AGGS), in Abuja, who were to simulate Assemblies of the African Union jointly with peers from MAKINI Secondary School based in Nairobi.
‘President’ Mwai Kibaki of Kenya was SAHDATU ABDULLAHI, from Nigeria. She resolved to condemn the horrible violence against a woman politician and candidate in her speech to Kenyan audiences and Media correspondents. There were no protests by civil society groups, religious leaders; and university students to the incident.
On 24th August, 2022, a workshop by the KUKAH CENTRE heard, from a video report from Kenya, that Social Media had promoted violence against women candidates in the campaign for the August 8th, 2022 elections in Kenya. Paradoxically, in elections for GOVERNORS of 47 Counties, four female candidates were triumphant, and Martha Karuwa was a Vice-Presidential partner to Raila Odinga. This was a huge advance.
SUSAN KIHIKA of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) had earned 400.707 votes against LEE KINYANJUI’s 324,683 votes. Not only did she mobilise the imagination of a large number of voters, but also trounced an incumbent opponent who had significant support. GLADYS WANGA won with 244,539 votes to beat EVANS KIDERO who reaped 154, 182 votes. Her victory was a reversal of past accusations of male chauvinism within ODM. Moreover, she defeated a male opponent. CECILY MBARIRE received 108, 610 votes. Her male opponent, LENNY KIVUTE, was a stiff competitor, winning 105,046 votes. These women were clearly competitors who had not begged to win.
At the KUKAH CENTRE’s workshop, a Swiss official of KOFI ANNAN Foundation wondered why the post-election violence of 2007/2008 had not erupted again despite the challenge of the presidential election by Raila Odinga. The answer may lie in these victories by female candidates and their supporters. Victories which explode out passions of combat also splash up clouds of legitimacy which seed into showers of positive ‘Climate Change’.
In Nairobi County, JOHNSON SAKAJA harvested a vast 699,392 votes to beat a roaring challenge of 573,518 votes for POLYCARP IGATHE. These are large pools of electoral passion which, if violated with malpractices from election gatekeepers, would explode into flames of angry protests. Likewise, it denies support to those hoping to reap mangoes of rage.
The exit of Professor Peter ANYANG NYONG’O from being a Senator to being elected GOVERNOR of Kisumu County, and gaining considerable media visibility as a creative people-serving politician, has started a flow from Membership of Parliament back to governing at the grassroots. Senator JAMES ORENGO was GOVERNOR of Siaya County: scoring 220,349 votes. His earning enormous fame as the lead lawyer in defending RAILA ODINGA, had probably not taken material resources for the development of his local community.
In Taita Taveta, an ‘’Independent’’ candidate, ANDREW MWADIME, won with 49, 901 votes to defeat an ‘’outgoing’’ Governor, GANTON SAMBOJA, who scored 23,701 votes. In Meru County, KAWIRA MWANGAZA, who also ran as an ‘’Independent’’, defeated KIRAITU MURUNGI who was the incumbent. The option of running from outside existing political party structures, offers a window of ‘’fresh air’’ for the country to recruit new talent. Nigeria may wish to consider this option at all levels of leadership development; and renewing trust for democratic politics.
With regard to the report that Social Media was the primary promoter of violence against women candidates, we must assume that it is those within the range of15 to 30 years of age who are the most active users of this tool. It is also the group which consumes pornographic videos and musical images of young women which are predominantly sexualised. Rights of women to human dignity contradict this sector of consumption. Demand for women’s rights to be voted for would be viewed with hostility. It is a zone that is hidden from parents.
Civil Society activists building democratic culture; combating violence against women and rights of women to be voted for, must counter hostile political traffic inside Social Media. The lesson from Kenya’s 2022 election campaign is, however, that strong women candidates promising service to communities trounce violence by Social Media. Nigeria’s women politicians must hear whistles from Kenya.
Prof Oculi writes from Abuja
