The
enlightened leaders of the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea, and
to a large extent their fellow travelers in the Peoples' Republic of
China and the Republic of Cuba, understand the value of guided
democracy. To some extent Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda and many
of his colleagues in Africa espouse some form of guided democracy. It
shouldn't come as a surprise, therefore, that despite our Constitution's
implicit rejection of the idea of guided democracy, there are men and
women who would like to see it flower in Kenya. I take my cue from last
night's NTV Governors' Debate in Migori County in which it was
insinuated that "leaders of the county would sit down and decide, based
on perceived relative strengths and weaknesses of ethnic communities in
the county, that the Luo would retain the position of Governor while the
Kuria would contest the Senate seat and one of their own would be
appointed to the Deputy Governorship. Whether Kenya suffers the fate of
Stalinist North Korea or enjoys the vast benefits of a liberal democracy
as practiced by diverse nations as India, South Africa or Brazil, is to
be determined at the ballot box come March 4, 2013.
A proposal doing the rounds, and it is a proposal not confined to Migori County, seeks to cut out the voter in the election of representatives to various public positions. In Migori county’s case, Okoth Obado and Prof Oyugi Akong’o alluded, during the NTV debate, to a visit by the Prime Minister to the county when he was presented with a “proposal by Kurians” that the positions of Senator and Deputy Governor be “reserved” for them at the next general election, due in 2013. Regardless of what position the two politicians took, it is striking that the views of the peoples of Migori were not ascertained. It is unclear whether the persons who presented the proposal to the Prime Minister had the authority to speak for the peoples of Migori or whether they were deemed to be the voice of the peoples of Migori.
Kenya’s experience with guided democracy has been a dark, as has been the case in China, Cuba and North Korea. Kenyans who lived through the fiasco that were the 1988 general elections will recall how the ruling party had degenerated. Using an easily manipulated system of queue voting, clearly popular leaders who had refused to kow-tow to the increasingly unreasonable demands of President Moi and Nyayoism were defeated at the party elections. Despite hundreds of thousands of party members supporting their candidacies, it is sycophants with increasingly tenuous links to the grassroots who were declared winners. This is the face of guided democracy that Prof Oyugi and Mr Obado casually discussed on Sunday.
Regardless of what one thinks of the “difficulties” of participating in the political process in Kenya, there is no shortcut to meeting the demands of a democratic society. If the peoples of Migori wish to adopt the guided democracy model, they must demonstrate this desire in the only way that counts—by participating in the political process. They cannot allow men and women to purport to speak on their behalf without proof of such delegated power. The easiest way to take part in the political process is to register as members of a political party, even if there is only one active political party in the county. If ODM is such a party, then it is only within the structures of the party that the members of the party can make a political proposal to the peoples of Migori that the position of Governor be reserved for the Luo; that the Governor will appoint a Kurian as Deputy Governor; and that that position of Senator be reserved for a Kurian. If the voters in Migori County accept this proposal, they will demonstrate their acceptance in the only legitimate way—by voting for the slate of candidates presented by ODM at the general elections. That is how we determine the will of the people.
A proposal doing the rounds, and it is a proposal not confined to Migori County, seeks to cut out the voter in the election of representatives to various public positions. In Migori county’s case, Okoth Obado and Prof Oyugi Akong’o alluded, during the NTV debate, to a visit by the Prime Minister to the county when he was presented with a “proposal by Kurians” that the positions of Senator and Deputy Governor be “reserved” for them at the next general election, due in 2013. Regardless of what position the two politicians took, it is striking that the views of the peoples of Migori were not ascertained. It is unclear whether the persons who presented the proposal to the Prime Minister had the authority to speak for the peoples of Migori or whether they were deemed to be the voice of the peoples of Migori.
Kenya’s experience with guided democracy has been a dark, as has been the case in China, Cuba and North Korea. Kenyans who lived through the fiasco that were the 1988 general elections will recall how the ruling party had degenerated. Using an easily manipulated system of queue voting, clearly popular leaders who had refused to kow-tow to the increasingly unreasonable demands of President Moi and Nyayoism were defeated at the party elections. Despite hundreds of thousands of party members supporting their candidacies, it is sycophants with increasingly tenuous links to the grassroots who were declared winners. This is the face of guided democracy that Prof Oyugi and Mr Obado casually discussed on Sunday.
Regardless of what one thinks of the “difficulties” of participating in the political process in Kenya, there is no shortcut to meeting the demands of a democratic society. If the peoples of Migori wish to adopt the guided democracy model, they must demonstrate this desire in the only way that counts—by participating in the political process. They cannot allow men and women to purport to speak on their behalf without proof of such delegated power. The easiest way to take part in the political process is to register as members of a political party, even if there is only one active political party in the county. If ODM is such a party, then it is only within the structures of the party that the members of the party can make a political proposal to the peoples of Migori that the position of Governor be reserved for the Luo; that the Governor will appoint a Kurian as Deputy Governor; and that that position of Senator be reserved for a Kurian. If the voters in Migori County accept this proposal, they will demonstrate their acceptance in the only legitimate way—by voting for the slate of candidates presented by ODM at the general elections. That is how we determine the will of the people.
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