The general election may not be free and fair. It won't unless the trajectory of ballot uptake changes. Fewer people are registering, and a low turnout on voting day is anticipated.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission missed its target of 6 million new voters by 4.6 million during the 34 days of enhanced voter registration.
The agency says it spent Sh42 million daily, on wages of casual clerks and other logistics. But the Sh1.5 billion burnt between October 2 and November 5 did not produce the expected results.
The Parliamentary Budget Allocation Committee says there is no money for the IEBC to register more people. The IEBC says it cannot register more without further budget allocation.
The electoral agency is not doing anyone a favour. Voting is a democratic right of all citizens above age 18. There should be a way of capturing these potential defaulters.
The registration was predictably low in Central Kenya, the supposed vote-rich region. There is likely to be low voter turnout in the region. The excuse for the poor turnout is that there is no strong presidential aspirant from the region. The reason for the poor show is a deficit of civic consciousness.
The deficiency, a national malaise, has always undermined democracy. The result has always seen leaders chosen, not entirely on account of merit and integrity. Ethnic considerations and compromises have always undermined better choices.
Only 2,000 new voters enlisted in Rangwe constituency in the Orange Democratic Movement stronghold of Homa Bay county. The pathetic turnout in Rangwe is telling.
Rangwe has four governor aspirants who should have been expected to work up their home constituency. But the ambitions of these aspirants for county chief executive are not exciting their base. Two of the four aspirants from Rangwe have been part of the dysfunctional county for a decade.
The national implication of the poor Rangwe show is that, these aspirants lack the gravitas to mobilise votes for ODM leader Raila Odinga for his expected presidential run. It also means the defaulting potential voters don't understand why making the right choices matter.
Cynics read voter apathy. They say leaders have failed the masses who crowd their political rallies. The mobs, sometimes irate, are not attending rallies because they love the guest speakers.
Many attend rallies but some don't register, and don't intend to vote. Young people, who are the majority of the defaulters, shirk national duty. How do you imbue citizenship in this chaotic aggregate?
Three incidents – from Homa Bay, Murang'a, and Kisii counties – show why political rallies are attractive to the gullible.
In the Homa Bay case, a governor aspirant fled on seeing a huge crowd waiting for him. These people did not show up because they support him. They had gone to bait. The aspirant sped off against the din of shouts, 'Mbesa! Mbesa! Lete Pesa!'
From Kisii, a trending audio records a member of Parliament saying,
"I know some of you are in ODM, Ford Kenya, Jubilee, but let's pretend we are in UDA for Ruto to give us money. I know you dislike me, but for today let's put our differences aside for Ruto to give us money."
And from Murang'a. "Let us harvest when there is still time. Soon the boon season will be over."
It was inspiring for a responsible citizen to go to court, demanding extension of enhanced vote registration. It was also in order for the IEBC to allow three more days of enhanced registration. But this does not resolve the crisis that could disenfranchise millions of voters.
Choices have consequences. Mass surrender to apathy will not help. You buy a new cooking stick when one breaks. Peasants don't give up when rains fail. Resilience counts.
