As an American I relate to the palpable anticipation ahead of Kenyan elections today, March 4, 2013. Elections in the United States inflame the evils of ignorance that are often obscure and emerge when the time comes to cast a ballot. During U.S. presidential elections in November 2012, Americans fought the onslaught of proposed voting laws that would make certain people ineligible to vote. Hate speech, bigotry, racism and misogyny spewed from the mouths of elected officials and people of influence. States like Pennsylvania, Georgia and South Carolina, proposed a law that would require state issued identification in order to vote; reasoning that “voter fraud” has been an imminent concern in past elections. Reports done by the Pew Research Center have shown that voting fraud is a rare occurrence and if voter identification laws were passed and sustained, minorities, elderly persons and people in rural areas would be disproportionately affected. Access to records that are needed in order to get a state officiated identification card, like birth certificates, can be inaccessible for the three aforementioned groups.

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Week after week, there were racist comments made about President Obama and his family. Newt Gringrich labeled him as the “Food Stamp President,” and Donald Trump incessantly demanded that President Obama verify the status of his citizenship. Concerning women’s rights, terms like “legitimate rape,” coined by congressmen Todd Akins became a key term used in the battle for women’s reproductive rights. Akins argued that in reference to rape, the female body can “shut down” the vicious attack, only if it is a legitimate attempt at rape. These actions affirm that America is not “post-racial” or past sexism. In theory, a so-called post-racial or non-sexist society is void of prejudices, preferences and discrimination and such is not the case at this point in American history. We have a long road to travel to be considered truly progressive. On election day 2012 and the days that followed, we heard horror stories of faulty voting machines, unnecessarily long voting lines and were outraged at reports that some Americans were actually turned away from voting due to lack of “proper identification.”  Though our electoral process was formulated and constructed by men who did not consider everyone as equal, the citizens of present day America trust that the electoral process will not work against them. These horror stories of the election process further prove that reform and regulation are imperative and that no citizen should be discounted.

 

This is where we are my Kenyan brothers and sisters. We are one and the same. Though I may be an American, our concerns are parallel. The status of the Kenyan economy, the national unemployment rate (which is around 40%), and the socio-economic infrastructure are points of concern among voters. In 2007 Kenya endured divisive language, direct hate speech, voter manipulation, and national upheaval while international media coverage continues to reduce these trials to differences along ethnic lines. However, many concerns and political issues have been covered by national and international news media outlets from 2007 – 2008.   For instance, national disputes over land and the recent discovery of untapped oil in areas inhabited by historically marginalized ethnic minorities has attracted corrupt local political leaders who see oil as a bargaining tool for land displacement and political power. According to the International Crisis Group, salaries for education professionals and public funding for school budgets have been inert despite the fact that education is a key indicator of national development. Also, socio-economic policy has been discounted as programs for the poor and displaced are placed on the back burner with uncertainty if that will ever change. If Kenya does not make social programs a top priority, the gap between the poor and wealthy will continue to grow. An economy thrives where broadly accessible education and skills training is a top priority so change must come and Kenyans know this.

 

There is a simple quote by Larry J. Sabato, a highly respected University of Virginia professor and political scientist which encapsulates the spirit of the Kenyan voter, “every election is determined by the people that show up;” as to say,  casting a ballot is a principle part of a fair election. Over the past five years since 2007 Kenya has formulated a new constitution to protect and provide structure for this election. A new chief justice, Willy Mutunga, was appointed with respect and trust amongst Kenyan public scrutiny. And the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was created in order to objectively serve as watchdog for election fraud. The hopeful sentiment amongst most Kenyans is that the upcoming poll will result in a peaceful and fair election. I share your hope that on March 4th, Kenyan politicians and countrymen alike will facilitate an effective election that will positively influence the political and socio – economic course of Kenya in the future.

 

STOP the BULLET! (STB) will continue its advocacy in Mathare and encourage the next generation of youth to remain resilient, nonviolent and inclusive. The citizens of Mathare were directly affected as perpetrators and victims by the post-election violence in 2007. With this recent history in mind, STB sponsored the 2013 Mathare Festival to encourage peace and non-violence in Mathare before, during and after elections. Victor Kebane, a resident of Mathare who has been involved with STB since its inception had this to say about the program and its impact on his perspective of the upcoming election: “In these moments leading up to elections, the program has given me hope since we have met quite a number of youths within Mathare who are vulnerable to perpetrate violence. [The] common denominator [among the youth] is that of maintaining peace.”

 

The work of STOP the BULLET! is crucial at this time in Kenya. Though STB directly works with the residents of Mathare, its model is needed not just in Kenya but abroad. STB has taken tremendous responsibility in Kenya’s current political climate to promote peace, individual agency and community building in Mathare. Kenyans can accomplish a peaceful and credible election just as 2013 marks the 50th Anniversary of national independence. I hope that the upcoming election marks year one of a new dawn in Kenya.

 

 

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STOP the BULLET! : Make Art. Give Peace.