What could ultimately turn out to be a seminal event in Kenyan politics took place last week. Although it was inexplicably given only passing attention by the media, the conference bringing together the who’s who in civil society, politics, the Judiciary, constitutional commissions and human rights, democracy and governance lobbies could, at some point in the future, come to be seen as a defining moment in the push for reform ahead of the 2022 elections.
Dubbed the ‘National Dialogue Conference on Electoral Reform’, the pow-wow convened by the Kenya Human Rights Commission and the Elections Observer Group may well have remained faithful to the theme around integrity of the electoral processes.
However, the narrow agenda masked its import as the first major gathering of interest groups that could grow into a much larger movement, akin to the coalition that in 1997 seized the momentum from political players.
Notable was the wide array of interests represented. Besides the ‘usual suspects’ in civil society pressure groups, notable in the list of partner organisations included Big Business through the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, the Judicial branch through the Judiciary Committee on Elections and the Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association, and political parties through the Centre for Multi-Party Democracy.
Others were the media through the Kenya Editors’ Guild and Kenya Correspondents Association, religious organisations through the Dialogue Reference Group, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.
Key political leaders also took part, with Wiper Democratic Movement party leader, former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, appearing in person, as did Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua. Deputy President William Ruto and his arch-rival, ODM leader Raila Odinga, sent representatives to read speeches supportive of the initiative.
President Kenyatta had been listed as a key speaker in the early draft programme but, apparently, did not take up the invitation.
If the momentum is maintained from the conference attended by more than 350 participants at Kempinski Hotel and virtually, then what could be witnessed is not just calls for free and fair elections, but a reform push which, if cleverly guided, could seize the agenda from the quarrelling political players stuck in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) gridlock.
A push for the measures critical to free and fair elections and guarantee of a stable and peaceful pre- and post-election period would demand, at the very least, a ‘minimum reforms’ package — much like the Inter-Parties Parliamentary Group (IPPG) constitutional and statute law amendments brokered in the run-up to 1997 General Election.
The IPPG deal was struck when an amazing coalition of religious groups, civil society, professional associations, business lobbies, trade unions and others ignored both the government and opposition political classes in their Parliament comfort zones and went ahead to craft a ‘people-driven’ reform package.
When politicians realised that the talks were leading to convention of a Citizens Assembly intending to declare sovereignty in the model of the popular revolts that had topped dictatorships in Eastern Europe and some African countries, they quickly left Parliament and trooped to Ufungamano House lest they be left behind. The rest, as they say, is history.
The dialogue last week should aim at nothing less than recreation of the Ufungamano spirit. Beyond just fixing the electoral system leading to the 2022 General Election, the ultimate aim must be a National Dialogue towards securing the long-term sustainability of Kenya.
This, of necessity, means seizing the reform initiative from politicians and their selfish, short-term interests to craft an open, transparent, all-inclusive mechanism.
The beauty of it is that a convention such as that witnessed last week should be welcomed as a godsend by the key political protagonists — President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga on one side pushing BBI and DP Ruto leading resistance from his official mansion. All of them know that they are stuck in a rut over BBI. They are engaged in a futile struggle where there can be no winners or losers but will push on stubbornly nonetheless because they dare not be seen to lose.
A movement that takes over to drive a new reform trajectory in succession to BBI provides a face-saving route for all sides.
The agenda outlined for BBI from the outset succinctly captured the key issues that must be addressed if Kenya is to survive as a peaceful, stable and united nation. The problem is, the outcome was reduced to a political project for the benefit of key promoters and a sizeable constituency resented being left out in the cold.
