The murder of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission head of Information, Communications and Technology Chris Musando has thrown the country into panic and confusion.
A lot of questions remain unanswered arising from the killing. The blame game and suspicion on who could have been responsible for the heinous crime is not helping matters, either. Already, the United Kingdom and the United States have offered their top homicide detectives to investigate the murder.
An attack on the rural home of Deputy President William has also raised eyebrows and left the country demanding answers. Kenyans are increasingly getting worried about their safety as the elections approach.
As all this was happening, the National Super Alliance was up in arms, with claims that the government planned to use the military to rig elections.
The party, through an urgent application filed at the Milimani law courts, accuses the government of charting a dangerous course that threatens the rule of law and good governance.
It is obvious that deploying soldiers to polling stations without the approval of Parliament is illegal and likely to intimidate voters, denying them the right to vote freely.
The military should be used with extreme caution in an electoral process and their role should be limited to security issues – not interference with the electoral process.
Kenyans must not forget the horrific carnage that occurred after the disputed presidential election in 2007, when an estimated 1,100 people were left dead, 3,000 innocent women and children raped, and more than 300,000 people left internally displaced.
Most of these atrocities happened in the first 14 days after the general election. The severity of this conflict unfolded in a span of 59 days, between Election Day on December 27, 2007 and February 28, 2008, when a political deal was reached.
The magnitude of the trauma and violence that took place then should never be repeated. Already, flights and road transport services have been fully booked, with people leaving the cities for the safety of their rural villages. Those who can afford it have been leaving the country. This is a sad situation, especially considering that most of those people are registered voters in the cities they are leaving.
It is an act instigated by fear of violence, which has been exacerbated by the latest cases of insecurity. The threat of violence sadly violates the right of all persons to vote for leaders of their choice.
It is now the duty of President Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure these elections are held in a peaceful and transparent atmosphere. Kenyans must be allowed to choose their leaders in a fair and a transparent process. Any form of threats and intimidation against any person or groups should be dealt with firmly.
All eyes will now be on IEBC, a body that has in the recent past been embroiled in all manner of controversy, including court battles with the opposition party over violation of electoral laws.
The lives of 46 million Kenyans and the country's future depend on whether IEBC will deliver a credible election. Calls by various leaders for Kenyans to put their confidence in IEBC and trust the body to deliver a fair and credible election must be accompanied by similar calls for the body to abide by electoral laws.
One of the major causes of the 2007/2008 post-election violence was a structurally and legally weak Electoral Commission of Kenya, coupled with a weak national constitution.
These weaknesses have been reasonably addressed and a new constitution enacted, so the failures of the former electoral commission must not be repeated.
The demand for a fair, transparent and credible election should not be over-emphasised. But regardless of the outcome, Kenyans must be allowed to continue enjoying their ugali in peace.East African News Agency
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