The by-elections in Malindi and Kericho, which captured the attention of the nation, have been concluded. These polls raised a lot more dust than the previous by-elections owing to their potentially heavy political ramifications.
The media had understandably billed the political duels as titanic and make-or-break for Jubilee and CORD. Now with hindsight we can place things in perspective. First let’s begin with Malindi. Yes CORD won, but that’s just half the story. The margin of victory is what matters as it speaks volumes of how the ground is gradually shifting. This must be alarming to the Opposition that was predicting a landslide victory.
Bearing in mind the substantial ground that CORD has ceded and the important gains Jubilee has registered, it is justified to say the real winner is the ruling coalition, despite not clinching the seat.
If the Malindi polls had been conducted in a freer and fair manner, Jubilee would have made even further inroads. The widespread intimidation and bribery of voters, which was blatantly perpetrated by CORD agents, greatly marred the polls. It is always easy to accuse the government of electoral malpractices because it is perceived to control security agents during elections. This is why in Malindi CORD, which was patently guilty of an assortment of electoral vices, was quick to blame the government yet the reality on the ground was that it was the one rampantly committing these despicable and unacceptable acts in broad daylight. In fact, several such ugly incidents were caught on camera.
Perhaps the most potent weapon CORD deployed in Malindi was intimidation. It tried to zone the area and indeed the whole of coastal region as its exclusive turf. However, the electorate had other brilliant and progressive ideas. It stood firm and resolutely refused to have this country balkanised into ethnic slices. By their bold demonstration that our politics is maturing each day, they defied avalanche of bribes to give Jubilee a sizable vote.
From Malindi, let’s fly straight to Kericho. Deafening noise was made on how Jubilee and Deputy President William Ruto had lost considerable ground in Rift Valley. To firm up this theory, the rival camp was quick to point to the masses that attended its rallies. It’s now emerging that the multitudes could have been bussed in from far and wide given that the well-attended rallies did not translate into votes at the end of the day.
So who are the winners and losers in Kericho? The real victory went to Jubilee, Deputy President William Ruto and the unity of South Rift as well as that of the entire Rift Valley. The message is unequivocal; Jubilee is the party to beat in the upcoming General Election in the region. The electorate reaffirmed its confidence in the DP as the undisputed king of Rift Valley. The message was so loud and clear that Kanu couldn’t believe the extent of its loss, and was compelled to make unfounded claims of massive irregularities.
It’s turning out that the setback in Nyongores Ward in Bomet was temporary and will be rectified sooner rather than later. Now we know that Kanu’s revival had been generously hyped while Jubilee’s continued support was intensely downplayed. We know also the only fault lines that run deep in Rift Valley are not political but merely volcanic. Apparently, the level of rebellion had been highly exaggerated.
The Kericho election has clearly given us a glimpse into how Rift Valley will vote in the next General Election. When it comes to critical moments such as General Elections, the expansive and vote-rich region unfailingly votes as one.
Although Kericho voters have some genuine grievances over the pace of some development projects, they still made wise and sober electoral choices that will go a long way in shaping their lives positively. As I had earlier observed in these pages, Jubilee opponents didn’t have policies worth talking about on the table, and the voters realised this and did what was expected of them.
Now that the mini polls are over, it’s time to let the dust to settle and shift focus to development. Whatever divisions that the gruelling campaigns generated must be healed quickly so that we pull in the same direction as a nation. The losers must accept that democracy has largely prevailed despite a number of hurdles.
