Elections are key but not sufficient for development

They say election is a one-day event but determines the rest of the 1,825 days, at least in Kenya, which has a 5-year election cycle. Kenyans went to the poll on August 9th to elect their leaders and the results are out.

The Supreme Court will rule on the presidential election petition tomorrow. Looking beyond the elections, we now have newly elected leaders and the best thing to do is focus on next steps.

Firstly, elections are designed to bolster governance structures both at the national and county level. Elections make a fundamental contribution to democratic governance by subjecting leaders to the polls where those who fail to perform are knocked out.

More than 200 out of the 350 legislators lost their seats in the just concluded elections. That is over half of the elected legislators for the 13th Parliament. The widespread voting out of leaders whom citizens feel have not delivered seems to be gaining momentum. Kenyans hope the new legislators will bring fresh ideas and strategies to address their concerns.

Likewise, the executive at the national and county governments have an onerous task of delivering on their manifestos and election promises. The fact that a particular candidate has been declared Governor or the President doesn't mean all our problems at the county or at the national level have vanished. There is work to be done.

We remain with ethnic and political differences. We remain with economic challenges to deal with. Economic issues have been more prominent during this campaign season than they have in the recent past

Kenya still remain with high unemployment, rampant poverty and corruption, harsh business environment and stalled projects. Beyond the 2022 polls, it is time to bolster democratic and institutional performance, political accountability and citizen participation beyond the election day.

Kenya has so far done well by avoiding overt democratic backsliding that has characterised other parts of the continent, where presidents have removed term limits or cracked down on opposition parties.

This being a transition election, we should remind whichever coalition that will take over, to refrain from clawing back the democratic gains made in the last ten years.

Kenyans are desperate for peace if the calm observed since August 9th is anything worth noting. Many voters feel wary of renewed bouts of violence and instability that would further weaken the economy.

Kenya's current political environment highlights once again that elections alone are an important, but not a sufficient, indicator of democratic progress. No matter the final ruling by the Supreme Court, it is crucial to focus on bolstering citizen participation beyond election day.

If we continue feeling that our primary allegiance is to a particular person or political party, we will always be divided. Let us look beyond the party and tribal lines.

-The writer is a peace and media practitioner. [email protected]