Activist Jerotich Seii: Why I think Ruto's Kenya Kwanza is better than Raila's Azimio

When I reflected on the Azimio and Kenya Kwanza plans, Azimio's was very light in terms of detail and helping me understand where they want to go, activist JEROTICH SEII tells ESTHER DIANAH. You have been very vocal on social media about your political stand. Lately, you have been celebrating Kenya Kwanza's presidential win, which is being contested by Azimio. What are your views on this latest turn of events?I made the decision to be active on social media soon after the 2017 elections because I wanted to make a difference. I realised that things like the BBI process just come up. And as things started to heat up during the electioneering period, I started thinking: As an active citizen, where am I going? There is a mistaken belief that we are supposed to be neutral. I don't think so. I am not a fence-sitter. That is why I said I would study each party closely and what they bring to the table. I am moving the conversation away from personalities to ideas and where those ideas can take us as Kenyans. Azimio is saying this election was not free and fair and they have gone to court. I think it is within their right to go to court; let us see where that takes us.I am celebrating the victory of Kenya Kwanza primarily because they have a manifesto for economic recovery and other good things that I support.I am an active citizen, I will still hold Kenya Kwanza accountable. I will be their number one critic if they do not deliver. Does it mean you will not take the person to task if they go back on their word?Absolutely not. We have to hold our leaders accountable. It is not an event, it is a process. The president's administration for the next five years has to stand the test of scrutiny through our continuous calls for accountability. My followers on social media were genuinely surprised, disappointed and angry that I threw my lot behind Kenya Kwanza and I went from "Switch off KPLC" champion or a person of Linda Katiba to a tribalist to them. It seemed I was not a Kalenjin until I decided to throw my lot behind William Ruto, and they kept saying: "Don't you know he is a bad man?"If we were voting for good people, then we should all have stayed home. I was not voting for the best person. For me, it was about who has a plan? Tribalism is something that still holds us back. When you say UDA has moved to discussing issues, are you suggesting that the other parties were not discussing issues?When I reflected on the Azimio and Kenya Kwanza plans and manifestos, I said Azimio's plan was very light in terms of detail and helping me understand where they want to go. They had a plan, but not a plan that was detailed enough for me to feel confident that Azimio la Umoja knew what it was doing going forward. That said, if Azimio had won, I would hold them accountable to that plan even if I found it light. They had a plan, the mistake was the moral superiority they had, self-righteousness that they are the good guys - not corrupt and are going to fight corruption. Kenya Kwanza was saying there was massive loss across the board, we are putting that aside and we are looking at ideas. What makes you believe that one can do what others failed to do in the past?Is boils down to who sold the plan better. What I saw is that Kenya Kwanza went back to the ground. For me, that was a transparent and participatory process. We have seen big changes in terms of the people who are being elected. Are we looking at an electorate that is more in touch with what is going on and ready to do away with the status quo?I think the six-piece approach of voting should be considered dead and buried. I feel that the "local" is ultimately more important. We discussed the presidential election and that's why the national tallying centre doesn't announce the MCA winners. We understand the centrality because that is the flag-bearer for the next number of years. It is fascinating that people have been re-elected, we've seen former MPs go to contest for MCA posts and some actually won. I like the beginning of that conversation where people vote for someone because of their ability to deliver, not because of the party manifesto. There is also an inter-generational dynamic. If you look at the ages, we have a younger demographic. There is a conversation that needs to be heard in terms of merging older and younger ideas. There is potential for inter-generational blending where older people work with younger people and vice-versa.

Activist Jerotich Seii: Why I think Ruto's Kenya Kwanza is better than Raila's Azimio

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Activist Jerotich Seii: Why I think Ruto's Kenya Kwanza is better than Raila's Azimio

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