Ms Abrish Nayyar is a student of BS Mass Communications at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). Her subjects of interest are the history of the subcontinent, sociology, and mass media.
Let us first go over the four candidates that ran for the position of the President of Kenya in the recent 2022 election.
Candidate no. 1: Raila Odinga (Lost)
Raila Odinga was the Prime Minister from 2008-2013, and is currently the leader of a political alliance, Azimio la Umoja, which includes the Jubilee Party and Odinga’s Orange Democratic Party (ODM). In May, Odinga claimed that he would bring the third liberation to Kenyans. He further added that despite having gained independence several years ago, Kenyans were still having trouble addressing issues like poverty, illiteracy, and disease.
Thus, his manifesto is a 10-point plan that calls for, among other things, equal resource allocation throughout the 47 counties, Baba Care, and education. By pushing a “One County One Product” programme, the government will also concentrate on boosting delegated resources to reform counties. The Azimio Government intends for manufacturing to be the engine of the government’s economic revolution, which will lead to the expansion of all economic sectors and the production of jobs and riches.
A social safety scheme called Pesa kwa Jamii (universal basic income) will provide 6,000 to 2 million Kenyan shillings to vulnerable households nationwide. Millions of employment opportunities will be created as a result, and a robust middle class will eventually emerge. The Hashtag Inawezekana initiative will give young people the knowledge, resources, and technology they need to innovate and even outperform their rivals throughout the world.
All Kenyans will have access to high-quality healthcare services as needed, delivered by committed healthcare experts, according to BabaCare, which aims to address health-related issues in the nation. The Maji Kwa Kila Boma programme will be implemented by Raila’s administration in order to drastically reduce the scarcity and high cost of water and ensure everyone has access, especially the poor.
According to Raila, “Waste not a Single Child” would be an aggressive plan to make sure that all of Kenya’s children receive legitimate access to high-quality education. The Raila-led administration intends to expand and enhance the accomplishments of the outgoing administration.
Candidate no. 2: William Ruto (Won)
Since 2013, William Ruto has served as Kenya’s vice president. Prior to this, he held the positions of minister of higher education, agriculture, and home affairs. As the second candidate in running for the post of the President of Kenya, his manifesto advocates major economic changes to help the disadvantaged.
In addition, Ruto has promised to create a Cabinet that is equally split between men and women, as well as a two-thirds gender rule for elective and appointed jobs in the public sector within a year. Ruto stated that his foreign policy would be centred on Africa. When it comes to enlarging the market for Kenya’s goods and services, the Kwanza Alliance, which supported him, has emphasised the necessity of giving regional organisations first priority.
Kenya should act as an anchor state in regional, continental, and international affairs, according to Ruto’s team. Furthermore, to utilise Kenyans who reside and work overseas, Ruto’s administration plans to establish a specialised Ministry for Diaspora Affairs.
Candidate no. 3: David Mwaure Waihiga (Lost)
David Mwaure Waihiga of the Agano Party ran for president of Kenya for the first time. He dropped out in the 2013 presidential election, which Uhuru Kenyatta ultimately won. His driving force is the fight against corruption; at the introduction of his manifesto on July 4, he stated, “Ten years from now, we want to be known as the presidency that slayed the dragon of corruption, wastage, and mismanagement.”
His platform addresses the gnawing economic situation, and the candidate proposes to transfer the Asset Recovery Agency to the White House; delegate budgeting to village councils rather than the Treasury or State House Budget office; go after the “big fish” of corruption, and make sure they are subjected to the due legal process. Overall, his goal is to ensure the highest level of transparency by making important documents and information accessible to the public.
Candidate no. 4: George Wajackoyah (Lost)
Lastly, there was George Wajackoyah of Roots Party. To allow Kenyans to benefit from its export, Prof. Wajackoyah, as he is called, promised to “legalise weed” for use in industry and medicine. According to Wajackoyah, the income would assist pay off the nation’s debt and address the unemployment problem.
One may wonder what his strategy for combating corruption is. He stated in February that “the death sentence is the only option; for the first five years of my time as president, I think these people should suffer the hardships they have placed Kenyans into; by robbing the country without caring.”
The Election Dilemma
William Ruto, after winning the 2022 Kenya election, made a commitment to cooperate with “all leaders” in the nation. Strongholds of Raila Odinga saw protests as his supporters called for him to reject the results after he was defeated by Ruto in the presidential vote. As per the expectations of the masses, the losing candidate, Raila Odinga, has once again challenged the decision of the 2022 Kenya presidential election in court.
Infamous for his continuous challenge of the electoral decisions, Mr. Odinga has been subjected to much ridicule by the population. However, his persistent opposition and call for transparency have significantly improved the electoral process in Kenya. He has strengthened Kenyan democracy in a number of ways, including the hiring of election officials and the requirement that results be finalised at voting stations.
Thus, another chance to help resolve some of the murky issues that have arisen during the 2022 election results is being witnessed in Mr. Odinga’s most recent petition against the declaration of William Ruto as the president-elect of Kenya. The alleged rigging, according to Mr. Odinga and his running mate Ms. Karua, started in March 2022 when foreign nationals allegedly broke into and manipulated the systems of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Mr. Odinga and Ms. Karua assert that the meddling led to distortion and alteration of voter turnout and Kiems kit data on election day and the subsequent announcement of William Ruto as President-elect without providing the names of those allegedly involved in the plot. Currently, the credibility of the present IEBC Chairperson, Wafula Chebukati, is also being questioned.
However, the removal of a current chairman, and appointing a new one in his stead is a lengthy process that may take a while to reach completion. Furthermore, in the case of a presidential re-run, the constitutional timeframes ensure that Mr. Chebukati will preside over those too; any appointments and removals will take place after the court makes a decision on Mr. Odinga’s claim.
Win or lose, Mr. Odinga, who has endured imprisonment and torture because of his quest for a better Kenya, is certain to influence legislation for the third time in a row, which will once again, account for significant democratic progress in the country.
If you want to submit your articles and/or research papers, please check the Submissions page.
The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
