KENYA ANOTHER HANDSHAKE: Is 50 +1 Rule Presidential Elections a Problem?

By: Prof. Dr. Halimu Shauri

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

The 50:50 or 1:1 ratio in the new broad based government that we predicted during the interview @MTV [see it on YouTube Mulei TV] between the president and baba is getting drumming from politicians. Hon. Aisha Jumwa captures it well.

However, when it happens social justice must lead the way. We should see the youth, women, people with disability, professionals included in the base of the broad based government.

Notably, there is need to unravel the mystery around the constitutional dictate on the decision of who becomes the president, aka, the 50 + 1! rule.

From the look of things, it has not been serving us well by always having the opposition in government and government in opposition.

When the winner gets 50 + 1 and the loser gets 49, don’t you think there is a problem! How do you run a government comfortably knowing that your competitor has near the following that you command and placed you in office!

Where is the logic of the sense of harmony in governance! That’s why probably the loser has always found his way in government and the government into the opposition.

Thus, we need to ask ourselves hard questions as citizens. When the drafters of the Constitution brought the clause of 50 + 1, what did they have in mind?When we voted in the referendum to pass the constitution, [yes or no], did we know the implications of the 50 +1 rule?

In my opinion, it will always be difficult for a winning president, whoever that will be in any general elections, to run his or her government smoothly and implement their manifesto without hindrances as we have witnessed time and again from the runners up.

Fellow Kenyans, the country is held back in development because it is tied by the rope of 50 +1. While the leadership has always saved Kenya and I commend them by making bold decisions towards coalitions through handshakes, we must not take this for a guarantee into the future.

We have had four successful handshakes so far and in all of them peace and unity is cited as the greatest achievement of such actions in moving the country forward.

Conversely, very minimal is achieved in terms of the Terms of Agreement [TOAs] that make the leaders come together.

From the late Presidents Moi and Kibaki handshakes to former president Kenyatta, we only had peace and unity to celebrate, aka, no _maandamanos_. Will the present handshake between President Ruto and Raila be different?

The Chinese have a proverb that says [may we live to see interesting times]. It is my prayer that though this government is entangled by a myriad of challenges, from foreign debt at more that 10 trillions, to SHA/SHIF, to CBC and university funding model to unresolved disappearances and untried murders to the controversial housing levy, that it will raise beyond the handshake to use the peace and unity this time for development.

By: Prof. Dr. Halimu Shauri

Consultant Sociologist