[Update: Here is an Oct. 3 Daily Nation story on the status of negotiations and demands among Kenyan politicians and Western diplomats: “Envoys threaten travel bans to politicians derailing poll plans“. The International Crisis Group meanwhile offers a good brief: “How to have a credible, peaceful presidential election in Kenya“.
The independent European Union Election Observation Mission issued a new 3 October statement saying “decisive improvements are still achievable if Kenyans come together in a constructive manner” while decrying excessive demands and proposed law changes and with confrontation from both sides.
And to refresh the memories of the envoys and candidates here are the September 14 recommendations of the European Union Election Observation Mission for reforms ahead of the election re-run.]
It is in fact very unfortunate that time has been running hard against the 60 day deadline for the “fresh election” necessitated by the failure of Kenya’s IEBC (significantly supported by the United States and, at least indirectly through the UNDP so-called “basket funding”, other donors) to conduct a lawful presidential election on August 8 as determined by the Supreme Court of Kenya.
With the passage of time things like the then-shocking torture/murder of acting IEBC ICT head on the eve of the election are no longer mentioned in such statements as today’s from the envoy group. Too long ago that murder (passing 60 days) and with no sign of progress or serious effort to solve the case we should of course “accept and move on” that it was simply an unfortunate coincidence (or at most one of those political murders that happen periodically in Kenya that are agreed to be ignored so that we don’t have to face the darker realitity of how “democracy” really works in such a pretty country). Of no relevance to the August 8 election or its rerun in the hands of the his suspened predecessor who got his job back when Msando was killed even though he had been earlier suspended as ICT director for refusing to cooperate in an audit.
Rather it is noted today that it is “too late” to replace staff hired under the removed Issack Hassan Chickengate regime or otherwise substantially reform the IEBC.
Longstanding CEO Ezra Chiloba doubled-down last week and signed (reportedly) a new (amendment??) with the controversially sole-sourced ICT vendor OT Morpho now owned by a US-based fund and a fund of the Government of France. Pretty much an “in your face” gesture toward reformers if true. [Update 4/17: The IEBC twitter feed has reported that the OT Morpho contract will be released – I gather this is confirmation of the reported new agreement but we shall see.]
Either the donors have lost all significant influence, if they had any, toward transparency and trust building at the IEBC or they are really gambling hard on selling whatever the IEBC in existing form–without meaningful reform–will offer up on October 26 and the seven days thereafter.
As for me, I think this is a bad gamble, both in terms of odds and because the known character of the other players at the table.
As an American who was involved in the 2007 fiasco from part-way inside and witnessed 2013, I would like to see my Government cease to help underwrite this IEBC as a matter of our own integrity and of our long term ability to provide some future positive influence to the future development of independent democratic institutions in Kenya.
The American dollars supporting through USAID this IEBC would be much better spent on urgent humanitarian needs (see the UNDP’s call for additional funds of more than $100M for Kenya famine relief).
It may be that NASA will throw in the towel and agree to go along to run in a “not so fresh” election without IEBC reforms. That is for NASA to decide. I just do not want my Government to interfere in that decisionmaking process unless we are willing to provide some independent assurance of transparency and support for fairness to all Kenyans (not just NASA) that the Government of Kenya cannot be expected to agree to unless we are willing to stand up to them in a way that I have not seen from us in 2007 or 2013.
With only twenty-two days left there is no way that a credible presidential contest can be held on 26 October 2017. Amb Godec has no business claiming to be an impartial arbiter since he has deliberately sidelined any discordant views and opinions offered by THIS US Citizen whose attempts to be considered for positions at IEBC were stymied and discarded without any explanation by the IEBC Selection Panel.
Notably it is nearly one year after I was “disinvited” from a US Embassy Town Hall Meeting for US Citizens! Although ultimately permitted to attend my public announcement before 350 other Americans obviously took Amb Godec by surprise; he quickly proclaim US Government neutrality in selection decisions. He and nearly everyone else said nothing when the IEBC Selection Panel failed to conduct a fair, transparent and merit based recruitment exercise; despite all evidence showing that the IEBC could not conduct fair and credible elections and my written assertions to this effect as early as 1 March 2017, Godec and all other envoys stood behind their nations’ $150 million being spent to assist elections’ processes in Kenya!
The US Embassy flushed $30 million down the IEBC black hole and myriad officials are working overtime to preserve their careers and pensions; this has become nothing more than some sort of public relations exercise –smoke and mirrors–and there is no real effort to salvage an increasingly fraught situation.
Shame on America!