As the IEBC clock counts down to less than a month for Kenyans to elect leaders in different positions, many candidates are moving from village to village, town to town and from one region to hunting for votes with very appetizing and juicy promises of changing the lives of electorates if elected on 9th August 2022.
But the big question is, do voters really know the responsibility of the people they will be electing? Have they received civic education from any quarters or any organizational bodies to equip them to go to the election with informed opinion?
According to one independent candidate from Kibingei ward Wanyonyi Buteyo who is hunting for the MCA seat to represent the great people of Kibingei ward in the Country Assembly of Bungoma blames the parties which are only interested in monies they receive from aspirants but have never imagined of making sure they educate the voters on the responsibilities that await the MCA, MP, Governor, Senator, Woman Rep and the President they are supposed to elect.
Buteyo who has a stint history in education sector resigned to run for the civic seat and prior he has held various positions and he is the immediate Suba and Mbita TSC Sub Counties Director and in the last County government of Bungoma he was the political advisor of the current Senate Speaker Kenneth Makelo Lusaka.
“We need to elect leaders who have the capacity to do what they’re supposed to do which is enshrined in our constitution and according to me and my experience nationally and globally and having also been the first General Secretary for KUPPET and the first Bungoma County political advisor solely blames the political parties for not helping in sensitizing the electorates on the kind of leaders that are supposed to be elected,” cited Buteyo
” When you go to use the two major political parties; Democrats and Republicans have national democratic institute and national republican institute respectfully with a sole responsibility of educating voters in terms of the electing correct and deserving leaders who would steer development and this has helped the voters in USA to set standards and threshold with which leaders are elected but when you come in Kenya, parties are meant to create monies for some people within the helm of leadership of the party and therefore I think we need to revisit and revamp parties to give them a new look of not only giving nomination certificates to some of their nominees but also to make sure that they provide justifiable sensitization programs to enlighten the voters especially in the villages,” he added
Buteyo says many have decided to go independent because of the unfairness in the nomination processes and this will be seen in the outcome of the August polls saying many who will be elected will be of independent tickets.
He said Bungoma County and the country at large should follow suit of other Counties like Meru and Embu where only serious academic professionals were elected.
“We have to be careful on who we elect as an MCA because over sighting 12 billion shillings that come to our County is not a mere business, we may have a good Governor but with wrong MCAs money might be channeled to wrong projects that are not viable to the community and therefore, I urge our people to come out in large numbers and vote in serious Members of County Assembly who are going to supervise for the billions if we need meaningful development within our wards,” he advised
He also advised voters that the constitution of Kenya gives them a chance to recall an MCA who isn’t doing well which he says many are not aware of and more sensitization ought to be done.