By MACHARIA GAITHO, Daily Nation
I am happy to report that I performed my civic duty. Actually, I’m quite proud that ever since I came of age, never once have I spurned the responsibility.
I voted for the first time in 1979, some two years after I became old enough to have a drink, and have not since failed to vote at a General Election.
The jury is still out on this poll as I sit hunched over my rusty old Olivetti ’96 typewriter, but I am also proud to report that I did not engage in panic buying.
I made a decision, with overwhelming support of the voters in my household, that there would be no rush to the supermarket to stock up on foods and other household essentials necessary to bunkering down for an extended period.
I am an optimist, and was rather put off by the circulars going around big corporations, diplomatic missions, donor agencies, and international organisations.
They were essentially putting their staff in a siege mentality; some even advising timely ‘holidays’ and ‘business trips’ out of Kenya until after the elections.
I therefore voted by not buying emergency provisions of corned beef, drinking water, powder milk, cooking gas and charcoal.
I know that prudence sometimes dictates hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, but in this case, I was driven by an article of faith. I must confess I’m not particularly religious, but I do have faith in my country and in my fellow Kenyans.
I know this may sound rather foolish, even insane, considering the madness we have come from.
We are still driven by base ethnic loyalties; too often, we allow ourselves to be manipulated and misled by greedy and venal politicians; will sell our souls to the devils; and will so senselessly wield panga and spear against our closest and dearest neighbours simply because they are on the wrong side of the ethno-political divide.
It was also clear in the run-up to the elections that we had not quite learnt some hard lessons from the 2007-2008 meltdown. Again, we had allowed ourselves to become captive to primitive ethnic leaders.
We approached the elections as deeply divided as the last time around. Those contending for power were whipping up emotions to fever-pitch with their selfish ethnic mobilisation, and the majority of us were foolish enough to lap it all up and fervently believe that we had a personal stake in ensuring our tribal chieftain occupied State House.
However, all those negatives cannot outdo the many little things that make Kenya the best country in the world.
I was personally offended by the doomsday scenarios being peddled around by those who have the options to make convenient sojourns in Arusha, Jinja, Zanzibar or further afield where they can wait it out as Kenyans reduce their population with election violence.
I was even further offended by a foreign press corps that descended on Kenya in droves, all eager to train their lenses on savage Africans beheading each other for sport.
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| voting queues in Nairobi |
I’m a newshound. I’m never one for cover-ups and sugar-coating and burying my head in the sand. I know that if it bleeds, it sells, and that good news is no news.
However, I am never one for telling lies, wild exaggeration, concocted stories and scare-mongering. That is what a few irresponsible hacks resorted to when they could not find the bloodshed and savagery they came looking for.
The nadir was the usually respectable CNN airing what to my eyes was a badly-acted script of some alleged band of ethnic warriors practising their craft in the Rift Valley.
I don’t know what can persuade me that the clip was not contrived, but I do recall that CNN has a history of paying actors to portray rebels and bandits in African trouble-spots.
Anyone recall the Niger Delta fiasco?
I would not doubt that there may be groups readying themselves for any untoward eventualities, including violence, but that particular band shown by CNN looked more like some unemployed actors.
Now I’m waiting for the results. Please, fellow Kenyans, whatever the outcome, don’t let me down. Don’t make me look foolish.
mgaitho@ke.nationmedia.com
source: http://elections.nation.co.ke/Blogs/Voters-defied-doomsayers-to-save-Kenya/-/1632026/1711188/-/okldeoz/-/index.html
