I hope Kenyans will hold free and peaceful elections

I have consistently observed that elections time in most African countries is a nightmare. Electing new leaders or reelecting incumbents should be like making matrimonial vows by freely willing partners (the electorate and the contestants).

Why should the whole world be put on tension because it is election time in Kenya?
Of course I know what happened there in the past but the continued emphasis and outright anxiety suggest a possibility that the problems of the past were not addressed. It also reveals that there is still something wrong with the politics, electoral institutions or mentalities of the people.

One then wonders when such obstacles would be eradicated and how best it should be done. I don’t remember hearing any country or group of concerned citizens expressing worries about last year’s elections in the USA. This reflects trust in systems and civic maturity of such societies.

For us it is either the people in general or the institutions that are still primitive. Since there is no incumbent among the contestants, I hope Kenyans will surprise the world with a peaceful election.

Julius Zaake,
jzwasswa2010@yahoo.com