The Public Service Governance (PSG) has committed itself to initiate electoral reforms that are aimed at streamlining Governance and pave way for sustainable development by promoting the ‘Kenya Bila Uchaguzi Bill’ (Kenya Without Elections Bill) through a popular initiative process. PSG President Amb. Esther Waringa noted that Kenya has been governed through democratically elected leadership that has, against expectations, derailed economic growth, slowed development and crippled governance of the nation. She added that the social fabric is severely affected and the country births Internally Displaced People (IDPs) after every five years. Waringa also decried the nation’s economic handle which is always crippled by very expensive electoral process, very expensive campaigns, and the huge budgets that sustain political parties and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). ‘It is time, therefore, to think beyond elective system of governance and think of a peaceful, enhanced, responsible, accountable and strategic direct leadership way of governing the nation other than through elections and elected representative,’ stated Waringa. Citing the elections from 1992 to date, the PSG President illustrated that the democratization meltdown experienced in every elective process result and the progressive voter apathy there within, is true evidence that governance by democracy has failed. She reiterated that the social and political unrest that the country has been and is still experiencing, is as a result of elections, electioneering process and elections’ aftermath since violence has been known as an election time tradition that often happens in Kenya after every five years. According to Waringa, the negative effects of elections outweighs the benefits including the social moral decay and tribal divisions, moral degradation and lack of integrity in governance, uncoordinated and bloated governance, lack of positive values as a nation, widening gap between the rich and the poor, and the escalating rate of poverty which leads to expensive livelihood and retarded economic growth. ‘The huge expenditure on electoral process that include the voter registration exercise, purchase of electoral materials, conducting general elections, sustaining the electoral commission, campaigns and the political parties expenditures, the numerous election petitions and the resultant by elections budget and ultimately, the huge salaries paid to the bloated team of elected representatives is a sign that it is time to evaluate, eliminate and adopt a new way of birthing leadership away from the divisive, expensive and unreliable elections,’ she said. Speaking in Nairobi, Waringa said Corporate Governance is the alternative form of governance, which through the ‘Kenya Bila Uchaguzi Bill’, PSG seeks to introduce a direct Public Service System of Governance. She said that the Bill provides for replacing elections with vetting processes like the one exercised to birth the judicial officers including the President of the Judiciary. Waringa noted that state officers representing various jurisdictions will be vetted in their respective areas, for instance, leaders to be vetted by the County Public Service Boards while the President of the Republic will be vetted by a Constitutional set organ called the Public Service Governance Governing Council that will be promptly constituted. ‘PSG is committed to bring Kenya as a one peaceful nation by facilitating the constitutional amendment process and civic education and set up systems and structures in order to transit from the elective system of governance and establish the direct system,’ she emphasized. Waringa said that PSG is looking forward to engage all governance and development agencies and the media, as well as the Kenyan populace on this progressive ‘Kenya Bila Uchaguzi Bill’ Electoral Reforms Initiative.
Source: Kenya News Agency