Democracy is more than Naked in Kenya

By: Ali Nassoro

Kenyans recently were treated to the unmasking of democracy beyond reasonable doubt such that even the champions of democracy were perturbed and had nowhere to hide their faces when the true picture of democracy was laid bare contrary to their whims and covering plots.

The following are some of the crucial events that exposed the fallacious nature of democracy, which is being peddled by the West as the beacon of humanity’s success in governance:

First: The cosmetic independence Arms of government and constitutional commissions was fully exposed and put under siege as anticipated since it is the only the Executive that is in charge in any democratic states while the other Arms of government and constitutional commissions collectively are subservient to the orders of the Executive. The personnel serving in those subservient institutions are ever inclined to the demands of the Executive.

On the part of Judiciary, the following incidences happened:

1. The Supreme Court of Kenya (SCoK) failed to raise a Quorum to hear a case that was of high public interest. This was informed by the fact that the previous day on 24th October 2017 the Executive via the Acting CS for Interior Security declared the 25^th October, 2017 as a Public Holiday. This made the Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya (SCoK) to grant authority to The Presiding Judges of the Constitutional and Judicial Review Division to sit on 25^th October, 2017 and dispose matters related to the 26^th October, 2017 presidential elections.
2. The Appeal Court declined to dispose matters before it in the morning and said it was on holiday, but; resurfaced at night and sat an earlier ruling by the High Court. They said the issue before it was urgent and therefore called for them to sit at night!

On the part of Parliament, the following incidence happened:

1. Members of Parliament enacted Amendment to Kenya’s Election laws sanctioned by the Executive that was going to curtail the powers of the Judiciary and IEBC.

On the Part of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the following incidences happened:

1. The Chairman of IEBC on 18 October 2017 said that he could not guarantee a credible election that he was under frustration from his fellow commissioners who always outvote him on any decision. He cited being under siege by the refusal by some members of the Secretariat to resign after adversely mentioned in the bungled election and he promised to resign if his sentiments were not been addressed. This was on the same day after a sudden resignation of Dr. Roselyn Akombe one of the IEBC commissioners who cited frustration amongst fellow commissioners who seem to be drawing their decisions from the Executive. The Chairman went ahead and called on the President and Opposition leader to meet him in his Office at Anniversary Towers. Surprisingly Opposition leader Raila Odinga heeded the call and went to meet the IEBC Chairman at his Anniversary Towers office on 19 October 2017, but; the President refused and instead the IEBC Chairman went to meet the President at his Harambee House Office on 23 October 2017.
2. The IEBC Chairman remained silent and then resurfaces and issued a statement on 25 October 2017 that the elections will go on despite refusal and calls for boycott by the Opposition leader. The statement was short of stating exactly if the issues he raised on the statement of 18 October 2017 confirming fully that he was a man under siege and facing pressure from the Executive to go on in conduct in the presidential elections in whatever circumstances.
3. Despite the High Court’s ruling on 24 October 2017, that Raila Odinga cannot be forced on the election and after receiving official letter from the NASA presidential candidate that he and his running mate have withdrawn from the upcoming 26 October 2017 presidential election they still went ahead and printed ballot papers with the NASA presidential candidate on them.

Second: The popular will of the people is not captured by majority decision, but; by minority decisions as revealed in just concluded repeat presidential election. When the Opposition leader called his ardent supporters to boycott the repeat presidential election on 26 October 2017 while the President - Jubilee leader called on the nation to participate in the forthcoming election. Voter apathy was extremely felt even in areas that are known to be Jubilee strongholds that not only surprised the ruling Jubilee coalition but also surprised both local and international observers and even divided the local and international media who put it at 34% and 27% respectively. This means that majority of the population refused to participate in the just concluded presidential election but ‘democracy’ demands that those who voted have given their voice and their votes that will determine the outcome of the elections and the way forward for the country.

Third: The narrative that not voting is a democratic right and must be guaranteed is not genuine as proved in the recently repeat presidential elections where majority of the registered voters boycotted and their right was not guaranteed as promised. Since those who did not vote were many compared to those who did and so it was anticipated the elections would have being won by the majority who boycotted. Instead democracy ‘assumes’ majority of registered voters will participate and give credence to the elections and legitimacy to the regime.

Fourth: Participation in democratic elections is not a necessity for both political and socio-economic developments as initial supposed by the Muslim Ummah. This has confirmed the true purpose of democratic elections as means to ascend to power by using the masses as voting machines to confirm and legitimize a new or status-quo regime. For example the Muslim Ummah who for a long period of time have been warned against participating in democratic elections since democracy is in itself is a ruling system emanating from the invalid capitalist ideology. The invalid capitalist ideology's creed- secularism, separates religion from state; hence, it gives humanity the responsibility to legislate/making laws for themselves originating from their limited minds. That contravenes the Islamic doctrine which calls upon the creation to submit fully to the Divine Laws emanating from the Creator. Therefore the measurement of humanity’s actions is based on halal and haram nothing short of that and that is if humanity wants to boycott or participate in anything must be based on that principle not any other basis drawn from the invalid capitalist ideology. Therefore the Muslim Ummah is supposed to respond and act on what Allah (swt) calls them to, and not respond to Non-Muslim democratic leaders call for to either participate or boycott certain events/processes since responding to the former guarantees to enter Jannah while the later guarantees Jahannum (Hellfire). Irrespective of what will be inflicted upon in terms of pain, lost or gotten material what must motivate the Muslim Ummah should be the response and acting on what Allah (swt) calls for.

O Humanity shun democracy because indeed it is not what guarantees peace, tranquility and prosperity as it emanates from man’s limited mind and which is prone to changes depending on circumstances. Instead embrace Islam as an alternative and most comprehensive ideology to solve the problems currently facing humanity in Kenya and across the globe.

O Muslim Ummah, it is forbidden to implement or call for democracy because it is an invalid system promoted by the West. It has no connection whatsoever with Islam. It completely contradicts the rules of Islam whether in the comprehensive or partial issues, in the source from which it came, in the 'Aqeedah from which it emanated, in the basis on which it is established and in the thoughts and systems it has brought.

* Written for Ar-Rayah Newspaper – Issue 155