mv_ufanisi wrote:Our real problem is that our electoral system is suffering from a CRITICAL design flaw which traces its origins to the artificial concept of countries created by colonialists.
We are first and foremost, members of our tribes. Tribe provides a very important and strong sense of belonging to each of us. You feel safer, you can relax, you share a lot of unspoken feeling of togetherness with members of your tribe.
Now in Kenya as in many other African countries, where members of more than 40 tribes were forced to live together, if you design a system of representation that does not address the idea that members of the same tribe might vote together to protect their interests, you create a powder KEG.
Here's a few ideas for creating a system that will work for African countries bearing in mind tribe.
1. End the winner take all nonsense. Government resources and power should be apportioned on a pro-rata based system depending on the number of votes won. Winner takes all, loser gets nothing is a recipe for disaster. If I get 40% of the vote, I should get to control 40% of the resources.
2. Devolve government to small enough units that different tribes get the chance to run semi-autonomous entities.
3. Have a rotational Presidency, have a formula to ensure equitable representation in government
4. Together with your KCSE certificate, give each Kenyan a passport and get them to visit at least one other country so they learn to think globally.
5. Bring back community service days e.g. once a month when all people living in a neighborhood come out to clean up their environment or discuss how to improve their local school
#2 is it. more money at the counties but this should be incremental since the national government has debts to pay. except the big 5 ethnic groups, the rest of kenya doesnt care as deeply about national elections as they do the local. maybe they are resigned to never having a realistic chance.
#1 is a total disaster and will just create two dysfunctional centers of power.
#3 is a bottomless pit. groups like the kalenjin, luhya, mijikenda and somali do not see themselves as a monolith. the nandi and kipsigis wouldnt want to both be categorized as kalenjin during allocations of rotational presidency. each would want their turn. even kikuyus would have disputes between their counties. eventually you'll end up with more than 100 groups leading to a 500-year cycle.
All my friends are heathens, take it slow. Wait for them to ask you who you know. Please don't make any sudden moves.