By Kura Yangu, Sauti Yangu

Four days ahead of the 2017 election, Kura Yangu, Sauti Yangu issues this pre-election statement, based on more than one year of pre-election observation and analysis.
Overall, KYSY notes a pre-election period that has been marked by a clear lack of respect for constitutional standards of integrity, public participation and public expression.

On a technical level, KYSY has identified and assessed problems with legal reform, compressed timelines, procurement processes, voter registration and the Register of Voters, party primaries,lack of clarity with regard to laws and regulations and rising insecurity. The Kenyan State’s increasing attempts to unconstitutionally control and restrict public questioning of electoral preparedness as well as public scrutiny of the electoral process reveals a worrying lack of respect for the sovereignty of the voter. Many of these problems were evident in 2013, and the lack of progress made in addressing them demonstrates the IEBC’s and parliament’s lack of will to learn from the past.