Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Angaza Movement have partnered with the public to discuss the country’s election preparedness ahead of the upcoming general election on August 9th, 2022.
The Institute for Social Accountability (ISA) Founding trustee and National Coordinator, Wanjiru Gikonyo said there is need for civil societies to go back to the foundations of human rights.
She urged civil societies to communicate and work with communities to enable them be conversant with the challenges communities go through before, during and after the election period.
“In doing so it will enable the societies and other groups to engage the government and work out long term goals on how to deal with the issues,” said Gikonyo.
The National Coordinator was speaking during a forum hosted by KHRC and Angaza Movement on People’s Conversation on the State of the Nation and Elections Preparedness held at a Nairobi hotel that brought together civil society organizations, the public and stakeholders to demystify matters on electoral and political governance.
Gikonyo noted that the economy is the foundation of a country, stressing that democracy and values are key to proper stability of the economy. She lauded the government’s efforts in prioritizing agriculture and informal sectors in the country.
“Fifty per cent of Kenyans are employed in agriculture, the majority of those are small scale farmers while 82 per cent of Kenyans are employed in the informal sector,” added Gikonyo.
“We must work around these sectors and organize so that we understand the sectors, build our solidarity, monitor and push for the policies to be implanted,” she added.
Siasa Place Director, Nerima Wako said her organization has partnered with different organizations to educate the youths on the importance of voting for leaders who have good policies and how they can engage with different sectors.
She urged the youth to be involved in election matters and support others who are vying for different leadership positions in the upcoming election without asking for resources.
Wako stressed that the youth have the power to change the future of Kenya by being active voters during election periods, pushing for peace before, during and after elections, engaging with the leaders and mobilizing themselves to take up leadership positions.
Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) Executive Director, Davis Malobe in his remarks noted that election is a process that begins immediately after the announcement of the results, stressing that voter education needs to begin immediately.
