
That the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has mailed prominent Kenyan bloggers for a meeting at the Windsor Golf Hotel, the mail titled: ‘Re: IEBC & Bloggers/Influencers Engagement Forum’, which was happening today at the Hotel. Shows the disregard of the public and revealing spectrum of lacking transparency from the IEBC.
You know the whole arrangement in this climate and with the record of accomplishment the IEBC have, that the whole words of: “The Commission wishes to engage with you on how to increase public confidence and participation in the forthcoming elections slated for 26th October 2017. Your participation is highly appreciated”. When the IEBC wants to secure public confidence before the elections and trying to pamper critical voices, you know the set-up already.
The bloggers invited does not follow the standard media protocol; neither follow the easily manufactured stories benefiting the elites and their will. They publish what they like and reveal exactly what they find from their own perspective. They have no stakeholders or no one doing their checks and balances. The Media houses and broadcasters has to follow standards and be controlled by the state to get license, but a blogger can publish as he or she pleases without asking anyone. That is why the IEBC contacts them and know their pivotal role in public discourse.
Many of these blogger would have written different stories if the state provided them with facts and actual actions that differs from what we are seeing today. The bloggers could not be so critical of the IEBC, if the IEBC complied with the provisions and the electoral laws, applied to the Constitution and actually cared about transparent about it. If the IEBC actually cared about the general state of elections and actually delivered on the necessary requirements of their vital role. Instead, they are trying to deflect and polish their reputation.
These bloggers should not be caught sipping the cocktails and juice with the IEBC; they should be looking into the newest revelations and documents of their planned behavior. Reveal the matters to the public and show that it is more of the same. The IEBC is acting as it did in August 2017. There are no changes before the fresh elections and the second standoff between Kenyatta and Odinga. Just more of the same. The tragedy unfolding before our eyes and the IEBC hopes we hold our eyes shut. Therefore, we do not see and close our ears, so we cannot listen.
Tabitha Mutemi, are surely acting in good faith as the Manager of the IEBC Corporate Affairs, who sent out this invitation and e-mail. Surely directed by the IEBC Secretariat, who wants to sway the bloggers to write post that is more festive and tweets. Instead, they should know that signal IEBC is sending is that they want to silence or muffle the bloggers into their sphere.
They should deliver and reform, but decided to not, because Jubilee said they did not have too. If not, it is how it’s perceived and the people got the message. So these sort of acts from the IEBC does not change the road-map or their standing in public. That the IEBC showed blatant disregard of the laws to benefit Kenyatta, still exists and has not left the building. It is still there and the bloggers have every right to write them up on it, until they change to become INDEPENDENT, not be a subsidiary of the Jubilee. Peace.















