BWIRE: Time to protect our democracy before it's too late

 

Protesters demonstrate over the Finance Bill in Nairobi 

Kenya's potential is very high, only if we find a way of dealing with many ills, including threats to democracy. Many of the threats democracy arise from internal and external factors. As the world marks the International Day of Democracy on September 15, we are left with a lot to ponder about, knowing the status of our democracy.

The day, according to the UN, is an opportunity to reinforce tenets like the importance of upholding free speech, civil liberties and the rule of law, ensuring accountable institutions and protecting and promoting human rights.

We are still fighting to reinforce these tenets of democracy as recommended. This is because, according to the Varieties of Democracy, (VDEM), 2024 democracy report, Kenya is in the cold comfort of being in the ‘grey zone’, meaning we are in between being an electoral democracy and at the risk of being an electoral autocracy.

To reverse this and make the country head more towards being an efficient electoral democracy or liberal democracy, we need to list the biggest threats to our democracy, with the worst threat to democracy being authoritarianism and the erosion of democratic norms.

Authoritarianism includes those leaders who refuse to leave power, and can use any means possible, to block competitors, who might be more beneficial to the communities they serve. For instance, how can you explain those MPs who have been in power for the longest time possible, with no major developments to show for the constituents they serve?

One way we citizens get things wrong is by assuming that MPs attending weddings and funerals and dishing out money is something significant. But no, it's not. In fact, it’s more of being hoodwinked.

We need to re-elect our leaders based on their development agenda, such as building roads, health facilities, schools,  bringing water and sanitation and care for the elderly, among others. This will then erode the culture of authoritarian or populist deceitful leaders who cling to power.

In his book The Bottom Billions, Paul Collier alludes to this and says "you are a citizen, and citizenship carries responsibilities. Without an informed electorate, politicians will continue to use the bottom billion merely for photo opportunities, rather than promoting real transformation."

Another threat to democracy is polarisation and identity politics. In cultures where we have multiple identities like Kenya, and Africa at large, some of our politicians have mastered and used the polarisation game so well. We are made to sing to funny identity tunes like ‘Morima’ (hill), ‘Pwani si Kenya’ (Coast is not part of Kenya), among other identifying factors for the sake of deep perpetual division.

Deep ideological divides make consensus-building difficult, leading to dysfunctional governance and an inability to address key issues. When identity symbols fail, ethnic, religious and in some countries like South Africa, racial identities come in, and all these factors end up undermining national cohesion, creating an environment where democratic dialogue is sidelined.

Corruption is another a big threat to our democracy. Corrupt practices among political leaders erode public trust, reduce accountability and can lead to the exploitation of state resources for personal or political gain. Graft  also erodes democracy and the rule of law, creating an environment that generally hinders business growth.

One of the principles of democracy is fairness. Still, corruption, coupled sometimes with large and unfair economic gaps, creates an unfair and unjust business environment, hindering the government's services from reaching the people who deserve them the most.

At the end of the day, when citizens lose faith in institutions like Parliament, courts, or the media, democratic systems become fragile, and populist or authoritarian leaders may exploit this dissatisfaction.

We the citizens, therefore, have a role to play in protecting the current freedoms and rights that we currently enjoy, want and wish to enjoy in the future. This is by ensuring that politicians do not treat us as the tokens in democracy, but as active participants.

Happy upcoming International Day of Democracy!

by VERA BWIRE