The Mkenya Daima Initiative hosted the Civil Society Stakeholder Forum on 10^th May 2022 at the Nairobi Serena Hotel. The meeting provided an opportunity for participants to share and exchange information and knowledge for the purposes of collaboration and furtherance of credible and peaceful elections and quality leadership during this electioneering period.

Present during the event were Mkenya Daima Steering Committee members led by the Chairman Dr. Vimal Shah; Mr. Suba Churchill – Coordinator, National Civil Society Congress; Mr. Daniel Juma – Executive Director, Global Peace Foundation; Mr. Ken Njiru – Uungwana Institute; Mr. Mucai Kunyiha – KEPSA Director & Chair, Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM); Dr. Elizabeth Wala – KEPSA Director in charge of Health & Social Sectors; Ms. Martha Cheruto – KEPSA Deputy CEO – Foundation; Irene Gathinji – Aga Khan Foundation among other Civil Society Organisations (CSO) representatives.

Ms. Martha Cheruto – KEPSA Deputy CEO – Foundation said that the forum was centred on the pride of being Kenyan while focusing on the positive developments and what Kenyans want to see after the General Elections. She made reference to the sense of pride exhibited by all Kenyans, regardless of their diversity, when Kenyan athletes excel in local and global competition, saying this is what every Kenyan should have when it comes to peace during and after elections.

In his introductory remarks, Mr. Suba Churchill noted the need to build bridges and nurture civil society actors as well as patch the cracks that continue to grow in Kenyan politics. He said without peace, everything else will fall apart, including the forthcoming elections. He also called on the participants to work together for a country that the future generation will be proud to inherit. “Our progress may be slow, but democratic progression and realization of more open and democratic governance is commendable,” He noted.

Dr. Vimal Shah noted that institutions responsible for elections should have the credibility to ensure they don’t flout election rules. He also said that the Mkenya Daima civic engagement in the electoral process targeting the youth on elections is on course. “As stakeholders of Mkenya Daima, we need to be proactive with our vision for Kenya and peace. Let us arouse the leader in every Kenyan to stand out and say ‘Nitatenda Wajibu Wangu’,” Said Dr. Vimal.

Mr. Kunyiha noted that in any functioning democracy, elections by design are meant to accommodate differences in opinions. He added that this should be encouraged and is to be expected because the country is no longer a one-party state. He went on to say that there’s no single election that will solve all problems, adding that electoral participation is a process of nation-building where citizens can only count the progress achieved or not with every subsequent election until when the change that is needed is realized.

On his part, Mr. Daniel Juma observed that the young people are the ones being taken advantage of to cause chaos during elections and at the same time called on political players and Kenyan to engage in a civilized manner. His sentiments were reiterated by Mr. Ken Njiru who urged participants to continue with the conversation and engage actively through Mkenya Daima initiative. “The reason why we have gaps is that people choose to support leaders who are not of integrity,” He added.

The following are some of the takeaways from the discussions;

• Grand Synergy Development Initiative is committed: To help translate the Mkenya Daima Message into Swahili, Arabic, and Somali for dissemination to 3000 youth and residents of Garissa and neighbouring counties; To share with Mkenya Daima Secretariat a toolkit for monitoring ‘faith-based’ hate speech to assist in understanding the dynamics and triggers of violence ahead of the elections; and To disseminate the Mkenya Daima message in up to five radio shows/interviews in Garissa
• Mkenya Daima should consider taking lead in advancing patriotism in young Kenyans to influence and push the message about what it means to be truly patriotic in a multi-party democracy. Bring back patriotic songs celebrating different aspects of being Kenyan and the passion for sports and other cultural activities.
• Recent happenings of a political party holding interviews and vetting candidates to be chosen for a running mate is a democratic realization that should be encouraged and supported by all.
• The Kenyan media was challenged to also consider positive, business, or economy-led headlines to encourage dialogue on issues facing the economy even as they also celebrate politicians looking for power.
• CSO members committed to lend a voice to the campaign through various mechanisms to capitalize on their strengths and specializations in agreed focal areas.
• Mkenya Daima Initiative was also challenged to be able to speak truth to power by not only pushing a peace agenda but also advocating for justice on issues such as integrity and accountability, to help reduce the number of ‘bad seeds’ standing up for elective positions every election cycle.
• Mkenya Daima should ensure that even the most vulnerable in society are engaged and involved in the peace and leadership campaign initiatives, as they are often forgotten in addition to a sustainability plan to ensure that the Mkenya Daima message carries through beyond August 9th.
• Mkenya Daima should find a way to engage and work with the Bodaboda community which has a large block of easily accessible and willing youth that can be easily manipulated by politicians.
• Mkenya Daima should create a platform to showcase and celebrate young people running for election 2022 – no matter their party affiliations – to encourage young people to enter competitive politics while also taking the opportunity to influence change in the political parties.