Voting during the October 26th, Uthiru Nursery School, Kiambu [Photo/siasa254.com]
The August 8th poll had over 80% voter turnout with close to 15 million voters casting their ballot.
However, the repeat poll of October 26th paints a different picture. Preliminary results from IEBC say the turnout was 48% of registered voters with the BBC claiming the turnout was 34%.
With over 19 million registered voters, questions are being asked about this low voter turnout.
So what caused this?
To begin with, Nasa supporters had been urged by Hon. Raila not to vote on the repeat poll. Referencing the disputed August 8th poll data, this meant that over 6 million Nasa voters did not show up at the ballot. That left approximately 9 million expected Jubilee voters. But this was not the case. IEBC gives a figure of approximately 6.5 million voters who turned out to vote.
So why the big difference in 2.5 million voters from the Jubilee camp?
The difference can be explained as follows.
Firstly, there was voter apathy all over the country. The Jubilee supporters assumed with Raila out of the race, it would be smooth sailing for Uhuru and Jubilee. Therefore, they did not bother to vote. There are rumors that with Raila out of the race, many Jubilee supporters did not have the motivation to vote for there was no ‘villain’ to vote against.
Another explanation could be the lack of money and time by the voters to travel to their respective voting stations. Remember we are at the end of the month and not too many people have been paid. Unlike the August poll which was at the beginning of the month when many had money, the repeat poll happened at a very bad time financially. People simply did not have funds to finance going home.
For example, one of my friends told me that he spends an average of Kshs. 15,000 whenever he goes home in Kitui. This includes transport and shopping for relatives back home. Of prime importance is his mother. Whenever he goes home, he cannot fail to do that all important household shopping for his dear mother. The repeat poll made he choose not to go for he could not afford to disappoint his mum by going home without that vital shopping. He’d rather stay away than face his mum.
The final explanation of the lower than usual voter turnout, was the fear of violence and protests by the voters. Both Jubilee and defiant Nasa supporters who wanted to vote, might have found it safer to stay at home. No one can blame them. Judging by the pictures circulating on TV and social media, it was rough in the hot spots of Kibera, Mathare, Kisumu, Bungoma, Siaya and Migori.
We hope the poll will be credible and a new president swore in so we can go on with our lives. We have been anxious for way too long. And it is hurting our minds, our finances, our businesses, our relationships with neighbors and the general wellbeing of the nation at large.