Demanding Accountable Leadership
USAID provided support to a Kisumu-based civic group seeking transparent elections.
Local government elections have often played second fiddle to parliamentary elections in Kenya, and national-level politicians frequently use local government positions to their own advantage.
In Kisumu, the Municipal Council is notorious for manipulating electoral processes, as council members and the region's political elite collude to nominate associates for council positions rather than allow transparent election processes to identify candidates. As a result, citizens have been denied the opportunity to select leaders who best represent their interests.
This summer, the highly publicized mayoral ballot in Kisumu was once again poised for manipulation by the region's elite. And incumbent and opposing political blocs were exerting pressure on local politicians to further their own political ends.
Against this backdrop, the Nyanza Youth Coalition (NYC), a popular youth-led organization based in Kisumu, led a campaign to promote democratic and transparent mayoral elections. As a first step, NYC organized an unprecedented town hall meeting with support from USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives. The town hall meeting provided municipal councilors with a chance to explain their past performance and gave the public an opportunity to grill their representatives on their visions for the town.
|
| Nyanza Youth Coalition Coordinator Joshua Nyamori rallies protestors on the streets of Kisumu.
|
| |
"I have come to realize that the leadership of Kisumu is fallible. They don't always know what is right for us and, as responsive citizens, we should examine other schools of thought," said one participant in the town hall debate.
Historically, mayoral positions and other local government offices were used as stepping stones to gain entree into parliamentary appointments. The lack of accountability has hurt and contributed to slow development in local areas.
NYC also led a public rally drawing thousands and generating national media coverage. The event gave rise to the Kisumu Leadership Accountability Network, a new umbrella organization aiming to create a platform for alternative leadership in the region.
These activities have buttressed an emerging paradigm shift in Nyanza, a region historically dominated by patronage politics, by facilitating the acceptance of a variety of political views. Although the shift is embryonic, it provides a sign that
democracy and freedom of expression are finally finding a niche in Kisumu.
For further information, please contact:
Megan German, Program Manager - Kenya, 202-712-1997, mgerman@usaid.gov.
|
