Democratic Elections Are Like Mirages, The One Who Is Thirsty Assumes It Is Water!

9th August will be elections day in Kenya, these will be 6th elections under multi-party since the return of multi-party Democracy in 1992. 82 parties will participate in these elections, besides having independent candidates. Those who have shown interest in contesting for the presidency are 47 but just 4 were certified by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). Out of them is Raila Odinga of ODM (Azimio Coalition) or William Ruto (Kenya Kwanza Coalition) who are hopeful of winning these elections. As usual these coalitions have tribal organized themselves and already their incitements have been exposed very early in their campaigns to an extent of raising fear among local and international analysts on the security of the nation during and after the elections period.

These elections will take place in a period of where the citizens are in desperate situation especially on the issues of economy and security despite the fact that this situation keeps increasing every year. These two issues, have become extreme with no hope of being tackled very fast and soon, instead it has become an agenda taken advantaged by the presidential contestants with motives of drawing the voters on their sides. On the economic issue, every electioneering year, it is witnessed that the economy declines to lower levels compared to previous years before the elections. The economic growth deteriorated in the years 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017 at 0.2%, 0.5%, 3.8% and 3.8% respectively and it is expected that this year it will wane further. Among the things that contribute to the declining of the economy include: First -Inflation has made basic goods including food especially maize to raise to the level of Ksh250 per packet of 2kg. Two - Military conflict between Russia and Ukraine has caused shortage in wheat and fertilizer in the country, since Kenya imports 90% of wheat and fertilizer from the two countries! Third - Local and international companies, businesspersons and investors are drowning in anxiety on the aftermath of the elections. These reasons are mentioned by politicians for being the root cause of the hard life being witnessed currently, but the truth remains that the imperial economic system prioritizes the interests of the wealthy elites who own the means of production and distribution of resources. Indeed, every deep thinker will realize that because inflation was there before even the war in Ukraine! However, the fear is based on the competition between the haves ‘dynasties’ and have nots ‘hustlers’ and has led to the shortage in circulation of money in the market and even reducing the foreign currency reserve in the Central Bank especially the American Dollar.

On the security issue, already citizens are feeling threats to their lives especially due to provocative utterances from the politicians. Amongst the utterances are ‘we do not want spots, if it will be bad let it be bad.’ Such utterances together with emergence of groups and gangs alleged to be bankrolled and used by politicians to harass and attack political opponents and their supporters. In addition, Kenya currently is facing an educational crisis as a result of the hurriedly implementation of the new educational curriculum, CBC since the infrastructure and resources are not ready, and therefore risking the future of 1.4 million children’s lives who are supposed to join JSS.

O Muslims, politicians and their manifestos have succeeded in deceiving the citizens in to believing them that solution to their problems will be achieved via elections. Surprisingly, five elections have passed while the problems intensify, and is openly clear that these manifestos are just writings only with no implementation and the evidences for these are numerous.

Indeed, democratic elections are mirages to the thirsty one who assume it is water while it is not. Since, all political parties have discriminated Islam and nothing guarantees genuine solution. These elections in reality are used to legitimize the exercise of voting and they are not a source of solution to problems. For instance, presidential candidates are promising a lot. Ruto has promised to trickle down the resources in order to raise the status of the paupers together with allocation of Sh200 billion for giving out loans at lower interest rates to small scale businesspersons. On the other hand, Raila has promised to give Sh6,000 per month to 8 million Kenyans who are poor together with free education from primary to the university! Those are empty promises especially if we consider the status of Kenya’s economy cannot afford such promises due to heavy debts taken both within and without the country that stands at 8.2 trillion!

Consequently, the time has come for people to open their eyes and recognize that democratic elections are daytime dreams that are anchored on guesswork. Since, their politicians exploit the citizens’ suffering in order to use them like ladders to ascend into power. Later, ignore them until the next season of elections after 5 years.

The most important undertaking is to work day and night to resume the Islamic way of life in partnership with the Islamic movement of Hizb ut Tahrir. A movement that does not care about being blamed or castigated by lovers of democracy and their secular capitalist ideology. In order, to liberate ourselves from the political, socio-economic and educational nooses or shackles; there is no option than reestablishing the Islamic governance of Khilafah (Caliphate) in a country that has met the factors and conditions for consideration.

(وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَعْمَالُهُمْ كَسَرَابٍ بِقِيعَةٍ يَحْسَبُهُ الظَّمْآنُ مَاء حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءهُ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْئًا)

“But those who disbelieved – their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks it is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing.” [24. An-Nur: 39]