by Bedah Mengo
NAIROBI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's political stalemate following the annulment of President Uhuru Kenyatta's win in Aug. 8 polls by the Supreme Court is unnerving the Kenyans.
The East African nation is currently facing uncertainty as political leaders from major parties namely National Super Alliance (NASA) and Jubilee engage in grandstanding over fresh elections scheduled Oct. 17.
NASA leader Raila Odinga has rejected the date as set by the electoral commission while President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Jubilee leader, insists elections should be held as scheduled.
On Friday, Kenyatta insisted that while he does not agree with the ruling by the Supreme Court, elections must be held on Oct. 17.
"We cannot allow change of date. Kenyan children are important to us. Our children will do their exams on time as earlier planned, the elections will not interfere with exam timetable," he said of the national exams scheduled to begin from Oct. 20.
The stand-off deepened on Friday after Odinga called on Kenyatta to resign following the sham election on Aug. 8.
He noted that evidence from the electoral commission showed that the polls were marred with irregularities and Kenyatta should never have been announced the winner.
"Kenyatta and Jubilee should resign and save Kenyan from repeat polls. Everything is now clear that he lost. Must you impose yourself on the people of Kenya? Now he is trying to buy individuals who lost," said Odinga in Nairobi.
Infighting among officials of the electoral commission has further worsened the ongoing political crisis, throwing preparation for next month's polls into jeopardy.
Officials at the poll's body are divided into two groups, one supporting changes following Aug. 8 bungled polls and the other rooting for status quo.
A leaked memo from the chairman demanding answers from the chief executive over the ruined election widened fallout at the commission expected to spearhead the Oct. 17 polls.
The events at the electoral body and on the political arena have pushed Kenyans to the edge amid rising cases of hate speech and ethnic hatred.
As political campaigns and realignments ahead of the polls hot up, the country is getting more divided, with citizens either supporting Kenyatta's Jubilee or Odinga's NASA.
"I am disappointed by the ongoing happenings in the country. We seem to be moving from one crisis to another without resolving any," businessman Gilbert Wandera said, noting the current fallout at the electoral commission does not inspire any confidence.
Wandera, who sells computers and related accessories in the Nairobi central business district, noted that the country is heavily divided that everything is looked from the tribal or the two major political parties' prism.
"The thing is one is being perceived as either a NASA or Jubilee supporter depending on where they come from. These perceptions are now finding their way into government agencies like the electoral commission as the political parties reject officials because of where they come from," he said.
Fredricker Muniu, an insurance agent and a mother of three, said her worry is that the ongoing political activities are tearing Kenyans apart.
"We are destroying the country, we are setting ourselves on a negative path. Even if we hold successful elections, what country shall we remain with in terms of unity? People are so charged currently that they can fight. Kenya is walking in a tight rope," she said.
As thousands of other parents in the East African nation, her fear is that the political activities would derail her children from concentrating in school.
"My son is preparing for Class Eight exams in Nairobi but we are still not sure if exams would take place because of the political crisis," she said.
On Thursday, 12 foreign envoys from Western countries called on Kenyans to shun violence ahead of fresh presidential elections.
The envoys from Britain, the United States and Germany, among other nations, noted electoral violence remains a serious problem in Kenya and called on leaders and citizens to reject it.
"We strongly urge the police to avoid using excessive force and to protect lives and property of all citizens. The police and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority should investigate crimes including hate speech and prosecute offenders," they said.
A lot of the hate mongering is happening on social media where millions of Kenyans engage on all manners of political discussions every day.
Kenyatta and Odinga supporters, including legislators, are normally divided along tribal lines and often clash on social media, prompting the government before Aug. 8 polls to warn the platform would be shut down if it poses threat to peace.
The Communication Authority and the National Integration Commission have warned Kenyans that they would be liable for any hate speech on social media.
