Mass voter registration will come to no good

The mass voter registration drive in Kenya kicked off on January 16th, ahead of the general election that is scheduled for August 2017. This is the second phase of the voter registration after the first one failed to record the expected number of voters. It is also meant to ensure that many people register before the general polls. The exercise that is said to conclude by February 14th is one-of-a-kind, since it targets over nine million people. The electoral body in Kenya IEBC has said that it has distributed the biometric voters’ registration (BVR) kits countrywide, to aid in the registration of people before the deadline. The same machines will be used during the election period.

Lost confidence

Contrary to the expectation, the number of people turning up at the voter listing centers is waning. Most people have lost confidence in the BVR kits after failing during the disputed general election in 2012. Already, almost 70 kits have been reported to be futile on the first day of the exercise. At the same time, most people are not finding any reason to vote after many elections turn chaotic and votes get embezzled. Consequently, the rising cases of corruption have kept many at bay. People do not have faith in the politicians, and the perception is that they only think of themselves and their families. Therefore, going to register is a waste of precious time, so is voting.

Tribalism

Most people feel like Kenya is owned by some individuals. The disease of #tribalism is still eminent, especially in politics. Some groups of people who are not well represented civically have totally detached themselves from political affairs, with a claim that they are not Kenyans. The reverberation of this is that most people do not engage in the government affairs and campaigns. It is just a mentality of “let’s eat today, for tomorrow we die."

The pinnacle

Indeed, the only time Kenyans are more powerful than the representatives is during the elections. The future of Kenya lies in the hands of its populace. This will only happen if they will choose leaders wisely. Failing to register as a voter means planning to tolerate bad politicians in office who will take Kenyans nowhere. On the other hand, the government should not invest in the mass voter registration. Instead, it should take time to convince people and teach them the importance of participating in the election process. Kenya is more than an individual, and a solution will only come from within. 

Kenya - withdrawal of soldiers from Somalia will paralyze security

President Uhuru Kenyatta has been pressed to withdraw Kenyan soldiers from Somalia, following the recent Al-Shabaab attack on a KDF camp that left 21 workforces dead and 44 others seriously injured. This came a few days after Kenya signed a deal with America to acquire modern fighter jets to aid in the war against Al-Shabaab. Speaking during the burial of one of the soldiers who was killed in the line of duty in #somalia, the grievers said it was time for the soldiers to protect the country’s borders from within. Less than a year ago, Al-Shabaab militia launched an attack on the Kenyan-run AMISOM army base in the town of El-Adde and killed a number of soldiers. The Al-Shabaab terror group has been targeting Kenya in its attacks as a sign of asking her to remove its troops from Somalia.

The repercussions behind the withdrawal

Withdrawing Kenyan forces from Somalia would mean yielding to the demands of the terrorists and definitely conceding defeat. In so doing, it will give them a reason to cause greater annihilation in countries that are currently supporting peace in Somalia Apart from adding itself to the list of countries that have turned their back against Somalia, Kenya will turn out to be egocentric and unwilling to support the Somalia brethren in restoring peace and gaining their freedom from the long-term dominance by the Al-Shabaab militia. Additionally, Kenya’s withdrawal from Somalia would have a negative implication for the country’s strategic interests in Somalia and its quest for peace, both within and without. Since Somalia is an immediate neighbor to Kenya, the exercise will mean drawing the Al-Shabaab group closer to Kenya and this may lead to its capture to this Al-Qaeda affiliate.

To withdraw or not to withdraw

If Kenya decides to withdraw its soldiers from the war-torn Somalia, it will impact adversely on the war against Al-Shabaab. It will also encourage Al-Shabaab to continue their reign of terror in Somalia and parts of Kenya. On the other hand, Kenya is fretful that the lack of funding for its troops from the United Nations is limiting its operations. Therefore, failure to withdraw its troops will see many innocent lives lost through the attacks by this terrorist group.

All in all, the option of pulling out is not as easy as the opposition groups make it appear, hitherto no-withdrawal is not as cost-free. Either way, Kenya’s best options for addressing rising insecurity depends on humanizing a unity of purpose among its political leadership and citizens in their commitment to the best national course, rather than narrow-minded political and ethnic interests. “Politicizing security issues is counter-productive to collective action and political consensus-building for addressing insecurity”. The threat of Al-Shabaab, in most cases, is mostly in its manipulation of these vulnerabilities that require imperative attention.

BVR kits proofs defunct as Raila Odinga warns of rigging

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has revealed that there are approximately 129,000 records of shared registration documents. This comes following prerogatives of shared identification numbers. The latest case indicated that the CORD leader Raila Odinga shared his ID card number with a woman for a concealed county. IEBC Chair has conversely said that the cases of multiple registrations are attributed to data entry errors at the time of registration, possible use of one ID to register more than once, attempted registration of more than one person using same ID as well as shared National ID numbers.

The BVR kits are defunct

Inconsistency in the voter’s registration indicates that the Biometric Voters Registration (BVR) kits are non-operational. As reported earlier, almost 70 kits failed on the first day of the mass voters registration exercise. It will be remembered that the BVR tools were not reliable in the disputed general election in 2012, forcing the IEBC to embark on manual alternatives. There is fear that Kenya will revert to the manual voting unless the kits are refurbished.

Raila warns of Rigging
On the contrary, Raila Odinga has pointed out that the cases of multiple voters registration is Jubilee’s plan to rig in the coming general election. He has also claimed that Jubilee is using the looted public funds to hire goons to coerce them. A few days ago, Raila Odinga raised concerns that the Jubilee government is registering foreigners to participate in the August General Election, besides using the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to register voters for the upcoming election.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has however disputed these assertions by terming them as malevolent propaganda. Uhuru has warned the opposition leader Raila Odinga against constantly extorting Kenyans with threats to violence. He has also criticized Raila for trying to blackmail Kenyans with violence after the August 8 election. Uhuru has urged Raila to go and seek votes from Kenyans instead of talking daily about violence and claims of rigging.

Is Raila conceding defeat?

President Uhuru Kenyatta has openly termed the concerns raised by Raila Odinga over multiple voter registration as phobia of losing in the general election. Uhuru claims that Raila’s habit of gratuitously citing his name in political campaigns is a sign of conceding defeat. He has accused the opposition of forging scandals to taint the good name of the jubilee government. The deputy President William Ruto has also added that the allegations leveled by the Cord leader that Jubilee MPs are changing laws to suit their needs is malicious and deluded. Raila has however laughed off their remarks by saying that they will be embarrassed during the elections and that he will not accept the results of rigged election. “Kenya will not be peaceful”

Provera is resilient enough to counter excessive use of pills

Provera works perfectly well to regulate the jumbled menstrual cycles and to counter the effects of excess pills

Most women are greatly disturbed when it comes to menstruation. Even though most of them use the family planning methods, reversing the process becomes a hard task. This forces a number of them to seek for alternatives which end up destroying their uterine walls completely.

Provera, which is generically known as Medroxyprogesterone acetate, is most commonly used to treat various disorders related to the menstrual cycle, which are often the result of a hormonal imbalance. These disorders include irregular or anomalous uterine bleeding, amenorrhea (lack of periods), endometriosis (a condition in which cells that normally line the uterus grow outside the womb or in other parts of the body) and excessive bleeding. It is used in lessening the risk of uterine cancer in women taking estrogen. Besides, it may be used for other conditions as determined by the physician.

Understanding Provera

Provera is a hormone which is frequently given to women in order to achieve a regular bleeding cycle. It works by modifying the lining of the uterus. Provera is usually given for 10 to 12 days after which one can expect bleeding from two to 10 days later. Provera does not cause abortion, but it should not be used in pregnancy since it may harm the unborn child. Provera is easily affordable. A single tablet of Provera costs Ksh. 30-50 depending on the location. The use of Provera portrays simple symptoms such as increased acne, spotting or break-through bleeding, changes in menstrual periods, vaginal itching or discharge, changes in appetite, stomach pain, bloating, insomnia), and jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes) among others.

Usage of Provera

Provera should be used for the shortest time possible, preferably 10 days, to minimize the risk of the side effects. Just like any other medicine, Provera is taken by mouth with or without food. It is taken routinely at the same time every day, with doses not more than 24 hours apart. If you miss a dose of Provera, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Caution should be taken not take 2 doses at once.