Impact of Kenyan Elections on a Student

We asked EFAC Scholar and current communications work-study student, Hariet Mwangi, to reflect on the impact of the August 2022 Presidential Elections in Kenya. Hariet is currently in her third year of studies at Technical University of Kenya in Nairobi. She is working toward a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications.

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An election year in Kenya is different. Politics takes over most of the news. It can make or break the processes of this country. This year was no different. From the intense campaigns, the disagreements between the leaders to the political discussions everywhere, one could tell that politics was the main agenda this year.

As expected, this had different effects on different groups of people, including students. Personally, I definitely felt the effects. First of all, leaders know that the greatest percentage of people are the youth and are mostly students. They then find ways to secure their wins using students. They find ways to bribe students all the way from nominations to the actual elections. I approached by influential students trying to lure me into certain political affiliations by bribing me. Students would be taken by political leaders for luncheons and countless dinners just to try and befriend them. All these made me question who I am and what my values and principles are, and ultimately I did not participate. I definitely grew in a way, and so I would say that they were not entirely bad.

Discussions in class also changed. As journalism students we have to keep up with current issues. Lecturers all through the year made classes more about politics making headlines. On one hand they pricked our brains by bringing up different arguments on who is doing what and why but on the other hand it became a bit exhausting talking about the same thing. Some lecturers were very clear on their political affiliations and had views that differed with some students. This brought about  some sort of tension in class that was to me very uncomfortable.

Politics also had a great effect on my finances as well. This year, prices have been at the highest they have ever been. The business people did this from the uncertainty of what would happen after elections. Would they be able to sell or not? So they maximised their profit for a while before the elections. Apart from that, political rallies caused a steady rise in the amount we pay for transport to get to school. Given that I go to school in the CBD (Central Business District), I have to pay for transport to and from school. This definitely drained me quite a bit.

Elections in Kenya always bring with them a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. In the 2007 elections, Kenya went into tribal war after elections and it has never been the same. It traumatised people such that in 2022 they lived with crossed fingers hoping that no war would arise. This interfered with the mental health of many especially if you were affected before. It was not different for me. My mum kept calling to check up and warn me to be very careful and keep away from any political discussions. This disoriented me a bit because I want to also have an opinion and air it out. 

Another thing that happens is that Kenyans in the urban areas move back to the rural areas during elections. Schools were closed for 2 weeks and all roads lead back home. There was so much movement, that there was a shortage of oil and PSV vehicles across the country. It was not any different for me, I went home 4 days before the elections. In this chaos, my phone was stolen as I was heading home. The city was so crowded I didn't even know it was stolen until I got home. This again leads back to elections and the impact they have on everyday life.

I agree that elections and democracy are important but it should not make our lives stop. We should find a balance. Elections should feel more like an opportunity to choose our leaders and not a threat that may completely destroy our country or make our lives stop for a while.