ENSURE DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN KENYA
A statement from the Kenyan Community Abroad (KCA)
Released: September 15th, 2002.

The Kenyan Community Abroad (KCA) wishes to share its concern about the emerging political climate in Kenya, particularly the conduct of the outgoing Moi government. President Moi, who is constitutionally barred from seeking another term, is facing unprecedented circumstances in Kenya's short history; i.e. to guide the country through a critical transitory processes of changing the presidency and overseeing the
most comprehensive revision of Kenya's constitution. We recognize the difficulty of this task in a nation so polarized by ethnic and social
strife. However, three major issues concern us.

First, the manner in which President Moi is pushing the nomination of
Hon Uhuru Kenyatta as the presidential candidate for KANU is
dictatorial and bound to further fracture the nation along ethnic
lines, even long after the elections are completed. Whereas it is
within Mr Moi's constitutional right to express his opinion, in this
case voice support for his preferred candidate, firing of cabinet
ministers, withdrawal of commonsensical privileges, and police
harassment on those opposed to the president choice is tyrannical,
unfortunate, and shameful. If indeed Mr Moi is as popular as he
claims, then his endorsement should help Uhuru Kenyatta win free
and fair nomination within KANU. Allowing a free and democratic
nomination process is not only good for KANU as the largest political
party in Kenya, but it will also give national and international
legitimacy to an Uhuru government should he proceed to win the general
elections. However, the manner in which President Moi is pushing
Uhuru's nomination guarantees Kenyans another divisive leadership
that will have little local or international support to tackle the
pressing national issues that include abject poverty, lack of
infrastructure, and collapse of the education and health systems.

Second, we wish to strongly object to the use of government resources
to campaign for Uhuru Kenyatta, while the same is not accorded to
other candidates. For example, a political rally in support of Uhuru
in Nakuru on Saturday September 7th, 2002 was covered on live
television by the tax payer-funded Kenya Broadcasting Corporation,
while civil servants including District Commissioners, Provincial
Commissioners, and Chiefs were used to recruit and organizers
supporters, and government vehicles used to ferry them to Nakuru.
Given that all Kenyans pay taxes that fund the government, we wish
to demand that KANU disclose and refund the government of Kenya,
expenses incurred in organizing and hosting the partisan Nakuru
event. In addition, we demand a promise that public resources will
not be used again to campaign for KANU's candidate, or fake currency
printed, as happened in the 1992 elections to finance preferred
candidates while ruining the nation's economy.

Third, we once again demand that the Constitution of Kenya Review
Commission be left alone to continue drafting a new constitution
reflecting the aspirations of Kenyans. Recent indications of
political interference that could scuttle the process are extremely
disturbing and every effort must be made to protect the process.
The current blatant misuse of power by the executive government only
serves to emphasize the need for a better constitution under which
the next government would operate.

We call upon the international community, in particular the African
Union, European Union, United States, and United Nations to help
bring the pressure to bear upon the Moi government and ensure a
smooth transition of power. Often, the international community has
sat on the sidelines only to be called into a situation that has
become a catastrophe and one that could have been avoided with timely
intervention.

If Kenya has to reclaim her position as a politically stable nation,
leading in economic, technological, and scientific advances in Africa,
we MUST have a democratically elected government and a more just
constitution that reflects the wishes of our people. This much is
owed to Kenya's children.

KCA Executive Committee.
Web: http://kenyansabroad.org
e-mail: [email protected]

Copied to:
1. The Chairman, African Union
2. Secretary General, The European Union
3. The Secretary General, United Nations
4. Secretary of State, United States

Foreign Secretary, GOK,
Secretary General, KANU
Secretary General, NAK
Secretary General, Ford People
Daily Nation
The Standard
Foreign Newspapers.