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Hundreds of voters form long queues outside Ol Kalou Comprehensive School polling station as they wait patiently to cast their ballots during the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election. [File-Standard]
We missed one very important lesson from the Ol Kalou by election last week because it only became apparent after the votes had been counted. A few days ago, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna commented that those without voter cards need not attend his rallies, some people found his comments harsh and elitist. But in that statement lies an uncomfortable truth that Kenyans need to confront.
Elections are not won by the size of rallies or the number of people who attend them. They are not won by the sharpest insults traded across podiums or the loudest chants on social media. They are not won through intimidation and brutality that sometimes accompany political engagements. Elections are won by one thing and one thing only: Votes. And votes begin with voter registration.
Of the many lessons one can pick post the Ol Kalou vote, perhaps the most impressive was the spectacular voter turnout. In one of the WhatsApp groups I belong to, a member shared a video of an elderly man being assisted to a polling station to cast his vote. That single image portrayed a community that understands that democracy is not a spectator sport. Every vote matters, regardless of age or circumstance.
