Why power rightfully belongs to registered voters and not brokers

“I have delivered two presidents for this country, and I know how to make a president. There is no president you will make in a boardroom.” These are not my words. They are former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s, said on October 3, 2025. They disturbed me to the core.

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Not because I am naïve about our history since independence, but because too often the electorate are treated as instruments to be played rather than citizens to be respected.

Let me be respectful and clear. Politics should be among the people, not just in meeting rooms. Yet dignity requires that leaders are chosen by informed Kenyans, not manufactured by kingmakers. When we turn voters into crowds to be herded, we cheapen our democracy and slow our progress.

Right now, the work is urgent. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has relaunched continuous voter registration and set a target of 6.3 million new voters as a first step toward credible by-elections and the 2027 poll.

In the first four days, only 7,048 new Kenyans registered. That number must increase. Iris scans have been added alongside fingerprints and photos, but the iris scan is optional for those who are uncomfortable. In 2022, only about 65 per cent of registered voters turned out, meaning millions stayed home while decisions were made. If even half of the unregistered youth enroll now, the 2027 landscape will look different.

If 6.3 million sounds abstract, imagine Kasarani filled to capacity 131 times. That’s how many new voices we can add to the roll in each county today. Each name represents a school to be built, a clinic to be equipped, a shilling that can be tracked to service, and a promise that can be verified.

Why do many hesitate to register? Some still struggle to get IDs, even though first-time ID fees were eliminated this year. Others face distance to centres, transportation costs, or lack of clear information. Some are afraid of technology after past KIEMS failures on election day. These are genuine obstacles that require solutions, not excuses.

The IEBC must conduct registration at markets, campuses, estates, and churches, publish weekly county figures, deploy mobile teams, and protect data independently. Leaders should replace rallies with genuine service by helping citizens easily find centres and register.

Citizens must do the one thing they can only do – register and then vote. When principled citizens sit out, the ballot box hires whoever shows up. The energy of Gen Z should shift from the streets to sealed ballots, where change is peaceful and non-negotiable. Protest can awaken a nation. Only a counted vote can bring reform.

This time, we must reject the same old games. Don’t let anyone appoint leaders in private while claiming that power is in your hands. Evaluate every candidate based on ideas, integrity, and performance. Look for parties and independent leaders who stand firmly on clear ideology, not shifting alliances.

Start with your local community. Focus on electing one excellent MCA, one accountable MP, and one honest governor at a time. That is how a republic makes a turn for the better.

Don’t expect instant miracles. The status quo won’t disappear overnight, but purposeful voters still force even cynical politicians to listen. Real change is gradual, patient, and about building the nation.

This is the quiet revolution of credible registration and disciplined turnout. In every democracy, ballots outweigh brokers, and when citizens vote, nations grow stronger.

I urge every leader to fully support IEBC. Fund the logistics, keep politics out of the register, speak honestly about the new safeguards, and then step back to let Kenyans choose for themselves.

A recent viral sermon warned that refusing to vote is refusing duty. I won’t excommunicate anyone, but I agree with the message. Your vote is your voice. Your registration is your seat at the table. To refuse it is to silence yourself and hand over your future to others.

Think Green, Act Green.

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