2022 at a Glance -7 Things to Expect from the Year
This is the year that seems to already be old even before we get to it. It's been in everyone's lips especially in Kenya. The mood is almost setting in for it and am afraid, not much good from it. Keeping hope and faith alive, we expect the best any new year might offer.
Wat can we expect of the year in relation to the national elections? Let's see.
Campaigns and Political wars
Starting from Party primaries, campaigns from the lowest level _ member of county assembly, to presidency will be full of campaigns and political warfare's. Unfortunately for us, our politics have never been without a firery spark. The worst hit has been known to be that of years ago in 2008. What has been called the 2007 post election violence. With 2022 looking to be a 2 horse race again, it's no secret that it will be a season of defamation, verbal abuse and violence here and there. Corruption at its best as well. All we hope though is that things be a little bit calmer for the citizens to be a little comfortable in their own country.
Elections.
Who doesn't anticipate new leadership? With expectations higher than the normally high we hope for a change. Not to mean that the previous one might have been faulty, but we just love the change that a new one gives. Again not even sure that our expectations will be met, we still want a new face. National elections are even more important as many of us identify with more than one leader. You will hear some saying elect with the suit formula. To mean from presidency to MCA, vote or rather choose one political party. Kenyan elections have been known to be violent since multi partism came to action. Some with determination have had to stand several electioneering years without fail and with no success. About elections though, it's always such a pity that you either win or loose. No two way about it. You enter government or remain in the opposition. And that's just it.
School Calendars.
The elections will rarely bring good tidings. Maybe to the angry and corruptive people who are ready to eat up the politician's dirty money. To the vast majority however its not going to be a walk in the park. The school calendar is likely to be disruptive. Just when we are about to have the abnormal calendar equalised, it's a pity that we are likely to see another disruption. Here is the scenerio. Imagine elections on aug 9th, a few weeks after the start of the second term. Some schools will be used as polling stations while the teachers will need to have time out to go vote. Election day will be on a week day thus, there will be need for a holiday/day off country wide for this important exercise. This day might be a peaceful one but in announcing the results, chaos might erupt causing students and pupils to stay home longer till it's peaceful enough for them to go back.
Business and Economy
As hard as the economy is right now, it's no secret that 2022 poses a tougher year ahead. Both foreign and domestic investors may be afraid to invest in the country due to political turmoil. Imagine you invest in a beautiful business in the capital and months into it before you even recover your initial capital, political violence and looting happens?
Who would want to risk that much? How do you know? You might be asking. History repeats itself they say. We've had political patterns before and there's a higher likelihood that it will be better than or worse than what we have experienced before.
The Pandemic Factor
The COVID 19 pandemic is another thorn in the flesh. It just came in in such a time that perfect timing maybe a misplaced word. Let's look at it this way. Political tensions are high, and the Corona variants get worse by the day. Calling for a lock down. With already falling economy,how will those retrenched and those who feed from hand to mouth survive it? On tossing the coin, politics take center stage as campaigns warm up. Every region gets a taste of its roadside rallies while the pandemic numbers soar higher by the day. The rich gets themselves the best care available while the poor and middle class cannot afford medication and the full bed Capacity in major hospitals. The results, more deaths and less sympathetic leaders/politicians. Rallies are a spreading zone for the virus but still people will choose to go out there, risk getting it for dollar note that he lazily wouldn't get anywhere else or by chance had no job to give him his daily bread to feed his family. Circumstances will just get you to catch the virus at a time when health at its core is a matter of life and death.
Development and Infrastructure
Stalled infrastructure and developmental projects are another pattern to expect. With many of the new politician's using them to campaign and others saying how much more they can do when it's clear the past 5 years was nothing but non developmental. Others though may take the opportunity to finish a project and use it to campaign for another term. What's devastating though is the fact that many of them will always come with the same script they've used time and again while the new ones just copy paste what their precedents used before. And just like that, we give them the opportunity to lead regardless of their incompetence.
Lifestyle and Livelihoods of the Locals.
This is the year of handouts and open corruption for one reason or the other. Both the politicians and their victims at fault. Lifestyle and livelihoods of many Kenyans is bound to be affected big time. The rich get richer the poor gets poorer. What a pity to this harsh reality. Some will die from the political violence but never will the people they died about/for recognize their sacrifice and role. Others will sleep hungry because of their political stands. While others on the other end of the coin will be eating and dining, celebrating small and big wins. That's about life.
It's always good to prepare for the future and especially the near future. It's also paramount to hope for a better future. But it's necessary to work on bettering that future even before coming to it. Do due diligence to prepare for the coming year. So that it doesn't catch you unawares.
So then, what do you expect of the year? Share with us in the comment section.