GOVERNANCE IN KENYA
Types of Democracy in Kenya
Democracy refers to a form of governance where the government rules according to the wishes of the people and for the benefit of the people.
The leaders are elected by the people through elections.
There are two types of democracy:
Direct Democracy - this is also called participatory democracy or pure democracy. . in this type of democracy, all citizens are involved in making decisions on various issues thatconcern them. This is the best form of democracy.
Indirect democracy - this is also called representative democracy. In this type of democracy, citizens elect representatives who make decisions on their behalf. The elected representatives are supposed to make decisions the way people who elected them would like them to.
Benefits of democracy in society.
Democracy enables people to elect leaders of their choice.
Democracy promotes good governance in the society
Democracy promotes development and stability in the society
Democracy enables citizens to express themselves freely
Democracy promotes justice in society because all people are ruledby the law.
Democracy helps to protect the basic rights of all citizens
Democracy promotes peace, love and unity in society. This helps
reduce conflicts.
Electoral process in Kenya Importance of voting in Kenya
Voting is the action of electing someone in an election.
People vote to choose leaders who will represent them in the government, to exercise their democratic right and to replace bad leaders with good leaders.
Elective Political positions in Kenya
In Kenya we have six elective political positions. They are:
President - who leads the national government.
Governor - who is the head of the county government.
Senator - who represents the county in the senate
Member of parliament - who represents the constituency in the parliament.
Woman representative - represents women who are considered as marginalised group by the constitution.
Member of County Assembly - who represents the ward in the county assembly.
Voting steps in Kenya
The following are the steps of voting in Kenya.
Registration of voters on the voter’s register by the independent Electoral and boundaries Commission (IEBC) Giving civic education to the voters to help them understandthe proceedings
of voting.
On the day of voting, voters go to the polling station to elect their leaders.
For a voter to be allowed to vote:
He or she must have a national identity card or valid passport
He or she must appear on the voters register. Verifying of the names from the voter’s register using voters identification card
When cleared, the voter is given a ballot paper to fill. This is done in a booth or private room. He or she puts a mark next tothe name of the candidate of his or her choice.
The voter casts his or her ballot in a ballot box.
Once the voter casts his or her vote, a non-washable ink isused to make a mark on his or her small finger.
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