In
exactly ten calendar days from today, residents of the beautiful lakeside
county of Homa-bay will be headed to the ballot box for the final showdown in
the by-election to fill the senatorial seat that was left vacant
following the demise of Otieno Kajwang’ of the ‘bado mapambano’
fame.
It’s
now a foregone conclusion that the top two contenders for the vacant senatorial
seat are young Moses Kajwang’ of ODM and Philip Okundi of MDP. As matters
stand, either of them could clinch the county’s’ coveted senatorial seat.
Lacking
in magical powers to forecast the future however, I cannot foresee who of the
two is most likely to emerge the winner of this bitter duel. It could go either
way. But, as sure as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, I know
with certainty that a win by either of these two gentlemen will not necessarily
translate into a win for the good people of Homa-bay. And this is why.
Now, should the hitherto unknown young Moses
Kajwang’ clinch the seat, it will not be because he is (was) the best
candidate, with a better blueprint of policies for representation of the
county. It will not be because he is better suited and the most qualified
contestant for the seat. As it is, his ‘suitability’ is pegged on two aspects;
his youthfulness and the favor he carries with Raila Odinga. Had Raila (ODM)
opted for another candidate, absolutely none of his current crop of supporters
would have been parroting about Moses even if he had presented his candidature
on another ticket. Please note also that youthfulness does not automatically
portend good leadership. Neither does having the support of Raila. Since
followers of Baba cannot entertain the notion of ‘embarrassing’ their
leader, they will undoubtedly vote for Moses. Moses Kajwang’s victory therefore
will not be because of his impeccable leadership credentials. It will be
exclusively attributed to the political influence of Raila Odinga over the
region.
In
which case a win by Moses is a win for the ODM party leader as it would
immensely contribute in sending the message that his political grip over the
region is still intact. He will remain the undisputed kingpin of Luo Nyanza.
Young Moses too will benefit greatly for he will immediately begin enjoying the
trappings that come with the senatorial seat. A fleeting celebratory euphoria
is all his voters will relish.
Sooner
or later though, as is our wont, we are bound to begin complaining about
misrepresentation, or its lack thereof. In the heat of the moment, we will
forget that it is our inability to think beyond the prevailing political
atmosphere that put the wrong person into office, as is currently personified
by the myriads of complaints emanating from the constituents of Ndhiwa who are
displeased with the current MP, Augustino Neto. In spite of a similar
fury over under-handed machinations in ODM, Neto was voted in because of a)
his youthfulness, and b) to spare Raila the embarrassment of a loss; the
same reasons that might give Moses his win. Now, the same people who put him
(Neto) in office have leveled all manner of accusations against him ranging
from misrepresentation, mismanagement of funds to disloyalty to the party
leader. Remember Neto was not elected for dearth of better suited, development
oriented and visionary competitors. Ndhiwa had the likes Martin Owino (the
current Chief Officer of Health, HB County) who is presently doing a creditable
job in the health docket a midst the chaotic labyrinth of confusion and gluttony
that is the county government of Homa Bay.
A
win by Phillip Okundi on the other hand will be the culmination of the anger
and rebellion by a section of the populace over perceived dictatorship by the
Cord leader. By voting in Okundi, this section will merely be giving vent to
their anger. Because Okundi has dared to give face to their rebellion, he may
well get elected. His ‘suitability’ too will be two-thronged; a) his
rebellion, and b) his perceived animosity with Homa-bay county governor.
Again, his election will not be based upon his credentials and leadership
abilities or plans for the county. It will be a protest vote cast out of anger.
And we all know that matters that are done out of anger do not always herald
the best outcomes. It will also be because of the perception that his
indifference to Awiti will automatically lead to him questioning the runaway
mismanagement of funds currently being witnessed in the county. Even though the
role of the senate is to collectively exercise oversight over national revenue
allocated to the counties, the onus of putting Awiti in check is the
prerogative of the County Assembly, your Ward Reps, who are presently content
in sleeping on the job while the county wastes away. Let us also not forget
that in the last general election, Okundi was rejected in the gubernatorial
race because he had been previously ‘tried as an Mp and found wanting’. His win
will mean that the people of Homa-bay are no better than dogs that consume their
own vomit.
A
win for the voters of Homa-bay will only come about when we begin to sober up
from the subsequent political exultation and euphoria that surround and
permeate our collective minds and psychology during campaign and election
periods. When each individual candidate is assessed not on their affiliation to
party or political godfather, but on the merit of their leadership credentials,
integrity and policies upon which they base their candidature. As you will be
voting in Okundi or Moses, let it be known that suitable candidates who embody
good leadership qualities and competencies are in the current senatorial race
either as independents or through other parties. Most people are impressed with
the political maturity being displayed by a candidate like Fred Rabongo. The
reasoning that we are sparing him till 2017 general elections does not hold any
water.
Be
that is it may, I'm well aware that the imprudent herd mentality of voters will
always hinder them from seeing beyond their noses and electing individuals with
great leadership merits.
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