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"Mutua is our Obama" -Machakos voter-
2013 is bound to be remembered as the year when old politics started to crumble. Nothing illustrates this more brutally than what happened in Ukambani yesterday. While the country's attention was firmly focused on the by-elections in Bungoma and Bomachoge another by-election for a county assembly seat in Machakos saw an Alfred Mutua man win an election, almost by a landslide, against a man Kalonzo Musyoka had backed and campaigned for vigorously.
What???? Isn't Mutua that Man who senator Johnson Muthama described as a political novice and most analysts including this blogger agreed??
And even more surprising is the fact that all Governor Mutua did was to tell a rally 3 weeks ago that he preferred Oliver Nzeki of Chama cha Mapinduzi to the candidate being pushed by his own Wiper political party (Francis Ngunga). The word "preferred" coming from Mutua was more than enough for Machakos voters.
Meanwhile The Wiper party and CORD coalition spend money in big rallies and campaign events for their candidate. Mutua's candidate avoided rallies and embarked on a low key campaign that among other things reminded the voters of the governor's good word on his behalf.
Clearly the voters spoke loud and clear about who is calling the shots now in Ukambani and rather than it being their party leader it is the political "novice." WOW!!!
Amid all the controversies and old sins by the usual old suspects, the truth is that Kenyan politics is shifting dramatically from the old order. Fascinatingly while the business community has been quick to realize that the profile of the typical consumer in the country has changed so that chances of selling anything successfully without targeting the youth is now impossible, politicians in Ukambani have been a little slow in reading the writing on the wall. Most notably the Wiper party has continued to practice old vindictive petty politics.
For instance the party has been busy in recent weeks "revenging" against MPs who refused to step down for Kalonzo Musyoka to get back into parliament after CORD lost the presidential elections. This has been done by making such childish moves as frustrating the legislators and demanding that some of them resign their positions in house parliamentary committees.
In the old days such moves would excite Ukambani voters and give them plenty to gossip about (the Kamba love to gossip). Now it seems the effect is the opposite at best and in some cases may infuriate the people in Machakos.
For all intents and purposes it seems that Kalonzo Musyoka's political career is well and truly over. This has to be the beginning of the end for him.
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There is such a huge difference between political fundamentalism, political conservatism and siasa ya maendeleo kwa wote bila ubaguzi wa ukabila mambo-leo.
ReplyDeleteIn the same token, political deadwoods and dinosaurs are in a relegated league of their own as opposed to the progressive league of newly minted or promoted politicians like Alfred Mutua, among others.
The likes of Alfred Mutua will be a hard sell in other counties of the country where there is zero culture that prizes autonomy and independence, and in which people have yet to understand themselves to be largely self-made, rather than permanently give their souls, hearts and allegiance to and are thus formed by ukabila mambo-leo type of politics or what is not in their real best collective interests as a people.
Mheshimiwa Kipeopeo wa Kiruka-Njia-Ya-Katikati, forgot all about to read the writing on the wall of Ukambani, and the signs of the times in the whole of Kitui and Machakos.
In other words, as they say he is now a man whose time has come and gone, and the only honourable - face saving - thing left for him to do would be to quit cyclical election politics and the addiction of opening his mouth during every public gathering and high profile funerals in Ukambani and around the country.
There comes a time when a one time politician of his people and region should have the wisdom and real guts to figure out when enough is enough, then quit politics with grace, instead of being forced out or into oblivion as the case is set to be for Mzee Askari Kombo bin Kombo of Uguja - Ugoma, et al.
It's hoped that the country will continue to witness a constructive transition - shedding off - of leftover unproductive and destructive political elements who were diehard operatives during the Kenyatta I, Moi and Kibaki regimes that were entrenched in all things ukabila mambo-leo.
Otherwise the new crop of Alfred Mutuas of Kenya will continue to be sidelined, silenced, demonized and ostracized by the lords of impunity, lords of ukabila and tribal political war lords who love to govern within the realm sociopolitical "death."
By the way, for the record, Mutua continues to deliver as promised during the last general election, while Obama - with all due respect to the "son of a Kenyan father" - remains waxing political rhetoric for all it is worth.
The rise and eminent fall of Kalonzo Musyoka, the one time self-appointed 'king of Ukambani politics' is what it is, sealed fate given the aftermath of the last general election as well as the by-election for a county assembly seat in Machakos.
ReplyDeleteFurther, the well known entrenched political behaviors and very poor track records of the politicians like Kalonzo Musyoka and several others - MPigs - from Ukambani have not been tantamount to that of responsible stakeholders in the regional and national community.
That is why it goes without saying that there are large pockets of the population in Ukambani who would be very glad to raise a good riddance salute to politicians who are no longer of real productive political use to their counties, constituencies and whole region of Ukambani after five decades of political arrogance, abysmal representation, poor leadership at all levels, gross mismanagement, outright negligence, and loading it over the sons and daughters of Ukambani as if they do not count nor deserve any reasonable standard of living that is coupled with basic services.
Therefore, it is really right and fitting that the underperformers and zero-performers - you know who - should be benched, axed in one way or another, or even shown the exit door for good so that a real rebirth of the whole Ukambani region can continue to take solid roots.
Kenyan people of Ukambani, yes Kenyans as in raia damu of the Republic of Kenya, are vey much to blame for what has transpired and still continues to do so in their respective villages, communities, towns, constituencies and region at large over the last fifty-year period.
ReplyDeleteWakamba of Machakos and Kitui are, a people, like many of us, used to doing the very same old things - engaging in dysfunctional and old destructive voting patterns - by electing mediocre politicians and expecting different results if not better.
They have always done all they can and know how to do - for all the wrong reasons - with what they have from the unpalatable menu of challenged politicians that end up getting elected every five years at the expense of overdue development and progress in the whole of Ukambani.
Kenyan people of Ukambani are the majority of residents, constituents, electorate and raia in the region, and therefore or rather unfortunately, they have been used to walking into polling stations every five years - or during by-elections - without ever being offered any alternative in terms of worthwhile political candidates with a spine or men and women of real sociopolitical substance.
The people are always left trapped with nothing else other than what passes for a decaying or dead crop of mediocre political candidates who are usually selected from behind the scenes courtesy of their party kingpins and tribal lords and then forced upon the electorate.
Kwa hivyo, when all is said and done, the hope is that the change in fundamentals of Ukambbani politics is real and will continue to take effect for all the right reasons and throughout the the regions of Machakos, Kitui and beyond.
As for the likes Johnson Muthama, Kalonzo Musyoka, Charity Ngilu, et al, they have nothing new to bring to the sociopolitical development developments of Ukambani, other than trying to keep both communities sandwiched in the regressive and dark old political days of people like Muli Mustisya, Paul Ngei, etc.
Excuse the digression from Change in fundamentals of Ukambani Politics by reiterating the following ... tweet; Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, it would be very appropriate to ask, what is the real level of ujinga mwingi within some of us who are so fixated on claiming that a college degree is part and parcel of who we are as professionals and well informed citizens of the civilized world?
The ujinga mwingi thorny issue at hand is in reference to the above mentioned insensitive, racist and idiotic tweet that was released by a very 'well-educated, well-informed, and well-traveled' individual who allegedly earns over $160,000 a year, plus perks exceeding $40,000 in travel expense, etc.
In the meantime, there are concerned citizens of the world residing on various continents who are still trying to find out Where in Africa was the professional - well paid expatriate - with ujinga mwingi going to work for two years or more as a 'corporate communications director'?
Believe it or not, the usual suspects, including legions of her supporters and grand defenders of free speech have come out and seconded the statement issued by a certain corporate entity, name withheld, which stated that her tweet was an unsuccessful yet forgivable attempt at humour loaded with ujinga mwingi times a hundred.
Imagine for a second the amount of upheaval and tsunami of outcries demanding for the tweeter's head on a platter, had the remarks - tweet - been aimed or directed at certain groups of people in our larger worldwide community who are leading what has become 'acceptable' alternative lifestyles in accordance with the constitutional rights in their respective nations and human rights.
All things taken into account, there are some of us who still find the remarks - tweet - made by the professional with ujinga mwingi to be very offensive, insensitive, racist, and uncalled for, especially coming from a so-called 'a corporate communications director' who had been highly approved and recommended by the powers that be to work in the interest of their entity - as a very highly paid expatriate - located somewhere in Africa.
Was Nairobi, Kenya, the intended destination of choice given its convenient location with all of its exotic wildlife Safari and exclusive coastal tourist resorts that are a reserve for expatriates who crave to be posted in Kenya but loathe the locals aka "natives"?
Lest some of us forget to remind ourselves about the 24/7 sanctioned worship and adoration of all wazungu and watalii whose feet happen to bless any part or region of the "developing nation" of Kenya.
By the way, what 'decent person at the core' would even dream of puking such a tweet or remarks within the exclusive circles of their friends and professionals in this day and age?
The more people change, the more other choose to remain in the 'good old time culture' that was so prevalent not long ago.
Wapende wasipende, the novices will always end up becoming the seasoned professionals who are capable of determining the kind of path they desire to undertake into the future if they stay the course and keep their patriotic eyes on the prize.
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact, no matter how many lessons the old guard aka wazee wa impunity have taken, how much they have practiced the politics from the Nyayo School of Politics, how hard they try to remain stagnated within the corridors of power dating back to the previous administration, they - you know who - simply cannot continue to hang onto positions of leadership from now on.
Even if they are still very gifted in the art of utilizing destructive tribal political cards to bait or hoodwink their gullible ethnic bases, they will create only a mess of their masterful art of playing one community against another - or others - before, during and after general election.
The only way they can continue to sustain their old evil political ways will be with aid of their ignorant constituents and deadly breeds of diehard kondo that have elevated their ethnicity above the country and all else.
Change in fundamentals of Ukambani politics as well as the rest of the country is not an impossible possibility. By our own patriotic power and conscious volition it is possible; the history of political change for the better, and of a united citizenry, is all the proof the majority of us, the people, need.
Kalonzo Musyoka is among the double faced - tribal politicians - who have over stayed their welcome, squandered the goodwill of their respective constituents and the general public.
ReplyDeleteThey are a pool of politicians who have been known by their failures in many ways, including very despicable development track records during their time in parliament and other leadership positions.
Kalonzo's political antics and thirty year unquenchable thirst for power has taken a sour tinge as far as many are concerned, and that includes people of Ukambani as well as in the rest of the country.
It is high time for him to step aside, accept the people's mandate - rejection of him and his henchmen - during the last general election and several by -elections in Ukambani and move a private citizen, or return to practicing law as was the case before he became a career politician.
Enough is enough, the people of Ukambani have had it with politicians who having been taking them for granted and treating them like imbeciles in the course of the last five decades.
Hence, Kalonzo Musyoka should fold his tattered political tent and call it quits in order to pave way for a fresh crop of politicians who are willing to lead the people of Machakos and Kitui into a totally different political and economic direction.