The Kajiado By-election: WHY Raila MUST Not Go To Sleep Yet

By Comrade Albert Nyakundi Amenya – Banana Pedlar

To the people of Kajiado Central, March 16, 2015 will forever remain august. This day will go down in the annals as the day when they buried the shackles of perpetual slavery. They openly resisted and rejected the government for seeking to enslave them mentally. By electing Raila’s point man ODM’s Memusi Kanchory, the auspicious people of KC broke the crab fingers of tribalism and sycophancy.

By openly defeating the government propaganda machineries that unsuccessfully tried to hoodwink them, they proved not to be voting robots. By saying “NO THANK YOU” to the President, his deputy and his errand boys, the Maasai Community expelled domination and oppression. They defied over 10,000 boots and guns deployed to harass, intimidate, dehumanize, and steal their inalienable right to elect a leader of their choice under a peaceful, free, fair and credible by-election. They voted for Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) they re-elected CORD man as the Member of Parliament.

When JAPanese came like a Tsunami, the sophisticated people of Kajiado Central raised a standard against them with their double edged swords – votes. Not even the JUBILEE and its vote rigging wizardry could kill their dream. How could the JAPanese ever dream of ruling the great and valiant people of Kajiado Central?

The victory is not for Memusi or the CORD fraternity. The victory is for the great and sophisticated people of Kajiado Central. The people of Kajiado have displayed their rich pedigree with royal courage. The JAP thought they could beguile the people of Kajiado like they did in Kabete. But the people were wiser. The people of Kajiado did not fall like the people of Kabete. They showed resistance and now they are happy for it. They were not cowed by the overwhelming importation of thugs masquerading as police officers to intimidate the people and make them abandon their mandate. They were not moved by the slush funds that were openly distributed to security agents and voters to make them complicit in the rigging of the election.

The country needs to borrow leaf from this exemplary determination and courageous disposition, if this country must witness the needed change in 2017. The people of Kajiado were too positive to be doubtful. Too optimistic to be fearful. Too determined to be defeated. They have not only elected Memusi, but have defeated the worst form of coup against democracy in the annals of Kenyan history.

CORD’S performance has endeared it to the people. His victory has successfully upturned the lies that the Maa Community would rather prefer “stomach infrastructure” to innovative leadership and development. They bandied the lie after hoodwinking the people of Kabete and forcing Waititu on them. But the people of Kajiado Central rejected the evil label. The people were ready to die for the man that is leading them out of Egypt to the Promised Land. They rose up, having learnt from the 2013 heist, to defend their votes.

Kenyans must not go to sleep. They should not be deceived by the outcome of this by-election, which was won due to the tenacity of the people, to believe that this outcome will usher in a free and fair in 2017. For the election to turn out the desired way, the people must insist that their votes must count. IEBC cannot be trusted based on this flash in the pan in Kajiado Central. Democracy in Kenya must truly be the government of the people, by the people, and for the people and never a government of the mighty, by the mighty, and for the mighty.

In view of this, IEBC must not take glory for the success of this by-election. They either shape up or ship out. The people will never tolerate any shenanigans from them in 2017. The people must be allowed to choose their leaders at all times. Kajiado Central is not the litmus test for 2017 as many may erroneously think. 2017 is going to be the litmus test for credible, free and fair elections in Kenya. Until then, let IEBC not bask in false euphoria of having got it right.

Kenyans must seize this moment and say “never again” to rigging and brutal subversion of the genuine wishes and aspiration of the people for true democracy in this country. If not, we the people will have ourselves to blame, like Shakespeare said in Julius Caesar: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” This is our chance; let the Kajiado example be our guiding light in 2015. Kenyans are more than ever before determined to vote out corruption, insecurity, poverty, unemployment and continuous looting of our national resources.
(The Writer is an Aspirant for Kitutu Chache North Constituency)