CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

I once did a blog on my Cry for Kiaritha my dear village. Here is the link: http://kaberemartin.blogspot.com/2015/01/i-choose-to-cry-for-kiaritha-my-lovely.html Some months down the line, my sentiments are well proven here.

Before the 2013 elections, I visited my village and engaged a number of youth on how they were planning to vote. To my frustration, the conversation broke my heart since none of them had his or her priority right in terms of the variables they were to consider in choosing who to vote  for. Any attempt to try to enlighten a good number of them bore no fruits as most of them were just drunk or were just not interested in making any decision contrary what they had already settled for.  Let me share a quick analysis of my findings.

The man who was vying for the gubernatorial seat was by then very alien to the residents of my village but now that one of the front men in his campaign team was a vocal man from my village, he had already convinced them to vote for Ndathi, a man that none knew anything about.  Come elections time, he got the votes now that he was also running in the Party whose big man was Kamwana. In short, for Kamwana’s sake, we sold our county to the lowest bidder for lack of a better word. 

For the senatorial seat, we had a TNA man who had failed to do anything much as the area Mp but because of our dire desire to give Kamwana the much needed fire power, we had to reward the former high School teacher if not principal with a senatorial seat. Anyone who was not running via the TNA ticket despite being more promising that these failed politicians stood no chance. Two years down the line, the man has done nothing tangible for Kirinyaga County but we can do nothing much. Come 2017, I can bet that if he aligns himself well, we will crown his failed stint as a senator with another term in office and then the same old story of biting our fingers vowing not to re elect him will continue being sung for another five years.

The reasons justifying  the choice of our Mp beyond being a TNA man too was simply laughable. He only needed to perfect in what he does best to date. Call for masses to arrange themselves in groups of tens and then each group is given a thousand shillings note and thats it. Talk of someone else apart from Engineer Joseph Gitari and you may lose all teeth as the young men from my area who just need a mere sixty bob to be totally drunk are ever ready to lose their lives in defense of the *Generous* member of parliament. Some years down the line, he pops up in villages, burials and other areas just to cement his culture of *giving* in preparation of the icing of the cake come 2017. Do not be surprised if he ends up getting a higher seat as a reward for his *generosity*.

The most surprising line of argument was that of the reasons behind the viability of the then Member of County assembly contestant popularly known as  Kabanya. If I got it right, he was taunted to be a young hustler who was to be given the TNA ticket so that he can *rear* himself. This was justified by the fact that other well to do guys had failed my village folk despite their well oiled bank accounts since they still stole hence at least if a hustler stole and looted the county coffers, they were ready to put up with him. This line of thinking was just an outdated one but any attempt to correct it met an equal measure of justification. Fast forward 2015, I heard that the young man is rarely seen and the first thing he did was to relocate from hustlers’ environments to an area where Mheshimiwa can afford a nice meal, a nice house and other goodies that comes with such a position.

How about the youth rep? I rememember  George Kagori as a school mate at Kerugoya Boys High school. He was some classes ahead of me hence I remember him bullying me simply because I failed to share with him a pawpaw that mummie had just brought me in one of the fine Saturdays. I still bear a mark on my thigh where he pierced me with a knife. Anything more than this, I must admit that I have not done a lot of homework on his modus operandi but I have seen some few selfies of him representing the youth agenda abroad and in other areas. Pheeeeew, bet I need to do more on this!!!!

The fruits of the above blunders can be seen today judging by the situation in our Local hospitals, our roads, health centers that were hurriedly constructed to bait voters to vote for them and other failed sectors in the county. Locals are just paying the cost of making political choices based on their throats for the young men and wazees, market women on the dust coats and kumi kumi ideology. Waking up to the case of guys planting bananas in the middle of the roads now that they resemble shambas is no surprise to me but a confirmation of how cheap we are when it comes to making decisions about the present and the future too.

Here is a sample of the rants: From Willie wa UTQ’s wall

https://www.facebook.com/wilson.utq/media_set?set=a.10204429421684353.1073741841.1495593552&type=1&pnref=story 

Desperate moments call for desperate actions

Willie Wa Utq  Said

People have planted bananas on the miringa iri road kirinyaga county due to the fact that so much money has been spent on the road yet nothing long lasting. Many vehicles have been stuck along that road in the past few days

Liloh Wangui Said

I love the demonstrators....kudos to them,they should do that more often but peacefully

Victoria Tylan Said

Barabara imekua shamba...its time

Cate Kinjo Said

Kudos kerugoya pple these guys have taken our silence n peaceful nature for granted sasa wakiunda hiyo barabara nitakuwa naenda gichagi more often bila kuogopa Gari yangu kukuama I always call my mum tukutane town coz I can't drive to miringa two

Alice Wambui said

 And it worked I tell you. In hours not days. These leaders, must it come to this? I thank these people leo sikukwama

Nancy Wanja Said

Nakwambia waliweka jam haijawai onekana keru tafadhali serikali saidia iko mbaya kabisa.

Any attempt to engage those using the social networks, case of Kirinyaga County Facebook group    https://www.facebook.com/groups/50756601582/  gives no hope as political sycophants quickly starts hurling insults to those they disagree with hence the whole discussion quickly loses meaning and any sober man just withdraws hoping that one day one time, all will be well. Meanwhile the question, begs, Can the youth be trusted as the game changers in Kenyan politics? We have the numbers but we lack sobriety!!!!!  Pheeeeewwww!!!!!

This is simply reaping the  fruits of our labor. Am surprised that some one from this area is surprised and worried of the outcome of our political decisions. This is lack of sincerity if am asked. Can something good come out from our leaders?