The race to replace the late Kibra Mp Ken Okoth has been hot from start, every obsolete ODM member felt like seeking a rebirth through it even before the seat was declared vacant. The Ongoros, Sifunas, Sumras, and the rest in that crew. Then came a clique of kidding entertainers; Jubilee’s Kris Darling kneeling before the ODM leader Raila Odinga, to Khalighraph posting cheap joke of rapper Octopizzo who hails from the constituency.
Retired sportsmen then made a future; rumours of former Harambee Stars skipper Denis Oliech did rounds till the retired footballer dismissed them as hoax. In the same soccer note, retired soccer star McDonald Mariga whose candidature has since been invalidated because his details are missing in the Electoral register thought of this in his mid-day dream as the opportunity to give back to the community.
Mariga’s is said to be DP William Ruto’s project. With projections that 2022 presidential battle will be between him and Former PM Raila Odinga, Ruto saw this as the perfect opportunity to begin flexing muscles and challenging Raila in his home tuff. He wants to do so by dividing Luo and Luhya vote blocs and hurriedly crafted Mariga candidature aims to execute that.
NASA family also felt that this is the biggest opportunity to challenge their big brother in the coalition, ODM, for embracing handshake behind their backs. ANC has fielded Raila’s former aide, Eliud Owalo who messed with ODM campaign funds in 2013. Like Wiper did it and retained Embakasi South seat, now talks are doing rounds that they want to field rapper Prezzo(Jackson Makini).
Is that how we honour the late Ken Okoth? Ken was a bright leader, a servant leader, more of a worker not a boss. He was young, energetic, fluent and eloquent. He valued education and it was the core of his leadership. Who knows about Mariga and books, Kris Darling and books or Prezzo and books as they may have other elements defining their leadership styles? Mariga is a gambling maestro being used to settle political scores, Prezzo is a renowned heartbreaker and play boy.
Owalo may be a learned fellow but he is known for misappropriating ODM funds, losing his job at the orange party and directing his weak emotions at the possibility of Winnie Odinga’s candidature in 2017. His negative energy alone when Winnie was ailing was inhuman. He poses more as a gun for hire than a candidate.
This is not how to honour a fallen young leader. Okoth’s mpango wa kando cum baby mother posing with Mariga is pathetic, her son with Okoth will not be happy or proud of it when he grows up. That is just pathetic; the lowest people bend to politicians even to the extent of breaking family ties. May the voice of Kibra be loud at the ballot on November 7th and may Kibra make the late Ken Okoth proud.
