By Mangoa Mosota and
Michael Wesonga
As excited voters carried Augustino Neto Oyugi shoulder-high after being declared winner of the Ndhiwa by-election, he looked overtly uncomfortable.
“That is enough,” he said.
His supporters obeyed but they were shocked. How was their new MP going to step in the mud outside the Ndhiwa Multi-Purpose Hall where voter tallying had just been finalised?
They looked at him again, hoping he would change his mind and settle on their shoulders for the victory lap around the venue. Neto, 35, was not going to do it.
Despite winning nearly 90 per cent of the votes cast, beating his closest rival, Kanu’s Tom Alila who only managed 2,290 votes out of the 24,255 cast on Monday night, Neto was not ready to enjoy the trappings of power. Not yet.
While he campaigned for the seat left vacant after the death of former MP Joshua Ojode in June, Neto presented himself as a man close to his people.
Thus jumping onto his people’s shoulders was to do what was contrary to his promised servant leadership.
When he wooed the electorate, Neto spoke to them in polished English, a language they loved listening to. Among them, speaking Kiswahili is a waste of time as they can only grasp about ten per cent of what is said.
And for them, a leader worth his name must speak impeccable English — evidence of thorough training in ‘good’ schools such as Alliance Boys at which Neto studied.
Fine language
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