Momentary return of ‘Baba Yao’ kicked off energised audit of Kidero’s tepid reign

By PETER KIMANI

Seldom do antagonists sit shoulder to shoulder in any dispute, but one has to give it to Dr Evans Kidero and the man contesting his election as city governor. His name is Ferdinand Waititu but since he has too many aliases, let’s stick to his widely used nickname, Baba Yao.

Kidero’s consternation, moments after learning he had been ousted as Governor was only matched by Baba Yao’s raw, cry of victory. He truly enjoyed being back on the podium, and soon a crowd, no doubt brought to town for that express purpose, surged, clinging to his every word just as some clung to his coat-tails.

Those few moments of Baba Yao’s glory were enough to show Nairobians what they have been missing: someone to stir things up, quite literally, by marshalling a cast of energised followers fully devoted to their leader, if at times one given to misdirecting his flock, as he did at Kayole moons ago.

For those who have forgotten, Baba Yao decreed, in that vibrant, enthused manner that evokes goose bumps in his supporters, that some community should be expelled from their midst for alleged errors of omission or commission.

Baba Yao’s momentary victory came after Kidero’s yearlong stint in office andthrough it, Nairobians had a chance to reflect on the missed opportunities, the sort that Baba Yao could have exploited to the hilt.

There was the matatu strike that paralysed the city for a day or two, when matatu owners protested enhanced parking levies.

Kidero, who surprised friend and foe alike last year when he twangad some pretty-faced city politician, did not demonstrate such aggression when dealing with rogue matatu operators.

In such instances, Nairobians must have missed Baba Yao, the man who never saw a scuffle he did not wish to join. For those who have not seen Baba Yao in action, they should have no doubt about the man’s willingness to soil his hands and joining in the fray.

Whether that means grabbing stones and hurling them at those he and his followers perceive as their adversaries, or giving one a serious thumping.

Matatu operators

Put another way, most probably, matatu operators wouldn’t have had the temerity to block city roads with Baba Yao in charge because he would have responded in kind and driven them out of town with stones.

There was also the issue about traffic marshalls that are yet to take over city roads, in spite of their training, apparently because the boys in blue want to retain a presence on the roads.

Kidero acquiesced to those demands without a fight, and the men in blue stayed put. Imagine if it were Baba Yao being teased into a fight! He would have marshalled his many supporters, some of who behave like outlawed militias, and fought tooth and nail to take over the streets. That’s what leadership is all about.

So if a by-election is in the offing, then the city would be energised once more, and those who enjoy street antics that Baba Yao is famous for, would be enthralled to no end.

And once more, it would be down to the class sensibilities that defined the last election, the difference being that Kidero’s tepid reign in which so little has been achieved would be measured against Baba Yao’s street antics that could yield so much rouble rousing. And given Kenyans’ love for the dramatic, the sort that Baba Yao so ably represents, there could be interesting times ahead.