Time to cast your die for the right people

Three days left. Then we are all at our respective polling stations, casting our vote.

The voting scenario I remember most is from ten years ago, going to Kongoni Primary School shortly after the crack of dawn, crow of the cockerel and call of the muezzin, no croak of frog in the dirty little river that separated Nairobi West from South C (although when we were young, the water there was so clean fish lived in it, and some of the braver boys did ‘dush mpararo’ – naked diving – into the water).

So, in the spirit of the times, here are some ABCD of who I’d love to see either re-elected or get in.

Alfred Mutua (Maendeleo Chap Chap) of Masaku Much as ‘Men Only’ would love to see a woman governor, and I will return to that later, Machakos has consistently been voted as having the best developmental record across the last four years.

From the lights that line the roads of Masaku town (where darkness reigned before) to Machakos People’s Park that the good governor created for folks’ weekend recreation, not to forget that while all at even national level screamed about revamping stadia (but only Alfred Mutua has kept the stadium promise) to ‘Macha-Wood,’ the ONLY devolved artistic attempt in the entire country (let alone county), vote for your governor wisely.

If unlucky enough to live in a county where you feel neglected by the governor, e.g., there is filth everywhere and all you hear is stories of GDI (Global Development Indices) and how well you are doing in them, just throw out that county boss and give a doer, however eccentric or rude-looking, a chance.

After all, unlike GMO, one cannot eat GDI! As for Dr Alfred Mutua, I feel sure in second term he’ll do for the countryside what he’s done for Machakos Town.

Bonnie Mwangi for Starehe MP Let me begin with my feelings about the other contenders.

I really like Charles Njagua, whom I know, and his music isn’t bad. And I’m happy he sent old men like Maina Kamanda plummeting into retirement (unless he pops up elsewhere in a nominated role). But we worked for years with Bonnie Mwangi (in a sister magazine to this).

I know his passion, from pictures where he became a CNN African journalist of the year twice, to the politics of activism, where he has never hesitated to speak raw truth to power.

And this from a boy who, after being expelled from high school, was hawking books out on the street (with his over-zealous Akorino mom whom he loved until her sad demise).

From setting up PAWA 254 to being on the frontline of street demonstrations, Bonnie Mwangi is ‘the Outsider’ we need inside our National Assembly, dissembling and exposing the rot from within. After all, it is OUR taxpayer money keeping the Fat Cats, isn’t it?

Charles N Nguna for Mwingi West (MP)

I never thought that one of the boys from the EPL-supporting hooligans’ crew (we call ourselves ‘Mafans’) would ever become a serious contender for a national assembly seat.

But one Charles Nguna has arisen from our lung-bursting ranks, to run for the Mwingi West seat (as the Wiper nominee) on the strength of the CNN Foundation he set up a decade ago that is involved in Mwingi water projects, church roofing, has build a school and of course annually sponsors the Sh1.5 million CNN Football Tournament.

As for the rest of mafans, we’re just waiting for Chelsea versus Arsenal tomorrow evening.

Dame Martha Karua (NARC Kenya)

Her party symbol is a rose, and being outside of the Jubilee Party, a juggernaut in Central Kenya, Madam Martha Karua is a rose among thorns, who fought for our expanded democratic space, back in the 1990s.

Then there’s the thorny issue that her rival for the Kirinyaga gubernatorial seat is none other than Ms Ann Waiguru, a central figure in the National Youth Service (NYS) scandal of yester-year that drove the NYS to its knees, with billions gone from the scheme (and Waiguru’s former hairdresser admitting ferrying tens of millions of shillings to quarries in sacks).

So, people of Kirinyaga, because your county will give our country its first woman governor, ever, who do you want it to be?

The answer will be billowing in your ballot. But your choice, even as it goes down in history, will tell a lot about the sort of country we are choosing to be, from Tuesday on.