Only a madman would want to be ECK chief

By Ibrahim Ndamwe

It has been reported previously that former President Daniel arap Moi literally begged the late Chief Justice Zacchaeus Chesoni to take charge of the ECK prior to the 1997 election.

In quick time, the opposition was digging up old muck about him and insisting he was ill-suited for the job. Unfortunately for them, Chesoni was, despite his accent, so brainy that when he hung his glasses on his nose like the appellate judge he was and snarled back, they all quaked in their boots.

Not too long after, one Samuel Kivuitu, a close friend that Chesoni had equally persuaded to help him prop up the ECK, took up the mandate. In no time, the hassles of fighting two-faced politicians had strained the old man so much that his clothes hang on him like a scarecrow – and his memory was all but gone.

Made a scapegoat

To be fair, he had announced publicly that he didn’t give a damn whether he was fired or not as all indications were in the run-up to the 2007 poll. But ODM stalwarts chanted that there would be no election without Kivuitu, forcing the old man, though sick and thoroughly bored with the whole thing, to once again assume the thankless job.

And now see where that got him. In our typical scapegoating manner, we have laid blame on Kivuitu for the entire mess that politicians and their bloodthirsty bands of idle, goat-headed supporters caused. We have so traumatised the man that he probably needs a shrink.

You would, therefore, expect Kenyans to give this lousy job a wide berth, but no. Thousands of naÔve sacrificial lambs are reportedly lining up for the same thankless job. Gabriel Mukele and Francis ole Kaparo may be eminently qualified but they are smart old men who should know better to enjoy their sunset years in bliss with their grandchildren.

Peace for chaos

Maina Kiai is a brilliant lawyerly type who knows from experience that one can’t win when doing battle with politicians. Alice Yano, Koki Muli and Wachira Maina have many productive and peaceful years ahead.

Nathaniel Tum and Samuel Oguk know they don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting even a sweepers job at ECK but still, they applied. What’s wrong with these folk?

Why would Uniter Kidulla want to trade the serenity of her courtroom for the noisy marketplace at ECK, directing elections for people so dishonest that they steal money from their left pockets and stash it in the right?