#FRONTROW: New governors had better deliver or be ready to serve just one term

Unlikely as the streetsmart politician’s run seemed at the beginning, Ferdinand “Babayao” Waititu's landslide win against the polished Kabogo is a study in how Kenyan voters think. PHOTO |FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mike Sonko, another unusual candidate for governor, handily beat the experienced corporate man, Evans Kidero, for the keys to our nation’s capital.
  • The #FagiaWote campaign might not have worked as effectively as its proponents would have wanted, but this is a good start, not just with the leadership of the devolved units, but at other levels too.
  • To use a tired trope, the natives are restless, and are desirous of change. The attrition rate for governors will probably be even higher in 2022 because disillusioned citizens will have seen that it can be done.

Watching Ferdinand Waititu “Babayao” take the oath of office over the weekend as the next governor of Kiambu was surreal. His predecessor, William Kabogo, appeared resigned to the fact that he had lost the “Punjab Derby” to a man he considered beneath him, but the voters obviously didn’t share his contempt for the former Kabete MP. He struggled through the text of the swearing in but he got to the end, to the relief and jubilation of the attendees.

Unlikely as the streetsmart politician’s run seemed at the beginning, his landslide win against the polished Kabogo is a study in how Kenyan voters think.
That is why Mike Sonko, another unusual candidate for governor, handily beat the experienced corporate man, Evans Kidero, for the keys to our nation’s capital. The good doctor initially contested the outcome of the election before quietly caving in and moving out of his City Hall office using two swanky Range Rovers. He must have read the public mood that had slowly shifted against him and decided to be gone before making the parting any more awkward. I interviewed both former governors during the campaign, back when they were still convinced that they would be re-elected. They are in a club of 25 governors who were kicked out in this extraordinary election in which voters made their voices heard loudly and unequivocally.

Even after some of them lost their party tickets in the nominations, they decided to run as independents because they thought they still had the people on their side. Only two governors were elected as Independent countrywide: Mohammed Kuti in Isiolo County and Ndiritu Muriithi in Laikipia. Kenyans were open-minded enough to elect three female governors: Charity Ngilu in Kitui (Narc) as well as Jubilee’s Joyce Laboso in Bomet and Anne Waiguru in Kirinyaga. They also elected a journalist, Granton Samboja of Wiper in Taita Taveta, and the country’s youngest governor, Stephen Sang, 32, in Nandi.

They felled giants from all the major parties and made a clear statement that they would not be rewarding underperformance, regardless of how important a politician thinks they are.

The great people of Machakos County re-elected Alfred Mutua on his now unstoppable Maendeleo Chap Chap Party despite the Wiper influence in the rest of Ukambani. It is not only a big middle finger for the political kingpin of the region, but also an endorsement of the work he has done for them.

Where the people felt taken advantage of, they corrected course and kicked out the problematic governor. Where the long-suffering citizens did not see development, they shopped around for new options and put them in office, hoping for improvement.

The #FagiaWote campaign might not have worked as effectively as its proponents would have wanted, but this is a good start, not just with the leadership of the devolved units, but at other levels too. For instance, the conscientious people of Makueni voted out all the members of the county assembly who had tried to impeach Governor Kivutha Kibwana. The fine people of Tetu kept their tradition of one-term MPs that they started in 1988 when it was established by dropping Ndung’u Gethenji and replacing him with advocate James Gichuhi Mwangi.
Kenyan voters get bad press for being simpletons easily swayed with cash handouts, empty promises and cheap merchandise but most are much more sophisticated than they get credit for. They seem to have discovered what Nakuru Governor-Elect Lee Kinyanjui spoke about at Waititu’s inauguration: “If counties are doing well, automatically the country will do well,” he told the guests. “If the counties are not performing well, likewise the country will not do well. We have a responsibility to nurture the counties so that the country can grow to greater lengths.”
He had better bring that message to the upcoming orientation session for the new Council of Governors if his new colleagues hope to survive the next election cycle.

To use a tired trope, the natives are restless, and are desirous of change. The attrition rate for governors will probably be even higher in 2022 because disillusioned citizens will have seen that it can be done. The new governors have to handle the challenges that their counties face decisively or they had better prepare for retirement. Corruption, useless “benchmarking” trips and being held hostage by the county assembly has to end. They have to fix infrastructure, improve public services and create jobs for the youth.

They must empower women, take care of the elderly and make their domains livable for everyone. The new crop of governors have a duty to reimagine the country for us, one county at a time. If they spend time building mansions, acquiring wealth and generally lazing around, they won’t be here for long, and they won’t be missed.

Send your comments to [email protected]

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FEEDBACK:

on how Larry Madowo was attacked over a fake news post

Larry, the court of public opinion will always have its way even when what it believes is nowhere near the truth. The fact that people attacked you will not change the fact that you always stand for what is right. Such behaviour was not unexpected, especially among those who were disappointed after their candidates lost the election.

Keep doing what you love doing, regardless of whether people appreciate it or not. You will be castigated even more; it is common in Kenya that those who do good are castigated when such good does not seem popular.

Do good and be on your way, brother!

Boniface Mutinda

Larry, I been following you on Twitter and the moment I saw what was being said about you regarding the post-election protests and the comments people were throwing around, I realised they were lies Thanks for sharing your story so that at least those who did not know get to know the truth. It is sad that most people don’t know that journalists have to be persistent, for example, your questioning of the CS or even the chief agent as this helps you produce an end product that is detailed and precise.

Becky

Larry, I think you’ve been impartial, and what you said in your article is true. I’m not for either side, and I think the government must account for the disturbing occurrences in Kisumu and Mathare, and NASA must respect democracy and be honest with themselves and with Kenyans.

Samuel Mbugua

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AFRICAN TRAGEDIES THE WORLD IGNORED

AT LEAST 499 had been killed though the real casualties could be well over 1,000 once all the bodies are recovered but you won’t see wall-to-wall coverage of it on the international TV networks.

The Sierra Leone mudslide that ripped through Freetown was just a footnote in the grand scale of things. You will instead hear about the British-Australian boy among the 13 killed in the Barcelona attack in Spain.

The death toll from the mudslide on August 14, 2017. The flooding that struck Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, has reached 441 with around 600 listed as missing reported on August 19. PHOTO| AFP

The BBC’s homepage even had a great black-and-white picture of the USS Indianapolis that it informed us had been found after 72 years. In fact, the only news from Africa on the landing page was about South Africa granting Grace Mugabe immunity and “Africa’s mystical underground churches”.

A ship that has been lost for longer than anybody cares is more important news than the deaths of hundreds of poor Africans.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a landslide in the northeastern province of Ituri killed at least 200 but that was also quickly ignored.

This is why international outlets need more diversity and more African voices. If we are not represented, our stories do not get the attention they deserve, and African deaths will still not matter to Western editors or audiences.

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WE’RE ALL LEGAL EXPERTS NOW

The last presidential election petition at the Supreme Court gave us Kethi Kilonzo, who burnt brightly before quickly fizzling out. This petition season we can all be Kethi Kilonzos, but without the legal degree. While the senior counsel and other learned friends do battle before the judges, we’ll also be arguing out our points before the court of public opinion.
On WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, we will all use our law degrees earned from the Google School of Law to dismiss our opponents or make fools of ourselves. If there’s one thing Kenyans love, it is making summary judgements on weighty matters with insufficient facts. Combined with our national pastime of politics, it couldn’t be a better time to be an idiot on the Internet. I know the temptation will be great in the days ahead, but try to resist it.

On the Internet you can be anything, why be a fool?