Defeat awaits Kizito in polls

When, early this year, I helped Kizito push through voter registration, many people laughed at me saying it wasn’t a big thing. That what I would earn would be little and temporary. How wrong they were. Having seen several elections, as an outsider, a campaigner, an observer and as an electoral official, I know very well that this is the season for the common mwananchi, like me and you, to eat. 

And I know there are three periods to eat, and eat well. There is the voter registration season, which I ate fairly well, although Kizito never paid me in full. The second and most lucrative is during party nominations. This is happening in the next few weeks and I thank God that it is scheduled during school holidays so that tecahers can fully participate.

Party nominations are a do or die affair. This is where any serious candidate must talk through the pockets. After nominations there will be a third season of eating: the main elections. This can also be lucrative.

So as soon as schools closed, Kizito asked to see me. He then made the right choice. For if there was anyone who is educated but down to earth, disciplined but accessible and known by everyone including chicken and cattle, that was me.

“You know elections end at nominations,” he told me. “And I did not resign from my job to come and lose.”  I agreed with him telling him how I had helped the current ward rep to win the elections.

“Kwa Hitler mimi ndio kusema, kwa Elkana na makanisa mimi ndio husikizwa and most teachers will do what I ask them to do,” I said.

“And that is where I am suffering – with teachers,” he said. “The current MCA was previously a teacher and has a hold on teachers.”

“Don’t worry, he retired long ago,” I said. “The new young crop of teachers do not follow him.”

“Will you come if I organise you to meet all teachers?” I asked him. He said that is exactly what he wanted. With schools closed, no one out there in holiday teaching, and no teacher having travelled to Nairobi to mark KCPE, that was a perfect time to get teachers.

BIG FEAST

Using my extensive networks, I reached out to many teachers asking them that we meet Kizito last Tuesday. At first I had put the venue at Mwisho wa Lami Primary, but fearing that someone may report us to Matiang’i and lead to interdiction for doing holiday tuitions, I moved to Apostle Elkana’s Shrine.

We were not getting many confirmations and I did not know why. Until I met Saphire. “Wewe Dre you are useless,” he said. “You think we teachers are choir members to ask us to meet in a church? Kwani ni Bible study?” He had a point.

“Weka Cosmos ama Kasuku you see how teachers will troop there.” I talked to Kizito who needed a lot of convincing and we agreed to meet at Kasuku. The change of venue message was quickly sent to teachers and I started getting confirmations.

With the meeting on Wednesday afternoon, at 3pm, I went to the venue early to ensure everything was fine. They had set up a place for us to sit, and food was ready in case we make orders. By 1pm, a number of teachers had arrived. There were 10 teachers by 2.15 pm, a full 45 minutes before the meeting was expected. They were just seated and talking.

“Kwani Dre umetuita hapa tukae tu njaa,” one of them asked. “Hujaambia Mheshimwa mkono mtupu haulambwi?”

I called Kizito who said that he had not budgeted to buy lunch. “But you guys can bite something as you wait for me,” I passed this message to my colleagues.

As I had feared, the teachers ordered food like they were in a wedding. Almost every one was taking half a chicken with ugali or rice or chapati. And almost everyone asked for soda Madiaba. I also took a Stoney Madiaba. We were so engrossed in eating we did not notice time pass and by 3.30pm, Kizito had not arrived.

Teachers started complaining.

“Wapi huyu Kizito wako Dre?” asked Mr Lutta, who had ordered an Allsops, telling the waiter that Kizito will pay. I called Kizito but one of his youth winger picked, and told me that he was finishing a meeting in a church somewhere and would come later. I ordered a second Stoney Madiaba as we continued waiting.

We had had about 27 teachers, but by 4.30pm, about four had left, tired of waiting. The rest of us kept waiting and talking.

“One of these days I will quit teaching,” said Lutta. This was not strange. Wherever teachers are seated and talking, there will always be one teacher who will say how they are upset. These ones never quit teaching, except when retiring.

It was around 6pm when Kizito arrived. I was on my third Stoney Madiaba. He apologised for coming late. “I was held up in another meeting that took very long,” he said. He then talked of how he respected teachers.

“What will you do for us?” asked Saphire, who was clearly drunk.

“I will ensure we build classes for all schools, every school will get a new classroom,” he said.

“How will that help me as Lutta?” asked Lutta.

“That will only help the school as I don’t sleep in a classroom,” said Saphire, more bluntly. Kizito looked upset, but he controlled himself and said he will always stand with teachers, without specifically saying how he will do so.

SEVEN T-SHIRTS

The waiter then gave him the bill. He kept shaking his head as he looked at the bill, visibly upset.

“What is this?” he asked me. “You people came here for a meeting or to eat?” he asked. “And how many were you? How can the few of you take two crates of Soda Madiaba?”

“We were many and we have waited for long,” I said.

“People were here from noon waiting for you.”

“People wait for me every day, even now bodaboda riders are waiting for me,” he said “But they are not eating as they wait? What is so special with teachers?”

The bar waiter also came with another bill for drinks. “I never asked anyone to drink!” Kizito shouted at him. “I may pay for food but I won’t pay for alcohol. Kwani mnafikiria niko na pesa ya kuharibu?” The bar attendant explained to him that some teachers had left but Kizito protested. After I talked to him, he settled all the bills and then stood up to leave.

“You teachers are so few and may not even vote,” he told me as he paid, then started walking to his Probox.

“Mhehimiwa unatuacha tu hivyo?” asked Saphire.

“Si mmekula?” Kizito asked him. “Sina pesa.”

“Hata T-shirt pekee Mheshimiwa?” asked Lutta, whose love for free things is legendary.  Kizito started his car, then reached to the back seat and threw a pack of T-shirts at me. “Ongeeni na Dre,” he said and sped off.

He had given me seven T-shirts, yet there were 15 of us. The teachers literally fought for the T-shirts. I didn’t even get any. From there most of us walked to Hitler’s, from where we decided to change camp and start campaigning against Kizito. “We may be few but our influence is big,” said Lutta.

Either way, a landslide defeat awaits Kizito during nominations.