To beat Rachier in polls, opposition must unite

What you need to know:

  • It seems that all those opposed to the current leadership of Ambrose Rachier as the chairman are agreed that things have gone south at Gor.
  • Everybody seems agreed on the need for more transparency especially with the club’s finances.

One of the most interesting seasons politically in Kenya was the period just before the 1992 general elections.

These were to be the first polls involving many parties after almost a quarter century hiatus.

It was a period marked with serious dictatorship as President Moi and his band of kleptomaniacs raped the country left right and centre stripping bare a parastatal here, stealing a farm there and generally leaving a trail of destruction behind.

Coupled with stifled freedom of expression when those in the trenches for the Second Liberation finally had their way, all were convinced that Moi and his gang were finally being sent out to pasture. Sadly to their supporters, this was never to be.

With the opposition sharply divided, Moi romped home and was sworn in as the head of state amid whimpers from the opposition that the Electoral Commission had engaged in some Chinese accounting with the ballot boxes.

As I look at the heightened interest ahead of the impending Gor Mahia elections, I am seeing a repeat of the 1992 general elections. It seems that all those opposed to the current leadership of Ambrose Rachier as the chairman are agreed that things have gone south at K’Ogalo.

MORE TRANSPARENCY

Everybody seems agreed on the need for more transparency especially with the club’s finances. At a personal level I have nothing against Rachier.

He comes across as a cultured man. And if we have to be honest with ourselves, he has tried his best under the circumstances to lead the club.

Likewise the two top candidates seeking to oust Rachier, Dan Oketch and Chris Omondi sound like they have the best interest of the club at heart even as they scheme to send the incumbent office packing.

Admitted these are my personal views which, truth be said, are like thimblefuls of wine poured into a bucket with a view to making the drinker drunk.

My good advice to Dan and Chris is that if they are serious on having a new team at Gor then one of them will have to stand down for the other, otherwise both their ambitions will be as dead as a dodo on elections day.

Truth of the matter is, Rachier has his support base intact and those seeking to oust him will have to split their votes between Dan and Chris meaning the incumbent still be chairman by the end of the day.

And while at it, would the candidates do all of us a huge favour and ask their supporters to be a little bit more civil in their campaigns?