As is normal in any 'compee' ( my teens' language),every individual appeared tense and anxious.
Time was up for each proud citizen to express their democratic right of choosing their political leaders.
The usual village meetings with akina Kileges and the other news mongers stopped days before. It was like a ceasefire. The ‘word scuds' targeted at each other stopped abruptly and somehow automatically.A period of calm ensued and the silence was loud enough to be heard.
It made me recall those days when my siblings and I would abruptly stop talking without anybody asking us to as we scrambled for food from ‘Kerebeita’(others call it ‘kibereita'- a small cow skin which has been replaced by vegetable chopping boards in our kitchens today).
My mother opted to serve us Ugali on it for many reasons one being to help cool it and stop burning our little fingers, secondly so that she could easily share the food in equal portions thirdly, to allow us to individually choose portions of interest and fourthly,to easily detect and control those who ate faster than the others.
Making choices was the most difficult time.Boys were quick to pick theirs and would be making their second selection while us girls were still not 'sure' Which one to pick. The moment of silence was value adding and Whenever it befell us, Batiem(grandma) would jokingly say,’kosirtoo malakaiyiat'(an angel was passing by)
‘At long last' I thought loudly.The political Kerebeita was here with us and behold the time to make choices came with it.Unlike making choices from my mother’s Kerebeita, this one had prior influences.
The major campaigns done prior to the voting day and the ‘sera' put forth by individual candidates would majorly influence decision making on who the children of my mother, my beloved County, would nominate for the position of women representative, Member of Parliament and the Senator.
The election for the County Boss at this level of nomination was like playing cards.With cards,you move each as you anticipate what your opponent shall do and if you fail to predict their next move,you get beaten.
The general outcome of the nomination exercise was both As anticipated and NOT as anticipated meaning,each one of us voters had their own secret because,how else can contrary results be explained? Rigged? Stolen?At my level as a lay village voter, I can’t tell because I neither know nor understand what goes on behind those Ballot boxes.
Anyway, the surprise of the year was when a young girl, known as ‘Toto' clinched the women Rep seat as a nominee.
The ‘County' took a deep breath in disbelief ; when the truth sank, all and Sundry rushed to congratulate her. I wish to reserve comments on the ‘smack’ down witnessed yet again in the process of congratulating Toto. Let me not go that direction......
Now with dissolution of both houses ,the senate and parliament today comes the next step of the race;a major show and a great determinant of the economic and political environment of the days ahead.It is a make or break situation for our Nation.
Am legitimately party to this.Apart from being a voter,I also enjoy watching this ‘game’.The interesting thing about it this time round is that some of those beaten during nominations have had a change of ‘cloths’ and are up for the fight. New competitors have also emerged.You can imagine how it shall be.
My village mates and I have started to regroup.At our level,we have analyzed the outcome of the nominations.The CAT IS IN THE BAG,we Shall not let it out... untill that day,but we pray for peace,as we exercise our democratic right of making choices from the political ‘Kibereita’.
Through God's guidance,May the best win
Time was up for each proud citizen to express their democratic right of choosing their political leaders.
The usual village meetings with akina Kileges and the other news mongers stopped days before. It was like a ceasefire. The ‘word scuds' targeted at each other stopped abruptly and somehow automatically.A period of calm ensued and the silence was loud enough to be heard.
It made me recall those days when my siblings and I would abruptly stop talking without anybody asking us to as we scrambled for food from ‘Kerebeita’(others call it ‘kibereita'- a small cow skin which has been replaced by vegetable chopping boards in our kitchens today).
My mother opted to serve us Ugali on it for many reasons one being to help cool it and stop burning our little fingers, secondly so that she could easily share the food in equal portions thirdly, to allow us to individually choose portions of interest and fourthly,to easily detect and control those who ate faster than the others.
Making choices was the most difficult time.Boys were quick to pick theirs and would be making their second selection while us girls were still not 'sure' Which one to pick. The moment of silence was value adding and Whenever it befell us, Batiem(grandma) would jokingly say,’kosirtoo malakaiyiat'(an angel was passing by)
‘At long last' I thought loudly.The political Kerebeita was here with us and behold the time to make choices came with it.Unlike making choices from my mother’s Kerebeita, this one had prior influences.
The major campaigns done prior to the voting day and the ‘sera' put forth by individual candidates would majorly influence decision making on who the children of my mother, my beloved County, would nominate for the position of women representative, Member of Parliament and the Senator.
The election for the County Boss at this level of nomination was like playing cards.With cards,you move each as you anticipate what your opponent shall do and if you fail to predict their next move,you get beaten.
The general outcome of the nomination exercise was both As anticipated and NOT as anticipated meaning,each one of us voters had their own secret because,how else can contrary results be explained? Rigged? Stolen?At my level as a lay village voter, I can’t tell because I neither know nor understand what goes on behind those Ballot boxes.
Anyway, the surprise of the year was when a young girl, known as ‘Toto' clinched the women Rep seat as a nominee.
The ‘County' took a deep breath in disbelief ; when the truth sank, all and Sundry rushed to congratulate her. I wish to reserve comments on the ‘smack’ down witnessed yet again in the process of congratulating Toto. Let me not go that direction......
Now with dissolution of both houses ,the senate and parliament today comes the next step of the race;a major show and a great determinant of the economic and political environment of the days ahead.It is a make or break situation for our Nation.
Am legitimately party to this.Apart from being a voter,I also enjoy watching this ‘game’.The interesting thing about it this time round is that some of those beaten during nominations have had a change of ‘cloths’ and are up for the fight. New competitors have also emerged.You can imagine how it shall be.
My village mates and I have started to regroup.At our level,we have analyzed the outcome of the nominations.The CAT IS IN THE BAG,we Shall not let it out... untill that day,but we pray for peace,as we exercise our democratic right of making choices from the political ‘Kibereita’.
Through God's guidance,May the best win
