Plus Bizarre Incident of APs Found With Marked Kibaki Ballot Papers
In a few hours time, Kenyans go to the polls in what I have called the mother of all general elections.
If I get to the polling booth here’s what I will do and why.
My choice for councilor and MP will not make much sense to most of you but I can assure you that neither will go to ODM or PNU.
I have thought long and hard about my presidential vote. Those who have been here for a long time know that my preferred presidential candidate is not running. If John Githngo had run I woild have trooped over to the polling station where I am registered and I would have cast my vote for him even if I was sure I was the only Kenyan voting for him. You see contrary to what most Kenyans think a vote is NEVER lost or wasted. This thing is about your conscience. The big question you should always ask yourself is if you will live with our choice for the next 5 years.
Luckily my conscience still works (You can easily numb this critical faculty you know).
Despite the fact that I love my in-laws very much and despite the fact that I always seem to have a crash on Kikuyu ladies (like Mrs Kumekucha—even after all those years, PKW—many months ago, my good friend Sayra—the latest flame whom I feel so close to, my younger brother’s wife who is also Kikuyu accused me a few minutes ago of wanting to seat next to her—she was joking of course, etc.) I am not voting PNU. I woud never be able to live with myself if I did because a vote for PNU is a vote for Moi and Anglo Leasing and most of all it would be vote against John Githongo, a man who has risked his life and done Kenya proud.
Stevo comes from my tribe. But my vote for Ngilu in 1997 was the last time I will ever vote for tribal reasons. A man who hides in the toilet to avoid an important vote in parliament is not my idea of the courageous president we need to carry Kenya forward.
Personally I don’t like Raila and I have never liked him. I don’t want to go into details because there are a lot of things I know about his true character (e.g. the Shem Ochudho-Kenya-Pipeline-appointment saga). But like an unmarried woman running into her late 40s and with no other suitor in site except this man whose breath smells but has the money and loves me enough, I will vote Raila with all my heart and with a clean conscience. Out of all the terrible choices, he is clearly the best suited to take Kenya to the next level. In fact my prayer is that ODM fulfill only one election pledge and Kenya will be well on its’ way to being a super power in Africa. I am of course referring to the devolution agenda as per the Bomas draft.
Besides, if Raila turns out to be a disappointment, we will vote him out in 2012 (the year I expect that we will have a Kumekucha candidate for president.). Wembe ni ule ule.
Another reason why I am voting the previously “unelectable” presidential candidate is to help get it into the heads of Kenyans that anybody can be president. And besides it is not a bad strategy to change presidents every 5 years until we get the right candidate.
P.S. This business of Administration policemen being found with marked ballot papers in favor of the incumbent is really bizzare. It reminds me of the prophecy by somebody I don’t know to the effect that a lot will be exposed in these 2007 elections and also that one of the presidential candidates secretly plans to “spill blood” but will fail miserably.
This is high drama, especially the part where security personnel chased the KTN journalists with the AP rigging story and then when they lost them, they laid an ambush at I&M Building. Luckily the brave journalists gained access into the building through a back entrance and managed to file their story which was aired on KTN last night. I spoke to my Dad briefly about the incident and he seems to believe that this is ODM propaganda (he is voting Kibaki and nothing will change him). But we’re still great friends.
