Luhya Spokesman Dream

It all happened when I was watching the evening news. Out of the blue, my 'chicken friends' were planning to make a big announcement. This was pretty new, interesting and fishy at the same time. You see, I've heard of a Village Elder, an Area Chief, a National Assembly mheshimiwa (Parliamentarian) who is sometimes mockingly referred to as a 'pig', a County Assembly mheshimiwa (Member of County Assembly) who is occasionally given the title 'panya' (rat). Speaking of 'panya', how about 'kung fu panya'?... Hehehe, okay. I've even heard of gods who must be crazy! But spokesman? Never ever. 

Mixed feelings 

One side of me felt that it was a great idea for such a time as this as the sentiments of the not-so-outspoken and less fortunate will finally be aired out by this outspoken, compassionate, caring and more fortunate fellow blablabla... They'd have an advocate, a voice, an authority - in this man. Behold, the community is not divided after all. They have a common purpose and they got their backs. They speak one language, move in one direction, have one of their own they can take pride in.

The other side of me felt that this was a retrogressive idea that will direct us to tribal thinking and give us the 'my tribe is better than yours, so what' mentality. I was afraid that the spokesman would dictate or control the power that lies within the people. My worry was that the luhya people would enslave themselves in the mob-psychology-like, self-seeking, egocentric rationale that 'we will vote for candidate x because that's who, we, as members of this community, have decided to vote for! And there's nothing you can do about it!' 'We have a luhya Spokesman, but is there loo ya spokesman?' I thought. Moving on, I was concerned that whoever was behind this idea may have had the intention of 'unifying' or 'classifying' 'the luhya vote' and sell it to tribal-minded presidential candidates. My point is, I personally don't mind if all communities have spokespeople so long as the members of that community understand that their spokesman needs not dictate the political direction they wish to take. Every luhya (read Kenyan) has an individual right, as a Kenyan citizen, to vote for whoever they like. And they will live happily ever after. 

Credits: Photo by Isaac Waale of Nation Media Group