My spotlight today shines on the Ndivisi Ward MCA Martin Wanyonyi, also known as Investor. The man has attracted admiration and controversy in equal measure.
Let us peel the potato; MCA Martin Wanyonyi has a unique way of bonding with the common man (the genuine voters) in villages. He has clearly understood, that apart from delivering on the campaign promises made he must connect with the common man eye to eye to assess or maintain their political dalliance with him. Many of his detractors find this unique way of doing things very disturbing to them because they are unable to hit the ground running.
In politics they say, try to know what the common people think about you as a leader, either directly or indirectly. MCA Martin is pretty aware of that philosophy and has used it maximumly to his benefit.
On controversy, MCA Martin’s political approach in the ward is often flamboyant — something that his opponents find themselves very uncomfortable with. He won the seat resoundingly after defeating the former MCA Musakali (who was an old political recluse).
We admire Investor– and loathe Investor – because he’s succeeded where they have failed. The traditional elites [those who often cannot make it in politics] are jealous of him and want to see him destroyed because he’s a usurper of votes.
There are however, some concerns that Musakali may run again as MCA Ndivisi Ward. My intervention has been provoked, not so much by the ambitions of Musakali to return to power at the head of a prospering Ndivisi as by declarations of support from directions (weak people in politics) that leave one totally dumbfounded. It would appear that some, myself among them, had been overcomplacent about the magnitude of an ambition that seemed as preposterous as the late effort of a lame antelope to aspire yet again to the honour of presiding over a society that truly seeks prosperity. What one had dismissed was a rash of illusions, brought about by other political improbabilities that surround them, however, is being given an air of plausibility by individuals and groupings. Often I have been making statements invoking the possible recourse to psychiatric explanation for some of the incongruities in conduct within ward leadership. Now, to tell the truth, I have begun to seriously address the issue of which section of society requires the services of a psychiatrist. The contest for a seizure of rationality is now so polarized that I am quite reconciled to the fact it could be those of us on this side, not the opposing school of thought that ought to declare themselves candidates for a lunatic asylum. So be it.
The time being somewhat close to electoral decision, we can understand the haste of some to resort to shortcuts. In the process however, we should not commit the error of opening the political space to any person whose curative touch to ward afflictions will be more deadly than the disease. In order to reduce the clutter in our options towards the forthcoming elections, we urge a beginning from what we do know (MCA Martin), what we have undergone, what hundreds can verify, what can be sustained by evidence accessible (like the campaign promises delivered) even to the school pupil, the street food vendors or a just-come visitor.
MCA MARTIN — a man of the people!
