AS SHARIFF AS HASHIM? CHIABA WAS AS GOOD AS AN ENEMY. When my friend Hon. Chiaba opted to join Lamu East constituency politics, he knew at the back of his mind that he was not a Bajuni but he could capitalize on his shared faith and spirituality with his constituents to have his way. Of course, the enemy in this old political octogenarian was his hidden self interests but he could create some cover ups by sparingly do some noticeable development and partly changed the lives of his close supporters. I remember when I was still pursuing my undergraduates, Engineer Sufyan Yussuf would collect the CDF bursary for all the students at Moi University by then without even directly communicating to Chiaba. Moreover, am aware most of his close allies were linked to different government institutions and parastatals and he doesn’t ignore picking any one’s call till today. Of course, he could not utter even a word in the parliament to fight for the rights of the Bajunis but at least we can rate him with some identifiable legacy attributed to him. In my opinion, what Chiaba did is what any average politician would do in Kenya. Contrarily, our own brother Hon. Mohammed Hashim whom we loved by heart and blood, supported by hook and crook to parliament had giving falsified promises to his constituents during his tenure as his reward. My county speaker was in most cases emotional bridling anger and aggression. Despite, the poverty that bedevils Bausi, low educational levels of Nyebwana and poor health facilities at Mkokoni and Faza, he could claim the courage of going silent in parliament. He had the strength of losing friends and the weakness of creating more enemies. Lone ranger by then, he learnt a lesson when the next election knocked after his five year term. Am not in a position to rate his performance as Lamu county speaker for now, but at least I heard through the media his denial of the bill to stop women from wearing miniskirts. May be, he realized his shortcomings and he is willing to walk the talk and become the best speaker in the history of Lamu County. Consequently, my friend Hon Shariff AKA MZALENDO came into politics one year before elections with the clamor of philanthropy and patriotism. The owner of Al-Shams Agency would not hesitate paying the bills for any Bajuni whether from Mbwajumwali or Siyu who was in hospital, attended all the funerals and even contributed to the broth of several weddings. We all said he was the man the Bajuni community was yearning for decades and centuries. I even remember posting an article explaining his chances of winning the election after his charm fed into our mindsets. However, my MP is losing his allies day in, day out. He dislike those who criticize his leadership style and unknowingly uphold sycophancy for loyalty. He doesn’t consult his fellow leaders leave alone his good constituents over his projects that he executes in the constituency. The last development I saw was his image in an Iftar dinner with Jubilee Lands Minister Hon Charity Ngilu and Mining Minister Hon Balala on this same page. Ask Mr. Khaldun Vae and he tags you with the images. Sincerely, his performance is below my expectations for the previous year. He still has the chance to recollect himself by changing tact and win back our hearts, otherwise Chiaba’s performance in my own honest analysis would be better compared to the Patriot Hon Sharif. As I conclude, my readers are perplexed with what interest their writer to post such taming articles. Some have even inboxed inquiring on whether am aspiring to take over from Hon Shariff. I will not say yes, but if the chance to represent the Bajuni grievances come in any platform without seeking for honor or prestige or even undermining the collective interests and will of this noble community, or tainting any one’s image, I will respectfully take it without apology or fear of contradiction. However, as it stands now, am aspiring to be a good citizen, a real fighter and an activist for the rights and interests of our people.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 16:36:06 +0000
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