On August 9, Kenyans will go to the polls to elect their leaders, from president to ward representative. As usual, Kenya's election cycle is incomplete without having funny characters vying for the presidency. These characters come in, not to vie and win, but to grandstand and excite people. They will bring some comic relief that will draw people’s attention and get them talking.
In the 2013 and 2017 elections, we had a sensational character by the name of Mwalimu Abduba Dida of Alliance for Real Change. Dida caused a lot of laughter during the presidential debate that brought together TNA presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, among others. Mwalimu Dida stole the show with his hunger pang stories and became the talk of the town.
So far, the electoral commission has cleared four presidential candidates: Azimio's Raila Odinga, UDA William Ruto (Deputy President), Agano Party’s Waihiga Mwaure and Prof George Luchiri Wajackoyah of Roots Party of Kenya.
Prof Wajackoyah is the funniest presidential candidate in this year’s election. He is the new Abduba Dida. He became an instant celebrity after declaring his intention to legalise marijuana if he takes over as Commander-In-Chief.
Wajackoyah said his government will suspend the Constitution and deal with the corrupt ruthlessly. He warned corrupt judicial officers that he will hang them. He said the Judiciary is the biggest stumbling block in realising the aspirations of a prosperous nation.
The Ganja man said he will adopt a style whereby if one suspects himself to be corrupt, the state will encourage him to take his own life before he is tried, convicted and killed by the state.
Recently, during an interview, the 61-year-old professor of law started his campaign on a high note by declaring that his administration will embrace and promote snake farming as a way of increasing government revenue and paying off the ballooning debts.
Wajackoyah said snake farming is an untapped lucrative venture because snake poison will be extracted for medicinal purposes while the meat will be exported as food to countries like China where snake meat is a delicacy.
According to Wajackoyah, many people die from snakebites in Kenya due to lack of readily available antidotes. He said it saddens that as a country, we import antivenom instead of manufacturing it.
Wajackoyah had earlier on said that once he takes over, he will plant marijuana along the expressway. He has also warned that if he wins, he will relocate the capital from Nairobi to Northeastern to open up the Northern frontier and allow Nairobi to be an industrial hub.
Speaking on one of the local TV stations, the Ganja president said he will, together with his 35-year-old running mate Justina Wangui Wamae, release their 12-point agenda on July 2.
Prof Wajackoyah’s candidature is an exciting one. There are those who have dismissed him as a joker based on his ridiculous campaign agenda. That he has dismissed those calling him a joker does not take away the fact that he is not a serious presidential candidate. He is not in this race to win but to build his profile and make history as having run for the highest office in the land.
The fact that Wajackoyah holds 10 degrees in law is evident enough that weed can be funnier at times.
The ganja president might be sincere in his mission but you cannot promote marijuana in a society like ours and expect people to vote for you. Parents will not vote for you knowing only too well you are going to allow their children to smoke weed. In our society, snake rearing is associated with witchcraft. The moment you promote it, people will call you a witch doctor and avoid you like a plague.
Wajackoyah is in this race to entertain us but not to win. Even his style of campaign shows someone who is out to excite the masses and arouse their emotions but not to win. Maybe after the election, the government will be able to know the number of ganja smokers based on the number of votes he will garner.
The writer sells bananas in the streets of Kisii town. [email protected]
