• Former footballer Mariga was not registered as a voter before nomination, has never interacted with Kibra residents.
• In as much as every citizen has a right to vie for any political seat, the person should be of people's interest.
Politics and football share a variety of analogical similarities and concrete differences.
However, both are independent entities that need no non-starters. In past times, we’ve seen some sports icons who have tried their luck in politics and have ended up losing in the election. Could MacDonald Mariga be the game-changer?
Kibra needs a person who has been raised there and understands the area vastly and also understands the miseries of its residents. Kibra residents need a serious person who can fill the shoes of the late Ken Okoth by replicating hospitality, accountability, determination and true leadership to the core.
However, here comes the dilemma. Football maestro Mariga wants to be the predecessor yet he is neither a registered voter nor a resident of Kibra. This quagmire needs a solution urgently, the star has never participated in any community development activities as expected of a candidate as a way of giving back to the society so how fit is he if the residents of the area of interest have never had any form of interaction with him?
Kibra needs a development-oriented predecessor, not a superstar. The seat shouldn’t be a sellout pushed by affiliation for credits, publicity and superiority and fame should never be considered as a leeway to clinching political seats.
In as much as every citizen has a right to vie for any political seat, the person should be of people’s interest at heart and should not be used by superior leaders as a weapon of destruction or a measure of political strength.
Party leaders choosing flagbearers should put the interests of Kibra residents first. Otherwise, the residents will suffer in the hands of the wrong leaders just for the bigwigs to prove a point to each other.
Mombasa