The by-election in Ol’ Kalou slated for tomorrow, Thursday the 16th of July 2026 presents a comical contrast that would make even the most serious observer chuckle. It is a classic tale of two men, two approaches, and two very different destinies unfolding before the very eyes of the watching public. One man appears to be running a campaign while the other appears to be running a circus.
Let us start with one Sammy Waiganjo Douglas Kamau Ngotho of DCP. This fellow reminds you of Humpty Dumpty perched precariously on his wall. There he sits, dazed and confused, and emerging from a drunken stupor. His minder, ever attentive, approaches with a bottle of alcohol ya kutoa lock, which our candidate receives with the eagerness of a parched traveller in a desert.
Then Sammy Waiganjo Douglas Kamau Ngotho takes a swig while still perched on that wall, He is oblivious of the spectacle he presents to voters passing by. Some stop to stare, their mouths agape. Others shake their heads and continue on their way. It is a sight that would make the late Humpty Dumpty proud, though one suspects even he had more sense than to drink on the job.
Meanwhile, a very different scene unfolds elsewhere in the constituency. Samuel Muchina Nyaga of UDA moves with the purpose of a man who knows exactly where he is going. He walks briskly towards the polling centre, his countless supporters trailing behind him like a loyal flock following a trusted shepherd. Muchina’s feet are firmly planted on the ground, and his eyes are fixed firmly on the future.
Muchina has walked this path many times before, through the dust and the mud, through the heat and the rain. He knows every shortcut, and every turn.
Sammy Waiganjo Douglas Kamau Ngotho of DCP is utterly unaware that a contest is even taking place. His minders, who usually do the heavy lifting for him, are nowhere to be found. They are perhaps having grown tired of carrying his weight. They have seen the writing on the wall, perhaps the same wall he is sitting on.
The people of Ol’ Kalou are observant folk. They watch these two men and make their judgments. They see Muchina Nyaga walking with purpose, his shoes dusty from the journey, his brow glistening with honest sweat. They see a man who has earned his place through years of service, who has carried the torch of the late David Kiaraho with dignity and dedication.
Then they see Sammy Kamau Ngotho sitting on his wall, emptying his bottle, and looking like a man who has no idea that his future hangs in the balance.
When the votes are finally counted and the dust settles, there will be only one victor – Samuel Muchina Nyaga. Sammy Waiganjo Kamau Douglas Ngotho will be left on his wall, bottle in hand.
Such is the fate of those who mistake a contest for a picnic.
Ni guchina na Muchina!
By
George Wanyoike