The Bahatian

The other day, a Nakuru based entrepreneur in hospitality sector was lamenting on a social media platform how business wasn't picking up despite investing massively on it, with a bank loan in tune of a million and accrued interest yet to be paid, and contemplated ending her life. Kenyans, in their uncharacteristic true self, rallied online and organically met at her facility in name of supporting the business and giving her the needed moral support, with reports some travelled all the way from Nairobi just to have a plate of food.   Hers is not an isolated example as businesses are struggling with notices of vacant spaces for rent plastered on doors where once thriving businesses used to operate at, but have since closed shop. Here's the reason why businesses are struggling or closing shop. No money in circulation There's little money circulating in the economy that many Kenyans don't have any disposable income to spend. It has nothing to do with holiday fes...

In the previous post, we looked at the prospects of the next Nakuru county governor being a female, and odds are high. Either the incumbent will be reelected or be replaced with the current senator in the 2027 ballot.   Still on the so called Nakuru Girls, at the constituency level, we've four female MPs elected in the four of the eleven consistencies that forms the Nakuru county. There are Irene Njoki of Bahati constituency, Charity Kathambi of Njoro constituency, Jayne Kihara of Naivasha constituency and Martha Wangari of Gilgil constituency. When you rope in the governor, woman representative and the senator, its clear women are breaking barriers in politics, and we're not speaking about using the gender card to ascend to political offices.    Looking at my home constituency of Bahati, there are possibilities the incumbent, Irene Njoki, will be replaced by a woman. One such is an aspirant by name of Mary Justus Mannabay, and who is giving the incumbent head...

In 2022 General Election, Nakuru county made a first in politics when it voted an all female ensemble of a trio compromising the governor, senator and woman representative. Some constituencies had female legislators and members of county assemblies. This led to coinage of the moniker Nakuru Girls to describe the rise of females in politics.   Interesting, despite the all female brigade in high echelon of the county's politics, many felt it wasn't enough to meet the two thirds gender rule prescribed in the constitution as the bicameral parliament had a high male representation, same with counties, where in the 47 counties in the geographical Kenya, there are majority male county bosses than there are females.   Of interest, since the coming of devolution, Nakuru county had produced one term governors. All have been elected on the political wave of the day. The current governor, Susan Kihika, is gearing to break the jink of the one term governor as she eyes her secon...

As Kenya's 2027 politics take shape, the race for Bahati constituency member of parliament seat in Nakuru county is attracting several candidates. Among the notable ones is Mary Justus Mannabay, who's seen as a great threat to the incumbent MP, Irene Njoki Mrembo. This writer sat down for an interview with her recently. She expressed that Bahati constituency had what it takes to be at par with Kiharu constituency but poor leadership is to blame. Here's part of the interview in question and answer format. Q : Going by the Bahati electorate sentiments that the quartet of the so called Nakuru Girls, that's the governor, senator, women representative, and the MP, should go home and male leadership return with exception of women representative position, what's your take? A : I believe not everyone subscribes to such archaic reasoning that a woman in leadership is a failure or cannot deliver. Leadership is not defined by gender. We have politicians and leaders. When peopl...

Mr Njaga has announced his intention to be a champion of the masses. By this, he intends to be elected a mheshimiwa in a top echelon position in Nakuru County. He's hardly a name that registers beyond his village and the dynamics of national politics are sheer fatigue to him. For those not averse who the man is, here's his brief. Mr Njaga was once a lowly paid primary school teacher. Those with long memory recalls the lean days he peddled his black mamba bicycle to a rundown government school ten kilometres away from his home. He was dreaded for his temper and famous for whipping ihii into 'civilized gentlemen' long before they faced the knife. Story had it the man disappeared from school for two years only to reemerge later with a headmaster's title. It was to emerge he had gone back to college to further the little training he had. From there, his fortunes changed for good. He started living large than the teacher's payslip could accord. He constructed a magni...

There was drama in a Nakuru County village last evening when an incident defying logic forced police officers on patrol to speed off in panic only to end up in a ditch before abandoning their Toyota Land Cruiser and taking off into a maize plantation.  It all began when a drunkard was staggering home way past 12a.m when the urge for a long call saw him walking to the local public cemetery to relieve self. Unbeknown to him, a couple was having a steamy coital session in the overgrown graveyard and the drunkard was startled to soberity by the pleasurable noises he mistook as from nocturnal ghosts in love making. To confirm his suspicions, his hazy eyes saw two human looking forms atop a grave in a gland-to-gland combat as a sliver of a moon peeked over the eastern horizon providing weak light. The drunkard, seeing surreal silhouettes of ghosts, sprinted off like a cheetah after a prey and it happened two police officers on patrol saw a form either from ethereal or corporeal world floatin...