The Bahatian

The decision by the former Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, to endorse CPA Geoffrey Gitau Mwangi for the Nakuru county gubernatorial seat will prove to be a costly gamble. This is likely handing the incumbent governor, Susan Kihika, a victory on a silver platter. With former governor, Lee Kinyanjui, angling for a comeback, the race will be a two horse affair, with CPA Mwangi a fringe race outsider. Riggy G, as Gachagua is fondly known as, looks like ruffling feathers with every of his perceived political enemies, and this will be exploited to the advantage of Susan Kihika or Lee Kinyanjui, depending on ground shift when campaigns commences proper. Riggy G, during his recent tour of Nakuru county, didn't hide his disdain for Mr Kinyanjui, while at the same time landing digs at Ms Kihika. He cultivated the figure of a bully and his mantra of gather all and scatter none got scuttled in Nakuru. Pundits had expected him to back Tabitha Karanja Keroche, a known...

Left to right, Susan Kihika, Tabitha Karanja Keroche, and Liza Chelule Looking at the unfolding political theater especially in Nakuru County as the 2027 General Election race takes shape, one thing is clear; the talks of sending the so called Nakuru Girls home is premature. Nakuru Girls currently comprises of governor Susan Kihika, senator Tabitha Karanja Keroche, woman representative Liza Chelule  and legislators Irene Njoki Mrembo of Bahati, Charity Kathambi Chepkwony of Njoro, Martha Wangari of Gilgil and Jayne Kihara of Naivasha constituencies respectively. With the exception of senator Keroche, all other Nakuru Girls will be fighting hard to protect their seats. Ms Keroche has indicated she's going for the gubernatorial seat, and is ready to dethrone the incumbent with whom they've been pitted in internecine political exchanges. Some of these exchanges have degenerated to personal name calling, with other allegations seeing the governor rushing to courts filin...

After years of thumbing chalk, the celebrated teacher, Mr Gateru, retired. He retired in a ceremony of a kind, for he was more than an educator, but served in many leadership roles in the local community, and far. His impact was felt, and regaled by the many of the pupils he moulded and who today are scattered both locally and abroad.  He is celebrated more than a hero. It was while giving his retirement speech that he assured the community and the teaching fraternity that he wasn't going to retire to a life of penury or fade into oblivion but that his leadership was to be felt in a different way. He was going to contest in the upcoming elections for a parliamentary seat. "It's time to widen the scope of my leadership to represent you in a different capacity than in locally limited roles," he hinted as everyone cheered and clapped happily. The news of his political interest was received by the wannabe and seasoned politicians alike, and especially the incu...

Growing up, if there were those in society I revered, then it could be the men and women of collar. Those were days of mainstream churches before mushrooming of kiosk like churches that are more of personal enterprises than spiritual nourishment centers.  Back in the day, the men of collar were more visible than female clergy, and they led very simplistic if not humble lives. They could walk or cycle distances just for the passion of the gospel. Unlike their contemporaries today who drives fuel guzzlers, or can't do a kilometer long walk. The old generation of clergy was classic of sorts, their down to earth living is what would be associated with poverty. The misconception then was serving a calling meant forsaking everything to do with material wealth for the illusion of heavenly riches. If you then noticed their children, you'd mostly likely revere them the way you did their fathers. The notion here is their children were grounded in high moral upbringing livi...

Have you listened to a motivational speaker and kept on nodding in agreement as false hope was being sold to you? How did you feel when your eyes opened to the reality and that hope fizzled out quickly? Have you attended those so called seminars or listened to drivels of one passing as a financial expert telling you of ways you can make that financial breakthrough in a short time and be financially independent? Well, many have paid 'facilitation' fee to realize they gullibly bought false hopes. Take my recent example, for instance. Someone broached to me this idea of making it big in poultry rearing with little startup capital. The idea sounded so good, but the skeptical me refused to buy it. I'm the kind that loves to ask the hard questions. First, let me walk you down that idea. All it needed was Sh2000 as startup capital. With this I was to buy day old layer chicks each at Sh100. That's 20 layers in total. And as they came of age, I'd be assured of th...

When I met Gikara, a time he wanted to share some insights with me, after many of his attempts to reach Wamakothi, who by this time had blocked him, he told me something startling. Wamigunda and Wamakothi were not the only ones who overnight had changed and developed a hostile attitude towards him, but some of his other known friends. Each time he reached out for help, some immediately began to give him unsolicited investment advice he never asked for. How do you tell a hungry man to invest in a food business with zero capital injection and stock to start with in order to fend for himself? In some instances, he'd tell them to cut their crap and answer either yes or no to his request, not make him look like a pitiable beggar that first had to be humiliated before given that soft loan he was looking for. He told me a truth many don't know. Not everyone is cut for business. Not everyone is cut for employment. He had tried business as a side hustle while still employed ...