SABATIA MARKET POLLS: RESPECT GOVERNOR BARASA'S WORD.

OPINION BY PAUL IMBAI 

THERE is movement, movement that threatens to reverse the gains this government has made and continues to make within the business class in Butere's Sabatia Market.

Two weeks ago, traders went to the elections to elect the Market Management Committee members in which three individuals contested as chairman.

At the polls, Ministry Officials were there, the basic structure of Kakamega County government including Sub County, Ward and Community Administrators were present at the exercise.

A trader at the elections in Sabatia Market being assisted to cast her ballot. 

After a day of dropping ballots and the eventual counting, a winner emerged beating his closest contender by one vote, yes ONE VOTE. He gannered 178 while the second gannered 177 votes.

After the dust settled, Governor Fernandes Barasa came to open the ODM office at Sabatia and having been Briefed about this exercise, said he stood by the decision of traders in as far as the sabatia election was concerned. 

Openly and loudly, The Governor unequivocally expressed confidence in the choice the traders had made and this announcement was received with jubilation.

However, fast forward, a cortorie of known brokers and market conmen, feeling defeated, quickly conjured up a stupid narrative that the chairman-elect was affiliated to Kakamega Women Representative Elsie Muhanda. 

This false nonsense is today being crammed down the throats of gullible local administration and is quickly being up taken by the Ministry involved with the aim of canceling the election that was widely acclaimed and seen to have been peaceful, free and fair. 

The Ministry concerned appears to be buying the Elsie trash and is pushing traders on the edge by attempting to call for another election. 

As an independent arbiter, Let me be categorical as such: Sabatia market traders made their voices heard but if this movement is allowed to go on and eventually another poll is held, the government and all it's agents could shamefully end up with an egg on the face. 

I do not support any of the top contenders for chairmanship but trust me if elections are crammed down the throats of the traders as it is being done, the same man will triumph and this time round not with one vote but many many more. 

I do not know between the Governor FCPA Fernandes Barasa's word and his concern and a few ministry officials in Butere and or in Kakamega whose word is final. 

I do not know why the Ministry concerned with markets and business people is determined to open old wounds and for whose interest? 

All I know is all those candidates are self-sponsored and the stupid narrative of Elsie sponsoring one or two of them is in itself a defeatist after-thought meant to confuse the flow of market democracy. 

The ministry can call all the contestants, putting in mind that the margin was just one vote, and help them craft a working formula on the way forward.

Sabatia needs a working Market Management Committee as early as yesterday, anybody delaying this is an enemy of Governor Fernandes Barasa and could be working for political opponents knowingly. 

The author is a retired teacher who deals in large scale cereals that he sells at whole-sale price he can be reached on imbaim@gmail.com.