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Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to
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NO to secret ballot

It is conflicting to say ‘your vote your voice’ and at the same time believe ‘your vote your secret.’ It is a sword that politicians and citizens use to cut our individual democratic right. Why should your candidate be of secret?


Countries have advanced and better voting procedures have been put in place. But are we yet there? As easily as a leader can be elected in office is as easy as the regime can be voted out. Sagas, referendums, policies and a number of issues lead to that. In all ways the countries are using so much to prepare for elections and voting. We could use that money to save our environment.

Biometric voting system that Kenya used in 2013 general elections failed to be reliable when some voters were not in final registry. Analogue means boosted it and it was the opposition’s defendant cry that the government had failed to make the process efficient. They lost in court. Simple technology is better than complicated one.

After the white man left governance to the first leadership, there was only a simple method of voting- mlolongo system. Voters gathered at a school or church and queued to be counted. Cynicim, fear to be isolated and ‘tagged’ made people to fear the model. It was however such an honest way that liars were seen lying.

Having independent electoral bodies was thought to be a way out. That is wrong. They are day to day influenced by the actions of the ruling party and criticized by the opposition. Electorates see the institution as a determiner of a winning candidate which is of course their constitutional mandate. Their coming to offices was flawed, tribal, hidden and scrambled. We do not need every other institution for every other societal aspect.

That is why I am proposing a better voting system that is citizen based. Here a voter is given time to pick on leaders with least hula balloo. We do not need politicians to caravan around our towns and estates. Let them be hosted on TV shows. Let the local ones do a house to house thing or speak to local groups about development oriented goals. Rowdy youths and cartels would be done away with in a night.

If each qualified citizen was supplied a small phone, registered by his/her passport or ID number, a simple application developed by one of our able techs, a whole long week of voting introduced, a clear national online tallying database to benchmark the voters with existing records, a forum to see by serial number who voted for who, it would only take us a simple budget of salarying the electoral body in only a year! If we call ourselves civilized no one would be questioned negatively of his individual decision. If not this, a similar simple system is worth.

All considered who needs a leader anyway?

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