Written by Steve Biko Wafula 2011-07-03 23:26:00 Read 5576 Times

The chessboard is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the Universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature and the player on the other side is hidden from us and in our case, our politicians are the exact replica of the chess pieces incarnate.

As we slowly but surely move towards the 2012 elections, whose exact date has been set in the New Constitution, but our confused crop of politicians are not so keen on implementing the relevant laws to make this a reality, the country is reflecting the ancient kingdoms of Britain with feuding chieftains with serious tribal affiliations and them coalescing at the front of the political war to champion their causes.

The Queen is the most powerful piece while the King is the most important piece in chess. This defines the essence as to why the country has been split into two key political regions, these being the Western region and the Eastern region. These regions are split right in the centre of the country. The important thing about this split is not the ground or land in dispute that the Crown Princes from various tribes would like to claim but the Crown Princes themselves and it’s a bit interesting clustering them into regions of where they fall as the Kingdom of Kenya is at stake, which means that the King is paramount and the voter or the queen in this analogy is the most powerful.

On the Western Side, we have the Crown Prince Raila Amolo Odinga, who is eyeing the Kingdom seat as the current King is, in Chess terms either going away hence the Kingdom is up for grabs with all its spoils. Raila is from the Western region of the country. This region has other aspiring Princes who would like to be crowned to gun for the Kingdome seat. Serious contenders are Eugene Wamalwa and William Ruto. Others are Bifwoli Wakoli, Cyrus Jirongo, Moses Wetangula and Musalia Mudavadi.

On the Eastern Side the Crown Prince is Uhuru Kenyatta, whose blood flows with royalty, his father having been the first King before. The other serious crown Prince contenders  are Mutava Musyimi, Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua. Others are Chirau Mwakwere, Peter Kenneth, Najib Balala and Charity Ngilu. They are classified as others because for them, its not really the Crown Prince title they crave, but they seek an assurance to protect their interests, be it personal or business.

So the question is, who will be crowned the ultimate Crown Prince to face the Crown Prince of Western Raila Amolo Odinga? We cannot resist the fascination of sacrifice, since a passion for
sacrifices is part of a Chess player's nature. This in essence might be the game plan by certain princes and others who are facing issues beyond their control like the Hague. In chess terms, facing the wrath of an overseeing power that ensures equality in terms of fairness and justice.

Strategy requires thought, tactics require observation. These are qualities that the current and only Crown Prince with enough experience has, Raila Amolo Odinga. But what about Eugene or Ruto or Uhuru? What do they possess that will make them The Crown Prince? What strategy are these gentlemen employing.

Combinations have always been the most intriguing aspect of Chess. The masters look for them, the public applauds them, the critics praise them. It is because combinations are possible that Chess
is more than a lifeless mathematical exercise. They are the poetry of the game; they are to Chess what melody is to music. They represent the triumph of mind over matter. And the aspect of combination is what makes our politics interesting. How will the Princes combine their numbers? How will they combine various factors like the Kikuyu’s have ruled twice for long, and the Kalenjins. The combination aspect will determine who faces Raila and how they do it.

The most important feature of the Chess position is the activity of the pieces. This is absolutely fundamental in all phases of the game. Opening game, Middle game and especially Endgame. The primary constraint on a piece's activity is the Pawn structure.

We have seen Eugene traverse the width and breath of Bungoma County in a bid to change how its political heart beat beats, since Bungoma county is the hotbed of politics in Western and his activities seem to be increasing. He is a Pawn turned Prince because a passed Pawn increases in strength as the number of pieces on the board diminishes. The likes of Ruto and Uhuru have their Achilles that might kill their bid for the Kingdom seat if the law will have anything to do with it. But is this kind of traversing relevant? Will it improve is calculation and combination of factors with a prudent strategy in his favour? Is Hon. Wetangula a pawn that Eugene can rely on or a Prince he should avoid?

Could we look into the head of a Chess player, we should see there a whole world of feelings, images, ideas, emotion and passion. Are the thoughts of the Princes the same? different? What goes through Eugene’s head all through? Does he believe in himself that he can be the Crown Prince of Western? That he can seat on the council of Champions and articulate the issues of the Western people? Does he have what it takes to face Raila? Does he have the qualities needed to unite all the leaders of Western including Hon. Moses Wetangula?

Every Chess master was once a beginner and as the political chess board begins to unfold, it’s interesting to see how the likes of Eugene will move their pieces and those of their benefectors.

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