Aug
Who Is Your Chief?
Written by Shiko
Up until yesterday (August, 30) I was of the opinion that I’d not been enumerated in the ongoing Census. After all, nobody had knocked on my door and there was no calling card to indicate that they came in my absence. I’ve since learnt that the enumerators did come but never got past security. They asked for information at the gate and security was happy to oblige. So much for the answers I’d prepared to their questions of whether I use electricity, what level of education my 3 year old nephew had attained so far, what type of floor I have, whether I own any livestock, canoes, handcarts or chicken. Anyway, if they were satisfied with the info they got, fine by me.
But supposing they had not come? The next requirement was to to to the Provincial Office or the local Chief. This I was not going to do but all the same it got me thinking, who is my chief? Heck, who is my District Officer? Who is my District Commissioner?
My earliest memory of a Chief is back in the village when at a young age, Mum gave me a small piece of land to grow veggies for the family and food for my rabbits. Nearby there was this huge tree that was dwarfing my weeds and I saw no reason why it could not be cut down. I mentioned that to Mum and she said we would have to get permission from the village Chief. True nobody was allowed to cut indigenous trees without permission from the authorities. Chiefs were a respected lot although I could swear their high standing in society came second to that of teachers. But in this case Mum was just joking and that was her way of putting the matter to rest.
The issue was instantly forgotten until i came across said Chief and asked him if the big tree could be felled. He gently declined my request. I think he even laughed and I hated him for it at that time. But now I understand. It’s a Mugumo tree and it stands to date. Such is the beauty of innocence. Felling a Mugumo tree because it was overshadowing baby potatoes, spinach, peas and rabbit feed.
The next time I had any business with the Chief was when I was registering for my National ID. The then Chief has since retired, I’ve no clue who the current one is, his/her office, his/her area of jurisdiction and what he/she does exactly. Both home and in Mombasa where I spend most of my time. I guess I need to find out just to know.
So, who is your Chief?
By Mama Shujaa on Aug 31, 2009
Yes, you should find out who your chief is! You have reminded me, about the first time I met my mum’s chief years ago on holiday from the US. He was a tall, lean young man who arrived onto the compound in a pick up truck, one afternoon, escorted by a few polisi. He looked like he could have been 16, kama kijana, so it was quite a shock for me. I had to rid my mind of historical images what a chief looks like and their role in the community. He had come to collect some money, for what? Can’t remember for sure.
Wow – the coverage or lack of, the population and its characteristics in the census! Wonder whether a comprehensive assessment of accuracy will be done?
By shikomsa on Aug 31, 2009
Mama Shujaa shifu in my village was also lean but not tall. Wise man who used to straddle the area solving every and each household squabble that was reported to him. He used to walk around swinging a walking stick which I believe was not for any limb support but just as a status symbol of some sort. I can’t remember well but I rarely saw him in official garb, always in an old suit and his shoes were always sparkling. I hear he used to carry a brush in his coat pocket to occasionally wipe off dust which was in plenty. Sometimes he used to use those green landrovers but most times he was just on foot.
By Digzer on Aug 31, 2009
Why would the enumerators be content with what they are told by the watchie? How does the watchie know whether you own a canoe in your ‘holiday home’?
Asi!
By magaribina on Aug 31, 2009
The chief ? That would be the chief of which location again ?
When I was looking to be recognised as a true Kenyan adult, I had to go to the chief’s office. Idon’t remember much except that we had to give some money for some harambee or the other to get that signature . And my interactions with this subset of humanity went downhill from there
By Mama on Aug 31, 2009
I told you, you had been counted you just didn’t know it. And what a waste of time and resources this census was….and no I don’t know my chief.
By Kelvin on Aug 31, 2009
I’m proud to say that my chief is female! Up until I met her, I had this picture of mean spirited fat men as chiefs. lol no offence intended to anyone
But I ‘met’ her years ago when I was looking for my ID. Since then, I have no idea if she is still there
By Kelvin on Aug 31, 2009
@ Shiko looks like you got a solution to your spam problems
By shikomsa on Aug 31, 2009
Digzer or some livestock up in the log cabin in the woods?
Mama yes indeed you told me. I was so waiting to tell them I have chicken all right. A few pieces in the freezer.
Kelvin now fat and mean looking was our sub-chief. With all the walking around I wonder how he managed coz our area is very hilly and his office was up one of those hills.
Spam. Kinda. Moderation tu for now but previously approved people pass through automatically.
By Our Kid on Aug 31, 2009
This “Who is your chief’ question, is it like the ‘Who is your Daddy?’ question.
By Sultana on Sep 1, 2009
Never known my chief. I guess, I will never know her/him either.
By UrXlnc on Sep 1, 2009
hehehe shiko-msa
what is this now eti you delegate response to census to the watchie,
even kibz had to be counted physically (even after voluntarily going live on national TV a few months back and declare a personal family count)
kweli kenya iko na wenyewe an we ni moja wao
By shikomsa on Sep 1, 2009
Sultana jana I was all fired up to find out but now the fire is dying fast.
Our Kid haha I wouldn’t be asking ya’all who are your daddies now would I?
Magaribina karibu sana. Wapi link? We need to discover your hilarious blog! You can get the location and stuff details on your ID. But they wont be of much help since constituencies, districts, locations and sub-locations it seems will all be a jumbled up mess at some point in future.
Your Excellency who is your chief? Those Census guys I waited for them faithfully each day until I discovered that they had come and gone. Kibz, maybe in the confines of Statehouse he finally declared some Armenian sons in law.
By joyunspeakable on Sep 1, 2009
come to think of it. i no longer know my chief. he retired and died. the one i used to know that is….
By NiKolaS on Sep 1, 2009
eeeerrr…
By NiKolaS on Sep 1, 2009
i prefer the who is your mother question by the famous or is it infamous first…
By Darius Stone on Sep 1, 2009
The last chief I knew was my grandfather, and all I remember was that even after his retirement, he was still anal about his impeccable dress sense with shiny shoes you could see your reflection on.
The man clearly never knew how to let go and thought it was a job for life – even dressing up and shining his shoes regardless of the fact that he was going nowhere. My grandma explained this to us by suggesting it was an occupational hazard and it would be cruel to remind him that he had retired and to stop him from being anal about some things.
To tell you the truth, I never really knew what he did as a chief.
By willpress on Sep 2, 2009
I’ve not been counted and am not going to the chief either! The bureaucracy at the Chief’s office is too much for my schedule to handle. . .
I’ve had encounters with 3 chiefs so far. 1st one was my uncle, got me my ID card in under two weeks, good man. The second, also a distant relative I saw during post election violence doing something very anti-law and order. The third found us walking around in the middle of the night and told us to go home ati kuna mungiki around. All in all, if you don’t look old, gaining accsses to chiefs can be quite the bitch.
By Cee on Sep 3, 2009
Ati Chief???? Haiya as in those that rule….when I saw chief I thought of the Nigerian version, where they call their sugar daddies and rich men Chief….so I wondered if Shiko now has a Chief of her own…lol….
Kama ni hao chifu wa kitambi na bakora, I can’t remember any encounter with those thro out my life so I guess I have no Chief
By shikomsa on Sep 3, 2009
Joyunspeakable mine too retired. The one who replaced him I tried to have him described but he’s from several ridges away from my area so I didn’t get it. Shags that is.
Nikolas it’s certainly the infamous.
Stone Cold quite a thing they have for sparkling shoes. Seems the Britons taught them well. I’ve been informed that the current sub-chief was my class in lower primary. Still can’t remember him though. Shame.
Willpress it seems Chiefs have a thing for bakoras. Kudos by the way. You get the Wanjiku Oscar for knowing the most chiefs. 3!
Haha Cee wakina Chief Oga nitawaweza kweli?
By Sleek on Sep 4, 2009
na, i rule my land…no chief for me…the guy laughed at a kid? mean sod..
By shikomsa on Sep 4, 2009
Yes Sleek. He laughed at a kid. Ok he laughed more at the idea of felling a Mugumo tree because of some kids plants. A mugumo tree is a revered one and carries many Kikuyu beliefs and traditions.
By Maua on Sep 11, 2009
Am I late here? I’ve never had to visit my chief. What are their jobs again?