Goodkama Fiction presents Nyokabi Macharia (Wendo) Nick Kwach (Mugeni) Brian Ogola (Kowa), Auudi Rowa (Kabi), Abel Amunga (Njama), Sybil Collette (Rehab), Director, Vincent Mbaya, Ravi Karmalker; Writers, Kimani Waweru, Veronica Mbaya, Vincent Mbaya, Ravi Karmalker; Wreiters, KimaniWaweru, VeronicaMbaya, Ravi Karmlker; ©2022.
Chaguo in Swahili means selecting, voting, or electing one’s choice in representing the populace in an impending election exercise. Chaguo is similar, yet far apart from Daddy’s Girl (2017) a Ghallywood or, Ghanian (not Ghanananian) as most Africans would call this emerging African economic giant. Daddy’s Girl exploits a gubernatorial election exercise in Ghana, in which the daughter, Fiona (Martha Ankhoma) singlehandedly helps elect her innocent father, as governor. It is a gimmick, parody to a large extent, yet not far from the truth. Her father, a mechanical engineer, with not a slight experience of governmental and public administration, becomes a governor. The ploy is to make him The Manchuria Candidate (1962).
Chaguo in essence is not a made-up and fantastical story like Daddy’s Girl. Chaguo is a fact of life in our African politics today. The film portrays the campaign exercise of two political contestants Mathew Kowa (Brian Ogola) and Njama Mangero (Abel Amunga), who are going neck to neck. One represents the old establishment, and one represents the youth––the present generation (Gen X). Chaguo has two principal plot lines: politics/romance and both are important and complementary to one another.
Two young lovers Wendo (Nyokabi Mancharia), and Mugeni (Nick Kwach) are so in love with one another and are ready to tie the knot, but their relationship and future happiness get embroiled in a tribal and political web. Wendo enlists as a political campaign organizer for Mathew Kowa, direct opposition to Njama (Abel Amunga) an incumbent, espoused by the Jipange political establishment, also depending on the ragtag stalwarts of Jihange constituency, is cork sure the impending one-month-away election is already in the bag.
Mugeni is the direct nephew of Njama, whose well-being, financially of course, has been the goodwill of his uncle. At one point, Mugeni’s family doesn’t want him to marry Wendo because of her Toga ethnic tribe, which they look down upon. The reason why Njama, even when uninvited to the engagement dinner for the parents, forces himself and crashes the gathering, to the dismay of his nephew Mugeni. In his unauthorized visit to the gathering, he admonishes Wendo to join his campaign team, and that way she can have more money “to repair torn coats.”
On two occasions, Wendo and her candidate and campaign crew are attacked by Njama’s stalwarts, beating, and driving them out of the neighborhood. Already, Mugeni, having a grain of jealousy for the closeness between Wendo and Kowa, draws the line for Wendo to leave Kowa’s campaign. This, and Mugeni’s dislike for Wendo stubbornly working for Kowa’s campaign, instead of his uncle put too much strain on the beleaguered relationship. Wendo believes in the political philosophy of Kowa cementing tribal differences in the constituency against Njama and the establishment “having a chokehold and invidious policies.”
In fifteen minutes of screen time, any character we can associate with Njama is borne out in plain sight here at this gathering. Wherever he went, he was preceded by a siren from his motorcade, followed by a bevy of well-placed politicians and stalwarts. Njama’s presence and remarks at the gathering threw a pall on the promising merriment of the evening. In the end, the parents of both Wendo and Mugeni begrudgingly and abruptly left the dinner table, grumbling under their breaths. Wendo and Mugeni are left alone at the fifteen-millimeter-long table. What was once a hall buzzing with smiles, hope, and prospects, is now left with drinks and food untouched and a deafening quietness. There they sit dejectedly. Wendo avowed never to leave Kowa’s campaign. Mugeni too hates his uncle for his tribal and the disrespect he showed for Wendo and her parents.
Mugeni couldn’t escape from the demands of his parents about Wendo. His parents want him to join his uncle’s campaign and that way, they could groom him to take his place as MP in the future when Njama must have gotten the governor’s chair. Mugeni is young and has other thoughts but not politics. But they meet him halfway: He could marry Wendo straightway before the election.
Now is 34 days to the election, and things are heated up in the political landscape. Kowa is already generating a heady-wine national buzz, and this is running Njama Manjero, scared stiff. By and by, the two lovers perched their relationship especially when Mugeni is coerced into a speedy wedding before the election. Njama finances it. That is simply another political ploy, not to the benefit of the young couple but to blow the event out of proportion to show him and the Kora family as liberal. This didn’t sit well with Wendo but still had to go with Mugeni—a steadfast woman with pure love for her fiancé.
Only 8 days before the election, Mugeni and Wendo are ready to marry. On that day, and the moment of truth in the story, at the wedding engagement party, Wendo’s father takes the microphone and addresses the crowd: “Last time didn’t end so well (engagement)… we meet again for the sake of our children (guests clap) …to urge you to relax…and feel at home…” Njama snatches the phone from Wendo’s father.
“Thank you very much, thank you. Before we proceed, I’d like to say a few things. Families are brought together by honesty…their wish to merge this family, I must admit that I am deeply disappointed….” Njama discloses to the crowd the dirty political game Wendo had played against him. Wendo too snatches the phone from Njama and turns to the crowd: “It’s true, I’m the one that gave that information to Kowa, and I’m very glad that I did it. (turns to Njama) Because you’r going to lose, Njama.” Mugeni takes the phone from Wendo and turns to address his uncle: “Wendo got that info from me. I hacked the secret files, uncle.” You could see the faces of family members in the crowd, askance and awash with surprises.
For character analysis, the Kora ethnic parliamentarian had become so anachronistic in the Jipange constituency that he felt it his natural birthright. He is overconfident, insolent, and a narcissist. The conflicts he creates in the drama get the story going flawlessly. On the other hand, Wendo stands as a direct opposition to Kowa and all he stands for, with Mugeni left sandwiched between the love of his life and his economic lifeline and Uncle, Kowa. Yet, Mugeni, as an IT specialist helped turn the table around for Wendo and Kowa campaign. He maintains a balance between the Kora ethnic and Togas.
After the chaotic climax scene in this movie, “And that concludes today’s program.” Wendo slaps the microphone on Njama’s chest and leaves. On election day the grassroots supporters go out in droves to vote for Kowa, as he on the microphone gives them the last push for their votes: “So please let us unite for peace. A new tribe of peace and prosperity. A tribe that does not dictate your pocket and ethnicity. Use your vote to speak life into your dreams! Choose hope! Choose change! Choose yourself! Choose Us! Choose Me!” In the end, deejay Norah from election watch, announced after Kowa gets 54% of the vote in the Jipange constituency, “I like to wish my new tribe (Koras and Togas) a night of hope, a night of triumph, and certainly a good night.”