Jumatano mchana assembly hall ilikuwa nusu ukumbi, nusu karakana. Viti vilisukumwa ukutani, extension cables zilivuka sakafu, na wanafunzi wa leadership campaign walikuwa wakijaribu microphones ambazo zilitoa mlio mkali kila mtu alipokaribia speaker.
Mariam alikuwa amebeba mabango mawili ya campaign yake alipomsikia Kelvin nyuma ya pazia.
“Leadership haipaswi kuja na title ya mzazi,” alisema kwa sauti ya mazoezi. “Kama mwanafunzi anahitaji jina kubwa la nyumbani kabla jina lake mwenyewe halijasomwa, huo si ushindani sawa.”
Wanafunzi wawili waliokuwa wakimsaidia walicheka kwa sauti ya kukubali.
Mariam alisimama.
Kelvin hakuwa ametaja Wema. Hakuhitaji.
Aliweka mabango chini na kuzunguka pazia.
“Rudia hiyo line ukiangalia hapa.”
Kelvin aligeuka. Alionekana kushtuka kwa sekunde moja, kisha uso wake ukarudi kwenye utulivu wa debate. “Ni rehearsal.”
“Nimesikia.”
“Basi?”
“Basi kama issue ni system, sema system. Usifanye mama yangu punchline.”
Kelvin akakunja mikono. “Mama yako ndiye aliyeandika kwenye parent group. Mimi sikutengeneza screenshot.”
“Na mimi sikusema usiongee kuhusu screenshot.”
“Unataka niweke maneno laini kwa sababu yanakuumiza?”
“Nataka utofautishe accountability na humiliation.”
Mwanafunzi mmoja nyuma yao alijifanya anarekebisha cable lakini masikio yake yalikuwa wazi.
Kelvin alishusha karatasi yake. “Mariam, watu wanauliza kama shortlist inaweza kuaminika. Hilo si shambulio la familia. Ni swali.”
“Basi uliza swali. ‘Leaders who arrive with parents’ titles’ si swali.”
“Ni politics.”
“Ni shule.”
“Shule ina politics.”
Mariam alimtazama. Kelvin alikuwa rival, lakini hakuwa mjinga. Hilo lilifanya iwe vigumu kumchukia. “Unaweza kudai rules bila kumgeuza mama yangu entertainment.”
Kelvin akanyamaza kidogo. “Na wewe unaweza kukubali kwamba kama isingekuwa mama yako, huenda ungependa line hiyo.”
Hilo lilimpata.
Asha alifika akiwa na tape na marker. “Nimekosa nini?”
“Democracy,” Kelvin alisema.
“Drama,” Mariam akasema.
Kelvin akarudisha macho kwenye speech. “Nitaifikiria.”
“Hiyo si promise.”
“Campaign si marriage.”
Aliondoka kwenda stage.
Asha alisubiri hadi awe mbali. “Kwa kweli line ilikuwa kali.”
Mariam alimwangalia.
“Si kwamba na-support,” Asha alisema haraka. “Nasema tu… ilikuwa line nzuri.”
“Thank you sana.”
Walibeba mabango hadi courtyard. Campaign volunteers walikuwa wamepewa maeneo tofauti. Mariam alikuwa na table ndogo yenye karatasi zilizoandika priorities zake: commuter transport complaints, scholarship student feedback, menstrual-health supplies na anonymous welfare reporting.
Lakini hakuna aliyekuwa akimuuliza hayo kwanza.
“Ni kweli mama yako yuko committee?” mwanafunzi mmoja aliuliza.
“Parent development committee, ndiyo.”
“Na ametoa pesa ya lab?”
“Aliongoza fundraiser. Pesa haikuwa yake peke yake.”
“Na alipiga simu kuhusu shortlist?”
Mariam alihisi koo likikauka. Jana ofisini alikuwa ameahidi kwamba atadisclose, lakini hakuwa bado amefika kwa headteacher. “Amezungumza na committee member kuhusu interest yangu. Nataka school irecord hiyo na iwe na rule ya conflict.”
Mwanafunzi huyo akainua nyusi. “Kwa hiyo Kelvin yuko right.”
“Yuko right kwamba kuna question ya fairness. Haimaanishi kila kitu anachosema kuhusu mimi ni right.”
Mwanafunzi alichukua flyer na kuondoka.
Asha alikaa kwenye kiti cha plastiki. “Unaweza kurudisha moto.”
“Vipi?”
“Kuna stories. Baba ya Kelvin alisaidia debate uniforms mwaka jana. Mtu alisema Kelvin alipata captain slot baada ya—”
“Hapana.”
“Hata hujasikia yote.”
“Ndiyo maana hapana.”
Asha alizungusha marker mikononi. “Lakini yeye anatumia story yako.”
“Story yangu ina screenshot.”
“Na hiyo nyingine inaweza kuwa true.”
“*Inaweza* si evidence.”
Asha akamwangalia kwa makini. “Sasa umegeuka newspaper editor kabisa.”
“Labda ndiyo kitu pekee ninachojua bado nimefanya bila simu ya mama.”
Asha hakujibu. Mariam alijuta mara moja; sentensi hiyo ilikuwa kubwa kuliko alivyotaka.
Mchana ulipoendelea, student council volunteers walizunguka na QR code ya anonymous poll. Ilikuwa sehemu ya consultation ya uchaguzi, si kura rasmi. Maswali yalikuwa kuhusu trust, campaign conduct na kama eligibility process ilikuwa clear.
Kelvin alifika kwenye table ya Mariam akiwa na simu mkononi. “Umejaza?”
“Bado.”
“Jaza. Usije ukasema poll imefanywa nyuma yako.”
“Unaogopa sana records siku hizi.”
“Naona zina faida.”
Mariam akaskani code. Swali la tatu lilimfanya asimame:
*Do you trust the current student leadership shortlist process if parents serving on school committees can privately contact staff or selectors?*
Options: Yes. No. Unsure.
Mariam akachagua *No*.
Asha, aliyekuwa pembeni yake, aliona. “Hiyo inaweza kuharibu candidacy yako.”
“Ninajua.”
“Bado?”
“Kama process haiaminiki, kushinda ndani yake hakutanisaidia.”
Jioni, baada ya campaign rehearsal, results za preliminary poll ziliwekwa kwenye screen ya student affairs room. Si kura ya election, lakini response ilikuwa kubwa kuliko walivyotarajia. Wanafunzi wengi walisema hawakuamini current shortlist ikiwa committee parents waliweza kuwasiliana privately na selectors. Comments zilikuwa mchanganyiko: baadhi walimtetea Mariam, wengine walitaka aondolewe kabisa, wengine walitaka kila candidate achunguzwe.
Kelvin alisimama mbele ya screen. “Hii ndiyo nilikuwa nasema.”
Mariam akasema, “Hii inasema rule ni weak. Haisemi mimi ni guilty kwa kila nafasi niliyopata.”
“Lakini inaweza kumaanisha shortlist ianze upya.”
“Nikiingia upya kwa rule inayofanana kwa kila mtu, sawa.”
Kelvin aligeuka. “Unasema hivyo kweli?”
“Ndiyo.”
Asha alitoa pumzi. “Mariam, unaweza kupoteza eligibility kwa timing.”
“Nikiendelea bila trust, nitapoteza hata nikishinda.”
Bi. Halima, aliyekuwa amekuja kuona results, aliingilia. “Msichukulie poll kama authority ya kubadilisha process. Administration ndiyo itaamua.”
“Lakini inaweza kuwa evidence ya trust problem,” Mariam alisema.
Halima akatikisa kichwa. “Ndiyo. Hilo ni fair.”
Kelvin akachukua speech yake kutoka mfukoni. Mariam aliona mstari aliokuwa ameusikia asubuhi umevukwa kwa kalamu.
“Hiyo umefuta?” aliuliza.
“Usifanye emotional moment.”
“Nilikuwa nauliza tu.”
“Nimebadilisha. Nitasema connected families, si parents’ titles.”
“Better.”
“Bado nitadai disclosure.”
“Na mimi pia.”
Kwa mara ya kwanza tangu screenshot, walikuwa wamesimama upande mmoja wa sentensi fulani, ingawa sababu zao hazikuwa sawa.
Student affairs volunteer akasema kuna final page ya poll ambayo haikuwa imeonekana kwenye summary. Akabonyeza screen.
Swali la mwisho lilikuwa limeongezwa baada ya complaints za mchana. Mariam alisoma taratibu.
*Given the concerns raised, should this year’s leadership shortlist be restarted under published conflict-of-interest rules?*
Chini yake kulikuwa na bars mbili.
No ilikuwa fupi.
Yes ilikuwa ndefu kiasi cha kufanya ukumbi unyamaze.
Kwenye poll, swali la mwisho lilikuwa, **“Je, shortlist ya mwaka huu ianze upya?”** — asilimia kubwa ilisema ndiyo.
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