Whenever he thinks about opening his mouth in Bunge, Oscar Sudi, the mheshimiwa for Kapseret, remembers that not-so-distant September morning when he almost broke his tongue.

Only that would explain his consistent silence in Bunge, strange for a man usually very ebullient. Some might argue that Sudi rarely speaks because he understands little English (kizungu mingi, in his words), but he has plenty of other options. Kiswahili and sign language work perfectly fine.

Ridiculed for his handicap in English, Sudi chose to recite his oath of office (or eat the Bible, as people from the lakeside would say) in English. A few minutes’ shy of 11 am, Sudi stepped forward to usher in his second term as the Kapseret mheshimiwa.