HOW TO TACKLE MEDIOCRITY INTELLIGENTLY

Lady advertises T-shirts
for the Rugby Embu 7s
to take place over the
June 23/24 weekend at
Embu Stadium

"The recent uproar by some members of the County Assembly of Embu concerning a Sh50 million allocation for completion of Embu Stadium is in bad taste", Said one of my elite friends to an audience of opinion makers. "It smells of a NYS-like scandal". He added, causing a verbal stampede to break out, with everyone having something to say in response.
   "Did you say bad taste?"
Retorted one of the most politically energetic women I've come across in my career.
    "Talking of corruption. It's very fortunate that nowadays we can discuss financial scandals and rot in the government without fear. Thank you ladies and gentlemen for giving me an opportunity to share with you some knowledge I gained from a recent Civic Education program conducted by the World Bank."

Governor Wambora, accompanied by Youth Empowerment and Sports Department executives; CECM John Kiamati and Chief Officer Sam Wachira meets the Embu 7s organizing committee at the stadium on 20 June, 2018. Also present was Kirimari Ward MCA Morris Nyaga (Collo) among other leaders. PHOTO by Elias Mugendi

At the mention of the words 'World Bank' all attention shifted to the young female orator.

"If you think that corruption is more rampant today than it was five years ago, you are right to think so," She continued, "Because before I attended the World Bank lecture on public participation in matters to do with finance at county level, I had not realized that were it not for public participation propagated through social media, most of the biggest heists ever carried out in Kenya would never have come to light. It's only that today, through our social networks, we get to know more than before.

For a long time, we have been attending Public Participation forums while full of apathy, our interest only on the sitting allowance we would receive. Some of us would even solicit bribes from politicians so that we may ensure that some items in the supplementally budget do not get approval. Obviously, the reason some politicians would be opposed to certain expenditure allocations was because the concerned ventures would not serve their selfishness...and just like sheep follow the butcher, we the public would fabricate all kinds of lies to mudsling the budget estimates little knowing it is us who will suffer"

Some of Embu's best will grace
the event

At that juncture, you could hear a pin drop. What with everyone paying full attention to the young woman's 'lecture' with even some taking notes. Our gathering had suddenly become a public participation forum. Thank God that relevant authorities were aware of our meeting. Ours was a lawful assembly. Before anybody could interrupt, our fair lady continued,

"Take for example the recent argument by some members of the County Assembly of Embu that the allocation of Sh50 million in the 2018/19 budget to build Embu Stadium up to international standards is a waste of taxpayers' money. Do these people comprehend the levels of revenue such an investment would fetch for the County? Have they considered how much the state-of-the-art stadium would do in promoting talent among the youth? Don't they see that the facility would reduce crime, immorality and drug addiction among other vices? Have they not thought of the networks and about the households that will be fed out of money earned by local players using that stadium? What about the hundreds of events that will be hosted there for a fee? Are these opposers serious that they can't see that the gains to be got from this project, financial and otherwise are several times more than the Sh50 million?"

By the time she was done enumerating all the profits the county would make from the stadium project, everyone was convinced that the allocation is alright and the project is feasible.