Well, well, well. Now that the man who has come to be referred to as the governor with the nine lives of the proverbial cat is back from a successful and fruitful trip to the United States of America, it's only prudent to bring to your attention that he hadn't gone to the original land of opportunity in vain. When he, among several other leaders honored an invitation to participate in the National Governors Association (NGA) convention, Embu governor Martin Wambora managed to meet investors involved in coffee processing, international media personalities and Kenyans, especially Embu people in diaspora. It is the latter group that organized a meet with their esteemed leader, an event that elicited criticism from his local opposition with some alleging that the governor used taxpayers' money for the occasion. In fact, it's the Embu people in the States who organized a 'Governor's Ball' at their expense. Anyhow, no matter how well a diligent person does, haters will always poke holes in any noble feat, courtesy of their jealousy.
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| POWERFUL: While in the States, Governor Wambora (carrying briefcase) met and interacted with many powerful persons. PHOTO|Courtesy |
All the detractions notwithstanding, the humble but highly intelligent leader got audience with Voice of America, a government-funded international radio broadcast source that serves as the United States federal government's official institution for non-military, external broadcasting. In the interview, aired on Citizen radio on 2 August 2018 at 7:50pm, Hon. Wambora answered questions pertaining to external trade in Embu County, coffee farming, devolution, health care and indiscipline in secondary schools.
On regional trade, he said that his government does export mangoes, among other products to other countries and is also an importer of various goods and services, through devolution. On this point, he gave assurance that the 'imported' Cuban doctors recently deployed in the county do auger well with the people and that through their contribution, great strides in health care are bound to be made; adding weight to the successful brain surgery a few months ago and the continuing kidney transplants at Embu level 5 hospital. He added that devolution is a success story both for Kenya as a country and for the devolved units as well. On the question of secondary schools students' indiscipline, Wambora disagreed with the powers that be, arguing that the recent cases of arson in schools were a result of the withdrawal of the cane in schools; that as it has been said of old, 'spare the rod, spoil the child'.
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| Kenyans in diaspora couldn't get enough of Governor Wambora. PHOTO|Courtesy |
