In 1997, when I was in Primary school, our then Member of Parliament,
Musalia Mudavadi, in a bid to win the parliamentary seat for Sabatia, donated
19 lockers to our school. The man in fact, and this was the first time I was seeing
him, came to our school to hand out the desks. Remember the school had over 300
pupils. We waited in anticipation as the tortured bananas waved defiantly in
the September sun. He came at one, we danced in excitement as we admired his
security detail and his motor vehicle entourage which included the local D.O.
he was in hurry and so we assembled so fast, Mr. D.O talked so fast and
welcomed him.
And that is where Musalia Mudavadi, the son of Mudamba
dropped the bombshell. He said, as a matter of fact, that any pupil, among the
class eight candidates, who will get 550 out of the possible 700 will receive
Kshs. 10,000. That’s when I knew the man was bluffing. I laughed because to me,
it was a joke. He further donated kshs. 10,000 received his goat and left while
we tailed him with a hail of songs.
Now to the matters football, as I heard that Uhuru Kenyatta
and Mike Mbuvi had promised the Harambee Stars one million each if the defeated
the Super Eagles of Nigeria, I knew they were bluffing. It is futile to think
that Kenya can defeat Nigeria, the African giants just like that. There is no
way, no matter who the coach is, that our Kenyan football team will tower above
the stars. It is predictably dreamable to think that the team can succeed.
Why do I think that Uhuru and Sonko were bluffing? The two
guys knew just like the sun shines that there money was safe already. They of
course understand that the only way Kenya would come to winning was losing
terribly. And I think after the loss, they clicked their glasses in triumph. I
can imagine Ruto text Uhuru and tell him, “We lost brother”
I am not looking down the fact that Kenya is a good team, I know
that, kenya’s football is exceptional. The talent is beguiling and the co-ordination
amazing. Whatever is needed is, ironing out the minor mistakes that the team
shows. And that is where money is needed.
Therefore instead of promising to give the team money, give
the team money to train and perfect their skill and talent. Donate training
kits and refurbish the stadia. Uplift the team by hiring nutritionists and gym
instructors. Make sure they are well insured and paid. Football, just like tea,
could be our main foreign exchange earner, and instead of looking at how to
create jobs for the youth, the jobs will come.
In the future, I beg Mike sonko and Uhuru Kenyatta to give
the two million to the team before the game, so that the team can organize, several
friendly games outside Kenya and maybe uplift their talent. If that is done,
one month to the game, then as sure as the sun rises from the east, Kenya will
have a say in Africa football.
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