THE EYE OPENER

The other day I was traveling to my rural home alone. There were a few projects I was accomplishing knowing too well that that would earn me a good name in the village. That was not the only reason I was doing that though. I think I am also among the many people who spent many days without visiting their homes for various reasons. Some fear the many people they will meet and the only thing they ask is to buy them drinks. Of course, by doing that severally you will earn yourself a title of a mayor, a councilor or even a governor. Not that these people will ever vote for you if you ever vied for such a position. In fact nobody will ever try to recognize you in the ballot. I know of a friend of mine who tried that and he swore to me that he will never fall a victim to such fellows again. They are only your friends in the drinking dens.

Well, that’s not the point I wanted to make. I was cuddled up on the back seat with at least four other guys on a seat that was supposed to carry a maximum of three guys. I cannot remember how many people were in the 14 seater matatu but all I know is that it was a very good number. I almost suffocated but the rest were very comfortable. I think they enjoyed being that way. The air was really awful with a lot of noise that I never imagined would exist in such a place. I thought that maybe we would pass a police roadblock and the driver or rather his counterpart would at least be held responsible for their inhumane actions but I was about to be shocked later on.

With the vehicle speeding and being driven dangerously I could say very little since I knew that nobody would ever listen to me as they were really enjoying the nasty ride and in fact some were cheering the driver on. I wished time would fly so I could get off the vehicle. Luckily we reached the roadblock and I thought I could breathe a sigh of relief. Luckily I was seated next to the window and I therefore could have a better view of what was happening outside. I thought this was the time for the driver and his friend to pay. The guy in blue surely came around and pretended to be checking the insurance on the vehicle.He also pretended to check inside and to my amazement he smiled at the conductor. Then as the vehicle was heading away he was handed I think a one hundred note in a very smart way that nobody with an extra eye could notice. The vehicle sped off. I just wondered all the way home. If these were the things still happening on our roads then we will never get tired of listening to news about accidents on our roads.

 I later came to learn that this was a routine. Well, I decided to prepare my self for such scenes on my next visits and never to stay too long in the city so I would never be shocked the way I was on that day. But I really hope that this will not go on for another long time without something being done about it..just hoping against hope

He managed a cold sweat. Martin was forced to remember all the debts he had at once. And he had several. It seemed that this Mr. William had somehow remembered his own and on such a time when the month was not in its best time of any one having money on him. He owe him 10000 bucks.He knew he had to find a way of paying up the debt because the man he was dealing with was not the type to mess up with. He painfully racked his brain for a solution but nothing came up. His worried long face seemed to be sharing his agonies save for his receding hairline. He was still in the middle of this situation when he thought he heard a commotion in class 8.Thats when he decided he wanted to relieve his stress on the culprits who were somehow messing up with his private problems.

Apparently a fight had broken up between John, the naughty student with rather silly ideas and Mike the school sanitary prefect. John had refused to sweep the classroom and when confronted by the authority he had turned physical. Mike did not want to lose his ego and so he responded vehemently. Other students were feasting hungrily on the free movie on offer. The guys were sprawled on the floor, each one trying to get the better of his opponent. Blows rented the air. There was a lot of clapping and cheering. And that’s when Mr. Martin entered.

Everything went silent. All the pupils silently went back to their sitting places save for the two masters on the floor. The teacher’s angry face spoke volumes of how far he would go on correcting the situation. Even if it meant beating them up all by himself. He asked what had led to the fight but nobody was willing to give the answer. Of course nobody was willing to do that. Everybody understood perfectly what sharing a dose of the teacher’s angry temper is felt like. So the silence persisted. The two fighting masters were still on the floor, their heads down. The silence persisted. His rather blood shot eyes swept the classroom as if hoping to get the solution from its dirty walls.

“It seems like nobody is going to give me the answer. Well you are all on punishment. You will go to the farm for the whole week. Meanwhile you two idiots on the floor run to my office now”. He said in his deep voice. Nobody moved for a second. Then the sanitary prefect slowly and shamelessly moved out under the watchful eye of the teacher. John did not move for even an inch. The teacher angrily looked at him with the hatred that a man of God hates Satan. He still did not move. The tension was now rising in the small classroom. Then the unexpected happened.

With a clean sweep of his feet, he knocked down the deputy who was caught off guard and quickly stormed outside hot on his heels. The deputy was knocked down head first. Blood was dripping down his sharp forehead. He was confused for a second. When he regained his senses he felt his forehead and when he felt blood he immediately ordered the whole classroom to pursue the escapee. They all did with him also in pursuit. But John was never caught, at least not on that day. The deputy had many problems already and this one only piled up to the list of his stresses. But he somehow had to deal with both.

The other day I was watching the news on my plasma TV when I saw the happy face of the minister for energy holding in his hands a bottle containing a sample of oil. I could not verify but my belief is that it was the much coveted black gold. We all know how coveted this thing is.It brings about a lot of many transformations in the country. Every one knows at least how much we can reap from the much branded commodity.

A few years ago nobody would have believed that our country would ever get such a lucrative mineral, at least not me.I always used to hear about this black gold from my grandpa who is far much knowledgeable than a few guys my age combined. Only the likes of the Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, I wonder if it’s in the Middle East were known to be perennial power houses in the lucrative business. Our African counterparts such as Sudan, Nigeria and Libya are also known to be the major power houses when it comes to matters oil. One would surely term such a discovery as a great blessing. I think so too, but for how long will it continue to be a blessing?

One would call it a blessing in disguise. Yet another would call it a calamity in waiting. Come to think of it for a second where the Kenyan oil was discovered. For those who might still be in the dark, I hope there is no one though, it was in Turkana.Ngamia one to be exact. This should be an irony don’t you think. Well, for me it is.Turkana is a semi arid land in Kenya that has been neglected for so long.A place where water never exists. It is an area where you never here about electricity. There are so many poor people if you ask me.Their source of livelihood is their livestock. It’s a place where you will never find a good road. Not that they don’t need these things but is there anyone to do these things for them, will it be their members of parliament, maybe not. So I should think that the discovery of oil in their land is a blessing for them, at least it should be.Turkana

I heard that the people in Turkana received the news of the discovery with mixed reactions. Some said it was a good thing. Others thought otherwise. Of course this was expected in a land where illiteracy prevails. Some argued that the discovery was awesome but they argued that have they also discovered water? To them water is far much better than having the oil, I have to agree with them on this at least for now.

I believe that the discovery of the commodity would do a lot of good to these people and also for the whole country. Let’s hope it will open up the region with electricity, water and education. There will be a lot of investment in the region and the economy will grow. But will this really happen with the land where it was discovered already in controversy? I heard that the land was sold to the exploration company by certain influential individuals in the government and some businessmen.

In as much as the discovery is a good thing, we also have to look at the consequences when this valuable resource is not well managed. So much can be gained from it.The national GDP would swell and that would be used to finance other projects. Leaving this commodity to a group of scrupulous, hungry men would result to no benefits. There could even be war against ourselves. And when this happens nothing profitable would come out of it, at least not for our country. It would go into different pockets and this would be the curse I was talking about earlier.

I think we have many examples to draw our references from.Many countries with oil have been faced with so many strife’s as every one wants to control resulting to war. Take for instance Nigeria which has a lot of oil but due to mismanagement the country is ever in civil war with warlords wanting to control the mining. We all know what happened in Iraq and Sudan I don’t need to remind you. I can’t also forget Libya.

With all those references and examples I hope we will not be caught in such a situation. Let the resource be a blessing and not a curse. Let’s use it to benefit our country and grow our fragile economy which is in dire need of this mineral. Let our brothers and sisters in Turkana have something to smile about a few years from now rather than wish they had never been born in that region. This will be the greatest thing for all of us. Have a rational mind and maintain peace, wont you?

The other day my friend Mike and I travel led to Kiambu for a business trip. We were actually doing business for our company. Mike had a Mwangi for a surname while I had a Wasike for mine. The journey was great of course courtesy to my powerful range rover sports car. Don’t mistake me for thumbing my chest so hard on this one because it is the truth.

We arrived at a small town I am sorry I can’t remember its name and I didn’t want to remember it either. The town was very busy with people speaking a language I had not the slightest idea of a single word. In simple terms I didn’t understand. My friend Mike was a native of the language and was very fluent. I had begged him several times to teach me but he had remained adamant.But I think he will do that one day.

We decided to have our lunch at a popular eating joint before proceeding with the business. I think if you have ever been in such situation before you would easily understand that business flows well on a full stomach. My friend was greeted in his native language; he seemed to be a celebrity in this area. The same guy greeted me in the same language and when I seemed not to understand, Mike explained the reason which you already know. The guy then proceeded to ask for my name and when I told him I was Frank, he asked for the other I mean the surname dismissing frank as not being a good name. He shook his head and his attitude changed suddenly.

We asked for our food and Mike’s came first. When I asked why my food was being delayed nobody could give me an answer. I just kept wondering. It came after such a long time when mike was half way through with his. I didn’t complain though, at least my mother taught me this one.

Later on a group of his friends joined him and struck a heated conversation, in the language that I never understood. My friend tried his best to tell them to talk in a language I could understand but I don’t think they bought his pleas. And when they did this later on I tried to contribute but I was vividly ignored. So I just sat there foolishly busy perusing my phone until they left. We later footed the bill and left. I kept asking myself why people were so insensitive. My friend could also not understand why. I promised myself to never set foot in that town again. To this day I still cannot understand what is so much in a surname.Well, do you?