These Guys, Politicians, are taking us for a Ride

…But they always have, haven’t they?!...

(Please note that it is not POLITICIANS but POLTICIANS to prove how convoluted the whole thing is!)

These past few days have been inundated with scream after scream urging (nay, “commanding” President Kibaki to sack Finance Minister Amos Kimunya). The same people who have been screaming (the loudest!), have been trying to asphyxiate the said finance minister so that he will only have enough time to gasp “I resign!” before he is dragged to oblivion.

When asked to resign he said that he’d rather die than resign. It is clear that huyu Msee) has been promised protection against any ‘unfavourable occurrence’. Otherwise, how would you explain his being blasé about the whole shooting match.

Ironically, despite previous belief, it emerged yesterday that the Prime Minister (Raila Amolo Odinga) did sanction the selling of the Grand Regency Hotel to the said Libyans. This was “broken” by Bwana Amos Kimunya.

When the scandal came to the knowledge of the public, all of us remember that the PM set up a commission to look into the matter. (to look into himself and others of his kind?). But, then, so many politicians have been so loud (condemning this act of misdemeanor by Mr. Amos and co.). I just hope that they are doing it with a clear conscience regarding the whole matter.

I want to believe that what the politicians are doing (including President Kibaki and his profound silence on the matter) is different from what we were doing when we were children.

Those were days when getting a chwani (fifty cents) or a bob to buy ourselves sweets was somewhat hard. So the only “easy” sweet thing to get in the house was sugar.

I would wait until my mother had left the house and then I’d head straight for the cupboard, take out the sugar jar, dip my fingers in it and start savouring the wondrous sweetness of the Mumias product.

But when I heard footsteps coming towards the door I would return the jar at lightning speed, wipe my mouth and pretend to be arranging furniture. When the door opened and there stood mum, I would smile ‘professionally’, and ask her how her day had been.

If she made as if to move towards the cupboard, there and then my confidence would fizzle out for fear that my little “expedition” would be found out.

“Sijakula sukari, sure mum,” I would start, with the most desperate look on my face.

Mum would look at me and ask, sarcastically, “Nani amesema umekual sukari. Wewe na wewe!” but the conversation would take a different course if I had not rubbed my mouth well enough and there were still some crystals of sugar on my upper lip.

Well, I hope that the politicians are not condemning corruption and corrupt dealings while their hands are in the sugar jar. But, sadly, most of them have sugar crystals on their upper lips!


Let’s see what this circumstantial comedy avails on the stage for the matinee show.
Warning: Don’t laugh before the end of the show. You just might be surprised.
But, what I have always maintained is: He who laughs last, laughs loudest (and longest).