They went into the house and one did not need to overhear the noise that was soon coming from the bed that had not been tightened well enough to know what was going on. They even emerged with my neighbor's hair still messy from the activity that had just taken place. She was obviously an amateur in this kind of business (the professionals in the office usually emerge with their hair neatly in place and exactly where it was when they went in). Shortly after that my neighbor landed a very good job with some kind of NGO organization, and the rest as they say is history. Today that young girl drives a SUV vehicle that is better than the one that belonged to her mzee lover that evening. By the way she ended up getting married to the boyfriend she cheated on that day to land her big job.
What my pretty young neighbor did that day so many years ago is nothing new in corporate Kenya and although many are still numb with shock over the recent sex scandal allegations at one of the most respected blue chip companies in the region—the Nation Media group—many keen observers know only too well that the truth is that it shouldn't be at all shocking. Right across the corporate world many Kenya women are enthusiastically dishing out sexual favors in return for promotions, perks, raises and all sorts of goodies that they would they have otherwise found a lot more difficult to access. Many times these women are married but still justify their actions in the fact that putting bacon on the table has become an increasingly dodgy affair in today's Kenya. To be fair I should also add that there is also a rapidly increasing number of men in corporate Kenya with a different sexual orientation (forced or inborn) also dishing out sexual favours in return for big jobs and as a matter of fact I know one very well, but that is a story for another day.
Don't even mention the big disease, which has made things even more complicated (or has it just made it that more exciting because of the dangers and risks that add to the thrill?)
At a time when the Kenyan woman is keen to consolidate her hard won gains, this kind of behaviour by some Kenyan ladies does not do the cause much good and if anything helps to solidify the terrible attitude many Kenyan men have towards women.
So how serious is this "corrupt" activity in corporate Kenya. Nobody has ever done any research but I can tell you judging from the couple of companies that I have been involved with over the years, the truth is that it is a very serious widespread epidemic that is part of the corruption rot whose pungent stench Kenyans can no longer ignore, no matter how hard we try to.
And sadly it is a vice that will be extremely difficult to combat as long as men remain the main decision-makers at most corporate entities. I was fascinated by an incident that took place at a very respected company where I did some consultancy work just four short years ago. The company was looking to fill a very sensitive position and the managing director who happened to be European opted (against the advice of his human resources department) to carry out the interviews himself. Through the open door to my office I had a very good view of the MD's reception area and sure enough the usual "interview crowd" showed up with extremely short skirts and red outfits (for those who have no idea of the power of a red dress on a man, please accept my sincere apologies and use the power of the net to find out what the hell I am talking about).
Sure enough, it was the lady with the shortest skirt who landed the job—and it was red dress. The men stood no chance and you could tell from how short a time they spent inside the CEO's office. If this happened at a very respected corporate entity run by a non-corrupt mzungu CEO with impeccable credentials, what should we expect from the rest of the corporate Kenya?
A friend who works at a hotel in Mombasa tells me the kind of tales that I would write off as pure fiction—the kind that is not believable, if I did not know him well enough. Young girls being entertained on company expense accounts and then special receipts and all sorts of favors to falsify things being requested for and being handsomely rewarded for. Incidentally in the Nation case a weekend at a Malindi hotel is supposed to have clinched a plum editorial appointment for this young unqualified lady.
So even as we look to waging war against corruption in high office and in politics, what in the world are we going to do about the even more widespread corruption involving the lifting of skirts and to a lesser extent the unzipping of trousers in return for all sorts of undeserved favors?
P.S. I am well aware of the fact that this post is going to upset plenty of my regular readers who have loved me to bits up to this moment but unfortunately may not be willing to face up too quickly to the circumstances that landed them behind that precious computer work station from whence they religiously read Kumekucha every morning. Please find it in you to forgive me.
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