Good parents will always guide their children away from many mistakes they (parents) have made in the past -as teenagers, students, young adult etc and yes, as parents -, so that their children do not experience and suffer the same consequences or frustrations. Parents are also the only persons gifted in true unconditional love. True parental love is endless. It is for this reason that, “East or West, home is always best.”

Parents can equally be against things out of ignorance or because they want to simply outcomes — thereby negatively impacting or diminishing the right of choice for an adult child. That is, an obsessive compulsion to retain the “right to choose for their children — including race, religion,ethnicity, social status and influence of the persons with whom their children socialize or marry.

Parents are not saints either. They are works of human frailties. They too exhibit self doubt, unnecessary anger, jealousy, competition for attention, unmitigated self interest, lack of focus, et cetera. Their human weakness cannot diminish the special place they occupy in our lives. It is unwise to discount, current parental counsel on account of their apparent weaknesses or past mistakes, or choices.

As with other human beings suffering vested and sometimes conflicting social interests, parents are not always right. But in instances where they are RIGHT, which is often in the majority of instances, those who go against their counsel pay a very heavy price.

As amplified by proverbs of King Solomon, as recorded by King Hezekiah:

“Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding………. he who fathers a wise son (daughter) will be glad in him (her). Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.”

Thereafter a transaction, occasioning the payment of an upfront finders fee of US$600,000 to a purported introducing broker, “Seawave Invest,” an entity of questionable legal standing, incorporated in the Bahamas and operated from Ghana.

According to the fake loan agreement, Lekoil was due to pay Seawave a total of US$10 million upfront, which did not materialize, following the realization that the loan was fake after all.

Interesting that:

(1) Control Risks, one of the leading risk advisors and the authors of the due diligence report on Seawave Invest, was somehow “blind” to apparent red flags, including the company’s incorporation and “good standing” status in Bahamas.

and

(2) Top tier global law firm, Norton Rose Fulbright, retained legal counsel for Lekoil, and advisor as to UK law, with all the resources and experience at its disposal, was unable to spot potential fraud in the ensuing transaction? For example, digging a little deeper to establish the identities of persons negotiating on behalf of Qatar Investment Authority?

In the end, it is investors picking the pieces…….

There is an urgent form of “independence” that the average African urgently needs — of thought and willful action — so that the pace our of lives is not dictated by anyone other than ourselves.

Kenya has been independent for over 50 years. That has been adequate time for government and Kenyan politicians to restructure the tea industry for the benefit of the small holder farmer. We cannot ran away from the fact that regulation, including executive & legislative power to change the value chain structure of the tea industry lies with Kenyan leadership and not “British” multinationals.

Therefore, one can only safely conclude that we are willing participants, and collectively so, in economic arrangements that do not extract maximum value for our farmers. In the midst of the current lamentations in the tea sector, we must remember that Kenyans, and not “British” multinationals are in charge of of both KTDA and tea auction in Mombasa.

In any case, even where the auction might be in the hands of “multinationals,” it is Kenyans who formulate laws to that regulate. The tea directorate at AFA is led by a Kenyan. It is Parliament, again, an institution wholly staffed by Kenyan citizens that makes laws that regulate the agri commodities industry, including tea. The membership of the House of Parliament in Kenya does not comprise “British multinationals.”

At an individual level, we cannot escape the the question of personal consciousness and responsibility. Are farmers not severally and individually responsible for the choices they make during KTDA elections? In any case, if we know the problems, what are we doing to solve them, instead of blaming “British” tea cartels?

Our MPs have the power, with one stroke of legislation, to radically restructure the entire tea value chain, including remodeling KTDA into a more efficient farmer-centric organization, tightening tea auction regulations and proposing a price discovery mechanism for selling tea by private treaty….

But our MPs are the ones making helpless noises as our media blames imaginary enemies. Farmers are equally not taking responsibility for the choices they make during tea factory elections and the quality of persons they nominate to the main KTDA board.

Africans must begin to take responsibility for things….

We must be bold and practical, in identifying weak links while offering practical solutions. Blaming the West and colonial heritage is now a tired explanation for leadership failures on the continent.

Sometimes, what people refer to as “power” is simply an exaggerated sense of self. A delusional fantasy about one’s fame, omnipotence and wealth. The exhibition of unbridled arrogance and overwhelming pride. We see these things in everyday life.

It begins at home, showing in how we relate with our wives,husbands, children and members of the extended family. Then this arrogance finds expression in public spaces. How “powerful” people drive on the road, mostly on the wrong side, at break neck speed, in the false belief that “influence” provides Armour against death and injury. How senior managers treat the most junior of employees. How politicians make plans as if they are guarantors of tomorrow.

We see it in the inability of those to whom providence has been generous to wear influence, power and wealth with humility and dignity, in a country teeming with heart breaking abject poverty.

We have to constantly remind people of their poverty through constant handouts in the name of fund raisers. In the meantime, we happen to be the same persons charged with the responsibility of tackling poverty and making the existence of the ordinary citizen bearable.

We draw guns against every other petty provocation and shoot with wanton abandon because our lives are more important that those we seek to kill.

We storm and trespass at will. We have no respect for people in their private spaces. We take from the weak then hire spin doctors to weave tales complete with harsh tags. Our carefree attitude is often rooted in the protection offered by another “influential” mortal being.

Every morning, our duty is to push the pedal of arrogance and hubris even harder. Unfortunately, at its climax, the feeling of invincibility is a dangerous vortex, that has pulverized Kings of long lost empires.

Hubris is often called “the pride that comes before the fall.” When natural order cannot take hubris anymore, providence conspires to destroy. The spirit of hubris is cunning. It is a friend that continuously pushes one to the edge of self-destruction.

As a preface to such destruction the gods often make such hubristic persons mad.

This patronage system is not based on meritocracy, domain experience or academic qualifications. Where the law provides no prescription, the President can appoint anybody to a public institution, including his gardener as Kenya’s special envoy to Timbaktu.

The first in line for such appointments are often financiers or their representatives, followed by party loyalists, ethnic mobilizers and friends and quietly family members in that order. The main operative qualifier being loyalty.

In appointing greyed old men of Kibaki era to government institutions, Uhuru Kenyatta is simply paying homage and paying forward to the patronage system. It is a debt he owes them since his days as Deputy Prime Minister. Uhuru cannot say no to Kibaki, the man who enabled him become President, by lining up instruments of deep State for him.

There is no need to wonder why Uhuru has kept Francis Muthaura in the system for this long, brought Moody Awori from retirement and resuscitated public careers of folks like Musikari Kombo. These are premium members of the now somewhat permanent KANU/PNU/Jubilee patronage club.

If say, Raila or Ruto became President, the script would be the same. Both Raila and Ruto would move into State House with their collection of friends, family, business associates and a few trusted ethnic mobilizers & party loyalists.

It is plausible that in a Ruto administration, Oscar Kipchumba Sudi could be appointed Minister for Finance. What would stand between Sudi and such an appointment is Parliament which, in any case, is often easily manipulated by the executive.

The quality of the Presidency, largely being determined by the quality of the President’s kitchen cabinet and patronage network. Such that by electing Ruto, you are also deciding if Sudi should become Finance Minister and say, Kipchumba Murkomen, Attorney General or Chief Justice.

And Oscar Sudi is preparing himself well, not by going to school to study public finance or economics, but by shouting. In patronage, you only need to constantly catch the eye of the potential appointing authority.

For the above reasons, the uncultivated and incoherent Mary Wambui is now the Chairperson of the National Employment Authority. She was not appointed because she is qualified or experienced in labor matters. No. Her appointment is as a result of her close proximity to patronage. Even the President knows as much.

The only way to beat old patronage is to have youth, who are the majority in the voters roll to mobilize around a political movement that gives them a seat at the table. So long as young people are outside this circle of influence, public appointments will always favor those on the inside regardless of their competence, age or suitability.

Unfortunately, every five years, when the opportunity arises for young people to join this circle of influence, they become quick praise singers for the old caretakers of patronage, who in turn use their numbers to strengthen their stay in the patronage club.

The same youthful voters often reject young broke candidates, with whom they have plenty in common and instead worship pocket change handouts, Range Rovers and helicopters. You can easily see that this madness has the potential to replicate in the Kibra by-election.

As Mary Wambui becomes Chairperson, you will continue crying foul. And for good reason….

You have refused, time and again, to harness your majority during elections. Instead, most of you are in the habit of turning rabid on each other on account of ethnic identity.

Entering the circle of patronage starts with small things like enabling people with whom you share or have similar experiences get into public office.

Such that if you are resident in Kibra, Mathioya or Mathare, you only elect persons who have continuously lived, struggled, walked and worked in your constituency.

Strange colorful Mr. Moneybags arriving from the dissipating mist of the East during elections have their circles of patronage and influence locked elsewhere.

For sustainability new Standard Gauge Railway should be operated on an open access model

Kenya Railways, as currently constituted, has mismanagement written all over its DNA. The core of KR hasn’t changed much over the years. It is the same KR that ran down the old railway before handing it over to Rift Valley Railways. The concession to RVR was dead on arrival. Many years and millions of investor dollars later, RVR has very little to show.

This is the same Kenya Railways that is unable to manage clean and reliable commuter services between Thika — Nairobi and Syokimau — Nairobi. The same KR that has been unable to protect its assets from thieves and vandals. We are already hearing rumors of people (security guards) buying SGR tickets in bulk and reselling them outside the station(s) (read corruption). The same KR that launched a modern commuter service without an online booking portal or mobile app.

The same KR that ran its first passenger train without the capacity to accept digital payments, including the world famous m-pesa. The same KR that allowed Chinese contractors to put up poorly translated English/Swahili signage at the Mombasa terminal. The toilets at the Nairobi terminal are already stinking due to intermittent supply of water.

I am sure some senior government officials will start transporting cargo from Mombasa without paying the pr-requisite freight charges. Bad manners is pervasive in the management of government owned companies. Look at Mumias (all other private sugar millers are making profit), Uchumi (performing below peers), Portland Cement (all other cement companies are making profit. Portland is struggling with mismanagement), Kenya Airways (Perennial mismanagement. Now the government has to turn KQ’s debts into equity), National Bank of Kenya (straddled with non performing loans borrowed by well connected folks). Industrial Development Bank, Postbank (a financial institution unable to take advantage of its extensive branch footprint in Kenya. A branch network bigger than KCB and Equity Bank. Incredible lack of imagination).

SGR will be operated as a government owned monopoly (remember Kenya Power or the meter gauge railway) where prices will not be determined by market forces but by the whims of policy makers. The President’s pronunciation that the cost of transporting a 20ft container from Mombasa to Nairobi should not exceed Kshs.50,000 is a stark pointer to this. How did the government arrive at the maximum price for a 20ft container? Market forces or populist gerrymandering? This management model adopted by the government for SGR makes it vulnerable to failure.

The government should adopt an OPEN ACCESS model — with three components:
 — a track ownership and maintenance company, whose sole mandate is to develop, own and maintain the permanent way and related infrastructure, including the various stations along the railway line. This track development company can either be public or private sector owned. (say, Kenya Railways Development Corporation — just like KAA does a good job managing our airports)
 — A railway transport regulatory authority to regulate the industry including standards, operational safety, fares, freight rates, unfair competition etc. Government body. (say, KenRail Authority)
 — Freight and Passenger train operating companies. These will be private sector companies invited to bid to operate passenger and freight transport for renewable fixed contract terms, say 20 years. These companies will be required to invest in their own engines, coaches and freight wagons. They will in turn lease these from financial institutions for the duration of the contract. With the leasing option, you are guaranteed to have new and serviceable wagons for the duration of the contract!

Imagine for a moment that we had two distinct passenger train operating companies on the SGR with two different operating timetables of arrivals and departures, just as airlines do at the airport. The guarantee is that they will work very hard to outdo each other. The same answer goes for freight trains. In the end, competition results in efficiency and the best possible pricing for rail transport services. We have already seen how Kenya Railways treats customers on overbooked trains. Monopolies rarely offer premium customer care, for the simple reason that the customer has no other options for services of a similar nature, other than those offered by the monopoly.

We are stuck with a government owned monopoly just like the old railway. Something is likely to happen. History may just repeat itself.