When last week, I announced that we have many tenders and job opportunities at Mwisho wa Lami Comprehensive School, I was only doing it for good reasons.
The first is to show that there is a difference between a Primary School and a Comprehensive School; and a BIG difference between a Headmaster and a Head of Institution. I was keen to show that I understood the difference and that I have made the necessary changes to successfully transition from HM to HOI.
I was also sharing to let everyone know that my school is ready to grow into a proper Comprehensive School, both from a hardware perspective and a software realm. And I was sharing so that other struggling HOIs, who should actually have remained HMs, can read, emulate me, and, hopefully, influence their school. You see, we don’t want to leave anyone behind.
Secondly, I wanted to attract the best teachers to come to our school, and the best contractors to be assigned the role to construct classrooms. People like Ali, the jack of all trades and master of none, who constructed my state-of-the-art bungalow, are not welcome. I know my house is praised and admired around these parts, but it was because of the great design I came up with, the constant supervision I did, and the great finishing that I did that made the house what it is today - not due to Fundi Ali’s efforts.
As for teachers, I will go for the best; yes, we advertised for a math teacher when we needed a social studies one because a teacher who is good in math can easily learn social studies, and not vice versa!
My meeting with Juma, a former Deputy Head of the school, to learn how to navigate such issues was meant to show that I am a consultative leader, who widely studies what others have done, and compares approaches before making any decision. Indeed, Juma had great ideas, but that doesn’t mean I will follow all of them. Bensouda also gave me many good ideas.
I consulted many other people, with the exception of anyone from my staffroom, and you will agree that there is no one who is ready to offer advice on complicated matters. But it would seem as though my pronouncements were received differently by people.
There were some enemies of development who saw an opportunity to make money, people who we hadn’t talked with for years coming looking for me for tenders. People who are known as slow thinkers, all of a sudden claim to have sharp relatives in their sons, daughters, nephews, and nieces. Man, if you are slow, trust me, your entire generation is slow.
It all started with a visit by Hitler, a BOM member who came to see me. With him were two people. One of them was introduced as Barasa, a contractor who was keen to be given the tender to construct classrooms. He said he was the one who had built the toilets at Mwisho wa Secondary.
I had never visited them or seen them, but they were done so poorly that the secondary school teachers used our toilets. I dismissed him forthrightly, although I did not tell him, only saying that “I will see what I can do.” I had already seen what I could not do, and that is engaging his services.
Next, Hitler introduced his nephew John. He said he had completed his diploma in education and was now helping Hitler run his business. If you hear Hitler praise John for what a diligent worker John was, even adding that he was computer literate, you wouldn’t know John was a waiter at his den, whose job was to refill people’s glasses. I asked John who the CS for Education was, he was blank. I was sold. Sold against him!
Several other people visited me but after the third, I stopped meeting anyone, deciding to focus on my work. Anyone who tried reaching me was told to follow the due process and apply, adding that all applications will be assessed objectively.
Then some sent reports to TSC and other government officials, telling them of suspected economic crimes about to be committed. Shame on you! Whoever has asked the EACC and DCI to investigate me should know that I have done nothing wrong, and will do nothing wrong.
What has also disturbed me is how my family has reacted to this. Out of the blue, people have problems! This last week, I received multiple requests for help. From Pius, who wanted a quick 100k, without stating the reason, to Caro, Mwisho wa Lami CS for Misinformation, Miscommunication and Broadcasting Lies, who asked for Sh4,700 to start a mandazi business; and Yunia, who said her son had been sent away from school. Even my father identified projects; he wanted new toilets.
But if the requests from my family are many, those from Fiolina's side are even more comical. First, her family has told me in no uncertain terms that they expect me to employ her as a BOM teacher, and then influence to have her employed by TSC. Her brother, Tocla, who was at one time Ali’s Mtu wa Mkono during the construction of my house, and who was fired for being lazy, is also fronting himself as a contractor. Never mind he has no papers nor is he registered anywhere.
"You can do something if you want me to get the job," is all he told me when I told him to follow the process. And how did it become that my mother-in-law has surgery planned for March? And I am the one expected to pay? How?
Good people, I made the mistake of letting people know my plans and the opportunities I have. Because of all these noises, suspicions, and uncalled-for and unsustainable demands, I will no longer let people know my plans, or the school’s. I will keep quiet and do the work. I will show you the results in about August.
