Colleague yet to return home after BBI launch at Bomas
MCA Gwinso
The only thing I am sure about fellow MCA Matayo is that he is unpredictable. This is a man from whom you wouldn’t know what to expect. He changes positions so frequently that a chameleon would learn a thing or two from him.
A few days ago, Matayo did not want to hear anything about the BBI. In fact, at one time, he and MCA Violata almost came to blows just because she had remarked that BBI was unstoppable, to the chagrin of Matayo.
So I was perplexed when this same Matayo sent me a text message last Monday saying, “Please prepare to accompany me to the BBI launch in Nairobi on Wednesday.”
I called to find out more and he explained he had received an invitation to attend the function. He had been asked to go along with two colleagues.
“I have decided to include Violata to keep to the two-thirds gender rule,” he said.
“Who invited you?” I asked.
“Don’t be a doubting Gwinso. I don’t want you to be left out of this defining moment in the country’s history,” he said with the seriousness of a retired nationalist.
While this was still sinking in, my colleague added, “Since you are close to the governor, why don’t you ask him to facilitate our travel?”
It dawned on me that this was Matayo’s main reason for including me in the trip. “But this is not a county function, Matayo,” I asked.
“I know that, but impress upon him it is important for our county to be represented. If we are left out, we will be badly disadvantaged.”
This sounded convincing, and I agreed to talk to the governor, provided Matayo accompanies me to the office to answer any questions.
“Get serious,” said the governor when we went to see him. “Where will that money come from?”
“But sir, if we miss out, our county might be excluded from a major decision-making process,” I said.
“How many are you?”
“Ten,” Matayo said quickly.
“Let me see what I can do,” he said and proceeded to make a call.
“Process three days’ allowances for 10 MCAs.” Matayo gave me a wink of triumph.
Everything settled, we agreed to travel early the following morning. Matayo offered to collect our allowances for us.
Matayo, Violata and I left for the city the next day as we had agreed, Matayo having given us our three-day allowances. We arrived early in the evening and settled in our hotel room. We were to head to the Bomas of Kenya together early the following morning.
Seven o’clock the following morning found us ready to leave, but Matayo was nowhere to be seen. We tried to reach him on phone but he was mteja.
“Si we check in his room?” Violata suggested. I went there. The door was locked. I knocked. Nothing. I knocked again. Nothing.
“He is an adult. He knows the way to Bomas,” said impatient Violata.
We made our way to the BBI launch venue and were allowed in without much ado.
As we sat through the proceedings, listening to the speeches, I would not stop wondering what had happened to our colleague.
“I must use that phrase in our county Assembly one of these days,” Violata whispered to me.
“Which one?”
“Circumlocutionary verbiage,” she responded.
Apparently, the Speaker had used the phrase. I did my best to be attentive afterwards, but Matayo kept on popping up in my mind. My many attempts to reach him on phone were unsuccessful.
At the end of the event, we went back to the hotel. To our surprise, we found him lying on the bed in his room. He was totally oblivious of his surrounding.
“He was brought here by some men who said they were his fellow MCAs,” the receptionist told us upon inquiry. “They said he had lost everything where he had been having some refreshments.”
We decided to let him rest.
The following morning, to our shock, we learnt he had left at dawn saying he was going back home. When I went to look for him at his home later in the day, his wife looked puzzled.
“But he had said you would be in Nairobi for a week.”
Not willing to cause panic, I pretended I needed to receive a call and excused myself. I left the houseMatayo has not resurfaced till now. Na mteja bado hapatikani!– [email protected]
