Kenya’s most valuable animal is the White Elephant. The form is as follows: A good idea is had by some well-meaning person somewhere. Big money appears, from public coffers as well as from those of the taxpayers of far-off lands. A seemingly state-of-the-art facility is planned, involving lots of expensive procurement. Shadowy brokers and vendors appear. After much delay, the White Elephant is ready for commissioning. A cabinet minister will appear and make an asinine speech lauding the noble goals of the initiative: to end road deaths, poverty, impunity, illiteracy, whatever. Briefly, the facility will actually function. Then, those who were behind the idea lose interest since the big buying is done and fortunes have been made. After this, the facility will be staffed by the inept, the unqualified and the uninterested. No money will be available for maintenance (or is diverted if it is); the facility will gradually crumble. No one takes any interest: not the public who should be benefitting from all the expense; not the ministry that commissioned it; not the personage who opened it. Until the next big, worthy project appears, we can all take a break.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 05:15:42 +0000
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