Mkulima Moments: Notice- Has anyone seen my officials?

Going by the aborted reconciliation meeting at Check Point Hotel last week, it dawned on me that there was growing rebellion against me.

I realised more Cooperative officials were nodding in agreement at most of Mzee Jeremiah’s comments and I made an instant decision to calm the rebellion before he exploited it.

To add panic to my fears, Mzee Kabeca, the Mashambani Cooperative treasurer, confirmed to me that the feeling on the ground was worse.

“Mkulima, you might lose the chairmanship of Mashambani Cooperative soon,” Mzee Kabeca cautioned.” Mzee Jeremiah is planning to mobilise the cooperative members for a vote of no confidence against you,” he continued.

Rumours among the officials have been circulating that since I became the chairman I have been stingy with money especially the management allowances.

They are saying, “Kukula imekuwa ngumu.”

Mzee Jeremiah was quoted saying, “Hata Magufuli wa Tanzania anaachia watu kitu kidogo. Hii si Magufuli. Hii ni hujuma.” This narrative was getting into the head of Coop officials.

As usual, I contacted Adenya, my city friend, who apologetically said he was unable to solve my village political problems since he was busy in a big conference in Nairobi on international trade.

He mentioned something like UNCTAD.

ALL EXPENSES-PAID TRIP

Tesh, the bank manager, was the next person I called given her experience working in management.

“Just organise a team building excursion,” she said laughing. Going by her past experience, I was worried about what she might suggest, but this time I was ready for any thought provided it would solve my problems.

“What is team building?” I inquired in a serious tone.

"This is an outdoor interactive session where members can engage in various activities and be free to engage each other to improve their relationships,” she clarified.

After further explanation, it was clear it would not work with my officials. Their exposure, age disparity and social orientation would make them dismiss games of tug of war as childish activities.

Later she suggested the Livestock Breeders show in Nairobi. I bought the idea very fast and started selecting a delegation of management and few farmers to attend the all expenses-paid trip.

We would pay them Sh 4,000 as allowance.

We had to carefully select the trip goers. Mzee Jeremiah was first on the list to represent farmers.

Since I wanted the trip to also cement our relationship, I included the reconciliation team now referred as “The Check Point 6”.

These were Mzee Kabeca, Muchiri, Wekesa, Wakageorge and Wandia’s aunt for obvious reasons.  Through her network, Tesh assisted in hiring an 8-seater van.

WHO TO SIT AT THE FRONT

On the material day, an argument ensued between Mzee Jeremiah and Kabeca on who would sit at the front seat. After a bitter exchange, Kabeca gave in, following my intervention.

I told Kabeca he was shorter than Mzee Jeremiah who needed more legroom.

Muchiri sat near the passengers’ door while the women occupied the middle seat. I joined Wakageorge at the back seat.

After long prayers from Wandia’s aunt, Mzee Jeremiah held the passenger car ceiling grab handle, his walking stick between his legs.

“You can pay us our allowance now, so that mtu ajipange,” Mzee Jeremiah said. There were murmurs of approval.

Kabeca, still irked by the morning spat, insisted the money would be paid at the end of the show.

“No! no! no! the allowance is to cater for one’s expenses. Just give us. Let us not start another fight, Kabeca !” Mzee Jeremiah shouted.

Kabeca yielded to pressure and paid each one of us Sh4,000.

To everyone’s surprise, Mzee Kabeca excused himself and requested to alight at Kasarani. He said he would join us later.

We later learnt he had gone to collect rent from his five single rooms at Mwiki which he invested during his youthful days.

Wakageorge also alighted at Pangani and could be seen making frantic calls as our van zoomed off. He is said to have called his brother who lives there.

REPORT THEIR DISAPPEARANCE TO THE POLICE

Just as we reached the city centre, Wandia’s aunt was picked at the main stage by a small red car.

Mzee Jeremiah also disappeared immediately we arrived at Jamhuri saying he wanted to greet his grandson.

Muchiri, Wekesa and I moved from one stand to another. “One may think his cows are best they are nothing. See what is here,” Muchiri told Wekesa in an apparent jibe at me.

“We have always been thinking Mkulima’s dairy cows are the best in the world, now we know,” he added. I pretended not to have heard.

Muchiri could not even hide his joy after talking to a Ugandan lady. “Sijawahi ongea na mtu kutoka nchi ingine,” he beamed after meeting, Grace, a young farmer from Uganda.

“This is called catwalk… no cow-walk,” I overheard one of our farmers explain. “It’s called showmanship,” I corrected him to avoid the embarrassment from some young people who were laughing at him.

“Does the judging include those men handling the cow,” asked one young farmer.

"They look funny with oversize white gumboots and with matching oversize snow white dustcoats,” added Muchiri.

By 4pm, none of the other Coop officials was traceable. When we called the reply was that their numbers no longer exist.

We were torn between returning to Mashambani without them or report their disappearance to police.