Cure Sonko and many of his ilk of foot-in-mouth disease

In the run-up to independence, Jeanes School in Kabete — which had been established in 1924 to train native functionaries for the colonial regime in areas such as education, hygiene, agriculture, community development, domestic science and local administration — took on an urgent new role.

It was mandated to train wives of the emerging African elite the basics in etiquette. That might seem strange now, but it was found necessary to prepare women coming out of the villages with little or no education, and even less exposure to the outside world, for life in the big city.

From a simple life with few demands, these women were being thrust into a world where they would have to host and attend dinners and cocktails patronised by high society.

It was necessary to learn how to prepare the right meals; how to lay tables with the knives and forks and spoons and other cutlery in the right order; and of course table manners, or how to behave at the dinner table.

ETIQUETTE

Into the mix was thrown lessons on how to dress for the occasion, some ballroom dancing, the correct way to engage in cocktail and dinner table chit-chat, and other social mores.

From the early years, even President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta’s State House had its own social secretary, Ms Elizabeth Mumbi, who happened to have been the winner of the 1963 Independence Day ‘Ms Uhuru’ beauty pageant sponsored by this newspaper.

Apart from organising State House banquets and overseeing other social functions, it’s likely that Ms Mumbi also played a role tutoring First Lady Ngina Kenyatta in the finer arts of etiquette.

She also acted as a sort of surrogate mother for the younger First Children —Uhuru, Muhoho and Nyokabi Kenyatta — escorting them on outings and attending school events such as prize giving, sports and speech days where presidential presence might have been too disruptive.

As an aside, there was also love that blossomed at State House as Ms Mumbi eventually got married to President Kenyatta’s Aide-de-Camp, Major Marsden Madoka.

CIVILITY

Back to the point. There was need then for education in social mores, how to behave in polite society and generally carry yourself with dignity and respect.

That need seems even more urgent today. We may not be talking about the right knife and fork to use, but we have seen a powerful reminder of the dire need for our leaders to get some coaching on how not to say the wrong things at the wrong time.

It is unbecoming for a person who calls himself a leader to take the microphone at a funeral service and say things about the deceased designed to shock, embarrass and outrage.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko’s tales about the love child of fallen Kibra Member of Parliament Ken Okoth were totally unnecessary.

If he was the faithful and sincere friend of Mr Okoth that he claims to have been, Mr Sonko should have taken his intervention to a private family gathering rather than laying out the tawdry details in public, and seemingly boasting about his own role in the affair between the MP and nominated Member of the County Assembly Anne Thumbi.

CURE DISEASE

He could have gone nyuma ya hema (behind the tent), to borrow from local parlance.

What the episode reveals is that Mr Sonko and many of his ilk could benefit a great deal from a revised and updated Jeanes School curriculum.

The school is still around. It became the Kenya Institute of Administration before evolving into what is now Kenya School of Government, a pivotal institution in the training of middle and senior management government cadre.

Perhaps it ought to go back to its roots and devise a course designed to cure our leaders of foot-in-mouth disease.

Beyond regular table manners, it could also teach our leaders that it’s not good to overeat at the banquet table or to eat and talk with a full mouth.

NO RELATIONSHIP

It has had plenty of experience in simply teaching manners and good behaviour, with sister institutions from early on in Nyasaland (Malawi), Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia and Nigeria.

For the record, the Jeanes Schools have no relationship to the famous, or infamous and late-lamented, Jean’s Club in Nairobi West.

The latter was named after Jean Armstrong, wife of the original owner Robbie Armstrong of the legendary Starlight Club where the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission now stands.

Jeanes Schools were named after Quaker, or East African Yearly Meeting of Friends, benefactor Anna T. Jeanes, who donated money for the original Native Industrial Training Depot (NITD).

Mr Gaitho is a former Managing Editor, Special Projects for the Daily Nation. [email protected]. @MachariaGaitho