Suffering ‘Jojo’ Waweru deserves all our help

During last August’s general elections, we were fed with the funny image of a man who lined up to vote and bought himself some dry githeri which he proceeded to chew comically while waiting for his turn to waste his time by pretending to vote as we all did.

The social media in its fickle nature took up the image and spiralled the poor fellow superimposing him everywhere with his githeri and silly look.

The man simply became a “hero” and soon was winning holidays and getting invites to talk shows on primetime.

He was even being quoted to have some profound statement!

He was a star until the equally silly photographer who was only seeking to embarrass him became jealous and started demanding some recognition as an ace photographer. It was a boring saga and it did not end there.

In Kenya, senseless things become gross until even the government, which seems to be equally irrational, takes its turn to be counted in the national idiocy.
The man was recognized as a hero of this country during a national holiday. He was “knighted”!

Just for eating githeri in public, he seems to have done great deeds for this country than anyone else.

Well, we are not jealous of the fellow and the government of the day can as well recognize the efforts of any future person that goes for a call of nature right in the middle of Nairobi or at the tip of mount Kenya for all we care.

What bothers some of us is that the people that really need recognition in this country are never seen.

They should do something else; something petty and crass in front of the camera to get the recognition as national heroes.

George “Jojo” Waweru, the former Harambee Stars defender is suffering a fate almost worse than death and it seems that is not good enough for the obtuse in government.

Was Waweru not a great player for this country? Did he not do any good for this nation?

Must he eat in public to be seen by the high and mighty?

Is the Ministry of Sports so useless that it cannot even think of the sportsmen and women for whom they were created?
Is talent a curse in this country?

There are very many former sportsmen and women that have been put into forcible oblivion.

When they die, we hear a lot of windy sighs from the authorities that pretend to laud them.

One remembers that Waweru even played for Harambee Stars while his neck was broken and painful.

To add insult to that injury, the football fathers left him to his own devices and it was his poor mother that had to carter for his medical bills.

Such is the reality of being a talented Kenyan.

The mediocre is rewarded while the deserving are seen as a nuisance.

All the young upcoming sports people must see this early enough and seek to be paid upfront before doing anything for this country.

This is an angry piece and we do not apologise to anybody for it. The football fathers must come up with a way to save this situation and any other in future.

We shall revisit this. Grrr!