Of Complaining & Backpedalling

It is in our human nature to complain, we do it about the weather, we moan about the miles long traffic jams in the CBD, we may even complain about our jobs, co-workers or (gasp) even the boss. But earlier in the week I watched in amazement as residents in East Pokot who despite all having mobile phones do not have the network to support them.

In this our increasingly modern day the mobile phone has become an essential third arm and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone- financial state not withstanding- without the palm size devises. But in Baringo county modern times seem to have missed the bus and the numerous network service providers seem to have skipped them all together as they’re forced to go to outrageous lengths just to make or return a call, this includes walking miles and miles, climbing trees and hills and unfinished buildings are also a good option just for a few moments of contact with the outside world, you’d best forget the internet, as the roads are deplorable they are ever the more isolated, they say no man is an island but Pokot may just be an island unto itself. The next time I find myself moaning about a temporary loss in network I will not be so quick to complain!

 Backpedalling With A Smile:

Backpedalling is not something many ordinary people do and if they have to it is begrudgingly done, it may just be easier to get one to apologize –for some a feat unto itself- than take back whole statements or better yet blame a third party for statements once made. Politicians for most intents and purposes are a very special breed of human to whom the never backpedal theory does not apply and this was seen most glaringly and laughably in the form of the Education minister Mutula Kilonzo- yes he of the much moaned about mini skirt- who just last night after much banter and heated debate basically he got himself into more trouble and tongue lashings than he ever would have dreamt when he first made the statement about dressing girls in mini- skirts he then urged the girls and their parents and guardians to be ‘modern like Mutula’. Now the former Constitutional Affairs minister has beat a most hasty retreat saying that even in the 60’s and 70’s he used to ‘avoid completely any girl wearing a mini’ and thus saying he ‘never mentioned and would never accept the mini-skirt’ he added laughing – experts say that this is one of the many signs of a fibber- ‘so therefore to suggest that I am advocating a mini-skirt in a school is ridiculous’ he then went on to say that he had been’ misreported’ by the media- really, so that would mean that all the cameras and journalists at the school where he made his hot potato statement were blind, deaf and fabricated his statements?-he was also quick in threatening to take to court media houses that continue the debate.

 As film is not usually prone to lying the minister must now be eating humble pie because of sharp and loud calls from the church in rebuke of his statements in addition he seems to have bent to their will, eager to please both the enlightened student and the church he stated that he will probably by the end of the day have a sample skirt for the students that the bishop can sign off on! That’s a 360 degree change if I’ve ever heard one!

 A word to the wise: to save oneself the embarrassment and blush of having to apologize or even worse backtrack don’t say anything at all, or if you do make statements be they public or private be prepared to stand by those words; mean what you say and say only what you mean knowing come whatever may you will never need to take your words back.