The “Sina Makosa” Grand Coalition And The Mouth-Watering Safaricom IPO

We are going to discuss some very serious business in this post. The problem is that it is bound to upset many of you see-no-evil-hear-no-evil-on-the-coalition faithful dear readers of Kumekucha. Kindly bear with me, my brothers and sisters. It is all nothing but the truth. I have checked and cross-checked my facts and I have confirmed all the sensitive information.

But fortunately, I am not some heartless brute, so to make “the medicine” a little less bitter and unpleasant to take, I have tied this article to African music. I am sure most of you folks out there in the Diaspora love African/Kenyan music and many folks back home too. So do I. My all-time favourite is a Les Wanyika song called Nimaru.

I have a fascinating tale to tell you today about how a hit song destroyed a soul and I was there to witness some of the destruction as it was happening, so I can tell this story first hand.

In my view the late Omar Shaban, of Les Wanyika better known as Prof Omari is the best rhythm guitarist to have ever walked the shores of Eastern Africa and beyond. But many people do not know the story behind the smash hit Les Wanyika song, Sina Makosa.

Actually Prof Omari and bassist Tom Malanga (both Tanzanians playing their music in Kenya then) left Simba Wanyika to form the legendary Les Wanyika together. They were joined by two other fellow Tanzanians namely, John Ngereza and Issa Juma.

To launch the group, they needed to head straight to the recording studios and release a hit. And the song had to be a hit if the new group was to survive. There was hardly time to come up with something new, so Prof Omari dug out an old song that he had composed together with George Kinyonga of Simba Wanyika before he left. The reason why they did not record the song was because it was too similar to another Simba Wanyika song that had been recorded called Diana. That song was Sina Makosa.

Sina Makosa released in 1979, became the smash hit that Les Wanyika and Prof Omari are best remembered for. I watched as the flood of money that poured in from the song completely destroyed Prof Omari. He womanized excessively and he took to drinking more and more potent whisky. Eventually it slowed down his fingers on the guitar. Then followed a power struggle for leadership of the band with the more level headed and equally gifted John Ngereza, which the latter won. Prof Omari left the group briefly but came back shortly after and I watched the latter years of a great rhythm guitarist, a mere shadow of his old self but still a joy to watch and listen to in live performances at the then Bombax Club opposite Kenya Science Teacher’s college.

George Kinyonga could only wring his fingers in agony as he watched the song he had refused to record smashing all records in sales.

Prof Omari passed away in 1997 and John Ngereza followed in 2002.

The words of that hit song that made Prof Omari so much money so suddenly that it destroyed him are very appropriate for the grand coalition government that is now in the process of being formed.

You can listen to Sina makosa HERE.

The main words in the song are;

Wewe unawake nyumbani na mimi ni na wangu nyumbani, chuki ya nini kati ya mimi na wewe. (You have your lover at home and I have mine at home, why is there hatred between us.)

I have impeccable information to the effect that the grand coalition which many Kenyans have placed all their hopes on is all about wacha ni kule hapa na wewe ukule huko, hakuna aja ya chuki kati ya mimi na wewe. (Why don’t you eat there and I eat here, there is no need for hatred between us.)

The first deal is the Safaricom IPO. The owners of the mysterious Mobitelea Ventures (who own 12.5% of Safaricom) are about to make a cool 10 billion shillings from the IPO and my sources assure me that the money will be shared with the principals of PNU and ODM respectively. Indeed many Kenyans were taken by surprise when the ODM leader and Prime Minister designate, Raila Odinga suddenly made a 180 degree turn and said that he had no problem with the Safaricom IPO.

Anybody who cares about Kenya, as a matter of principal should not go anywhere near the Safricom IPO. But alas I am aware that I am shouting myself hoarse for nothing. The same principled Kenyans who are always making noise here and elsewhere about corruption are already rubbing their hands in glee waiting for the mother of all IPOs.

I sincerely believe from the bottom of my heart that the time for us Kenyans to put our money where our mouths are has come.

My humble advice is that before purchasing the Safricom shares, which many of you must buy, come what may, Get a good clean mirror and look at yourself in it. If you do so without blinking, just go out and apply for your shares, but you should never waste our time and yours ever complaining again about our leaders robbing us.

P.S. Here is a question that every keen analyst of Kenyan politics should be asking themselves. The country has recently purchased a lot of police equipment and then there has been an urgency to recruit 10,000 policemen and to get them working as soon as possible by even cutting short their usual 6 month training period. What is all this urgency for? Why should there be any urgency at all and there is a poecae agreement that has been signed?

Think hard my brothers, and without emotion… and then keep you eyes trained on this space. Or get hold of Kumekucha’s raw notes.