Focus of devolution must never shift from serving Wanjiku

Meru was this week awash with opulence. No, it was not the business moguls of the world who had swooped in on business, perhaps to find out how to make millions of dollars from miraa juice, now that the Britons have decided they are done with chewing the Meru cash crop. No, the limos and choppers were in the land of Senator Kiraitu Murungi and Council of Governors’ chair Peter Munya ferrying the 47 county bosses. I’m told even dusty, back-alley hotel rooms that normally charge Sh500 on a normal day were smug enough to blame any would-be guest for not booking in advance. “We are fully booked, please make an effort to book in advance next time.” The aura of affectation that flooded Meru during the third edition of Devolution conference, which ends today, was captured by a writer with The Standard — yeah we set the standards for the nation.

Our writer filed the story of a businessman who took advantage of the governors’ summit to sell cars going for as much as Sh10 million, in a town where I once could not find some spare parts for my old, modest jalopy.