Rudisha win, Parliament seats put Kenya in world limelight

By Kenfrey Kiberenge

Two events this week placed Kenya on the world map. On Wednesday, President Kibaki opened the new-look Parliament chambers with what has billed as the world’s most costly parliamentary seats.

The next was the stellar performance of David Lekuta Rudisha on Thursday night in the men’s 800m finals. Rudisha was the first athlete to set a new world record on the track in London 2012 in a performance that underlined Kenyan athletes as world-beaters.

Both events have attracted widespread media interest in Britain.

While we made it a priority to upgrade our Parliament to a hi-tech one where MPs will be buzzing point of orders, in Britain, the mother of all legislatures – and despite their higher per capita income – lawmakers have to squeeze on average green leather pews and stand to catch the Speaker’s eye.

It beats logic how a country that cannot feed its own population can prioritise upgrading of Parliament at a cost of Sh1 billion.

A country that cannot afford Sh250 million to build a spinal injury treatment centre and despite efforts by an injured man riding on a wheelchair to South Africa to raise funds, no Government official seems to care. When the dust settles on the London Olympics and the Government accountants finish reconciling the figures, a higher amount will have been spent on trips to Britain to market Kenya as tourist destination. Never mind Kenyans waste hundreds of billions of shillings in medical tourism in India and South Africa.

Whenever I heard people discuss Parliament seats in the newsroom I cleared my throat and tried all I could to take cover. And as fate would have it, Team Kenya had a depressing start at the Olympics.

I recall on Tuesday night watching the men’s 1,500m finals and with near pomposity telling a roommate with more than 10 nationalities how we would win gold, silver and bronze.

All cameras were trained on Asbel Kiprop and the BBC commentators echoed my sentiments. I kept updating them that running from behind was his strategy – he would raise the tempo in the final lap. We all know what happened.

But on Thursday night Rudisha lightened up not just Kenyans but the entire world. I became more visible and more Kenyan. Although it’s summer time in UK, I wrapped a scarf with Kenyan flag colours around my neck to the office yesterday.

Many more medals are on the way for Team Kenya. The games have also been great for Great Britain as well.

But as some of their athletes will be trooping to Buckingham Palace to be knighted by the queen, our athletes would be hosted to a lunch at State House and handed cheques of a few hundreds of shillings.

There is talk of Britain’s Bradley Wiggins, the winner of Tour de France and gold medal in men’s cycling being knighted.

If he is lucky, our Rudisha might get Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya, if he has not been awarded this already.

Meanwhile, the more prestigious Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya - Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya will be dished out to an undeserving fellow, most likely one of those now enjoying the comfort of the Sh200,000-seats in Parliament.

A million Londoners will flock on the streets to pay tribute to the Team Great Britain champions who will ride on an open bus around the city.

Their tribesmen will receive our athletes at JKIA and they’ll have to endure the irritating Mombasa Road traffic jam.

No wonder Pamela Jelimo was hit by culture shock in 2008 after she won the one million-dollar Golden League jackpot and there was an unprecedented stampede from leaders for photo opportunities.