Sneak Preview, Again

I kind of had fun with the article preview last time, and My Lady of the Anticipating Smiles said she enjoyed it. So here is another sneak preview. Coming next weekend to an East African near you, some more budget talk and a little nostalgia:

"Ten years ago this would have been impossible to imagine: few of us under the previous regimes had a clue about what these parliamentarians of ours did with themselves. They were like exotic birds who migrated to roost in a mythical capital far, far away from Dar called Dodoma several times a year, where they would coo at each other in a language we weren’t likely to understand. The national budget was an even more obscure undertaking than Bunge, and something that we were happy to leave to the ones in charge. After all they supposedly knew exactly what they were doing. That must have been such a fantastic time to be a politician. Sure, you were likely poor but then you commanded respect."

Ah. Those single-party days must have been like some kind of golden past for the old cadres, eh? People bowing and scraping and "Mheshimiwa"-ring you to death everywhere you went. Nothing like these days when uncouth youth say silly things about you on the intertubes and nip at your heels in the newspapers. Damn those liberal democrats!

This Writing Life: How Bloggers Can Cheat

Hello! Sorry about the silence, total inspiration collapse in the past few days. I have a sneak preview for you, as a peace offering. Well, it is only kind of a sneak preview since I reheated some leftovers for The East African in an effort not to blow my deadline. Barely squeaked through. But since I did cross-post between the two platforms, here's a bit of what's coming for budget week:

"Every year during the pre-budget frenzy, the conversation is usually being held far above the civilian’s head. Civil society watchdogs want the government to do this or that particular thing, the donors suspect that something fishy is going on but are prevented by the rules of international relations from saying so directly, and the government is busy performing a very delicate and graceful balancing act to keep everybody happy- especially itself. The Tanzania Revenue Authority is the only institution that cares quite directly about the taxpayer, and that is the one institution that nobody wants anywhere near them."

The idea originally was to do a riff on the famous "death and taxes" statement and then somehow stuff other subjects into the article- donors and their role in our governance structures, what does it mean when civilians are treated as recipients and not really seen as healthy contributors to the national project, civil society's watchdogging, individual agency, and the fact that nobody willingly pays public officials- especially when you know that your government is corrupt...

But, you know, it's only 800 words. I had to get a grip on reality.

Truth be told, I find blogging much easier that columning. Blogging is relaxed, like throwing on a favorite pair of jeans and a crisp white t-shirt. Writing a column, on the other hand, is like constantly panicking about your business formal attire. This week, I caved in and reworked an old blogpost idea for the column, which I suppose is like wearing the white t-shirt under your jacket and pairing sneakers with your pinstripes. I'm sure it'll happen again, when the deadline is breathing down my neck. So that explains the title of the post: this is how a blogger can get away with feeding her column reheated leftovers.

Technically speaking, it is not exactly a cheat. People do it all the time- recycle the same content across various outlets. It has it's uses, but in principle I'm not a fan since I am obsessed by the idea of Original Content. One of the writers whom I admire tremendously offers OC across a mind-boggling number of platforms. And if I ever grow up, I want to be just like that.

The King's Diary: Billboards Economics.

Dear Me,

How I love the new Minister for Infrastructure! Last campaign billboard companies offered me a lot of free publicity. Now the Minister has decided to ensure more. With great zeal he is threatening to remove illegally constructed bill boards. Of course they are illegal!

How well those red crosses on the sign boards work. The publicity companies fear for their business, and it won’t be long till they will request an audience. I will grant it graciously. I will even be prepared to consider maintaining their boards. In return for some small favours, of course.

A pity that such an effective Minister will lose his job soon. In the run up to the elections a few too many road contracts were signed. Yesterday I checked the numbers: there are roads under construction for almost King’s Shillings 3.1 trillion (Kshs 3,100,000,000,000). Meanwhile we are procuring roads for another KShs 940 billion. All this will have to be paid from the development budget in the Ministry of Infrastructure which only has Kshs 721 billion. So there is a whopping Kshs 3.2 trillion shortfall!

Good thing not all will have to be paid this year. And brilliant of the Minister to threaten cancelling road contracts for shoddy work. But this won’t do. There is no way the Treasury is going to find the money to pay for this. As soon as it comes out, someone will need to be scapegoated. I fear the Minister will pay for it with his job. Shame really. He’s been serving me so well.

Money, man. Money.

'Elimu ni kila kitu, dada'ngu.' I was arrested by this statement as I watched my friend struggle to figure out what he was going to do next. Out of a job in 24 hours due to circumstances outside his control. Kids growing, rent is due. Not enough jobs to go around, and he's that most undesirable of human surplus: young, male, too few years in school. This guy is far too sharp to land anywhere except on his feet, but it makes my shoulder blades itch to think about all that latent power in the labour market- strong, smart, motivated, creative, frustrated...

No doubt about it- if we had such a thing as a functioning education system, my friend would likely be heading a corporate empire and I'd be slaving for him. But, you know. Family had few means, crap education and here he is, a self-taught transportation services provider. Our conversation made me wonder a little about Jay Kay's promise to create a million jobs in his first term, and those Ward Secondary Schools with VodaFasta teachers. Itchy shoulder blades!

Speaking of government, Minister Mkullo is in the background saying something about promoting Export Processing Zones. The World's Best Housekeeper* is giving me dirty looks because she just lost an argument about food price controls. Asking for a raise is well within her rights, but she can forget about that command economy business. Happy Budget day.

*Oh, yeah, she also chuckled evilly while reminding me that this is the last Bunge session for those MPs who haven't got a chance in hell of being re-elected. Might as well enjoy your seating allowances, buddies :)