By Jackson Omondi
” I never attempted to apply for admission at the prestigious naval academy in Annapolis because my grades were so poor that it would be considered a joke,” quipped Colin Powell. Powell, a decorated soldier who ended up being George W Bush’s first Secretary of State after an illustrious career that made him an iconic figure in American history and was at one point in 1992, was widely urged by all and sundry in the GOP establishment to run for president as a Republican but at the counsel of his wife, turned down the offer.
Powell, by his own admission, made it clear that he was a less than stellar student in high school but turned the corner after high school and went on to have an enviable career that left many drooling over his success, is just one of many leaders who made the proverbial lemonade out of lemon.
In fact, many celebrated heavy hitters turned in mediocre grades in high school and then turned around later in life to move mountains! Most of them, who parlayed college-entry grades, didn’t even bother graduating from college.
The incomparable Republican strategist Karl Rove, never made it past his first year in college and went on to engineer the political career of the 43rd President of the United States! Yes, Rove made George W Bush POTUS.
Former Governor and now Virginia Senator Mark Warner, dropped out of college and went on to introduce the mega telephone company Sprint Nextel to the world!
The self proclaimed professor of politics was never a stellar student but went on to rule Kenya for decades! The sainted Tom Mboya was known for his street wits but not for academic prowess. The list is endless.
And so we find ourselves in the midst of another quandary pitting a witty leader whose high school grades are ranked from under the tables but his political and leadership gravitas have turned a whole government upside down!
If a D – (minus) can bring about this rocket-launching paradigm shift, then we must pause and seek the counsel of Charlie Arlinghaus, a man who had this to say about leadership: ” leadership is never acquired, when people see it in you, they can feel it..” Governor Joho is a leader whose thunderous gravitas is causing sleepless nights and he is not even NASA’s presidential candidate!
If a D-(minus) can importune one with the chutzpah to publicly reprimand a trigger-happy President, I want it!
If a D-(minus) can make one a successful Governor with stratospheric approval ratings and a shoo-in for reelection, deal me In!
If a D-(minus) can thrust one in a league where one can lock horns with an incumbent President and deliver fatal political barbs, then say hallo to a new Fan!
The Governor’s political prowess has eclipsed Jubilee’s PR-laden campaign rendering the regime desperate sending them scavenging for faux scandals. One would be forgiven if they thought that Joho was the number one threat to national security. Why else would a government direct all national security organs to zero-in on one of the nation’s best performing Governors?
It’s unfathomable that a personal vendetta can morph into an all out war against a Kenyan whose only ‘crime’ is telling truth to power. They are unable to fight him on his record as the Governor of Mombasa where the voters are all in with the Governor and are just waiting for the right time to whitewash the political projects assembled to make plays in August.
Here is what school kids are learning: Getting a D-(minus) can make one the number one enemy of the state and while at it, one can become a very successful Governor who is heartbeat away from leading one of the largest political parties in Africa! Oh, and also muster enough political juice to run for president In 2022!
Well played folks!
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