Joseph, heaven (which I believe you are familiar with) and earth can testify I have totally nothing against you. I thought I should start from here because what I am bringing back, many may not know and you will not like it.
We studied Mass Communication together, the same class. Our classmates are here, most of them.
When we first met, I didn’t know you were a big shot. I later got to know in our second year, you were a sports editor and the President of USPA- 2002. There was also one Mr. Mutumba who was also a big shot in the media. We admired you guys. We were studying with professionals who were already in the field. We looked at you as an upgrader in this field.
Joseph, do you recall your associate Mike Ezra? You and him went to Emin Pasha Hotel and displayed “$100 million” in cash, $ 3 million on the table, and 97 in the boot. You later paid journalists UGX 50,000 for coming and fed and boozed them to oblivion. You and Ezra left only paying half the bill, promising to clear the rest after forex operations the next day. The guarantee was simple, your man was renting next to the NRM HQ a few meters away from Emin Pasha, a house he rented for 2 years, only paying 6 months rent. We discovered later the money you displayed was more worthless than toilet paper.
You chartered helicopters from Nairobi to fly Ezra into football games, hired muscle men from Kisenyi whom you gave hair cuts, and dressed them in tracksuits you acquired from Katumwa sports, which your man never paid.
Then your man gave a blank cheque to the organization you were honestly elected to, USPA. These sportsmen and women elected you in trust and you finally delivered the saviour Mike Ezra. USPA’s problems were over.
What your people didn’t know is the plan you had cooked with Mr Money bags. He was escaping but he left you something little. You took the cheque to your cabinet, you fed figures into that cheque and the cheque bounced.
You came to me, Becca Kabanda, Andrew Seka, Mwalimu and others I will leave out. You were being looked for by CID. We hid you in Livingstone Hall, later Nkrumah and later other small places for 3 months as they looked for you mercilessly. We did your course works.
When the storm died off, you emerged, redeemed your money, and married your first wife, never to invite any of those who helped you, never to refund all the little campus student money we used to feed you in hiding.
Suddenly, we discover you with Mr Elivs Mbonye. I have a feeling Mr Ezra is in prison in Kenya because of your ideas, the same kind you have fed Mr Mbonye whom you discovered somewhere.
I believe you are a brilliant manipulator and Mbonye must be a victim like Ezra was. I see you kissing shoes, speaking English and I believe you are now working for someone else. Poor Elvis we have been hitting him.
Joseph, turn your brilliant ideas into business and stop distorting this young nation. Please.
Mr John Njoroge is a former journalist and media consultant