So many Kenyans are suffering everyday. Happy dreams, prosperous businesses have turned to ruin, rubble, tears & death. County governments owe Kenyan business people over KES 90B in unpaid payments. Only Kitui County has paid all in full. Kudos @mamangilu
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90B is so much. Imagine the difference it can do. People are being auctioned. Majority are dreading the 31st of Jan 2018 because auction deadlines. No one seems to care as county officials live large. Nairobi is leading with over 60B owed to businesses.
Mombasa has started to pay. Imagine getting credit to deliver on a project. The length you would go to deliver on a tender. The people you would borrow from. The loans you would accumulate. The promises you would make, creating false assurances, waiting on hope that's a mirage
A mirage that will have you getting sick. Committing suicide. Shutting down your business. Let me tell you a story...
A contractor to one the counties near Nairobi got a deal worth 30M. He was so excited. Got a bank loan of 10M. His father in law was proud of him, gave him his title for his home to get another loan of 10M. His boys gave him 2M. He only needed 11M to deliver. Her was excited
His life changed. They moved houses. He bought a new prado. He delivered on his deal. He got another tender of 10M before the first one was paid. He was over the moon.
He delivered on the second tender. He was illiquid. He need to be paid first before he could embark on any other deal. The officials of that county pushed him to get another tender, seems it was a deal issue, he declined. He had no cash until they paid
He pushed them. They gave him promises that only lasted like the scent of Fake perfume on Koinage street. He started to camp at the county offices daily for a straight 27 months. He sold the prado. They moved to a cheaper single bedroom house. He sold the wife's car.
He closed his business. He fired 10 employees he had not paid for over 8 months. He sold his suits.
Auctioneers came. The county paid a paltry 2M. The bank sold the land, the house and everything his father in law had. He committed suicide. To date no one has been able to get the payments. The Governor’s office is aware. But who cares?
My neighbour at the office got auctioned. The other took off and never returned to handle his issues with employees or landlord. Others just shut down. Working for County Governments is like working for the devil.
Imagine the bank strangling you. Auctioneers squeezing your balls. Friends you owe killing you on social media. Your wife and kids taking off. Yet the guys who owe are refusing to pay till you part with half the money. Are these county people demons?
When are we ever going to demand better? Yes, there those who demand fake payments. But can't we have systems in place to recognise fake demands for payments? Do people have to die and commit suicide, lose business, break marriages before payments are done?
My advice, if you young, ambitious, and doing well, don't work for any governments!
