There I Said it, Mzee Ojwang’s Death was Nobody’s Fault but This is What We Should do to Prevent Laying Blame in the Future
Everyone is talking about it and I had no option but to jump o it as well; the death of one Benson Wanjau popularly known as Mzee Ojwang.
A veteran actor and one of Kenya’s greatest icons, he passed on Sunday 12th June at Kenyatta referral hospital where he was admitted for coming off with Pneumonia.
His death has elicited mixed reactions with many terming his death as unfortunate and out of sheer ignorance from the concerned parties. Now this is where I come in and ask who exactly the concerned parties are? Is it the government? Or is it KBC where he practiced most of his trade? Or maybe it’s the larger citizenry which derived ultimate entertainment for up to 40 years from the man? Who exactly was responsible for his demise?
I tend to think nobody was…..first of all, the chap was 78. At that age, death tends to be inevitable for most as that’s when all manner of diseases tend to surface. I’m talking arthritis, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and even cataract which if you took time notice befell Mzee Ojwang sometime back. So in Mzee’s case, it was a scenario like no other which happens on a daily. I bet there are other more 78 year olds who passed on around the same time from Kogelo all the way to Mathioya.
But maybe, just maybe his situation could have been delayed if he had received better health care, better living standards and better income avenues. And what do we do to ensure that the same fate doesn’t befall the mini Ojwang’s we have in the likes of Nyasuguta, Mogaka, Chipukeezy, sleepy, Owago amd others?
This is what we do; we create conditions for them to make enough money so that they can take care of themselves because nobody else can and actually should. Even the government shouldn’t take over that mantle. Because come on, we all have problems, bigger problems that need our attention…men in Nyeri for example are busy protecting their cojones from being chopped off and the government is busy trying to fight off alcoholism that has threatened to wipe off the entire youth population. The same youth is busy fighting death after the same alcohol which had become an intricate part of life had been withdrawn….our girls are busy laying thirst traps on instagram so I think we should forgive ourselves for missing the fact that Mzee Ojwang was ill and admitted in hospital.
Moving on however, ignorance is not the answer. You can do something (apart from throwing a tweet); the government can do something- apart from promising to take care of the burial expenses so that we move on with our lives peacefully and with no regret. Peacefully so that Maina can go on with his usual scandalized and sensual banter and we can sit quietly in the matatus pretending to be disgusted but deep down enjoying it. Peacefully so that we can continue idolizing socialites and cheating and on our better halves.
The government for example should implement legislation and policy which serves to promote and improve the film industry and basically the arts. It should example reign heavy on production houses which basically pocket all the earnings made from the industry while the thespians who form the inner core of the production continue to leave in abject poverty. Currently what happens is that the directors and producers of shows sell the product to TV stations at premium, pocket all the big bucks while distributing the peanuts to the actors. Not to mention names, I know a couple of directors who are rolling in BMW’s, having dinner in expensive restaurants and going on vacation while the guys who make it all happen for them are suffering in the projects drinking country man while taking dumps in polythene bags. Legislation going forward should for example strive to ensure that all the monies paid for production are distributed equally. Pastors on the other hand should for once refrain spending all their time online shopping for the latest Range Rovers but educating their flock on the importance of sharing because that is one value currently nonexistent in Kenyans. Our artists also should also take time away from singing about Ugali* coughs* and seek to educate the youth on the need to look out for other people’s interests and not just their own.
The citizenry on the other hand should seek to elect better leaders who set precedence and not just defraud and embezzle government resources. This obviously reflects negatively on the larger masses. And still on the citizenry, look for other ways to spend your time apart from sitting at the local gulping on whiskey and embarking on out of town debauchery escapades every weekend. Attend plays and musicals and grow our local talent. Buy films, applaud and criticize and I’m pretty sure the actors will strive to do better. Eric Omondi for example hosts a two hour show dubbed untamed but I wonder how many of you actually attend. You’d rather sit at home and watch Chris Rock make white people jokes which you don’t relate to while hating on Eric Omondi….I’m telling you it’s quite unfortunate.
And lastly for the thespians, manage your money wisely and strive to do something with it. You cannot blow up all your money nibbling on socialite tities in Diani and expect us to come to your aid when it all comes tumbling down. It’s a small industry for heaven’s sake so make the most out of it!
