My ‘sadistic’ tendency amid an ignorant Kenyan culture

On several occasions I have been accused of being a sadist. In my defense what my accusers perceive as a ‘sadistic’ tendency as they put it, is me being indifferent. For some reason I can’t explain my indifference is normally exhibited in an awkward smile or some improper comment given the context. You see there is something oddly fascinating and in my case tingling about someone or people suffering when they ignorantly neglected to take up precautions that could have alleviated their suffering. 

I could not help but smile a month ago as it became apparent that the cost of living had gone up. I had gone to purchase some painkillers at a local chemist back at home. As I entered the premises I found the chemist engrossed in a deep heated argument with a middle aged working man. The subject of their argument was the drastic increase in the price of the drugs; only two weeks since the man had last made a similar purchase. It became clear to me that the man was a regular customer who bought his medication from the chemist and that he was not insured.

Listening to the argument it was hard not to smile as I saw the man suffer for his ignorance. I remembered some sad statistics I had read in the Business Daily. The statistics quoted from the Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) had it that the penetration of life insurance in Kenya stood at a mere 2.47 per cent. This to me means that many Kenyans’ health is at the whims of a very volatile system with chemists making quick money at their expense. And why shouldn’t the chemists take advantage and make a fortune off ignorant Kenyans?

Certainly it is not for lack of publicity that most Kenyans are yet to take health insurance. In this age of technological revolution, some insurance firm is always advertising on the wide range of mass media available. Nor can it be said that life insurance is beyond the reach of many Kenyans, definitely not the likes of the middle aged working man in the chemist. I have heard of attractive insurance packages where one pays as little as Shs 200/= a month as premium. To add icing to the cake the premiums can be paid via the mobile phone.

Kenyans reluctance in insuring their lives arises from a deep seeded culture of ignorance and it is such ignorance that brings out my ‘sadistic’ tendency. You can imagine my delight when last month the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) governor Njuguna Ndung’u took eternity before he intervened to cushion the weak shilling. It was as if his mind and mine were in sync that Kenyans need to be taught a lesson the hard way.      

450 words

Lonard mutinda
07-0302