Austerity or a stroke of genius:

I am not going to say that I was not impressed by the frugality of the new Central Bank of Kenya governor who has refused to accept the perks that go along with the high office that he occupies.

That he has refused the offer of three top of the line executive vehicles, a palatial residence in one of the most sought after suburbs of Nairobi, a plethora of servants at his beck and call, a security detail comprising bodyguards and drivers and a smart phone befitting his position can only mean one thing.......good grief what was the man thinking?

It was bad enough, they said, that the man had no wife, no children and no worldly possessions of any value other than the simple clothes on his back and those in his tin trunk back at his shared accommodation facilities with other like-minded individuals somewhere in Nairobi. Someone even had the gall to offer him a wife as if that would guarantee him to do the job at hand better!

Looking at this issue critically, I can’t help but think that this man is miserly and does not want others to progress at his expense. He is about to commit 20-30 people to the unemployment queue and their immediate and extended families to a life of penury and for what, to save a few million shillings in tax payers’ money! Or is he just a pragmatist now that the Kenya shilling has touched the Kshs. 100.00 mark last seen 4 years ago?

I wonder whether he shall be driving himself to work in his personal vehicle possibly a nondescript 2005 Toyota Corolla even as he mulls over the decline in the value of the Kenya Shilling and agonizes on how to make banks bring down interest rates since they don’t seem to comprehend that there is a direct correlation between interest rates and inflation.

He also risks being stopped and fined by overzealous traffic police officers ever vigilant to arrest those with the serious offence of talking on the phone while driving because being the busy man that he is he is bound to receive important phone calls that he cannot ignore (even if he doesn’t make any) on his latest mobile phone, a Nokia 3310 gifted to him by a grateful South Korean business mogul after the governors predictions in the movement of the Won against the US dollar 15 years ago made the business mogul a handsome return on his investment. After all he is the CBK governor!

But really what is so difficult about travelling in economy class instead of first class? What is so difficult about living a life free from the demands of a wife and kids as many men shall attest to today while quoting the hackneyed saying that the wedding ring is a strong and lifelong handcuff and so you’d better choose your warden wisely? What is so important about being seen in the biggest and longest car on the block or living on a two acre manicured compound surrounded by servants and bodyguards? Aren’t these just ego trips and expensive unnecessary expenses because they are certainly not necessities in my humble opinion. I think the culture we have all eschewed is looking for the jobs with the greatest perks and benefits even when clearly those perks and benefits may not necessarily add value to your life.

I wonder how previous CBK governors manage their lives now that the bodyguards, drivers, servants and big cars paid for by the tax payers are no longer at their disposal? Does it mean that they now have to foot the bill to enjoy all these benefits and perks that they had taken for granted while in their high office?

There is one good example of austerity in one Jose Mujica aka Pepe a former president of Uruguay until early 2015. Mujica, had foregone a state palace in favor of a farmhouse owned by his wife where they grew flowers for sale, he donated 90% of his modest $12,000.00 monthly salary to social projects, flew economy class when required and drove himself in an old Volkswagen Beetle. He was and still is one of the most popular leaders in that country to date partly because of his austerity but I would want to believe more for being a role model to his subjects. It is likely there are also hundreds or even thousands more such cases around the world where leaders deny themselves the perqusities that come with their job roles simply because they may not fit into their chosen lifestyles.

One of my brothers was the Group CEO’s of a public listed company until a year ago and he was in constant fights with his managers about cutting down on costs. He was entitled to 1st class tickets as the CEO and 5 star accommodation whenever he travelled (which was quite frequently) and a new official vehicle complete with a driver but chose instead to fly economy and stay at 2 & 3 star hotels. He often jogged home in the evening telling his driver to take the car home and many times he actually got home way before his driver thanks to the endemic traffic jams in Nairobi.

So it is possible to live a humble life and forego some of the perks and benefits that come with a high paying job and lead by example because which of your juniors shall expect fat perks and 1st class tickets when travelling with the head honcho of the company.

Kudos to governor Njoroge for leading from the front and all the success as he takes on his new responsibilities at the helm of the Kenyan monetary system more so now that the local currency is under immense pressure and has touched an all-time low against all other major international currencies!