Mijespoc, Lotto Rwanda--you owe us…….for that dreadful Kiwani (lie, false pretence, fake, fiction…..etc, have you own pick) that you fed to us. Eh…..they initiated it, shared it with the Rwandan public and beyond through the media and as things didn’t go according to their initial plan, they denied it!!!! We deserve a clear explanation on this or else an apology. This is for Mijespoc and Lotto Rwanda. Apart from a few individuals in Lotto Rwanda and the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports, I guess the majority of Rwandans, regardless of class, have no idea concerning the true story behind the much publicized coming of African and French professional footballers to Rwanda for a charity match this weekend. Having the retired French master-class Zinedine Zidane and host of, as promised by Mijespoc and Lotto Rwanda, other top African star including the reigning Africa Football king, Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast) and his predecessor Samuel Eto’o (Fc Barcelona and Cameroon) coming to any given country for a noble cause, would be a life-time triumph. Other stars promised and latter denied by Mijespoc and Lotto Rwanda that they were coming here for a charity football match aimed at ‘blossoming Rwandan football as well as improving Rwanda’s bilateral relationship with their respective countries of origin’, include Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo), Nkwanko Kanu (Portsmouth and Nigeria), Aruna Dindane (Racing Club de Lens and Ivory Coast) and former French star Basil Boli. However, among all those, only the later along with retired French international Christian Karembeu who have answered the call. Lotto Rwanda officials said (Friday) that Marcel Desailly would arrive here yesterday at 9 o’clock (by midday, he hadn’t arrived). Karembeu and Desailly were two not on the initial list provided to the media by Mijespoc. This thing of having all those stars here at once for one or two common cause(s) has been the talk of town since September of last year after the Rwanda vs. Cameroon CAN Ghana2008 qualifier when Sports Minister Joseph Habineza ‘revealed’ his ministry and Lotto Rwanda’s ‘out of this world’ plan to bring those professionals, past and present. Since then, and until Friday evening, Lotto Rwanda officials and Minister Habineza have consistently been feeding the Rwandan public (and of course foreigners who’ve taken trouble to follow this story) on utter lies (I’d prefer to call it kiwani) about the availability of all those stars! To say the true, I personally developed my reservations about the availability of all those professionals, past and present right from the onset—I couldn’t see how the organizers of this whole thing would able to convince each one of those guys to fly down here just for charity. True to the word professional, these guys, especially the Africans, are professionals and one needs to have enough of either money and or convincing tongue to have together at ago and with due respect, I doubt whether the organizers here, have any of the two. All along, it has been reported in all local media outlets that all those players in question had been contacted and most had confirmed their availability for the ‘noble cause’—most quotes have been coming from Minister Habineza and Lotto Rwanda Managing Director Philip Bizilia. Not before, had the two officials contradicted each other, until two or three days ago, after realizing it wouldn’t be possible to have all those stars here at once that they started giving conflicting responses—a time come when Hon. Habineza refused to comment, referring reporters to Bizilia (see New Times issue 1306 of Friday, October 12). As days closed on and time ticking away with no sign of the stars coming here and the media enthusiastically on their (Lotto Rwanda and Mijespoc) case for updates on which star had or had not confirmed his availability, it’s when cat was let loose. During a one-hour press briefing held (two hours later than planned) at Kigali Serena Hotel is when Lotto Rwanda officials announced that Basil Boli, and Christian Karembeu had arrived and true they were in the country by Friday and that Marcel Desailly would join them later. But what was so surprising was the fact that the names of the other stars including Eto’o, Drogba or Kanu were not mentioned throughout the hour-long press briefing, which itself was threatened not to get off for reasons, if you got to know them, you would find them hard to believe but that’s the long and still untold story of Mijespoc and Lotto Rwanda. Taking a closer look at the whole thing, you’d be left to wonder the real intention of Lotto Rwanda and Mijespoc to bring those stars to Rwanda—they insist, it’s to raise the standard of football in country and improve bilateral relationship with their respective countries of origin but when you ask how, no one gives you a realistic answer. Lotto Rwanda are responsible for national rotaries, so can someone tell me their record (that I don’t know of) as far as developing Rwandan football is concerned or their designed role in improving the country’s bilateral relationship with other countries, including France, Togo, Nigeria, Ivory Coast as well as Cameroon. If no one comes up with a really convincing answer to that, I would highly conclude that these people (Mijespoc and Lotto Rwanda) fed Rwandans on one real Kiwani, probably one that contends for lie of the year. OVER TO YOU Please Note: Kiwani is a common word in neighboring Uganda and recently here, used to refer to day-to-day typical lies people say especially to build their self-worth or get out of trouble. Ask this Ugandan singer Bobi Wine for further details. Contact: hamza.nkuutu@gmail.com
