Why Steal if you can Create and Innovate?

3am Thought
By Gordon Opiyo

Why Steal if you can Create and Innovate?

Tuesday Evening, I bumped into Emmanuel, a former student at KU, two years behind me, more than 20 years ago.

He was a BCom student, but we used to discuss business ideas at length. That is how we became buddies.

He is currently a Chief Accountant at a major Financial Institution yet walks freely in town – with no worries.

As we talked about how life has treated is more than 2 decades after Campus, he shocked me that another buddy who had a Kinyozi in Kilimambogo Hostel is now a major a big shot in an Energy Sector Parastatal. The guy owns huge apartments worth hundreds of millions, and is now subject to investigation. He cannot just walk freely in Town, and has to hire bodyguards and move around in tinted vehicles. That explains why we have never met in more than 2 decades.

We then asked the Question ” Why Steal, if you can Innovate and Create? ”
Psalms 104: 24 says
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!

In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions
The Scriptures talk about how Wisdom makes the Earth full of possessions.

We then started sharing ideas on how people we know have made tens or even hundreds of millions from hard work, using Wisdom and Innovation – and how they are enjoying their wealth, walking freely in town, mingling with people in Town, laughing with family members without fear or bodyguards.

We then then asked – “what is the value of stealing public funds – if the result is you locking yourself in a prison or bodyguards, tinted cars and total secrecy?”

He explained to me how he has openly rejected road construction deals in his Western Kenya County due to the immoral profits being made at the expense of the public. A small maintainance contract that costs 700,000 bob gets paid 6 million – then you share profit with County Chiefs and Kenya Rural Roads Staff.

That is how County Staff and Road Agency Employees make millions at the expense of the public.
Then we looked at people in our KU time, who have made millions through hard work and Wisdom.

For instance, there is a former Maseno Boy who was with us in KU and now has companies worth over a billion Bob. The guy had a senior position in a media outlet and used his savings and salary to farm wheat, from the proceeds of wheat farming, he bought about 100 acres kitambo in Kitengela, Isinya areas. At that time, the price was only 30,000 per acre. Before the Kibaki era economic boom. After the boom, he started selling the land through his company he created. The value of land now varies from 5 million to 20 million per acre. The guy then went and created a Dry Cleaning Business worth hundreds of millions.

As we speak, he has many V8s, Mercs and Range Rovers, but you get him in the streets walking jollily, happily and without fear. He goes into Java and eats without fear or bodyguards.

Another case is another guy who ventured into large scale fish farming. He has 14 acres of 1 acre fish ponds. Each pond produces 10,000kg tilapia of fish twice a year. Selling at 400 Bob per kilo. That is sh 4 million per harvest or 8 million per year or about 96 – 106 million per year. Removing operation costs, the guy remains with between 60 – 80 million per year.

Money you make without stealing public funds.
The other day, We tried Sunflower farming in Alego, and were surprised at the extremely good harvest around Lake Kanyaboli.
We even discussed how Dominion Farms came to Siaya, and ended up making billions from the Yala swamp, yet people around could not see the opportunities right under their noses.

In short, you can see that Kenya has huge possibilities and opportunities for those that really want to make it. You can genuinely make millions without stealing or betting. The sure bet is hard work and innovation.
Yea, there are challenges and at times things don’t work out…..but with focus, persistence,…Innovations and Wisdom can give you more than enough.
Bottom line is this ” You don’t have to steal public funds in order to make it in life. ” Why Steal, if you can Innovate and create using Wisdom.
Just ask God to give you the Wisdom…… He will never let you down.