By TEE NGUGI

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The Ferdinand Omanyala visa debacle has sparked much speculation. On social media, the narrative is that joyriders edged out the star sprinter. They were sneaked into the list, leaving out Omanyala and other critical Athletics Kenya officials. Eventually, Omanyala did get a visa and was able to travel to Oregon to participate in the World Athletics Championships, arriving only a few hours before the start of his first heat.

He qualified for the semifinals but finished fifth in the heat, thus missing a spot in the finals. It was a brave performance given the circumstances. He did not have the time to acclimatise, work out, relax and psychologically prime himself.

Athletics Kenya has denied that joyriders edged out the athlete. They have also cleared themselves of any wrongdoing, pointing a finger at Omanyala. The US embassy refused to comment on the matter and directed journalists to the Ministry of Sports for clarification. Omanyala himself was philosophical about the incident, saying that one should strive to be better, not bitter after setbacks. The ministry has been quiet. The media, as usual, just reported who said what without doing an investigation of their own to establish the facts.

So social media went wild, even posting pictures of purported joyriders in Oregon, which were later found to have been taken at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi. In this day and age, an information void is quickly filled with wild speculation and fake news, which can soil the reputation of individuals and institutions.

But there is a history that made it so easy for people to believe the allegations on social media. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, joyriders, who comprised of ministry officials and their girlfriends got visas and tickets and left behind star athletes like Julius Yego. In Rio, the officials stayed in top-notch hotels. Some officials even stole kits for the athletes sponsored by Nike. Everyone felt ashamed to be Kenyan. In countries where national pride is everything, culpable ministry and other officials would have rotted in jail. But not in Kenya. Some officials were even given ambassadorial positions.

Diametrically opposed

Now on to another matter: The deputy presidential debate pitting Martha Karua of Azimio and Rigathi Gachagua of Kenya Kwanza. Ms Karua was dignified, measured and eloquent. But she lacked her usual “fire in the belly” rhetorical style.

Mr Gachagua tried to deflect the huge question of corruption by spinning conspiracy theories about state capture by the Kenyatta family. He was evasive on the question of the serious graft cases facing him in the courts. He was cynical and jeering about the concept of resignation on conscience, terming it as abdication of duty. He came across as having been coached on how to avoid being drawn into a debate about personal integrity and corruption.

It was an interesting contest between two diametrically opposed personal histories, rhetorical skills, personal characteristics, and physical demeanors. You decide who was able to portray trustworthiness.

Tee Ngugi is a Nairobi-based political commentator.