[Image]Oyawore Migosi Patrick Winand J. Aussems? Ageno ni ichiewo maber kendo ngimani bende ber (Good morning Mr. Patrick Winand J. Aussems? I hope you’ve woken up well and in good health).Many of you my readers might be wondering why I am off the bat passing my felicitations to the Belgian tactician currently attached to AFC Leopards in my Dholuo mother tongue. It is for a reason.See folks, a few days ago, the good man was said to have expressed the wish that he wants journalists to start asking him questions in French.RELATEDSteve Omondi: Aussems must learn to answer ‘stupid’ questionsTalkUP! Feb 11[Image]I have no problem with that. If that be the case, then it is only fair that the Belgian chap learns our local languages.It is par for the course. Maybe in his warped thinking the man is of the opinion that French is better than our local languages. Maybe not.I don’t know how long the coach stayed in school— maybe he went the whole hog and obtained some credible certification. Or maybe he had some serious disagreements with his teachers that saw him fall of the school wagon.What I am sure of is if Aussems stayed long enough in school he would have learnt that English is the language of business in our country.Demanding that local journalists speak to him in French is an entitlement we last heard of when his countryman King Leopold was busy massacring and raping Congolese men and women while plundering the country’s rich resources.Some of us have not forgotten and such narrow-minded remarks opens old wounds.It seems in Aussems' head is the idea that he is a god of sorts who can dictate how things are run as far as football goes.How else do you explain the fact that just the other day the man called a journalist “stupid” for asking him a question?Granted, the journalist erred in that he sought clarification from Aussems instead of the man who had been red carded by the referee.Be that as it may, the Belgian was far off the mark in the manner he responded. He then went ahead to give an earful to the match officials.I am glad that the football governing body FKF has stated the wish to investigate the incident.I hope a record- setting precedent of a punishment will soon come the way of the Belgian.More riling is the fact that the man is not outstanding in any sense of the word as far as coaching goes.Listen to me well Bwana Aussems, you can throw all the tantrums you want and that is okay with me.However, I draw a huge red line when it comes to some nondescript chap pouring vitriol on brothers-at-arms, the journalists.If you feel Kenyan journalists are stupid—and maybe this is just your reflection of the kit and caboodle of the Kenyan population— and their referees a bunch of dimwits, you can always go back to your country with its presumably bright journalists and wise referees.As I am writing this, I have just checked online and there are affordable flights from Nairobi to Belgium aboard EgypAir, Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa.Take your pick. But if on the other hand you choose to stay, then please learn to trim your behaviour to fit into our local palates.Finally, my condolences to the fraternity of Shabana FC following the sudden demise of their chairman Dr. Yabesh Nyandoro Kambi.I never got to know the good man but from the tributes I have read on social media and the performance of the Shabana lads on the pitch, he was indeed a great chap. Fare thee well sir! BY DAILY NATION
posted by Breaking Kenya news at 12:56 on 13 Feb 2023
"Journalists aren’t stupid! And we speak English, not French"
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