Image courtesy of ENOS TECHE
A governor and his children are arrested for allegedly stealing of Sh73 million of taxpayers’ money, arraigned and thrown into jail. Then, amidst the ensuing wall to wall media coverage, this headline pops up: “Crowning glory: Obado’s daughter dons new hairstyle to court after weekend in cells.”
Hairstyle. That’s a story about hair, right? Just want to be sure we got that right.
The August 31 story by Star’s court reporter Annete Wambulwa trivialized a weighty public debate. Period.
“Never underestimate the power of a good hair day,” the story started. “That might have been what Evelyn Zachary — one of embattled Migori Governor Okoth Obado’s daughters — was banking on when she showed up for her day in court with a new braided wig hairstyle as she hoped to be granted bail.”
Okay, let us say this is a human-interest angle of the week’s most shocking story about lost millions in Migori. Well, scratch that. Kenyans seem numb already about millions of public money vanishing into thin air practically every week. How do we know Kenyans are numb? Because of stories like this one.
Now we’re not proposing that the news from dawn to dusk should be stiff or uptight. But this is really hard to ignore. Look, pull up two tables side by side. Put Sh74 million on one – if you can. Now put a good wig on the other. Step back. What do you see? Do you see the wig? No? Not at all? Well, you’re not Annete Wambulwa. From a day of covering the courts, she came out with — wait for it — a story about hair.
“Zachary sported a short haircut during her arrest last Wednesday,” Wambulwa wrote. “Zachary is a doctor by profession and the court was told that she graduated and is currently doing her internship.”
Okay. But wait. There is precedence on this hair thing.
“Ann Ngirita, of the NYSII scandal, was also known to switch up her hair during court dates,” the reporter told us, “from wearing black wigs to some with highlights in colours that stood out including blonde and white.”
You can’t make this stuff up. How did readers respond? Here, a sample from comments at the foot of the story:
Elsegundeo: “You mean they get hairdressers in jail?? Wow, what a modern country.” Ah, somebody can smell the humour!
Alfred Keter: “EVELYN ZACHARY IS A BEAUTY QUEEN… a beautiful princess… a nice girl… a good and qualified doctor… one also notices that she is confident and sociable… very good… it’s also easy to see that she comes from a good family and her father is not a useless drunkard… thanks.” Okay, okay. We gerrit.
JW: “Who cares about her damn hair!” Come on, JW, be a sport! How often do you read about hair in court? Or when debating stolen millions, eh?
Field Test: “Is wearing wigs big news ???” Oh well.
