When the President Gets Regular Checkup "Majuu"..

I am back after a weekend's layoff just to relax and hangout with family and friends. The heat finally cooled off around the United States and that was something to enjoy, despite the fact that I had to mow my lawn ..ugh!

Just like most of all y'all, I do check my email and go over news highlights before starting my day officially ( I know someone sent out an email explaining that this is plain ghetto. But hey, why front?). Anyways, as far as Bongoland is concern, what caught my attention is that the Mr. JK is currently in Germany, where among other things, he is due for his regular health check-up. Bang! it hit me. (Read On )

I have no problem with anybody across the world choosing wherever and however they want to get their healthcare services, provided they have enough dough to cover those costs. Nonetheless, I am of a strong opinion that when a President goes overseas to get his regular check-up (I mean, not even an urgent, complicated case ), then we must ask alot of questions.

See, what bothers me personally is this notion - mainly from African presidents - that it is cool to be treated overseas. While it might something to brag about among African presidents during the AU meetings, it sends a message to the whole world that we, as Africans, are idiots. And I can explain that.

All presidents (except for dictators) are elected and mandated to ensure that all social services in a country are developed and taken care of, including health care. So when a president goes abroad to just get regular blood pressure, dental, vision, and urinal tests, it sends a loud message that he or she does not trust the health care system in his own country. It sends a message to the rest of us that he or she ain't going to bother with the health care system, as long as he or she is assured of a "superior" health care "majuu".

What does really mean in a wider perspective of things? It means that Mr. JK is also suffering from a deeper inferiority complex that has engulfed most African president for ions. It is a mental outlook that tells the whole world that as Africans, we still feel inferior to the western world. We still hold them higher than us. I mean, don't we have doctors in Tanzania as qualified as those in Germany to do a regular health check up? If the case is not having sophisticated medical equipment, isn't it the president's responsibility to ensure that the country is on top of the chart as far as medical equipment is concerned? Why go throw a bunch of foreign currencies in Germany?

If the presidents is serious about improving health care in Tanzania, then let him get his blood tested at Temeke Hospital or Muhimbili, where he can really get a taste of what wananchi are really going through. Otherwise, we are just kidding ourselves. But wananchi are really to blame, they have allowed themselves to be treated as third class citizens, while viongozi are living in a world of their own. If that's the case, why wouldn't I be enticed to dish out takrima here and there to enjoy the honey and milk of the land?

But the deeper I go, I just can't stop and wonder, what's wrong with the black skin? What's really wrong with Africans? I mean, why do we keep on acting, collectively, like pathetic idiots? When was the last time you heard President Bush going to Canada to get his blood checked? There must be something, genetically or otherwise, that is really wrong with us...but whatever it is, it sucks.