While I'm increasingly fed up with politicos in Kenya generally, I guess these guys have a way of into our skins than we thought. If not asking for more money for their bloated habits,they are busy greasing each other's hands to get this or that Bill or sanction passed or dropped. They have become busy protecting their turf's which are barely having any grass. But if what they are prescribing in the so-called Alcohol Bill is anything to go by, we can as well close shop and hand ourselves to the dryers!
How do you prescribe to ban ALL forms of advertising relating to alcohol? From sponsorship deals, to the advertising in the media and any related form such as 'corporate social responsibility' will suffer from the
ban. You're looking at investments worth over Ksh. 1 billion ( EABL spent KSh. 902 million in
advertising alone last year coming in 3rd in the top 10 of monies spent in advertising in the country). Who comes up with this stuff anyway?
If the guys who draft these things are out of areas to pursue, they can talk a walk downtown Nairobi and see the realities of our harsh life in the City.
And if they are trying to reduce the intake of alcohol, WRONG MOVE !True the trends we are seeing in the country need checking but banning ALL adverts won't change that. I'm remi
nded of what the US did in the 1920s & 30s declaring alcohol and tobacco 'sin products' and banning their sale. They became contraband and such attractive business for crime rings that they eventually had to revised the stand. Economic woes including the 1929-30s Great Depression did not save the situation ( can you see the similarities with what we are facing?)
Imagine not having the Safari Sevens, the Tusker Golf Open, the Kenya football team(however bad they play they are still Kenyans) without any branding on their shirts? Let's not give this thing a chance,I'm sure the companies affected will not take this lying down.
Truly our politicians have outdone themselves this time !
4 comments:
I knew the happenings of this week would bring you out of your cocoon. I don't know where these guys come from, but it stinks of a plot to get paid off. Well we won't take it lying down. The Telcos are too involved in a fight for turf, declining margins, and hungry shareholders to splash out the amount of money EABL does, and if the government wont fund sports directly.. then they are killing it surely.
If this bill sails through, that is the death of sports in Kenya as we know it.
I first heard about this bill on Friday and I was really shocked:first the Tobacco bill then this??Im sure NACADA and their puppets in parliament must be behind this.nkt!
These guys are merchants for hire as we've seen since the start of their sessions last year. I was sceptical about the religious leaders calling for early elections but each passing day I'm leaning towards that argument.
Interestingly the vested interests in sports administration are some toothless dudes who can't do much to lobby against such happenings...it's not over though...!!!
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