Toastmasters speech number 9 (CC9) persuade with power

Not Without a Fight

Why do many Kenyans behave like millipedes?

A millipede crawls along with its antennae stretched out in front. If any of the antenna comes into contact with an obstacle, the millipede immediately changes direction and goes around the obstacle. It encounters another obstacle, it meanders around it- never once pushing the obstacle out off its way. You will notice the same character among many Kenyans. Instead of demanding any service delivery problem they encounter be rectified, they look for a way around it.

Let me give you a quick example.  Why do you buy bottled water? I suppose it’s because you do not trust piped water for drinking, but so should you be in there buying bottled water or out there causing a rumble and demanding clean water in the pipes?

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Fellow toastmasters and welcome guests

Today I want us to make a decision. A decision to always stand up and demand what is rightfully ours. 
Picture this; I buy a 20 litre jerry

can of treated water for sh3. Next door half

a litre of bottled water costs sh60. Now do your math in Jimmy Gathu style and tell me; what value would someone or any anyone add to water for the price to increase 79,900%? 
As long as we remain frozen by fear as the swindling water barons adulterate piped water and create artificial shortages. As long as the employees of Nairobi Water Company privately engage in water vending businesses, we shall continue paying dearly for a natural resource that should be free.

But not if we stake it out together. We shall light a slow fire under their seats, a little fire in the form of a constant din in social media.  A fire that will eventually turn their irritating itches to smarting boils and shuffle them out of their taxpayer bought swivel chairs.  Therefore, complain today before you go to bed. If you do not what will you tell your grandchildren when swindlers get bolder and start selling air to them? Fresh air! Herbal air! Organic air! -buy one-get one free!

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Therefore, we all need to do away with our penchant for begging the government to help. We need instead to put to better use our social media accounts. Consumer Federation of Kenya and Kenya Bureau of Standards are two Facebook walls and Twitter handles you should follow often.

In summary, we have agreed that not without a fight shall we be mistreated. We shall fight it out in social media, news feeds and blogs

Not without a fight shall we accept substandard services and goods. We shall return them and fight the shoddy suppliers through social media, news feeds and blogs.

Not without a fight.