Last Word
On Legacy
Fallout
When Ochieng finished his sixth form and was waiting for his results to find out if he had performed well enough to be accepted into what was called‘ The University’ since it was the only one, he interned for six months in a reputable international company.
Ochieng was the envy of his colleagues who could not understand how he had secured a position in a what they referred to as a blue-chip company and back then Ochieng did not know what a blue-chip company meant.
Ochieng did not even know what interning was, as all he had wanted was to find something to while away time while he awaited his results but to his surprise what was supposed to be a work experience opportunity actually paid him an allowance which meant more envy.
Ochieng was to soon find out that a bluechip company was a company recognized nationally and internationally not only for its stellar reputation and its high-quality products and services but distinguishes itself by a positive corporate citizenship.
Therefore, to earn the moniker blue-chip a company had to have had a track record as a successful business over time and was expected to perform well and operate profitably even under difficult economic times. These companies are resilient.
When the Gen-Z uprising nearly swept them off the shacky pedestal they were desperately trying to hold on to, it was the duplicitous Baba who rescued the floundering team while exacting his pound of flesh from the grateful misfits while nonchalantly betraying Kenyans.
The magic of blue-chip companies was that they also attracted talent as everyone wants to be associated with success and therefore these companies had the pick of the crop when it came to employing and of course paid a premium salary.
The commencement of Ochieng’ s internship coincided with the hiring of a new managing director who had been a commercial director in another blue-chip company and this was a step up the ladder for him to corporate leadership.
Ochieng remembers being called into a town hall meeting to announce the change of guard at the top as the outgoing managing director had been promoted to a regional manager’ s position in the far east, everything sounded rather exotic and awesome.
The incoming managing director, after being introduced and duly praised by the outgoing one then proceeded to give an impassioned address to the staff on what Ochieng was later to learn was his vision for the company.
The incoming boss emphasized that he was aware that he was stepping into large shoes but with the help of the assembled employees he was confident that he would
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