Elvis Mboya
MY first time in Namibia in 2002 was the first time I 'met' the late president Hage Gottfried Geingob through a front-page newspaper article I read at the border post that captured my attention - a report that he had declined a prestigious cabinet post to take up a job in the United States with a Washington DC-based NGO.
Geingob had turned down an appointment
as Minister of Regional and Local Government and Housing, after he was replaced as the first Prime Minister, in a Cabinet reshuffle by his then boss, Founding President Dr Sam Nujoma.
We crossed paths again four years later after Namibia's second President Hifikipunye Pohamba appointed him as Minister of Trade and Industry, the same time I joined a new national tabloid as a reporter. The tabloid was probing his municipal utility bills that remained unpaid since he left the government in 2002 for Washington DC. Geingob explained that he accumulated the municipal debt of over N$300 000 (about US$15 000) during his stay in the US since he never received any municipal bills because the municipality used to forward the bills to his former office, of the Prime Minister, and he was under the impression that government was paying for his bills as part of his benefits.
A repayment plan was later reached between Geingob and the City of Windhoek.
Before the dust could settle, the media ran another story of how the new Minister of Trade was lavish - allegedly spending millions' to renovate his office complete with imported furniture and expensive carpets at the expense of taxpayers.
The media also reported that he spent most of his time out of office, mostly visiting foreign countries for business conferences with a bloated delegation, including his business and personal friends. He later explained that his travels, which many argued ought to have been the mandate of foreign affairs, were geared towards marketing Namibia to foreign investors and worth every penny spent. However, over the years, I came to know the other side of Geingob when I served as a parliamentary and lifestyle reporter for other media houses and met him in person as
minister of trade and thereafter as a presidential candidate.
We would meet randomly along parliament corridors, malls, business conferences, and social events. Initially, we would lock a split-second 'untrusting' eye contact, say a quick hello, and walk on. In subsequent meetings, we shook hands and even shared a table.
The Geingob I got to know was jovial, humane, kind, funny and generous to a fault. He took care of his friends and loyalists. The Geingob I got to know was an unapologetic socialite and would not miss the opening of high-end restaurants, clubs, hotels... either as a chief guest or patron and surrounded himself with beautiful and vibrant young people. Even at his advanced age, he was still very young at heart. He knew how to party - in style and class and dressed to kill for every occasion. He had an expensive taste.
Popularly known as 'Omes' (his Damara dialect for big uncle or mzee kijana in Swahili) by his youthful fans, Geingob I got to know loved sports and would not miss a chance to attend and cheer his favourite team at any soccer and rugby match in the country - and he knew how to make both entries and exits like a real kwaito superstar.
Of his love for sports, he has a rugby stadium and a national football tournament named after him. His last post on X (formerly Twitter) was a message to Namibia's Brave Warriors that played at the Afcon, congratulating the team for their 1-0 win against Tunisia and even subliminally predicting the outcome of the tournament. He said, "There are no 'small teams' playing at this tournament… I'm the happiest Namibian today!" However, the closest I interacted with Dr Geingob was during his presidential campaign, when the newspaper appointed me to accompany its owners who were then campaigning for him in a six-seater private aeroplane from Eros Airport to northern Namibia, home to 'Aawambo', the biggest community in Namibia, accounting for over 50% of the 2.5 million population.
The Aawambo produced the first and second presidents of Namibia hence Geingob's campaign was hinged on being elected as the first non-Owambo president for 'equitable' leadership in the country. Geingob was a Damara, a minority tribe. After we landed at the Toivo ya Toivo airport in the northern Namibia town of Ondangwa, we were whisked away by awaiting black SUVs to join the presidential candidate's sizable motorcade with blaring police sirens, that snailed through villages and towns the whole day with several roadside stops and close door meetings with the people and regional leaders.
Throughout that day, I was one car behind his dark blue Range Rover and in every closed-door meeting. I was shocked and impressed at the same time by how leaders were extremely loyal to him and how popular he was with the people.
Driving back to Windhoek that evening in two SUVs that were following each other, it was only Geingob, myself and his closest aides. He was in the first car, sitting on a very reclined passenger seat next to his personal driver and bodyguard back left.
However, we would stop in nearly every town along the way, where he would randomly get out of the car alone, either in the middle of a residential area or an entertainment joint for a few minutes' meetings each until we arrived at his house located outside Windhoek along
Hosea Kutako International Airport highway around midnight.
We dropped him off inside his compound. I saw him get out of his car, and talk briefly with his bodyguards before disappearing into the
house through the front door that remained open. And, that was the last time I saw him - physically.
Fare thee well, Mr President!
*Elvis Mboya, Kenyan former Nation Media business correspondent turned entrepreneur, was a reporter in Namibia and SADC (2006-2014). elvis.mboya@yahoo.com