Mlima Kijani does not have a strong swimming tradition, and indeed around 50% of the population lack access to clean water. (Most of this 50% live in the west, however, in Mkusesa tribal lands far from those of Mr Njuguna’s Ruhangoro people.) As such the decision to host an international swimming event has not been without controversy, although the national anti-corruption czar Ezekiel Njuguna has declared the process “totally free from any hint of graft”, a verdict that will sit well with his uncle, and which seems to have earned Mr Njuguna junior a new high performance sports car. Defenders of the decision to host the event have pointed to foreign revenue from TV rights deals, and the importance of getting the Kijani name on the regional stage for something other than topping World Census rankings in poverty and disease. A multi-million shilling “Visit Kijani!” tourism advertisement program is planned to run alongside the competition, and there are legacy plans to use the new swimming facility as a resort for high-level business conferences.
Day 1
Administrative note: today’s 800 m freestyle events have been switched to 400 m freestyle. Tomorrow’s men’s 1500 m freestyle will proceed as normal but the scheduled women’s 1500 m freestyle will now be an 800 m event.
Medals table G S B
Sarzonia 2 1 1
I.A. Squornshelous 2 0 2
Milchama 1 2 0
Busoga Islands 1 1 0
Siovanija and Teusland 1 0 1
Qasden 1 0 0
Torisakia 1 0 0
Valanora 0 1 2
Baker Park 0 1 0
Banija 0 1 1
Hapilopper 0 0 1
Pluvia and the Saxean Isles 0 0 1