By PHAKIMARU
Dennis Galava is seated in the boardroom at Pope and
Associates. Olivia Pope walks in with a spring in her step.
OLIVIA
Dennis!
(She exclaims brightly
and shakes his hand)
I have been waiting for you.
GALAVA
You have?
OLIVIA
Yes. I think we both know what
needs to be done here can only be
done by gladiators.
GALAVA
What now?
OLIVIA
We have a meeting at Nation Centre
in an hour. We are meeting your
bosses.
GALAVA
Already?
OLIVIA
Gladiators work fast.
Olivia Pope and Dennis Galava step out of a car outside
Nation Center and walk into a waiting pool of photographers.
They walk quietly inside and they are ushered into an
expansive boardroom. A host of suits walk in led by Joe
Muganda and Tom Mshindi. Joe speaks.
TOM MSHINDI
Dennis. It has come to this?
GALAVA
I could ask you the same thing
JOE MUGANDA
What do you want?
OLIVIA
Immediate reinstatement and a
public apology.
JOE MUGANDA
Apologize for what?
OLIVIA
(Sharply)
For letting down my client, for
letting down your readers , for
appearing to abandon your
values..the list is long
TOM MSHINDI
No reinstatement until we finish
investigating whether the process
was followed with that editorial.
OLIVIA
Gentlemen. Two days ago this was
the most respected news
establishment in the country now
you are a twitter trend. Do you not
feel it?
TOM MSHINDI
Feel what?
OLIVIA
The trust and the respect of the
people seeping out of you; the
lowering of your name and the
erosion of your reputation among
the reasonable citizens of the
country. Kenya may be a tribal
country but even the most hardened
tribalist know the country needs
one independent, brave and reliable
newspaper. That used to be you…
TOM MSHINDI
We are not here for a lecture. We
have a process..
OLIVIA
Process? Really? Process!! On the
second of january this newspaper
published a brave editorial; it was
strong and it was bold because that
is what an editorial is supposed to
be…and instead of standing behind
it; instead of saying yeah this is
what we are about you want to go
hide and behind process. Instead of
being proud…you want to
investigate….
TOM MSHINDI
Process matters.
OLIVIA
Not more than courage. Stop hiding,
stop cowering and stand tall….I
know you think you can ride this
out that you can ‘handle it’ but
the truth is unless you bring
Dennis back and stand by that
editorial anything you ever publish
on that page will always be read
with doubt and skepticism. it will
look and feel processed….tame and
possibly even lame. Compromised.
JOE MUGANDA
We need time to think about this.
OLIVIA
You have no time. Here is a
statement announcing my client’s
reinstatement and your conclusion
that the editorial was published in
the spirit and ethos of the Nation.
End this thing and tomorrow you can
write an editorial worth
reading-saying how this newspaper
stands for the best journalism and
by the best journalists and that
your values have not changed.
She gets up and heads to the door and enter the lift
GALAVA
Is it handled?
OLIVIA
We shall find out soon enough.
