Alright, get your brain cells in to gear. Which team came second in the 2010 football World Cup? Which team came second in the 2010-11 English Premier league? Can you name the ‘Ocampo Six’? What about the Seven Dwarfs? Can you name ten famous Tanzanians? Who is the Vice-President of the United States? Enough.

This being Kenya we bet you did pretty well on the football questions. The Netherlands came second in the World Cup and Manchester United were second in the Premier League (Chelsea came first). Once you got passed Ruto, Kenyatta and Kosgey, how did you do on the ‘Ocampo Six’? ‘Grumpy’ and ‘Happy’ for the dwarfs, fine, but we bet you didn’t get to ‘Doc’ of ‘Bashful’. Some of you will have ended up with Ruto, Kenyatta, Kosgey, ‘Sleepy’, ‘Dozey’ and ‘Dopey’. As for ten famous Tanzanians – not a chance.

Some things are made to be forgotten, the team that came second, the bass player of a famous band and minor politicians being just three examples. US Vice-Presidents makes four.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga is not a minor politician in the Kenyan context but yesterday he was at the White House in Washington D.C, USA, to meet with the US Vice-President. The meeting was covered on the front page of the Daily Nation but not on its inside pages, nor in any of the Kenya’s other newspapers. (For coverage in the US press please pull out a blank sheet of paper from your printer and read on…)

Today’s front page of The Daily Nation carried a photograph of the meeting. The man sitting next to the US Vice-President looks asleep, Odinga looks bored, the man two down from Odinga looks as if he’s doodling, and the woman opposite him looks as if she’s desperately trying to feign interest. Apparently PM Odinga briefed the US Vice-President on changes in Kenya, Somalia and Sudan. He also ‘urged American investors to set up shop in Kenya saying the Constitution made the country a good investment destination’. Well at least Odinga’s got a sense of humour.

It is said that a US Vice-President is “only a heartbeat away from the Presidency”. Quite so but he’s also only a heartbeat away from obscurity and near irrelevance. Kenya deserves better.

Oh, and the name of the US Vice-President is? Have you got it yet? See what we mean?