Mediator, Bi. Tunu Malima, alianza kwa sentensi ambayo iliwakera wote.
“Leo hatutatatua kampuni nzima.”
Bi. Naliaka akasema, “Basi mimi nimekuja kufanya nini?”
“Kuzuia kesho kuwa mbaya kuliko leo.”
Mezani kulikuwa na schedules tatu: payroll list iliyoreconciliwa; supplier balances zilizothibitishwa na suppliers waliokubali kushiriki; asset schedule ya essential machines na finished stock.
Daudi alikaa na worker reps, lakini hakusema kwa niaba yao.
Bi. Tunu akauliza, “Cash inayoweza kutokea ndani ya masaa 48 ni ipi?”
Leonard akasema investor bridge.
“Committed?”
“Expected.”
“Document?”
“Term sheet.”
“Conditional?”
“Ndiyo.”
Yusuf Dengo, kupitia video call, akaeleza MjiMart undertaking. Customer ilikuwa tayari kuchukua delivery ya old PO ikiwa Kifaru inge-confirm ability ya delivery na kutoa payment account iliyokubaliwa. Balance ya order ingeweza kulipwa baada ya inspection.
Bi. Tunu akauliza, “Hii ndiyo cash yenye route iliyo wazi?”
Daudi akasema, “Ndiyo, ikiwa order inakamilishwa.”
Bi. Naliaka akasema, “Na malighafi?”
Amani akaeleza stock iliyobaki ilitosha kukamilisha sehemu ya order bila new delivery, ikiwa line ingepewa power ya muda na machine zote zibaki.
Utility representative kwenye simu alisema reconnection ya industrial supply ingewezekana baada ya minimum arrears payment.
Pot ikaanza kugawanywa kabla haijapatikana.
Kelvin akasema, “Payroll kwanza.”
Bi. Naliaka akasema, “Utility first au hamzalishi cash.”
Rehema akauliza, “Supplier?”
Bi. Naliaka akasema, “Niko tayari kusubiri tranche ikiwa order proceeds zinaonekana.”
Leonard akasema, “Investor will walk if receivable is ring-fenced.”
Bi. Tunu akauliza, “Investor ametoa written condition hiyo?”
Leonard hakuwa nayo.
Daudi akaweka proposal ambayo alikuwa ameandika usiku: MjiMart proceeds ya old Kifaru PO iingie kwenye account iliyotengwa kwa purposes zilizokubaliwa; kiasi cha kwanza kilipe minimum utility reconnection na direct costs za kukamilisha delivery; balance iliyobaki iende payroll tranche kwa documented workers; supplier standstill iendelee kwa muda uliokubaliwa; hakuna essential asset sale bila notice kwa worker reps na participating suppliers.
“Unaweka workers ahead of all creditors,” Leonard alisema.
Daudi akatikisa kichwa.
“Sipangi legal priority ya insolvency. Ninatengeneza voluntary mechanism kwa cash ya order hii tu. Pande zinazoshiriki zinaweza kukataa.”
Bi. Naliaka akauliza, “Nikipata visibility ya statement?”
“Account statement ya transaction scope, si access ya bank nzima.”
Rehema akauliza, “Payroll tranche ni asilimia ngapi?”
Daudi akafanya calculation mbele yao kulingana na customer amount na utility minimum. Haikutosha kulipa wages zote. Ilitosha tranche ya kwanza inayolingana kwa documented net wage claim, kwa formula ambayo reps walikubali.
Kelvin akasema, “Watu watachukia partial.”
“Watachukia zaidi promise isiyo na source,” Asha Ndege akasema.
CEO akakubali mechanism kwa kanuni. Board secretary akatengeneza written undertaking. Leonard alipinga ring-fence lakini hakupata support ya mwenyekiti kwenye simu.
Bi. Tunu akasema, “Na assets?”
Amani akaweka list. Forklift, compressor, corrugator motor, die cutter. Essential. Hakuna transfer bila notice na asset custodian record mpaka further review.
Bi. Naliaka akasema, “Masaa 72.”
Worker reps wakataka siku saba.
Wakakubaliana siku tano, reviewable.
Bi. Tunu aliwalazimisha pia wajibu swali la ikiwa order ikishindwa. “Mechanism isiyokuwa na fallback ni promise nyingine.”
Daudi akapendekeza ikiwa quality test itafeli au customer akatae, ring-fenced account isitumie asset-sale proceeds automatically. Pande zirudi mediation. Amani akasema hakuna machine muhimu itakayotolewa kama substitute ya cash bila asset notice.
Bi. Naliaka akaomba supplier awe na right ya kuona only transaction statement ya agreed order, si payroll names.
Rehema akasema worker reps waone total credited na batch acknowledgment, si bank details za kila mfanyakazi.
Bi. Tunu akaandika controls hizo.
Leonard alionekana kukerwa na kila layer ya visibility.
“Tunafanya transaction ndogo kama treaty ya taifa.”
Mediator akasema, “Kwa sababu trust imeisha. Paper inachukua nafasi ya trust kwa muda.”
Sentence hiyo ilikaa na Daudi. Kwa siku saba management ilikuwa ikitaka watu waamini. Workers walikuwa wakitaka management ikubali. Mediator hakutaka imani wala confession. Alitaka actions zinazoweza kuonekana.
Daudi akapitia calculation mara ya mwisho na akagundua direct completion cost moja ilikuwa counted mara mbili kwenye draft. Akairekebisha mbele ya kila mtu. Payroll tranche ikaongezeka kidogo.
Kelvin akasema, “Good catch.”
Daudi akajibu, “Ndiyo maana tunafanya hapa, si kwa slogan.”
Hapo “siku saba” ya payroll delay notice ilikuwa karibu kufika mwisho. Daudi aliangalia tarehe: Jumatano ijayo ndiyo deadline ambayo management ilikuwa imejipa.
Lakini mechanism hii haikutegemea investor pekee.
Ilikuwa na order, stock, utility amount, account na signatories.
Bi. Tunu akasoma document yote kwa sauti.
Hakuna waiver ya claims. Hakuna admission ya fraud. Hakuna transfer mpya ya essential asset bila notice. Old PO proceeds ring-fenced kwa agreed completion and payroll tranche.
Walisaini mmoja mmoja.
Leonard hakusaini kama personal guarantor; alisaini acknowledgment ya company officer baada ya CEO kumtaka.
Worker reps waliomba pia notice ya formula iandikwe kabla payment, si baada. Bi. Tunu akaingiza appendix yenye kila hatua ya calculation na process ya correction. Kama employee number au net amount ilikuwa wrong, mtu angeweza kuleta payslip yake bila kufungua list ya wengine.
Saa kumi alasiri, utility ilipokea minimum payment kutoka small emergency balance ya Kifaru. Reconnection iliahidiwa Jumanne saa kumi na moja alfajiri.
Yusuf Dengo akatuma confirmation: MjiMart truck ingeweza kuja Jumanne baada ya quality inspection.
Daudi alitoka mediator office akiwa amechoka kuliko siku zote.
Amani akasema, “Tumelipa mishahara?”
“Hapana.”
“Tumeokoa kampuni?”
“Hapana.”
“Tumefanya nini?”
Daudi akaonyesha copy ya undertaking.
“Tumetengeneza njia ambayo cash ikija, haitapotea kabla watu hawajaiona.”
Amani akakubali.
Jioni, CEO alimwandikia Daudi message binafsi:
**If tomorrow’s order works, I want you to lead finance stabilization.**
Daudi hakujibu.
Kesho bado ilikuwa test.
Kwa mara ya kwanza, however, test hiyo ilikuwa na rules ambazo kila upande alikuwa amesoma.