Latest articles (100)

Opalo's weblog

a search for sanity or..........

  • of pink madness

    Posted: September 5, 2008, 6:53 am by gal africana
    My yogi says...

    Energy responds to thought.

    Ah! What a brilliant way to say "You are what you think"! Brill! Will forthwith be using my thoughts to send lots of pink flower energy to anyone and everyone. Be warned world! I come armed with pink thoughts and pink energy...
    See, I don't know what other adults fill their imaginative worlds with, if they even have imaginative worlds, but mine is filled with lovely pretty pink frilly stuff and loads of flowers....and cute pink bunnies...and...
    I also just found out that pink, which happens to be my favorite color :-), is the color of forgiveness!
    I'm also finding out that the visualizing stuff is VERY important. I thought it silly the first time I heard someone telling me to visualize light flowing my body or my imaginative life line....uhm...and now I know that it's not so silly.




Kenya Christian

Delusions of Grandeur

  • Silence

    Posted: September 5, 2008, 4:08 am by chi

    soundtrak: nightmares on wax :: da feelin’

    - when i was born, my mom was 22. she was young and fresh to america. when my dad went to school, she stayed home or did odd jobs. as her first child, she didn’t know that in order to spur speech development, one should speak to their child. the child picks up on the inflections and syllables, learning to speak. so, for my first year, she did not talk to me. i didn’t start to talk until i was about four (to add upon the other developmental problems i have). my mom says that i was always quiet since, just watching and observing. i think that’s why i’m so comfortable in silence now; tele-watching tv with T, sitting in the car with jam in the rain, riding the train with mr. unattainable. there’s just something about the stillness, the soft padding of muteness that i love.
    - i love the quiet, but i also love the music; wee! new nightmares on wax! click on it. listen to it. love it!
    - i have painted my nails electric blue. apparently, it’s the new color for fall. well, navy blue is, but close enough.
    - just when i’m about to drop him off the friend list, T just does something amazing to make me fall in love with him all over again. he must have some sort of radar or something… he’s still a jerk sometimes, but i love him.
    - work is going good. making progress, experiments working, being appreciated by my peers (i really like that part alot). i keep on hearing stories from my old lab from MD (who has also moved on to another lab); it’s not good. so when i was lamenting to aabs this week about applying to programs again and feeling bad that everyone that i started with (including her! yes you, aabs!) is finishing up. even though i could have changed things, i know things happen for a reason. there were lots of reasons why i had to leave, some that i might go into detail with. maybe.
    - one word: football! ‘nough said.

    peace.

Kenyan Pundit

  • Ushahidi website relaunched and other big news

    Posted: September 5, 2008, 2:12 am by Ory Okolloh
    So I’ve tinkered in a lot of activism / tree-hugging / save the world type endeavors in the last few (or more) years most of which have not achieved the notoriety of Mzalendo or Ushahidi…largely because I’ve been unable to clone myself, sometimes inertia, and then there’s that pesky problem of paying the bills. [...]

Marian's Blog

The Godfather

  • Watch Out Miss Naomi Campbell........

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 9:42 pm by the godfather
    Kenyan Flavine 'Flavor' Bulungu, the next big thing waiting to happen on the international catwalk?
    Name: Flavine BulunguNickname: FlavorAge: old enoughHometown: Uh?Current city: Glasgow, you know where...Career: Media CommunicationHobbies: Fashion Modelling DressingStrong points: creativity at posing for the lens (does it with such ease)When I grow up: Just keep on being simple Flavor, me... tatoo... swing mode
    catwalk exposure....lights, camera, Flavor....' intertwined reflex'

    Mama Africa...

    earth, wind and tattoo... natural beauty... just studio efx...

    up about town girl...


    superwoman...


    adding rythm to Flavor...

The Alpha Quadrant

  • Ushahidi.com

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 9:06 pm by Josiah
    The new look ushahidi is now out. From the early (dark) days in January, growth has been rather phenomenal, especially with the support of the various organisations providing funding for the project.

    Hopefully this application will adopted by relief and aid organisations world wide as a tool to assist people in need, as well as even governments in terms of crisis.

    Get yourself a button and banner for your site.

    Kudos to the Ushahidi team!

Gukira

  • 09.05.08

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 9:02 pm by keguro

    By Standard 3 we knew that one should not cry when caned, and by standard 5 even the most sensitive ones among us knew better than to demonstrate pain when caned. I have yet to understand how our teachers felt, but I suspect they were both frustrated by our pretend stoicism and secretly proud: they had done their job in hardening us.

    Take pain without flinching. This foundational lesson.

    This early structure provides a useful paradigm for considering our schizoid relationship to time: on the one hand, caning disciplines by infantilizing and on the other the stoicism displayed in the face of pain displays something our teachers termed “maturity.”

    In fact, we grew up by being told to grow up. At age 2, we were already being told not to be babies. We all wanted to be what my 2 year old niece calls “big.” Over and over she says she wants to be “big.” I hesitate to term this desire to be “big” a desire for agency. Increasingly, and pessimistically so, I think of it as a desire for hardened calluses, a desire to master pain.

    I must pause here and insist, if only to myself, that I am not interested in writing a counter-narrative of “growing up Kenyan.” I climbed trees, ate mangoes, played shake, and, with the exception of my grandfather’s death, the most traumatic incident from my childhood involved my cousins decapitating my teddy bear (I know who they are, I have not forgotten, and am still waiting for an apology 25 years after the fact).

    Instead, I want to trace the more subtle, often darker, but no less important threads that form part of our national warp and weft. To follow the brown that is so often overshadowed by the red and green.

    I begin from standard 3 because I am interested in how we continue to be infantilized by our leaders. Last week, for instance, in what seemed to be a “government approved” message, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta told us that tribal politics (my phrasing) are “retrograde” and “childish” (my word). In this new Kenya, this coalition-government Kenya, this post-election violence (PEV) Kenya, we had to think nationally, be Kenyans, not petty, squabbling tribes.

    That their rhetoric repeats in form the colonial apprehension of tribes (or ethnicities) should come as no surprise. As numerous scholars of postcolonialism have pointed out, the post-independence era saw the new national elites redeploying colonial categories and discourses. Encountering the man who had signed his detention order, Kenyatta admitted that detention could be a useful tool—and used it with great relish himself.

    However, to reduce local antipathies—tribal seems inadequate to describe the complex local-based negotiations of the PEV—to petty squabbles, and to reduce lingering resentments and injuries to forms of sulking, and this has been an ongoing theme in the government’s response to the IDP situation and various critiques from human rights groups, is to refuse to engage with citizens as citizens, as presumably mature enough to choose their leaders.

    To return to my niece for a moment: to ask a child to be a grown up is to continue to infantilize the child. To ask grown ups to be grown ups is to infantilize them. To ask Kenyans to be “big” is to refuse to take their rights as citizens with any degree of seriousness or care.

    More to the point, and I cannot underscore enough how fundamentally I believe this, to infantilize citizens by asking them to be grown up is intricately and inevitably bound to how citizens should react to pain and hardship.

    To be grown up in Kenya is to take pain without flinching, learning, instead, to recite a rhetoric that begins with “life is hard” and ending with “God will help,” and I cannot overstate how pervasive this rhetoric is, cutting across classes and ethnicities, genders and occupations. The formulaic nature of this sentiment undercuts, to my mind, any real belief—it is less an expression of faith in religion than it is a shared, oft-repeated mantra, comforting in its banality, as all clichés are.

    To be Kenyan is to be stoic: to be a child trained through pain to feel and not to feel.

    And so those of us who dwell in feeling, or dwell on feeling, are placed in the strange situation of being deemed infantile, not having learned the appropriate lessons, or of having unlearned them through foreign education (and this, I suspect, is one key theme of the been-to novel, in which protagonists who return from abroad to Africa feel “improperly,” this for another day).

    The philosopher Kenneth Burke uses the wonderful phrase “trained incapacity” to diagnose one of the effects of hyper-industrialization. Within economies where one’s job is both hyper-specific, one becomes incapable of learning anything else: one is too trained at one task to be proficient at any other.

    And, so I return, once again, to that standard 3 classroom, to the role of corporal punishment in shaping who we are and continue to be, about the ways we learned to deal with pain and injury, or, rather, not to deal with them, about the impossible injunction to be grown up children, which continues to haunt our national discourse.

    Increasingly, perhaps because I am a teacher, I continue to think about the role of what might be termed the pedagogical imaginary and its persistence in shaping who we are and who we desire to be. I continue to wonder about the relationship between discipline and violence that seems so fundamental to our infantile citizenship. I continue to wonder about our inability to deal with injury.

    And I continue to worry about what we do when we tell our children to “grow up,” when we tell crying babies who have fallen and hurt themselves that they should not cry, when we believe that pain can be wished away or should be borne with stoicism.

  • 09.04.08

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 8:53 pm by keguro

    Used to the beefiness of the Midwest, I find the men here wasted, and it’s easy to understand why corn-fed philanthropists harp on HIV/AIDS. Dressed in poorly tailored too-big clothes, lithe bodies float, registering their resistance to the sartorial straitjackets of modernity.

    Stick figures appear true to life.

    I begin to understand, now, how the word delicate applies so readily here, the bird-like quality of hands and feet, the swiftness, the grace, yet with an odd clumsiness, as though shoes hobble what they should enable. I hated shoes until I was 8 and became scared of jiggers, and I probably project my own long-ago loathing onto the lithe bodies that lurch imprisoned by social demands.

    At the airport, the immigration official spoke in English to the Indian woman ahead of me and switched to Kiswahili when he addressed me, though we were both in the Kenyan line. She was charming and promised to look for a book review I mentioned I was writing.

    Interpellation is forceful—a switch in language, a desire to switch languages.

    I find myself acquiring strange patterns, wanting to switch languages mid-sentence, because I can, but also because, in some way, it returns me here. To understand how the textures of a tongue flavor one’s speech, to use the languages in which I first learned to feel words, and also to obtain respite from the mono-lingual word I have inhabited for so long.

    Yet also to see how language is solicited: my nephews, both of them, seem to understand or respond to Kiswahili better than English, so I polish long lost skills, grateful, in this one instance, that simple declaratives and interrogatives accomplish much, very much.

    Words like “susu” make sense again.

    There’s a lot to take in, and I have yet to go to the center of town, to River Road or Moi Avenue or Kenyatta Avenue, to Uhuru Park.

    My geography, never very good, feels weighed down by new buildings, changed roads, new modes of transport: do I still take the 23 to get to town? Does the 6 still change into the 9? Should I risk a trip to my old schools? Will anyone I know still be there? There is a hint of Prufrock here.

    * * *
    It used to be that those who “returned” were described as “alienated,” psychically dislocated, socially lost. It has been some time since such descriptions applied; among certain Kenyans trips abroad, to Uganda, Sudan, Tanzania, South Africa, Mauritius, the US, Dubai (yes, I know it’s not a country) take place far too often to be remarkable. Returnees are no longer village curiosities.

    I continue to wonder if alienation suffices as a description. One limps along, trying to adjust to others’ rhythms. It is this sense that time has become segmented, sedimented at places, vaporized in others, arranged in some ways, imploded in others.

    One finds others in particular locations, but the geographies of the past no longer appeal, and have often changed.

    * * *

    Here, credit does not stand for what one owes and may one day pay, but for what one has to spend, what one has already spent. Credit, in its most quotidian form, refers to living within one’s limits, living aware of one can do, not an extension but a limit.

    Everywhere there are metaphors.

bankelele

  • Stolen Crown

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 7:37 pm by bankelele
    What happened to the shares of Crown Berger last Friday was an anomaly that gives a bad impression of the NSE. The company announced an increase in pre-tax profits on Thursday only for their shares to nose dive from Kshs. 38 to Kshs. 8 on Friday, before settling at 19.75, about 48% lower – on a volume of just 10,000 shares.

    Still as the running thread of NSE insiders shows, such one day spike trades have usually on the upper side (Equity, Citi Trust, CFC, to name a few), and don’t merit much complaint, except from skeptics. But if I was a shareholder of Crown (used to be one two years ago), I’d be very upset that 50% of my portfolio in an otherwise sound company has been wiped out in one day. What Crown is going through is no different than any manufacturing company as this time of high oil prices; they have even had mostly good press - expanding regionally, attained Super brand status recently etc.

    There’s a supposed 10% rule on price moves following market information, which is selectively applied. This unusual trade was sloppy or sinister, should never have been allowed.

maisha yetu

  • What does Palin have against books?

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 5:40 pm by jngunjiri

    I must admit here that Sarah Palin, in spite of the awful things that have been said and written about her, pulled off quite a speech when she accepted her vice-presidential nomination at the Republican Convention.
    She proved that just like Obama, she has what it takes to work up crowds and the Republican conservatives must really love her. While I would wish her well, as she and McCain face off with the formidable opposition of Obama-Biden, I can’t help but wonder what she has against books.
    I think her speech was going on rather well until she decided to make Obama’s authorship the topic of her attacks against the Illinois Senator
    “… it’s easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate,” she charged. This was in obvious reference to Obama’s two best-selling books ‘Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance’ and ‘The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.’
    It is not hard to see that Palin is miffed by the positive publicity the two books have afforded Obama. On the contrary everywhere she turns she effortlessly attracts scandal and more scandal.
    Isn’t it the height of mediocrity that any person, let alone a vice-presidential candidate, would decide to attack the very fountains of knowledge; books.
    What example is the good lady setting to American children by pouring scorn on books? The saddest part in this macabre script is that those gathered actually cheered when she uttered these unfortunate words.
    I can understand where she is coming from. Brawn as opposed to brains has served her well on her way to the top. When you hear that she managed to tear apart the “old boys” network in Alaska, as well as taking on oil cartels, don’t imagine she did it through the power of persuasion. Is it any wonder that the word Barracuda has liberally been used to describe her? Oh, by the way she loves guns and likes hunting.
    I gather that Palin has a degree in Journalism. But pray tell, why she exhibit such contempt of knowledge and information?
    In spite of everything, I still have much faith in Palin. She can redeem herself and even put her massive talents to good use by writing a book or books of her own.
    Suggested titles:
    Pregnancy Myths: A Working Mum’s Journey to the Top
    More Guns, Less Books: My Dream for a Terrorist Free America
    Good luck Palin. You really need it.

    Update: I gather that sometime back in Alaska, Palin tried to get a librarian fired because the said librarian refused to remove some books, the governor found “offensive” for the library! How anti-knowledge can one get?

Surviving the College years

  • gag

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 5:23 pm by wambui jr

    The republican national convention has revived my blog mojo, thanks!

    I am literary sick and tired of politics who’s aim is to maintain and/or increase the ignorance of voters, to draw attention away from the real issues. Let me say that both parties are guilty of this, but this week, the republicans have just taken it to another level! thus my first facebook note.
    Yes, one’s voting record is important, but for the love of God, when you accuse senator Obama or senator Mccain of voting against bill X, pay us the courtesy of mentioning policies a, b, and c which were also passed along with said bill.
    This taking quotes out of context to use as jabs against the opposition is just as sickening. When senator Mccain was asked to define rich and said $5 million, he clearly stated he was joking, and also said that he knew he would be taken out of context. And taken out of context he has been. This is not to say that I agree with senator McCain’s economic policy, but please, using that $5 million jab, or the McCain not knowing how many homes he owns jab, that’s just shallow, because these are not the main principles of his economic policy. Give voters those principles, highlight their deficiencies, and let them make judgements based on that.
    And senator McCain, when you tell us that we need to “drill here and drill now”, have the courtesy to highlight the fact that this drilling here and now will not produce any oil in the next president’s term. Don’t give the false hope that it is an instant solution, if even the word “solution” applies to it.
    And yes it’s true, Senator Obama does not have as much experience as senator McCain, and he even may not have as much executive experience as Governor Palin, but that is no reason to undermine his accomplishments as “nothing”…and when that is the ONLY thing that seems to fill the speeches at the Republican convention, well that just sickens me. Because personal attacks in politics are nothing but ploys to pull voters’ attention from the issues at hand. Speaking of which, how many times has the economy been mentioned at the Republican convention? hmmmm

    end of rant

    comment from a friend on facebook:

    lol..take a deep breath lady. I agree with you for the most part but this really shouldn’t shock u. I barely lifted an eyebrow listening to the speeches. Voting nowadays is basically picking the lesser of two evils. This is what they do, the days of listening to speeches about how the candidate actually plans to fix the nations problems are long gone. Its more of a street-fight than it is a debate, basically whoever can s*** more on the other’s head wins..pretty simple

    my response to comment:

    I’m not saying it shocks me, I’m just saying I’m sick of it…that’s the whole point of my note, that voting shouldn’t be about picking the lesser of two evils, because that is not any way to bring about changes or reforms. And that’s exactly the attitude that politicians want the voters to have…and the fact that voters HAVE adopted this attitude, well that’s the problem! Because this attitude makes them forget the power they have to demand results and better policies from their government. And so Washington stays the same and voters are reduced to complaining about it’s failures and shortcomings, whereas it was their ignorance that put those failing lawmakers in office!

    discuss

Kikuyumoja's realm

  • Bauchentscheidungen

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 4:34 pm by jke

    Wann weiß man(n) eigentlich, wann man die Richtige (Lebensabschnittsgefährtin) gefunden hat?

    Wird das dann irgendwo angezeigt oder bekommt man es gesagt?

    Neulich stand ich in einem Laden und sah eine sehr schöne Lederjacke. “Boah, die isset…”, dachte ich mir, “…aber der Preis…naa…kann ich mir nicht wirklich leisten”. Angezogen sah sie aber wirklich gut aus und war genau (!) das wonach ich geschaut hatte.

    1 Woche später habe ich sie mir dann gekauft und bin seitdem glücklich damit.

    Geht das auch so leicht mit Beziehungen? Wann weiß man, ob es die richtige Partnerin ist? Wenn man sie mit den Exen vergleicht? Oder mit der erstellten Liste der Traumfraumerkmale? Und was ist mit den christlichen Freunden, die irgendwie alle schon so (gefühlt)vorzeitig heiraten? Haben die ihre Wahl jemals bereut?

    Not that I haven’t made up my mind on this. Ich glaube aber im Leben eines Mannes gibt es diese “George Clooney-ich-will-mich-nicht-festlegen” Momente. Ob das gut ist? Keine Ahnung.

    Die Erkenntnis jedoch, dass man mit einer Person wirklich bis zum Ende zusammen sein und alles teilen möchte - das ist meiner Meinung nach genauso wichtig wie über evtl. Zweifel zu diskutieren. Daher die Frage: inweit darf, kann oder muss eine Entscheidung zur Partnerschaft eine Bauchentscheidung sein?

    Oder anders gefragt: welcher Maßstab muss zur Beurteilung des eigenen Befindlichkeitzustandes angelegt werden? - Wie weiß man, wann es einem gut geht?

White African

  • Ushahidi Funding and a New Website!

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 3:33 pm by HASH

    Most of June I spent in Kenya, much of that time talking to developers and getting ready for the next big Ushahidi push. During that time there was a new article about Ushahidi being one of the “Ten Startups to Watch” in the Technology Review, which was exciting for us to say the least!

    July and August have been spent working hard on getting the application rebuilt, the site redesigned and creating partnerships with other organizations. September is about launching the NEW Ushahidi.

    A New Website

    Now we’re off and running with a new website design, live today, that shows how our goals and focus have changed since things blew up in Kenya. (get a new Ushahidi button for your site.)

    Funding

    I’m very happy to announce that we’ve secured more than the $25,000 prize money from NetSquared (which has allowed us to do so much already). We have also just secured a grant of $200,000 from Humanity United!

    Humanity United is an independent grantmaking organization committed to building a world where modern-day slavery and mass atrocities are no longer possible. They support efforts that empower affected communities and address the root causes of conflict and modern-day slavery to build lasting peace.

    There is an obvious fit between Humanity United and Ushahidi, after all, we were founded on the same beliefs back in January in Kenya. Though we’re creating the Ushahidi engine as an open source project, our goal remains to see it used to better understand, give warning of, and recover from mass atrocities.

    The Vision

    Ushahidi is moving from being a one-time mashup covering the post-election violence in Kenya to something bigger. We are setting out to create an engine that will allow anyone to do what we did. A free and open source tool that will help in the crowdsourcing of information - with our personal focus on crisis and early warning information.

    We see this tool being used in two ways:

    • First, to crowdsource crisis information by creating an online space that allows “everyday” people all over the world to report what they see during a crisis situation, and whose reports are generally overlooked or under reported by most media and governments.
    • Second, make that software engine free and available to the world, so that others can benefit from a tool that allows distributed data gathering and data visualizations.

    We’re aiming to release an alpha version of it in just a few weeks for internal testing, and for alpha testing with pre-screened pilot organizations.

    Volunteer Devs, Designers and Others

    One of the reasons Ory and I were in Kenya was to talk to developers about helping with Ushahidi. We were overwhelmed with the amount of interest and the quality of the people who stepped up. So far we have a team working on mobile phones, a designers group, and a number of PHP experts. Go ahead and take a look at the development wiki as well.

    If you’d like to play a part, get in touch and we’ll see where you can best fit in. You don’t have to be a developer or designer either.

    [Credits: Richard “Ochie” Flores for the excellent design, Kwame Nyong’o for the beautiful illustrations, and Ivan Bernat for the spotless HTML/CSS markup.)

    Press Release: Ushahidi Funding & New Website (PDF)

SportsKenya

  • Football –go gaga!

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 3:18 pm

    With the football season in Europe back as the summer break’s ended, Kenyan football is almost ending its season. Of importance for now, is the upcoming World Cup-cum-Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with Kenya’s Harambee Stars facing the Namibian team. Back in May, Kenya seemed to have lost its direction only for the team to stage a turn-around and win 3 of its last matches (against Guinea and Zimbabwe).
    After changing coaches and getting to rally local supporters in the home games, the Stars have regained a respectable position and are now seen as one of the most likely teams to proceed in the group.
    While this has helped raise the profile of the game locally, much needs to be done on the technical and relevant support for the local teams to be able to provide fodder for the national team. After watching a few local games, I’m sure this can be done and with the right team, Kenya can be in the World Cup in 2010.
    The local fans have streamed with enthusiasm to the national teams games and are slowly getting back to the locally played league games. TV stations and local radio stations are fighting over who should screen the fixtures (media wars between 2 local stations, KTN and KBC over who should have exclusive rights to screen it-though I’m sure KTN would hope to borrow from DSTv which will screen the game as part of their support to the local game).
    This should be exciting if the Stars win since every corporate firm would want to be associated with the team –KDN has already committed KShs. 3 million- out of which 1 million goes to team if they win Saturday’s game.
    Coming hot on the heels of Kenya’s success in the Olympics, the local boys will hope to keep our hopes high and also enjoy the trappings of success. Surely who wouldn’t want to see their team in the World Cup? Kenya is currently ranked at position 86, can't wait boys for you to break the 80s barrier before end year.I would go gaga!

    Sidenote:
    The local football scene still needs a lot of improvement to move from current almost mediocre standards to better standards. Thus said, the flurry of sackings and team realignments are worrying. The KFF and KPL whichever runs the league and national team are also looking desperate as each tries to outdo each other. We better take note of this because if the team qualifies then all hell breaks loose in our rather uncouth football management.
    And for all those corporate firms wishing to put their money into football, better know what and who you're dealing with.
    Otherwise, we'll keep enjoying more of the European football from the comfort of our seats.

You Missed This

  • What is Ailing ODM?

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 3:16 pm by Phil
    William Samoiye Ruto may have made history in 2006 by defying his godfather ex-President Moi while still serving as KANU secretary general to declare that he would be vying for presidency; but this history is something Raila Odinga had done way back in 2001, while Moi was still a serving powerful president, and even went further to persuade reluctant KANU hawks like Kalonzo Musyoka, Joseph Kamotho, William Ole Ntimama, Mody Awori, George Saitoti ,et al to defy Moi and join opposition – five whole years before William Ruto could master any guts.

    Sadly for those of us who held the NARC dream dear and are presently holding the ODM dream close to their hearts, the political activities of William Ruto – who was literally assisted into political rehabilitation and continues to be sheltered from powerful foes – are being interpreted in ODM circles as a direct affront to the stability of the party and a threat to the political targets of the millions of party supporters. If these fears are confirmed, then it will be a massive betrayal by one person who was selected to negotiate the national peace accord with PNU on behalf of ODM. Read this link where fearless Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo makes reference to an unnamed senior cabinet minister undermining ODM.

    Whereas ODM democracy encourages fair internal competition amongst members, it is critical that party loyalty is observed given our laws and political circumstances. Unfortunately, emerging information indicates that Ruto’s underground activities are nothing but pure subversion. The fact remains that politicians commonly engage in scheming and strategy so as to retain or win powerful offices. Businesses do the same to remain competitive and any student of management will tell you that “strategy” is a core subject at any level in university. Perhaps because of panic or excitement, Ruto is assuming that strategy and subversion are two similar words.

    One myth being peddled around is that William Ruto has now come of age and has set his eyes on the country’s top seat. Ruto is glorified in Kenyan press as being in total control of the expansive Rift Valley vote and that all that is now required is to revive Kamatusa, through an alliance with say Uhuru Kenyatta or Martha Karua and H.E. President William S. Ruto will be made a reality. This is the biggest joke that has now become a thorn in the flesh of ODM.

    The last time I heard this myth, ex-president Moi was in ‘total control’ of the same constituency and that the votes in this province would go wherever the elder Moi led them to. To the amazement of many, the 2007 elections shattered the Moi myth to smithereens. This weekend, who-is-who in ODM are retreating to Naivasha to discuss ‘the party constitution’. Those of us in the know are aware party discipline is a major agenda. Additionally, the god-sent political parties act and the forthcoming ODM grassroot elections will be discussed.

    If naivety prevails and any politician fail to strategise or scheme poorly, they will most certainly find themselves unceremoniously thrown out of the game.

    Through ODM, William Ruto made an unsuccessful bid for the presidential ticket last year where he was beaten to a distant third behind second placed Musalia Mudavadi and unanimous winner Raila Odinga. That was despite the usual misinformed predictions that Raila would be given a run for his money by Ruto who was then purportedly controlling more delegates by virtue of being the Rift Valley candidate. You and I know Raila made mince meat of the Ruto myth in Kasarani historic primaries, but was then kind enough to extend a third critical lifeline by creating and drafting Ruto as a senior member of one of the most exciting and most prestigious political politburos ever witnessed since the NARC summit – the ODM PENTAGON. The first lifeline was when Ruto had to be guided into freely declaring his interest in the presidency when he was still serving as KANU SG amidst Moi’s massive shadow, while the second was when predicable Kalonzo puppets Maanzo and Chepkonga took off with ODM-K party certificate leaving many a naked souls less than six months to the general elections and no one knew where to take cover until Raila came to the rescue with his ODM scoop – a party whose ticket Ruto and many Rift Valley MPs were re-elected back to parliament and appointed to cabinet by Raila!

    It will therefore come as a great surprise to many that William Ruto is the man being fingered to be behind the rebellion gripping the ODM. It is an open secret that Ruto has been unable to tame his ambition and has since January 2008, been spoiling for a political duel with DPM Musalia Mudavadi so as to upstage him as deputy captain and in the process place himself in a strategic position to, at most, run for president in the next elections or, at worst, land the PM’s seat.

    But what is really driving Arap Ruto’s ambition? Is it qualification, self-belief, or the huge Rift Valley vote basket that he supposedly controls? Is it a bold attempt to keep Y2K mega-deals buried or maybe it is the fear of having to be made answerable for involvement in post election violence? Perhaps it is an attempt to keep the existing court process at arm’s length? Only time (read-elections) will tell.

    If one asks Musakari Kombo, Raphael Tuju, Simeon Nyachae, Shem Ochuodho, Njenga Karume, Mukhisa Kituyi, Kalembe Ndile, Daniel arap Moi, or even Mwai Kibaki himself; poor political scheming and strategizing does have serious pitfalls. If it is intended to serve one’s individual interests without causing injury, harm or violence to others or the country, then it is all well and good. This is normally treated as acceptable behaviour that is within political ethics. But scheming to secure personal political advantages through the use of diabolical schemes such as violence, betrayal, infiltration and backstabbing is as destructive and diseased as the minds that conceptualize them. Remember gentlemen and ladies, just a few months after being sworn in, ODM – the people’s party – has already lost the lives of four sitting MPs through violence and accident(s) that so far remain unresolved.

SportsKenya

  • Corporate hypocrisy

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 3:15 pm
    After Kenya’s success in the Olympic Games, almost all Kenyan corporate firms are falling over themselves looking for this or that reason to identify with the team. I heard an advert about some insect killer associating with Kenyan runners and how its killing action will have the same effect on household pests…how crazy! All good if the KShs reach our local stars and, even more pleasing if the money’s invested in the development of the different sports. But is it happening? NO!
    Kenyan captain and 800m gold medalist noted that while the athletes are rewarded for their performance, it is also important to also consider rewarding the technical personnel. It would also be prudent if the Government to invest heavily in sport he noted.
    Earlier I said to NO to the question because as you would see, some athletes complained about a locally-based multinational using the athletes’ images without remunerating them with any form of consideration- though they handed out gifts to the medalists as they joined the gravy train of Kenyan companies.
    While the rewards serve to motivate the athletes and encouraging young upcoming ones, they end up losing meaning in the long-term if there is no continuity and longevity in the investment in sport. This is what has helped most countries and sports associations develop top events and be able to deliver such spectacles as the Olympics and the World Cup. Until that happens in Kenya, I will term this as sheer opportunistic!

Memorable Jokes

  • How much can you trust a friend?

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 3:02 pm

    Mutua left to go help in the Crusades and decided that his wife Mueni should wear a chastity belt. (Steel underwear) So he locks her up and
    gives the key to his best friend, Mogaka. He tells him, “If I'm not back in four years, unlock my wife and set her free to live a normal life."

    So, Mutua leaves on horseback and about a half hour later, he sees a cloud of dust behind him. He waits for it to come closer and sees Mogaka.
    "What's wrong?" He asks. Mogaka replies.
    "You gave me the wrong key!"

Black Looks

  • Quick Links

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 2:34 pm by Sokari
    South Africa is the only safe zone in Africa for LGBTI but how welcome are asylum seekers? SA IS one of only seven countries in the world that grants refugee status on the basis of sexual orientation. But people seeking that relief are battling as much as other refugees in the country. Asylum in Greece Campaign [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Quick Links", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2008/09/quick_links-12.html" });

  • Police brutality matters

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 2:10 pm by Sokari
    La Chola reminds us reminds us (just in case we’ve forgotten) “Why that police brutality stuff matters” I think that for violence against women to end, violence on all levels must be questioned, challenged and interrogated–violence on all levels regardless of who is committing it, must stop making sense. Police brutality at protest events matter because [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Police brutality matters", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2008/09/police_brutality_matters.html" });

A Nairobian's Perspective !

  • Deutsche Welle Blob Awards 2008

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 1:10 pm

    This site has been submitted and nominated for the Deutsche Welle 2008 Bob Awards.Bob Awards are the Worlds largest international awards for Weblogs, podcasts and videoblogs. Since its inception four years ago, the BOBs have grown to include 11 languages and 16 Categories . The winners of each year’s awards are decided by both an international jury of bloggers and through online voting.

    If you have been benefited by this blog (example the Paypal Africa Campaign)and would like to vote for it.Please go to the following link:

    [www.thebobs.com]

    Africa please vote for your own! There are just 27 days of voting left,Deadline September 30th 2008 so please vote!I iwill highly appreciate dear readers!

    VOTE!VOTE!VOTE NOW!

Devastating The Obvious

  • six nine

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 1:09 pm by dobvious

    Eight months ago there was no urgency, no worry; even the nurse looked a bit amused. Don’t you want to know - she asked. It’s part of my job, to prepare you for any outcome. A smile was all she got and a nod and an assurance that whatever the outcome, all would be well. She stated and asked - It’s like you know it already is this is a formality?  A smile again. Noting that there would be no positive answers forthcoming she reached out to the left hand and begun looking for the right vein.
    ****
    She called me Mary. I tried to asking her why on that day but she did not say anything back, just smiled and hushed the name Mary again capping everything with a sheepish grin. Perhaps it was some kind of joke or she was suffering from a delusion of drinking too many cups of green tea from the recent Chinese multi-level-marketing firm in town. Or maybe she had mistaken me for  someone who was supposed to react to the word Mary - or maybe  it was a code word used during the extraction of a subject in a covet mission . Lady, I tried to explain to her - you have to wrong person but she would not have it and just moved past me disappearing into busy masses hurrying home after a days put.
    -
    Two days later we met at the bus park right next to Anita’s kiosk. I was just from getting the paper when I spotted them across the road.  She was accompanied by a young girl approximately the same age of Cantica Untaru - the gem who simply lit up Tarsem Singh’s otherwise boring epic tale of fantasy with her dashing display of toddler innocence, wisdom and naivety .By the way their ears were positioned it would be easy to deduce that they were a mother -daughter pairing though complexion wise that would be put to task. The young one was of a darker tone while the older one was a confusion of blemishing pink and light brown. Again this I suspect to be the work of that chinks firm or perhaps the work of the extracted albino skins highly sought out by the daughters of Kilimanjaro.  In projection a couple more years of the same stuff would have her comparing notes with the vitiglio claiming son of Jackson who recently hit the Grande five oh.
    I waved at her - and she waved back - shouting - Morning Mary.
    Much to the dismay of her daughter and Anita who was just opening her kiosk.
    Mummy she began, tagging her dress. But that’s a man.  She looked at her and smiled.
    Why! I shouted back as I made an effort to cross the road. But just as she did the last time we met, she wore smiles and grins in alternating fashion without disclosing much. No sooner had I crossed the road than the bus arrived. Hurriedly tucking her daughter in she waved again safely from inside and her lips clearly read - Mary.
    Who she is - Anita asked. I wish I knew, and its not the first time - came the lament - she did that two days ago and got away with it. Anita took a long look at me and burst out into laughter. Why - she asked. That’s what has been eating me all this while . Maybe she  has seen a page off your future and that could be the name of your future wife - Anita said in between chuckles . I engaged in a rhetoric laugh as I  boarded the next bus .
    ****
    Beads of perspirations were trickling down my face faster than they did on Shube’s face on his wedding. There was an untold sense of urgency and utmost secrecy thus the need for the use of this obscure facility. With every passing minute there was laid a new what if scenario,  were this a math class then all the permutations and combinations would have been played out and there would be need for a newer set . Past the when and why, the how and where there was a much deeper question that begged to rule the whole set. What next?
    She stood at the door blocking the wonderful rays from the setting sun that were I  in my prime then  I would be busy capturing via the prolific Pentax piece that was obtained from Brown’s joint - a wonderful exotic piece of cinematography excellence  that the previous German owner had to part with after he failed to pay the services of one of Brown’s angels .

    Her eyes pierced straight into mine . The stern look gave everything away  .The doctor will see you now - she said, handing me the brown envelope that was all but a final nail to my  coffin.

    ***

    The same tale , told in another part had different variations , liken it to a goat bred in the higlands and its equal which roams the sandy beaches of Kilifi .  Neccesity to bring about a decent flow . With their toungues bordering on the exposed gaps of their falling milk teeth  they ppay more close attention each day to the retelling of this their favorite tale .

    **

    Echoes of magic tended to the evening . The king was at his best strumming Lucille with the same elegance that has made her the darling to many .  Like seasoned wine , there is a resonance of wisdom in each word and each strum of Lucille . She sounds better than she  did in the seventies . He notes as her repositions himself to start  off the next track . There is a decent crowd tonight - thanks to the blues awareness campaign that was ran by the newly launched FM station . I spot two or three familiar faces and I wave to them . He introduces his guest on stage - the dreadlocked closet lesbian who sang  and gained prominence at a concert to inform the world of the plight of the then jailed Rohilala . Much to the applause of the crowd . They tune their instruments and gear themselves to tell us how that which was there was now gone in the thrill . Its just about then  that I notice the words splattered across her t-shirt . Mary !

The Benin Epilogue Part I: Africa-Ready for Business

  • An Escalation of the War in Afghanistan and Pakistan is a Very Bad Policy.

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 11:12 am by branded
    The U.S. practices selective proliferation with India , and selective sovereignty with those it chooses (today Pakistan , tomorrow someone other than Pakistan ), while at the same time violating the sovereignty of other states- depending on its whim at the time. If he becomes the next US president (God Forbid), John McCain has vowed to stay put in Iraq to bring more misery to the Iraqis . On the other hand, the Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama has elaborated a pull out plan but says he will send more US soldiers into Afghanistan.

    The extension of the war on terror by the U.S. is bad for a number of reasons: the perspective of the international Muslim community; the fact that a military solution has not worked thus far, so why keep kicking a dead horse ; the delicate balance of power in the immediate theatre and in the broader region; the likely negative reaction of other states; and last but not least, its potential impact on the price and availability of oil. Have you ever thought What would happen should the US find itself at war with the entire world...READ MORE

Kenya Environmental & Political News Weblog

  • Kibera: From Rubbish Dump to Cabbage Patch

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 10:50 am by Phil
    Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN This organic farm in the sprawling Kibera slum is providing residents with a source of income NAIROBI, 3 September 2008 (IRIN) - Rubbish is everywhere in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum, just a few kilometres from the centre of Nairobi. It lies not just between the ramshackle dwellings, but often underneath them, rendering [...]

  • Kenya Government Peace-making ‘a failure’

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 10:50 am by Phil
    The Kenyan government has failed to support vital peace-making efforts aimed at healing ethnic divisions in the country, following the country’s worst outbreak of violence since independence, says the international human rights organization, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) In a new briefing paper, Kenya six months on: a new beginning or business as usual? MRG says [...]

Gukira

  • 8.29.08

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 9:02 am by keguro

    I

    My mother’s room is filled with time.

    Multiple clocks float along the wall in various modes of on and indifferent, pledging allegiances to faux-environmentalism and golf. Crucifixes and half-faded photographs of my father form a ghastly memento-mori. On the wall facing her bed, a photograph of elder church women is sandwiched between 40-year old photographs of her wedding: the church, refuge and tomb, what comes after marriage, after widowhood, after.

    The past accumulates here, with time punctured by pictures of her grandchildren. Against this shrine to a life having being lived, their faces seem obscene, as solemn as those of children in obituaries. The flatness of matte surfaces and shiny faces is weighed down by the grisly playfulness of “I was here and this happened.”

    She deems herself a survivor, and in this room of odds and ends, furniture that is too old and too new, the 30 year old vanity, chipped in its pseudo-Hollywood glamour, the brand new wood-hard unforgiving mattress, the desk that speaks to a newly acquired readerliness, and is built for a child. My sister studied for her CPE here.

    This is a room contained in time, and its stories leak away: the curtains from my childhood. “Still good!” she insists. Their worn places tell of years of being opened and shut, the ritual that defined morning and evening in our house, in our lives, the transition from work to rest, from solitariness to togetherness.

    These curtains, more than anything else, tell a story of survival: of what can be used, must be used, should not be discarded, might still have a story, use. In this new era where “wastage” is discouraged, the act of holding on, the promise of passing on extends life and its ghosts.

    Last night, seeking some kind of comfort, I slept in her bed, availing myself of her absence. Perhaps, too, because she slept in my bed when she visited, and my back remembers the convenient discomfort of an air-mattress, too hard, too soft, constantly deflating, a metaphor for a certain state of mind.

    There is a story to be told about beds as metaphors, But I remain caught by the curtains.

    Light peeks in through the torn lining, patches of futurity, where the morning makes itself felt most richly and profoundly. Light calls to tomorrow—it is a survivor’s trick, to watch for the chinks in the wall that might announce, the dawning of a new day.

    Cream, wreathed through in gold braid, in a style I can only call seventies, heavy with a weight that was equated with quality.

    In this country of 12 hours of day and night, these curtains mark the distance between here and there, then and now, deprivation and comfort.

    My childhood returns as a ritual devoted to drawing curtains all over the house, entombing the family, its ghosts and its memories in a protective womb. Rhyme tells an easy story—womb to tomb to womb, and the worn curtains, with their torn lining sing of barriers being gently rubbed away by a child’s hands.

    II

    In the abridged version that welcomed me to Dickens, miss Havisham sits in her faded wedding dress. At 8, I could not understand how anyone could abandon wedding cake to dust and spiders—it was my favorite, royal icing an infrequent and thus treasured treat.

    In miss Havisham’s forever-preserved wedding day, a notion of time as desiccating, cobwebbed time, connecting then and now, this and that, potential and more potential. One holds onto time, relying on the tensile strength of memory, the fetish-power of things to ground one, anchors in time, across time, through time.

    This shrine unsettles me. Pieces of her then and now, here and there, being and becoming, but always frozen, the unvarying smile a testament to what lingers.

    I have grown careless with time, sure that it will pass and not return, averse to technologies that freeze it, that announce their freezing.

    I hate photographs.

    More than any other technology, they hold out the promise of freezing time, preserving one, but their glossy and matte surfaces refuse the reassuring comfort of pickles, the taste of time.

    Would that we could be pickled, our lives preserved with flavor, infused with where we have been, who we have been with, touched by the thousands of bodies we have met, touched, and loved.

    III

    I have been sneezing and blowing my nose, my body irritated by this move home, the familiar allergen-dust that plagued my childhood envelops me. In another age, they might have said I am expelling foreignness from my blood, clearing room for the household spirits to invade me.

    In the brief moments when I can see and breathe, I take in the familiar.

    Perhaps the story might be more complex, that I expel the blend of here and there, 7 years away and 12 hours at home.

    Many years ago, I suffered from the traveler’s disease, the adjustments to new food, new food-borne pathogens. Now, I eat without care, but I struggle to breathe and to sleep.

    I wonder if I should confess that I learned to breathe when I left home for the first time, and I am now re-learning how one gets around breathing.

    IV

    What lies behind the curtains?

    In the temple, only the elect could were allowed behind the curtain. One would tie a string to another’s leg and hope that one did not have to use the string.

    Faith. Trial. Error.

    And the little man behind the machine.

    I wonder what kind of faith one must have to keep drawing back one’s curtain, as though tomorrow the sun might rise elsewhere, or not at all. Or the feat that, thrown off-kelter, days and nights will no longer share the hours.

    Tomorrow might be off by one minute.

    As long as the curtains endure.

    They have not faded. The gold braid has darkened, oxidized like real gold, gained in value. And they still divide day and night, in and out, their shabbiness a testament to their labor.

    The curtains remind us that time acts unevenly on color: we fade and darken unpredictably, anchored by foregrounds and backgrounds, adornments and fringes.

The Benin Epilogue Part I: Africa-Ready for Business

  • It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it.

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 9:01 am by branded
    America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this. The same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush 90 per cent of the time

    Senator McCain likes to talk about judgement, but really, what does it say about your judgement when you think George Bush has been right more than 90 per cent of the time?.......READ MORE

Johnnnie Mtembezi

Kenya Christian

Rants, Raves & Reviews

  • mswati - paedophile?

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 6:07 am by coldtusker
    Not my usual topic... but is mswati of Swaziland a paedophile?

    Whereas there may be some cultural reason or justification... I just can't wrap my mind around it. It is abhorrent to me. Or am I being Euro-centric?

    He is 40 years & is looking at marrying girls who are barely 16 years. He could have daughters that old!

    In Kenya, we have the founder of Java Coffee House in court on charges of paedophelia. Should mswati be allowed to enter Kenya? Has he ever been to Kenya?

    (My advice... if mswati is in town... lock up your daughters!)

    What say you?

    P.S. My personal opinion is mswati should be deposed, castrated then jailed for life.

Johnnnie Mtembezi

Kikuyumoja's realm

  • mhubirigadget

    Posted: September 4, 2008, 3:49 am by jke

    Something tells me that this gadgetimoja will become very popular in some parts of Kenya….

    [via]

    AOB: my first post from Ubuntu! Earlier this week, a colleague of mine asked me which firewall software he should use next to his Avira antivirus scanner on WinXP. I told him to try Ubuntu instead if all he does is surfing the web + some office tasks. Why? Because it may just be what he needs.
    As for me, I’ve switched from Kubuntu (KDE 3.x + 4.x) back to Ubuntu (Gnome) earlier this week as I realized that Ubuntu is what I need on my laptop here. A perfect alternative to WinXP. The only thing I dislike about Ubuntu & Co so far is that it really only makes sense if you have an internet connection that provides enough bandwidth for updates (I am still to figure out how to download updates to an offline repository). Slowly switching from WinXP to Ubuntu apparently also includes the realization that a limited availability of programms (see also Apple Mac) isn’t necessarily that bad. Hey, it even connects to my phone! And printer installation….wooohaaa! 25 minutes / 800 MB software package to install an AIO HP OfficeJet 7210 printer within WinXP, but less than one minute within Ubuntu. Sure, this will only cover the driver, but then - even the driver package alone is ~70MB on WinXP.

The Godfather

  • Levy Mwanawasa laid to Rest

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 11:28 pm by the godfather
    ZAMBIA'S LEVY MWANAWASA'S STATE FUNERAL TODAY IN LUSAKA
    all pic courtesy of Richard Mulonga, leading Zambian photojournalist
    Zambia's Vice President and acting President Rupiah Banda and Thandiwe follow the proceedings at the State Funeral of the fallen Zambian Head of State

    Mourning a departed leader

    Former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa breaks down at her husbands funeral service and burial in Lusaka Zambia earlier on today

    President Mwanawasa's body lies in State before today's funeral attended by 13 Head of State and Government who included Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete, Kenya's Mwai Kibaki, South Africa's Thabo Mbeki and Zim's strongman Robert Mugabe

    Former First Lady, Mama Mwanawasa comforts her daughter Chipo as they lay a family wreathe on the fallen President's tomb

    A tombstone being lifted by a crane to cover the grave as directed by Uni turtle Firm employees

Where Else!

  • Provehito im Altum

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 9:42 pm by Bryo
    The title is not meant to make sense. I noticed it in an album cover and in all the Googling I came up with the following explanation. It is Latin for 'Launch forth into the deep', 'reach for the sky' and some more. I have an idea of what that means but I feel it is not yet fully formed. In my world its 0 or 100 as you'll see later. As with anything, there are exceptions to the 0-100 rule. The phrase is a kind of marker for me. I feel I have reached one of those moments you note in your (auto)biography; it seems to carry a great significance to what happens in the future.

    You see I have always wanted to define myself as I see myself as experienced by my five senses, with a little help from the outside. I even added the Honesty Box application on Facebook.

    One thing I am sure is that I am not deep; I simply do not appreciate 'earth-shaking' epiphanies in the way they knock others out. It takes time. Call me slow or whatever. It really doesn't matter since I prefer my life as simple as can be.

    Others call it laziness but I prefer the correct term for the condition. I am good at conserving energy. If something does not intrigue me or come with come without enough of a threat, I simply won't put in 100%. NOTE:I am a firm believer in all or nothing.

    For the untrained eye, I have always had life easy. I don't think mine has been any different from any citizen of this world. It is just that I have had better success staying on the safe side of fate's mood swings and stepping on the cracks on the pavement that rules are.

    I will keep on this journey and along the way I will write more to keep this going. It is a meant to be a record for a journey in self discovery.

Urbane'

  • To The Bunduz: Part 1

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 9:23 pm by Urbane'
      It’s been ages since I last travelled upcountry. My time has been consumed chasing mostly my career and finding my ground with academics and other personal development issues… nice one huh! What, cut the crap, Nairobi just rocks and the thought of chilling out at the village with everyone on your case seeking this favor [...]

Sera's World

  • I Finally Found….

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 9:03 pm by Tweety
    …..my voice. About the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight.   Note: this is not a review, just some comments from a huge fan of Batman, and therefore a very biased viewer.   Where to start? With the fact that Batman has a lisp but Bruce Wayne sounds just fine when he speaks? I don’t know if it has [...]

My Life is...Mochalicious!

  • For Comedic Purposes Only

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 8:04 pm by Mocha!
    As some person once said, “Laughter is the best medicine.” And I agree with them. Now that I am in a household where there is 500+ channels to watch and some of these programmes are just bloody hilarious and borderline insane. I LOVE NEW YORK 1 & 2 (Watched 2 the most as and when I catch it on [...]

NAKEEL

  • I Dream

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 7:58 pm by Nakeel
    I dream of love Pure, without condition Strong, eternal as the sun With that draws a passion… I dream of love Clean, with devotion Free, draw the wings of the heart Fly to nests where the passion… The passion, is like a restless wind To be converted into freedom It is known that there is someone else who lives Wishing you can find It travel without fear among the stars and the immensity It is

The Godfather

  • Zambia Mourns

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 7:49 pm by the godfather
    MWANAWASA FUNERAL IN PICTURES
    All pix courtesy of Richard Mulonga, one of Zambia's foremost photojournalists. Thank you Richie and our heartfelt condolences to all Zambians.
    President Mwanawasa lies in State

    Zambian Founding Father and First President Kenneth Kaunda signing the condolences book at State House

    Lieing in State

    A weeping Mama Mapala, a close relative of the President

    Levy Mwanawasa's sister Eva mourning in Solwezi, Zambia. This was one of the stops that the Late President's body was viewed by thousands of his subjects across Zambia. 


    Powerful former first Lady has a spat at Patriotic Front Leader Michael Sata and orders him to leave unceremonioulsy Chipata Airport. Earlier Eastern Minister Charles Shawa had openly attacked Sata wondering why he had to fly to Chipata whilst he had attended the presidential funeral the previous day. 

    Opposition leader Sata leaves after being escorted out of the airport by a police officer.

Spin-Digest

  • Ida begrudgingly Rejects Allowance

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 7:45 pm by HLumiti

    What ought to have been a matter of outright rejection at the first instance, stretched out to be a fortnight of apparent soul-searching process for Ida Odinga. She seems to have come to terms, albeit grudgingly, that the Ksh 400,000 allowance is at the moment an unwise political misstep that has elicited a fast and furious backlash from folks that would otherwise form her bedrock of support.

    To pretend that she had only read of the offer in the press and therefore treated it as malicious rumor from her detractors is disingenuous crap pasted from an old script. Since keeping silent would have implied her complicity in the attempted skimming of public funds, it was perhaps necessary that she made her position clear. But her statement came out as a bitter retort to “people” when in fact a simple line or two rejecting the offer would have sufficed. Her rigmarole about “heavy responsibility on behalf of the Republic of Kenya” is menacing and it is probably just as well that she is not occupying a higher office on behalf of “people”.

    The outrageous allowance offer did, however, find support from what seemed unlikely quarters. Former nominated MP Njoki Ndungu, who has over the years built a reputation as a brave defender for women and children rights came out with some fairly strange support for the allowances. Ms Ndungu thinks that the monies should be paid “in recognition for the evident work that spouses do in our political structures”. She adds that “We expect them to occasionally hold court, to preside over functions, to grace important State occasions, to be patrons of organizations, etc. We are essentially asking them to give up their private lives.” Madam Njoki, are we?

    If such defense as Njoki’s came from the ‘ordinary’ citizenry, it might have carried some water and even looked progressive. But from you, Madam Njoki, it brings with it a little tinge of elitism prevalent in the leafy neighborhood you share with Ida and Pauline. It sounds like support for ‘one our own’. Otherwise, I am persuaded that “we” do not demand these vague services for which we are expected to pay for without even a little pretense to consultation. And “we” expect that perhaps spouses should consult before either of them plunges into public service of the political kind. Anyone who finds that politics is “drudgery”, as Njoki puts it, should steer clear of it and no one will begrudge them.

    Now, Pauline. I expect that she will produce a back-dated letter to Muthaura showing that she had rejected the offer first!

    Related article; Pauline Musyoka and Ida Odinga; Spouses or Escorts

The Godfather

  • JK and Mkapa attend Mwanawasa Funeral in Zambia today

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 7:32 pm by the godfather
    Tanzanian President and current African Union Chairman HE Jakaya Kikwete arrives in Zambia yesterday for todays burial of fallen Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa


    Former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa arrives in Zambia yesterday for todays burial of fallen Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa(pictures courtesy of Richie Mulonga, Zambia)

South of West

  • A Very Rash Bet

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 6:50 pm by robcrilly
    You may remember that a couple of weeks ago I took issue with the standard, lazy size comparisons used for Darfur. If you bother to check the facts (ridiculous I know) then France and Texas are not nearly as accurate an area comparison as Spain. At the time I offered a prize for the first [...]

The Godfather

  • Fare Thee Well Son of Africa

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 6:22 pm by the godfather
    Africa Bids Farewell to A Fallen StatesmanRest in Peace Dr. Levy Patrick MwanawasaLate President of ZambiaSeptember 03, 1948 - August 19, 2008
    13 Heads of State and Government have gathered in Lusaka Zambia to bid farewell their colleague. The late Presidents casket on a gun carriage has just been driven into the Embassy Park, directly opposite Cabinet office along Independence Avenue, a fallen hero's resting ground. 
    Today's burial is a by-invitation-only affair. The general public will be welcome to lay wreathes and pay respects staring tomorrow. 
    May God rest His Soul in Eternal Peace.

Sukuma Kenya

  • Well done Mrs. Ida Odinga but...

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 5:52 pm
    Dear Mrs. Ida Odinga,

    Thank you for probably being the first Kenyan in a position of power to decline all that extra dosh that you don't need. I must say, when I first heard that the cronies that work for your husband wanted to give you several hundred thousand shillings a month for tea parties and other such necessities, I could not help but think of the starving grandma I met in Kisumu a while ago and what she might feel about this. Just so glad to know that you must have been thinking the same thing.

    Now that you have proven to us that you are truly not interested in the accumulation of more wealth, I was wondering if you could have a polite word with your husband and his friends about the 1. 2 Billion Shillings (!!!!) for their household services and press units. That is 100 million shillings a month for themselves. The MARS Group have put the facts online HERE:


    Mrs. Prime Minister, please can you ask your husband and his friends if they would kindly set aside some of that dosh for the chaps that live just down the road from you guys...

bankelele

  • Kenya Bank Top 10s

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 5:23 pm by bankelele
    half year to June 30 2008

    Pre-Tax Profit: Barclays 4,295 million shillings [$64 million], KCB 3,394, Equity 2,997, Standard Chartered 2,321, Citibank 1,694, Cooperative 1,664, National Bank of Kenya 902, Commercial Bank of Africa 847, Investment & Mortgages 767, CFCStanbic 698 [$10.4 million]
    12 month profit change : Ecobank 633% (to Kshs. 66m), Family 290%, Equity 189%,
    Bank Africa 105%, Prime 98%, Giro 86%, Dubai 85%, KCB 77%, Guardian 76%, Citibank 75% then Consolidated, Cooperative, NBK, Credit, I&M

    Deposits: Barclays 128,765 million shillings [$1.92 billion], KCB 93,372, Standard Chartered 73,512, Cooperative 59,072, CFCStanbic 57,040, Equity 42,116, Commercial Bank of Africa 35,135, National Bank of Kenya, 34,020, NIC 30, 165, Citibank Kenya 27,836 [$415 million]
    12 month deposit growth: Equity 78%, Chase 58%, Prime 57%, Development Bank 41%, Diamond trust 38%, Fidelity 36%, CFCStanbic 33%, Oriental 32%, NIC 31%, Equatorial 29%, Transnational 23%, Barclays and Imperial 22% then KCB, Bank Africa, ABC.

    Loans: Barclays 106,691 [$1.59 billion], KCB 60,165, Standard Chartered 45,351, Cooperative 43,411, CFCStanbic 38,746, Equity 34,273, NIC 25,727, Diamond Trust 22,320, Commercial Bank of Africa 21,803, Investment & Mortgages 20,703 [$309 million]
    12 month loan growth: Equity 139%, Chase 88%, Prime 66%, Baroda 57%, Development Bank 54%, Commercial Bank of Africa 52%, Family Bank 51%, Co-op Bank 44%, Credit 44%, Fidelity 41%, then NIC, Bank of Africa, Diamond trust, I&M, CFCStanbic, Fina, Barclays.

    Where to work: high employers - 6 month staff expenses; Barclays 3,287 million [$49 million], KCB 2,767, Cooperative 1,387, Standard Chartered 1,306, Equity 1,245, National Bank of Kenya 864, Commercial Bank of Africa 423, Citibank Kenya 416, CFCStanbic 389, Diamond Trust 330
    directors; Standard Chartered 61 [$910,000], KCB 57, Cooperative 26, Commercial Bank of Africa 25, NIC 22, CFCStanbic 21, National Bank of Kenya 17, K-Rep 17, Southern Credit 14, Diamond Trust 12

    Assets: 12 month asset growth: Equity 135%, Chase 76%, KCB 66%, Citibank 65%, Prime 59%, CFCStanbic 42%, Diamond trust 40%, Family bank 39%, I&M 33%, Bank of Africa 23%, Barclays 22%
    Return on assets: Equity 4.28%, Citibank 2.85%, India 2.84%, Barclays 2.58%, Stanchart 2.45%, Coop Bank 2.31%
    Non-performing assets: Cooperative Kshs. 8,841 million ($132m) , KCB 6,982, Barclays 5,986, Ecobank/EABS 3,492, CFCStanbic 3,435, National Bank of Kenya 2,559, Housing Finance 2,302, Standard Chartered 2,045, Equity 1,845, Commercial Bank of Africa 1,540
    Sgare capital : Barclays Kshs. 19,233 ($287 million), Equity 19,005, Standard Chartered 9,615, KCB 9,591, Citibank Kenya 7,791, CFCStanbic 6,865, Cooperative 6,710, National Bank of Kenya 4,912, NIC 4,649, Diamond Trust 4,259

mzalendo :: Eye On Kenyan Parliament

  • Interesting take on the situation in North Eastern Province

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 5:17 pm by admin

    Some of our most active MP profiles are of MPs from the North Eastern Province. At the heart of the (sometimes ugly) debates is the lack of development and access to resources, but more often than not the discussion is often focused on clan issues. We are posting a recent paper by Issac Ahmed analysing the situation in NEP, and would welcome comments from Mzalendo users who are constituents in the area.

Kenyan Pundit

You Missed This

  • Ida Odinga Has Done The Right Thing

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 4:24 pm by kalamari
    While we cannot underestimate Kalonzo Musyoka's household need for that extra Ksh. 400,000.00 (somebody has to pay for that honey bee keeping project on his farm) we must continue encouraging Pauline to follow suit. In fact, we must ask Lucy Kibaki to refund the millions of shillings she has pocketed...courtesy of our paychecks. Lazima arudishe pesa zetu. I mean, when was the last time we heard or read about Lucy's grand cash donation to any women's/children organization? You see, that is the excuse these top-dog wives have been using…..ati they need state taxpayer funds to hold harambees and host delegations on behalf of the country. Nonsense!!

    What I fail to understand is why we continue to allow these 'leaders' to continue fleecing us. Here we are today funding a bloated cabinet alongside fantastic MP salaries while the majority of us who cannot eat sukuma-wiki for an entire week resort to boiled leaves from wild bushes. For proteins we swallow mushrooms. If you go to Turkana district, you will find sovereign Kenyan folk eating juicy cactus and paying exorbitant taxes to feed and cloth our MPs, their several wives and their rugby-playing, carnivore-going, national-school-backdoor-entry children. Mpaka lini?

    Kenyans, we must rise up….especially when it comes to our money. Mexico City has seen its populous demonstrate against high insecurity. Is there any explanation why Kenyans cannot demonstrate against exorbitant taxes? Other than eating NGO money, what is the responsibility of civil societies?

    My friends, it’s a trickle down effect. To sustain and increase the girth size of our MPs pot bellies, businesses are paying unwarranted taxes and consequently cannot afford to employ the youth. It is these unemployed youth who join banned sects then go around slashing the foreheads of other jobless Kenyan folk. In the meantime, Lucy Kibaki is purchasing blueberry pancakes and fried eggs at Wimpy….with our tax money.

    Our proudest moment is captured when we see that Kenyan flag draped E-class Mercedes Benz dropping off our beautiful high school girls in the middle of the night. "Bendera imefika!" we shout in delight.

    Fellas, when it comes to wifely salaries, I'm just pissed off.

Life, The Universe and Everything

  • Hit me!

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 3:46 pm by egm
    The Matrix is a great movie. Full of good stuff that. I watched it again two nights ago, the first time in eons that I had done so. And in less than two days after the fact, two things that I saw in it manifested themselves in a way in my experiences. One of which I shall share today.

    There is the scene in the movie where Morpheus challenges Neo to hit him in a sparring construct. This challenge was issued after Neo told Morpheus that he knew Kung Fu. Try as he would, Neo did not hit Morpheus. When asked why, he responded that Morpheus was too fast. To which Morpheus responded, asking Neo if being strong had anything to do with anything in the computer program they were in. He told Neo that he (Neo) had the technique down pat, and that he was fast too. But he was not letting his mind go and exploiting his full potential.

    That is the situation I find myself in. I keep telling myself that I still need to get this piece of equipment, or that kind of break, or this kind of opportunity in order to take my photography to the next level. This, I have come to realise today, is hampering my ability to grow. For quite some time I was wondering why I felt like I had stagnated, and now I realise it is because of the limits that I have imposed on myself. There is much more that I could achieve, if only I can let my mind go and just let these limitless posibilities engulf me.

    I do intend to hit Morpheus. I know I can! So from now, no more holding back. It's all out war!

Travels with Msafiri

  • Source:

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 3:12 pm


    Source: [www.nation.co.ke]

    It actually did snow yesterday afternoon in the great Rift Valley of Kenya, somewhere in the agricultural low lands of Nyahururu.

    The only place in Kenya that has snow throughout, and lies on the Equator, is the famous landmark Mt. Kenya. Outside this five thousand foot mouthiness, we can conclude that the closet thing to snow we have ever seen are hail stones.

    Seems like the global warming phenomena has its surprises.RSS Feed

Wanjiku Unlimited

  • The Tuk Tuk Invasion

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 1:07 pm by Shiko-Msa

    There’s a lot of good that can be said about the Tuk Tuk, the little three wheeled car that has been threatening the livelihoods of taxi drivers. In most areas the concept of Tuk Tuks has been embraced wholeheartedly. In Mombasa for example where the punishing heat and high humidity can make it quite a task to walk a few blocks, the tuk tuk is quite welcome for short rides. Their advantages cannot be underestimated. They have created thousands of jobs and enabled people to go to hard to reach places with their door to door services. With some models covering upto 35 Kilometers for just a liter of petrol, they can afford to charge very low fares.

    But like every good thing, Tuk Tuks have their downside. The hitherto quiet and serene atmosphere of most streets and other parts of town has been shattered by the characteristic and oh so relentless tok tok tok tok of tuk tuks as they make their rounds. Hardly a minute passes by without one of these noisily zooming past and for those in ground floor offices right along the road, concentrating has become almost impossible.

    That is just a problem people may have to evolve around because it seems the little motorbike/taxi hybrids are here to stay. What can and needs to be addressed ASAP is their road etiquette. Some drivers just hit the road with no inkling whatsoever about traffic rules, weaving and meandering through traffic with complete disregard of lane change rules. As long as one can ride a motorbike, he learns the rest on the job and sometimes it’s obvious the errant drivers are just not aware when they’re on the wrong. They’re nowhere near as mad or rude as matatu drivers, in fact majority of them are usually very apologetic when they mess on the road. But obstruction is obstruction. Dangerous lane change is dangerous lane change regardless of what size of vehicle is doing it.

    The police don’t seem to pay as much attention to them as they do to Matatus but maybe it’s time they did.

    From The Past: Of Holy Noise and Kenyan Churches.

    From The Web: Photos of Spain Tomatina Festival.

African Community Initiative Support

  • Feed the Orphans

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 12:44 pm by Dad Mzungu

    It is about time to start an appeal again. The last one asked people to donate their old mobile phones, digital cameras and any other old, high tech gadgets that are lying around in the back of a drawer.

    I took all this "rubbish" to Kenya and we sold it on the local market. Every child at the Mercy Gate orphanage, that is 38 kids, got a new pair of black leather school shoes - success!

    So I think I will do it again. Maybe the village has now off-loaded their old phones to us already, but I bet there are still a lot out there, gathering dust. So it is worth a try.

    This time, I hope that I will be able to raise enough to start a health fund, a pot of money set aside to treat kids when they are ill. Malaria, chiggers and intestinal parasites seem to be the main ailments. They are all treatable, as long as the money is available.

    It would be such a relief to be able to take a child to the hospital without wondering who is going to go without what to pay for the treatment.

    -oOo-

    On another tack, I was reading somewhere that there is a World Blog Day, where people get together to do their bit to help others - or something like that.

    This got me thinking. All those in Kenya who write blogs, and all those Kenyans overseas who also write blogs (and all us non-Kenyans who have an interest in Kenya), if we all got together and donated a bit of time [or money] to a central blog-pot, I wonder how much of a change we could make?

A Nairobian's Perspective !

  • Google Chrome Browser 2008

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 12:24 pm

    The web is much abuzz with Google's Latest Launch the new suprise open source smart browser from Google(still in Beta stage) that makes surfing the web faster, much safer and easierdubbed Google Chrome. You can download the new browser at [www.google.com]

    The new browser is set to give Mozilla Firefox version 3.1 a run for its money! Google chrome is a javascript(i hope ,will now be no longer irrelevant to googles algorithm) V8 such engine with interesting capacities to support various web applications that were not in existence when browsers were first built , including but not limited to:
    • Just like the Google Mobile Android application, Google Chrome is based on, built from the ground up with, open source application framework webkit ; it is intended to be next-generation built for handling Web applications rather than Web pages. It includes Google Gears built-in.
    • Each browser tab gets its own process rather than tabs sharing processes .This will resolve the multiple browser freeze or crash issue and make browsing faster.The rationale behind it is the same as that found in modern operating systems process isolation systems.
    • Each tab has its own URL box, effectively making each tab a browser window
    • Clickingon the Star icon on browser tab bookmarks the site automatically
    • No about:blank pages. The Chrome's defaults to a page featuring the four most used search engines and the user’s nine most visited Web pages.
    • Similar to IE 8, Chrome has an “Incognito” mode to erase browser history when the browser is closed—something Firefox 3 didn’t include.
    • Chrome can be customized so that the toolbar and URL box are hidden and only the webpage is shown on the screen.
    • Chrome features browser extensions allowing it to make hybrid apps similar to Adobe AIR
    • An Opera-like dashboard start page and auto-completion.
    • On the security front, Google Chrome detects that the website you're trying to access will securely transmit data using SSL the background color of the address bar changes to gold & also the 'https' in the URL appears in green for websites with SSL-secured connections established.
    • Chrome sandboxes Webpages, preventing drive-by downloads and installations. It continuously makes contact with Google to update a list of known malware sites in order to warn the user.

    For a certainty Google is dead serious as indicated in their latest launch about the distribution systems as they are about operating systems and software applications.For now they are fixing bugs to ensure that when the browser is used the experience will be worthwhile for many years to come!

    NB:i JUST TRIED IT OUT AND LOVED IT! The websites look much cooler ,load much faster..theres more to see and for someone like me who uses Entrecard, there is no freezing because of opening many tabs.Google we appreciate your new latest browser!

Kenya Technology Issues

  • Mandela Betrayed

    Posted: September 3, 2008, 12:22 pm by qadaffi
    During a recent conference at Capetown, I had the opportunity to see first-hand, how Mandela’s dream has been trampled on. It appears that Mbeki et al have done a great job building a façade of a peaceful nation where blacks and whites live in harmony but beneath it, the ghost of apartheid moves in the shadows. The great ads which end with “South Africa; it’s possible” had almost convinced me. Until this moment.
    The eye-opening incident took place at a hotel by the name Hollow on the Square. I was having dinner when I noticed a man of Caucasian descent talking animatedly on phone. The words and the tone of the conversation drew my attention.
    “Embarrassing”
    “Fire”
    “Retrenchment”
    “I am ready to go to the labor court”
    “It’s just not f**king funny any more”
    “I will fire all of