Kenyanpoet
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Dear Uncle Obama,(Part II)
Posted: June 30, 2008, 12:23 pm by N.W
Dear uncle,
Let’s not waste time and go directly to business. Below are some of the issues you should think about:
Religion:
I hear that seven out of ten Americans say they want their president to have a strong faith. And here too we like to have our leaders attend Sunday service .So its time you joined another church, now that you disowned Reverend Wright’s Trinity United Church. You can’t trust those American churches, just see how close Wright was to bringing you down or what uproar John Hagee generated by endorsing McCain. Something must be amiss with those American pastors. Why not join a Kenyan church? I know someone may have told you that most of our churches are places of raising money than of worship. But there are some pure churches, undiluted by worldly pleasures and pursuits. You could join one of these. I suggest you join Dini ya Msambwa because its near your grandmothers home.I am sure the Democrats can afford to fly you to western Kenya every week for spiritual nourishment..Here you will rest assured that Mzee Namasaka Barasa, the senior pastor will not utter anything that will hurt your camapaign.He doesn’t speak EnglishNerve:
Perhaps due to their state of insecurity, Americans want to have a brave president.That is why McCain won’t waste a chance to say he is a decorated war veteran, and Hilary Clinton claimed, wrongly, she dodged sniper fire in Bosnia. What about you uncle? Is there anything that shows you are a daring man? You told us that you used to smoke marijuana when you could afford it and Aunt Michelle told to us you snore and throw your socks on the floor. Unfortunately, uncle, that’s creates the illusion that you are a sissy. And no one wants a sissy for a president. Try think of something that will show you are tough.If you cant think of anything start by claiming you survived driving on Kenyan roads…if that doesn’t work you could say that you were tested for HIV at a rural clinic in Kenya, where there is no electricity, water… blah blah blah.You know what those working class voters think of Africa.. seize on that to show your heroism.As Hilary would say these “hardworking Americans, white Americans” might warm up to you.
Flag:
The American flag is associated with Republicans…..whenever people see the flag they see George Bush, they see Dick Cheney, they see Condoleezza Rice, they see war and destruction…You have to modify this flag to reflect your message of “change we can believe in” .The most acceptable way to do it is to merge the American and Kenyan flags ..The new flag would be a symbol of the might of the US and tameness of Africa…The only thing necessary would be to give the colours of the flag new meaning.Both flags have the color red and the new flag must have it. Red certainly represents blood. In the new spirit of a harmonious humanity, the red in the new flag should not represent the blood shed by our respective freedom fighters. That would raise emotions. Instead it should represent the blood shed by our ancestors, Australopithecus, who fought dinosaurs and ensured the survival of humanity. Just don’t forget Kenya was the cradle of man.
Since America is not an agricultural nation the green on our flag, which certainly will be on the new one, will represent the mobile phone network that makes it possible for bilateral communication cooperation between the US and Africa..Not to mention free calls for your relatives
The meaning of white will be obvious: The purity of Dini ya Msambawa.This will encourage more of your country men to join the church, and you won’t be the only one in the congregation who doesn’t understand a thing being said by the pastor
Black will be for doom. What will happen if you don’t fulfill our expectations. And here Kenya’s and Africa exepectations.As for the Americans they will merely vote you out if you don’t fulfill your promises to them.
The navy blue from your present flag will represent the US Democratic Party, and our Party of National Unity.Too bad there is no orange..
The stars on your flag represent Americas 50 states. Here we don’t have states but 42 tribes...so the stars will be increased to 92
The press:
Don’t sound too bossy or meet the press on Sundays unless you want your supporters to start saying :
“Senator. Obama always wants to be throwing his opinion around about this bill or that law. . Every time a reporter takes him to task on one issue or another, he comes right back at him with some sort of smart answer. He needs to learn that sometimes you need to just accept your place; it's not polite to always act like you know things. Not to mention the fact that, as a working man, a black working man, he should take those precious Sundays to spend some time with his family, not to meet with the press on national television.
And do please give Michael a call. I need come see you and the staff at the embassy have denied me a visa. They are treating me like any other Kenyan. They don’t know I am your nephew, the only of your relatives with the Look Off Into The Future pose.
Samuel Munene can be reached on kenyaknowhow(at)gmail.com -
BarCampers Set Nairobi on Fire!
Posted: June 24, 2008, 1:13 pm by N.W
On Saturday I attended the much anticipated BarCamp. For me(and maybe also for many who came) it was a chance to not only horn my skills in blogging but also meet the faces behind the great blogs, local applications and cool tools and My! they were in plenty.
I together with my fellow Sports buff, & blogger, sportskenya arrived at the event at 10.00am and already the event was packed with various guys signing up, others helping themselves to the lots of hot drinks and snacks that had been laid out.
At first I couldn't see any familiar faces but as I filling in the 'manual' roll call MentalAcrobatics appeared heavily armed with a huge Camera whose photos I still haven't seen yet. He was my ticket to 'uncovering bloggers'.
Many thanks to Gichingiri Kuria for the ubercool poster!
He(Mentalacro) introduced me to Bankelele (whom I highly respect as a serious dependable figure in giving information on the stock market and finance sector), Hash of WhiteAfrican and the skunkworks team.
Ugo of Nariobinow had been waiting to meet the KenyanPoet(who was clearly marked with a labeled tag) and we exchanged quite a number of ideas on growth as our blogs target the same readers. Watch this space for big tings.
There was an intro by Hash and a brief on which sessions were on and in which rooms. There were three rooms, each sponsored by the 3 main sponsors namely, Google.ke, ICTBoard and Ushahidi.
Some of the sessions I managed to go for were:-- Blogging for cash talk by Ken(business in Focus)
- Intro to Jahazi
- Walk through Zunguka portal by Mbugua
Some of the other bloggers & coders I met were:- Sikumoja(A Nairobian's Perspective), Girl in the Meadow, MotoBaridi(catchy eh!), Mashinc and Alkags.
(pls holla if I forgot you)
Images of this event can be found here, here and some videos here. Enjoy
I sure hope we'll have other such forums to learn, exchange ideas and encourage each other that we are not just idle youths with free internet(as Kenyan local media so describes us).
I understand only one media house was there and their story was actually not about BarCamp but about Google, their office, work and dress ethic and how they organized this huge convention for geeks(hehehhe, ok, that last part was mine)
CHARLES ONYANGO-OBBO, Nation Media Group’s managing editor for convergence and new products. wrote in the The East African Newspaper, "Put not your faith in graduates, Africa’s future lies in the blogs".
I especially loved this part "All sorts of ordinary folk — secretaries, housewives, drug-crazed youths, and so on — are now “citizen journalists,” contributing popular stories and pictures that are attracting millions of readers. In this situation, it’s making less and less sense to hire a journalist because he has a degree, if he’s a wooden fellow who can’t write a blog to rival the housewife’s."
I say Amen to that & Blog On Bloggers!
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Obama, My Uncle
Posted: June 20, 2008, 7:09 pm by N.W
It is amazing how easy it is for us to judge people by first appearances. We look at what they wear, what they drive or even how they smile and make instant conclusions. Perhaps we have so much in our minds, leaving us no room to dig deeper before making any assumptions.Hand in hand with this is the distrust we have cultivated between us. The very first minutes of any conversation are filled with suscipiscion, doubting every word being said. It is as if the truth no longer exists. This is not surprising considering most of us are dishonest and think everybody is the same. There are some of us, however who still treat the truth as a virtue, and dare not tell a lie.
Take me for instance. If I told you that I am Obama’s nephew you would surely not believe me…but that is the truth. Barrack Obama, the US Democratic presidential nominee is my uncle…my maternal uncle. I won’t waste time telling you how I dug up my family history and discovered one of Obama’s great grandfathers had an affair with one of my grandmothers….that is too rudimentary a method prove my linkage to Obama.
I will use science and in particular genetics. Those who know me well, will agree that I share, with Obama, one of his very unique and astonishing traits, indeed the trait that won him the votes. I am talking about the Look Off Into The Future Pose. You know how Obama talks...he says something like “ America needs change we can believe in” then keeps quiet for some time, looks at the crowd, his gaze transfixed at some point, then slightly raises his head,before looking to the left ….and the crowd after a second or two bursts in applause….That is the Look Off Into The Future Pose .It is not by coincidence that I have a similar pose, its in the genes. Or how else do you explain the fact I bend my head at the same angle as Obama…that I have the same hypnotizing effect on crowds?
Not long ago, a think tank , which of course doesnt wish my uncle well, was claiming that he practices this “Look Off Into The Future Pose”. Listen to what they were saying…. “Obama practices the Look Off Into Future pose….it involves him standing upright with his back arched and his chest thrust out, his shoulders positioned 1.3 feet apart and opened slightly at a 14-degree angle, and his eyes transfixed on a predetermined point between 20 and 27 meters away. This creates the illusion that Obama is looking forward to a bright future, while the downturned corners of his lips indicate that he acknowledges the problems of the present.
If he looks up an inch too high, he appears aloof or confused. If he looks down too low, it appears that he is distracted by the future. If the curvature of his upper lip is not at the exact 0.87-centimeter radius, it reads that he does not care about preserving the environment for future generations.
The pose also requires Obama to arch his eyebrows at 32-degree angles, open his mouth to prevent the misconception that he is frowning about the future, and briefly flare his nostrils to convey faith in the nation's children.
He must then clench his jaw with enough force to express strength and decisiveness—if he uses too much force, his forehead vein becomes visible and makes it appear as though he is in physical pain, doubtful of the future. Every millimeter of that head vein costs him 150,000 votes.
When looking to the future, he looks to the left, Looking to the right is an I-am-sorry-for-the-mistakes-I've-made-in-the-past-but-promise-to-work-my-hardest-for- this-nation-from-now-on pose. “
Certainly all this is true expect the claim that he practices the look. The think tank evidently doesn’t know of my existence, for if it did, it would be obvious to them thats its not possible for two completely different people to practice this pose, down to the last degree & millimeter. The pose is in the genes.
That proved I wonder why no media organization has been seeking to interview me, yet I am the only of Obama’s relatives who is almost, if not exactly like him. I mean the only one with his kind of brain, character and most important, Look Off Into The Future Pose.
All the media does, is talk to so called scholars of the US political space, who discuss such serious topics as “Obamania : Is Africa Desperate For A Messiah” or “ Obama Win: Prove That Americans Are Without Hope”
The other day one of these scholars, a distinguished professor and an authority on the new field of “ Obama-nism and Black Expression” , was on national television betting his balls that if Obama wins the elections the F word in hip hop, and generally in black lingua would be replaced with the word “Change”. Isn’t that ridiculous? For a start its bad English and doesn’t have the same semantic punch. Just think of the once in a week times when your boss pisses you and you end up using the F word to curse her… now replace the F with the word “change”….it surely doesn’t have the same effect, its simply too polite. A more practical prediction would have been to suggest that if Obama wins the F word would be replaced by its Luo equivalent….those who know the luo word will agree it would be a masterpiece, both when used semantically and as a curse.
Talking of the latter I know there are many people falling head over heels to honor my uncle. Some of them are doing this by naming their animals, and especially cattle, after him. This is not only an insult but in bad taste. What legacy will a cow leave? Shitting and providing manure or farting carbon monoxide and polluting the environment?…Should my uncle ,who is campaigning on a green platform, be associated with such?..A more respectable way to honour my uncle would be to name your children after him. You surely can’t compare human beings, however evil they may eventually become, with animals. There are those who may argue that you need to plan for children, and unless you had seen his victory coming, and taken the right measures, you don’t have a ready child who can be named, after him. But there is still time and opportunity. We are in June, if you stick long enough in the bedroom with your partner, come February next year you will be a proud parent of a newborn, who you will name Obama…there will be no better way to celebrate my uncle’s second month in office. And yes Obama is a unisexual name.
Now that uncle has won the nomination, he is surely going to ask my guidance on the best way to conduct the remainder of the campaigns and the first few months in office. What follows is a draft of the email, with my advice, that I plan to send him.
(This is the short story that was read during last Sunday Salon at Lavington Green by Samuel Munene. The letter to Sam's Uncle -Obama, will be posted here next week, Visit us ) -
Story Moja Na Poetry - Cut Off My Tongue!
Posted: June 20, 2008, 6:28 pm by N.W
She goes by many names, Betty Wamalwa Muragori or Sitawa Namwalie and she is inviting you to her Poetry Performance on Friday 27th June 2008, RAMOMA (2nd Parklands Ave) at 6.30pm
The Peotry is written by herself as Sitawa Namwalie, Choeography by Lilian Olembo and Music by Ingosi Stars. Performance includes Muthoni Garland,(who I had no idea was into poetry performance) Tickets at Ksh. 500/=. The Performance is dubbed, 'Cut Off My Tongue'.
I have performed poetry written by Betty before,(read post on Mbalamwezi's poetry show done some time last year) and I can tell you that she is one very talented poet who prefers it when her work is performed by others as she watches. This time around it seems she has decided to brace herself for the spotlight and I believe it can only give more power and conviction to her brilliant work.
To book/buy tickes call 0722 838 161 or 0735 564 394 (be warned that the hall is kinda small so tickets might sell out early - I learnt this while there to watch 'Breakfast with Mugabe')
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Semi Abstraction of Reuben Waweru at Jahazi
Posted: June 17, 2008, 4:43 pm by N.W
All are invited to Jahazi this Friday June 20th from 7 pm – 9 pm for the opening of the Art Exhibition titled “Semi Abstraction” featuring Artist Reuben Waweru from Nairobi.Reuben is a graduate of Kenyatta University School of Fine Art and is a freelance artist and visual arts teacher at the Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa.
His past Visual Arts Exhibitions include:
- Kenyatta National Hospital Tile Mosaic Art Pin-up
- Mamlaka Hill Exhibition
- All Saints Cathedral Exhibition
- Crafts of Africa Sarit Exhibition
- Mathare drug Rehabilitation Centre Tile Mosaic Pin-up.
Come out to meet with Reuben and see his unique collection displayed throughout the coffee house. Price list will be available.
Entrance is free – any donation is welcomed.
The Jahazi Coffee House is located:
First left at Coffee Pot roundabout, Fort Jesus,
Ndia Kuu Street, Old Town - Mombasa
“As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical” -
Stories of Drug Trafficking & Obama Cousin linkage told at Sunday Salon Nairobi
Posted: June 16, 2008, 1:11 pm by N.W
For the first time since Kwani started Sunday Salon evenings over a year ago, I graced the much acclaimed evening for Kenyan writers and book enthusiasts.Due to its location and timing (every 3rd Sunday of the month from 7.00 – 9.30pm at Kengeles Lavington green) I have never been able to make it (am still on pre-paid transport service)I however know that it’s a great venue not only for book lovers but also for those into literature as it offers a great forum for seeing new talent as well as networking opportunities.
We arrived there promptly (the event also started punctually). It was already houseful and we had to wait briefly for some seats to be availed. I was quick to note June (the event MC) and Annette (Kwani -publicity) who was quite ecstatic over my surprise visit.
The evening started with some cool backup jazz music and vocals by Anto, the opening act for the event.
Shortly after Anto’s performance, the first readings were by a writer, Ken Kamoche. Ken Kamoche’s debut collection of short stories, A Fragile Hope, made the Frank O’Connor long list in 2007 and the Commonwealth Writers First Book short list in 2008. He also won second prize in the 2007 Olaudah Equiano Prize for African Fiction for A Glimpse of Hope. Ken’s stories have appeared in magazines like Ambit, Wasafiri, Kunapipi, New York Stories and in various anthologies, including Dreams, Miracles and Jazz recently released by Picador. For a day job, Ken works as a professor of management, currently at Nottingham Business School. He’s also a columnist for the Sunday Nation.
He read an excerpt from one of his books, which is a work of fiction. His was a story of a Zambian married man entangled in an interracial relationship with an Asian lady whilst pursuing studies in China. His dilemma as the lady discovers she is pregnant with his baby yet he has a family back home.
Unfortunately the book was not available at the display desk or in local bookstores. He advised those interested to check out his website.
Next was Susan Njeru, a fairly new entrant into the writers club. She has not yet published her work.. She did her undergraduate degree in Business Administration in Nairobi, and her Master’s degree in Urban Policy at the New School University in New York. She currently works in tax administration for the Government of Kenya.
She read essays from two short works of fiction she has written on her relationships with men (It was an interesting story and very well told) and her relationship with in-laws.
Samuel Munene whom I first met at the GoDown Art Center during finals of the ‘To be a man’ competition in which he was one of the 3 winners, had a piece on his relations with Senator Obama.
His elaboration of this linkage and a letter which he was drafting to his ‘uncle’ left the whole crowd in fits of laughter. His ability to use humor and satire in his work and more so his subject matter would make one think that he’s had shot at it before. It was brilliant. It turned out, he had written that piece the previous evening. When asked during the Q &A session how he managed to transcend two forms of writing with such ease(poetry and short stories) his answer was “It just happened”. Now is that brilliance or what?
He was however a bit shaken by the crowd (my guess is that he hasn’t graced that many public speaking forums as a speaker) as he kept skipping his words and his voice sounded a bit wobbly.
Judy Akinyi, aka Saga McOdongo, First graced local dailies for her unfortunate brush with the law when she was nabbed with Heroin at JKIA in the year 2001. She was a teacher at the Kenya Polytechnic until 2001 when she was introduced to drug trafficking by one of the most feared operators in the murky business at the time. She was jailed for 11 years for trafficking in drugs but the sentence was commuted on appeal. She was recently released from prison and has published a book about her experiences, Deadly Money Maker.
She was reading an extract from her book which was inspired by the experience she went through Kenyan prisons and the self realization of what the drugs she had intended to traffic were affecting peoples live.As she answered questions from the audience, one could tell that she was clearly a naïve victim of circumstances who never knew what she had gotten herself into. She did not disclose why she had been enticed into transporting the drugs from Pakistan, urging us to buy a copy of the book. I however noted that the writer was clearly a first timer in writing. (The story has lots of repetition on occurrences and is told in plain prose)It however gives a firsthand account of what happens in Kenyan women’s prisons.
The Question and Answer session was a lengthy one which allowed the audience to prod the 4 writers on their inspiration, hopes and choice of themes and style as well as commend them.
It was way past 9.30 when I eventually decided to call it a night having spotted the likes of Muthoni Garland of Storymoja, Al Kags, Murua (he informed me he eventually wore the wedding dress- for those who have been following his escapades), Binyavanga, Prof. Wambui Mwangi and finally Dr. Chakava, the Chairman East African Educational Publishers, a veteran in the African Book publishing Industry had also graced the occasion (talk of love for writing).
Annette informed me that the crowd was the biggest they’ve ever seen, Kudos to Kwani. I hope I will be able to make it for the next one.
“As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical” -
No light to Ignite Poets at Wasanii
Posted: June 13, 2008, 12:14 pm by N.W
Yesterday would have been the launch of a new forum for poets and Poetry enthusiasts at the recently re-launch Wasanii Restaurant at KNT. I was all psyched ready to go support a fellow poet, Grand Master Masese as he brought the Ignite Poetry show to Nairobi(all the way from Toronto, Canada)
I arrived at KNT at around 7.30(fashionably late for an event that slotted to start at 7.00pm Coz I know Kenyans and keeping time). I thought I'd start hearing sounds of music or some powerful spoken words electrifying the rather cold evening but all I got was the blaring sounds of NTV jioni with news of Waititu (now our MP) clinching the Embakasi seat despite also having a pending court case- apparently he had tried bribing a Kenya Anti corruption official (ehehhehe, talk of being addicted to corruption and being stupid at the same time). I was undecided over who should get that seat, a self confessed corrupt thug or a silent double dealer in adopting lights and only using the name Muthoni to appease the very many Kyuks living in Uyole and Karoifang'I (kyuk version of Kariobangi) but I digress.As I walked upstairs, I could see Grandmaster engaged in a heated argument with one of the staff at Wasanii. The crowd was seated outside at the terrace ardently watching news. At first I thought I’d gotten the timing wrong, maybe it should have been at 8.00.I looked around for some familiar faces and in seeing none, just resolved to seat somewhere I could also contribute my eyeballs to the glimmering screen.
Grandmaster finally came around and I wanted to know what was happening. Apparently the Wasanii management had bailed out on him a day to the event, they never provided the equipment nor a DJ to work on sounds and stuff. He was so annoyed his baby locks were all up in the air seemingly straightened by the anger. He was courteous enough to explain his predicament and his next course of action, I advised him to check out the great place whose name I can’t seem to remember that is located at Chester house (lovely artistic ambience). He was collecting contacts and would send guys info on the new date and venue.
James Murua walked in as we were discussing this and his reaction was like mine, “Am I too early or too late” he asked.
Well, all was not lost, Murua joined us and we started discussing Grand Masters’ online wars with Eudiah Kamonjo. I honestly fail to understand the need for artists to use the net for personal attacks against fellow artists. I do reviews and critiques on this blog and the essence is in the content of the reviewee or critiquee (u get the drift) and not what they were wearing or their performance whose essence was irony and humor (the piece grandmaster is being attached for is ‘I am the Hip-hop Dunderhead). That just goes to show that the person doing the critique is either 1. feigning to be one 2. is like a fish out of water (they have no idea of what they are reviewing/critiquing),3. They have personal vendetta or all 3 combined.
I think that the one thing that sets aside artists from other people apart from spotting the dreadlocks trademark is in their clothing and this only goes to depict creativity, lack of confinement in corporate suites and Kenya uniforms (the phenomenon with Kenyan ladies of always wearing the clothes in fashion).
Anyway, the rift is giving Eudiah a lot of hits to her articles on haiya, so maybe that was the whole idea.
Back to Wasanii. We left the place at around 9.30 after hearing a rags to riches story from Murua on how his Nairobi living website (always referred to as a blog) started and how far it has brought him. I was all ears, pen and paper on hand to write notes on – Making money off your blog. My only problem is, I can’t compromise my love for art with gossip. Then again, it doesn’t all have to be about money. Call it a lab our of love.
Check out Grand Master’s Wall on face book for updates on the real debut Ignite Poetry show
“As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical” -
Can we now regain the Rhythm spoken of at Daas?
Posted: June 13, 2008, 12:00 pm by N.W
After a rather long absence, Poetry at the Daas is back(this Ethiopian place is becoming quite a hit with literary events, Poetry evenings, storymoja and soon, a slum poetry compe!, do we call it the Poetic Meca or Zion?, your pick)
Someone spoke of little fires lighting up in the Nairobi scene signifying impending literary rennaisance, possible?
Naliaka, please keep the fire burning(am starting to sound like a reggae artist....lol)Rhythm & Spoken
Poetry and open mic night
Dass Ethiopian Restaurant
Woodvale Grove,(close to Havana), Westlands
Friday 20th June 2008
Entry: Sh100
Starts: 8:30p.m
Performances: 9:00-10:30p.m
Neo-soul/Rare-groove after-party
Call/text: 0728293632
“As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical” -
Kenya Slam Poetry Competition, Dance & Poetry Experience
Posted: June 11, 2008, 8:23 pm by N.W
IMANI INC & SPARK AFRICA
Introduce
The Battle of the
Hosted by multi-talented poet/ vocalist
Imani Woomera
featuring
Top Spoken Word Artists in Kenya
LIVE @ Daas Restaurant,
Woodvale Grove 'Electric Avenue'
Westlands, Nairobi
Friday, July 11th, 2008, 8pmEntry: Ksh. 300
& elsewhere,
Pamoja Feat Tim Mwaura
“As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical”
Bring you a dance & Poetry experience @ RAMOMA,
2nd Parklands Avenue,
20th June - 7pm
21st June - 3pm & 7pm
Charges: 400- Adults, 100-Students
Contacts:020 3748618 -
Coders. Designers. Bloggers.If you’re in ...
Posted: June 10, 2008, 6:39 pm by N.W
Coders. Designers. Bloggers.
If you’re in Nairobi on June 21st, mark your calendar! We’ll be meeting at Jacaranda Hotel, going from 9am-5pm for Barcamp Nairobi ‘08.What is a Barcamp?
“BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from participants.”
All you need to know is this: it beats the hell out of a normal conference.
There is no pre-planned schedule of events, or speakers. There are set timeframes and rooms for anyone who comes in to sign-up for a time to speak in. You attend the ones you find the most interesting. It’s also less speaking than it is conversation and discussion around a specific topic.
Ideas for Barcamp Nairobi ‘08
I’m sure you’ll come up with plenty of other items that are well worth having a discussion about. Here are some of the things on my mind that I hope to hear and/or talk about:- Local mapping (Open Streetmap, Green Map, etc.)
- Blogging tools and trends
- Mobile phone apps (Android in Africa, FrontlineSMS and RapidSMS)
- Using Google’s App Engine for building web and mobile services
- I’d love to hear from some of the EPROM guys that worked with Nathan Eagle
- OS curriculum for universities
- Studying users (mobile and web)
- Building into social networks
Of course, I’ll do a talk on Ushahidi. Not just Ushahidi though, but some of the really interesting and open areas surrounding the crowdsourcing of content in Africa using mobile devices. Then, augmenting that content with web services like Google Maps, Flickr, Facebook, YouTube, etc.
Oh, I didn’t mention that Ushahidi will be providing free t-shirts for attendees. You have to be signed up on the Barcamp wiki to get one, so head on over!
“As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical” -
(Re)Membering Kenya: Identities, Cultures and Freedom- Conference Series
Posted: June 10, 2008, 1:00 pm by N.W
(Re)Membering Kenya: Identities, Cultures and FreedomConference Series at Goethe Institute, Nairobi.
In cooperation with Ford Foundation
Certain critical questions relating to Kenya, which have always been in latent existence, were forcefully thrust to the fore by the events that occurred before, during and after the 2007 elections. This series of public forums brings together Kenyan intellectuals, academics and non-academics, in order to raise publicly all the disturbing questions - and the level of debate about them.
As servants and thinkers, Kenyan academics have lately been accused of providing cover for politicians and bureaucrats: they are perceived to have abdicated the role of rendering intellectual leadership in a time of dire need. This series is an attempt to get academics to re-engage more robustly with the rest of the nation. It is dedicated to the necessity of freedom of thought and will be a demonstration of the "engaged" intellectual.
Twice a month, on a Wednesday, we will invite intellectuals and members of the academia to public discussions about core issues that define or militate against ideas and practices of Kenyanness.
Wednesday, 18 June 2008, 6.00 pm
Session 1
Identities - Between Ethnic and Civic Nationhood
- Introduction to the Conference Series, by Prof. Wambui Mwangi
- The Architecture of Ethnicities: The Ethnicity of the State, by Dr. Pius Kakai
- The Economics of Identity, by Mr. Onyango Oloo
- Representations of Identity in Kenyan Cultures, by Dr. Mbugua Mungai
The session is chaired by Prof. Wambui Mwangi
Wednesday, 25 June 2008, 6.00 pmSession 2:
Memories, Narratives & Debates of Nationhood
- Gerontocracy & Generational Competition, by Dr. Tom Odhiambo
- Negotiating Kenyanness: The Debates, by Dr. Peter Wafula
- Engendering Identities: Sexualities & Power(lessness) in the Kenyan Political Economy, by Dr. Sophie Macharia
The session is chaired by Prof. Wambui Mwangi
“As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical” -
Their Eyes
Posted: June 6, 2008, 8:43 pm by N.W
As we walk down Wabera street,
Arms wrapped around each other
I see eyes
Curious eyes
Accusing eyes
Judging eyes
I see disgusted eyes
Everywhere we turn
Their eyes
At me
Then you
At me again they shift back
Talking eyes
Eyelids opening and closing like lips
Talking eyes
Eyeballs turning up and down like tongues
Why, how, what for?
Their eyes ask
Some whispering, some screaming out
It’s not right, you have no right,
This is a hideous sight; it’s not even yet night
I can feel their words crawling on my dark skin like a lizard onto a wall
Clinging onto my kinky swinging dreadlocks
Swarming my attire like bees on a hive
Their words like Ebola
Spread fast, inflicting your white, pink skin
Skin like that of a piglet
Long blonde hair like a sisal rope
Blue eyes like marbles
My eyes fight to talk back
How dare you?
How dare you accuse us?
How dare you judge us?
Barely whispering the last words,
Fear, shame, guilt, uncertainty
All start crawling
Just like their words
From the tip of my toe
Slithering up
From the longest hair of my locks
Gliding up to my scalp
Then down to my face
I cannot bear it
They are all plaguing my face
My eyes,
Taking me over
I lower my eyes
To hide the trodden look
As they invade my iris
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I have always wondered what goes on in the mind of an African Man who is dating a white woman as they walk on the streets or in public places. Does he wonder what people are thinking of him. Does it occur to any of these onlookers that he could actually be in love? or does he just let himself be swayed by the thoughts and gawking eyes of his tormentors.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------“As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical” -
Wajukuu Exhibition(Children Art) at Le Rustique Restaurant.
Posted: June 5, 2008, 7:57 pm by N.W
Wajukuu (Swahili for “Grandchildren”) is a community based visual art centre in the Mukuru area of Nairobi, an industrial are surrounded by several slum communities. Wajukuu was formed in 2005 by a group of young artists from Mukuru and currently has 15 youth and 35 child members (many of whom are orphans). The centre’s vision is to foster artistic talent, nurture a sense of dignity and self-worth among the youth and children of Mukuru, and to contribute creatively to the development of their environment.“As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical” -
East Africa's Finest AfroJazz live at Alliance Francaise, June 6th 2008
Posted: June 5, 2008, 7:43 pm by N.W
June 6th at Alliance Francaise gardens, Meet Hellon, East Africa's AfroJazz Maestro
To sample his music and possibly buy his album, visit SoundAfrica. Acquaint yourself with other great Kenyan Afro fusion artists as well.“As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical” -
KWANI LITFEST here Again! August 1-15, 2008
Posted: June 3, 2008, 8:43 pm by N.W
KWANI LITFEST 2008Following the success of 2006, Kwani Litfest (KLF) 2008 is set to bring an even brighter cast of literary icons and events to Kenya during the first two weeks of August for a world-class celebration of African stories. From literary safaris a la Hemmingway to sailboat excursions on the Indian Ocean, plus the usual dose of 'Afropolitan' workshops, dinners and symposiums in the teeming capital of Nairobi, KLF 2008 will harness all of this country's vivid diversity. "Kenya has never been more relevant to global development than today," notes Binyavanga Wainaina, founding editor of Kwani? magazine and contributor to Vanity Fair, National Geographic, Granta, and other notable publications. "For the best writers on the continent to gather in a setting that embodies Africa's greatest hopes and deepest fears is an extraordinary opportunity."
The 2008 faculty also includes Chimamanda Adichie, the Nigerian star whose novel Half of a Yellow Sun charmed the world and won the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction; Sierra Leone's Ishmael Beah, whose book A Long Way Gone thrust the plight of child soldiers into western hearts and minds; plus many more prize-winning journalists, authors, influential editors and publishers from across the literary spectrum.
In addition to honing participants' skills in poetry, fiction, nonfiction and journalism, this year's litfest will be informed by the horrific post-election chaos from which Kenya recently emerged. The role of the written word in conflict situations will be examined by writers fresh from the field, their experiences and insights sure to electrify colleagues and participants alike.
This unique festival kicks off August 1 to 15, 2008. For updates on Kwani Litfest, visit www.kwani.org or email litfest@kwani.org
“As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical”
Blah blah blah
Fish cakes
Alas a fish cake.
Yet more fish cakes
Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.
The end of the fish cakes
