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• What do we want?

  Posted: March 16, 2008, 12:15 am by Proud Kikuyu Woman

  Who is being backed by the Americans?
  

  
  Yes, I’m back, wouldn’t you be surprised if I went away for ever! I know, I know-we fell out several weeks ago over what I called philosophical differences, but yes, I came right back. I’ll make this short. After all, it’s going to be replaced by other more important posts real soon. Back in the day they were called Stop Press, later they were Breaking News.

  For one, I’m glad that while I’ve been away, the fire-breathing posts (three days and counting!) are gone and we have some common ground-of sorts-to raise concerns. I’m still disappointed, though, that still most people are looking elsewhere for a scapegoat for the hole we dug and threw ourselves in the recent past. But aren’t we amazing? Ati America was to blame- I still don’t have a count of how many people America shot dead while they were demonstrating, burned alive or slashed to death? In America they say that when you point a finger at someone take a moment to look at your hand and you might be surprised three fingers are pointing right back at you.

  Well, now that the deal was signed-did both sides sign the same deal, ama one side did not read the deal, au one side amended the deal after it was signed? Whatever the case, good things must have happened for MK and RAO to be so cozy they are referring to each other as President and PM-designate. Works for me. At least it stopped the blood-letting spree to a large degree.

  Sasa the part I don’t get is; why are folks so disappointed? As in would it be better if RAO and MK never talked to each other? I think it’s better for these guys to be calling each other those sweet things if it’s the only thing that can make people live peacefully. Yaani kama hatuwezi jifikiria si we just let them dictate how we behave? Ndio sielewi why people are feeling betrayed, coz the option of not feeling that way is the ‘bravery’ of RAO or MK as manifested by not engaging in discussion, and we know where that took us.

  Another thought; it’d be a great idea if we stopped looking up to these politicians for our well-being. I know that’s pretty hard in a country like ours where the majority are poor and politics is one way of getting out of poverty, but I’m convinced beyond any shadow of a doubt that only a negligible number of politicians are in it because they care (for us). In one sense they are hustling just like us, you know? Only that the payoff is much greater. Like if you make it to bunge, consider yourself officially out of poverty. But they are kiasi too selfish given the reality of every-day life for most Kenyans. I read somewhere that they amuad to give themselves a huge lump-sum once one’s term is over, plus monthly ‘allowances’ to the tune of close to half a million. That’s the kind of thing they never argue about in the August house. The kind you never hear about until imeshapitishwa. Sasa swali langu ni, why do we turn a blind eye to this? If equitable distribution of resources should start anywhere, that place is parliament. Hakuna vile they deserve that kind of money from the mwananchi wa kawaida’s taxes when mwananchi wa kawaida is stretching kindu 70 to get through the day. So bado sijaelewa why we deify these people.

  Ahh, the Standard! I remember those fights between Standard KTN and NMG fans. I picked this up from the comment section of the Kenyan Pundit’s blog, but this ([www.eastandard.net]) makes me want someone to reform the educational system again. Its basic multiplication. This ended up longer than I anticipated. Poleni.

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  Kumekucha Special Features
  
  The very first aviation accident
  Fascinating accident this, aircraft accidents have surely come a long way
  
  Kenyan man who was so much in love that he gave the girl of his dreams a deadly gift
  

• Who Is Being Backed By The Americans?

  Posted: March 16, 2008, 1:51 pm by chris

  You Will Never Guess… But They’ve Got It Wrong Yet Again…
  
  There is great anxiety amongst many quarters in Kenya at the moment as to whom the Americans may be backing for the presidency after their Mwai Kibaki honeymoon ended rather unceremoniously with unprecedented blood-letting in Kenya.
  
  
  
  If truth be told the Americans contributed a great deal in provoking the post election violence in Kenya by failing to read the mood on the ground and blindly assisting Mwai Kibaki to steal an election in such an obvious manner. It is on record that the World Bank continued to do business with the corrupt Kibaki government days before the elections and their point man, World Bank country director Colin Bruce not only boasted that he knew who would win the presidency, but he even put his sentiments in writing (remember the leaked memos?). This is behind a backdrop where polls showed a close race and one that favoured ODM’s Raila Odinga. The truth on the ground was that at no time was the presidential race in Kenya last December, close. Actually Raila had a very convincing win, bordering on a landslide as even the flawed results showed because he won 6 out of the 8 provinces very decisively indeed. But all that is now water under the bridge.
  
  Any keen observer in International politics will quickly tell you that American foreign policy has really never succeeded anywhere. From Iraq to the mess they have created in neighboring Somalia by orchestrating the removal of a stable Islamic courts government when they had nothing feasible to replace it with. Power abhors a vacuum as any high school history student will tell you.
  
  And the list of American failures in Africa goes on and on.
  
  But nowhere is the consistent and spectacular failure of the Americans’ foreign policy more fascinating than it has been in Kenya.
  
  They started off backing a brilliant young politician called Tom Mboya. Mboya had such influence at one point that it is said that he was easily able to access President John F. Kennedy any time he wanted. The shrewd Mboya on his part milked his relationship with the Yankies to the limit. For instance the famous airlifts to the US enabled hundreds of Kenyans to study in American universities. One of the famous beneficiaries of this is current Internal security minister Prof. George Saitoti.
  
  To date the Americans have never gotten a better bet...
  
  Read more...
  
  P.S. William Ruto earlier today supported Musalia Mudavadi as ODM's choice for deputy Prime Minister. His action confirms the pressure and tension that is already building up within ODM over the upcoming Grand coalition government cabinet.

• Sunday Doodles: Of Rides and Crazy Fellows

  Posted: March 16, 2008, 11:27 am by ritch

  Have you ever travelled at the back of an open lorry on a rough, bumpy, country road? If you have, then, the poem below 'holds' a similar experience. I promise you, it’s not the best of experiences.
  
  A ride I took on 22nd of December the year 2001 occasioned the poem below. I was travelling to a certain part of Central Kenya (some kilometres from Nyahururu) to attend the wedding ceremony of a friend. The place was Shamata.
  To digress, Shamata is well known for two principal things: biting cold and potatoes. When I arrived at Shamata, I looked like a baboon as I had ridden at the back of a lorry. What with dust all over my face, clothes and shoes; swollen hands and a throbbing headache! (And to think I was to attend a wedding…) I hate to remember the experience.
  
  Rough, Bumpy Ride
  
  'twas on 22nd of December,
  The year two thousand and one,
  When the mother of all bumpy rides,
  Called out my three names.
  
  I took my place in the lorry;
  Sweet peace inundated my heart,
  As I thought of a smooth ride,
  A ride to 'potato-infested' Shamata.
  
  Hell broke loose,
  When this crazy fellow,
  Took the steering wheel,
  And slammed on the gas pedal.
  
  I was thrown up and backwards,
  I danced sideways, east and west,
  My whole body shook,
  My blood froze.
  
  My eyes popped out,
  As I saw death calling me;
  All the while, the crazy fellow,
  Drove on in murderous frenzy.
  
  In and out of every pothole,
  Was the name of the game;
  As I bumped my head,
  I said my last prayer:
  
  God you created this crazy guy,
  You created me in the same style,
  Why should I lose my life,
  Because of his madness, why Lord?
  
  God at once said:
  I created you, Yes,
  But I don't remember,
  Telling you to be in this lorry!
  
  With every mile we took,
  Dust masked my face,
  Red-brown dust,
  Made me a human baboon.
  
  As the lorry creaked and wailed,
  So did my bones threaten,
  Threaten to break,
  If the crazy fellow didn't stop.
  
  I cried and called out,
  But the engine swallowed my voice,
  So, ofcourse, I had no choice,
  But to swallow the bitter pill.
  
  At last,
  The lorry drew to a stop,
  After swallowing miles without number,
  Miles I will live to curse.
  
  The 'back' was opened,
  And out jumped a baboon,
  A baboon in white shirt and checked coat,
  A baboon that asked for water.
  
  All who saw me,
  Nearly ran for their lives,
  And shook their heads at a distance,
  Wondering, why a baboon in Shamata.
  
  But all said and nearly done,
  I'll live to hate crazy fellows,
  I'll live to detest blue lorries,
  Which love to create baboons.
  
  P.S.: - The driver of the lorry, an acquaintance of mine, was travelling to Shamata to get a consignment of potatoes to transport to Nairobi. I thought that by taking the lorry I would be saving on fare. But, in essence, I lost so much more than I had hoped to gain.
  
  My two cents worth: Think twice before you plunge into things that you think could save you a certain cost. You could end up regretting!

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes