Latest articles (100)

Kenya Cricket

• NPCA 20-20 week 5 Results

  Posted: March 16, 2010, 2:49 am by Chemosit

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  NPCA - Twenty/20 Tournament Scores.2010
  Date	Group	Team	Team	Venue	Results
  14-Mar	A	Swamibapa 'A'	SCLYL 'A'	Sir Ali	Swamibapa 'A' won
  Modi		133 All Out	125 / 8 Wkts		by 8 Runs
  Issac		Tony Suji - 56	Narendra- 50
  		Lameck O - 27	Ashwin - 27
  		Narendra - 3/30	Nehemiah - 3/24
  Modi	A	Stray Lions 'A'	Kanbis 'A'	Sir Ali	Kanbis 'A' won by
  Issac		128 / 9 Wkts	146 / 8 Wkts		18 Runs
  		Jimmy K - 58	Ramesh - 43
  		Rajesh - 4/21	Rikesh - 38
  		Ramesh - 2/16	Hiren - 3/23
  Denis	A	Nbi Gymkhana 'A'	Kanbis 'B'	Nbi Gym	Kanbis 'B' won by
  Ghosh		137 / 5 Wkts	142 / 7 Wkts		3 Wkts
  		Irfan K - 43*	Dhirendra - 43
  		Alex O - 22	Harshil - 37
  		Dhirendra - 1/21	Lucas - 2/15
  Denis	A	Sir Ali 'A'	Simba Union	Nbi Gym	Sir Ali 'A' won by
  Ghosh		126 / 7 Wkts	83 All Out		43 Runs
  		Mohammed - 47	Nadeem - 34
  		Mahjid - 35	Mujib - 3/10
  		Gagandeep - 2/16	Ali Raza - 2/14
  Karuri	B	Nookers 'A'	Stray Lions 'B'	Eastleigh	Nookers 'A' Won
  Pamba		89 / 2 Wkts	86 / 9 Wkts		by 8 Wkts
  		Kennedy O - 55*	Chirag - 38
  		Pranjal - 18	Joel - 4/13
  		Shezad - 1/22	Luseno - 2/7
  Karuri	B	Swamibapa 'B'	Premier	Eastleigh	Premier Won by
  Pamba		98 / 9 Wkts	99 / 3 Wkts		7 Wkts
  		Prakash - 27	Vijay - 40
  		Vijay - 4/18	Brijan - 13*
  		Shashav - 1/18	Narendra - 1/20
  Shabbir	B	Kongonis Dev	Ruaraka	Jafferys	Kongonis Dev won
  Trenck		166 / 7 Wkts	131 / 8 Wkts		by 35 Runs
  		Matthew R - 48	Ketan - 51
  		William R - 38	Matthew R - 2/17
  		Amit - 2/25	Rowan S - 2/30
  Lalji	C	SCLYL 'B'	Ngara	Pindolia	Ngara won by
  Kaushik		106 / 5 Wkts	145 / 7 Wkts		39 Runs
  		Hitesh - 36	Jay - 63
  		Manoj - 21*	Maulik - 27
  		Niket - 2/12	Jigar - 3/29
  Date	Group	Team	Team	Venue	Results
  14-Mar	C	Nbi Jafferys	Golden	Pindolia	Nbi.Jafferys won
  Lalji		201	145 All Out		by 56 Runs
  Kaushik
  Shabbir	C	Goan Inst 'A'	Aga Khan	Jafferys	Match Tied
  Trenck		148 / 5 Wkts	148 / 6 Wkts
  		Rahim - 80	Moez - 42
  		Quersh - 46	Brijal - 28
  		Keval - 4/19	Ritesh - 2/18
  Moses	D	Sir Ali 'B'	Oshwal	Nbi.Club	Sir Ali 'B' won by
  Karuri		102 All Out	58 All Out		44 Runs
  Moses	D	Qutbis	Aaryans	Nbi.Club	Aaryans awarded
  Karuri					the game.No Show
  					by Qutbis
  Asghar	D	Parklands	Kongonis Colt	Simba	Parklands won by
  Dave		104 / 3 Wkts	103 / 7 Wkts		7 Wkts
  Cleophus	E	Nbi Gymkhana 'B'	Medics	Parklands	Medics won by
  Elvis		126 / 5 Wkts	127 / 3 Wkts		7 Wkts
  		Hiraj - 74	V.P.Singh - 43
  		Deevesh - 37	Vipul - 43
  		Omar - 1/16	Sawan - 1/6
  Cleophus	E	Nookers 'B'	Viking	Parklands	Nookers 'B' won
  Elvis		143 / 8 Wkts	98 / 9 Wkts		by 45 Runs
  		Alfred - 33	Abid - 35
  		Arindham - 32	Gopi - 3/9
  		Jamil - 3/20	Manoj - 3/13
  Asghar	E	Kenya Ladies	Goan Inst 'B'	Simba	Goan Inst 'B' won
  Dave		121 / 6 Wkts	132 / 7 Wkts		by 11 Runs

  
  

  The Groups B,C,D,and E have already completed the round robin and the Semi-Finals will be played this coming weekend – 21^st.March 2010.

  Group B – Premier vs Swamibapa ‘B’

  Nookers ‘A’ vs Stray Lions ‘B’

  Group C – Nairobi Jafferys vs Goan Institute ‘A’

  Aga Khan vs Ngara

  Group D – Parklands vs Sir Ali ‘B’

  Kongonis Colt vs Aaryans

  Group E – Medics vs Nairobi Gymkhana ‘B’

  Goan Institute ‘B’ vs Nookers ‘B’

  The Finals of the above group will be played on 28^th.March 2010

  Group A will complete the Round Robin on 3^rd.April 2010 and complete the Semis and Finals on 4^th and 5^th.April 2010

  The Knockout finals between Swamibapa ‘A’ vs Kanbis ‘A’ will be played on 11^th.April 2010 which will mark the end of the season.

  
  Become a fan of Kenya Cricket.com on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kenya-Cricketcom/89954211035?ref=nf#/pages/Kenya-Cricketcom/89954211035

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

• Nappy hair is infectious

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 9:12 pm by gal africana

  
  
  There is a charming peculiarity to the stubborn coiliness of natural african hair that is just positively beguiling and infectious.
  
  Yes, I moan and groan about looking like a boy, or clown (depending on the day), or how I'd like long flowing locks...but it's all for show. Deep down inside, I feel a love and affection for my nappy kunta kinte locks, that leaves me glowing with pride and prancing about like a poodle.
  
  I've even had a love interest write a poem to me in which my hair features as: "I want to lose my fingers in the stormy clouds of your hair" ..eh eh...wacha tu lol
  
  And now a friend is definitely going natural too. I've also noticed how a lot of the other naturals also have hoards (ah ok..."hoards" is an exagerration for dramatic effect)....of friends and family who also go natural.
  
  I've been blessed enough to discover natural products by Anita Grant and Faith in Nature, which leave my hair happily and softly nappy. Great products that work! are essential when it comes to natural hair...it's that or total insanity and impossible locks, followed by a fall back to the crack cream.
  
  Let's see how many more of my friends catch my nappy fever of joy :-) While it lasts...

Mary Baker Eddy Illustrated Quotes

• Unlocking the treasures of Truth

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 9:03 pm by Joseph K.

  The testimony of the corporeal senses cannot inform us what is real and what is delusive, but the revelations of Christian Science unlock the treasures of Truth. Pg 70
  - Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy

tigritude is dead !

• People in Havana,Cuba - Elias Aseff Alfonso

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 8:05 pm

  Elias Aseff Alfonso from Louis M on Vimeo.

  Brief elaboration by Elias Aseff Alfonso about Callejon de Hamel - Art and Afro Cuban religions.
  
  Elias is a historian and an assistant to Salvador Gonzalez Escalona. who is responsible for the murals and sculptures on Callejon de hamel - a small street in Havana that is filled with painting and murals.
  
  Elias here talks about the street,the art and its inspiration which mostly lies in afro cuban religion.
  

• People in Kingston,Jamaica - Nadia Stanley

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 8:04 pm

  Nadia Stanley - Stanley & Empress Boutique, Kingston,JA from Louis M on Vimeo.

  In Kingston, i randomly met Stanley and her business partner Empress we talked about their fashion business and Kingston

Rants and raves of a Kenyan gay man

• PDA

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 7:52 pm by Gay Nairobi Man

  My boyfriend and I share a trait of public display of affection (PDA) and most of the times, we do control it but sometimes we find ourselves holding hands in places we should not. Sometimes, we find that we reach for each other subconsciously and link palms or touch each other and its only when we notice someone staring or comment that we realize.This weekend, I think we pushed the envelope a

Kenyanpoet

• Ngwatilo Mawiyoo publishes her 'blue Mothertongue' poetry collection

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 7:21 pm by N.W

  There's a new book out there, which you must have. For those of you inNairobi, you may pick it up this weekend at Silverbird bookstores,Bookstop, Textbook Center and a few other bookshops...
  "blue mothertongue" written by Ngwatilo Mawiyoo a talented poet and performer.
  Stephen Partington says:"Utterly contemporary and distinct from that verse which so oftentalks only to itself, Mawiyoo’s poetry will talk to you, as it did tome."
  John Sibi-Okumu writes:"It is the friction between cultural loyalties that informs NgwatiloMayiwoo’s poetic sensibility. Not for her the strident declarations ofracial pride or the stirring evocations of an idyllic Africa destroyedby the outsider that marks much of the poetry that came before hers.She is content to let the specific suggest the empirical and themundane to suggest the profound.
  When those of her own generation have children, Ngwatilo Mawiyoo willhave provided them with teachable, homegrown specimens of the poet’scraft that will be a worthy testament to her times."
  Would love to hear the thoughts you have on it as you read it - I knowa couple of you have already seen it...share...
  I have had a chance to peruse through the book, loved the simplicity and the outline done by Jim Chuchu. Kudos to Ngwatilo.
  Look out for "blue mothertongue" - The Show!
  

A KENYAN URBAN NARRATIVE

• #PoBo #4

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 6:29 pm by POTASH

  IX. Do You Write (or Read)?
  
  I wish I could say, yes, I write checks. Like P. Diddy. But me… me I am a cash guy. Hihihi… if I wrote you a cheque you best treat it with the same dharau you reserve for your M.P’s cheques. The big difference between that M.P and me, really, is that I am a businessman servicing a need while he is a make believe civil servant who robs the needy.
  
  Honestly, who sleeps better, the guy that stole the poor man’s unga or the guy that sold some bangi? To a bunch of American exchange students for crying out loud. Yaani, to a bunch of mzungus who come here, get arse, get ghanja and get out. Go home and get therapy… N.M, in his Mongo-speak would say, ‘no Africans were harmed in Dinda’s ghanja plantation.
  
  I am not a slave driver, that is the fucking muhindis…Me I am the good guy.
  
  The other day Potash is saying ati I am like a Mombasa beach hotel, I do not like doing business with Africans, what the hell does he know about business. Who has got some ethics here but me? Me, I do not sell drugs to people who don’t have health insurance. How does that make me a bad guy?
  
  Busia Gold is a fair trade product.
  
  Let us save the rest of the bull for those who know nothing about being a business man out here in Africa. Business, I mean, not biashara biashara…kuhustle, kuuza nyanya marikiti.
  
  As reading goes, I am not much of a reader but I can tell if it is a fifty or a hundred. If it looks like money but I cannot read the amount, then it must be Chinese… and I do not touch Chinese shit. Hell, I do not fucking do business with the bloody business. Someday I must tell you about how Kang’ethe got burnt on a Semenya deal. No, not that Semenya, Semenya is, you know, a dual SIM phone. Hihihi, it is kinda clever, really, wish I could say I coined it.
  
  But anyway, I do not touch Chinese shit… I mean, angalia phone yangu, unaona kama imeandikwa fockya.
  
  I went into biashara for the dough-lo…and the only schooling I needed in money I got.
  
  Peddling on the streets of Nairobi doesn’t teach you shit. You are selling joints for twenty bob but all the money you worry about is the 30 grand the cops want from you after they planted a joint on you. What was left of the joint you had share with them, that is. Dadi, you are no better than the hawker who has to bribe the kanjo who just smashed her tomatoes.
  
  Waafrika! It is not worth playing, really.
  
  If you aren’t playing big then you must be playing niche otherwise you are not a businessman, you are jailbait. Niche was my kind of game. And niche if I can attribute it to one philosophy of the Potash Book Club, it is that it is better to be read by ten people who get you than by ten million who assume they do. At the book club they used to say that they write for Kenyans who seek the truth outside the Nation, what I say is that my product is for consumers who care to trace it from farm to fork, so to speak.
  
  And as a niche player I rubbed holsters with the fat and the fabulous. Waah… I have seen a guy pay for pussy with a fake hundred dollar bill. And he wasn’t Naija, just acting like one. There I was thinking: stupid bitch, stick to the Karumaindos and the two socs that you are used to.
  
  Me, I have been on the Highway, some chick shooting off my dingila and two Johnnies sitting at the back looking like Big Ben and his twin. Tucked away, at least for now, are their British Army issue pistols.
  
  The Johnnies are driving a hard bargain on a stone of Busia Gold. They are acting like this is 1954 and it is their place to tell an African what to do including what to charge for his crop. They acting like mzungus after they have been in Kenya long enough to say ‘Tusker baridi.’ You know how they play: Oh, my cab guy can get me more than that for five hundred bob… sijui my colleague is with some NGO in Ethiopia and he is bringing me Shashamane. Well, you know what I say to that shit, ‘my stone is 20 large, that is why I am pushing a VX and not driving you around in a taxi.’
  
  So I am saying to the Johnnies, ‘I am told the weed in Europe kicks arse something, but how good is it to you when you are planting landmines and chasing Samburu arse in Kenya?’
  
  Between them Brit falas they have like five thousand Kenya Shillings. But they have British Pounds too. So I hit them and more- like twenty Kenya Shillings on every Pound.
  
  Soon they are handing me Pounds and Shillings. And I have to count them, do the math and fold them. The Malaya wants me to smack her in the arse but I think it is silly and feel inclined to tell her to stop using me in her sales pitch to the bloody Johnnies. I want to tell her to get her mind back to Kenya where she lies on her back and I hit it- simple! I smack her arse, anyway, coz it feels good to do it with a fistful of money. Do it like a Jay Z no one has heard of yet.
  
  Long of the short is that if you be playing on anaa level, you’ve got to know your money. Live it. Feel it.
  
  Oh, and of course I never gave them Busia Gold. It must have been a sudden feeling of hatefulness, you know, suddenly thinking too much about what their ancestors had done to mine. So I passed them some pussy brand called Zion from Mt. Kenya where it is too cold and too wet for a good crop. But, really, British Army, Embassy Marines, Kenya Police… is all the same from my business end view. And I do not have an arsehole big enough to hold my shit and theirs.
  
  Well, I know this was meant to be about reading and writing but then again they did tell me to write what I know. And the Business it is. As for lessons to take away, I always say that everyone always gets the lesson they choose to learn. But if I must impose one, it is: If you hear someone say it is never personal, just business, then they learnt their business skills from movies.

Inari Media

• I Love Your Blog, I Just Hate your Comments

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 5:26 pm by Stephanie Migot

  I am trying to build up the blogroll for one of my other projects that the moment, and I’ve been going through my regular reading list to see which websites would be a good fit. What I’ve noticed is that even though I read each and every post I get via RSS feeds, there are [...]

From Deep

• A mystery solved

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 4:41 pm by From Deep

  I have never met a poor man who has regard for time nor a rich man who disregards time.- anonymous - until I confirm this with a friend who enlightened me about this profound truth. It feels like the proper fix for all the mystery that surrounds time. I replay it in my mind every other time of the day to remind myself that my destiny is influenced by my choices. The stewardship of time or lack of it thereof is an indicator of an innate disposition that needs commendation or an overhaul.

A Mzungu who loves Kenya

• How Old Do You Feel?

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 2:58 pm by BabaMzungu

  I have been bombarded with literature (adverts) from SAGA. For those who don't know, SAGA is a company that offers a host of services for over-fifties, such as car insurance, holidays, etc. It is not necessarily the cheapest or best, but it is tailored for the over fifties - so I was annoyed, very annoyed, until I realised that I was over fifty. Now, I am approaching the age when I will be

Rafiki Kenya

• Some ideas for Langata Women's Prison - Telephone by Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 1:47 pm

  Lady Gaga assisting Kenya's prison reforms

  Kenyan prisons are ranked among the worst penal institutions in the world. But we are currently reforming our prisons and continuously looking for ways of improving conditions. The new video "Telephone" by Lady Gaga offers some innovative ideas in this respect, especially for Langata Women's Prison. The Government of Kenya is indeed committed to implementing reforms in prisons as a way of upholding the basic rights of both inmates and staff.
  
  

  Langata Women's Prison

  So have a look at the video and let me know what you think. But please note that MTV has deemed it inappropriate for its viewers to watch the video. The controversial video has riled the sensitivities of some people for its raunchy content, which includes lesbian kissing and a lot of boobs, not to mention parental-advisory-worthy lines. The video has received over 14 million hits just three days since its debut. “Telephone” opens with a bra-less Lady Gaga being escorted to her jail cell by two bra-flashing guards, as female inmates salivate at the new jailbird. Gaga is then stripped to her undies, prompting someone to quip: “I told you she didn’t have a d—.” Lady Gaga is rumored to have been born a hermaphrodite. The video also features Beyonce, who also shows a lot of skin.
  
  

Let's Explore!

• Email Marketing

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 1:30 pm by wham

  E-mail marketing is a form of direct marketing which uses electronic mail as a means of communicating commercial or fundraising messages to an audience. In its broadest sense, every e-mail sent to a potential or current customer could be considered e-mail marketing. However, the term is usually used to refer to:

  • sending e-mails with the purpose of enhancing the relationship of a merchant with its current or previous customers and to encourage customer loyalty and repeat business,
  • sending e-mails with the purpose of acquiring new customers or convincing current customers to purchase something immediately,

  (Source: Wikipedia)

  Email Marketing is often ranked second only to search marketing when it comes to online marketing. If you are doing online marketing in any capacity then you need to incorporate email marketing.

  This is all well and good but, sadly, in my experience I have not come across many Kenyan businesses that understand how to do email marketing the right way. Indeed many “email marketers” in Kenya are nothing more than spammers. Just last week I had a gentleman ask me, “How do you get emails of people working in large corporates?” The plan was to get those emails and then “market to them”. This is nothing but spamming.

  To spam is to send unsolicited messages. They key concept of email marketing is to get permission to send emails to your audience. Spamming is wrong and illegal in some countries.

  So, how do you do email marketing properly? I like to think of it as a three-step continuous process:

  1. It all begins by finding suitable email marketing software. This is software that you can use to manage your subscribers’ list(s) and which enables you to send emails on a large scale. You cannot use akina Gmail to send to more than a certain number of people at the same time. I recommend MailChimp. Websoft looks like a nice Kenyan alternative.
  2. Devise a strategy through which you will get people to give you their permission to send them emails. The most common and current way of doing this is to offer people something for free – but to get it, they need to give you their email address. Numerous internet marketers give away something like a free ebook, white paper, or report.
  3. Develop compelling, interesting and/or useful content and send it out to your subscribers. Make sure you do this very well: if need be hire a professional to do the email layout for you. Do not forget to include a call to action in your email.

  As long as you keep on sending out wonderfully interesting/useful emails and keep on increasing your email subscribers, you will get results. It will not be long before you see your sales increase. Email marketing is powerful.

  An emerging Kenyan variation to the above is sending your emails to the massively popular Kenyan Groups on Yahoo or Google such as Young Professionals. These groups communicate primarily by email and often include thousands of members. It is an easy way to reach a large number of people. However, some of these groups do charge for advertisements.

  Whatever you do, do not spam. I keep on getting emails from sijui akina Mlalahoi or Baraza la Taifa and I have no idea how I got onto their lists. I don’t have to tell you what I think of such groups and the people behind them.

  That’s it, you are ready to go and start email marketing. If you need any help, you can hire Like Chapaa to handle things for you.

  Similar Posts:

  • Enter the Snail Mail
  • Nokia’s Ovi Mail In Kenya
  • How To Unsubscribe From Bidii Afrika
  • How To Fax For Free
  • Freelancing – The Art of Making Money Online By Using Your Skills

  
  

A Mzungu who loves Kenya

• Things I Will Say To My Mum Today ...

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 12:23 pm by BabaMzungu

  Taking a leaf out of the Millennium Housewife's book (or blog) Good morning, Mum It's Monday Do you want toast or Museli? Marmalade or honey? It's Monday You asked for honey. I am sure you did. It's still Monday Yes, you take all the pills after breakfast. Yes, all at the same time. Look at the top of the paper, it's Monday MONDAY! I am not shouting. Put your hearing aids in. Both of them Well

Kenyanpoet

• Kenya: Nairobi becomes East Africa's tech heartbeat

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 12:13 pm by N.W

  Kenya, and specifically Nairobi, has in recent months become the technology heartbeat of Africa with conferences, launches, meet ups, summits and unconferences all running in quick succession.
  
  Read this analytical post I wrote on  Global Voices Online

Excellent Hands

• Forgotten? Never !

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 11:47 am by Wanjiru

  This is for all you out there who feel like God's forgotten you...maybe even forsaken.......
  
  ...Theme song at my church yesterday was by Israel Houghton & the New Breed...
  
  Pray the tempo of the song lifts you to greater heights this week.
  
  You are never forgotten.
  
  

Kenyantykoon's Blog

• HOW TO KILL YOURSELF IN THE STOCK MARKET

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 11:31 am by kt

  The easiest day to  put a noose around your neck in the stock markets and it is called short term investing, popularly known as day trading. Basically this is where an day trader(this is what they are called) hopes to make money in the selling of various securities, be it stocks, warrants, stock options after having [...]

Be Free!

• Viagem Asia Central – Ideia

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 10:33 am by fabiompalves

  Bom, desde semana passada comecei a fazer planos e ter ideias para uma viagem em agosto. Como e o final do meu contrato por aqui e eu estarei no inicio da Asia Central, pensei em explorar um pouco a regiao. A ideia basica e a seguinte: Cazaquistao – Uzbequistao – Quirguistao – China (Karakoram Highway) – Paquistao [...]

You Missed This

• This man, Ruto

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 10:07 am by Chris

  In typical Kenyan style, a vicious political war is currently going on behind the scenes that is fascinating but also worrying because most analysts doubt if it will end well. The battle is between Agriculture minister William Ruto and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
  
  What is even more fascinating about this mostly silent war are the tactics being used some of which are fairly new and yet are proving to be pretty effective.
  
  But let us start at the beginning.
  What many people don't know is that Ruto is also an excellent natural actor, well able to work up emotions in himself and produce real tears as he did in this photo.
  
  The first big mistake Raila Odinga made with William Ruto was to concede to pressure and adjust the ODM constitution to make room for two deputy leaders. At the time Musalia Mudavadi was already second in command but the extra slot was created specifically for Willliam Ruto. As leader of a large political party like ODM this was a very amateurish mistake to make. Too amateurish. It confirmed what many already suspected. That Ruto had ODM by the balls and without Ruto there would be no ODM.
  
  What Raila should have done would have been to put his foot down early on. As it is he not only postponed a problem but revealed his vulnerability to the immensely ambitious, ruthless and calculating Ruto. As recently as 1990 William Ruto used to hang around at the seats outside Hilton Hilton with other jobless Kenyans hungry and broke. The man did not rise form the jobless corner to such a powerful politician by accident. Anybody who underestimates him does so at their own peril.
  
  Ruto got his start from the massive amounts of cash that Moi printed in 2002 and which was mainly distributed by the notorious YK92 (Youth for Kanu 92) of which Ruto was an official. To his credit he followed this up with other bigger deals like getting land allocations from Kanu for free and re-selling the land at exorbitant prices, mostly to government agencies. In a few short months it became difficult to link Ruto to the man with blood-shot eyes yawning from pangs of hunger at the Hilton jobless corner.
  
  Admittedly one of the reasons why Ruto had ODM and Raila by the balls was because Ruto played a crucial role in getting Raila to where he is today. Never forget that the troubles that forced Mwai Kibaki and PNU to the negotiating table were not the ones in Kibera and Kisumu but the mayhem and bloodbath in the vast Rift Valley. This is the reason why the Kalenjin community strongly felt that they were shortchanged in the coalition government that was formed after Kofi Anan’s peace deal. Logically-speaking such a government should have had over 50% of its’ members hailing from the Rift Valley.
  
  Thus Ruto’s fallout from ODM was only a matter of time and indeed the local press started speculations of the inevitable pretty early.
  
  The following are highlights of the ongoing Ruto/Raila war.
  
  - The high point was when the Prime Minister suspended Ruto (along with Sam Ongeri) pending investigations into scandals in their respective ministries. The usually slow-to-act Mwai Kibaki moved at such lighting speed (that I am still dazed several weeks later) to re-instate Ruto and Ongeri and make it crystal clear that the toothless Prime Minister did not even have power to “suspend” his own DM ministers, let alone sack them.
  
  - Next Raila and his allies dropped Ruto as an ODM representative in the powerful house business committee. This was long overdue because it has been known for a long time now that Ruto is a frequent visitor to Mwai Kibaki’s State House and it did not need Ruto ally, Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny to spill the beans to the rest of the world (which he did last month.
  
  - Ruto hit back in what he saw as a smart political move but which more serious analysts see as mere Kindergarten power games mainly designed to rub egos. He visited Kisumu but not before organizing a rousing welcome in advance and ensuring that the press would be there to capture it. Hi PNU supporters also ensured that they gave ODM trouble in their bid to get thgeir changed list passed in parliament.
  
  - The PM planned a “revenge visit” in Ruto’s constituency that should have taken place last week but was cancelled at the eleventh hour, mainly because of the President’s visit in the area when he opened the Eldoret show last week. The highlight of that function was Ruto riding in the presidential ceremonial Landrover standing on his right side and waving to the crowds.
  
  - Allegations have been made that Ruto is receiving financial and political support from PNU to destabilize ODM from within by ensuring that his Kalenjin community is out of ODM. There is plenty to suggest that this is true the most obvious is how PNU has handled Ruto over the last year or so. Then it is also pretty obvious that Ruto has done an excellent job in dismantling ODM from the once dreaded behemoth that forced through the nomination of Kenneth Marende as the new speaker to the crumbling walking skeleton it is today.
  
  - The PM’s allies have been working very hard behind the scenes to prop up opponents of the current seating Rift Valley MPs. The idea is to have these individual’s stand in the 2012 elections on an ODM ticket and hopefully unseat the incumbents and thus duplicate the power and popularity the party had in the Rift Valley in 2007. There is a lot of money that is being spent on the ground and it makes many people wonder where all the ODM cash is coming from. To be fare PNU are also spending a lot of cash and the same mystery lingers. About the ODM master plan for the Rift Valley for 2012; it all looks very neat on paper but as any experienced political operative will tell you neat theoretical political plans hardly ever work out when implemented in the real world (ask President Mwai Kibaki).
  
  And the war continues. The recently “leaked” reports that have helped kick up storms over certain allegedly corrupt cabinet ministers from the ODM side of government are the latest PNU move to completely dismantle ODM and ensure that Raila Odinga comes nowhere near the presidency in 2012.
  
  The most worrying thing about the current Raila/Ruto war is that there are signs that both sides are getting more and more desperate by the day. Desperate people do desperate things and therein lies the grave danger in Kenya’s already tricky political landscape.
  
  Previous Kumekucha article on Ruto
  
  Another recent post by Chris: Letter to Esther ArungaKumekucha

  
  

Myalabasterbox

• 28 Stories of Aids in Africa

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 9:12 am by Quintessence

  GRAB yourself a copy of this MUST READ book. Stephanie Nolen out-did herself in delving into the hearts of the characters and capturing the essence of a life lived by those afflicted/affected by this disease. I morphed into a child in the night, after lights out, under the covers devouring every page of this superbly written book. The stories are not only amazing, but one can relate to the lives

SIMON KITURURU- MAWAZONI

• ASILIMIA kubwa ya kitu watu waitacho SALAMU,....

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 7:03 am by SIMON KITURURU

  ... labda sio SALAMU.:-(
  
  Swali:
  

  • Wakati unasalimia mtu unauhakika na kitu ufanyacho zaidi ya kuamini tu UFANYACHO ni kusalimia?

  
  

  • Unauhakika SALAMU ni nini ikiwa  KUTIKISA KICHWA, kusonya, KUPIGA MAGOTI, kukonyeza na mpaka sentensi ; ``Shikamoo MWAAALIMU!´´na....,....``Sema wee Msenge!´´ kuna watu ni SALAMU?

  Ndio,....... kunauwezekano WENGI wasalimiao MTU hawajawahi kufikiria SALAMU ni nini.:-(
  NI WAZO TU hili MKUU!JUMATATU NJEMA!

• Wakati tunafikiria HISTORIA ya JINSI mtu anavyojifunza kuona AIBU kukaa uchi !

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 6:14 am by SIMON KITURURU

  [Tahadhari :WAZO limepinda na laweza lisikufunze kitu kama sio MFIKIRIAJI!:-(]
  
  Mtu akizaliwa kwa taratibu huanza kujifunza,...
  ..... MPAKA nini kiko  UCHI,....... na kwa kuigiliza hufikia mpaka kutafutia titi SIDILIA.
  Mwalimu mkubwa katika swala LA KUFICHA PIA mtu  ana-FUNZA,....
  ..... ni MACHO YA WATU na masura yao yageukavyo NAKUKUANGALIA VIBAYA wakati yanashuhudia unavyokatambuga  huku miguu iko SAA TISA KASOROBO wakati sio riadha UNAKIMBIA.:-(
  Macho ya watu hata kabla HUJAKEMEWA ubane miguu watu kwa bahati mbaya wasikuone NANIHII  ndio yanafunza,....
  ..... kuwa kuna vitu  onyesha MIJUSI na BATA  lakini sio WATU kama  heshima yako wataka kukuanayo ifanane na jinsi JAMII yako iaminicho ni heshima ukue vilivyo UKIISHIKILIA.:-(
  
  Swali:
  

  • Lakini si  unajua labda MACHONI mwa PAKA hakuna BINADAMU apendezaye UCHI?
  • Si unakumbuka ulizaliwa uchi na labda ulisha wahi kumnyea mgeni pia BILA AIBUB ingawa hilo hukumbuki?

  
  CHA kusikitisha ni kwamba,....
  .....BINADAMU kimchekeshacho utotoni kutokana na udhaifu WAKUJIFUNZA ,........ mpe muda waweza kumkuta HUYOHUYO kimwana UKUBWANI kilekile eti kinamfanya ANALIA.:-(
  
  
  Na LABDA binadamu badala ya kuona AIBU baada ya uchi  KUJIFUNZA,.....
  ... angeweza kustukia katika MWILI wa binadamu  labda UCHI ni  kipengele ambacho ukijua KUKABILIANA NACHO  kinakufundisha maisha kama hasa ukikumbuka kuwa UKIJISWAFI kipengele hutanuka na shughuli ya KUJISWAFI hata uchoke inahitaji kukumbukwa kwa KUACHA UVIVU kama wataka  kipengele kivutie na wataka MWILI mzima usinuke hata kama nia sio watu wasistukie  UNANUKIA.
  Na baada ya hilo la uchi  KUJIFUNZA,....
  .... waweza kugundua wewe kama BINADAMU hata YAKO DHAMIRA au tu AKILI kama tu uchi unahitaji KUISWAFI mara kwa mara hata kama UNASIKIA UVIVU ili  kuwa safi kama BINADAMU kiroho na KIMWILI  na HASA kama wataka YAKUZINGUAYO uyatoke baruti na kuyapa MKIA.
  
  
  Swali
  

  • AU?

  
  Na kunauwezekano,...
  ....KUONEA aibu kitu ni kitendo cha KUJIFUNZA,........ na wote wachezao MUZIKI na nguo wakifuatilia HISTORIA YA WACHEZA MUZIKI  wanaweza kugundua labda starehe halisi hata ya SINDIMBA ni kuicheza titi nje kwa kuwa labda vazi halisi la kuchezea muziki wala hata sio KIBWAYA bali ni kucheza uchi.:-(
  
  
  
  Swali:
  

  • Si unakumbuka kunibishia RUKSA?

  
  
  Lakini kuna waaminio kutokana na mafundisho ya DINI ZAO  kuwa EVA yule demu wa ADAMU kama baadhi ya VITABU vya BAADHI YA DINI VIDAIVYO  ndiye alianzisha mchezo wa kuona AIBU na kuficha uchi baada ya kula TUNDA alilopewa na MJANJA shetani ambalo alifanikiwa kumuonjesha ADAMU  akasikia tamu ndio mpaka akajistukia yuko UCHI.
  
  Na kama unaami HILO miye  SIKUBISHII  hasa kama umewahi KUFIKIRIA  jinsi ulivyojifunza kuwa na AIBU kukaa UCHI na kufikia hitimisho ni kosa la EVA ndio sababu unaficha uchi.:-(
  
  
  Na labda PIA  ni kweli ,...
  ....katika HISTORIA fupi ya binadamu CHA KUSIKITISHA  huwa inaambatanisha KUZALIWA uchi  na mwisho kufa na kuoza mpaka uchi.:-(
  
  
  SAMAHANI NAACHA WAZO MHESHIMIWA !:-(
  
  
  
  
  Hebu tu PAPA WEMBA apoze shughuli NA KURUDISHA USTAARABU hapa KIJIWENI  kwa ndude-YOLELE
  
  
  Au tu tubaki hapahapa KONGO Papa WEMBA asawazishe shughuli kwa kitu- SHOW ME THE WAY
  
  

• Tamu ya KUJIDANGANYA,.....

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 4:37 am by SIMON KITURURU

  .... inaweza KUSABABISHA kuwezesha kila  UNACHOJISIKIA UKISEMA kukigeuza ni KWELI.:-(
  
  
  Swali:
  

  • Si unajua INASEMEKANA ukirudiarudia kudanganya WATU  KITU  unaweza kuanza kukiamini mwenyewe HICHO  KITU kuwa ni KWELI?

  • Si unajua siri ya kukabili  kutojisikia M-BAYA yenye mafanikio SANA inasemekana ni kujiaminisha mwenyewe KWA KUJIDANGANYA  kila mara ukijiangalia kwenye kioo kuwa WEWE MZURI?

  
  KUJIDANGANYA ni baabu kubwa,...... ndio maana kuna watu wengi INASEMEKANA wamefaulu mpaka KUFIKIA kuamini wataenda MBINGUNI kitu ambacho KWA MTU kunauwezekano  kikawaida na KIUDHAIFU WA KIBINADAMU  hawezi kufikia.:-(
  
  Swali:
  

  • Unauhakika IMANI sio MBINU ya kumsaidia MTU KUJIDANGANYA ndio maana aaminiye N'GOMBE, mbuyu, YESU, BUDDHA, Kikwete, OBAMA , BIBI TITI, SHEKHE YAHYA , Simon KITURURU , HAWALA,  BINAMU nyama ya HAMU, wote waaminicho kwa IMANI wanakigeuza UKWELI?

  NDIO,...
  ....kama wewe ni MTU kuna uwezekano  hicho ndicho KIPIGACHO KELELE kuwa unaweza KUDANGANYWA  .:-(
  Kwanza kama utasifiwa leo kuwa UMEPENDEZA labda ni UONGO.:-(
  
  NI WAZO TU HILI  MKUU WA KITENGO!
  Hebu twende MALI  ili Mama Toumani alete mtekenyo uitwao- Niemogo
  
  

• wakati mtu ANAHISI ANAKUJUA labda ndio huwa rahisi kukutukania KIPENGELE CHA SIRI shenzi!:-(

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 4:26 am by SIMON KITURURU

  KUHISI nishai kwa kuwa WATU,........huchanganya HISIA  na ni nini ni KWELI.:-(
  NA kwa kuwa  kujua UKWELI ni shughuli na WATU ni wavivu kujishughulisha hasa na MAGUMU ya watu ,....... wapendayo kuyaamini  kirahisi hutokana na HISIA tu na labda hasa zile zimuunganishazo mtu na MAMBO YA AJABU KIMPINDO  au MAZURI KUPITA  KIASI kama SIO MABAYA KUPITA KIASI  yenye stori tamu ZITEKENYAZO HISIA KINAMNA  ingawa hayana UKWELI.:-(
  
  Swali:
  

  • Huwa unakumbuka kutofautisha unavyomuhisi ASKOFU au SHEKHE na halihalisi AMBAYO ndio  ukweli ambao unaweza kuwa HUYO ni MWIZI na malaya kwa mbaaali kitu kisichokuwa na uhusiano na wadhifa wake wa DINI UUHESHIMUO ufanyao UMHISI na yeye  vingine ?

  
  

  • Si unakumbuka kama UNAHISI tendo hilo linatonya kuwa kuna kitu HUNA UHAKIKA kwa kuwa HUJADAKA MTU AKISHUGHULIKA  na labda ndio kisa bado KUNA MTU  hajamfukuza kazi hausigeli LEO  ingawa anawasiwasi ni kiburudisho cha mmewe akiwa kazini?

  
  

  • Unauhakika HUWA unajua UKWELI au hata uwaitao MAFISADI ni kwa HISIA tu ?

  
  
  
  Na kwa KUHISI kuna wengi wanahukumu watu na VITU ,...
  .... ingawa UKWELI wenyewe labda  ni kweli BIKIRA Maria baada ya kujifungua alibakia bikira  HATA KAMA hisia zako ZINAPINGA na TANZANIA kweli ina amani  kama tu isivyo UKWELI.:-(
  Swali:
  

  • Unabisha?

  • Hivi hapa kwenye BLOGU huwa unahisi UNANIELEWA au unajua HUNIELEWI?

  
  
  NDIO,....
  ....labda sio hisia zako tu,....... kuna uwezekano UKWELI wenyewe nilichoandika ni UJINGA hapa.:-(
  
  Lakini SI UNAJUA kama unahisi una NJAA ,....
  ...kumbuka wewe hunanjaa KIKWELI  kwa kuwa kwa kawaida MWENYE NJAA hujua  na sio HUHISI kuwa ANA NJAA.:-(
  
  NIMEACHA!:-(
  
  
  
  
  
  Hebu twende ETHIOPIA ili TEDDY AFRO arudishe mambo mpwito kwa ndude- AYNE
  
  
  
  Au tu TEDDY AFRO atulize manyanga kwa kitu-MUZIQA HIWETE
  
  
  
  Au tusiondoke ETHIOPIA bila TEDDY AFRO kumwaga tena ndude-JAH
  
  

You Missed This

• Kumekucha writes to Esther Arunga and especially her “closest” advisors

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 1:14 am by Chris

  Hi Esther,
  
  Hope that this brief note finds you okay and in high spirits despite the storm you are riding through at the moment.
  
  What has really prompted me to write this letter is the self-righteous attitude those who are eager to give you unsolicited advice seem to have.
  They KNOW that you are wrong.
  
  They KNOW that you should not get involved with the people you are involved with.
  
  They KNOW that you are a spoilt brat.
  
  Hell, reading the c*** they are writing I am convinced that they have all the answers. Only that I have lots of information in my possession that says different. Some of them have been involved in very questionable relationships, the only difference is that they never came out in the open and confessed their love/gold-digging activities.
  
  The difference, Esther is that you came out and answered your critics by telling it as it is. You spoke the truth from your heart. You never bothered to get some smart PR people to advice you on how to spin your situation so that you would come out looking good in the eyes of the public.
  
  Of course there is a possibility that others may be out to use you… it happens all the time (and who doesn’t get used now and then?) but that is beside the point here. Doesn’t everybody have a right to make their own decisions and mistakes/smart moves and learn from them without the whole world and especially people full of themselves trying to advice them. Really what these self-appointed advisors should do is remove the log from their own eyes before touching the spec in yours.
  
  I offer no advice Esther because that is not what you need right now. I have my own thoughts on this whole saga and opinions but what I am sure of is that they are Not as prejudiced and self-serving righteous as those of others.
  
  I offer encouragement. You are a very brave person. You have the right to be here like everybody else. You have the right to love who you want to love and to be with whom you want to be with. If those who know it all think different then in my humble view they should shove their opinions… you know where.
  
  Have a nice day, girl.
  
  Earlier Esther Arunga post by ChrisKumekucha

  
  

HIV in Kenya

• Genetically Modified Cotton Has Failed, Says Monsanto

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:54 am by Simon

  Thanks for telling us after so many people have wasted their time and money and many people have even lost their lives as a result of this failure. Scientists who have not been bought off by the biotech industry have been warning against the use of these crops for years. They have been calling for proper research into what their true consequences are before imposing them on an unprepared world. But now it's too late.
  
  What about all the people who have destroyed their land because of the industry's lies? What about the farmers who have run into such huge debts that they have found no way out but to commit suicide? If anyone knew that these crops were designed to fail, it was Monsanto and the rest of the industry. In some cases they have failed to do proper research, in other cases they have supressed the results of their research. Instead of doing the groundwork necessary, they have simply paid off powerful people to do their dirty work. Who needs salespeople when 'democratically elected' leaders will do the work at a far lower cost?
  
  The president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, may have been bought off by Monsanto or the industry as a whole. Or maybe he's just brain dead. He has said that he is against GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) but that they are inevitable. What could he mean by this? That the GM industry is going to do what it wants, regardless of what we insignificant members of the electorate want? That all the people who could possibly prevent GMO from being imposed on us have been bought off?
  
  We can only speculate. Buzek goes on to say that because we can't win the battle, he is not going to fight it. He also said that Europe would lose out on 'competitivity' if we don't accept GMOs. There's a bit of overdetermination here; does he feel that we shouldn't fight something that is advantageous to us or does he feel that we shouldn't fight a battle we cannot win? He only needs to argue for one of these, not both. They could both be true but we don't know which one sways this foolish man. If you object to my calling Buzek foolish, just read the rubbish he comes out with about only genetically modified rice being able to grow in Bangladesh.
  
  Given the evidence for Buzek's small brain, he probably has a short memory and a limited capacity for research and comprehension. But GM cotton was released in India because it had already been passed around unofficially and had already contaminated a large proportion of the cotton sector. It wasn't released after careful consideration and proper consultation (don't be silly!). I'm sure this was not as a result of anything the GM industry did, no doubt it was just an accident. But that is no reason for Europe or any other continent to make the same mistakes.
  
  And just in case Buzek is worried about the silly rumour that the Vatican was pro-GM, that was just bunkum. The GM obsessed cardinal who was so keen on compromising the health and welfare of so many people has been replaced with what must be one of the few Catholic leaders who has a grain of sense. Cardinal Peter Turkson realises that GM crops could be used as "weapons of hunger and poverty". Not only does he realise this, but he actually considers this to be an undesirable outcome. He realises that GM will lead to the greater dependence of the weak and poor on the strong and rich, environmental degradation, higher costs and an increase in the number of food insecure and starving people in the world. Already, the number of starving people has increased steadily as the percentage of GM crops has increased.
  
  Some commentators have wondered about why Monsanto might want to claim publicly that GM cotton has failed. They have pointed out that Monsanto has now produced a new generation of GM cotton. Monsanto knew long ago that the first generation had failed and they now want people to change to the new generation, which employs a second modified gene and requires an enlarged set of inputs in terms of pesticides and artificial fertilizers. It also requires greater expenditure on those wonderful pieces of intellectual property we used to call seeds, those things we used to be able to collect for free at the end of the growing season.
  
  No, you don't have to back out of GM cotton just because the whole live experiment has failed, and you probably can't, anyhow. You just have to buy more expensive seeds and invest in more expensive pesticides and fertilizer. After all, you are part of this experiment. If it goes down the pan, so do you.

Al Kags

• No, David, let’s go with the Jua Kali ideas

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:24 am by alkags

  My friend David Ndungu has started blogging again. In his latest post, David comments on the PS, Dr. Bitange Ndemo’s remarks on local PC assembly are valid but problematic. He contends that the PS’s long standing remarks that Kenya needs to nurture and grow local PC assembly is a Jua Kali idea – an uncooked idea. He [...]

Mary Baker Eddy Illustrated Quotes

• This is woman's hour.

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:05 am by Joseph K.

  This is woman's hour, in all the good tendencies, charities, and reforms of to-day. Pg 245
  - Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker Eddy

Diary of a gay Kenyan

• 50 ways to find a lover in Nairobi

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:58 pm by Tamaku

  I actually look forward to bedtimes these days and not just for what you might be thinking. We are normally in bed by 11pm with me snuggled in The Nook, that special place that George keeps warm just for me. It’s where I can hear his heart talking to my soul. I love reading in bed and I’m used to it now even while he’s watching pirate copies of CSI or Heroes or Band of Brothers. Yes, George won that battle so we still have the tv with dvd in the bedroom. Last night I wanted to watch a copy of Chokora that a friend got for me the other day but George said it’s too depressing. From what I hear it will make you very MAD. Anyway we’ll watch it with Imelda tomorrow while he’s at work. I don’t want to precipitate another bust-up. You might think that I’m a walkover but I try not to sweat the small stuff because we are both so happy now.
  
  Currently I’m enjoying reading 50 Ways to Find a Lover by Lucy-Anne Holmes. I picked up a brand new copy abandoned in the airport lounge on my recent trip to London. Which reminds me, imagine how shocked I was to discover the other day that there are websites where you can hire a lover in Nairobi for the night! Or day! Even by the hour! You can now meet real gorgeous men with mouth-wateringly ripped abs or sexy women with curves as tight as the streets of Monte-Carlo. If you like a varied diet you can even have both together. All at the click of a button and of course the slimming of your wallet. A world away from how one woman tried to get me interested not so long ago. My research shows it's even possible to arrange the rendezvous in your office boardroom for the horny but busy exec. By the way if ‘supermarket’ (self-service or taking matters into your own hands solo in the privacy of your bedroom) with lights dimmed and aromatic oils burning is more your thing, you can even pay and download local porn clips instantly, wait let me finish, and away you go come, lol! If you live in a flat just turn the volume up high, the neighbours will envy you thinking you’re such an animal. Go tiger..
  
  It’s all happening here in our supposedly deeply religious and morally righteous African country.

  
  

A Mzungu who loves Kenya

• What Joined Up Thinking Can Do In Kenya

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 10:18 pm by BabaMzungu

  The idea was to put an electrified fence around the Aberdares Conservation Area. Why? To stop wildlife marauding onto farm land outside the fence To protect the farming communities and their crops that border the fence. To curb illegal log extraction. To promote harmony between wildlife and local farmers. To prevent illegal entry into the Conservation Area. So why is the Aberdares so important?

South of West

• Little Patience for Abdulwahid

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 7:09 pm by Rob Crilly

  Darfur’s rebel leaders have long been indulged by Darfur activists – and indeed journalists.  A stumbling block to peace, their cause has been taken up repeatedly by campaigners whose interests appear not to be peace, more a victory for the rebels. A couple of weeks ago I was invited on a radio programme to discuss Darfur. Excited producers [...]

The 411...

• Who Works More?

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 6:22 pm by kipsang

Me thro my own eyes

• sand in my shoes

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 5:48 pm by csmith23

  Know thyself, presume not God to scan
  The proper study of Mankind is Man.
  ...
  A being darkly wise, and rudely great:
  ...
  He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest;
  In doubt to deem himself a God, or Beast;
  
  That's from the beginning of the second part in An Essay On Man, by Alexander Pope. I think the whole thing was supposed to make us stop trynna understand God because we can't, and just accept life as it is (or refocus our attentions to understanding ourselves). Basically, because we're where we are, and not somewhere worse, whatever IS, is right. (Like Morpheus in The Matrix after they'd just come from the Merovingian and he'd refused to give them the Keymaker | Neo: Well that didn't go so well...; Morpheus: No, whatever happened, happened and couldn't have happened any other way.; Neo: How do you know?; Morpheus: We are still alive.)
  
  We're not built to be supreme beings, us humans. We need others around us to validate our status. We need people to put us up on a pedestal and tell us we're just the ones. We need that exultation to come from other quarters so we can believe it. Because each one of us, deep down inside, knows we're not Superman. We know we have many more weaknesses than just Kryptonite. We know we can be hurt in many more places than just our heels. We're hesitant to put ourselves firmly in any category because we know; we know that we're far from being excellent. When we really look at a mirror, we can always tell, we may have strengths but we have frailties as well. We may have faith and hope, but we have limits to our capacities as well. And over the years, these shortfalls build up over each other, and they weigh down on us if we think about them too much.
  
  I have a brilliant, eclectic mind, but I'm not Steve Jobs. I can write code, and create websites and learn new languages on the fly, but I'm not Idd Salim (I know him from high school - his views rock, btw). I'm funny sarcastic, but I'm not Chandler (or Leo from The West Wing). I'm a hunk (read tall dark and deadly, yes rockhead, I insist!) but I'm not whatshisname. I sin but I'm not the Devil. I play guitar but I'm no Carlos Santana. I have a pure heart, but I'm not a saint. I'm a good person, but I'm not an Angel. When I walk, I dono how it happens but I always manage to get sand/little pebbles into my shoes. And mud on my trousers if it's rained. I've even contemplated tucking them into my socks sometimes, but that would be unseemly.
  
  I'm peculiar in my own way. I guess those little differences are what makes me who I am. I can't swim like the Dunford brothers can, I can't sing like Eric Wainaina can, I can't play music like my brother can, I can't analyze world events like the Tinman can, I'm not as kind as some of my friends are, I don't love unconditionally like my sister does, and I'm not as good a christian as Nancy is. I can never remember to comb my hair, or cut my nails. I cannot stand people messing with my stuff and misplacing it; I sort of have CDO on that (it's like OCD, but the letters are in alphabetical order - like they should be) I don't remember birthdays, and I don't know how to pick gifts for people, even people I "know really well." I'm selfish and I'm impatient, and I'm difficult to deal with at times coz it's my way or the highway. 
  
  I'm imperfect. I'm human. But I'm happy. Being happy doesn't mean everything's OK. It means you've decided to see past life's imperfections. It means everything sucks and you're still doing just fine. Life becomes precious and more special to us when we look for the little everyday miracles and get excited about the privileges of simply being alive. Because when I take a step back and really look at things, I see how amazing life truly is. And that maybe, just maybe, I like being unperfect. Because that way, there's always a better place to aspire towards. There's always room at the top to improve. It's the most beautiful thing about the uncertainty: when I'm not perfect and I know it, I have nothing left to lose. Then I'm not afraid to try. Anything's possible. My fate is not cast in stone. Hope springs eternal.
  
  END

Kenya Christian

• Video: Soul Boy (Trailer) + Launch

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 5:22 pm by KenyaChristian

  
  Soulboy Trailer from One Fine Day Films on Vimeo.
  
  Kibera Launch + Behind the scenes video
  
  
  Previously: Movie Seen! Soul Boy Review

  
  

• Video: 1% Event Nairobi Recap

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 4:55 pm by KenyaChristian

  This and the iHub Launch have been the cool "underground" events of the year so far in my opinion. Geeks are the new cool, where have you been? lol Geeks have always been cool imo, its just people have been slow to catchup!
  
  
  
  

  1%CLUB is the online marketplace that connects people with smart ideas in developing countries with people, money and knowledge around the world.
  We are talking about sustainable projects that stimulate the self-reliance of individuals anywhere in the world and improve their standard of living.
  To achieve this, we need three things: a little bit of your knowledge, money or time. You choose how, when and how much you want to participate. The people that run the projects that you are involved in keep you informed on the progress. It is that simple.

  
  
  
  Coders can move too!
  

  
  

• Video: Wernono Faimly - "Amen"

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 4:50 pm by KenyaChristian

  
  

• Video: Soul Boy (Trailer)

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 4:31 pm by KenyaChristian

  feat Shem & Austine
  
  

  
  

• Video: K'Naan - "Wavin' Flag" (Celebration Mix)

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 4:06 pm by KenyaChristian

  
  K'NAAN "Waving Flag" -Celebration mix- Dir: NABIL from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.
  
  This is the official anthem for the 2010 South Africa World Cup. *BIG SIGH* I wish I could go for this event! Life is soo fair, ain't it? What an amazing experience it will be, especially if you're African.

  
  

Black Looks

• Happy Birthday, Geoffrey!

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 3:24 pm by Rethabile

  Geoffrey Philp has written a children’s book, Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories, a novel, called Benjamin, My Son, books of short stories, Uncle Obadiah and the Alien as well as the more recent Who’s Your Daddy, and five poetry collections, among them Exodus and Other Poems, Florida Bound, hurricane center, xango music, and Twelve Poems and [...]

You Missed This

• Industrializing a Nation is an Art of War

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 1:00 pm by Taabu

  By Mwarang'ethe
  
  Kenyans have agonised over many years why we are unable to develop with all the manpower and resources in our hands. With a religious conviction, we have convinced ourselves that, if only we were less corrupt, we would have ended our poverty and attendant social miseries. We are also convinced that, all will be well if we utilise “donors” funds well, have free primary education, and “fight” diseases like AIDS and malaria.
  
  These are myths and delusions fostered by the propaganda from the media, donors, NGOs and our schools. As thus, this common wisdom is totally baseless. The other side of the story that is left deliberately untold is this. Nations do not develop or industrialize and maintaining their prosperity, by fighting corruption, diseases and such mumbo jumbo.
  
  In truth, these are lullabies given to Africans to ensure their continued deep sleep as others f#%£% them. Excuse that French please. So, how do nations develop? Well developing a nation IS AN ART OF WAR.
  
  Industrialising a nation is an art of what, is what the Japanese Prince cannot tell Raila. (See Japanese Prince Dinner with Kenyan PM Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ITzlWOqYc4&feature=channel.
  
  Among other lullabies, the Japanese Prince did mention how Japan has helped us grow more rice (yes, a Malthusian activity we have mentioned many times). In his remarks, the Kenyan Prime Minister said there are a number of Japanese companies in Kenya. He seemed very pleased with that.
  
  In this article, we wish to dispel these delusions and myths, not with mere speculations, but with factual evidence of what Japan has been doing since 1945. Armed with these facts, you will decide whether we know what we are doing or not.
  
  After the 2WW, the remaining imperial centre of capital, i.e. USA was desperate to stop the spread of socialism. To do so, it had to assist countries like Japan that had lost that war. So, USA provided Japan with:
  
   Industrial technology.
   Finance capital.
   Dropped import barriers while permitting Japan and Germany to protect their industries and markets. This was the same formula USA had used in building its industry and wealth.
  
  Question
  
  (a) Did Kenya/Africa get access to technology, finance, markets and more crucially, are we able to protect our industry and market?
  (b) If no, it means that, we believe we will develop under free trade regime. We will be very happy to get any example of a nation that has ever developed under free trade regime as we have embraced it.
  
  As Japan rebuilt under the above conditions, it developed long term strategies for entering existing high tech markets (Schumpeterian activities, the opposite of Malthusian activities like rice growing the lullaby the Japanese Prince sung to us). These strategies were composed in detailed plans spanning 20 – 50 years for getting a share of existing markets. At first, it started by introducing new and highly refined versions of existing products and then slowly upgraded these products.
  
  It begun with CRUDE copies of advanced German cameras like Leica and Rolliflex. They then honed their skills by continually upgrading their entries into these markets until their level of quality and technology began to equal that of Germans and then surpassed them. In a span of less than 20 years, using such long range managerial approach, the Japanese were able to gain by far the largest share of the worldwide camera and optical goods market and thereby, edging Germans to the sidelines.
  
  Having taken this market, they now took aim of other existing markets which they could use their advanced optical skills. These were small copying machines, professional video devices, computerised silicon chip etching equipment. They now dominate this market as well and have edged the Americans who plan 24 months ahead.
  
  As Japanese chanted free trade and laissez faire lullabies to Africa, the Japanese Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the International Trade and Industry (MITI) controlled the government’s budget, set monetary policy, collected taxes, supervised banks, brokers, and insurers and established parameters for credit, asset values, capitalization and lending.
  
  More so, through cross shareholding, they ensured no outsider takeover (remember how Raila is happy about presence of Japanese companies in Kenya?). To further these mercantile schemes under the banner of laissez faire for the foolish, they ensured Japanese corporations are primarily owned by each other.
  
  Questions for you
  
  (a) Does Kenya have any long term plans for entering any high technology market? Please do not tell us about tea branding and tourism marketing in Germany.
  (b) How coordinated is ownership of Kenyan companies like Kenya Railway, Safaricom, Telkom, Ken Gen etc?
  
  To further protect its markets, Japan came up with very complicated high product prices which were protected from imports by arbitrary health, safety and quality standards. These “standards” permitted charging Japanese consumers 3 times the price for consumer products as that paid by the rest of the world. Through these "standards" which are never met, instead of TARIFF, the Japanese prevented others from selling on its home front. See the irony, in Kenya/Africa; a Minister proudly launches a new foreign product as you can see here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVC4OcWFf9U&feature=player_embedded#.
  
  These high prices were nothing but hidden taxes along with other dictated policies and creative accounting which gave Japanese industry the same finance capital as it has received 100 years earlier. In other words, government financed industry and protected home market created a comparative advantage which permitted the Japanese industry to sell, for a period of time, at what would be a loss for a free enterprise corporation. Having built the world’s most modern industry and captured markets around the world, so long as trade surpluses are maintained, losses can be absorbed up to a point by those high domestic prices taxing back a part of the economic multiplier gains.
  
  When Japanese government tried to deflate cautiously the land and stock bubbles by raising interest rates, the Wall Street bankers went on the attack using their new weapons of mass destruction, i.e. derivatives to sell the market short and bring it crashing down.
  
  In other words, Japanese formula is this. Buy RAW RESOURCES cheap (from Kenya/Africa), build and maintain the most efficient industry in the world, educate its citizens, pay Japanese labour well (remember SAPS from IMF telling us to pay badly?) charge Japanese consumers above export prices, price exports just under the products of other nations and sell enough on the world market to pay for it all with a substantial cushion to spare. It may appear that, these policies contravene the Most Favoured Nation clause in free trade treaties. Well, that’s a small deal. As long as all nations face same arbitrary standards, the problem is “solved.”
  
  So, why don’t the rich nations force Japanese to comply with the laws Kenya/Africa must comply with? Very simple. In 1987 when Japanese sold its bonds, the global liquidity was lowered such that, America experienced the worst one day stock collapse. So, if they are forced to, they will liquidate these investments, properties and dollar will crush. This is jiu jitsu economics at its best because USA and Japan, China etc, are now locked in debt – equity embrace that no knows how to get out of it. Remember that, these nations have very old art of art of war skills.
  
  When the Western capital withdrew finance capital from Asian Tigers (this is a story for another day) they shattered (deliberately) these economies and then bought the best industries for pennies on the dollar. When they turned these derivatives as we noted above on Japan, they met their match. Japanese never permitted outside finance capital to gain TITLE to their industrial wealth. How so? They simply kept all bankrupt banks and industries running by ABANDONING capitalism’s bankruptcy rules. This enabled Japan to maintain trade surplus, expand savings, and thereby avoid DROP IN LIVING STANDARDS. We see the entire world now trying these formulae’s. We will see the end of this soon.
  
  We have cut short a very long story, but, we hope short as it is, we are able to show that, developing a nation is more than fighting corruption, inviting foreign investors, “bringing development,” new constitutions etc as we are told. It requires leaders who understand the art of war.Kumekucha

  
  

People I admire

• Cess Mutungi

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:26 pm

   She was down and out but now she is back. She has dusted herself off and is back on track ready to be more responsible with less controversies. She has great advise for anyone and everyone who may be listening. Yes she is, Nairobi's former bad gal, is back.
  If you didn't know her then, here is a picture of her before the transformations.
  
  
  
  
  
  

The Night Book

• now and end

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 8:59 am by Levari

  then.
  
  i was entirely
  too young
  to have
  a sense of humor
  back
  
  then.
  
  i have pictures
  to prove
  my humorlessness
  and too many witnesses
  to count.
  
  then.
  
  between a boy and a man
  paying for movies
  in hand fulls
  of change.
  
  then.
  
  the passage
  the trial
  the fight
  the rage
  exploding and
  unexplained.
  
  then.
  
  i survived
  somehow
  luck
  pure luck
  without
  allowing myself
  a moment
  of forgiveness
  or laughter.
  
  then.
  
  but now
  all i do is laugh
  and forgive
  
  you and me
  
  from this old desk
  into eternity.
  
  then.
  
  finally
  when it comes
  for me
  
  now
  fearless
  
  dancing
  with the fire
  
  until my
  
  end.
  
  -Philadelphia, 2/09

My Dreadlocks

• Recycling locks.

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 7:57 am by Cee

  Ok before you all think I'm completely gaga with all my "wierd" ideas hear me out. After I wrote about 24hr locks, American made a comment about cutting his locks then reusing them. Funny enough I hadn't thought of it like that when I wrote about the 24hr locks. Guess I looked at it from the outside and only saw buying a stranger's locks and locking with your own especially for the unlocked people.
  I had shared about my twist locks thinning and eventually cutting during the early stages of my locking. This was basically caused by inexperience hence tightening my lock a bit too much while I twisted. I got this wierd idea for those who may be going through the same problem I did. The whole process will require a lot of imagination, I only got the idea after I had already separated my locks, but I'll try and add pics of the sewing the tip sometime.
  
  When your lock thins
  1. Attach it to a neighbouring lock, after a while the 2 will lock and you will end up with 2 locks with one base.
  
  2. For tidiness sake, just cut off the tip of the parasitic lock. Be very carefull to differentiate between the parasitic lock from the host lock. Don't throw away the tip of the lock you cut, store it well.
  The host and parasite take about 2 to 3 washes before they join together and lock but this depends on the magnitude of damage on the parasite lock and also kind of hair It may eventually range from 2 to 3 washes or even 2 to 3 months.
  
  3. Search for the parasitic lock and separate it from the host lock (for those with a lot of hair, but no worries if you do your own locks then your hands will intuitively find them), at this time the tip of the parasitic lock has locked to some level meaning when you wash, the hair won't magically disappear (kinky hair shrinks and scatters on the scalp).
  
  4. The parasitic lock now appears as a small new lock, twist it and give it time to completely lock on its own.
  
  5. When the lock has eventually locked then attach the lock you had cut. You may use thin black thread either by sewing the old lock tip or crotchetting it to the new lock. Attaching the tip only helps to increase the length of the new lock so that it doesn't look too wierd in the midst of the rest.

Opalo's weblog

• cool blog

  Posted: March 14, 2010, 6:36 am by kenopp

  Check this out… Filed under: africa

the-xposer

• Quote of the day

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 1:52 am by ombui

  a good smile is not when it is only on your face, but when it is reflected on others ~ Jared Ombui

Mary Baker Eddy Illustrated Quotes

• The harvest

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 12:30 am by ajgks

  The temporal and unreal never touch the eternal and real. The mutable and imperfect never touch the immutable and perfect. The inharmonious and self-destructive never touch the harmonious and self-existent. These opposite qualities are the tares and wheat, which never really mingle, though (to mortal sight) they grow side by side until the harvest; then, Science separates the wheat from the tares, through the realization of God as ever present and of man as reflecting the divine likeness. Pg 300
  - Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy

Gathara's World

• How Tanzanian Justice Fails to See the Wood for Trees

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 11:43 pm

  The East African Development Bank’s search for justice and self-preservation in the courtrooms of Tanzania has been as trivialised as it has been convoluted. Throughout the litigation, the courts have systematically focused on technicalities and blocked any attempt to interrogate the merits of the $61 million arbitral award that threatens the viability of the bank.
  
  Between March 1990 and June 1992, the Bank provided a total of $2.2 million in loans to Blueline Enterprises Ltd, a Tanzanian transporter, for the purchase of to 10 heavy-duty trucks and other equipment. However, in November 1995, the Bank placed the company under receivership for non-payment. Following a successful arbitration process the Bank’s initial victory was overturned by the courts, which ordered new arbitration proceedings. The award, which some have termed “obscene,” stemmed from this latter process.
  
  The EADB’s numerous attempts to have its day in court have been bogged down in legal minutiae. Not once has it had the opportunity to tell its side of the story. And as it stares bankruptcy in the face, what has been forgotten is that it was the Bank that actually lent money to Blueline, which with interest, would now amount to over $40 million. And since the Bank belongs to the governments of the EAC, it is their citizens who stand to lose this sum.
  
  Below is a timeline of the case:
  
  March 7, 1990: East African Development Bank advances a loan of approximately $1.86 million to Blueline Enterprises Ltd of Tanzania to purchase 10 heavy duty trucks and other equipment.
  
  June 16, 1992: The EADB gives Blueline a supplemental loan of $340,000.
  
  November 24, 1995: The Bank appoints Coopers and Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) as Receiver and Manager of Blueline
.
  
  December 4, 1995: Blueline procures an injunction from the High Court restraining the Bank from permitting its Receiver and Manager to “take over and run” Blueline’s business.
  
  February 14, 2001: The Bank and Blueline file a Compromise Order appointing Hon. Francis L. Nyalali (the former Chief Justice of Tanzania) Sole Arbitrator and A. T. H. Mwakyusa as his substitute.
  
  September 30, 2002: Hon. Mr Nyalali finds in favour of Bank and dismisses Blueline’s claim on the basis that it lacked legal merit. Hon. Nyalali dies shortly thereafter and Blueline files a petition challenging the award.
  
  July 30, 2003: Mr Justice Luanda sets aside Hon. Mr Nyalali’s award and orders the Arbitration proceedings to commence afresh before Mr Mwakyusa.
  
  The bank appeals on the grounds that Mr Mwakyusa could only have been appointed if Mr Nyalali had not acted as arbitrator.
  
  November 21, 2003: The Court of Appeal of Tanzania strikes out the appeal because the Bank has failed to obtain Leave to Appeal.
  
  To rectify the error, the Bank files an Application in the High Court seeking an extension of time to file a new Notice of Appeal and an extension of time to seek Leave to Appeal to the Court of Appeal .
  
  July 9, 2004: Mr Justice Mihayo of the High Court refuses to grant the extensions of time.
  
  Following commencement of arbitration before Mr Mwakyusa, the Bank applies afresh to the High Court for the removal of Mr Mwakyusa as the Sole Arbitrator and for the Arbitration proceedings to be stayed pending determination of its petition.
  
  May 11, 2004: The Bank’s Application is dismissed by the Hon. Justice Massati because it has not annexed the Loan Agreement containing the Arbitration clause to the Application.
  
  The Bank files a Notice of its intention to appeal to the Court of Appeal as well as an Application for Leave to Appeal. Simultaneously the Bank files an application to prevent the Arbitration proceedings from continuing pending the determination of its Appeal. The Court of Appeal strikes out the latter application on the ground that the order of the High Court was not capable of execution, and therefore a stay order relating to it could not be issued.
  
  The Bank subsequently appealed to the Arbitrator to remove himself, but he declined to do so.
  In light of the dismissal of the application for a stay order, the Bank abandons its intended Appeal against M. Justice Massati’s decision and as a result, Mr Mwakyusa, commences the Arbitration proceedings.
  
  August 31, 2005: Mr Mwakyusa delivers his award awarding Blueline $61,386,853 in relation to Blueline’s claims against the Bank. No award is made in respect of the Bank’s claim for the outstanding loan.
  
  The Bank files a Petition and Application in the High Court seeking to set aside the award; a declaration that Arbitration proceedings have failed and consequently the dispute should be determined by a Court of law; and a stay of execution of the arbitral award pending the final determination of the Bank’s petition.
  
  Mr Justice Shangwa sustains Blueline’s objections that the Bank has omitted to annex a certified copy of the arbitral award even though the original was, at that time, before the High Court, and particularly, before the judge handling the matter, having been sent there directly by the arbitrator.
  
  The Bank files a further Application to the High Court for extension of time in order to file another Petition to set aside the Arbitral award. However on the day fixed for the hearing of the said Application, the Bank withdraws the application upon advice of Counsel that the time limit has not lapsed after all. This advice is based on a previous decision made by the Court of Appeal that implies that the petition, being a “suit,” could be filed up to six years from the date of the award.
  
  Immediately thereafter, the bank files a new petition in the High Court.
  
  Blueline raise a preliminary objection that the petition is time-barred and should be struck out, relying on a 2002 Court of Appeal decision that a petition to set aside an award is an “application” (and not a “suit”) and was therefore still subject to the 60 days limitation.
  
  June 22, 2007: Justice Mandia delivers his ruling noting that there are two conflicting decisions of the Court of Appeal on the matter. He, however, decides to rely upon the earlier decision, that a petition is an “application” and declares it time-barred.
  
  July 5, 2007: EADB files a Notice of Appeal against the ruling of the Court together with an application for Leave to Appeal.
  
  April 11, 2008: The Bank’s application for leave to appeal Justice Mandia’s decision is struck out with costs.
  
  December 17, 2007: EADB files an application seeking an order from the court for extending the limitation period on the grounds that there is reasonable cause for the court to exercise its discretion.
  
  March 26, 2009: Justice Sheikh of the High Court dismisses the Bank’s application because EADB had previously filed and withdrawn a similar application for the same order (for extension of time) without seeking liberty to reinstitute it.
  
  May 12, 2009:Justice Shangwa dismisses the Bank’s application to vacate the garnishee order by way of which Blueline sought execution of the arbitral award declaring that the Bank’s immunity from attachment of its assets did not extend to its cash.
  
  September 22, 2009: Leave is granted to appeal against Justice Shangwa’s ruling. Subsequently, Blueline consents to the grant of leave by the High Court for the appeal against the decision of Justice Sheikh.
  
  March 8, 2010: A three-judge panel dismisses the Bank’s appeal on the grounds that since Justice Mandia had dismissed the petition previously brought by the Bank, it was not open to the Bank to go back before the same Court with an application for enlargement of time.
  
  March 11, 2010: The hearing on the appeal against the decision by Justice Shangwa relating to the Bank’s immunity is adjourned after one of the judges recuses himself.
  
  

Rugby in Kenya

• Kenya Cup Results 130310

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 11:24 pm by DataMiner

  B2B beat me!.

Gathara's World

• Banking on the EADB

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 11:20 pm

  
  As the East African Development Bank fights for its life in Tanzanian courts, its role as the East African Community’s Bank has come under fire. The Permanent Secretary at Kenya’s Ministry of East African Community blames a lack of vision by the leadership of the East African Development Bank for the failure to mobilize resources for cross-border infrastructure projects. Speaking to The East African, David Nalo stressed that the bank “needed to be reformed yesterday”, citing the example of the Athi River-Arusha road. The project took over ten years to kick off because each country was separately negotiating with donors to finance its chunk of tarmac. “The EADB should have repositioned itself to offer solutions as the Bank of the EAC to source the funds and execute the project,” the PS says.
  
  The bank is appealing a $61 million arbitral award given against it to Tanzanian transporters, Blueline Enterprises Ltd. Its numerous attempts to have the award set aside have been dismissed on technicalities. According to lawyer Kibe Mungai, in 5 years of litigation, the case has never been heard on its merits.
  
  Though its lawyers have warned that the institution may not have the resources to pay and may face the prospect of liquidation if all its appeals are unsuccessful, the bank is now seeking to reassure “all stakeholders” that its operations will continue. In a Press release, the bank declares that the EAC Partner States, who own over 80% of the bank as well as non-state shareholders “remain firmly committed to the EADB and will continue to support it.” This is despite the fact that the member states have already eschewed the idea of shelling out taxpayer cash to “pay a private businessman”.
  
  The African Development Bank, which owns close to 7% of the EADB has declared that it is 100% behind the Bank. Though he would not be drawn out on the subject of a bailout, Bhargav Purohit, who represents the African Development Bank on the EADB’s Board of Directors, said the AfDB would support the EADB in its time of need. “We will be here to work with them as we have been for the last 40 years,” he declared.
  
  PS Nalo believes East Africa must make a strategic choice between the proposed the East Africa Community Development Fund and restructuring the EADB to avoid “duplication.” Declaring that the EADB is potentially “an extremely useful instrument,” he advised the Bank’s management to start thinking about funding infrastructure projects such as a fibre optic cable from Mombasa to the DRC or a nuclear power plant, or mobilising equity and capital for renovating the railway system.
  
  Purohit, though, observes that the Bank’s role is still defined by the 1980 Charter and any changes in its mandate would need to be reflected there. He believes that to properly perform its new role, the EADB would need to be restructured and adequately capitalized. He further adds that a strategic plan is currently being worked on by the Director-General and her team and it will include recommendations on the requisite level of capitalization.
  
  Interestingly, in 2008, The EastAfrican reported that a $135 million recapitalisation package was yet to be realized and Nalo feels that partner states will remain unwilling to recapitalize it until it is restructured and shows readiness to delve into regional issues.
  
  The bank has had a troubled history, having undergone at least three bouts of restructuring within the last two decades, mostly following losses. It was first restructured in 1993. Between 1994 and 1998, it had a good run, doubling its profits. This was followed by a period of deterioration which culminated in a $2.9 million loss in 2002, prompting another restructuring and the departure of 5 top managers. The latest facelift comes on the back of an $8 million loss in 2008 which led to the removal of its top brass including the Director-General.
  
  One of the few remaining vestiges of the original East African Community, the Bank was created by Article 21 of the Treaty for East African Co-operation of 6 June 1967 and its Charter was set out in Annex VI of the Treaty. Its main purpose was to promote the equitable industrial development of the three member countries, Kenya Uganda and Tanzania. While the three countries contributed equally to its capital base, the bank was required to devote 38.75 per cent of its investments in each Tanzania and Uganda, against 22.5 per cent in Kenya.
  
  However, under its statutes, it could only finance “viable” projects, most of which were in Kenya, especially during the 1971-73 period. This, and the absence of coordinated industrial planning in EAC, greatly limited the bank’s ability to effectively redistribute the benefits of the integration.
  
  The EADB survived the dissolution of the EAC in 1977 largely because it did not rely on the EAC for funding. Headquartered in Kampala, Uganda, the bank was revitalized by a then rare show of unity when Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda momentarily set aside their differences in an effort to bolster the bank's activities.
  
  The Treaty Amending and Re-enacting the Charter of the East African Development Bank,which came into force on 23rd July 1980, rescued it from legal limbo. It provided that the EADB Charter would henceforth draw its legal validity from the 1980 agreement and not the 1967 Treaty which founded it. Under the new charter, in addition to promoting industrial development, the bank could also provide funding and technical assistance for agricultural, forestry, tourism, transportation, and infrastructure development projects. It had an authorised capital stock of US$ 1.08 billion though to date it’s actual paid-up capital remains at less than 10% of that figure.
  
  In 1984 the International Monetary Fund agreed to provide further financial backing and by the late 1980s the African Development Bank and the Japanese government agreed to channel $56.4 million in credit through the EADB for regional projects. By 1990 the EADB had lent $28 million for 19 separate projects, but many of these and other loans were soon in arrears. Many of the bank's problems were blamed on currency devaluations and various technical financial adjustments. In 1993, the EADB agreed to a complete restructuring under the guidance of a new director general.
  
  That same year, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania took another crack at regional integration by forming the Permanent Tripartite Commission for East African Co-operation. The Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community was signed in November 1999 and entered into force in July 2000. The EADB, along with other remnants of the 1967 Treaty, was declared an Autonomous Institution of the Community. The bank was charged with catalyzing regional integration through the provision of development finance.
  
  The 2nd EAC Development Strategy which covered the years 2001-2005, recognized a gap in regional financing for regional projects, citing low savings and incomplete financial reforms. To plug this hole, the Strategy recommended establishing a Regional Development Fund with the EADB used as a transitional vehicle for raising funds for regional projects before the Fund is up and running.
  
  While this seems to suggest that the Bank is of limited value, at least as far as EAC integration is concerned, a paper tabled at the July 2008 UN Conference on Trade and Development notes that given the important imperfections of private international capital markets, especially in the provision of long-term funding – such as is required for infrastructure – Regional Development Banks and Sub- Regional Development Banks such as the EADB need to play an ever increasing role in financing regional infrastructure.
  
  Financing from Multilateral Development Banks such as the World Bank tends to come with strict conditionalities, give little regard to the views of developing countries, and are heavily influenced by the agendas of their shareholders’ domestic constituencies. RDBs and SRDBs on the other hand, can rely on informal peer pressure rather than imposing conditionality allowing for faster and more flexible disbursements of resources. There is also little danger of countries’ voices been drowned out in a bank they themselves own, or their being held hostage to foreign agendas.
  
  RDBs and SRDBs can also help ameliorate the vagaries of international private finance by providing counter-cyclical finance when private flows dry up and developing innovative market instruments, such as GDP-linked bonds, that better spread risks and reduce the likelihood of costly and disruptive defaults and debt crises.
  
  Therefore, while the EADB has financed numerous projects in different sectors within the region including education, agriculture, agro-processing, construction and real estate, health, transport and telecommunications,it needs to expand its portfolio to include financing regional integration efforts and especially the cross-border infrastructure. Just as the EAC is following the EU integration model, so the EADB should look carefully at the example set by its counterpart in Europe, the European Investment Bank.
  
  The EIB was central to the process of European integration since the beginning. Indeed, just like the Treaty of East Africa Cooperation created the EADB, the 1957 Treaty of Rome that created the European Economic Community also created the EIB. The EIB, the most powerful instrument in the Treaty, was established in order to support the European integration process. It had a three-fold mandate: to ensure equitable development by channeling savings from the more developed parts of the Community to the less developed parts; to help modernize or replace “senile industries”; and to develop cross-border infrastructure by transforming Europe’s essentially national infrastructure into an integratedEuropean infrastructure.
  
  To fulfill a similar role, the EADB needs to extend its portfolio to include financing of regional infrastructure projects. As the Deputy Governor Bank of Uganda, Dr. Louis Austin Kasekende notes, “the EADB… lends money to commercial enterprises to fund their capital investment and working capital. Most of these enterprises are in the private sector although a few are public enterprises and joint ventures.” In contrast, in its first ten years, the EIB lent almost exclusively to infrastructure and industry with the former accounting for nearly half (48%) of its total disbursements. In the SADC region, the Development Bank of South Africa also focuses primarily on its core mandate of infrastructure funding.
  
  In some ways, though, the EADB is already set up to finance infrastructure. Such funding typically requires long-term loans. While the liberalization of financial markets and the rapid increase in the number of commercial banks in the financial system has largely improved availability of short-term as opposed to long-term credit, the latter accounts for well over 80% of the loans approved by the EADB in any given year. However, it needs to ramp up the scale of its lending. After a relatively modest start while it found its financial feet, the EIB now shells out more credit than the other multilateral banks put together. The EADB’s annual disbursement, on the other hand, is woefully small -in 2008 it was less that the amount Kenya’s Higher Education Loans Board advanced to the country’s students!
  
  The EADB must also attend to its redistributive function just as the EIB funneled resources to the poorer sections of Europe. In fact, before joining the European Economic Community, Italy pressed for the creation of the EIB largely to help fund infrastructure in its Southern region. In contrast, between 1995 and 2006, the EADB’s approved investments were evenly split between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The bank must revisit its roots and especially the requirement to ensure the fruits of integration are equitably distributed. Though Nalo is opposed to this, preferring policy incentives that encourage private sector investors to view the region as a single entity, he acknowledges that the EACDF does contemplate a mechanism of compensation for losses incurred due to the integration project and proposes that such mechanisms be included in a revised EADB Charter.

Rugby in Kenya

• Kenya Cup Results

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 11:13 pm by Back2Besics

  Mean Machine 20 Nondies 24Nakuru 8 Impala 6Quins 37 KCB 12Mwamba 16 Strathmore Leos 5

White African

• Geeking out on a Motorcycle Trip

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 10:52 pm by HASH

  Today I had a lot of fun, one of my old schoolmates (Markus) from here in Kenya asked me if I wanted to get out of Nairobi and hit the trails on our motorcycles. Of course, the answer was yes. We headed out towards Naivasha early this morning and then took a side road off towards the escarpment.

  The roads are dirt and with the recent rains they’re really quite rugged and beyond most normal vehicles. Markus is an experienced trail rider on a KTM 450 (kitted out), I’ve ridden a lot of trails, but years ago and not nearly as experienced as Markus – and I’m riding an offroad/onroad Suzuki DR 650 (stock).

  We ended up having to run through, and beside, a lot of 5-10 acre farms that sit at the base of the escarpment in order to find a road up to the top of the escarpment. A lot of this was on cow paths and required some fine-tuned leveraging of our bikes through gates and streams. The road to the top of the escarpment, when found was a fun ride, minus the part where I wiped out on a simple turn (the one below)…

  Bruises (and bruised ego) aside, we kept going up into small-farm, where quite a few more people live, and which is almost entirely denuded of trees that were there just 15 years ago.

  After talking to some of the local community, we were advised to head down a certain road, with assurances that it would lead us to the bottom of the escarpment. It did, eventually, but not until we had backtracked, sidetracked, followed animal trails (in buffalo country), and then realized that the washed out gully we were in was supposed to be the road.

  3.5 hours of wrestling a mammoth 650cc bike through this terrain left me exhausted. This type of bike is not made for that level of technical riding down boulder strewn gully’s and game trails. However, it was also hugely rewarding when we finally found our way to the bottom of the escarpment and much easier riding.

  Mapping the Malewa Motorcycle Trip

  I also brought my Android Nexus One along for the ride, hoping that the battery life would allow me to use it for tracking our trip. The Nexus One has a GPS, and there’s an Android app called My Tracks, that tracks your trip, allows you to add waypoints, then easily shares it to Google’s MyMaps.

  Here is the result:

  
  View Malewa Motorcycle Trip in a larger map

  It doesn’t look very exciting like that, but it does give you the exact data for having your own challenging ride if you’re in Kenya.

Rafiki Kenya

• Do you swallow or spit?

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 10:44 pm

  So you have a mouthful and you are not sure what to do? After timidly holding the liquid in your mouth, you stop to re-examine a question that had been on your mind before: to spit or to swallow? Well, some girls swallow, others don't. Whether you spit or swallow is completely up to you - tastes and preferences differ. When I announced the 3rd Annual Nairobi Wine Festival on Twitter, I indeed got some mixed reactions from my twiends:
  

  • RookieKE @RafikiKenya I'll taste, not swallow.
  • Queen_Lucky @RafikiKenya Problem is when tasting... I don't spit. I actually swallow. So imagine how drunk I get...

  So @RookieKe doesn't swallow, but @Queen_Lucky swallows. To swallow or not to swallow, that's the question. Some people are advising to spit if you're tasting more than one liquid, and swallow if you are tasting that one unique vintage you always wanted to order.
  
  The 3rd Annual Nairobi Wine Festival will be an opportunity to swallow or spit over 90 liquids from around the world, whilst enjoying live music and delicious bitings around the fabulous poolside at the Holiday Inn:
  

  Event: 3rd Annual Nairobi Wine Festival
  Venue: Holiday Inn, Westlands, Nairobi
  Dates: Friday 19th March, 5 – 9pm; and Saturday 20th March, 3 – 7pm
  Cost: Kshs 1,400/- per person.
  

  Tickets are valid for one day only, and include unlimited swallowing or spitting, bitings and a branded wine glass to take home. Tickets available from The Holiday Inn and The Wine Shop in Kileleshwa. Tickets are limited, buy yours in advance to avoid disappointment! For more information call: 0716 555 118.
  
  You can find some excellent reviews of last year's wine festival here and here.
  
  And if you are still not sure which option to go for, here is a video that could help you in your decision:
  
  
  
  And finally, here are my two questions to you:
  

  1. Are you going to this year's wine festival or not?
  2. And do you actually swallow or spit?

KCB Rugby Football Club

• Nakuru stun Impala while Quins stay top with big win at the Lions Den

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 10:30 pm by KCBRFC

  In what is arguably the result of the weekend,Nakuru stunned hostsImpala 8-6. Strathmore remained winless, going down 5-15 to Mwamba RFCwhile Nondies picked up a 24-20 win over visiting Mean Machine.The featured match saw Nivea for Men Quins stay top of the Kenya Cupwith an imperious display of rugby in their 37-12 away win over arather tame Kenya Commercial Bank RFC at the Lions Den inRuaraka...

SIMON KITURURU- MAWAZONI

• SANAA ya KUAHIRISHA ugomvi mpaka WAGENI WAONDOKE!

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 6:27 pm by SIMON KITURURU

  Ni sanaa kuutafutia UGOMVI muda na MAHALI pake,...
  
  ....NA labda  uaminivyo MAJIRANI ZAKO daima WANAFURAHA  ni kwa kuwa tu WANAPATIA  kuahirisha MUDA WA ugomvi  au tu hualikwi KATIKA sehemu yao MAALUMU  wapendeleayo kutekenyea UGOMVI.
  Swali:
  

  • Unabisha?

  
  Kwa bahati MBAYA,...
  ....wakati unatembea na ugomvi KICHWANI unaweza mpaka ukawa mchoyo  wa NANIHII kwa hata wasiohusika na UGOMVI wako na NANIHINO.
  Na  kwa bahati MBAYA,...
  ....ni sanaa kuahirisha UGOMVI mpaka wageni waondoke kwa kuwa  yaweza kusababisha TOPIKI zote uongeazo na wageni zijae KUBARAGUZA tu na wala hazikuchokonoi KUMAANISHA kweli kuwa nanihiii ina.NANIHINO.:-(
  Swali:
  
  

  • AU?

  
  
  Na kwabahati MBAYA,...
  .... labda kama WEWE unaweza kukaa MKAO  wa kusubiri WAGENI waondoke ili UGOMVI uendelee yawezekana ndicho kipimo kikubwa kuhusu USTAARABU wako.:-(
  
  Swali:
  

  • Unakumbuka sentensi ya kurudishia UGOMVI palepale ULIPOKUWEPO kabla WAGENI HAWAJAJA uitumiayo  baada ya wageni kuondoka?

  
  
  
  
  
  NIMEACHA hili wazo MHESHIMIWA na labda wala topiki haikuhusu na usikonde HASA  kama hujawahi kuahirisha UGOMVI kwa kuwa SHEKHE na PADRI au TU uwaheshimuo pamoja na MAMA wamekuja kukutembelea.:-(
  
  
  Hebu GEORGE MICHAEL abadili tena kwa -Careless Whispers
  
  
  
  Au Elton John amuongelee tena -NIKITA
  
  
  
  Na JIM REEVES akaribishe katika-Welcome to my WORLD
  

Black Looks

• A doctor in Nigeria: 1948

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 5:58 pm by Sokari

  Via Heal Nigeria

SIMON KITURURU- MAWAZONI

• TATIZO la MJANJA akichumbia mtu AMUHISIYE ni MSHAMBA!:-(

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 4:12 pm by SIMON KITURURU

  Kirahisi MJANJA anaweza kujigeuza MWALIMU badala ya kuwa MPENZI kisa anahisi MAHUDUSHI -pangala wake ni MSHAMBA.:-(
  Swali:
  

  • AU?

  
  
  Ukihisiwa MSHAMBA waweza kujikuta unafundishwa mpaka unayojua,....
  .... na wanaokufunza WAJIDHANIAO NI WAJANJA kusahau kujifunza KUONA MAMBO kwa jicho lako kitu ambacho chaweza kuwa ndio KITATUA tatizo.
  
  Na tatizo la yeyote ajifikiriaye ni MJANJA na ndiye anayejua,.......LABDA  ni kujipa UALIMU kitu ambacho chaweza kuwa ndicho tatizo.
  Swali:
  

  • Unabisha?

  
  
  Ndio kila siku ni SHULE,....... lakini kuna sababu kila mtu SHULENI huwa kuna  MWALIMU amkumbukaye kwa UALIMU mzuri wa kusifika,.....
  .... na labda MAISHANI ukichumbia MSHAMBA jaribu kuchanganua kama ni kweli hilo lakufanya UFUDHU kuwa MWALIMU na si mwanafunzi katika PENZI.:-(
  
  
  Swali:
  

  • Hivi unafikiri UJANJA sio USHAMBA?

  • Hivi USHAMBA ni nini vile?

  
  
  NI WAZO TU HILI MHESHIMIWA!
  Hebu SIMBA WANYIKA katika kubadili wamwage ndude-SHILINGI YAUA tena ni MAUA
  
  
  
  
  Au tu Buena Vista Social Club warudie tena pia - Chan Chan
  
  

Black Looks

• Senegalese film director, Mahaman Johnson Traore: – RIP

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 3:46 pm by Sokari

  Senegalese film director and one of the founders of the Pan-African Film festival [FESPACO], Mahaman Johnson Traore, died last Monday. Mark Coles talks to Keith Shire on the work of Johnson Traore, particularly his films which addressed “the politics of women’s position in their societies”. Listen to the interview below. Via Bombastic Element

Githush

• Since the ...

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 3:28 pm by Githush

  
  

  Since the 1970’s the American federal system has experienced a significant realignment of revenue raising and spending responsibilities. From the New Federalism era of the 70’s and 80’s, to the “Fend-for-yourself”[1] federalism of the late 80’s, more and more is expected of local government, with less and less assistance from the higher tiers of government. Gone is the era of General Revenue Sharing, replaced by “unfunded mandates” and categorical grants; a marked shift has occurred in the tax and spending responsibility, away from the Federal level toward the state and local level, this shift has increased pressures on the revenue-raising resources of these governments, which have been further hamstrung by tax-payer revolts and competing more aggressively for firms and residents. Today, Local governments are expected to provide an increasing number of services from: police and fire services; planning, zoning and building inspections; parks and recreation facilities; garbage collection; libraries; road maintenance; water and sewer systems; economic development and mass transit.[2]In Arizona, Local authorities rely on a number of own-source revenues to perform these tasks: property taxes, sales taxes, franchise taxes, business license taxes, bed taxes, user and permit fees, service charges, fines and issuing bonds.[3] However, there exist limits to the array of potential sources available to Arizona Local governments, as opposed to other American cities (for example, there are prohibitions against levying income, fuel and luxury taxes).

  To supplement own-source revenue, and partly as a consequence of voter imposed limits on own-source revenue streams, cities and towns in Arizona must rely on State Shared Revenues. This paper aims to provide an introduction to these programs; it shall begin by looking at the political, social and philosophical underpinnings for intergovernmental transfers, followed by an articulation of economic rationales for the same. This shall be followed by an exposition of the various revenue sharing programs in Arizona, with particular attention paid to the sharing of income taxes (urban revenue sharing). The final portion shall briefly assess the impact of these transfers and particularly there importance to local government finances.

  As with many other states, the State of Arizona has – for economic and political reasons – placed restrictions on the revenue raising ability of its constituent entities. To minimize individual tax burdens, eliminate inter-jurisdictional tax competition, streamline tax structures and ease tax administration[4]: the state prohibits localities from levying an income tax (ARS 43-201), luxury tax (ARS 42-3002) and limits property tax levels (AZ Constitution Article IX Sections 18(1), 19 and 24), as well as, provides for expenditure limits (AZ Constitution Article IX section 20).[5] Considering the limitations placed on revenue generating schemes, and the fact that the survival of localities is (in the final analysis) the responsibility of the state, revenue sharing has been developed as a schema to ensure the economic and political survival of these sub-state entities: “The state is ultimately accountable for the bulk of domestic services. It has the power to establish local units of government and delegate to them some of its sovereignty in particular areas. The state is obligated (a) to delegate only those functions that can be efficiently performed by the particular unit and that are predominantly local in character and (b) to provide sufficient resources to each unit so that it can fulfill its responsibilities adequately without overburdening its taxpayers in relation to taxpayers in similar circumstances in other areas of the state.”[6]Therefore, from a constitutional and political perspective, the State of Arizona (as the creator of local government) is obliged to ensure the survival and viability of its local entities.

  In addition to the political rationale noted above, we can add demographic shifts, which have occasioned an expansion of urban areas in Arizona, this shift has led to more and more individuals moving into urban areas from Rural Arizona or migrating to the state from other States and nations. This expanded population has put additional strain on local resources, necessitating continued state aid.[7] It has also been argued, that since a majority of the states economic activity occurs within Urban areas: “83 percent of the state’s population lives within a city or town, more than 91 percent of the tax revenue collected by the state originates from financial activities within incorporated communities.”[8], it is only fair that Cities and town receive a portion of state revenues, accrued to the state from activities happening in the localities, this arguments forms the foundation of the “point of origin” rational for revenue sharing, monies should be returned to a jurisdiction in proportion to the contribution that locale makes to the state treasury.[9]

  There also exist economic rationales for intergovernmental transfers Pattengill and Uppal[10] and Bell (1990)[11] identify the following economic rationales for supporting state shared revenue: (I) Externalities, (II) Fiscal Equalization, (III) Equity. Intergovernmental transfers can be used to correct for positive “interjurisdictional spillovers,”[12] which occur when the benefits of a locally provided public good or services accrue to non-residents. In this case, the jurisdiction shall under produce the beneficial good or service, as it does not account for the broader positive externalities. For the locality to produce the optimal amount, a subsidy may need to be provided, to subsidize the provision of said product at the optimal societal level. Fiscal Equalization maybe necessary to ensure that all jurisdictions have the necessary finances to provide a standard quantity and level of service across the state, as localities have varying resources and wealth, intergovernmental transfers may be necessary for poorer localities. Fiscal equalization also accounts for the latter Equity concerns, whereby, citizens within the state, who are at the same economic strata should largely receive similar services regardless of there residence: “On equity grounds, intergovernmental assistance may be desirable if the tax price faced by individuals of equal income in different jurisdictions providing a standard level and quantity of service differ because one jurisdiction is less wealthy than another.”[13]

  As can be seen above, there exist a multitude of reasons, economic and non-economic for intergovernmental fiscal transfers and the development of a state shared revenue system in particular, to ensure that localities are providing the appropriate level and quality of services and are sustainable sub-state entities: “An essential part of keeping Arizona cities whole and operating is our system of revenue sharing. Established decades ago as a trust between Arizona residents and their state government, the revenue-sharing system is based on the belief that the state prospers only when its component parts prosper.”[14]

  There are two broad categories of intergovernmental transfers in Arizona: (i) State Shared revenue and (ii) State appropriated funds. The former, are state aid to local governments from earmarked revenue sources. That is, the funds come from state revenue sources, local governments have no control over the amount of revenue collected, and the funds are distributed by formula rather than returned to the jurisdiction of origin. These funds are typically governed by statute. Examples of such programs include sharing of state income taxes, sales taxes, motor fuel taxes and motor vehicle taxes. The latter are transfers that are provided to localities via the budget appropriations. Programs in this category include school equalization assistance programs, health and hospital aid, law enforcement and justice grants, flood control aid, library grants and disaster aid.[15] Intergovernmental funds can either be categorical (that is earmarked for a specific purpose or general (for general use), and may also require matching commitments from the local government.[16]

  The focus of this paper is necessarily on State-Shared revenue, of which there are a number of programs in Arizona:

  I) Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT):

  A portion of the State’s collected sales tax (or TPT) is designated by statute for distribution to a “distribution base.” According to the Arizona Department of Revenue, the division of the TPT between the “distribution base” and “non-shared base” varies from one category of the tax to the next: “For example retail sales is 40% distribution and 60% non-shared.”[17] Of the monies in the “distribution base” 25% goes to cities, 40.5% to counties and 34.49% to the state.[18] An estimate by the Arizona League of Cities and Towns put the 2009 TPT transfer to cities and town at $374,000,000.[19] This intergovernmental transfer is non-categorical and non-matching; the funds go directly to the general funds of the local authority to be utilized as desired.

  II) Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF)

  These monies come from state gasoline and use fuel taxes, motor vehicle carrier fees, motor vehicle registration fees and other miscellaneous fees.[20] Monies are first allocated to the Arizona Department of Safety and the Economic Strength Project Fund, as well as, any additional allocations as may be deemed necessary by the legislature. The balance of the monies is divided as follows: counties (19%), Cities and town (27.5%), Cities with over 300,000 residents (3%) and the State Highway Fund (50.5%). According to AZ League of Cities and Towns, this accounted for $319,944,000 in state transfers for the year 2009.[21] Article IX section 14 of the State Constitution requires that these funds only be used “solely for highway and street purposes.”[22] This is a non-matching fund.

  III) Local Transportation Assistance Fund (LTAF)

  Funding for this program comes from the State Lottery and Vehicle License Tax (VLT). This is a categorical, matching grant focused on the development of transit services (in cities with more than 50,000 residents) and general transportation (cities with less than 50,000 residents)[23]. It requires a 1:1 matching commitment from the former and a 1:4 commitment for the latter cities. The Arizona League of Cities and Towns estimated the 2009 transfer to have been $23,000,000[24].

  IV) Urban Revenue Sharing.

  This is the final and most significant Revenue Sharing program in Arizona, according to AZ League; transfers were $628,644,630 in 2009 or approximately 47% of the major state transfers to cities. The Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC), but the FY 2009 transfers at $727,662,400.[25] The fund was established in 1972 via a voter initiative, it was enacted as ARS 43-206, which states in part: “There is established an Urban Revenue Fund. The Fund shall consist of an amount equal to fifteen percent of the net proceeds of the state income taxes for the fiscal year two years preceding the current fiscal year.”[26] As noted, the statute provides for the distribution of 15% (though the percentages has been varied through legislation) of the states individual and corporate tax receipts. The statute is a necessary corollary to the Constitutional provisions barring local income taxation. Monies are distributed each year based on receipts from two years prior, thus, FY 09’ transfers were based on FY 07’ revenues. This allows for better planning and revenue management on the part of the revenue department and allows localities to better-forecast revenues. However, basing transfers on two-year-old revenue figures may strain current state resources. Case in point, though state income tax revenues declined by 14% and 25% in FY 08’ and FY 09’ respectively, Urban Revenue Sharing for those two years rose by 24% and 6% respectively, tied as they were to the State’s better fiscal and economic situation in FY 06’ and 07’.[27] Conversely, transfers are likely to experience downward pressure in the next couple of years, based, as they shall be on the poor fiscal and economic situation in FY 08 ‘and FY 09’.

  Urban Revenue Sharing funds are distributed to the localities on a monthly basis, based on their individual share of the “incorporated population” in Arizona.[28] A complicating factor in these methodology, is that the “incorporated population” is based off the decennial census or special census certified by the Census Bureau. Therefore, Cities have an added impetus to continually outdo each other in “population counts.” A situation that is likely to favor rapidly expanding jurisdictions at the expense of smaller ones.

  CONCLUSION:

  Assessing the effectiveness of Revenue Sharing in mitigating fiscal disparities, or ensuring equitable provision of services and its impact on externalities was beyond the scope of this paper. However, it is possible to gauge the importance of State Shared Revenue as compared to own-source revenue. According to the Census Bureau’s report on Government Finance[29] Arizona cities received approximately $2.1 billion dollars in State Transfers in 2007 (latest data), this is against $6.1 billion in own-source revenue. The census data, however, includes $2.5 billion in sales taxes as own-source tax revenue; it is not clear whether or not this includes TPT transfers. Regardless, it is clear that state transfers do form an important and significant portion of local government financing in Arizona, anecdotal evidence of this can be found in the reaction of cities to any attempts at the legislature to reconfigure state shared revenue.[30]

  There are also some larger concerns to be raised about the Intergovernmental transfers in general and Revenue Sharing in particular, these concerns revolve around the effect that such transfers have on the accountability of those who spend the money (being as it is that there is a separation between the revenue-raisers and spenders), as well as, potential unintended spending consequences at the local level, again due to the fact that the spenders do not have to raise the money, and expect it no matter what. A final concern relates to the tying of revenue sharing to the economic conditions of the state (by pegging them to income taxes), this ties the local authorities to the whims of the state economy and may lead to a dependency on the part of localities to State Shared Revenues.

  State-shared revenue programs’ are an important tool to the State government, providing it with an opportunity to ensure that services are provided in an effective, efficient and equitable manner throughout the state. As well as ensuring the viability of these sub-state entities.

  
  

  [1] Morgan, David, England, Robert and Pelissero, John: Managing Urban America 6^th Edition. CQ Press 2007. Pp. 34-37

  [2] Joint Select Committee on State Revenue and Expenditure: “A Fiscal Overview of Local Government in Arizona.” 1989. This document shall henceforth be referred to as (JSCSRE, Fiscal).

  [3] Ibid, 4

  [4] Poelker, John H: “Local Sources of Revenue” in “Sources of Municipal Revenue” Wright Edward T. ed, Charles C. Thomas Publishing 1971. Pp. 61

  [5] All information regarding Arizona Constitution and Statutes retrieved from: [www.azleg.gov] and [www.azleg.gov]

  [6] Quindry, Kenneth: “State Sources of Local Revenue” in Wright ed. “Sources of Municipal revenue” fn. 4. Pp. 54

  [7] For a brief on the impact of “urbanization” see Baker Benjamin “Economics of Taxation” in Wright ed: “Sources of Municipal revenue” fn. 4. Pp. 3 and Pattengill, Robert and Uppal, Jogindar: “Can Cities Survive? The Fiscal Plight of American Cities” St Martin Press, 1974. Pp. 115.

  [8] Strobeck, Ken: “Changes to revenue-sharing system would devastate cities” Arizona Capitol Times, February 8^th 2010

  [9] Arizona State Senate Issue Brief: “State Shared Revenues” October 2006. Pp. 1

  [10] Fn 7, Pp. 115

  [11] Bell, Michael: “Unrestricted State Aid to Cities and Counties.” in McGuire Therese and Naimark Wolfe ed. “State and Local Finance For the 1990’s: A Case Study of Arizona.” School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University, 1991. Pp. 394

  [12] Ibid

  [13] Bell, fn. 11. Pp. 394. See also Pattengill and Uppal, fn 7. Pp. 115-117 and Arizona Joint Select Committee on State Revenues and Expenditures: “State Assistance to Local Governments in Arizona.” 1989. Pp. 30. This latter document shall henceforth be referred to as (JSCSRE, Assistance)

  [14] Fn 8.

  [15] Bell, Pp. 395. Fn 11

  [16] JSCRE, Assistance. Pp. 15

  [17] Arizona Department of revenue “Arizona Tax Facts” February 2010. Pp. 5

  [18] Arizona State Senate fn, 9. Pp. 2

  [19] League of Arizona Cities and Town: “Shared Revenue” March 2009. Pp. 4

  [20] Fn 9 Pp. 3

  [21] Fn 19.

  [22] Fn 5.

  [23] Fn 9.

  [24] Fn 19.

  [25] Joint Legislative Budget Committee: “Historical General Fund Revenue Collection”, 11/18/2009. Pp. 1

  [26] Fn 5.

  [27] Fn 25.

  [28] Bell, Fn 11. Pp. 397.

  [29] Data Retrieved from: [www.census.gov]

  [30] Witness Fn. 8

HIV in Kenya

• Solar Cookers: Free or Just Cheap?

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 1:34 pm by Simon

  I want to find community development projects that either make money or reduce costs that are themselves free or almost free. I've started with a simple solar cooker, made by Solar Cookers International (SCI), in Nairobi. But they cost 500 Kenyan shillings (around £4.50), which would also buy you about 12 kilos of the staple food, ground maize meal. That's food for quite a few people, and I wouldn't blame people for saying 'it's a great idea but I can't afford it now'. Especially when you can buy a charcoal burning stove for about 150 shillings.
  
  Of course, charcoal is a significant expense and people with families can use 15 or more shillings a day worth of it. True, you could point out how much less charcoal you would use if you invested in a solar cooker. But the word 'invest' is the big problem. Many people wouldn't have the amount of money they need to invest all at once. And even if they had the money, they still might use it for something else, such as a solar powered light or a battery powered torch. People use their money as they see fit and make their spending decisions based on their own criteria.
  
  I love SCI's cookers, I use them myself. I have the luxury of being able to afford several, which is ideal on a sunny day. They are also great for demonstrating the concept because they fold up and I can easily carry three or four, along with the other paraphernalia needed to show people how to use them. They are resilient and so simple, I'd recommend them to anyone. They are cheap, but not free.
  
  However, when the money available is a hundred or two hundred shillings a day, perhaps less, these cookers are not going to fly off the shelves. I have tried suggesting to people that they could make their own, given that they are simple and require cheap materials. I've said I would come and help them to make cookers so they would have them for a maximum of about 50 shillings. This has been met with some enthusiasm, but not much. I'm not terribly sure why this is, but I'll be looking out for the explanation.
  
  Anyhow, when you demonstrate the use of solar cookers, people are excited, inspired, even stunned. They start off by dismissing the possibility of cooking with a piece of shiny cardboard, regardless of whether you paint the pots black or any other colour. But when they see their everyday foods cooked they are speechless. Even ugali, the tasteless and almost nutrition-free (it's pure starch) staple, boiled maize meal, cooks far more easily than it does on a charcoal stove. At least some people are interested. But there's still the problem of cost.
  
  So after demonstrating their use in Salgaa, half an hour West of Nakuru, I said I'd come back and help people to make them. They make all sorts of things themselves, so cutting out a shape in cardboard and sticking on shiny paper shouldn't be a problem. The cardboard can come from large boxes and the shiny paper could be aluminium foil. These are cheap. Compared to the manufactured solar cooker, it's really cheap, almost free. But that doesn't impress people. They have to pay for cardboard boxes, they are very useful. And aluminium foil is not cheap enough for some people, though the amount you'd need for a solar cooker is small.
  
  Well, it's possible to get large amounts of cardboard very cheaply, perhaps free, if you look in the right places. And it's possible to get very good reflective paper, very durable, much better than aluminium foil. I wandered the streets looking for products that use this material and discovered that new vehicle wheels are wrapped in this untearable material, which is almost shiny enough to see your face in. Also, supermarket products, such as chocolate, sweets, tea and various other things are wrapped in similar materials.
  
  I knew I would be met with more objections, we don't have a car, we don't eat chocolate, etc. But neither do I have a car nor do I eat most of these products. The thing is, someone does. They are not stacked in the supermarkets for no reason. And when people have finished with things, they throw them away. Over the fence, in a ditch, anywhere. Occasionally, they throw things in a bin and they end up in a dump. But still, this means that this great reflective material is available, you just have to look.
  
  I looked and enquired and asked whoever I could think of. I was met with complete incomprehension when I said I didn't want to buy vehicle tires. But when it was realised that I placed a value on the material they were wrapped in, availability suddenly dropped. It was clear that I would have to pay money if I wanted this stuff, being white, and therefore incalculably rich. But the people who were going to make the solar cookers, they wouldn't have to pay money. Not much, anyhow. And people here are good at finding things they need or getting them very cheaply. So I left it up to them to collect the materials.
  
  This hasn't worked so well. On the appointed day, I turned up to find 40 people, 2 cardboard boxes, one too small to be of much use, and three wrappers, around half a square meter of reflective material altogether. But I had brought glue and glue brushes and most of the materials were there to make a start. I said what had to be done and sat down and told people to go ahead. Eventually one person volunteered and a few others joined in. They couldn't complete the cooker, but I think it was clear to everyone there how easy it is to make the cooker. I'm just hoping that they will also see that they have to collect the materials needed, because I can't do that.
  
  Of course, for less than £200 I could buy every person there a solar cooker. For about £50, I could supply them with all the materials to make their own. But how sustainable is that, for a start? And how many people would use the solar cooker if I presented them with it for free? This would not be sustainable, not at all. And I have given people with plenty of education and free time presents of solar cookers. Not one of them has used it. I know solar cooking is a hard sell, in terms of people actually using the technology. And I also know that you can't just thrust it on people.
  
  It's going to take more time. There are community leaders in Salgaa who are very keen. Slowly, we will push the issue and hope that even a handful of people will start to find some way of including the solar cooker in their day to day lives. Who knows what the result will be. Solar cookers are not the only example of free or almost free community development projects, but this is the first time that I have tried one of them with the aim of establishing 'free or almost free' as a development model (or micro model). It's early days and I'll report back in due course.

The 411...

• Social Outcast…

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 12:55 pm by kipsang

• Google Calculator fails…

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 12:36 pm by kipsang

• What’s the use?

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 12:24 pm by kipsang

• The Placenta Party of Kenya…

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 12:06 pm by kipsang

  AUTHOR’S NOTE: Last week, Esther Arunga & Joseph Hellon held another press conference to reveal how insane they are. Their political party is called The Placenta Party of Kenya because according to Hellon, the country’s in a “gestation period” with its tagline being “Taking back Kenya, change we can count on.” Catch how Esther & Hellon [...]

• Don’t add your boss to Facebook…

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 9:49 am by kipsang

Thinking Kenyan

• Caroline Mutoko hits out at Esther Arunga

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 5:58 am by Ernest

  One of Kenya's most popular radio hos Caroline Mutoko has come out hitting hard on Esther Arunga controversial escapades with Hellon's Finger of Church God,and now her alleged marriage to Quincy Timberlake.Carol wrote a piece in the Nairobi star newspaper and dedicated a better part of her morning show castigating Ms Arunga.
  
  here is a piece from her newspaper article:
  
  " Watching you and hearing you talk in the last weeks has led me to the conclision that you are just spoilt and shallow.Watching you for the lat couple of weeks has convinced me beyond reasonable doubt that you are an attention hungry, manipulative little wench who's enjoying every minute of this madness.
  
  If people didn't care,you'd have been run out of town by nowand rightly so- you have the makings of a tragic soap opera and i don't feel sorry for you.
  
  Curses be upon you.I curse you today as you have indeed been cursed in heaven.You are a spoilt brat and its time we saw you for who you really are."
  
  These are just small excerpts of the whole article.The rest of the article goes on to say that its media stupidity that created Esthers farce.The article has lots of verbal attacks directed at Esther's personality and her rationality.
  
  Following Caroline Mutoko's article a couple of days letter,readers responded in defence of Esther and many accused Caroline Mutoko of shoddy journalism in writing such a piece in a well circulated mainstream newspaper.
  
  Meanwhile Esther Arunga was released on bail after being charged with belonging to an illegal association.
  
  If she's found guilty,she might serve 1 year in jail or be fined an amount not more than 1 million kshs.

the-xposer

• Quote of the week

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 4:38 am by ombui

  ...A wise man never knows that he is wise, but a foolish one knows he is foolish~ Jared Ombui

Maitũ nĩ Ma Itũ (Our Mother is Our Truth)

• Ibuku rĩa Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, “Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir,” nĩ rĩroimire

  Posted: March 13, 2010, 3:08 am by Gatua wa Mbũgwa

  Ibuku rĩa Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, “Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir,” nĩ rĩroimire na rĩ matukainĩ ma mabuku. Hihinya mandĩko maya me haha mũhuro ũthome mabaaro ma ibuku rĩĩrĩ:Marie Arana reviews 'Dreams in a Time of War' by Ngugi wa Thiong'oChildhood memories of war and colonialismWorld Books Review: African ‘Dreams in a Time of War’Dreams in a time of war: Memories of childhood» by Ngugi

TRUTHSPEAK

• Dear Esther.....Love Carol

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 1:19 am by Gigee Nyaga

  Dear Esther, SPARE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  DEAR ESTHER,
  THIS letter is not a woiyee "Esther wetu amepotea"missive. Clay Muganda in his article "the Goddess had To Be Crazy" got me thinking last week, and after seeing and hearing you spew out more of your usual rubbish, I came to the conclusion
  that you're just spoilt and shallow and Clay is right. The media created the monster you are today. Watching you over the last couple of days has convinced
  me beyond doubt that you are an attention hungry, manipulative little wench who's enjoying every minute of this madness even as those who really care about you anguish over you and your plight. That you were able to find comfort in the arms and the house of an egomaniac who loves the spotlight and thinks the world of himself, that you would announce to the world that you are married to a man whose name is Frizzle Dog says a lot, that there isn't much to you. Incidentally, stop yelling at everyone who shows a little concern for you - you are fortunate, indeed truly blessed to have this many people give a monkeys about you. If people didn't care, you'd have been laughed out of town by now and rightly so - you have the makings of a tragic soap opera written all over you and I'm
  done feeling sorry for you. I don't even know why anyone was concerned for you, this is what you wanted and to your credit you told us as much three weeks ago. Didn't you say it was media stupidity? How apt. If you find my language harsh, take another hit of whatever you're smoking, you should be fine. That you are a grown woman with a right to do what you please, is not in doubt. Heck I'm sure in my life-time I will do a few things that will have people question my sanity and even my credibility. What concerns all of us is the fact that you seem hell-on-bent on destroying yourself, all the while wearing green eyeshadow and talking crap.
  Woman, get a grip.The Placenta Party? Mel Gibson? Larry King? Are you really buying this crap, because we're not and we're wondering what's wrong with you.
  By the by, stop looking smug... you're not the first woman to go nuts over some
  "Jesus-talking-charismatic- horn-blowing nobody". You just happen to be in the
  spotlight. What baffles me is that you believe in all this lunacy which has caused you to ridicule, shame and curse your parents. Which God do you claim to
  worship? The God of Abraham and Moses who told us to honour our father and our mother or the God of Hell-on (the name says it all)who believes he is better than your parents - God's representatives on earth? Let's go to the Bible:
  Leviticus 20:9 If there is anyone who
  curses his father or his mother, he shall
  surely be put to death; he has cursed
  his father or his mother, his blood
  guiltiness is upon him.
  Proverbs 20:20 He who curses his
  father or his mother, His lamp will go
  out in time of darkness. .
  Matthew 15:4 "For God said, 'honour
  your father and mother,' and, 'he who
  . speaks evil of father or mother is to be
  put to death: ,
  Mark 7:10 "for Moses said, 'honour
  your father and your mother'; and, Speak no evil of your parents.
  He who speaks evil of father or mother, is
  to be put to death'
  Where"in the bible does it say you can break your mother's heart, humiliate your
  father and cast scorn on them? Curses be upon you. I curse you today as you have indeed been cursed in' heaven. I curse you in the name of the very God you claim to worship - you are a fraud. That your parents love you, lavish you with affection and would do anything in their power to have their daughter back is not lost on any of us. How many girls,in this country wish they had your chances, your blessings and above all parents who hold them so dear? You're a spoilt brat, as one of my colleagues said, and it's time we saw you for what you really are.
  Frank Njenga's time was wasted on you - there's nothing wrong with YOU,heck
  you're bionic woman going by your great escape accounts. Watching you over the last couple of days has convinced me without a doubt, that you are very much within your senses, you love the attention, you are shamelessly myopic and arrogant, you bask in the numerous press conferences Hellon calls to stroke his ego and above all you deserve everything you get when this blows over and mark my words it will. Esther, a cute television presenter does not a leader make. To Hell-on with you and touche! It is media stupidity that created the farce that you are and the same media that must have the smarts to step away from it.
  
  Carolyne Mutoko
  
  ****Contact me for the actual article: truthspeakera@gmail.com
  
  

Opalo's weblog

• those opposed to the creation of an unrepresentative senate have a point

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 1:08 am by kenopp

  The Kenyan Draft Constitution seems to have hit a snag. A section of parliamentarians are opposed to the section of the proposed constitution that gives all counties equal powers via their elected senators. I agree with them. The to-be-formed senate, as currently constituted, grants too much power to sparsely populated counties. Theoretically, this should not [...]

Queeattitude

• FOR THE LOVE OF GOD II

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 12:07 am by Naughty feeling

  When he mentioned the local church I was lost for words as we made a quick turn. The smell was nauseating and I was almost panicking as he tried to awaken his friend.
  
  We drew up the church's short driveway with my aunt getting off the car as if she was some tout. They carried him into the church as I watched in terror wondering if I had been too rush with my decision to be of assistance. I shrugged it off as I brusquely walked into the church.
  
  
  The local pastor was bent over the victim dabbing him with antiseptic. He was groaning now (which was a good thing!!). The man we brought with us was now explaining that the villagers had found out that the victim was gay and they were in his own words: 'straightening him out'. His voice droned on as I drifted into thought of the repercussion of my intervention. I chided myself for my selfishness in not being able to see past my nose and the big picture of a life spared. Pastor Eric (that was his name) got on the phone and spoke in hushed tones. In ten minutes a lady dressed as a nurse appeared and attended to Charles (the victim), who was now seated upright drinking a glass of water and seemed to be lucid.
  
  James (the Saviour) was also in a panic as to his fate. So far he had told us that Charles' jilted lover had sold him out as he had refused to continue their relationship. My young aunt seemed to be absorbing the details without regarding the graveness. Pastor Eric came over and thanked me for bringing Charles over and that This wasn't the first time such a situation had occurred, he proceeded into detail of past events of similarity as I drifted in and out wondering what next.
  
  Cecilia the nurse gave a clean bill and I explained to the pastor that my aunt and I had to beg leave. As I went to bid this stranger fate had brought into my life, I had a feeling of despondency thinking that it could have been me on the church pew. The only thing that was different were the circumstances of our lives. I took the pastor's number with the intention of following up on the incident.
  
  James feared to come along with us, and we left him behind. The pastor walked us to the car and bid us farewell. Strangely enough as we drove home in silence my fear abated and resolute confidence replaced it. I had made a difference in my own small way, and I had contributed though out of impulse than thought to the saving of Charles' life. I was sure nothing would make me regret my descision, nothing!
  
  As we drove into my grandma's home the look on my father's face and his 'ready to pounce' stance changed my resolute confidence into a chilling fear...

Rugby in Kenya

• UGANDA RUGBY COUSINS OF KENYA RUGBY

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 11:32 pm by The Real KRFU

  INTRIGUE IN NATIONAL TEAM COACHING ROLES Friday, 12 March 2010 16:04 On June Monday 15th June URU secretariat advertised all national team management posts at all levels from U16 to the senior Rugby Cranes for both men and women. What raised most eyebrows were the stiff minimum requirements for the jobs. We reproduce a copy of the job advert below: Uganda

Mary Baker Eddy Illustrated Quotes

• Unfolding new views of divine goodness

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 9:16 pm by ajgks

  
  Spiritual development germinates not from seed sown in the soil of material hopes, but when these decay, Love propagates anew the higher joys of Spirit, which have no taint of earth. Each successive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love. Pg 66- Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy

Relationship Check-up

• Baby Interruptus - Marriage After Babies

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 7:49 pm by Relationship Education

  The birth of our first son launched my efforts to help young couples thrive in their first years of marriage. We now have two preschooler boys so the craziness of being a first time parent is waning but boy was it a ride! In between night feedings, mystery burps, checking the color of the baby's rear end 'product' and sleep time drama - romance and sex took a beating!
  
  If women are honest, we resent men for not needing to recover from child birth. They are unaware of new hormonal changes that make us crave or hate them! We crave their hugs but resent that wondering hand suggesting more. I'm reading the book 'Baby Proofing Your Marriage' and these ladies were reading my mind! Its the most realistic book I've read on how couples act once they become parents.
  
  
  
  
  Babies are the sweetest creatures on the planet, but they don't encourage romance! 'Baby interruptus' occurs when you are finally getting your groove on and your sleeping baby starts wailing! No 'happy ending' for either of you and that makes one cranky morning! Don't give up just yet, there is hope around the corner.
  
  With a little humor and planning, you'll discover golden moments when the baby sleeps and you can finally spend some quality time together. Keeping a sense of humor is the greatest asset during your baby's first year. Learn to schedule your romance because spontaneity clashes with baby's little plans.
  
  We also learnt, you MUST go on a date within a couple of weeks after baby's birth or adoption. Get a trusted friend, relative or a church "parents night out" to watch the baby. You need the sanity of stepping away for a moment and remembering you are a person with grown up needs craving grown up attention.
  
  A sanity saving idea is to drop unrealistic expectations and welcome the word 'flexibility' to your home. If you are a nursing mom and constantly worried if the little one will take the bottle from someone else, get creative.  Plan to go on a date after the baby's bed time - you will avoid needing the sitter to feed him/her. A date night might also consist of feeding and bringing baby along on the date so she/he can sleep as you chat over your meal. There's no wrong or right way,  find out what works for you and your spouse and take care of your romantic lives!
  
  Spending time away from the baby will greatly impact how you feel about romance in your marriage. Most husbands want to care for the baby but we cling to the duties like a badge of honor! Communication is the greatest asset you will have during the baby's first year - express what you need in clear specific terms. Your partner cannot read your mind! How have you dealt with your romantic life after giving birth?

The Mimi Project

• Its funny

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 6:09 pm by 06mickey

  …or is it weird That I sometimes think there are several of me [I know just how wrong and impossible that statement just sounded] There’s the overly emotional me who is always making decisions for me , like if I’m going to publish this post or not, and the logical, cold, unfeeling me. There’s the me who will [...]

Valentia

• Blame theories

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 5:51 pm by Val

  There are two schools of thought that one of my beloveds and I were discussing today. First theory If all the guys/ girls you have dated in the past have fallen in the categories given below, there must be something wrong with you. Note the emphasis is on all (ok or majority). Therefore the sooner you learn [...]

bankelele

• Urban Inflation Index: March 2010

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 3:53 pm by bankelele

  Tracking changes in the three month ago in December 2009, as well as to six months as well as one year ago in March 2009 In 2010 government has shifted adjusted inflation basket to have a better measure of inflation that is less weighted on food. Let’s see how they compare Gotten Cheaper Staple Food: Maize flour which is used to make Ugali that is eaten by a majority of Kenyans daily. A 2 kg.

Still Proud to be Kenyan.

• Blogging Hiatus and Entrepreneurship Progress

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 3:29 pm by Marvin K. Tumbo

  This is not one of those “I am sorry I have not blogged for a while” kind of posts. God No! This is me coming back to a blog I love to talk about the past few months that I have barely posted here and what I have been up to. So last year I decided

Rugby in Kenya

• Weekend Games

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 3:09 pm by DataMiner

  Kenya Cup rugby enters the crucial rounds with jostling for the top four positions. The top seeded teams now meet each other with on of the middle group hoping to sneak into the top four and grab a semi final position. With the league being this short and with the format of a one-off semi final and final, I do not think season form will matter much come the last two games. With that said and

Martyns in Africa

• He made it home!

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 2:20 pm by Taylor

  Taylor arrived safe and sound in Nairobi a few hours ago. He got some lunch, a nap and is enjoying a hot shower. Thanks for all your prayers. Updates about his trip will be up soon!

Black Looks

• Women of Jos protest in Abuja

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 12:46 pm by Sokari

  Nigerian women dressed in Black marched in Abuja to protest the massacres taking place in Plateau State. The women demanded the removal of the military commander in charge of security, Maj-Gen. Saleh Maina. Once again the Nigerian military, who were supposed to be protecting the women and the villages, [...]

Kenyan Community Initiative Support

• Update on Esther

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 12:13 pm by BabaMzungu

  It looks as if the young Gusii girl lodged at an orphanage in Kajiado will be moving back to her homeland.
  
  We have had an offer of sponsorship from a family in the USA which will cover her daily needs and schooling.
  
  This is indeed good news and we are very happy of the outcome. The authorities at Kajiado have been informed, so we are hoping that Esther will be repatriated very soon.
  
  Update on the Update: Esther will be taking the bus on Monday morning to be returned to her homeland of Kisii. By all accounts, she is very excited!
  
  Update 15/3/2010: Esther has arrived in Kisii and is settling in well.

Kenyan Community Initiative Support

• Update on Esther

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 12:13 pm

  It looks as if the young Gusii girl lodged at an orphanage in Kajiado will be moving back to her homeland.
  
  We have had an offer of sponsorship from a family in the USA which will cover her daily needs and schooling.
  
  This is indeed good news and we are very happy of the outcome. The authorities at Kajiado have been informed, so we are hoping that Esther will be repatriated very soon.
  
  Update on the Update: Esther will be taking the bus on Monday morning to be returned to her homeland of Kisii. By all accounts, she is very excited!
  
  Update 15/3/2010: Esther has arrived in Kisii and is settling in well.

The 411...

• Iron Man II – Official Trailer 2…

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 11:37 am by kipsang

  AUTHOR’S NOTE: Scarlett Johansson is so fine!

Excellent Hands

• Am Beautiful ; - )

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 11:30 am by Wanjiru

  I missed his call
  Combing my afro....
  
  I returned his call
  He called me beautiful.....!
  
  'said I was lovely company....nah, retook the words, asked me to sit...said I was beautiful company....
  
  White sweet wine, custard and chocolate ripple... usta!....
  
  Morn' awoke my senses to the aroma of pink....
  
  Tonight, dinner
  
  Am sixteen goin' unto seventeen
  
  I missed his call
  Combing my afro....
  
  I returned his call
  He called me beautiful....!
  
  Me.

The Diary of a Kenyan Campus Girl

• Wacky Wednesday

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 11:23 am by savvy08

  This post was first published at Butterfly The day started great. Even a bad day starts well. I got to work in time, and met Moneyman at the stairs, waiting and watching as I walked across the expansive lobby that is the reception. He said when I reached the stairs: “I like the way you walk. So [...]

Wanjiku's Take...

• ICANN security concerns may have benefitted all parties

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 10:48 am by rebecca

  For the ICANN local organizing committee, today is a great day, it is the last day of the meeting, which by any standards can be considered a success considering the security video produced by ICANN just before the meeting.

  From December last year, the LOC was involved more in answering security questions, whether the ruling coalition will break and whether the Al Shabab terrorist group will get away from the lucrative piracy along the gulf of Aden to attack KICC. No one denied that there were security concerns but thats a common denominator for many countries, rich or poor.

  In retrospect, I think the whole security debate benefitted Kenya and to some extent the continent. ICANN meetings have geographical rotation and am sure issues of security will come up the next time Africa is meant to host the meeting.

  For Kenya, the successful meeting is vital, given that the Internet Governance Forum will be held in the country next year. If the IGF raises the security issues, Kenya can point to ICANN and the security video, and the success that was achieved.

  To ICANN, the remote participation was good, the online participation matrix was shared before the meeting started and the parallel meetings in the US now look a bit ill advised.

  The 100mb bandwidth at the conference venue was very stable, I did not experience any hitches, even during the opening ceremony, where there were at least 100 laptops on; everyone at ICANN at least carries a laptop but not all were on at the time.

  For the ICANN participants who danced at the Carnivore till 4am, it just shows that they were enjoying the hospitality and the good things that the country has to offer. For those who took the Safaris, that is better than the caged animals out there.

  The meeting was optional for many people but for those in the new gTLD debate, it was important to have the two minutes on the mic in the public forum. Even members of the Government Advisory Committee took the mic, led by Bertrard De La Chapelle from France, who took the 2 minute Mic like 20 times, just to emphasize the importance of public sessions.

  For the ICM guys, the Independent Review Committee and those interested in matters of transparency in ICANN, the .xxx debate was important and their presence is vital, even in the face of security concerns.

  So, the meeting had lessons and successes for everyone; with more than 1000 people picking their conference bags, I think the meeting was a success and offers vital lessons to others holding meetings in Nairobi.

  Ends

  
  

Kenyantykoon's Blog

• DOCUMENTS NEEDED IN SECURITY ANALYSIS

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 9:43 am by kt

  When one wants to seriously invest in stocks, one just doesn’t google “best media hyped stocks for 2009” and the first option that comes up is what he/she will put his money in. No. That is when the work begins because the has to find the stocks that have the best chance of giving him [...]

Let's Explore!

• Taxi Driver In India Uses Youtube to Find Customers

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 9:06 am by wham

  So, I read this over at Alootechie and felt that I had to share it with you, dear readers.

  Apparently, Divesh Mishra, an Indian taxi driver was worried that his business was going down. This was in January 2008 when the Indian travel industry was experiencing a downturn. Divesh knew he had to do something to keep his business going.

  “I wanted to advertise about my services but could not do that as I did not have much funds,” Mishra said. “This was the time when I met a friend from Singapore. He was one of my customers and I discussed my problems with him. He then suggested me to upload a video on YouTube. Though I knew about internet, I had never heard about YouTube before.” (Source)

  The rest, as they say, is history. Divesh’s video has been viewed 24,000+ times and he reportedly gets hundreds of emails a week – from foreigners asking about his services for when they visit India. According to Mishra it was amazing to get such response and this made him understand the power of internet. “It was a wise decision as I eventually understood that I could not have reached those consumers if I had advertised on some other media. Internet helped me to reach out to foreign customers,” he said.

  Embracing the internet changes lives, and businesses. What about you, though? What are you doing to tap onto the opportunities provided by the internet?

  Similar Posts:

  • Outsourcing to India
  • How to Download Flash Movies and Games, and Youtube Videos
  • How To Make 3,000,000+ a Month
  • Advertising On Like Chapaa
  • Rich Dad, Poor Dad Part 1

  
  

Thinking Kenyan

• Telkom Orange broadband is a rip off

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 8:38 am by Ernest

  After signing forms for a telkom landline,it took telkom a month to do a survey,almost two months to fix for me the landline,and another 2 weeks to come and connect me to their broadband internet using the livebox!
  
  I had applied for a 1mb connection,but ended up with a 512kbps since according to them,the telephone lines in my area only support 512kbps.
  
  Its been now 3 days since i have been using their service.I must say that it has good times and bad times!
  I have been forced to reset my connections on the livebox several times because of timeouts and disconnections.
  I did a speedtest on the connection and i was surprised that i was only getting 384kbps.a 20 Mb file takes me somewhere between 10-15 minutes to download.Youtube takes forever to stream and am forced to download the file.
  
  The worst part is non of the other ISP's have a service for where i live.I would advice anyone who is thinking of Telkom Broadband o just forget it.Customer care is virtually non-existent,so if you encounter problems,you will be forced to sort it out on your own.

• Back to blogging!

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 8:35 am by Ernest

  I am officially back to blogging.When i started my first post,i never knew how much time consuming blogging can be.many people would send me emails asking for clarification on certain posts,and i was simply unprepared.But after a long absence.I am gonna be more serious.I promise!
  
  So hope you all welcome me back to the world of blogging!

SIMON KITURURU- MAWAZONI

• Asante SHAHAWA,...

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 6:00 am by SIMON KITURURU

  ...kwa kusababisha hata MAMBA MKALI kutaga MAYAI  mbayo hayatakuwa  VIZA kwa kukosa VIRUTUBISHO!:-(
  
  Ndio,...
  ...kuna wasahauo KUMSHUKURU  JOGOO na kushukuru TU kimiminika cha jogoo kimuingiacho KUKU kwa kuwa kimerutubisha MAYAI YA KUKU  ili mayai YAPATE ujauzito yazae VIFARANGA  kwa kuwa kimiminika cha JOGOO kilisaidia , ingawa JOGOO MWENYEWE ndiye aliye shikilia  kiuno ambacho katika SHUGHULI ndio siri ya mafanikio ya mayai ya kuku kupata  VIRUTUBISHO.:-(
  
  Swali:
  

  • Si unajua kishukuriwacho MIMBA YA BATA IKIPATIKANA  labda kimsaada wala sio kilichokuwa muhimu ZAIDI katika swala la BATA kupata mimba?

  
  
  NDIO,......kwa bahati mbaya kuna WASHUKURUO kimiminika cha JOGOO na kumsahau KUKU na  punje zake   za kizazi ,...
  ... na katika hilo  KUSAHAU bila KUKU hakuna kitakachototoleka kwa kuwa bila KUKU mwenye  sehemu  za ZA SIRI za kuingizwa kimiminika cha JOGOO MWENYE NYEGE  ,... kile cha kuku chenye mchepuo wenye NANIIHII hakitajazwa mimba ambayo ili ijazwe ujanja,... UJANJA  unahitaji KUKU NA MARINGO YAKE ili  mayai yapate KIRUTUBISHO.:-(
  
  
  
  
  Swali:
  

  • Unauhakika unapatia kulenga kihitajiwacho na ahitajiwaye  KUSHUKURIWA?
  • ASANTE zako unauhakika  HUWA unashukuru kukatiwa kiuno au kisababishacho UWEZO wa  kukata kiuno UWEPO  uletao maana katika faraja zako?

  
  

  • Ni mara ngapi kama wewe unaamini MUNGU umemshukuru MAJALIWA kwa kukuwezesha kupata nyege?

  • SI unakumbuka labda sio  MKULIMA aliyesababisha kulikuwa na chakula ulichokula leo?

  
  NAKATIZA WAZO!:-(
  ASANTE kwa yote  WEYE na WOTE lakini,....... kwa kuwa labda naandika huu UjingaBUSARA  kwakuwa LABDA NAHISI KUNA mtu anasoma!:-(
  
  NIMEACHA na samahani kwa kupindisha WAZO na kwa matumizi ya LUGHA ambayo  kwa MHESHIMIWA asiye ita BELESHI -beleshi ni NYOKO!:-(
  IJUMAA na WIKIENDI NJEMA Mheshimiwa !
  
  
  Au NGOJEA tubadili na twende kusikiliza ya  MUNGU kikiristo  kwa kupata wimbo mwanana kutoka kwa  ROSE MUHANDO akitonya ndude-Mungu Wangu nitakushukuru
  
  
  
  
  Au Zain Bhikha atonye kwa mkao wa KIISLAMU katika -A is for Allah
  
  
  
  Na   MAKASSY arudishe KITU NYUTRO  nilivyo katika  ndude -MAMBO BADO
  

• KAMA unakumbuka BUSARA YA ulichofundishwa SHULE YA VIDUDU!:-(

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 5:59 am by SIMON KITURURU

  
  
  Labda ,......SHULE ya kuishi na WATU KATIKA MAISHA ulishaIMALIZA kwa ULIYOJIFUNZA shule  ya VIDUDU a.k.a CHEKECHEA.:-(
  
  
  Swali:
  
  

  • Unakumbuka CHEKECHEA wanafundishwa nini hata kama wewe hukuenda hizo shule ziitwazo za VIDUDU?

  
  TWAWEZA KUJIKUMBUSHA lakini kuwa busara za chekechea  hazina maringo katika KUTEKENYA UMUHIMU kwa kuwa  ukiwa chekechea UTAFUNZWA yaleyale ya muhimu  sana MAISHANI kama:
  

  • KABLA ya kula OSHA mikono

  • UKIMALIZA kula osha MIKONO

  • KABLA ya kuvuka barabara angalia pande zote uhakikishe hakuna gari

  
  
  

  • KABLA ya kunya vua chupi na usinye pembeni ya choo

  • UKIMALIZA kunya chamba na osha mikono

  
  
  

  • USIMFINYE mwenzio

  
  

  • KUJAMBA mbele za wenzio ni tabia MBAYA

  
  

  • USIMUIBIE penseli, peremende AU KARANGA mwenzio

  
  
  

  • KAMA unaumwa sema
  • Waheshimu BABA na MAMA

  
  

  • Na kama.....NA kadhalika kadhaa za nk...

  
  
  
  SWALI
  
  

  • Umeanza kukumbuka MAFUNDISHO hayo?
  • Unafikiri ukifuata hayo tu uwezi kula BINGO maishani hasa ukikumbuka digirii zako huruka somo la USIMFINYE MWENZIO?

  
  
  
  NAACHA!
  Lakini ni wazo tu hili MHESHIMIWA!:-(
  
  
  
  
  Lakini LABDA endelea nami KUSIKILIZA HAWA ambao wasemacho  kama umefundwa  weye  utaendelea tu kuwa MHESHIMIWA hata wakati uwasikilizao ni  DAS EFX kama tu enzi zile za ndude -ALRIGHT
  
  
  AU Fu-Schnickens waendelee tu na wajanja wajuao hizi ndude wakiri kama wanajua nani ni - True Fuschnick
  
  
  
  AU tu MAD LION abadili kidogo lakini AACHIE mchezo uleule katika  -REAL TING
  

Opalo's weblog

• jeffrey gettleman is back

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 5:55 am by kenopp

  Texas in Africa has a piece on Gettleman’s style of journalism. Mr. Gettleman is of course not new to this type of criticism. I have voiced my opinion on his reporting style a few times before. This is not an argument for the mis-representation of the goings on on the Continent. (By all means tell [...]

SCHOOL FOR THE GIRLS

• Power of SIlence

  Posted: March 12, 2010, 4:34 am by school for the girls

  this is what I've learnt today:
  
  Silence heals
  it is not a weakness as we think
  
  Silence is a strong weapon
  
  I know silence is a gift.
  
  if you are troubled take a moment and reflect in silence and you will be healed.Girls (member of school for the girls) Have started some income generating programes, where they sale some African Kikoy fabrics (check on the side bar). you can buy one Kikoy fabric for 20 us dollars to support the Girls or pay school fee for one girl ang get one kikoy free!!!

Kenya Christian

• Movie Seen! Soul Boy

  Posted: March 11, 2010, 1:43 am by KenyaChristian

  Soul Boy is a film by Ghanian-Kenyan director Hawa Essuman, shot in the famous Nairobi slum Kibera. This film by German production company One Fine Day Films and Goethe-Institut revolves around Abila (Samson Odhiambo), a fourteen year old boy growing up and experiencing life’s lessons in this poor environment. Kibera is a place that has just experienced post-election violence and Abila has to navigate his way through this environment, while at the same time just trying to be a normal teenager.
  
  Abila wakes up on what seems like just another day to find that his father is bed-ridden with illness; his soul has been stolen he tells his teenage son. Troubled and worried as there is no one to run their kiosk, Abila sets off to find out how he can help his father. Through the help of his friend Ciku (Leila Dayan Opou) he goes to see a witch who gives him seven tasks to complete if he wants to see his father recover. The film then progresses from here with Abila having various encounters in this modern day Nairobi adventure.
  Soul Boy immediately a present day tale, with the teenage protagonist encountering the various issues in the slums; including tribalism, violence, crime and superstition.  Soul Boy lays the issue of tribalism on the table and shows how tribes are distrustful of each other especially after the 2007/08 post-election violence. We all know that young Kenyans are being tribalized by politicians and elders, but it is still troubling to watch it portrayed on screen. You feel very angry when you watch Abila (a Luo) trying to balance his friendship with his boys, while still hanging out with his girl-friend Ciku(a Kikuyu).  It is sad that Kenyans have to make such choices in their everyday lives because of tribal myths and mistrust. Ciku in one scene asks Abila “why didn’t you want to be seen walking with me?” and it is heartbreaking.
  The aspect of spirituality (occult if you will) and myths is also potrayed in a refreshingly non-judgmental way. Abila hears of a witch called Nyawawa (Krysteen Savane) and bravely goes to see her to see if she can help him. If you thought traditional superstitions are dead in modern-day city life then Soul Boy does away with that notion as it defly makes the idea of consulting a witch just another aspect of slum life. The scene where Abila meets the witch and she is giving him the tasks is quite original if only for the camera work and lighting.
  Perhaps the theme of this movie that most hits you upside the head is that of poverty. Soul Boy has one the most vivid and troubling showing of the rich-poor divide that I have seen in a Kenyan made film so far. Abila, while following someone one day finds himself in a white-owned household (presumably settlers’ descendants) in the leafy suburb of Karen. I felt genuinely angry at the contrast between the slums of Kibera and the opulence of protected Karen life, and audibly sighed once or twice. While at this house he finds himself completing one of the tasks and this is the best scene of the film.
  Soul Boy is a movie that was completed in six weeks, and was written by local writer Billy Kahora who does a great job with a first-class and engaging script. There are some lovely performances by all the actors, but a favourite is Abila’s girlfriend Ciku, who potrays a fiercely independent and intelligent teenage girl, not afraid to speak her mind . In one scene, she laments on how all the boys in the neighbourhood are idiots during an argument with Abila. Hawa Essuman clearly did a great job with these two main characters. You really believe that they are best friends who would do anything for each other, and this shows Hawa’s good casting choices. The camera work in this film is also top-notch and the beauty of Nairobi, which many of us may miss in our daily hustle is tenderly captured here. Soul Boy manages to create a touching tale of slum life in Kenya and how people still find hope, adventure, love, friendship and family amid the squalor.
  
  
  A positive aspect of Soul Boy is that 80% of those involved with the film are Kenyans, but one still cannot ignore the fact that it is funded by a German company. It is a sad indictment of this country’s arts industry that we still have to rely on foreign funding to create our own stories. Maybe those involved in the Kenyan film-industry need to be more forceful and united in getting local funding and support for their projects. Soul Boy is a good film (it won audience award at Rotterdam Film Festival) but there is no reason this could not have been a 100% Kenyan-made film. All in all, Soul Boy a step in the right direction and announces the arrival of Hawa Essuman, a talented filmmaker who could become a force to be reckoned with in the Kenyan film industry.
  "One of the best Kenyan films I have seen in a long time, maybe ever. Go see it, support Kenyan talent."
  KC  rating: 4 /5 Stars
  (Soul Boy is now playing at Silverbird Prestige Plaza for a limited two week run. Also look out for the DVD.)

  
  

The Godfather

• Kenya Police in cold-blooded murder action....AGAIN.....

  Posted: March 11, 2010, 1:05 am by Abantu

  DONT MESS WITH KENYAN COPS.... Now the Kenyan Police Force is becoming ridiculously notorious for being a totally trigger happy lot. Imagine this scenario as reported by Daily Nation. Some chaps doing genuine business on their 'boda boda' bikes (motorcycle public service vehicular mode) and in direct competition with cab drivers somehow come to some misunderstanding and a scuffle between both

• My daddy was......

  Posted: March 11, 2010, 12:47 am by Abantu

  My daddy was.....  left to right: Wuod Raila, Mr. World Bank MD and Mutongoria Kenyatta..... all sons of.....

Mary Baker Eddy Illustrated Quotes

• Mind creates His own likeness in ideas

  Posted: March 11, 2010, 12:10 am by ajgks

  Mind creates His own likeness in ideas, and the substance of an idea is very far from being the supposed substance of non-intelligent matter. Hence the Father Mind is not the father of matter.
  - Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy

The 411...

• A Total Different Look At Abortion…

  Posted: March 11, 2010, 8:21 pm by kipsang

  A worried woman went to her gynecologist & said, “Doctor, I’ve a serious problem & desperately need your help! My baby isn’t even one year old & I’m pregnant again. I don’t want kids so close together.” So the doctor said, “OK & what do you want me to do?” She replied, “I want you [...]

SIMON KITURURU- MAWAZONI

• Kikubwa kifikiriwacho CHOONI,....

  Posted: March 11, 2010, 8:10 pm by SIMON KITURURU

  ...kwa kawaida sio kile KIFANYIKACHO chooni.
  
  
  Ndio,........kuna uwezekano ufanyacho chooni ULIKIFIKIRIA kabla hujaingia chooni.:-(
  
  
  NI HILO tu na NI WAZO TU lisilo na uhusiano na CHOO Mheshimiwa!:-(
  
  Ngojea KARAMA REGESU na MSONDO NGOMA wabadili kwa ndude -Nimebadilika Nini?
  
  
  Au tu tena Jill Scott arudie ambavyo KIDUME angependa kukumbukwa katika ndude -CROSS My MIND
  
  

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

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

The end of the fish cakes