Latest articles (100)

Mary Baker Eddy Illustrated Quotes

Odegle Nyang

  • Time to up the game

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 9:48 pm by odegle
    A society where I hold some decision making portfolio is intending to make some small investment. Consequently I was tasked with the responsibility of sourcing suppliers and bringing them to the fold. We are pressed for time. I got 3 seemingly good quotes after which I called the vendors for a discussion. One of them seemed quite good and I asked them to consider reducing their cost in order to let us get on with the contract. The guy told me that it would be ideal to let the price stand as it was, he however proposed to mobilize a small marketing fee. When I asked what he was talking about, he indicated that 10% of the cost would be that marketing fee payable to me in cash!

    I was disgusted. First that this guy was not stressing the value of their product to me. He did not want to give us value. Secondly that he was thinking I was so cheap as to betray my society in the first place.

    The experience made me angry and I suggested that we black list that company all together. We must never do any business with them ever again. But more it made me realize just what makes ours a pipe dream. That people are always thinking of shortcuts and bribes instead of delivery. As Kenyans I think we really need to up our game. The small economic boom between 2003 and 2006 showed me clearly that life is more enjoyable when things are working and everyone of us has something. Its boring and distressful when you are the only one who is capable. When you have so many people cursing you. It may look attractive but its not at all fulfilling. Greed and meanness don't make people happy.

    Further as I have argued here and as a comment in other blog posts of fellow bloggers, I hold that getting rid of sleaze in our country is not a function of the political leaders alone. whats more these politicians come from among us. we beget them. so its normally naive for us to believe that just because one is elected president, MP or anything related he should suddenly become a saint and be better than any one of us.

Gukira

  • Complaint and Anger

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 9:25 pm by keguro
    What is the relationship between anger and complaint in Kenya? Is complaining a symptom of anger or might it be a re-channeling of anger, a directing away of its energies elsewhere, a valve that dissipates much-needed social energy? What interests does complaint serve? And is it really as insidious as I increasingly think it is? As [...]

Kenyanpoet

  • Cultural Festival: Sauti Za Busara Zanzibar, 12th -17th Feb,09

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 8:18 pm by N.W
    The Sauti za Busara (Sounds of Wisdom) cultural festival held annually in Zanzibar Island is back. In its sixth edition now, Sauti za Busara music festival is an international festival celebrating East African music taking place around the second weekend of February each year in Zanzibar.

    Featuring top-quality musical performances by more than 400 established and upcoming artists (40 groups in total), Sauti za Busara has already established itself as one of Africa’s leading music festivals. It’s an event that unites people in celebration.

    This year is a particularly unique one as it the Festival will incorporate Hip Hop music through collaboration with WAPI(Words And PIctures), a platform for underground artists funded by The British Council. The artists will be under the banner "The best of WAPI".
    WAPI is currently in over 5 countries in Africa and is quickly becoming synonymous with underground visual and performing artists in Hip-hop, poetry and graffiti art.
    Other notable artist who will be at the festival will be Samba Mapangala and the Orchestra Virunga, Mutinda from Kenya(he recently released his debut album) and Iddi Achieng also from Kenya.

    Admission is free to everyone daily from 4pm until sunset. After that you one will need a ticket or pass. Prices will vary for citizens, residents, and visitors. VIP tickets will be available for those who will prefer seating.

    Here  is a list of the artists who will be performing including their profiles.

    It might help to refine your Kiswahili  as it is the National language,go here for a rough guide and here for the real deal

  • Art Exhibitions and Films: New Art work Exhibiting at RaMoMa from 14th Jan,09

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 8:03 pm by N.W
    You are invited to the following exhibitions RaMoMA Museum of Modern Art opening on 14th January 2009 form 6pm

    • ValDor Gallery – Ehudi Kichapi – “Elaborations”
    Jessenganga who goes by the name Ehudi Kichapi started his first paintings as an instructor for Kuruka Maisha group in 2002. He begun by doing caricatures before stumbling across the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat. This he says was a turning point. He says that Basquiat presents such a dialogue, so intense, that if he can manage half that, then that would be success for him. Elaborations is the first exhibition that Jesse has held where he hopes to make his work totally accessable to the general public.
    A lot of his work is inspired on two fronts; by street children (whom he teaches and hopes one day to ctreate an art centre entirely dedicated to them) and mentally disturbed people. For him the latter holds a very special place in his heart. He has spent a lot of time with people with this special condition and believes they should be having many more opportunities and better treatment than they have. He is so passionate as he talks about them and hopes he could enlighten society to their plight.

    • ValDor Gallery Annex - Guillermina Dulché
    Guillermina Dulché is a Mexican painter trained at the National Art School of Mexico (San Carlos). She won a fellowship for a postgraduate year in Paris, at the “Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts”. Afterward she worked as a graphic designer at the National Institute of History and Anthropology and for different private institutions. She is a member of the Salon of Mexican Art, a prestigious association for Mexican artists. She has been the recipient of many prizes and is currently cited in a number of artistic publications. She has participated in more than 200 colective art exhibitions and more than 40 private exhibitions.

    • Dodhia Gallery - Jacob Njoroge Wachira
    Born in Nairobi, Jacob Njoroge Wachira “Ezigbo” recalls one of his favorite things to do was to create brightly colored murals on the sides of the houses in Mathare as a small boy. He adopted the name Ezigbo for art later (ezigbo- meaning “the good one” from the Ibo community of Nigeria). In 2002 Ezigbo won the Ruth Hunt Wood Foundation Artist Award, which provided him an opportunity to spend a semester studying and instructing at the University of Kentucky and Somerset Community College. Ezigbo founded Watoto Wa Kwetu in 2004 where he began offering free art workshops to local children from his home in Mathare. Watoto Wa Kwetu became an official Trust in 2006 and continues to grow today. Ezigbo says “My paintings are the only voice I have and which I sometimes hide behind, as people who live in Mathare don’t really have a voice. There is never a lack of inspiration to paint! It is in the people that I see each day and the ways they interact with each other that inspire my paintings; Love, romance, politics, and religion have been depicted repeatedly in my work. As I paint my style changes from abstracted impressionism to figurative abstract. My medium is oil on canvas and mix media.”

    • Ford Room - Eirik Jarl Trondsen
    The artistic world of Eirik Jarl Trondsen (EJT) is colourful and energetic. Abstract paintings, often showing form dissolving, and regaining form are a trademark. The transition between form and the formless and organic forms on several levels are prominent.
    His painting style is fast and expressive, often his paintings are created in one continuous session over a long day. He had formal art training at Holbæk Art College, Denmark in 1995. His previous exhibitions include Diani Art Show 08, Kusini café (2007/2008), Ghetto Art exhibition (2005), Zanzibar/ZIFF Exhibition 2004, Holbæk art exhibitions (1995). Eirik Jarl Trondsen was born in Oslo Norway 1969. He is currently based in Msambweni, on the south coast of Kenya.
    • Rahimtulla Galley – RaMoMA Collection
    Visit some of the works that RaMoMA has in it’s permanent collection from various artists.
    Carol Dunlop's RaMoMA Film Society January 2008

    The films will be a collection of lesser known “thinking people’s “ films. Below is a brief description of these films, and the dates they will be shown. The description will be brief, and a chance to discuss after the film, so that you see through your own eyes, and not a predigested explanation.
    The films will be shown at 6.30 pm on Sunday nights, as listed. There will be wine to buy, by the glass and bitings.
    The charge for ten films will be 3000 ksh.for a membership This will help insure the smooth running of the films. Tickets will be sold at the door, the last 10 minutes before the film, if there is space(.Please carry a cushion with you to ensure your comfort)

    January 25th— Six Degrees of Seperation
    Srockard Channing, Will Smith and Donald Sutherland, star in this adaptation of a broadway play.Comedy and social commentary about the sepeartion of the haves and have nots.. and the theory that we are connected to the whole world through six people .. a comedy with a twist of sadness.(US )
    February 1- Himalaya
    Beautifully photographed story about the traditional journey taking salt to market by yak train. Affected by the traditional spiritual signs and the laws of Karma,, the journey is a passage of the old to the young.(French)
    February 15.- Don’t Look Now
    Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland play in this Daphne Du Maurier shattering story; directed by Nicholas Roeg.. It is set in Venice in the sixties, a poignant mediation on love and loss; on prescience and the disaster of not taking heed. (English),
    March 1- Kagemusha ( The Shadow Warrior)
    A Kurosawa film with Lucas and Coppola in conjunction; wonderful scenes of medieval Japan . A powerful warlord is dying and they find a double to replace him., with the hope of keeping the kingdom stable. They successfully take a criminal and school him, and fool everyone…. But he cannot leave the one thing which would unseat him. ( Japan)
    March 22- Into the West
    Gabriel Byrne and Ellen Barkin made this film independently , when they were married. Two boys ride a horse into the West of Ireland. The horse in an alagorical figure, for a journey into release, knowledge and understanding. Beautifully filmed, very touching, very unusual.( Irish).
    April 5- Hotel Sorrento
    Caroline Goodall and Joan Plowright
    Three sisters , who grew up in a small Australian Coastal town, have grown away. The reunion rekindles memories and unspoken feelings, and when trajedy strikes , they discover their lives will never be the same. ( Australian).
    April 19 Death in Venice
    Visconti’s film is the film of the Thomas Mann classic novel of Gustav Aschenbah’s secret passion, which foreshadows the end. Beautifully filmed, slowly unveiling shots of Venice.. Dirk Bogarde’s masterful performance, set to Gustav Mahler’s music. ( Italian)
    May 3 – Walkabout
    Nicholas Roeg’s early film starring Jenny Agutter and Davil Dilpil about a journey across the outback in Australia , which is also a journey from adolescence to manhood; with the stress of encroaching civilization in the mix. ( Australian).
    May 17- Harold and Maude
    A Cult classic film, this film was the masters thesis of a student, and for ten years this film could be seen somewhere, in Los Angeles every night. Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort are one of the screens most unlikely pair, and the whole movie is about the stretch of one’s imagination. ( US)
    May 31- Belly of an Architect
    Brian Dennehy plays in this gentle moving movie shot on a long lens with wonderful shots of Rome. Possessed with the ten year project of staging an exhibition of the architect Boulee’s work in Rome, Dennehey looses all perspective.( Italian)
    June 14 Waking Ned Divine
    Ian Bannen and James Nesbitt play in this quirky film about a man who wins the lottery, and dies of shock. The townspeople refuse to let the money go back to the lottery so they then conspire to create another Ned Divine. ( Irish)

    Please contact Carol Dunlop at tel 0733 552 999 to become a member.

  • Musical Concert: Queen of Ohangla@ Goethe Institut, 11th Jan09

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 7:45 pm by N.W
    * CONCERT *

    * LADY MOREEN - QUEEN OF OHANGLA *
    * SUNDAY 11 JANUARY 2009 - 4 PM *
    * GOETHE INSTITUT NAIROBI *
    * MONROVIA STREET - NAIROBI *
    * TICKETS: KSH 200 / STUDENTS: KSH 100 *

  • Concert: 24 Nairobi: Walkers and Workers on Saturday, Feb 7 at 7:00pm.

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 7:32 pm by N.W
    Event: 24 Nairobi: Walkers and Workers
    "Just A Band in concert at the Goethe-Institut Nairobi"
    What: Exhibit
    Host: Just A Band (Kenya)
    Start Time: Saturday, February 7 at 7:00pm
    End Time: Saturday, February 7 at 9:00pm
    Where: Goethe-Institut Nairobi, Maendeleo House

The Alpha Quadrant

Opalo's weblog

bankelele

  • Best bank for netpreneurs?

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 6:31 pm by bankelele
    This is based on a skunkworks discussion thread and as many answers are welcomed. A growing number of young Kenyans are now making money online from blogs and websites; They often earn money in and receive foreign cheques for $50, $100 or $200 (e.g. from Google Adsense) but have different experiences when they try and encash them. I use Co-op Bank, but the cost of Kshs. 1,000 (losing ~13%) to get funds one month later is something I’m sure another bank can improve on

    My questions to the netpreneurs earning from advertising and other online sources is what did you do with your last adsense cheques? Where do you bank them? What kind of bank account do you have? How much does it cost to clear such a cheque and how long before funds are available? and finaly What do you as a young digital entrepreneur /internet like about your bank?

SIMON KITURURU- MAWAZONI

  • LABDA ungepata UJAUZITO kirahisi kama sio wewe UNGEZAA!

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 6:05 pm by SIMON KITURURU
    Labda UTAUA kama ni mimi NITADAKWA!

    Ukifuatilia ni kwanini Wajerumani karibu nchi nzima hawakuwa wanajisikia vibaya kwa vitendo vya Hitler, utagundua kuwa walijiengua kutoka katika lawama kwa sababu aliyekuwa anaamua na wakulaumiwa alikuwa ni Hitler na sio wao.

    Ni rahisi kulifumbia macho jambo kwa kujiaminisha kuwa halikuhusu, na wengi hatufikirii JAMBO mara mbili kama sio majukumu yetu.



    Kunatafiti kama hii ya Genovese Effect zionyeshazo kuwa mara nyingi kwa wengi; mtu akiwa peke yake ndio huweza hata kumsaidia mtu aliyepata ajali kuliko BINADAMU huyohuyo akiwa kwenye kikundi cha watu ambacho kila mmoja anamtegea mwenzake aanze kufanya NANIHII.

    Swali:
    • Unafikiri hata katika swala la kujenga nchi hutegemei kuwa labda NI SHUGHULI ya MJUMBE WA NYUMBA KUMIKUMI ambaye ATAFANYA ,kwa hiyo usifyeke NA tupa tu matakataka mbele ya nyumba YAKO?
    Na....
    ....Ukifuatilia utafiti wa Stanley Milgram, utastukia kuwa asilimia kubwa ya watu hufanya waamrishwayo na waaminiye ni mkuu au waaminiye atachukua majukumu na lawama kama kitu kitaharibika.




    Kwahiyo labda ,......
    ...........Naweza au unaweza usifanye kama unahisi MWINGINE atafanya .

    Swali:
    • Lakini unafikiri sungura ataachia shughuli za kumpa ujauzito mchumba wake KIPENZI kwa sababu kasikia au ANAHISI kuna sungura jingine linamshughulikia MREMBO mchumba katika maswala ya hasi na chanya ya wajanja kupeana UJAUZITO?
    NAACHA!
    Nawaza tu hapa MKUU usitishike!
    WikiENdi njEMA!


    Tutulie tena na FutureMan aniuae kwa kupiga chombo alichotengeneza mwenyewe akiitacho Drumitar.Kwa kifupi anapiga ngoma kama gita. Bela Fleck kwenye Banjo na mdogo wake Roy ''FutureMan''Wooten au Victor Wooten kwenye bass katika - Lochs Of Dread



    Au niwaache John na Kristina wacheze katika ..... - Strictly Come Dancing 2008 Round 8 - BBC One

A Mzungu who loves Kenya

  • Why Kenya?

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 4:10 pm by Dad Mzungu

    I have often been asked why I have such a love for Kenya, and I have to say that it was purely accidental. But then, anyone who visits Kenya will fall in love with the country - and the people.

    I have always had an interest in sub-Saharan Africa, so when I was given the opportunity to work in South Africa in 1989, I jumped at it. After it was made obvious that I was no longer welcome there and I returned to the UK, I have always longed to return to "somewhere" in Africa.

    Then, a few years ago, I was approached to tidy up, maintain and update the website for Rhino Ark, a conservation charity for the Aberdare Mountains in Kenya. This re-kindled my desire to return to Africa. This job did not offer the opportunity to do so, but at least I was doing something "African".

    A little later, for reasons I cannot remember, I was contacted by the director of another Kenyan charity, ACIS, asking if I could provide free or cheap computers for schools in Kenya. I couldn't, but during email conversations, it was agreed that I would build a website for the organisation, of which I later became a director, hence my first visit to Kenya in September 2007.

    Before my visit, I was contacted by another organisation, Mercy Gate Champion Children's Home, an orphanage in Kisii. Again, I agreed to build them a website.

    I also took it upon myself to help to get ITNs (insecticide treated nets) which had supposedly been supplied by the Kenyan Government, free of charge to all children under five. I made contact with the WHO in Nairobi as well as other organisations set up to fight malaria.

    Also, at about this time, I "met" my Kenyan girlfriend - but that for another blog at another time.

    So, armed with information, appointments, etc, I set off for Kenya. I stayed for a while in Nairobi with my ACIS colleague, meeting the people at WHO etc, and making arrangements to visit the Mercy Gate home in Kisii.

    But I really needed to get over to Malindi, where my girlfriend lives. I spent about two weeks there - again, another blog for another day.

    Upon my return to Nairobi, we started to plan an overnight visit to Kisii. We drove there, an experience in itself as we went the long way there (not intentionally), via Nakuru, Kericho and Sotik. It took the best part of a day to get there, but it was worth it just to drive across the Great Rift Valley.

    In Kisii, we were well received. I met most of the kids and dished out gifts that had been collected by the people in my village in the UK, and a couple of Frizbees, which were put to very good use!

    We returned to Nairobi the following afternoon, by a quicker route, through Bomet and Narok, skirting the Maasai Mara, and after a few more days in Nairobi, I returned home to the UK, promising everyone (especially myself) that I would return as soon as possible.

    My next visit was in March 2008, when my immediate love of Kenya was confirmed.

    I am now a director of ACIS, and have formed a new NGO, KCIS, with the directors of Mercy Gate home. It has taken over the running of the Mercy Gate home, which was renamed Twiga Children's Home (Twiga is swahili for giraffe).

    I also have two businesses in Kisii, an IT consultancy and an export business.

    And now I am sitting in the middle of an English winter, just waiting for the opportunity to return once again.

    So, that is "Why Kenya?"

Rants, Raves & Reviews

  • Scandal rocks KPC - Coldtusker told you...

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 4:07 pm by coldtusker
    Coldtusker has been vindicated (again)... I have been accused by many 'blind, dumb & deaf' folks of being overly critical of government (owned/controlled) institutions & agencies...

    I may not be the #1 fan of Oil Marketers but I prefer competition (free markets) rather than corrupt & inefficient government bureaucrats running the show...

    KPC has been feeding the gullible media, some (moronic) Kenyans & Oil Marketers with false information about the levels of fuel stocks in Kenya Oil Storage Facilities (KOSF) as well quantities at their depots & in the pipeline...

    Kenyans/government/idiots blamed Oil Marketers for the recent fuel shortages... well, it turns out there was a real shortage because the so-called fuel is missing!!! Yes, KPC can't account for 56,000,000 litres... (no 56 or 560 or 5,600 or 56,000)... worth Kes 7,000,000,000 (Seven Billion)... Kaput... Abracadabra...

    No wonder there was a fuel shortage... KPC says it was there... but it is not... so where is it now?
    Was it ever there?

    Engen (a private Oil Marketer) complained that Triton (politically connected & always favoured by KPC) has not delivered Engen's share of the fuel stocks Engen already paid for... My sources tell me most Oil Marketers are in the same boat... since they had to buy the (non-existent) stocks from Triton due to OTS rules...

    So...no wonder there was a shortage!!! And the government blamed/claimed Oil Marketers were 'hoarding'... WTF??? How do you hoard what you don't have!!! (Please remember these are government employees who like hoarding my taxes in their pockets)

    Now there are silly proposals to:
    - Introduce price controls (bad, bad idea)
    - Give NOCK (another inefficient 100% gov't owned firm) the right/guarantee to import 30% of Kenya's fuel requirements rather than compete vs the rest of the importers. What if NOCK negotiates prices that are say a little over market... the difference going to some politician's bank account in Cayman?

    Do I small scandal & corruption if the proposal were to pass? YES.

Kenya Imagine

  • Are you in the army now?

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 3:04 pm
    You cannot judge a book by its cover, my mother always said. However, growing up I found that you could tell a thing or two about people by what they wore. Like everyone else, I have gone through various stages of shedding, starting with sneakers that were far too big for me and a fringe that covered my face so I did not have to look at the ridiculous shoes below my nose. Then there was that period when I insisted on revealing my wobbly knees through expensive jeans that were consciously ripped and t-shirts that had all the wrong color combinations on them.

    More. 

fortySouth

  • Mapping the Pirates of the Indian Ocean

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 2:01 pm by fortysouth
    Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean have been reaping where they did not sow. The world is watching and now you can too. Check out the annotated Google Map that show the routes you need to avoid when planning your next aqua-adventure or holiday cruise: View Larger Map       

  • Beyond KCPE: What Happens to the 250k That Miss High School Placement?

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 1:31 pm by fortysouth
    It is reported that 249,856 out of 695,728 pupils that sat for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam in November 2008 won’t find placement in High Schools in the country. At the same time, the World Bank’s Africa Development Indicators 2008/9 noted: Youth make up 36.9% of the working-age population, but 59.5% of the total [...]

Black Looks

  • African responses to the War on Gaza

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 1:11 pm by Sokari
    Pambazuka News has a list of protests across African against the War on Gaza though I have to say it is somewhat sickening to see Sudanese people amongst the protesters given the “crimes against humanity”committed by their own leaders - would have been far more meaningful if they had also protested against the genocide [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "African responses to the War on Gaza", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2009/01/african_responses_to_the_war_on_gaza.html" });

fortySouth

  • Why was Gazetting of the Kenya Communications Amendment Act Delayed?

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 12:40 pm by fortysouth
    The Nation figures the Government is slowly getting cornered between a rock (loss of political capital, amid talk of 2012) and a hard place (bad press locally and internationally). I tend to think it’s more the latter. Many internationally syndicated columnists simply drank the Kool-Aid of media-muzzling wrought by some disingenuous local reporters, before doing some [...]

Rugby in Kenya

  • Numbers.. what do they say?

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 12:27 pm by ruggerbug
    Not mine, official IRB Statistics.  Is Rugby in Kenya on the right path?  A casual glance at the figures.  Number of clubs.  I wonder which ones.  We struggle to get 24 teams for local 7's tournaments.  There must be a criteria for clubs, unless we count all social ones as well.  Meaning Les Gaulois and my Sunday touch club are counted!  To be fair let's talk affiliates, and I believe there are

MREMBO

  • Ten Relationship Myths

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 12:23 pm by mrembo
    Because I am almost fully ticked off at something he did.. and because I am trying to diffuse my tickoffness…. I was distracting myself by webhopping and fell upon this. Number three is so does apply at the moment!! copied from Dr Phil.com <h2>Ten Relationship Myths</h2> Think your relationship is a failure because you and your [...]

bankelele

  • New Years Gift

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 12:10 pm by bankelele
    Still making financial plans for 2009? Here's a free gift forward from Oprah’s site: You can download a new free e-book by personal finance guru, Suze Orman's i.e her new 2009 Action Plan book out this week.

    The author gives some background on the books which can be downloaded here.

Rants, Raves & Reviews

  • Triton - KPC alledgely in cahoots with Triton

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 12:00 pm by coldtusker
    It seems that Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) lent $24mn to Triton to buy petroleum supplies under the OTS. The products were held by Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) as 'custodian' for KCB's interests.

    Now... it seems some corruption (or incompetence) within KPC meant the stocks were released to Triton without KCB's approval... So Triton sold the stocks... pocketed the cash... and split!!!

    So KCB went to court to freeze the assets of Triton... and if KPC does not pony up the cash... then KCB will probably sue KPC...

    I still can't believe that some (misguided) Kenyans believe KPC should remain 100% in government hands!

    Solution: Sell the Triton stations asap to NOCK (or another buyer) through TRANSPARENT means. Pay off as many debts as possible with the proceeds. Put out an international arrest warrant for the 'owners'. Sack, arrest & charge the chaps who authorised the 'release' of the products. Seize their assets since corruption was likely in this matter.

    Start the process to privatize KPC.

For Love and Money

  • Mama Mikes Featured on Kenyan TV

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 10:11 am

    I had a chance of watching Sengeni Ngethe being interviewed this morning on the Power Breakfast Show of Citizen TV. The interview focused on his online shopping store and was very informative.

    What struck me is that 80% of mamamikes.com customers are women living in the U.S. (or was it abroad?)

    I'm not sure what this means but I would have thought the majority of the clients were men. I have not read any research on the demographics of online shopping and therefore I am interested in finding out what the trend is with other online businesses. When I get back to the U.S., finding this information will be at the top of my to do lists.

    Interestingly, Segeni mentioned that the global downturn has had an effect on their business but they are diversifying their operations to mitigate this. He mentioned Hapa TV (run in matatus) which is a local venture but I didn't really understand how they make money from local content. May be they receive advertising revenues.

    It's worth mentioning that I also watched Equity Bank's CEO interview on KTN's business breakfast show that was featured early this week. I must say that the chap is a very intelligent person. I only wish he could be very influential (and less controversial) in the financial markets.

Life, The Universe and Everything

  • 2009 Begins

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 9:24 am by egm
    Happy New Year! To start off 2009, I'll just let some of the pictures I took while in Zanzibar to usher in '09 speak for themselves. Here's to more photos in the coming year!

    This is the first part of a series of photos. The next parts shall come in due course. Enjoy!

































Kenya Imagine

  • of handjobs and recessions

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 9:23 am
    Yup, there is a recession in the US. What better way to gauge this than the porn industry's looming financial crisis? Read Gathara's post here.
    And Amina shares some of her personal stories: friends who have lost jobs.
    A friend was in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a few days ago. In December, Chrysler shut down its plants, albeit temporarily. It resulted in the loss of 46000 mostly low income jobs. What she saw shocked her. A city that was dead: it looked like one of those ghostowns in Western movies. She describes old burnt out buildings, and a growing underclass.

Stone Cold Gentleman

thoughts and sparkles...

  • Life sometimes is a little bit like ...

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 7:52 am by misschee
    Life sometimes is a little bit like being given a blank canvas and being expected to fill it up with whatever you want … with no eraser so whatever you choose to put - because its all about choice, stays on there forever!  So thats exactly what I’m going to try and do - splash [...]

A KENYAN URBAN NARRATIVE

  • ATAVISM OF HIGHER INEBRIATION

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 5:49 am by POTASH
    [...]

    It must have been about 3 pm the next day when I received a text message from an old friend. Well, not friend as in friend, as the Gikuyu say, of the front seat but, you know, one of those people from the collective masturbatory days of Oh-Potash-is-Like-a-So-Amazing-Writer-Man!

    The text message serves no other purpose in this narrative beyond waking me up to the realisation that I was sprawled in a ditch and the world was spinning around me, scratching and howling, as though God had learnt his physics from the M.O.B DJs. I looked this way and that way hoping to lay sight on my true boy and ask him what holiday the rest of the world was celebrating and there he was slumped against a tree.

    It was obvious to me that he was unconscious and the two guys standing over him were trying to rob him. “Hey you!” I yelled and trying to dig myself out of the ditch but, merely, managing to prop myself up on one leg, spin and fall back into the ditch. Well, butt first, this time round, if it makes any difference for you to know.

    With one arm slumped over the edge of the ditch, the other, a crutch, wedged firmly on the floor of the ditch, I posed for a moment to collect my wits. I took a deep breath- I at least recall doing so mentally- shook my head vigorously and with one hand started to pick out muddy bits off my chest, knees and face and all the while trying to figure out where the fluid on those places had come from seeing that the ditch itself was as dry as my throat.

    Anyho...

    I hauled myself out of the ditch and saw that my true boy was still right there- slumped under a tree. With two guys still looming over him. Obviously, the guys are robbing him, I said to myself. “Hey you!” I yelled. The two fellows turned towards me with the mechanical slow-motion lean, silly grin and all, of the happily drunk. Two jets of urine clashed somewhere between them, their grins exploded into the loudest of guffaws and they, ignoring me, went back to their good-humoured peeing into my true boy's mouth.

    I kicked myself for having taken them for thieves and, penis in wobbly hand, joined them in their oh-so-exhilarating-in-a-lumpen proletariat-sort-of-way sport.


    [...]


    ***

    Giving it deeper thought now, as I peek through this rapidly-turning-opaque window of sobriety, I do recall that what crossed my mind then was that the the alcohol buying world was celebrating the day of Pentecost. Even as I sought my boy to ask him, my mind had long concluded that the good lord had done gone and finally sent us a helper. Like for real. A drunken helper. A helper to drunkenness. Whatever. But, a guy, all I can say is that long before I ended up in that ditch and him by that tree, it had been raining alcohol all sorts. All things nice. In fact, what I can tell you now is that my last memory was of everyone in the wines and spirits speaking in tongues.

    Mother tongues, I tell you. And we were all mighty fluent.

    I mean, it is funny- and I know you have laughed parallel with me- but what is this thing about Gikuyu men getting drunk and immediately reverting to Gikuyu and particularly to the tone deaf howling of Gikuyu gospel songs?

    Me, I have a theory, but first allow me to down this Kanee.
    Ahh, man, my throat is like a burning bush. Everything is illuminated.

    My theory is... wait, wait, let me light a cigarette; a torch to guide me through the murky depths of theory formulation.

    Eish, I have a light but no cigarette. Will be back in a sec...

    Allah is beneficent, I went in search of a cigarette and got a full one- yes a full, virgin stick- and a level (half a can of Kanee).

    So, we were where? My theory... indeed!

    My theory is that part of the tranquillity that this consumption of alcohol business- business of consumption alcohol(?)... consumption of business alcohol (?)... wtf?- brings is achieved through taking you to a place of primal instinct; a place of either childhood or the most bestial rationality encoding.

    Now this place, if you will allow me to borrow from Freud and Nietzsche (two random guys one Jew and one normal dead white guy- the better if we haven' read them- is more than sufficient academic homage for our theory construction, no?) I will call the Atavism of Higher Inebriation (AHI). When the Gikuyu man arrives at the AHI- a place where the lone brain cell remnant contains only the basic life support (my yet to be pee reviewed data suggests that basic life support, unfortunately, does not include bowel movement)- he reverts to his earliest cultural/ civilising encounters: lying on a dirty lesso choking on his own stool, and that of other toddlers, and surrounded by the wails of mothers too drunk on the blood of Christ to remember their diarrhoeic offspring.

    Quite an unbecoming state of affairs, you say, if only to be seen to be a man after my own heart.

    Unfortunately, there is a (and quite the rare sort it ought to be noted) kind of Gikuyu man who, Nubian gin totting (the mental picture of tots or shots needs to be banished because you know we quaff it by the glass-load), cigarette butt dangling, arrives at the AHI to find nothing. This is the sort that- and I will gladly let you call me a heathen if it means that you understand that I am that sort of Gikuyu man- having been successfully indoctrinated, goes on, in later years, to attempt a reversal of the process.

    A successful reversal of the process has immense, and particularly positive, real world implications. These kind of men make great drinking company. This not because they supply the alcohol but because they bring to an alcohol laden table the camaraderie born of argumentation, polemics and controversial turns of the alcohol-laced point that is the glue that best binds alcohol to the human brain cell. (It is a documented fact that every man, Kikuyu or otherwise, of a certain age imagines himself a bar-room intellectual, or as with most African traditions- marked as they are by the anthropologically proven lack of Rationality in the Africa- where the notion of intellectualism is unimaginable, non-existent and intolerable: soothsayer; diviner. Whatever it is Africans have that is analogous to the Western notion of intellectualism).

    Now, I do not know if you are following my drift but what I can tell you for certain is that I do not...

    [...]

You Missed This

  • Obama's Inauguration And The Hague-Bound Gentlemen From Kenya

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 4:37 am by Chris



    What is unfolding about the upcoming Barack Obama inauguration is fascinating and indeed amusing in many ways.

    Initially behind the scenes there was a clear push and pull between the ministry of foreign affairs and the PM's office over who will attend Obama's inauguration. The PM's office had even compiled a rather long list.

    Then at some point it dawned on everybody that neither President Kibaki nor Prime Minister Raila Odinga had been invited and neither has anyone in the government.

    Softly and quietly the word from the Obama camp was that while Kenyans have trumpeted themselves hoarse over ownership of Obama and moved to rehabilitate his family in record time. Obama is quite clear that he is first an American. And that Kenya will find its place in official US foreign policy. Sorry guys. No special favours.

    Government officials have been scratching their heads to see how they can play out this embarrassment. Only 240,000 tickets are available for the presidential inauguration. The majority of them will go to American high flyers especially those who oil the democratic party machinery. Others will go to foreign dignitaries. For example the British premier may get 50 for himself and his delegation. The Queen of England may receive another 10 and so on. It is unclear whether any African head of state has got one. Mandela probably.

    It is not lost on America that the two Kenyan gentlemen were behind atrocities that claimed the lives of well over 5000 of kenyans and are still having a possible date with the Hague. Not to mention the Waki probe yet to start and their being in charge of one of the most notoriously corrupt governments in Africa.

    There are a limited number of tickets that are for sale. These go for US$ 50,000 a piece. And money is not enough, to get one you must have the right connections.

    The Kenyan government are in a dilemma because if the buy, then those who don't get will spill the beans that they wasted taxpayers money to go to an event they were not invited to. Also it would be a major embarrassment to those who have claimed to be a step away from Obama yet now they cannot even go for his inauguration.

    Meanwhile the Kogelo clan have been feted at the invitation of the Saudi Royal Family then the King of Jordan and are now on their way to the US where they will attend the inauguration.

    Important Notice From Kumekucha: Somebody who is obviously up to no good has been repeatedly posting a comment in this blog claiming to be me an talking about me giving up this blog due to some silly cash reasons. It is not surprising that some people see this site as a threat to their evil ambitions and many of them will go to any length to try and discredit it.

    Let me make it clear that this blog for me is NOT about money and I started it with the higher ideal of fighting for genuine change in Kenya. I urge readers to ignore any comments purporting to be me that many any wild claims about me giving up Kumekucha.


    Hot product tips from Kumekucha: Have you seen the latest brand new Nairobi Budget Hotel?

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Swamp Cottage

  • Job: UNICEF Communication Officer, Kenya (deadline 12 ...

    Posted: January 9, 2009, 3:34 am by Ben
    Job: UNICEF Communication Officer, Kenya (deadline 12 Jan 2009) 

  • More humanitarian games: Is this the first ...

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 1:55 am by Ben
    More humanitarian games: Is this the first one that is not free?"In the Netherlands, The Red Cross Game encourages online players to engage with a number of virtual public health and safety crises involving first an earthquake in Argentina and then conflict and dislocation in war-torn Zimbabwe.  Players who finish these teaser games and want to tackle the next task, a flood in Mexico, need to pay

Black Looks

  • The Hatchet Job

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 12:57 am by Mia Nikasimo
    EB is the hatchet job If you don’t know better You would mistake EB for a goddess When you are not looking EB’ll stab you in the back EB will laugh. “Cant you take a harmless joke? You’re too sensitive, pet! BD turns her back & EB Pounces - the rabid cat: “You know BD don’t you, the same BD? & smirks BD didn’t miss [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "The Hatchet Job", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2009/01/the_hatchet_job.html" });

Kikuyumoja's realm

  • the diet

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 11:40 pm by jke

    New year’s resolutions are supposed to be made - and then quickly forgotten.

    I can’t even remember if it was a new year’s resolution, but it’s January 2009 now and the wife (”she”) said we’d have to go on a diet. South-Beach Diet.

    If you’re married or at least engaged, you’ll know that wise men never oppose a female decision (but instead wait for them to remorse on their own). This especially applies to those poor fellows who are married to Thatcheresque characters.

    The painful truth is that she’s right. We both urgently need to lose weight - not because we’d been surviving on junk food only (she’s vegetarian anyways), but because food in Germany is just more than nutritious. Whenever I am in Kenya, I lose weight. But here in Germany, it’s just massive. And then all these sweets!

    Sweets, dear readers, are one of the two fine reasons why I like German food (the other is Bavarian Leberkäse). And not only packaged Haribo winegums and liquorice, but also fresh cakes from a bakery:


    Choice 2.0

    Now compare that with the usual “variety” of marble cakes as found in the average Kenyan supermarket. What a difference and sweet temptation!


    Choice 1.0

    Ati? Do I hear you longing for the typical BlueBand (instead of butter) “butter” cream cake?


    The strange Barbie cake found in Nbo the other day

    See? That’s the dilemma now. Living in a country where the sweets section alone can fill up a whole supermarket and even provides a bigger variety than the usual and rather boring marble & butter cream cakes as found in ex British colonies (sorry, but I blame this heritage purely on the British inability & disinterest in cooking & baking), you’ll quickly end up eating too many sweets. Just because they are readymade food and can be eaten quickly. And of course because I love sweets.

    Other members of the extended family already tested this diet - or let’s say: change of diet, and it worked quite well for them. You’re basically not allowed to eat any bad carbohydrates during the first two weeks, which obviously also includes sugar, bread, potatoes and so on. The list of the NO-GOs is actually quite long - the one of those things you’re allowed to eat rather short.

    As you may know or not know: Germans love to have a sweet breakfast (e.g. bread with jam), so this diet requires her to switch to scrambled eggs and bacon instead (ok, this is what I like about UK kitchen at least).

    As for lunch and dinner, we’ve so far prepared vegetable dishes based on chickpeas, eggplant, garlic and sometimes even meat (for me, not for her). The meat part actually is quite nice because I didn’t have a proper steak until Xmas and until my good old ex-vegetarian sister Zora recently informed me she’d switched to being a carnivore. @Zora - in case you’re reading this: see how your actions influence my life! :-)

    A snapshot I’d already twitpic’d: looks like Githeri to me, bila potatoes and beans. That’s dal fry, actually. Lentils + onions + tomatoes + some chick peas + curry. Delicious!

    Eggplant/Aubergine with Turkish cheese and garlic + sesame. Grilled in the oven. This really is a perfect dish anyone can prepare within a few minutes.

    Some kind of steak I’d cut into pieces because I wasn’t sure about its age (@intelligensia see “Rost and mboilo”, p.46 , “How to be a Kenyan”). Next time I will just choma this kabisa in the grill. Love the fresh broccoli though, very al dente (mushy food is a no-go except for Irio). I shall have even more meat during the coming weeks. Yay!

    —–

    Other, food related matters that are worth mentioning and actually require their own post is Vegefarm - a vegan/vegetarian restaurant opened by very good friends of mine in Bremen - a city in Northern Germany.

    What they do is serving special dishes that almost taste like real meat or fish, but are purely based on gluten, tofu and shitake mushrooms and probably also other vegan ingredients. Quite SE Asian - they used to have a Chinese restaurant (already serving vegan dishes back then) but have since switched to this cuisine only. And best of all is that you can order these fake meat and fish balls based on Tofu & Co. online. I’d seen them importing these directly from Taiwan some years ago, so it’s extremely nice to see them coming up with a full restaurant these days that only serves such dishes.

    Those dark green “leaves” on the image above are algae from the sea - and since I grew up on Japanese food, I really, really love the taste of this green seaweed.

    —–

    Yes - that’s about it so far. From seaweed to ugali na sukuma to sweets. And there you go wondering why I’d gained weight.

    Interestingly though, and the intial reason for blogging all of this: it seems that if you want to survive on staple food only (starch), you’ll pay much less. Try to find decent (!) vegetable during winter season in Europe and you’ll quickly realize that the only place where vegetaboools taste like having grown under the sun (and not in some artificial greenhouse in Spain) is among Turkish supermarkets, next to those Afroshops downtown.

    Of course, once I’m done and have lost my targeted 10kgs (hey..easy!), I will have to start my Leberkaese business idea in Kenya :-) Serving tasty meat snacks to commuters - how’s that for a change?

    p.s.: I consider this post part of my lifelong Bantu-food-bashing-meme which aims at spreading Swahili food culture from the Kenyan coast to all parts of Central Kenya. Eh!

Only in Kenya

  • It Came by Ship Pt 11

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 11:28 pm by mwangee

    The Chinese are the most susceptible to sickness, that's why we have many Chinese clinics around town.

    And one of the diseases they are yet to find a cure for is Chinglish.

    Spotted in Mombasa by 10.

Me thro my own eyes

  • the places you have come to fear the most

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 11:24 pm by bat_rox
    I first discovered I had a fear of heights when I was in high school. I went up to the roof of one of the buildings and the strangest thing - I couldn't look down. Then later on after high school when I was doing a stint at the engineering department and had to take reports up the factory floors on staircases without railings, and I couldn't take more than two steps at a time. It's odd, coz I grew up living on high rises, mostly on the top floor. Guess it doesn't count how high you go when you know there are barriers to protect you. Anyway, then later I found that I was afraid of crowds, the first time I had to do public speaking at the music festivals and I went on stage and all the words melted away, and needless to say I was sixth out of six, or that time I had to introduce the choral verse in German (coz I was the best student, or really the only one who knew enought to), and I forgot and gave it a different name on stage. No one in my team noticed, coz, well, it was German, but Im sure the judges did. I know this, because we came out last. We once lived in a posh-ish neighbourhood, where everyone had dogs. And I'd never spared them a second thought, but one time I was passing by my neighbour's gate and he was driving in so it was open, and his dog slipped and ran out the compound - after me. I freaked! I ran, and ran and ran, and when I saw an out - it was a bit dark - in the form of another neighbor's compound I went for it, and leapt in and forgot she actually had a barbed wire fence that was about knee-high. So I tripped on it, fell with all that momentum and got like a hundred bruises, but more tragically (I thought then), I fell on my cellphone and broke the screen. My very first cellphone! I was heartbroken. Of course by this time the dog master had just caught up with us so now that I had broken and scratched everything I could he took his dog back. Without even a word of apology! Thus came up my other real fear - dogs.

    Of course, back then I was young, and I have since overcome that fear of dogs.

    Non-superficially, Im scared of one day waking up and finding out I don't matter. I put on this brave face of someone who doesn't care and will live his life like there was no difference if he were the only one lost on treasure island, but deep down in places I don't talk about at parties I fear I do care. And I do worry what other people think of me. Some people, at any rate. And not my parents either, one or two friends. It hurts sometimes when Im not included in plans, or when I find out about them merely by accident, or when I get stood up, or every Saturday that I have to spend watching TV all day because I had nothing to do. Especially around the holidays. I call myself antisocial and I think I am, but I think its more a defence mechanism than by choice. As far back as I can remember I've always been this aloof person who didn't hug others or call in the evening to say hi or even just send thoughtful messages on Valentine's day. But when I sit down and think about it there are times when I realise that I may be missing out on a lot of things. Rollercoasters, they call them. There's this myth about singles dying in their apartments accidentally when they're 35 and no one notices till two weeks later when their bodies are all smelly and decomposing, and at times I see myself like that and worry. Perhaps I should try a little harder.

    Dashboard Confessional describe a person in their song: "Buried deep as you can dig inside yourself/And covered with a perfect shell/Such a charming beautiful exterior/Laced with brilliant smiles and shining eyes/Perfect posture, but you're barely scraping by..." Im not that far gone yet, but Im really scared Im getting there. Buried deep as you can dig inside yourself - check. Covered with a perfect shell - check. Charming beautiful exterior - check. Brilliant smiles and shining eyes - check (so I hear... :). Barely scraping by? I don't know. Time alone will tell.

    END

Mary Baker Eddy Illustrated Quotes

Only in Kenya

  • It Came by Ship, Uganda 02

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 10:52 pm by mwangee
    Painting the perfect sign isn't as easy as looking at one.

    You need a good set of brushes, metres of masking tape, paint in the right colour of paint and quantity, a pencil or two, tape measure or ruler, razor-sharp aesthetic balance, a cloth to wipe your dirty hands...

    ...and a dictionary.

  • It Came by Ship, Uganda 01

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 10:39 pm by mwangee
    Everyone's cashing in on Obamania, even in Uganda.

    If only the profits were invested in grammar school.

    This was spotted on a T-shirt on sale in Kampala.

Kenya Christian

  • Just-A-Band @ Goethe

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 8:06 pm by Frank
    24 Nairobi: Walkers and Workers



    Description:
    Just A Band - Live at the closing ceremony of the 24Nairobi: Walkers and Workers photo exhibition. Sounds of the City, highlights from Scratch To Reveal and all-new sounds - come and wild out with us!Visit www.just-a-band.com and [www.goethe.de] for more information.

    Date: Saturday February 7th, 2009

    Venue: Goethe-Institut Nairobi, Maendeleo House, Monrovia Street, Nairobi

    Time: 7 - 9pm

Concept Advisory Services

  • How The Stock Markets Performed In 2008

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 7:40 pm by admin

    If its any consolation,Kenya was not badly hit. But why Ghana for  who 2008 was an election year? Africa never ceases to amaze.If it was Kenya conducting an election NSE index would have been at 1500 points.

You Missed This

  • Situations Vacant: State House Controller, Finance Minister

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 7:25 pm by Taabu
    Kenya has been running without a substantive minister for Finance for close to half a year. And why the hurry if the right DNA is in short supply among the present lot of parliamentarians. Amos Kimunya must be rubbing his hands in glee after refusing to die rather than resign.

    There are government ministries and then there are REAL MINISTRIES. Finance ministry is the nerve centre of all transactions, legal and otherwise. Only a naive president would entrust such an important office to a holder with the wrong genes in his veins. Gate keepers of Kenyan Limited must be INDUSTRIOUS Kenyans capable of transacting REAL BUSINESS in first language.

    Forget all the facade of trying to legislate against tribalism and cronyism. Only in Kenya are laws made exclusively to message egos with the principal intention to break them with all attendant impunity. We do not have our national butt kissing the bottom of the pit because of lack of good ideas and laws.

    Transactions at the finance ministry were at the heart of last year’s election fraud. Some of the most lucrative businesses it handled during the 9th parliamentary session could not be forfeited on the strength of mere ballot papers. You don’t risk the wrath of the international community by acting as an arms conduit for Southern Sudan only to surrender the proceeds to less enterprising Kenyans armed with ballot mandate.

    Realistic Kenyans better learn to live with the painful fact that the Finance ministry will remain vacant till Kenyans until we become immune to reigning impunity and accept the truth that the country has its owners. The passengers aboard the geographical entity called Kenya must are better advised to remain loyal to the principal shareholders. And lest you forget no life is sacred in this industrious pursuit of wealth.

    Right DNA
    If you doubt the temerity of these owners to auction Kenya, then just ask one Hyslop Ipu. The poor guy has corrupted DNA and consequently no clout neither does he belong. He provided the razor that shaved his predecessor oblivious of the fact that his own schedule with the TRIBAL barbers was booked long time ago.

    Kenya is not an evil political society for lack of scheming tribal clerics. Instead the entrepreneuring men and women of the cloth populate every sector of our national fabric so much so that they suffocate us with cheap sectarian evangelism.

    So here we go folks. Take an honet self-assessment, APPROPRIATELY translate your CV if you belong with the right DNA and RIGHTLY submit your application for any of the two positions above. My lady luck smile to the lucky applicants.

The Alpha Quadrant

  • 2009 blogging, Ushahidi

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 7:24 pm by Teal'c
    My first post of the year. Some minor resolutions blogging-wise: I'll try to post at least once a week, on a different topic. Also, by mid year, I hope to have separate blogs for different topics that interest me, or be at least part of a blogging team (like on shabik which is a soccer blog). Maybe get a new blog host, (perhaps in Kenya)?

    Meanwhile, the Ushahidi engine is now used by Aljazeera to report on the Gaza conflict. This is more proof that there's loads of potential in Africa... Kudos to the team @ Ushahidi (and thanks for the t-shirts :) ).

Kenya Christian

HAPAKENYA

  • Gutter or the mainstream media? What do you read?

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 4:38 pm

    One evening when I was 6yrs old, my dad came home carrying two things, a newspaper and paper bag with lots of goodies. To his surprise, as my little sister was struggling with the candy bag, I went for the newspaper. I sat there for about 15 minutes perusing the paper, what the headline was then, I can’t recall. A week later, I heard my dad bragging to his friends how at 6yrs of age, I was able to read and comprehend the content of the newspaper. His pride and braggadocio made me very happy and there on I fell in love with newspapers, and for a long time I became an ardent reader of Nation.

     

    Now that am older and wiser, I no longer read papers, other than for the Job Adverts and the full page Zain/Safcom offers, there is nothing to look forward to. Kenyan newspapers have become so parochial so much that they no longer excite, truth has become minimal and their stories cannot hold any water. The news are so imbalanced, 90% being bad news out of which 70% is political. Hopelessness that is so evident in the faces of many Kenyans is as a result of Kenyan press that is so full of hate material. Journalist have lost their touch, the so called news are half full of history. Flashy headlines with no content, the two mainstream papers have degenerated to gutter, where the news ends at the headline. Picture this … “KIBAKI COUP!”........ But no content!

     

    Strange enough, two journalists from the two main media houses will cover the same event and come up with two conflicting stories on the same subject matter. This has gone on for so long so much that, The Standard is easily aligned to the ODM side while the Nation to the PNU side.

     

    So what do I read? The problem with the Nation & the Standard newspapers is the temptation to believe their stories, only to find out later that much of what you actually believed wasn’t true. On the other hand, if you picked the Citizen Weekly from the streets and fed your self with the utter nonsense that fill it pages, at the end of which, you still have almost similar content as to what is in the mainstream papers, only that this time, there exist not the temptation to believe. That is why every Monday morning I buy one of the Citizen Weekly, read it for an hour and my newspaper session is done for another week. After all why buy Nation & Standard daily only to be fed with gibberish when you can fill yourself with the same claptrap once every Monday?

     

    Blogged with the Flock Browser

Kenya Christian

Black Looks

  • Senegalese court jails 9 for sodomy

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 2:35 pm by Sokari
    Senegal which is one of the few former Francophone countries to criminalise sodomy has sentenced 9 men to an eight year jail sentence despite the judge’s recommendation of 5 years. The concern in this case is the violation of the rights of the men who were arrested in the home of Mr Diouf, who [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Senegalese court jails 9 for sodomy", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2009/01/senegalese_court_jails_9_for_sodomy.html" });

Gukira

  • Media Bill and Sexual Rights

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 1:29 pm by keguro
    84D: Any person who publishes or transmits or causes to be published in electronic form, any material which is lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest and its effect is such as to tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all relevant circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter [...]

A Nairobian's Perspective !

  • Media Black Out & Institute for Justice and Morality !

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 1:07 pm
    On Wednesday i came accross a demonstration on one of the Nairobi streets by a group of people who allegedly belong to a little known Institute of Justice & Morality( i wonder who is funding them)!What was amusing was that they were well equiped with printed banners ,blaring loudspeakers, vehicles (whose numberplates were covered) etc.The procession was in support of the ICT -Media Bill/Act of 2008.Suprisingly though this demo was unplanned and possibly unlicensed and yet our over zealous Police just watched as this group joined by the usual idlers and goons paraded the street.Its true that in Kenya we are legally entitled Freedom of Expression which includes a right to demonstrate but what is ironical is that just the other day members of the media fraternity were bludgeoned by baton wielding and zealous anti riot police even before setting foot out of their offices on a planned demonstration against the media bill!Thelaw is always selectively applied resulting in pent up anger amongst the populace.Its time we realized as a Natiion that prevention is better than cure.

    A number of Journalists and activists including Walter Mongare a.k.a Nyambane, Caroline Mutoko, Larry Asego ,Jalang`o, Mwalimu Mati and his wife were on Jamhuri day arrested for donning black t-shirts condemning the Government on the Media Bill and MP's on payment of taxes.In this instance a protest for the media by a bunch of goons attracts no such attention!As long as we have a Police force that is partisan and over zealous in carrying out illegal' orders from above' Africa will never experience any meaningful development. Its time when respect for law and order was observed by all and sundry.

    In the evening i was pleasantly suprised that actually no media house covered this protest! Infact for the most part of last week the media blacked out all Government functions and activities in protest against the media Act prompting the President to Direct the Minister for Information and the Attorney General to reconsider the contentious clauses in the recent communications law !Just goes to show you cant beat the media they have a strong cane that they can wield against their perceived enemies in this case they painted one political party to be the protector of the Rights of ordinary mwananchi whereas in truth this party aided and abbetted the passing of this draconian legislation.The truth is Kenyans are not so easy to hoodwink and as for the media watch your content and exercise self restraint in tandem with our societal norms (pornography, obscene jesting, lewd music,skimpy dressing,erotica is least tasteful and mind you is strictly regulated against in many countries e.g Saudi Arabia,Qatar etc) lest we the public support these strict regulations!

Gathara's World

  • A Helping Handjob?

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 12:48 pm
    The Weekly Telegraph is reporting that the US porn industry is seeking a multi-billion dollar bailout from Washington similar to the ones dished out to failing banks and car companies. According to Larry Flynt, founder of Hustler magazine, the state of the US economy has many Americans "too depressed to be sexually active" and has teamed up with Joe Francis, creator of the Girls Gone Wild video series and convicted child abuser, to urge the government to pump in $5 billion "to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America." 

    The pair acknowledged that , though DVD sales were down 22%, online traffic was booming and the $13 billion industry was not in any immediate danger of going limp. However, Flynt warned of dire consequences should the feds fail to get it (the bailout) up. "Americans can do without cars and such, but they cannot do without sex."

The Sands

  • The World's most protected man...

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 12:47 pm by Sandman
    Here is the Obama inaguration security detail (at least what we know)




    4000 DC Metro police department
    4000 Police officers from around the country (Snipers, K9, Bomb squads etc.)
    11,000 Military personnel (Navy, Airforce, Special Ops, Coast Guard)
    FBI, Secret Service/NSA – unspecified number of agents
    Hazmat units (Bio, Chem & Radiological)
    Satellites, Sensors, detectors, CC surveillance cameras
    His ride - Armor plated (Anti RPG/Rocket), 6+ inch thick bullet proof windows, specialized run flat tires, a chemical/gas threat sealed interior…probably EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) proof



    Needless to say he'll be say, he couldn't be safer if he was on the moon - see ya'll at the bash, Jan 20th. Si Se Puede!

Sukuma Kenya

Odegle Nyang

  • Wanted: Good Subjects

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 11:36 am by odegle
    At one point in a place I worked before, we had just about 11 managers out of a total workforce of 27. Translating to about 1.45 workers per manager a ratio of almost 1:1. It was absurd really but no one seemed to be able to notice. We just knew that we were not performing as a team. We were made to understand that we weren't working hard enough, nor smart enough.We attended many trainings, team building sessions and motivational seminars to no success. It took a new head of the team to actually restructure the whole thing and reduce the number of positions of absolute responsibility and increase the number of workers.

    I have been thinking of this scenario a lot lately and it reminds me of the statistician's belief that a society however small is a non-biased representation of a wider population. It points to a fact that in our nation, we have too many leaders or too many people aim at being leaders. This is what leads us to having very few citizens or followers. It points out really why each of our leadership positions are fought for so ferociously. Even our sports associations cannot agree to have leaders and followers. everyone of them would want to be the chairman, secretary, director etc. Who will be led then?

fortySouth

  • Blog Round-Up: 3 Great Reads

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 10:17 am by fortysouth
    Dimagi, a Massachusetts-based company, hopes to revolutionize health-care in developing countries using mobile phone applications. A South African airline, Airtime Airlines, introduces pay-as-you-go flights; pay for your flight using cell phone airtime! More financial scandals! The CEO of Satyam, a large technology company in India, admits to pulling off an Enron. Also, read all about Bernie Madoff, [...]

SportsKenya

  • Top Sports Personalities in Kenya -2008

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 8:40 am
    As we look forward to the coming year which will serve as breeding grounds and hard work for all sporting disciplines (since there are not as many major sports events), I have looked at those who made a major impact in the sports scene in 2008;
    They are as follows;

    1. Pamela Jelimo- Athletics 800m- from obscurity to golden moments- she literally scorched the tracks last year. Starting with the Kenyan championships(cum trials), she went on to register a gold medal in the African Athletics Meet in Ethiopia, won gold in Beijing Olympics and crowned the season by taking the Golden Jackpot by winning 6-out-6 races in the Golden League Athletics Grand Prix. She was accorded State honours having audience the powers-that-be. She’s easily the most talked about sports personality for the year 2008.

    2.Francis Kimanzi- Coach/Team Manager (Mathare United & Kenyan football national team)– juggling two demanding jobs is not mean achievement. But he did just that and managed to win the Kenyan Premier last year and also managed to guide Kenya into the 2nd round of 2010 World Cup / Cup of Nations qualifiers. Under him, Kenya is currently ranked 65th in the FIFA world rankings –the highest ever and best for the East & Central African teams. All this at the tender age of 30 years.

    3.Jason Dunford- Swimming- he started the year by being crowned SOYA for 2007 after a sterling performance in the All-Africa Games. He put Kenya in the Olympic record books temporarily holding the record for the 100m butterfly stroke for a few minutes. He managed a 5th place finish in the Finals won by swimming phenomenon Michael Phelps. He crowned the year by winning 3 gold medals & 2 silvers in African championships held in South Africa in November.

    4.Collins Injera-Rugby- The national 7s team has become any sports enthusiasts’ talking point for the last 2 years. They won the Team of the Year award –SOYA 2007. One emerging player from the season was Collins Injera who had the big teams the likes of England, Fiji shaking in their boots last season. He has been a decisive factor in Kenya’s 7s game and is likely to be a player to watch this season.

    5.Samuel Wanjiru- Athletics Marathon- he was the 3rd best marathoner going into the Olympics and his place was confirmed after finishing 2nd to Martin Lel in the London Marathon, as well as a nagging injury to Robert ‘Mwafrika’ Cheruiyot who had been tipped as the favourite. But come the last event of the Beijing Olympics Games, we woke up to watch a lean man tear the rest of the pack apart and win Kenya her first Olympic marathon gold.

    6.Francis Ouma- Football-seeing as it is, the Kenyan Premier League last season got off into a good start. With DSTv/SuperSport screening select Kenyan games, our footballer had something to show to the rest of the world. Ochieng found the net 15 times most for his team leading them to a 1st place finish. He has found a place in the national team and is currently leading Kenya’s onslaught in the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Uganda.

    7.Humphrey Khayange- rugby 7s- he captained the team to the IRB Sevens Series and one of the most influential players in the team. He managed to guide the team to a season high 6th place in the Series before they lost steam and slipped to finish within the top 10 positions. They won the Tusker Safari Sevens in July, giving local fans something to smile at. He is still captain and was instrumental in the team’s season 2nd round of the Series outstanding performance at the Dubai Sevens in December. We’ll how he guides the team for the rest of the season.

    8.Ben Ayimba –coach rugby 7s team- he was one of the best players of his days and led Kenya’s 7s team to many an upset. He took up the managerial role of team in 2007 and has since seen the team grow to be one of the best emerging teams in the IRB 7s Series. He takes responsibility for any poor performances a thing that has endeared him to both fans and players. He is also one of the youngest coaches in the Series at 31 years. He is bound to continue this streak in the year.

    9.Wilfred Bungei- Athletics 800m- he has been a major feature in Kenya’s international performances and is easily one of the most recognizable athletes on the track. He was a perennial underachiever failing to make the final sprint count and missing on medals. He led Kenya’s contingent as the captain of the Kenya team to the Olympics. Last year he proved us wrong and won his race earning Kenya one of the 5 gold medals in the Beijing Olympics. His trademark eye-glasses he says are not a fashion statement but simply to save his eyes from the gashing winds in the races.

    10.Julius Kirwa- he took the unenviable job of head coach athletics at a time when Kenya’s international performances were taking a beating from bitter rivals such as Ethiopia, Eritrea and the North Africans. He almost lost it when Kenya didn’t win any individual race at the World Cross Country championships in ……earlier in 2008. But he managed to recover and come back with a bang helping Kenya secure 5 gold medals at the Olympics courtesy of the athletics team.

    11.Nancy Lagat- 1500m –she was the surprise gold medalist for Kenya at the Olympics. She had kept her trend of winning, nondescriptly and she repeated that feat at the 1500m race earning Kenya’s women their 2nd ever gold medal at Olympics Games. Her demeanour hides her ambition to excel and she surely had us fooled!

    SPECIAL MENTIONS:
    Richard Omwela -Kenya Rugby Football Union- sustained support and professionalism into rugby
    Mutwiri Mutuota- CNN/MultiChoice African Journalism of the Year Award nominee and winner in Sports Award section
    Hellen Sambili-Minister for Youth and Sports- ensuring sustained Government support to Kenyan sports
    www.mafans.com - interactive site with interesting sports news and arguments
    EABL, KCB, KCC, Safaricom, Standard Chartered Kenya,Coca-Cola -the top companies supporting sports in Kenya for the season (Virgin Atlantic also deserves a mention albeit a hurried one).

    Please add any which I may have forgotten !

  • ....hot on the heels, Gor Mahia football club's relaunching

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 8:25 am

    Hot on the heels of yesterday's relaunch of AFC , one of Kenya's most successful club is going the same way and hoping to attract membership as well as sponsorship for its local and continental championships.
    Gor Mahia-a club with some of the most die-hard fans- will be hosting its members, fans, well-wishers to a dinner at the Charter Hall club later this evening. Its club chairman and prominent Nairobi lawyer Ambrose Rachier is asking all who can make it to show up and support this budding club.The official guests include PM Raila Odinga -who marked his 64th birthday yesterday and Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi(who was the official guest at yesterday's function)
    I'm so looking forward to the upcoming Kenyan Premier League....which you can watch on DSTv's Supersport 3 starting March 2009 !

Kenya Imagine

  • Visiting home and feeling the foreign pinch

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 6:27 am
    New Year’s Greetings, I am reading Christine Stephanie Nicholls’ Red Strangers: The White Tribe of Kenya. The makeda calls lighter skinned black people yellow and my brother was once told that he was so light he was turning yellow. Red strangers, yellow people. This younger brother, who is at school in cooler climates is home for the holidays, this time he has brought someone with him, a foreign someone, and such visits being what they are, it turned into a touristy holiday- show the visitor around the house.
    Read more on my brother's nightmare as he visits home.

ME = FIXATED

  • Pensiveness

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 5:02 am by Fixated
    Most of us thrive in the security of the known... the repetitive... the monotonous... the expected... They give us that feeling of comfort in knowing what to expect at the end of the day. Kind of like a security net which makes life a bit sane.

    But is it a weakness to dwell in this comfort? Is it cowardly if we shy away from change and all things undefined? Is it bravery to insist on change? Isn't that what life is all about - a quest for better things? It appears to me that we keep on changing our routine till we find the one we are most comfortable with.

    Change
    Routine
    Change
    Routine
    Change
    Routine

    But this cycle never ends, because, how are we to know which one best suits us unless we've tried them all. And where does that lead to? Unhappy, ungrateful, dissatisfied, bunch of yearners.

    "Learn to be pleased with everything: with wealth, so far as it makes us beneficial to others; with poverty, for not having much to care for; and with obscurity, for being unenvied" Plutarch

Rants, Raves & Reviews

  • Where hither the Kenya Shilling?

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 4:39 am by coldtusker
    What do you guys/gals think where the Kenya Shilling will head versus the basket of forex currencies (USD, Yen, GBP, Euro)....

    I don't understand the reason (except the 'safe haven' argument) for the strength of the US$... The US gov't (thru the Fed & Treasury & other agencies) will pump (since Aug 2008) in $1,000,000,000,000 (almost 6% of the USA's GDP) into the system by June 2009....

    Whereas I do not expect inflation to be a problem since the 'extra' cash will be negated in part by:
    • lower interest rates on loans
    • lower housing costs
    • lower fuel/energy costs
    • reduced salaries (loss of jobs or no more increases)
    • discounting of merchandise/food
    I still wonder if the US$ can sustain it's strength vs other currencies... of course, these guys (UK, Europe, Japan) are not much better off either!

    China is a wild card... or the joker?

    Please provide your thoughts... and guidance... and ideas...

Swamp Cottage

Rants, Raves & Reviews

You Missed This

  • Eldoret Dead Bodies Drama: Hilarious But Not Funny

    Posted: January 8, 2009, 3:35 am by Chris
    I have been talking about our blundering government a lot in recent times (need I remind you that it is led by our dear beloved blunderer in chief who is commander in chief of all the blunderers and blunders).

    If ink was something we used to make posts online, then I would have said the ink had not yet dried on my post when the President made an about turn on the Kenya communications bill he signed only last Friday and ordered the contentious parts to be looked into. managers please help us here with the following question. How much does it cost to make a decision and then make an about turn only a few days later? How much is this little circus costing us as a country?

    Anyway the main aim of this post was to attract your attention to another government blunder in Eldoret w