MPKiromo

Fill the World With Love

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 21:17:00 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

Fill the World with LOVE and the World will heal.

What is LOVE.

‭1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV‬

[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. [8] Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away

The Hidden 95 Percent of the Universe

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 21:10:00 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

If we put together everything that we can see, touch, feel, smell or interact with in our universe, it would only occupy a tiny 5 percent of our universe.

95 percent of our universe is made of stuff that we can't see or touch. We don't know what this stuff is, but we know it does exist because of it's effects.

Those who have attempted to study this stuff say it is called dark matter and dark energy. They call it dark because they themselves are in the dark on this matter and energy.

It's fascinating because our Universe is know to have trillions of galaxies and each galaxy has billions of Stars and each star is believed to have planets orbiting it. Yet all this is just 5 percent.

95% is hidden from us although we know with certainty that there is something in all that darkness

Dark Matter and Dark Energy, Simply Explained

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 21:03:00 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

DARK MATTER AND DARK ENERGY:

What is Dark Matter and Dark Energy and why are they important.

To answer this I will pose two questions:

1. What holds Galaxies together?

2. Is the Universe expanding or static?

Answer:

1. The trillions of galaxies, that have been observed by scientists, have maintained their shape for billions of years despite spinning at incredible speeds. What holds them together and prevents them from disintegrating is called Dark Matter.

2. Since the big bang, the Universe has been expanding infinitely. Although we don't know where it's going, we know there is a force that is driving that expansion. This force that is stretching the universe is called Dark Energy.

Some pseudoscientists and intellectual snobs will argue that since we can't see Dark Matter then it doesn't exist.

Nobody has ever seen gravity but we know it exists because we have seen it in action. Similarly we have seen Dark Matter and Dark Energy in action so out of curiosity scientists investigate the cause.

A contrarian denies scientific evidence for pride. It takes humility to learn

The Firmament and the Mystery Above

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:56:00 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

In The Bible (right from the beginning) this is said

Genesis 1:6–8

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

The "firmament", the great expanse that divides what is seen from what is unseen. And this is so interesting

We gaze upon it daily through the stars, planets, and galaxies. It is the visible fabric of Heaven.

Yet much remains hidden. No one has researched the Firmament because it supposedly doesn't fall in the realm of science.

The “waters above” hint at life beyond our Universe. The Bible unequivocally says there is water above the Firmament. This goes beyond our understanding and points to divine secrecy.

Is the firmament the boundary of our Universe? Does it separate the reality of our Earth , as we know it from the unknown?

By the way, several religious texts, including the Bible and Quran, talk of heaven having levels. Some go further to say that at the top of all the levels is water.

When we gaze at the stars we are probably looking at the Firmament which the Bible calls heaven. But beyond what we see, the Bible says is water that was separated from the water we see. This is the majesty of God’s design.

We can only wonder and marvel at the Firmament and what is below it. We probably will never know what is above the Firmament and that is the beauty of it all. It keeps us exploring and imagining and discovering in awe

Are We Alone in the Universe?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:49:00 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

The more I know, the more am convinced that we may be alone in our Universe after all: the more am convinced that aliens are a hoax.

But am also tending towards a belief that there is more than one Universe. The secrets that the other "Universe(s)" hold will remain secrets until we discover and exploit the power of wormholes.

Just 2 decades ago we didn't know that there are other galaxies beyond our milky-way galaxy. It now turns out that there are hundreds of billions of galaxies in our Universe. A lot more will become clearer in the next few years. But for now, believe it or not, WE (the human race) are the center of our Universe. Everything in our Universe, so far seems fashioned to aid our existence and our existence alone

Hades, Paradise and the Descent of Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:42:00 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

HADES

1. “He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?” — Ephesians 4:9

2. “Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” — Luke 23:43. Jesus promised one of the 2 people who were crucified next to him.

These 2 verses have left many people asking where exactly did Jesus go after He was crucified and died on the cross and just before he resurrected?

He promised the thief beside Him that “today” they would be together in paradise. Yet the scripture also reveals that His spirit descended into the “lower parts of the earth,”.

So which is it?...

There is a place called Hades.

Hades is where souls went after death. And so it was called the Realm of death.

Hades is divided into two distinct regions: a place of comfort (paradise or Abraham’s bosom) and a place of torment (Hell)

The story of Lazarus and The Rich man illustrated this clearly.

“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments… And he cried and said, Father Abraham… send Lazarus… that he may cool my tongue… for I am tormented in this flame.” — Luke 16:23–24

Clearly the rich man could see the other side (paradise) from hell.

Whatever separates these two regions cannot be crossed. But they are both in Hades (that place where all souls go to as they await Judgement).

When Jesus died, His body was laid in the tomb, but His spirit entered Hades. Yet He did not go there to await judgment. He was on a mission.

“…he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” — 1 Peter 3:19

Then on the Third day he rose again.

Jesus descended into the paradise side of Hades, exactly as He promised the thief.

Artemis II and the Hidden Side of the Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:35:00 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

Excitement: The Artemis II crew is at this moment flying by the dark side of the Moon ( No human being has ever seen that side).

The excitement is not because we expect it to look significantly different from the side that we are familiar with but because finally we can see what seemed hidden from us.

It gives us hope that in due course human beings will see more of what seems hidden.

Why Humanity May Never Reach the Stars

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:21:00 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

Humanity has gone to the moon. Humanity has sent probes to the Sun and explored all planets in our solar system and beyond.

But Humanity will NEVER reach the Stars (well, except the Sun). There are an estimated 400 billion stars in our Galaxy alone and we will never reach even one of them.

The Sun is the only star we can reach or send probes to. The next nearest star is Proxima Centauri which is roughly 4 light years away. Light travels at a speed of approximately 300,000 kms per second, yet even at that speed, it takes 4 years to reach Proxima Centauri.

4 light years is just next door in astronomical terms. So Proxima Centauri is our next door neighbour. Sadly, we will never knock on our next door neighbour's door. As heart breaking as it is, it will never happen.

Without a telescope, we can't see Proxima Centauri because it is a red dwarf star and very dim. But close to Proxima centauri are two stars called Alpha Centauri A and B. We can see those two stars from Earth with our naked eyes. In fact they are among the brightest stars you see when you look up.

Early scientists believed that if "you can see it, you can reach it" But they quickly realised this is not true. They would later declare that interstellar travel defies such a belief.

Four hundred billion stars! And we cannot reach even one of them.

The distance is insurmountable and the generations that come after us will also not be able to bridge it.

So huge is the distance that some scientists have started exploring other means of crossing it. They say we can make use of wormholes. Others are toying around with a technology they call warp drive (a desperate concept that suggests instead of travelling to the stars, we can warp space like a blanket and bring the stars closer). But the truth is that all these are just fantasies.

So when you look up and see countless stars just know that they are only meant to be seen

Why I Think Ruto Deserves a Second Term

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:14:00 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

I know most people on my timeline will disagree. Judging by personal interactions I think this is probably not the right forum but I will carry on because my people too must be told the truth.

From the onset, let me say President William Ruto has outdone himself. He has performed beyond expectation. Even Kibaki did not do as much in his first term as President. Tangible results like Affordable Houses and SHA ( which I have witnessed paying hospital bills of significant amount) are testament to his determination to do the right thing.

So the reason I am posting this is to state my frustration with the growing opposition to his leadership. I believe it is all driven by HATE.

Although the economy is not doing very well, President Ruto has stabilised it. It would have been worse.

If we gave Kibaki a second term, after achieving literally "nothing" in his first term, why not give Ruto his 2nd term?

Everything that we praise Kibaki for was achieved in his second term. What if he had a chance to do just half of what Ruto has done in his first term? Wouldn't Kibaki's 10 year term have been enough to propel us into a developed country? What if this is our second chance to have a leader who can do what should have been done then?

Let's not be blinded by hate and look at where we want to go as a country. We can rise above myopic tribal alignments and decide to put the future of our country first.

We want to live in a country that is industrialised and able to generate jobs for its young people. We want to live in a country where decent housing is a right and quality health care is available for all.

It doesn't matter who gets us there. It doesn't matter where that person comes from. If he or she is taking steps in the right direction let's give him a chance. Ruto is undoubtedly taking the right steps despite his shortcomings

Nancy Grace Roman and the Universe We Have Not Seen

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:07:00 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

NANCY GRACE ROMAN

In the next few months we expect this telescope to begin transmitting images of the Universe as we have never seen it before.

We also expect it to finally begin helping humanity understand dark matter. By December 2026 we may know something we don't.

Nairobi on a Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:00:00 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

Nairobi on a Sunday.! 😱

Mko serious ama mnataka tu kuona sifuna?

What exactly has this first-time Senator done to warrant such a following? I think this illogical fanaticism is what will land Kenya in a ditch. "Kufuata tu blindly". It's scary

Boldness Without Experience Is Still Immaturity

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 15:05:12 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

I watched in disbelief as Nyandarua Senator John Methu told the President to his face that he doesn't fear him. He thought he was showing bravery but it was a display of inexperience.

John Methu is just 31 years old and barely 3 years into top level politics. He is still learning although he is evidently not a good student. What he thinks is boldness is in reality, political immaturity.

Looking back I draw parallels with an infamous incident where a first time MP by the name Babu Owino referred to the then sitting President Uhuru Kenyatta as "Mtoto wa Umbwa". That was inexperience on full display.

Babu has amassed a little experience. He now has 8 years experience and a lot has changed. He can in fact be a good teacher to the inexperienced John Methu.

Seasoned MPs know that restraint is not a sign of weakness but wisdom. They know that disrespecting a President is not fashionable. You will never see veterans like James Orengo or Moses Wetangula hurling insults at the President no matter how sharp their differences may be. Experience has taught them how to hit hard with criticism without being disrespectful.

However I also blame the experienced leaders for not mentoring the young politicians. They have even failed in basic orientation of new Parliamentarians.

They should guide them on what to say and what not to say. What to wear and how to present themselves in public.

Even the way John Methu wears shaggy hair to parliament is testament to lack of orientation. He was denied this crucial guidance.

Unfortunately for John Methu, his political mentor is Rigathi Gachagua. The former DP is himself not experienced enough. He only has 7 years experience; 5years as an MP and 2 years as D.P. Forget his years as a civil servant, those are 2 very different fields.

Gachagua is not seasoned enough to guide Methu any better than Babu can do.

Maybe he should consider Kalonzo Musyoka who has over four decades of experience in politics and Public life.

Kalonzo speaks with measured authority and respect even in fierce opposition (I must hastily add that I am not his supporter).

It's true that being bold will earn you attention. But people can easily tell when you are bold without experience and all it takes is disrespect.

Two Technologies That Could Make Humanity Almost Invincible

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 20:24:00 -0800

There are two technologies developing today that could change the human race more profoundly than almost anything that came before them:

1. Artificial Intelligence

2. Quantum Computing

Individually, each has enormous potential. But when their capabilities begin to complement each other, we may enter an era in which humanity can do things that, only a generation ago, would have sounded like science fiction.

We may be approaching a time when some of the things we once imagined only highly advanced extraterrestrial civilizations could accomplish become possible here on Earth.

Artificial intelligence is already changing how we work, communicate, create and solve problems.

But what we are seeing today may only be the beginning.

The important thing about AI is not simply that computers are becoming more powerful.

It is that computers are becoming increasingly capable of helping us discover and invent.

Imagine an AI examining millions of possible chemical compounds looking for a new medicine. Or analysing thousands of engineering designs and discovering one that a human engineer might never have considered.

AI potentially compresses years of human trial and error into dramatically shorter periods of experimentation.

And then comes quantum computing.

Quantum computers are not simply faster versions of the computers we use today.

They approach certain kinds of computation in fundamentally different ways, using properties of quantum physics.

They will not make every computing problem faster, and practical large-scale quantum computers still face major engineering challenges.

But for particular classes of problems—such as molecular simulation, materials research and certain optimization problems—the possibilities are extraordinary.

This is where things become especially interesting.

Because AI and quantum computing do not necessarily have to compete.

They will eventually complement each other.

Imagine combining increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence with quantum machines capable of tackling certain calculations that are extremely difficult for conventional computers.

AI could help scientists formulate problems, identify promising possibilities and interpret results, while quantum computers could potentially handle particular simulations or calculations.

The combination could accelerate discovery.

Consider medicine.

Instead of discovering drugs largely through long cycles of laboratory experimentation, researchers could increasingly use computational models to understand how molecules interact with proteins and cells before deciding what to manufacture and test.

Diseases that are extremely difficult to treat today could become much easier to understand.

Treatments could become increasingly personalized.

New medicines could potentially be developed faster.

Then consider manufacturing.

AI could design components while advanced computers simulate their behaviour at microscopic or even quantum levels.

We could discover new materials that are lighter, stronger, more heat-resistant or more efficient than materials commonly used today.

That could transform everything from motorcycles and aircraft to buildings, batteries and spacecraft.

Energy Could Change Too

One of humanity's greatest limitations has always been energy.

Much of civilization is ultimately constrained by how efficiently we can produce, store and distribute it.

AI is already being used to optimize energy systems and assist scientific research. Quantum simulation could eventually help researchers better understand materials and chemical processes relevant to batteries, catalysts and other energy technologies.

Imagine batteries capable of storing dramatically more energy.

Imagine better solar materials.

Imagine new industrial processes requiring far less energy than today's factories.

Every major improvement in energy changes what civilization can afford to do.

Communications and Security Will Be Transformed

The transformation will also affect information.

Quantum technologies are already driving research into new forms of secure communication, while sufficiently capable quantum computers could threaten some of the cryptographic systems protecting today's internet.

That means the same technological revolution that creates new capabilities will also force humanity to rebuild parts of its digital security infrastructure.

The future will therefore not simply be about having more computing power.

It will be about learning how to use that power.

We Are Beginning to Design Things Nature Never Gave Us

Perhaps the most profound change will be our ability to deliberately design things that previously depended on discovery by chance.

New molecules.

New materials.

New medicines.

New machines.

New methods of producing energy.

New ways of processing information.

For most of human history, progress depended heavily on experimentation: build something, test it, observe what happens, improve it and try again.

Increasingly, we may be able to simulate possibilities before physically creating them.

And when AI can explore enormous spaces of possible designs while advanced computing systems evaluate some of those possibilities, the pace of invention could accelerate enormously.

Are We Becoming Invincible? Probably not literally.

Technology will not abolish every disease, natural disaster, war or human mistake. AI and quantum computing also introduce serious risks of their own.

But "invincible" captures something important about the direction we are heading.

Humanity is developing tools capable of extending our ability to understand and manipulate the physical world at levels that previous generations could barely imagine.

The remarkable part is that this is no longer purely science fiction.

The foundations are already being built.

AI is advancing rapidly.

Quantum computers already exist, although today's machines remain limited.

Scientists are using computation to design proteins, discover materials, model complex systems and accelerate research.

The machines are still young.

The technologies are still imperfect.

But imagine where they could be after another ten, twenty or fifty years of development.

We spent centuries imagining advanced civilizations capable of manipulating matter, designing life, creating extraordinary machines and solving problems beyond ordinary human comprehension.

Perhaps the biggest surprise will be discovering that we did not need to wait for aliens to arrive.

We were slowly becoming that advanced civilization ourselves.

The Ariel School Alien Story and Collective Imagination

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 8 Oct 2024 15:05:00 -0700

Adapted from a Facebook reflection by Maina P Kiromo.

In 1994, about 60 Children of Ariel School in Ruwa Zimbabwe said they had seen beings that were not of this World.

They said the beings visited them in a vessel that did not look like anything they had seen before. They were dark and had big eyes. The beings spoke to some of the Children without opening their mouths and the Children understood.

The alien beings just wanted to pass a message to the Children about caring for their environment. Nothing else.

The Children are now grown ups. But none of them has changed their story. Skeptics have over the years dismissed their claims.

I think they didn't see anything.

Various social dynamics such as collective imagination can impact the way Children see things.

When I was in Primary, some children in our school claimed they had seen a "White man" who only floated through the air.

To date (and I was with one of them yesterday) they still believe they saw "that thing.".... 🤔.

It was a fat white lie that had a lasting profound impact on them

Safaricom Ship Is too Big For The Corona Waves

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 15 Nov 2020 07:59:00 -0800

Record losses in the first half of the 2020/2021 financial year but investors and creditors are confident the firm's future is brighter than it has ever been.

For the first time in nine years, Safaricom PLC has reported a drop in profits during the half year ending September 2020. The largest company in East and Central Africa has recorded a 6% drop in net profit from a 4% dip in revenues.

According to the company, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a direct toll on its first-half performance. Revenue from its M-Pesa services dropped by Kshs 6.1 billion during this period, mostly due to removal of fees on transactions less than Kshs 1,000. The government of Kenya, through the Central bank of Kenya (CBK), ordered the removal of the fees as a mitigation measure at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Revenue from the voice services dropped by Kshs 2.8 billion which mirrors the hard economic times resulting from decreased economic activity during the pandemic.

The drop in profit has led Safaricom to borrow Kshs 24.7 billion from local lenders in order to manage its cashflow. The borrowed funds go to paying dividends and financing infrastructure development.

Safaricom center

Over the years Safaricom could afford to operate without borrowed funds because it was making enough money to run its operations and pay dividends. Prior to the new round of borrowing, the firm was only Kshs 8 billion in debt.

The Company's good health means that investors and lenders have nothing but confidence in its stability. Nothing screams alarm and this is nowhere near distress. Local banks are confident of the firm's ability to retire its debt within an year. Investors seem even more optimistic.

Despite the current economic downturn, Safaricom shares continue to perform very well at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE). The month of November saw its share price rise to the pre-Covid levels and analysts predict a record breaking rally before the end of the year. Safaricom's market capitalization now stands above Kshs 1.2 trillion which is more than half of the investor wealth at the NSE.

The Seven LAPSSET Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 13:39:00 -0700

Do you know the seven projects that constitute the LAPSSET Corridor?

The ‘LAPSSET Corridor’ stands for Lamu Port, South Sudan, Ethiopia Transport Corridor. It is Eastern Africa’s largest infrastructure project.

It brings together Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The entire project consists of seven key infrastructure projects listed below.

1. A 32 Berth port at Lamu.
2. Interregional Highways from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to Juba (South Sudan), Isiolo to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), and Lamu to Garsen (Kenya)
3. Crude Oil Pipeline from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to Juba
4. Product Oil Pipeline from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to Addis Ababa
5. Interregional Standard Gauge Railway lines from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to Juba, Isiolo to Addis Ababa, and Nairobi to Isiolo

6. Three International Airports: one each at Lamu, Isiolo, and Lake Turkana

7. Three Resort Cities: one each at Lamu, Isiolo and Lake Turkana.

The multipurpose High Grand Falls Dam along the Tana River is a by product project of LAPSSET although it is not listed as a stand alone project often grouped together with the Resort cities.

Crypterium Can Take Kenya's Mobile Banking Experience To The Next Level

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 May 2018 13:19:00 -0700

In Kenya M-Pesa is a way of life. Locals use M-Pesa to pay for goods, pay utility bills, invest in government bonds, pay insurance premiums, deposit and withdraw money from their bank accounts, access short term loans, renew business licenses, pay taxes and even place sports bets. In fact all businesses in Kenya have been impacted by M-Pesa services in more ways than one.

M-pesa was tailored as a money transfer platform. But over the years it has evolved into a digital bank giving millions of Kenyans access to formal financial services. It has revolutionized banking and reinvented the way Kenyans conduct business.

Before M-Pesa was launched eleven years ago, by telecommunications giant Safaricom Ltd, more than 70% of the population was excluded from formal financial services. Today, more than 75 per cent of adult Kenyans have a financial account thanks to M-pesa. Moreover, all mobile phone service providers in Kenya have mobile-money services similar to M-Pesa.

Despite these achievements, there is still room for growth in the mobile banking arena. The Cryptocurrency space is one field that is yet to tap into mobile-money and mobile-banking services. Bitcoin, the pioneer cryptocurrency, is as old as M-Pesa. Both were invented in the year 2007. But unlike M-Pesa, Kenyans took time to understand and adopt Bitcoin, first as a digital currency then as an alternative investment tool.

Bitcoin and a host of altcoins, like Ethereum, have taken the Kenyan middle class by storm. Buoyed by the abnormal returns on investment, Kenyans are now investing in cryptocurrencies.

However, buying cryptocurrencies in Kenya is not easy. There are no trustworthy online services that cater for Kenyans' cryptocurrency needs. This is the largest impediment in the adoption of digital currencies.

Crypterium, a cryptocurrency banking platform, can link Kenya's digital-banking experience to the cryptocurrency world. This is because Crypterium, just like M-Pesa, is mobile-phone based. Such a link would certainly enable Kenyans plunge into the World of unlimited opportunities offered by cryptocurrencies.

Crypterium can help Kenyans buy cryptocurrencies and use them as fiat in their everyday life. It's contactless payment solutions are not different from M-Pesa. Kenyans can also make use of its instant loans service given that mobile loans are very popular in the country.

The cryptocurrency market in Kenya is largely untapped although it is booming with potential. Nevertheless, the framework has been laid. Kenya has one of the largest mobile phone penetration rates in Africa which currently stands at 95%. Fortunately, Kenyans are now appreciating cryptocurrencies as a means of accessing the financial markets hence a viable wealth distribution vehicle.

There is no doubt that Crypterium is best placed to take Kenya's mobile banking experience to the next level.

How to fix Kenya's massive skills gap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 6 May 2018 14:21:00 -0700

By Dr. Melba K. Wasunna, Strathmore University

Kenya’s extractives sector – covering oil, gas and mining – is booming. There have been recent discoveries of commercially viable resources, like oil and gold.

The sector’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product currently stands at around 1%. But the government expects this to reach 10% by 2030. This suggests there’s still a great deal to be exploited.

To support the sector’s growth, the government recently approved a nationwide geophysical survey that will map the country’s minerals and natural resources. It also enacted a new Mining Act and put forward a new petroleum bill to provide new sector regulation.

But to realise the potential of these resources, more people with the right skills are needed. The number of skilled workers in Kenya’s labour market does not match the extractives sector’s current needs. Although the size of the skills gap in Kenya is unknown because detailed research hasn’t been done, industry sources have made it clear that they are struggling to fill posts. According to a report on Kenya’s petroleum sector, the extractives sector is still dominated by foreign expertise in technical, exploration and production skills.

In Turkana County for example, where most upstream petroleum operations are taking place, the high unemployment rate is linked to the mismatch between workforce skills and new employment opportunities. This challenge is most severe for vocational skills like pipe fitting, welding, drilling and operation and repair of heavy equipment – all in high demand in the energy and natural resource sectors.

If not addressed urgently, the skills gap could inflate the cost of labour because of an over-reliance on foreign experts and compromise energy and mining projects. Industry players need to collaborate and support on-the-job and need-based training.

Vocational skills

One major challenge to addressing the skills gap is the lack of quality vocational training. The skills needed in energy and mining sectors in Kenya are usually acquired through informal technical and vocational education and training institutions.

For example Kenya lacks skilled welders who can work on a live oil pipeline. Most polytechnics (higher education institutions with courses mostly in vocational or technical subjects) only offer artisan welding courses. The welding that is done in the petroleum sector is much more complex. This is a huge setback as Kenya hopes to begin crude oil exportation in 2019.

Kenya has more than 845 accredited technical and vocational education and training institutions, but the courses offered are not aligned with global standards.

There is also demand for workers with more general business skills, including information technology, accounting and project management, as well as geology and engineering skills.
Most universities in Kenya don’t focus enough on practical skills, and there’s a bias towards social sciences.

Because of this mismatch, even when there’s skilled labour, the skills aren’t the right ones, or are inadequate. Employers can’t rely on certificates from formal technical and vocational institutions as a guide to an individual’s actual competencies. Instead they have to verify new recruits’ competencies to determine how much additional on-the-job training is required.

Other challenges include outdated training curricula, inadequate facilities to cater for the large number of students who wish to undertake the vocational programmes and a low quality of teaching staff. This all has a negative impact on the quality of individuals being channelled into the labour market.

Way forward

Kenya’s situation isn’t unique on the continent. Other resource-rich countries like Ghana, Tanzania and Nigeria are also grappling with a skills gap in the extractives sector. In Ghana the mismatch is primarily caused by training curricula that are developed with no input from key industry players. Nigeria, meanwhile, faces a number of challenges including inadequate funding, teaching and learning facilities and poor governance.

In Kenya there is a way forward. It lies with developing more, specialised training centres. The Kenyan government has been collaborating with some private sector players to implement capacity building initiatives to support the oil and gas industry.

And some private companies like Base Titanium and Tullow Oil Kenya, considered leaders in Kenya’s mining and oil sectors, are taking the lead in professional skills development. This will ensure that curricula, training and standards match the sectors’ market and skills demand. And it will ease the transition from training to employment.

Some higher education institutions are also trying to plug the gap. Strathmore University’s Energy Research Centre, for example, has partnered with specialist centres to offer short courses like energy auditing and technical solar skills. Their approach rests on three pillars: enterprise development, skills development and matching graduates with potential employers. Similarly, Best Bridge College in Nairobi offers renewable energy training like solar installation.

But for these programmes to be successful, curricula must be modelled on global standards. The quality of teachers must also be improved and technical and vocational training institutions need to be equipped with modern tools and materials to ensure a shift from theoretical to practical teaching.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

God Doesn't Do Business; Ignore Prosperity Preachers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 05:06:00 -0800

The gospel of success is big business in Kenya nowadays.

Almost all preachers; in churches and on television, radio, social media and blogs are preaching about the health and wealth of gospel.

It is big business and believers are going to church every Sunday not to worship and praise, as you would expect, but to check their statements of account and to renew their contractual obligations for the week ahead.

Preachers are teaching the faithful that blessings are financial in nature and all they have to do is believe and they shall receive.

In other words, they make you believe that God will deliver if you enter into a contract with him. Trust and believe and then hold Him to account for His end of the agreement.

But the contractual agreement that you are expected to sign with God is activated by donations and charity.

It's not hard to see why Christians, in their millions, are easily blinded by prosperity gospel. Preachers are 'living testimonies' to what the implied contractual agreements can achieve. They are all 'rich', they drive expensive cars and live in mansions.

They credit this success to what they made God promise to do for them when they committed to work for Him. You can also live like that if you commit to believe and trust.

They are willing to guide you to prosperity but you must be willing to be led. That simply means becoming a regular in church. It means committing yourself to a covenant for potential material gain.

Once they succeed in keeping you in their church, they lock you in. This is a good practice in business. Business people lock-in customers by offering after-sale services.

They don't do this because they care about the benefits that customers will derive from such services but to make these customers continue doing business with them in the future. It is the same thing these churches are doing with the faithful.

Prosperity gospel assumes that being a believer pays handsomely and that wealth is the automatic reward. This is fraud.

It is a fallacy because it implies that poverty is punishment for sin. It is wrong to teach people that once they believe and keep coming to church they will be compensated with wealth.

It is not true that wealth is a right for those who believe. It is also not true that poverty is a product of sin.

Preachers of the wealth gospel will continue being rich. They will continue making money from gullible believers.

Being rich has nothing to do with compensation for what they purport to do for God. Its all about mobilizing donations from millions of Kenyans of little-faith.

They have deliberately distorted the relationship between Man and God for their own good.

They want you to believe that the relationship between God and Man is a give and take relationship.

Nobody can blackmail or force God to grant prosperity through an implied contractual agreement.

Prosperity gospel has led the World astray. It has deformed biblical teachings.

Self-denial is a teaching in the Bible that prosperity gospel has swept under the carpet of financial abundance.

Prosperity preachers seldom teach the doctrine of suffering. Christians are not immune to suffering. It is a tool God uses to get our attention and to accomplish His purposes in our lives.

Jesus warned His disciples that believing in Him and living by His teachings will come at a cost. Christians must suffer. If any preacher does not tell you this fact, then he/she is not worth their salt.

God doesn't do business. He doesn't bargain, He is frank with us. All He requires from us is to believe.

There is no financial compensation for believing. The only promise God has made to those who believe is that they will have eternal life.

If you are looking for financial rewards, get down to work and be honest with yourself. Ignore prosperity preachers.

Ethiopia could be sitting on one of world's great untapped gold deposits

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 4 Feb 2018 09:03:00 -0800

By: Liam Bullock, University of Aberdeen

To the west of Ethiopia near the Sudanese border lies a place called the Asosa zone. This may be the location of the oldest gold mine in the world. Dating back some 6,000 years, it provided a key source of gold to the ancient Egyptian empire, whose great wealth was famous throughout the known world. It may even have supplied the Queen of Sheba with her lavish gifts of gold when she visited King Solomon of Israel almost 3,000 years ago.

The excitement in this part of the world is more about the future, however. Some local inhabitants already make a living from prospecting, and several mining companies have been active in the area in recent years, too.

But what comes next could be on a much bigger scale: I have just co-published with my colleague, Owen Morgan, new geological research that suggests that much more treasure might be buried under the surface of this east African country than was previously thought.

Treasure trail

The Asosa zone is made up of flatlands, rugged valleys, mountainous ridges, streams and rivers. It is densely vegetated by bamboo and incense trees, with remnants of tropical rainforests along the river valleys. The zone, which is part of Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region, is spotted with archaeological sites containing clues to how people lived here thousands of years ago, together with ancient mining pits and trenches.

Local inhabitants have long taken advantage of these riches. They pan for gold in Asosa’s streams and also extract the precious metal directly from outcropping rocks.

More substantial exploitation of the region’s riches dates back to the Italian invasion of the 1930s. The Italians explored the Welega gold district in West Welega, south-east of Asosa.

Haile Selassie, emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, believed the country had the potential to become a global leader in gold. But when the revolutionary Derg government deposed him and the country plunged into civil war, gold mining disappeared off the agenda for a decade and a half. It took until the early 2000s before the government started awarding exploration licences.

Several mines are up and running, neither of them in Asosa. One is at Lega Dembi slightly to the east, owned by Saudi interests. The other, at Tigray in the north of the country, is owned by American mining giant Newmont, and just started production late last year. More is already on the way: the beneficiary of the Italian efforts from the 1930s in Welega is the Tulu Kapi gold prospect, containing 48 tonnes of gold. This was most recently acquired in 2013 by Cyprus-based mining group KEFI Minerals (market value: roughly US$2.3 billion (£1.7 billion)).

As for Asosa, the Egyptian company ASCOM made a significant gold discovery in the zone in 2016. It published a maiden resource statement that claimed the presence of – curiously the same number – 48 tonnes of gold. Yet this only looks like the beginning.

Au-some potential?

The Asosa zone geology is characterised by various kinds of volcanic and sedimentary rocks that are more than 600 million-years-old. The region has been intensely deformed by geological forces, resulting in everything from kilometre-long faults to tiny cracks known as veins which are only centimetres in length.

Some of these veins contain quartz, and it is mainly here that the region’s gold accumulated between 615m and 650m years ago – along with silver and various other minerals. The gold came from molten materials deep within the Earth finding their way upwards during a process known as subduction, where tectonic forces drive oceanic crust beneath a continent. This is comparable to the reasons behind gold deposits in island arcs like some of the ones in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Our field observations and panning suggest that gold should be generally abundant across the Asoza zone – both in quartz veins but also elsewhere in the schist and pegmatite rocks in which they are located. We also see signs of substantial graphite deposits, which are important for everything from touch-screen tablets to lithium-ion batteries.

There is undoubtedly much more world-class gold within this area than has already been discovered, pointing to a promising source of income for the government for years to come – much of the region remains unexplored, after all. It probably is no exaggeration to say that Ethiopia’s gold potential could rival South Africa’s, which would put it somewhere around the top five gold producing nations in the world.

There are still some substantial challenges, however. Dealing with governmental red tape can be difficult. In an area like the Asosa zone there are dangerous wildlife to avoid, such as venimous snakes, baboons and even monkeys. The vegetation also becomes forbiddingly wild during wet seasons.

It is also important to strike up good working relationships with local inhabitants, showing the utmost respect to local cultures – it’s the ethical way to operate, and failing to do so can make life harder with the authorities in the capital. This includes the need to preserve the natural beauty of the region; gold mining already has a very bad international reputation for environmental damage.

With the right approach, however, western Ethiopia will be a literal gold mine that could bring economic benefit to the region. What the Queen of Sheba may have known 3,000 years ago, the modern world is finally rediscovering today.

Liam Bullock, Research Fellow, University of Aberdeen

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

15 Facts About cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 3 Feb 2018 14:46:00 -0800

One in every eight deaths in the World is caused by cancer
Sleep deprivation – defined as getting less than six hours of sleep per day – increases your risk of colon cancer
Cancer is not a transmissible disease. It cannot be passed from one person to another.
Cancer is not one disease. It is a set of diseases and each disease is caused by a different agent.
Cancer is a great imitator. This means it is common for people diagnosed with cancer to have been treated for other diseases with similar symptoms
The most common cancer-causing foods are refined sugar, soda, microwave food, canned food and processed meat.
There are more than 200 different types of cancer. they are named according to the type of cell they start from namely: carcinomas; lymphomas; leukemia;Germ cell tumor; brain tumors and sarcomas
Tobacco use is the cause of about 22% of cancer deaths
Diet, physical inactivity and obesity are related to up to 30–35% of cancer deaths
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can lead to melanoma and other skin cancers.
Taking scalding hot tea frequently may cause esophageal cancer
Between 70% and 90% of common cancers are due to environmental factors so they can be prevented.
It is estimated that only 14% of the people who need treatment for Cancer, Worldwide, get it.
Vaccines such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine assists in preventing some cervical, vaginal, vulvar, and oral cancers.
A vaccine for hepatitis B can reduce the risk of liver cancer.

What Is DataHack4FI

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 1 Feb 2018 14:16:00 -0800

Data enthusiats, finance experts, computer programmers and coders, researchers and tech fanatics are meeting to showcase innovative solutions that will help achieve universal access to financial services.

Data-Hack for Financial Inclusion is a competition that seeks to award innovators of practical solutions aimed at helping businesses and financial-service providers take their services to the poor and those who cannot access such services.

Competitions motivate innovators to research and come up with ideas. They also attract solutions-developers who would otherwise have kept their ideas to themselves. Data-Hack for Financial Inclusion (DataHack4FI) focuses on Africa. There are six country-level competitions namely; Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The final will be held in Rwanda in May.

The Kenyan leg of DataHack4FI is being hosted by Nairobi Garage, which is a serviced work space for startups. Such an environment is conducive for the collaboration and mentorship that goes with innovation in the tech world.

The World Bank estimates that about 2 billion working-age adults globally have no access to the types of formal financial services delivered by regulated financial institutions. Sub-Saharan Africa is worse with only 24% of adults having a bank account. Data-Hack for Financial Inclusion is an initiative that seeks to reverse this.

MBAs Are Losing Interest In Entrepreneurship

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 13:27:00 -0800

Appetite for entrepreneurial activity among MBA graduates seems to be diminishing. This is according to the Financial Times (FT), in a survey it released on annual global ranking of business schools.

Photo by Muhammad Rizwan

The number of MBA graduates starting a business as opposed to going into employment "peaked in 2015 when it reached 21 per cent. This was up from 18 per cent in 2013 and 2014. It fell back to 19 per cent in 2016 and 2017." the authors of the Financial Times article that reported these findings, Jonathan Moules and Laurent Ortmans, wonder whether "start-ups are on a downward trend or they will bounce back in 2018?"

Most successful companies were started by MBAs from top business schools. However, it is true that some of the most successful companies in the world were also started and are being run by people without an MBA. This not withstanding, the knowledge and expertise imparted in business school make life easier for entrepreneurs.

There are two reasons given as to why MBAs are no longer enticed by the dream of being their own boss. First, average salaries for MBA graduates have been on a constant upward trend. The expected median starting salary for recent MBA graduates in the United States in 2015 was $100,000 annually. This minimum was estimated to be well over $120,000 by September 2017.

Companies are willing to pay more to acquire MBAs. Graduates are therefore not eager to go through the rigors of setting up their own businesses. Someone moving into self-employment may have to sacrifice significant earnings in the short term. This, coupled with the fact that self-employment (or entrepreneurship) does not yield immediate financial rewards drives MBAs to seek employment.

Secondly, many companies are now encouraging corporate entrepreneurship. Large corporations are now pursuing product innovation the same way startups do. They are pushing employees to explore new products and technologies. This gives MBA graduates, employed in such companies, the freedom to exercise their entrepreneurial spirit without the risk of spending or losing their own money. In return, companies benefit when research and innovation leads to creation of new products or improvement of existing ones.

MBAs are therefore weighing the costs, of starting up their own businesses or companies, against the benefits. It seems the opportunity cost of being an entrepreneur is not worth paying at least in the short term

Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic) International's Project In Nairobi Is Simply Huge

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 10:22:00 -0800

A 43-storey office block and a five-star hotel in Westlands, Nairobi is taking shape. The development is being undertaken by Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic) International Real Estate. The complex will comprise an office block, a hotel tower and four apartment blocks which will sit on 7.5 acres or five plots combined into one.

The project will cost an estimated Kshs 20 billion. The office block alone will cost Sh9.6 billion and will host AVIC International African headquarters. But the entire complex which will cover 250,000 square meter will comprise; a 43-storey office block, a 35-storey hotel, two 24-level, a 25-level, and a 28-level apartment tower.

When the county government of Nairobi approved the project back in 2015, the then Governor, Evans Kidero, called the approval fee of Kshs 97.2 million, paid by AVIC International, "the single largest cheque we’ve ever received for a single approval."

The tower complex will border Hotel Villa Rosa Kempinski. American luxury hotel chain JW Marriott will run the 35-storey hotel which will have 315 guest rooms, 50 serviced apartments and a 760 square-metre ballroom.

In September 2015, Villa Rosa Kempinski filed a petition with National Environment Management Authority (Nema) seeking to halt the construction of the Avic property. Nema tribunal threw out the case on grounds that it was filed outside the 60-day window following the award of an approval.

Analysts see Villa Rosa Kempinski's actions as an attempt to fend off competition. Kempinski filed another suit with the Environment and Lands Division of the High Court seeking to overturn the tribunal’s decision.

The magnanimity of the project was recently beamed by the Chinese firm's indication, to Kenya Power, that it estimates its power demand to be 12 megavolt ampere (MVA) which is a downward revision from the initial 16 MVA it had estimated initially. This will be the largest demand by a non-factory power consumer in Kenya.

Let's Shift From Use of Herbicides To Organic Farming

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 02:49:00 -0800

By: Dr Silke Bollmohr

The use of herbicides and pesticides in developing countries, mostly as a perennial and annual weeds control measure, is widespread. The most heavily used herbicide is glyphosate because it requires less field preparation and fewer expenses linked to farm machinery.

In 2011, nearly 650,000 tonnes of glyphosate products were used worldwide and this was expected to double by this year.

In Kenya, although there is no publicly available data, there are 28 different glyphosate-based products. They are applied in tea and coffee plantations, beans, sugarcane, barley, and maize.

Despite the economic and ecological benefits such as soil erosion prevention, organic matter loss, water evaporation and biodiversity, there is a need to question the effects of the use of herbicides on human health and the environment.

In Europe, there has been heated debate between scientists, NGOs, governments and industry in the past two years on the re-registration of this active ingredient. Some argue that glyphosate is likely to cause cancer and should, therefore, not be re-registered. It is an argument that has been supported by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Others argue that the carcinogenic properties have not been proven conclusively and that glyphosate should thus be re-registered.

Unfortunately, glyphosate was on November 27 re-registered for the next five years. In Kenya, farmers perceive the use of herbicides and other pesticides not as problematic. It’s a perception that is mainly attributed to lack of awareness. And where training is given to farmers, the emphasis is on personal health protection equipment.

Monitoring programmes in Europe and the US show ecotoxicological relevant glyphosate concentrations in water, urine and food (for beer and bread), so one can expect elevated concentrations in developing countries.

In Kenya, there is no programme to gather information on glyphosate pollution in water, soil and air, or residue monitoring in food. A paper by Rockström in 2009 stated that one of the biggest environmental problems is pollution. This argument was reemphasised at the just-concluded United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi.

Another issue is the calculation of Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in food. Very often, the European MRLs are taken as a guide and simply adopted for Kenya due to the need for compliance for the export market.

However, situations might be very different. The European MRL of glyphosate allowed in maize is 1 mg/kg. One of the basic assumptions is the average amount of maize an average European eats per day.

However, the amount eaten by a Kenyan in a day is certainly higher. This means that the allowed MRL needs to be adapted to Kenyan eating habits and might have to be reduced. Examples in Kenya, such as the organic coffee project in Rongo supported by Permaculture Research Institute and Biovision, proves that it is possible to reduce the use of glyphosate without any negative economic effects.

After two years of changing to organic coffee production, the yield increased from less than 0.5 to 2.4 kg per tree per harvest. Covering soil with mulch and cover cropping with legumes, which fix nitrogen from the air, help to improve soil fertility.

Other possible solutions include intercropping with nitrogen fixers such as caliandra, lucerne, pigeon peas, agroforestry, spraying with a natural product such as vinegar and digging or pulling out weeds.

We should do this for the sake of food quality, our health and environment.

Dr Silke Bollmohr is the managing director of EcoTrac Consulting.

email: silke.bollmohr@gmail.com