Unbridled freedom

THE BALKANIZATION OF THE KENYAN STATE

2012-04-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

I am engaged with much more social media news threads than I watch or listen to mainstream media in Kenya. I mean why listen to Maina Ki’nga’ng’i and Mwalimu Kageni sensationalize sex and sexuality for a living, or watch Kiss Tv cheer-lead for Raila or watch Citizen and K24 blow Uhuru’s trumpet. At times I am just as incensed listening to TV Citizen news anchors repeat media clichés from the last decade over and over again. Besides affiliations within Kenyan Media bar Nation Media have conspired to deny Kenyans objective and unbridled news and information. That’s why for a real time analysis of the ‘state of the nation’
I turn to social media. Twitter and Facebook are a microcosm of the neigh opinions of the Kenya state. Ok, enough bashing of Kenyan media, I have keen interests in media from African media and I have come to the conclusion that Kenya’s media is the second trashiest in the continent, ok no media can be trashier than Tanzania’s media. As I was saying I think our nation is on the brink of an epoch that will not be beautiful going forward. Kenya is balkanizing, and the politicians are to blame for this. They a full list of them all 212 Members of Parliament have worked zealously to ensure that Kenyan’s do not benefit from benefits accruing from a true sense of nationhood. A few marquee politicians; Raila the cog behind ODM, Uhuru the man of the anonymous party, Ruto of the URP stable and Kalonzo who named his party after an automobile accessory stand accused. Non of them stands on a pedestal non of them merits to have the responsibility of taking this nation forward. Uhuru and Ruto have United their ethnic battalions ready for battle, Kalonzo brings his small battalion into the fray, Wamalwa et-al add their small armies ready for Kenya’s Waterloo and Kenya’s waterloo is an ethnic conquest they are Raila who by the way usurps the powers of the ethnic joker card when he thinks it favours him or wails like against ethnicity when he thinks it works for him. Kenya therefore is balkanizing geographically, politically and emotionally. Small bands of Kenyans are seemingly more and more prone to pull away from Kenya’s established fabric. See Mombasa Republic Council, which by the way I think is shenaniganism of the highest order, mungiki seems to be making a comeback. All this are telltale signs that the state of the nation is not well. Let it be known though that I support the constitutional sanctioned right to association, that includes the GEMA, KAMATUSA crap, let us examine ourselves before we criticize because really this groups are carry-overs from the ethnic caucusing that permeates almost all facets of socio-political life in Universities. We need though to proffer solutions, we need to stop cheerleading for war, it is us whose blood will spill first. We need to deny our innocence to power-hungry make believe leaders, we need to force generational change in leadership and that can only happen if we stop clinging on to every word our archaic media industry peddles. We could we are young, we want more. “What ethnicity I am is of no consequence to me, what I am more concerned about is finding my locus in the global environment.” As a young man I would gain more from being globally competitive than I would, clinging to tentacles of an ethnic past.

The Paucity of Thought and Ideology in Africa's Governance

2012-04-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

I have myself perusing a commemorative album on Freidrich von Hayek, published by Adam Smith institute. What a treasure trove it is turning out to be. It invokes my thinking it challenges contemporary governance structures and systems in Africa. It challenges us; us who consider themselves repositories of knowledge and ideas to bring ourselves to the fray. As I skim through the commemorative album, I can clearly see what is wrong in African society, like a doctor I have been able to identify the malady that ails us; “Africa has no space for thought.” At its founding Africa was guided through the independence by men who read books, men like Kwameh Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere , Patrice Lumumba and others who could be identified with a distinct ideas, ideologies (all the above were ardent socialists) or others like Houphouët-Boigny and Jomo Kenyatta who had were cautiously capitalistic. Over the ensuing period of time Africa became a crucible of examining the strengths of either capitalism or socialism. Countries such as Kenya and Ivory Coast had favorable economic growth owing in part to high commodity prices but also due to the founding ideologies of the nations while others like Tanzania regressed economically while Ghana choked under massive debts. That notwithstanding a generational buffer of leaders who constantly referred to ideology and thought and thought and those who don’t developed. Successive generations of African leaders did not have a guiding light in terms of what ideology would guide national development in their countries. For example Kenya’s Sessional NO.10 which laid out Kenya’s development path was anchored in an amorphous ideology called ‘Democratic Socialism’ (it was a not so evident ploy of cronies and corrupt officials to extract rent form the state.) The subsequent decades of have seen African leaders guiding their countries without distinct ideologies. Kibaki is an accomplished economist, or say they say, but from what school of thought does he read from? Voodoo economics may be. Bingu wa Mutharika was an accomplished scholar who delivered nothing but misery to his people. African countries have taken to scrapping through the times, with no ideologies, no guiding light just fumbling through to get by. Von Hayek making reference to his long time ideological arch-nemesis; John Maynard Keynes once said, “I do not find myself often agreeing with the late Lord Keynes, but he has never said a truer thing than when he wrote; ‘the ideas of economists and political philosophers, when they are right and when they are wrong are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from academic scribblers of a few years back, so or later it is ideas and not vested which are dangerous for good and for evil.” Well it seems Africa runs short of ideas, and thought. The so called academic scribblers are busy juggling between jobs in a public university, a consultancy and a private institution. The leaders in African university lead their nations like sheep into gullies of oblivion, it must be remembered that these same leaders are the same ones who satiate their thirst with morning dew during the extended months of drought, while the rest of us sheep die along the way. Africa’s problems lie in paucity of ideas, without ideas, trade-offs between choices is impossible.

I Give it Up for The Maina Obed, The Most Honest of beings I have Come Across.

2012-04-25T07:29:00.000-07:00

I went to so nondescript High School, Leshau Boy's School in Nyahuru. The School though helped shape the not so nondescript me and many others who went through the School. We were as small District school, we could hit above our weight also. I have nostalgic memories of the school, the meals, the community, but above all what rings and lingers in my mind was the constant hope that was in abundance in the school. The belief that 'Tomorrow was always going to be a better day.' The belief in our abilities as men, the belief that we could posses the world if we wanted to. The belief that we would be what we were destined to be in society. Yet a much more colossal figure than Maina Obed (MO) teacher for history and geography could can never be found. Once punished me for telling a lie, that i had placed a notice to all the form 4 classes while i had posted it only two. what he told me that day lingers in my mind since today. "Alex you are going to become an important man in society," he started, "a lawyer perhaps, i shall have failed in my duty as teacher if i let someone who'll shape society leave school with a dishonest soul." Needless to say he proceeded to proffer a punishing under which i was supposed to weed the academic quadrangle with nothing more than a pair of shorts and a vest in broad daylight. Yet today more than i ever i know i am turning into the man he wanted me to become, i am not a lawyer nor an important man but i will be at least of these things. for the constancy of hope still lingers in me all the years through. Today more than ever I know that I will be the man he wanted me (us) to be. I will impact society, i shall not the faith he had in me (us) down. Rest in Eternal Peace, Maina Obed.

Africa Needs Trade, Entreprenuers, not Philantropy

2012-04-25T06:51:00.001-07:00

Here is a post I did, as an antithesis to a post I came about "Where thou Oh African Philantopists?" on okwarohztake.blogspot.com. I will go with 'anonymous april 15 2012' lets face it Africa needs more and more rich men and just a wee bit of philanthripy. Whereas we might allude to the fact that Bill Gates through his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation makes handsome donations to the African causes, does he really give back to the African continent and its people. Lets do a little fact checker. #1 Africa provides a very small percentage of Microsoft's global profits. #2 Microsoft is primary a Softwares business so no African Earth or African Village could, nor a single stone turned in the creation of a single Microsoft product. Question? Does Microsoft or Bill Gates owe Africa, a dime or a thing? In humble opinion he does not his is just a generous man constantly chooses to identify with causes that are further apart from his world like heaven and earth. The fact of the matter is that men and women in Africa's rich list have created empires in murky and feeble micro-economic and political environments. What we need in Africa is not philanthropy but rather and evening out of the economic opportunities to all. The rule and equity of law is much more paramount than a few billionaires sharing some paltry fortunes with the poor. Lets face Africa's men in the rich list create Value; Merali creates value in the Manfucturing busines, he turns raw materials (non of which could have been useful to the Africa people) into things like Iron sheets, he employees a sizable number of employees, he contributes massively to the tax pool, Wale Adenoga creates value in the telecommunications business, he Glo provides competition to foreign telecommunication companies in Africa. Lets no chide our big men for giving more. Lets chide ourselves for allowing our governments to continually enfeeble our capacities. Let us pinch ourselves for not being vigilant enough, for allowing corruption to incapacitate the ease of dong business in Africa. And that my dear friends is how we shall escape the cycle of poverty.

Africa’s Governance Problems lie in the Lack of Political Subjectivity.

2012-03-15T10:54:00.003-07:00

Allow me to rip my beloved continent bare, to unravel the not so cryptic governance of poor governance in the continent. I have been inspired to write this for so long a time but ensuing the last few have spurred me to dip my feather in ink and scribble reservations with a flawed political culture that ‘is the bane of our (Africa’s) governance problems’ as I perceive them. A few days ago I commented on a status update on one of the major social media platforms. The ensuing comments thread was interesting to say the least and an unbridled revealer of the state of the continent, well at least when it comes to Africa’s social-economic and political state. To begin with I voiced my reservations explicitly about a presidential aspirant my friend was supporting (Raila Odinga). My Facebook friend call him John replied, stating that he could decipher from what part of Kenya I came from and thus I could not support his preferred presidential aspirant. He continued ranting about how his preferred presidential aspirant had acted as king maker and installed our current President (Kibaki) as the country’s head of state. I replied in kind stating in no uncertain terms that Raila was not the only major political leader that endorsed Kibaki’s election for the 2002 elections. Kijana Wamalwa and Charity Ngilu had trooped in with their endorsements before Raila. I challenged my friend to moot out the merits of a Raila presidency on a purely ideological/policy basis as I would counter his arguments, but he was not forthcoming. Anyway I found the idea that my friend could decipher my political preferences from my ethnic name a little unnerving and disconcerting, but hello this is Africa and at times in Africa truth might be stranger than fiction. Whereas the above social media encounter might be so small an encounter to make sufficient inference on the state of affairs in Africa, I am afraid it is a microcosm of the state of Africa. In Africa ethno-religoius jingoism is a big determinant political decision making. In the USA and other developed lands election season attracts phrases like; neo-conservative, liberal, conservative, social democracy and what a view in Africa key determinants of electability include; which region does he come from, what tribe does he come from, from which family/tribe/ clan has he married into, how/where does he worship. For evidence you could always refer to the profanities and hate mongering on social media. Apart from a few upwardly mobile urban middle class who have a real grasp of the real issues that beleaguer the African continent, myriads of mass populations in Africa are in the dark as to what the panacea of; socio-political, and economic limbo is. Unless we take steps to; educate, re-educate ourselves and our brothers and sisters we shall forever remain shackled. For the single magic bullet that we so much for is plain and simple; ‘Political Subjectivity.

Unbridled freedom: The Benefits of Getting Your Master’s Degree in a Foreign Country

2012-03-13T11:24:00.001-07:00

Unbridled freedom: The Benefits of Getting Your Master’s Degree in a Foreign CountryMasters In international Business

The Benefits of Getting Your Master’s Degree in a Foreign Country

2012-03-13T11:02:00.001-07:00

The Benefits of Getting Your Master’s Degree in a Foreign Country When you decide to go back to school to get your master’s degree, you should first think about where you will get the most out of your time. You will want to find the school that will benefit you most and give you the education and experience you need to meet your personal career goals. Sometimes, this school will be close to your home, but you should also consider those schools that are far away. Your ultimate goal should be to get the most out of your courses, and if that means going to a school abroad, there are a lot of other benefits that will come along with the great education. Specific Educational Experiences When you go abroad to get your education, you will have many educational opportunities that you would never get at a school in your own country. This is especially true if you are interested in a research project going on in a particular country. If you are able to study and get your degree in a country where you can learn more about a field you are interested in, you will be able to gain a deeper understanding of that field, which will give you an upper hand when it comes time for you to interview for a job. If the field you are interested in requires research of specific materials or locations, you will definitely benefit from actually being in that place rather than reading about them. It will be easier for you to explain and conduct your research when you can see these things first hand. You will also find that your professors are more knowledgeable because they have been able to study in the right place as well. They may try new or different approaches to the subject that you wouldn’t be able to experience at another school. Expense and Time Commitment Some graduate programs abroad only require one year to complete, which probably means a lower total cost for your degree. Even if the currency exchange isn’t working in your favor, you will only have one year of tuition and fees to worry about. There are also many foreign schools that cost much less than schools in the United States. Some don’t even charge tuition fees at all. If you still don’t feel like you can afford to go to school abroad, many foreign schools are approved for US financial aid as well. Another way you may be able to save money while abroad is with your healthcare. Many countries around the world offer free national healthcare to students who aren’t from that county. This means that you won’t have to worry about paying for an insurance plan. Opportunity to Experience a Different Culture Taking this time to live and study in a different country will give you the opportunity to experience a different culture and learn about yourself in the process. You can learn how you interact with different people and if you are able to adapt to a new environment. People in other countries have different values and customs, views on education and government, communicate in a different way, and treat one another differently than you do, so you can take advantage of this experience and observe these differences first hand. Also, because graduate programs tend to attract students from around the world, you will be able to interact with students from other cultures as well. If you are nervous because the people in the country you are considering speak a different language, take it as a learning opportunity. One of the best ways to learn a new language is to immerse yourself in the culture. It may be intimidating at first, but you will slowly improve until you don’t even have to think about it. Amy Griffin is a guest post author who enjoys writing posts about getting an education, small business, and finance. She also created a site that tries to help readers learn how and where they should get a Masters Degree; http://www.www.mastersininternationalbusiness.org

The Benefits of Getting Your Master’s Degree in a Foreign Country

2012-03-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

The Benefits of Getting Your Master’s Degree in a Foreign Country

2012-03-13T09:01:00.002-07:00

The Benefits of Getting Your Master’s Degree in a Foreign Country

2012-03-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

When you decide to go back to school to get your master’s degree, you should first think about where you will get the most out of your time. You will want to find the school that will benefit you most and give you the education and experience you need to meet your personal career goals. Sometimes, this school will be close to your home, but you should also consider those schools that are far away. Your ultimate goal should be to get the most out of your courses, and if that means going to a school abroad, there are a lot of other benefits that will come along with the great education. Specific Educational Experiences When you go abroad to get your education, you will have many educational opportunities that you would never get at a school in your own country. This is especially true if you are interested in a research project going on in a particular country. If you are able to study and get your degree in a country where you can learn more about a field you are interested in, you will be able to gain a deeper understanding of that field, which will give you an upper hand when it comes time for you to interview for a job. If the field you are interested in requires research of specific materials or locations, you will definitely benefit from actually being in that place rather than reading about them. It will be easier for you to explain and conduct your research when you can see these things first hand. You will also find that your professors are more knowledgeable because they have been able to study in the right place as well. They may try new or different approaches to the subject that you wouldn’t be able to experience at another school. Expense and Time Commitment Some graduate programs abroad only require one year to complete, which probably means a lower total cost for your degree. Even if the currency exchange isn’t working in your favor, you will only have one year of tuition and fees to worry about. There are also many foreign schools that cost much less than schools in the United States. Some don’t even charge tuition fees at all. If you still don’t feel like you can afford to go to school abroad, many foreign schools are approved for US financial aid as well. Another way you may be able to save money while abroad is with your healthcare. Many countries around the world offer free national healthcare to students who aren’t from that county. This means that you won’t have to worry about paying for an insurance plan. Opportunity to Experience a Different Culture Taking this time to live and study in a different country will give you the opportunity to experience a different culture and learn about yourself in the process. You can learn how you interact with different people and if you are able to adapt to a new environment. People in other countries have different values and customs, views on education and government, communicate in a different way, and treat one another differently than you do, so you can take advantage of this experience and observe these differences first hand. Also, because graduate programs tend to attract students from around the world, you will be able to interact with students from other cultures as well. If you are nervous because the people in the country you are considering speak a different language, take it as a learning opportunity. One of the best ways to learn a new language is to immerse yourself in the culture. It may be intimidating at first, but you will slowly improve until you don’t even have to think about it. Amy Griffin is a guest post author who enjoys writing posts about getting an education, small business, and finance. She also created a site that tries to help readers learn how and where they should get a Masters in International Business Degree; www.mastersininternationalbusiness.org .

The Benefits of Getting Your Master’s Degree in a Foreign Country

2012-03-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

Of Michuki’s Death and Politicians Who won’t Retire

2012-02-23T05:38:00.001-08:00

Kenya mourns the passing of arguably the most decorated Minister in the past decade. Mr. John Njoroge Michuki of the Michuki rules passed on at the Aga Khan Hospital on Tuesday night. Political friends and rivals have abandoned their amity and rivalry to pay glowing tributes to the fallen technocrat. I for once feel I could sit out on this one. I am ambivalent on this one, I don’t know whether to mourn his death or celebrate his life. I lost for emotion for the fallen octogenarian. My lack of remorse should however not be misconstrued to mean a lack of sensitivity or being out of grain with the national grain. I however have reservations about appraising the life of a man who has been at the helms of power since pre-colonial times. Mr. Michuki who died at the age of 80 has had the opportunity to serve in almost all facets of social-political and corporate Kenya. He has had time to prove himself but most notably others and more so the young generation or my generation have found it extremely difficult to create niche’s in the thick of things in Kenyan society. Michuki and his over their shelf-life African technocrats and politicians epitomize what is primarily wrong with our continent. ‘We as a people have been unable to discern the time and season of getting new wine into new wine-skin, when the times’. Abdoulaye Wade is past his 80s, he has the knack though of thinking that he is indispensable to the Senegalese people, he thinks the Senegal’s institutions are dysfunctional without him. Mugabe who for his part is 8 and 1/2 a decade old. He runs his country like a barns for one of his many wives, power has corrupted his person so immensely that he probably forgot that he is Zimbabwe’s president and not Zimbabwe’s owner. The old geezers in Afro-politic belie that we as a people have been unable to create a finite demarcation between institution and personality. Mugabe thinks he is Zimbabwe’s government. He leads the country in a Machiavellian style unfit for stone-age band societies in the world. Mr. Wade thinks he rules by divine right. Africa is not replete with examples of statesmen who retire in grace, it is awash instead with examples of leaders who die of old age, from other non-communicable diseases probably worrying about an imminent coup-de tat or from the bullet (*see Gadhafi) The passing of Mr. Michuki might be bemoaned by many a Kenyan over, I for one won’t be shedding a tear over his passing to glory. For death, be symbolic, in the physical or political allows society to regenerate. It allows for new life and vigour. That is why we African’s name our children after elders in their family line. Death is an intergral part of societal self-renewal. Most African governments are way over the top when it comes to age, and that, that my friend is the cause of sclerosis that is so often the norm in African bureaucracies.

MINDSPEAK: A MELTING POT OF AFRICA’S GREAT MINDS

2012-02-05T00:33:00.001-08:00

. I was at mind speak last Saturday. This was a huge for me, for being a young Kenyan that generally spends most of his in the country side I miss out on this seemingly small but invaluable opportunities that would generally improve my knowledge base. I for sure was not going miss first mind speak of the year for I was in town. Never mind the main speaker was the Nestle CEO Peter Troiahalt whose name I was really struggling to comprehend. Save for the slight out of sorts feeling I was okay and was bubbling with energy; the sort that engulfs me when I am in a a caucus of peers who either remotely or explicitly understand what we (Africans need to do in order to achieve our development endeavors. There were umpteen highlights from Saturday 28, 2012 Mindspeak held at The Hotel Intercontinental, Nairobi. I shall however elucidate the highlights and the captions that really caught my attention in as simple a language as possible; #1 isn’t it amazing that foreigners (read non-Africans) understand our issues and problems better than ourselves? For god’s sake Mr. Troihat is French, he has been in the sub-Saharan Africa for a little over two years, but within that short time he has acquitted himself with institutional and infrastructural paralysis that is the characteristic norm in most African countries. Again the usual suspects of; corruption, poor transport and communication infrastructure, poor governance and over-bureaucratization are again mentioned being the bane of Africa’s underdevelopment. Mr. Troihalt apparently understands this better than politicians and policy makers that have been sitting at the helm of Africa’s decision making for fifty + odd years. #2 The Democratic Republic of Congo; my god, what a colossal mess of lost potential. DR Congo, a country bigger than Western Europe and with a population of 85 million , abundantly blessed in rare, valuable minerals like gold, diamonds, titanium et al. You would think that all this equals; riches. No! wait a minute the DR Congo has decided to bless herself with endless bloodshed, rape and massive poverty. The infrastructure is so bad that citizens of the Eastern Congo know nothing about Western DR Congo, the people there the Capital Kinshasa and Kabila’s enfeebled government that resides there. Would you imagine that in 2011 that the council of Ministers in the DRC met a record three times? Amazing, apparently the ministers were busy haggling the enormous mineral wealth to the highest bidders, merchants of death and rape they are. #3 Nestle; What an astounding example of sustainable success. Established in (1905) the food and beverages company is worth (211 billion US$D) and has its footprint in (86) countries. What an example of how unbridled free market capitalism creates value. Over the years Nestle has created value linkages for millions of people; employees, rural farmers, and investors. Sub Saharan Africa has very few indigenous Multi-national corporations. Bureaucratic bottlenecks, crony capitalism, parochialism strangles the life out-off indigenous African Businesses. That notwithstanding Nestle is putting 20million US$D in its Nairobi factory. #4 Finally, I would want all this change trotting young men and women on twitter, Facebook and myriads of other social media move away from the comfort of e-ranting and do something positive for their countries and society, let’s sweat our way to change rather than rant and wait for others to sweep the muck for us. Let us be the first to applaud ourselves for changing our societies rather than wait to applaud others for casting the ‘first stone of change’.

Nigeria's occupy Nigeria must inspire Africa

2012-01-26T11:43:00.001-08:00

When Mandela intuitively said that, “there is light at the end of the tunnel,” he was a man standing on top of a pedestal he could see further than yonder and new for sure what lay at the end of a tunnel. We sub-Saharan Africa’ stands on the age of a precipice, we have been walking in darkness, in the tunnel, trot by trot towards the light. We have reached at the end of the tunnel, we can see what a beautiful world we have been missing, the rolling hills, the beautiful greenery, the milk, the honey. The promise lays within touch. We take the first tentative step into the light. But! Wait a minute! Stepping into the light ain’t that easy, the forces that tag us back into the tunnel are a bigger than the drive that pulls forward, that though does not mean that we should stop tagging ourselves forward into the light.
In not saw vague terms sub-Saharan Africa did not know independence, well at least political independence until Ghana started fumbling her way towards indipenence. Similary Africa, has never known coherence in government policy, the only a consistent policy and by far the most popular policy with governments and policy makers has been the ‘loot and grab policy’.
Well, not any more, something has given in the African continent. The Occupy Nigeria movements illuminates the path forward. The citizenry are beginning to demand government expindiency, nil mismanagement of public resources, economic as well political responsibility and this, this my fellow brothers and sisters is the birth of a movement that will emancipate us from the shackles of enfeebled dreams.
The Arab awakening was triggered by the self immolation of Mohammed Bouazziz, we are not going to burn ourselves though, neither are we going to burn tiny little bits of paper where we had engraved and our dreams and aspirations. The only things that are going to burn are; rotten government, parochialism, ethnicism, kleptocracy nepotism, and other terms that almost entirely carry negative connotations and that are most likely than not synonymous in Africa. Kenyans on the blogosphere, on social and other fora rant about what ails in the Kenyan society, and the ranting more than anything else will get us forward.
The Occuppy Nigeria movement epitomizes Africa’s new grace, the 2ND of January, 2012 marks the day that our ineptness as a people were burned and buried, the day in destiny that we as people took the right to decide our destiny for us.
For If had that chance small chance to write a letter to Nelson Mandela, I would tell him; “ Baba, we have been in the tunnel, we have saw the light, we walked towards

MORE GOVERNMENT= MORE POVERTY: THE CURSE OF BIG GOVERNMENT.

2012-01-06T11:48:00.005-08:00

A few years back right in the heat of a utopic moment I and other
Kenyans voted almost unanimously for a new constitution. At that
moment nothing else mattered but Kenyans were giving a thumbs up for a
blueprint of laws that would emancipate Kenya from its social economic
and political underdevelopment. Key among the issues Kenyans wanted
sorted out was the respect of the rule of law. However without the
benefit of foresight we Kenyans did not foresee an increased tax
burden occasioning from increased levels of government.
Fast forward, today it is beginning to dawn on most Kenyans that the
new constitution will not deliver heaven. Of great concern is the
colossal size of the post 2012 bi-cameral legislature. Previously
Kenyans did not of a parliament with Senate and a lower house. The
2010 constitution allows a burgeoning lower house of parliament with
290 Members of Parliament up from 212. In addition the Senate, which
in my opinion serves little legislative purpose and is another cash
cow for senior retired elites to extract from the state, shall consist
of 60 senators. These in addition to 47 county governors form a
significant tax burden on the Kenyan tax payer.
Now more than ever and with the benefit of hindsight we need to call
for leaner government, only the can the choke and yoke on the Kenyan
taxpayer be released to allow enterprising Kenyans to flourish.

THE Al-SHABAB, BOKO HARAM QUESTION.

2012-01-06T09:52:00.001-08:00

THE Al-SHABAB, BOKO HARAM QUESTION.
A few months ago I ranted well, to anybody who cared to listen that Kenya was getting her feet in what water for getting her troops into Somalia in chase of Al-Shabab. Seventy odd days later, apart from the media fest that ensued, with camera trotting journalist trailing the Kenyan troops for news nothing in the form of strategic victories for the troops or any headway in dealing a debilitating blow on Al-Shabab. At the heart of the moment we listed to our hearts rather than our heads and rushed our troops into Somalia.
The Fact of the matter though is this; Al-shabab is an insidious and an amorphous enemy, the tenets of its existence rest on some murky ideological bedrock, it lacks geographical nor political locus. This in its sense means that fighting Al-shabab in the conventional ‘gun trotting, obliterate the enemy way is almost impossible.’ Indeed you need to know your enemy and his ways before you begin plotting his destruction is this.
The Kenyan government and the Nigerian government have tried to solve Al-Shabab/Boko Haram by ‘shooting too much’. Fighting a battle with ideological character with gun and barrel has never had novelty in itself. The USA in its unending war on terror, China in its war against Tibetan Budhism and English Protestantism in Northern Ireland can attest to that. Closer home in the republic of Tanzania, Kijikile Ngwale provided an exemplar into panaceas of ideological conflicts. Whereas his magic water was a disaster militarily, he had helped his people sail against the head winds of a colonial supremacist ideology. Military and security policy makers have overlooked the ideological character that is the axis of Boko Haram and Al-Shabab.
The mere existence of such groups, is in itself not coincidental but is in itself an inference of a crumbling social, economic and political fabric of a nation. It calls for a re-evaluation of national values. Kenya for instance needs to address massive disparity in terms of infrastructure availability in Northen Kenya, Kenyans need to appreciate and be cognizant of the fact that North Easterners come from a far different cultural environment, that though does not make them aliens.
A re-examination of Kenya’s values would be in order, national integration and a tone down of ethnic and fundamentalist rhetoric. That said and done the war against militia is not lost. A snake is killed easiest by cutting its head off. Al-shabab in can be can be debilitated by going after the funders of Al-shabab, those who profit politically or in any form from the conflict or starve of Al-shabab from the sapple and gullible young men of Somali origin from all over the world and mostly in Western lands who are deceived into joining the Al-shabab. For the only way to immobilize a squid is by cutting off its tentacles.

The Kazi Kwa Vijana, Water Ministry Scandal Show what a corrupt band ODM is

2011-11-06T06:46:00.001-08:00

The Swahili have a saying “Mkuki kwa nguruwe mtamu, kwa binadamu mchunngu,” ( A spear to a swine is sweet to a human well not so sweet.) This saying gains synonymy in contemporary Kenyan society. Kenyan politicians have a penchant for dwelling on the misfortunes of their nemeses and fighting with iron fists when the same misfortunes befall them. The double speak in Kenya’s political arena is so widespread that the casual observer might take it for the name.
Take ODM (The Orange Democratic Party) apparently the most popular party in Kenya, though glaring in its lack of ideology (Kenyan Parties across the board are non-ideology based). The ODM is an uneasy amalgam; at its inception it had the sole purpose of delivering a one Raila Odinga to state house. The party stay’s its course at the expense of truth and common in sense in Kenya’s politics.
A while back some cabinet ministers have been forced to relinquish their cabinet positions for alleged itchy fingered-ness when it came to dealing with public finances and resources. Key among this minister who have had to take the bitter pill of relinquishing their posts albeit for a while pending investigations (for they always get reinstated) include; Amos Kimunya (Party of National Unity PNU) former Minister for Finance for his role in the Laico Regency scam, William Ruto (renegade, ODM) former Minister for Agriculture/higher education for his scandals with regards to the Strategic Grain reserve among others. These ministers suspended for alleged underhand dealings are apparent nemeses of Raila Odinga, Kenya’s Prime Mininiuster and the De-facto leader of the ODM.
Spurred by a ‘vibrant’ civil society (cheerleading for Raila Odinga), ODM which has got a majority in parliament has gone on to pass censure motions against non-members of their party.
Fast forward, the Minister for Water and irrigation Miss Charity Ngilu an ODM member and a strategic darling of Raila Odinga guts Sh550 million [US$ 7.7 million]. Her political benefactor comes up fighting for her. She feigns innocence, misbehaves on national television and refuses to step aside. She cries foul, blames the Vice-President for her misfortunes. Meanwhile Raila is not ready to lose a political ally. She simply stays put.
(The public water business in Kenya is particularly a murky one. I remember a particular Water project in my village, Funded by the Constituency Development Fund. Mr. Moody Awori a former vice-president was to turn up and turn the waters of development flowing from the taps. But after sinking millions of Kenyan Shillings into the ground (not really, into crony contractors pockets) into sub-standard work and workmanships the water would not flow. Simple solution though, fetch the water on donkey bank empty it into a tank, and wait for the Vice-president to cut the tape, turn the taps on, and plant a tree. ‘Clap, clap, clap and hurrah shall we clap for the free water. I felt cheated.
Fast forward gain and the a scandal is brewing in the prime ministers docket. 970million shillings run away and hide from the Kazi Kwa Vijana Project. A project funded by the World Bank. The Deputy speaker (ODM) appears on a television appears on a television talk show and says the World Bank to stop bleating about the money because it is a loan and we Kenyans will pay for it anyway. Meanwhile the rest of the ODM bandwagon gets behind the Prime-Minister, any attempt to smear his name shall not be tolerated. A lobby group of young people, epitomes of what happens when we the young sell our souls to the devil, hold a press conference to profess their undying love for the Prime Minister. Among them David Osiany a former student leader of Nairobi University whose godfather’s almost brought a University down in his underhand support and alas John Kiarie a man who used to make jokes for a living, he now makes jokes extolling the prime minister and for pay and other associated largesse.
“Mimi ni mweupe kama pamba” (I am as white as snow)” Raila says.
Well he should resign and let us Kenyans and the due process of the law to decide as snow. He stands to cheat us of our dreams and aspirations, but we who can read the deep wrinkles in his face shall cry ‘wolf” until a couple of us are screaming

What next for the Kikuyu nation, Raila cannot Rule, from the brains of a tea man.

2011-10-26T10:53:00.005-07:00

I was at the local tea kiosk this afternoon. As a young man who has gone to college and who spends most of the time scouring international media for anything noteworthy, the local tea kiosk is the tea kiosk is the only place that affords me closeness with my people. I am a Kikuyu from central Kenya; probably in a globalizing world my ethnic identity does not form the axis of my life and my thinking. The local tea kiosk I s a different story altogether, set in a small township in Nyandarua county in Central province it is nestled in a very local environment. This though provides an opportunity for me, it is the only place I can capture the neigh emotions and aspirations of my people; (the Kikuyu) it is a microcosm of opinions of peoples from central Kenya be they inside the province or in diaspora. I will consciously author this piece as from an ethnic point of view but don not get me wrong I do intend to trade my objectivity to ethnic bigotry.
So, as I am sitting in the tea kiosk, glossing over crumpled pages of The Daily Nation, the team man starts handing leaflets to us. The forms bear the names of a political party I have never heard as a Kenyan, and boy do I know a lot about political parties in Kenya. They are also structured in the form of a declaration, yes declaring the unequivocal support of a the venerable Uhuru Kenyatta, (son of Kenya’s founding father, current Minister for Finance, Deputy Prime Minister and the current member of parliament for Gatundu Constituency) as Kenya’s next president.
But, wait a minute; I have not heard any one announce a general election. The only general election I am faintly aware about is scheduled to happen in August or in December 2012, depending on who you ask. The aforementioned figure head of the Kikuyu nation has an undetermined case at the International Court of Justice. So why the hell am I supposed to make the choice about who I will vote for right now?
A gentleman sitting adjacent fills in the form without questions asked. I respectfully refuse to fill up the forms. The tea man and the gentle man adjacent in the revolutionary Rastafarian regalia immediately take me on.
“Why do you let your community down?” they quip.
As coolly as I can I explain that although I think that Uhuru Kenyatta is a very likable and able politician and sort of has a nationwide presence he is not a choice I am prepared to make.
“So who will you vote for?” They ask.
“Peter Kenneth,” I answer probably in an effort to balm their pains for Peter Kenneth is another Kikuyu politician, an eloquent man a thinker and a man I believe the Kenyan state deserves as a president. The problem is he is a political light weight being that it is he is not the ass that pulls the ethnic bandwagon of Kikuyu politics.
“But Raila will win, Raila needs a hitter like himself if we are to win the presidency.” The tea man tells me, who is in himself an authority on social, political relationships and reproductive health issues in the village.
Raila is another politician, quite conspicuous in the Kenyan political scene. His hoi polloi venerate him into a demigod; they say he evokes both Raila Phobia and Raila Mania. What is happening here is a classic case of Raila Phobia (an artificially fear of Raila the man.) A Nigerian man has authored a biography on Raila; his detractors say he paid the author. Personally, I think he is a joke I do not buy his populist antics and his half-baked riddles, I also cannot vote or support a politician who is ideologically ambivalent as he is. Exactly what does he stand for?
Back to the tea kiosk, my fellow tribesmen are fearful of a Raila presidency, for what I do not know, I am fearful of a Raila presidency to, why? I do not quite subscribe to his Social Democracy ideology, social democracy is socialism in politically correct language. I am also fearful of an Uhuru Kenyatta presidency, I see him sitting between where we are as a nation and where we want to go.
(This paragraph is an unbridled advice on the kikuyu nation. Everybody knows Raila has no equal; politically that is, that is why the Kikuyu nation tries to prop Uhuru up to fight it out with Raila when it is clear he is not Raila’s equal. The problem though is not with Uhuru, it is with the Kikuyu nation. The Kikuyus, have been content to raise subservient children, our in-laws from the lake have taught their children to shout it out, even their ignorant shout it out at the top of their voices at soccer matches at political podiums and shout it out with stones (ikidis). The Kikuyu rest on the fact that they are the bourgeoisie in the country.)
That aside I propose a formula that will rid Kenya of the triad of evil in Kenya’s politics (Uhuru, Raila, Ruto) and their imps Simple, Ruto and Uhuru have their charges confirmed at the Hague, Kenyans will blame Raila for that, a protest vote against Raila happens in the next general election and bam Kenya gets itself a new breed of politicians incapable of creating personality cults around themselves. Kenyan institutions flourish and the future is good to go.

THE WAR ON AL-SHABAB: A BAD IDEA

2011-10-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

As a write this article Kenyan soldiers are in the unforgiving terrain that is Somalia trying to fight out with slippery ghouls in the name of Al-Shabab. Tomorrow withe the benefit of hindsight we shall be castigate and be entirely unforgiving to those politicians and policy makers who made this rush decision to set our soldiers to war.

Do not get me wrong, I am and adherent of the school of thought that calls for the sanctity and of international boundaries and the integrity of national boundaries. The question that begs though is, why didn't we show our metal to Uganda for stealing our Island (Migingo) from our very noses?

I perceive an out of scene marionette read the (USA)directing our every move. We not only fight for our national interests in this war but also advance the national strategic interests of another sovereign power. We are the foot soldiers though, we shall lose our lives and the lives of poor innocent civilians if Al-shabab's threat to revenge is taken seriously.

Things need not be like this though. The war on Al shabab nee not be approached on the three pronged approach; (land, air and naval)that our soldiers say will break Al-Shabab. For starter Al-Shabab thrives on a diet of young supple somali's conned into believing that their course is to fight against the enemies of Islam. One of the Al-Shabab spokesman on an interview said that Kenya will pay dearly for invading Islam's holy land, i fail to remember when Somali was any one's holy land.

That aside i think the war on Al-shabab can be fought not in Soamalia but in New York, Stockholm or Mombasa or in any other world capital. The war on Al-Shabab can only be won over through i diffusion of extreme religious dogma that is prevalent in London as it may be in Kismayu or Mogadishu. If the Islamic clerics are won over and made to understand that Al-shabab offers no good for the Somali people, then certainly the dollars will stop coming and with it the young youth from around the world cheated into believing that a Jihad is on between enemies of Islam and the Al-shabab.

Occupy What Street? Kenyans Know Better.

2011-10-12T14:31:00.001-07:00

Occupy What Street? Kenyans Know Better.
Kenyans seem to be smarter than Americans, now before you start frothing in mouth preparing halfhearted attempts to oppose the above statement, let me give you hints why this is so. Over a period of a almost a month now I have been following an amorphous movement in the United States which started under the romantic banner of; ‘occupy Wall Street’ on satellite television. Flipping channels from the; CNN, Sky News, Al-Jazeera, BBC, Russia Today and Press TV, the self-proclaimed mouthpiece of the pious Iranian theocracy has its own advantages, it broadens the whole picture. The CNN, Sky News and the BBC will sort of tuck occupy wall street in between The news, Al-Jazeera might give the movement some air paly whereas the Press TV and Russia today will spend days on end explaining to their global viewer why a crumble of contemporary American Society is imminent but inevitable. Through both brilliant and bigoted economic-financial punditry on world media I have come to the conclusion that occupy wall street is an amorphous and directionless movement which will eventually dissipate once the snow fall starts falling in winter.
Protesters in occupy Wall Street seem blonde at best and seem increasingly oblivious of the crux of issues that beleaguer the American economy. Protesters in their lack of political hindsight have mounted an incessant campaign against alleged ‘Wall Street Corporate greed.’ Whereas I reckon that greed in any form and on any street is supposed to be frowned upon, occupy wall street seems to forget that ‘it takes two tango.’ The movement seems to selectively forget that only a while ago US politicians through flawed policy were in bed with the greedy corporate heads of wall street. Politicians though being as smart as they always are run off from the seen shouting, ‘it was’t me’ pointing an accusing finger at the Wallstreetians. The shortsighted American public is now baying for the blood of the woman forgetting that it takes two to tango.

Occupy wall Street seem to forget that Capitol Hill is not as blameless it portrays itself to be. The American government through flawed fiscal policies should claim its fair share of blame with regards to debilitating economic conditions confronting the American people. The lack of adequate fiscal oversight by the American government meant that ‘profits were localized to a few minority while risk was distributed to entire populations’ not to mention that the exchequer was responsible for pumping billions of dollars as bail out funds into reckless investment banks.
In another continent and in Kenya to be exact we have a very strong sense of who is to blame for stagnation within our society. In Kenya a bottle of standard malt beer goes for 100KSHs (1US$D), much more expensive than a packet of maize flour which retails at 150 KSHs (1.50US$D). As a Kenyan I have to say from the onset that I do not care if sugar in the shop shelves comes from Mauritius and not Mumias in Western Kenya as long it is cheaper on my pocket, I also do not care whether maize comes from Malawi or anywhere else as long as it is cheaper than locally produced maize.
Yet the politicians and the government lies at the heart of this anarchic economic situation. ‘Crony capitalism’ allows the politicians to extract rent from business cartels who on their part torture Kenyans through inflated commodity prices.
The grim economic labyrinth is painted by the situation below; a bag of 50kg bag of fertilizer goes 50 US$D, yet the government has continuously refused to license more fertilizer importers and license another bulk grain haulage player at the Port of Mombasa, something that eventually drives the cost of all loose cargo imported through the cost of Mombasa. The government wants Kenyan consumers to continue paying through their teeth for Kenyan sugar, yet the production cost of Kenyan sugar is 4 times more expensive than sugar from Mauritius or Uganda. Yet the president recently accented into a price control bill that is supposedly make things better for Kenyans.
That is why on 15/10/2011 we shall not turn on diligent business men. We shall be shall march along Haraambe Avenue on our way to parliaments buildings. Because we are determined to stone the philanderer before he deflowers another good woman.

What A Vindication of Ruto, Uhuru might Mean for Raila.

2011-10-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

The ICC MIGHT VINDICATE UHURU AND RUTO AFTER ALL.
Kenyans have of late been treated to some new form of drama. A new soap opera cast far away in the Hague. The cast features notable members of Kenya’s political elite and her bureaucracy such as; Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, Minister for Finance, Mr. William Ruto, immediate Minister for Higher Education, Mr Henry Kosgey, Minister of Industrialization, short Joshua Sang a broadcaster, Mr. Francis Muthaura, the Secretary to the cabinet and Mr. Hussein Ali former Commissioner of police and the current post master general.
The above are charged with among others; crimes against humanity or quite simply playing a somewhat visible role in the post-election violence of 2008. Whereas the political pundits provide cryptic matrices of the effects of the confirmation or the lack of thereof of the charges in the ICC, the situation is simpler than the pundits would want us to believe. It is not a labyrinth.
Here are the facts, of the six facing trials only two of them; Uhuru and Ruto can change the political dynamics in Kenya. Therefore the only possible situations are;
• (A) charges for Uhuru and Ruto are confirmed,
• (B) charges for Ruto and Uhuru are not confirmed
• (C) charges for Uhuru are confirmed
• (D) Charges for Ruto are confirmed
• (E) charges for Uhuru are not confirmed
• (F) charges for Ruto are not confirmed
I am not quite well endowed in legal scholarship so I will ignore altogether the legal technicalities involved. I will therefore dwell on a disaggregated situation where either one or both of the two will walk away without the confirmation of charges. Namely B, E, and F.

So what will the legal vindication of either one of Uhuru and Ruto or both mean for Kenya?
To begin with it is preposterous to think that the non-confirmation of charges will go a long way in changing the attitudes of Kenyans with regards to apportioning guilt on what happened in the post-election violence of the year 2008. The victims of the PEV from whichever side of the political divide in Kenya have a very clear mind about who was responsible for their fate.
That the Hague trials were politically emasculated is well known fact. Political pundits will tell you that the trials were intricately politically balanced to avoid the odious shame of parading Principle Raila to The Hague.
Though the International Justice System may fail to find the aforementioned Ruto and Uhuru with considerable blemish, Kenyans may not be two forgiving. However if the ICC fails to confirm the charges to Uhuru and Ruto, their morals will be vindicated. The moral battle between them and the Raila Odinga will be half won. The moral balance as to who has stands on the moral high ground and thus can lead Kenya, which in itself has been skewed in Raila’s favour may rebalance to portray the ICCs ruling.

THE SYMBOLISM OF WANGARI MAATHAI’S CREMATION.

2011-10-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

THE SYMBOLISM OF WANGARI MAATHAI’S CREMATION.
Today one of the most iconic women of our time was laid to rest; well not quite not, in the traditional sense. She was cremated in keeping with her last wishes. That she lived before her times more so in the African continent not up for debate. She rises on a pedestal, she plies in her own league, has no contemporaries not in current African statesmen. (I will consciously use the present tense even though the aforementioned “Tree Mother of Africa” is now deceased.
Hers is a life time that was filled with a zestful pursuit of what she believed in ‘the pursuit of happiness’. She was the first East African woman to achieve a PhD, succeeded in lobbying against the construction of a Sixty story complex on Uhuru Park’s Freedom Corner a venue, she successfully organized the mothers of political prisoner into a nude protest, sad as it was into a nude protest in the early 1990’s something that led to the release of the political prisoners incarcerated by the former autocratic Moi regime. Her efforts though were vindicated when she became the first African Woman to win the Nobel peace prize.
In keeping with her keeping with her last wishes; her family, peers and friends were left with no recourse but honour her last wishes. She had previously observed that it was wasteful and immoral to cut down trees to inter the dead. We the living require trees. Thus in keeping with her desires her clay was carried from the Lee Funeral home, not in an ornate coffin of gold and teak but rather in a simple casket made from papyrus. She further moved away from contemporary cultural customs by directing that her remains be cremated at the Kariakor crematorium, rather the conventional customary or Christian burial.
This decision has been the subject of debate in and around the country. While the conservatives bemoaned this decision, some of us, the objective ones could not help but marvel at her conscious and genuine love for nature. Yet superseding all this debate about her passionate love for the environment was the symbolism regarding her last rites.
The superficial observer might have dismissed her as some whose aim was to go against convention. Yet in the foresight that characterized her life she had been foresee what a conventional burial would have meant for her and her course. In death as in her life she had refused to be confined within the rigid confines of a grave. She had decided that her spirit, her zest her verve would not be confined in a in a grave, decorated or not.
It gives me great hope to know that while the smoke from the crematorium wafts above up into the heavens, it carries with it her spirit, her soul envelopes the world like the sky. In death she gives us, the living lessons to refuse to get tied down by physical, cultural, religious or any other constrains that might tie up our desires and our aspirations within ourselves.
Wangari Maathai’s humming bird analogy is a harbinger of hope for all those of us who want to bring progressive change in our society.
A huge forest caught fire and started burning down, as the animals stood aside stupefied and watching helplessly, a small humming bird ran into the stream and carried water in her beak and decided to try and extinguish the fire. Back and forth she went from the stream to the burning forest. The big stupefied animals started mocking her, “What are you doing, your beak and feathers are too small.”
“I am doing the best I can,” the humming bird answered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGMW6YWjMxw

Kenya Does not Need a Facebook President

2011-10-05T12:24:00.001-07:00

ME THINKS I CAN BE PRESIDENT TO.
A few years back I tried (unsuccessfully) to offer myself for a small position of leadership. Whereas I still maintain that I was the most qualified for the post, (gloating aside) I admittedly lost to a lesser candidate. The experience build my character or so I like to believe in a momentous way. That is why I squirm and shudder in disbelief every time I see another Facebook Presidential candidate announce their presidential aspirations on National television (read Citizen TV).
Whereas i am staunch believer in self-belief, I have this gnawing feeling that something is seriously wrong in the minds of this young people offering themselves for president. Whereas the current constitution removes the hurdle that would have prevented these so called ‘diaper presidential candidates’ I am of the opinion that they should shelve their political ambitions a wee bit longer. Some of these young politicians will ignorantly incapacitate their budding political careers before they even starts.
Kingwa Kamenchu, a graduate student at the distinguished Oxford university thinks that she is has an abundance of passion than anyone else in the country. Well she couldn’t be more deluded, some of us are equally passionate as well.
Before any one even thinks of throwing their hart in the presidential sphere, they should have at least been in the public sphere for a considerable period of time. Only then can the wider Kenyan populace pick at their character in a bid to ensure that it is not only beyond reproach but that that they have the verve that merits the echelons of power in this country.
Abraham Lincoln a conspicuous American president had tried albeit unsuccessfully to offer himself for lower levels of leadership before he finally made president. President Obama had a long history of activism in his home state of Illinois before he became president and finally president.
Whereas I do not have a problem with young men and women going for seats such as; members of parliament, governors or senators I have a colossal problem with those who think that they are the most capable of becoming president. “Who told them that they can climb a tree from the top?
Whereas I acquiesce that at some point I will throw myself into the political circus, I am wiser enough to buffer myself first before I do so. Chinua Achebe aptly described these characters; Kingwa Kamenchu and another whose name I don’t really grasp as those who ‘dance themselves lame before the main dance.’
Besides this ‘Facebook’ presidents are so out of touch with contemporary Kenyan society to that they apparently do not know what Kenyan society wants. Their lack of political foresight will only work to their detriment. They need to venture beyond the comfort of their Facebook friends to truly decipher what Kenyans want. They need to venture beyond Nairobi and know the aspirations of other 46 counties. And they should not give us that bull shi*t that they want to change the status quo. For a man ‘changeth not what he knoweth not.’

Decolonizing the Ethnic Mind.

2011-10-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

In this world it is much more important to be forthright than sane. When I was young, growing up in predominately Kikuyu neighborhood, I received pretty much of my entire ethnic acculturation from this areas.
Passed on from colonial periods were tales of Kikuyu’s suffering at the hands of Kings African Rifles, (KAR) or Nyango’ris a force which at the time was pre-dominantly staffed by people from Western Kenya. Then there were stories of a not so civil people living around Kabartonjo or thereabouts. The forthright amongst us will acquiesce to receiving an en-culturation laced with ethnic biases, the sooner we accept this better positioned we are to address the ethnic frictions that blow up once in a while.
In Kenya we have been seemingly unable to provide solutions to the ethnic divide that permeates Kenyan society. Because we have seemingly been unable to find a solution in healing our tribal problems we must therefore agree that tribalism ought to learn to live with before we seek solutions. Only then could we engage our creative selves towards decolonizing our ethnic minds.

just post

2011-10-03T11:21:00.001-07:00

quotes a candind friend "lets not be hypocrites, let's embrace tribalism,' and this again exposes the facade that is the Kenyan nation, United in loathing against the Kikuyus, the sooner we voice this out the faster we heal. We are a proud people, we stand on the pedestal and like the Jews we shall never be annihalated whether Raila or Hittler stands at the other side of the barrel.