What I really like about Frankfurt is that you not only come across such an awesome decoration on a wall, but also find three jamaas (from TZ?) standing on the other side of the street who are actively admiring this art. In Kiswahili.
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16:26
Quick hits
» Kenyan Pundit - Competition is good , probably in response to Sambaza Now, Mama Mikes is running the following airtime campaign: Airtime ordered before 5pm Kenyan time is topped up the same day All phone numbers are verified before [...]
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16:18
Are all Telekoms or Telkoms the same the world over?
» Rants, Raves & Reviews Telekom of Germany... and the model who wants to quit...
So Telkom (Kenya) & Telkom (S.Africa) are in good company regarding the (non)provision of services!
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15:43 I am an angry person…
» Me, Life & Everything Rendezvous: 2343hrs Prolixity: Ati? Mood: Angry Whereabouts: Home Echelon: V Track: Big Girls Don’t Cry - Fergie, The Dutchess. … I have come to this apprehension since I so love rock music…angry, loud, passionate, wild, barely proscribed, acerbic lead guitar solos, bliss, then attach some Dance, House and Techno tracks to the set, can anyone spell H.E.A.V.E.N? Any who, as I [...]
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15:12
Militating Against the Olympics of Oppression…
» Black Looks also find me at: kameelahwrites __ No Snow Here linked me to an article by Audre Lorde entitled There Is No Hierarchy of Oppressions and was struck my one quote From my membership in all of these groups I have learned that oppression and the intolerance of difference come in all shapes and sexes and colors and sexualities; [...]
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13:46
tugo
» Learning to play
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The White Tree
» Black Looks This is a true story. There was this tree in the heart of Louisiana, but the tree was no ordinary tree. The tree was only allowed to offer shade to white people. Sadly, the tree was more than just a tree, it was a symbol of the legacy of racial segregation in the US [...]
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12:17
Raila And Kibaki Fight For Ngilu's Attention: What Is She Really Worth?
» You Missed This archive
To get the answer to that question we need to coldly analyze what she is capable of bringing to the table for either ODM Kenya or Narc Kenya.
Can she deliver at least most of the Kamba vote as a block?
The answer to that is question is "No". With Kalonzo Musyoka still actively trying to convince his community that he has a fighting chance of getting into State house, at best that vote will be sliced into two, and this will also heavily depend on which side Ngilu finally joins. The truth of the matter is that Ngilu joining Raila could cause her to even lose her parliamentary seat. It really is a terrible thing, but it is the truth. What has happened is that tribalism has reared its' ugly head again and naturally most Kambas are siding with your blue eyed boy in the current fracas within ODM.
Ngilu on her own is however extremely popular in Ukambani. One has to remember that she has been busy campaigning since 2003 when she realized that the Narc dream was dead. And we have the Ministry of Health payroll to prove just how active she has been in her campaigns.
This is why if Ngilu ends up in the Kibaki camp, she will probably be...
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How To Use The Internet To Land A Dream Job Overseas -
Urgently Needed In Kenya: Politicians With Causes And Ideas To Improve Quality Of Life
» You Missed This archive
Rev Jesse Jackson has run for president of the United States, twice but did not even manage to win the Democratic Party nomination that would have seen him go beyond the preliminaries. By Kenyan political standards the man "ameanguka mara mbili" (has failed twice) and is therefore a failure. However on closer examination this is very far from the truth.
In actual fact what has happened is the Rev Jackson has pushed many of his ideas forward through other candidates as a result of his two memorable campaigns. Most notably through former President Bill Clinton. Jackson has also managed to draw a lot of attention to civil right causes. The net result is that the quality of life for blacks in America has improved dramatically through initiatives that trace their origin directly to Jackson and his civil rights cause.
In Kenya, we have this big problem that if you stand for high office and you have no chance of winning, then you are just wasting time. This is one of the reasons why so many young people are frightened to run for any political seat and yet they will be the first to complain loudly about how bad our current leadership is.
Part of the problem of course is that election campaigns in Kenya have never been...
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How To Use The Internet To Land A Dream Job Overseas
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11:06
Birth or Growing Pains?
» More to Life There is a lot of grumbling going on in Kenya. Some warranted some, maybe not. In my opinion, a lot of it is growing pains. Some of it birth pains, with access to new freedoms and ideas causing conflicting opinions. The media bill is one such thing. For me, I insist that the Kenyan media needs laws and regulations, so I'm all for it. Even as they urge Kibaki to veto the bill that was passed in parliament. Over a small addition which they claim compels them to reveal their sources. The people who added it claim that it compels them to clarify an unnamed person if a conflict arises. After reading the particular entry,I believe the media is again making a mountain out of a molehill. The wording was not even confusing. However, because I haven't read the entire bill, I will refrain from saying more. But if that part is the only problem, this is why the media obviously needs policing. They aren't grown up enough yet. That they have an opportunity to express themselves this clearly is a sign of how far they've come. To insist that they are being gagged is being alarmist, a condition the Kenyan media really needs to put emphasis in moving away from.
Other things have happened recently. That Charity Ngilu got arrested received mixed reactions. There was a demand for her arrest prior to this. That she found her arrest humiliating is the effect of fair law. For her to blame Kibaki is rather ludicrous. I keep asking at what point Kenyans take responsibility for their own actions. I pose this question to Ngilu as well. Those days of "I am minister, I can do whatever" are gone. You obey the law or like everyone else, suffer the consequence. This is the kind of environment that is conducive to prosperity. That many Kenyans are up in arms against her arrest doesn't make them right. They need to remember to think about being careful what they ask for. Charity wasn't right. She knows it. She just thought she could get away with it. She didn't. I hope she has had some time to internalize, analyze and grow.
The growth is apparent. Tuju expressed himself clearly over the EU tariffs and regulations. This argument over the purported carbon release within organic food that travels for many miles is in many ways an attack to the thriving organic markets that are taking businesses away from the mega store moguls. In Europe and USA, the issue has been seriously in the limelight especially because the organic stores are not lobbyists and have no friends in high places. Or so the rumor mills have been saying. Back from digressing, that Tuju could and did express himself clearly and with no fear, is surely a sign of the times. When a country can support its budget, at least 93% of it, with no need for aid, then it starts to roar and make itself heard.
What about this money for road repairs? Actually I'm more interested in the "meeting to educate citizens about the plan." That caught my eye. What a good sign. The more people understand, the more involved they can be with the plans. And the better able they are to plan and brainstorm around pending implementations so as to stimulate business growth and development. Good move. And perhaps reflect a growing interest amongst locals as to what is going on around them.
Not all is well. The police seem to continue to have a stronghold on majority of people. This is still more an issue of awareness. Brig Ali, in my view, has done a lot to improve the police force. But everyone else has to chip in. Ignorance is not an excuse ever. I recall I have always thought of Kenyans as cowardly. But if every motorist was to opt to be put in jail, how full would those jails be? And how quickly would that draw attention to the stupidity of cops at station X? I think the solution lies in cameras. Everywhere cops station road blocks, they must be required to have a camera running 24/7. Lacking which, any grievance filed against them will be awarded to the plaintiff, no questions asked. And if everyone makes a habit of questioning the cops, politely, I insist politely because it bears results; whenever stopped by them and quoting the law every sentence, I believe it should make them afraid enough to minimize if not stop their extortion habits.
There will be a lot more of these issues coming up. A lot more erroneous judgement especially preceding elections will be made by Kenyans. My hope is that they are all alert and learning. My greatest hope is that one day, Kenyans will be able to drop fickle mindedness and open their eyes to truth. Absolute inability to recognize improvement just because it comes from a man you choose to hate, with reasons ranging from "he has a stroke" (are you kidding me?!) to "he is an old man" mostly masking tribalistic differences is a loud cry for mental development within our population. We can get there. We just need to understand what path we're on and how to stay on it or move away from it.
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10:50
Both Hands
» Cock And Bull Consider both your hands. One of them is stronger than the other. The stronger hand is destined to take the brunt of most of the manual work that you undertake. For example, when hammering a nail, the stronger hand lifts the hammer and makes the effort of driving the nail into the wood. Meanwhile, the best that the weaker hand can do is just hold the nail in place. In the course of daily work, the stronger hand often hurts the weaker one. In some cases, the damage is extensive and the scars might even last a lifetime. In the example of hammering the nail, the stronger hand can easily miss and strike the weaker hand. When that happens, a painful ugly welt often results and might even cause a fingernail to come off. This leaves a scar that the affected hand would live with for the rest of its life.
And yet despite these differences in strength and the amount of work that each of the two hands can do, and despite the hurt that one might cause the other, they have learnt that they are better off together than apart.
We can learn a lot about our own nature as men or women from observing our hands. And then perhaps it can become clear why God made men and women with different physical capabilities and levels of sensitivity. For example the left hand might not have as much brute strength as the right, and yet it is considered special enough to be adorned with a wedding ring and to wear a watch. But despite these clear differences, no one hand ever considers itself less equal to the other, and so every hand is free to be what it naturally is; no hand has to prove anything to the other.
Have you noticed that one hand will always clasp the other in comfort when any hurt occurs? In the case when one hand hurts the other; the aggressor will have the humility to offer comfort while the victim will have the grace to accept that comfort. Incidentally, no hand will ever hurt its opposite deliberately since it already knows that it would be tantamount to hurting itself. Is it possible for one partner to hurt the other without hurting himself or herself in the process?
When idle, the hands often come together in a warm place to snuggle. It would not matter whether the left hand hurt the right hand earlier, or that the right hand did most of the work earlier. They leave triviality behind and forgive each other without uttering a single word of blame, or raising a voice.
Consider both your hands and think about what you and your partner can learn from them.
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8:48
anonymous online reporting of corruption
» Kikuyumoja's realm Pls don’t nail me down if this has been mentioned before (as I haven’t been following KBW lately due to other obligations - which is sad because the feed is pretty much interesting these days), but I just stumpled across this interesting note on another network about a German company from Potsdam that apparently programmed a web-based interface which will allow internal whistleblowers (!) to report any cases of corruption anonymously.
In Kenya, that is.
The Kenya Anti Corruption Commission recently implemented the Business Keeper Monitoring System (BKMS®) which shall assure “anonymity & information confidentiality” as well as an “anonymous diaologue”.
screenshot from the websiteSays it on their website: “The BKMS® system is used as an internet-based communication platform by whistleblowers worldwide (employees in companies and administrations as well as outsiders) to report misconduct and risks. If necessary, whistleblowers can remain absolutely anonymous in order to be protected against repressive measures.”
Obviously, such a system may not be working for those poor souls who are constantly harassed by the police, and may also come too late for Mr David Munyakei (1, 2, ex 3), but it’s a good start, I think. Also, I am wondering about the - fear - this may generate among members of the public service.
According to the website, the BKMS system is already in use with some companies and orgnanisations in Europe, but I wonder if anything like that has already been applied to the EU commission? Ah?
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Remembering Sizakele Sigasa & and Salome Massoa
» Black Looks Two very important events over the next week in response to the continuing rapes and murders of lesbians in Africa. The first will be held in Meadowlands, Soweto on Thursday the 9th August (Women’s Day) TIME: 10a.m. at Meadowlands Stadium proceeding to Meadowlands police Station where we will picket, reading of messages of solidarity and handing [...]
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4:35
The Sins Of Young Snake’s Father
» Cock And Bull Today, I came across the same dead snake that I saw yesterday by the pathway. However, unlike yesterday, the dead body seemed to have suffered an additional blow or two by idle passersby. And as I looked at the thin tiny body of the young black snake with a white belly, I marveled at the unconscious fear that many people have about snakes.
Like many other people, I was taught that a snake is dangerous at a very young age. I learnt that each time a person encounters a snake, it should be killed instantly by hitting its head with a stick or a stone. Have you ever tried to kill a snake? The body of a snake seems to have life in every cell, and hitting the head only makes the rest of the body writhe in pain. It is not until you pound every inch of its long body that the poor creature will eventually stop meandering itself. I think this is the true meaning of over-kill.
My lessons went ahead to instruct me to burn the carcass of a snake. This was for two reasons; One, lest it had eggs in its stomach that would later hatch into more snakes. Up to this day, I am not even sure whether that actually happens. The second reason was advanced by a person who managed to convince most people that a snake would come to life if another snake slithered over its dead body. Only by burning the body of a snake to ashes would ensure that it was gone completely. The lesson in the fear of the snake was so effective that encountering a snake, watching snakes on television, or even thinking about a snake was guaranteed to bring nightmares.
Of course you know what the snake did. According to the Christian Bible, God condemned the snake to die each time it is encountered by a human being since it made the mistake of deceiving Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. And I suppose that the reason why humans kill the snake with so much gusto is the fact that were it not for that deception, we would not have to work for a living, we would not die, and women would have painless birth. And since that blunder by the snake ancestor, apart from being condemned to crawl on its belly, no snake has had peace on earth on account of man’s vengeance.
It was not until I met a South African man called Stretch that my perception about snakes was challenged. Stretch is so comfortable with snakes that I once saw him pick a snake from the ground with bare hands and drop it down the front of his shirt. I could see it struggling against his belly under his cotton shirt as it tried to escape. Hanging out with Stretch made me become curious about the world of snakes, and I even learnt that only a very small percentage of snakes are poisonous enough to kill. And although that didn’t make me fear snakes any less, now I wouldn’t readily kill a snake as I might have done years ago.
Thinking of the dead young snake pulverized by the roadside reminds me of the saying ‘The sins of the father have visited the son’. For indeed, the snake is not the only descendant that is misunderstood because its ancestor did wrong. What fault would a child born into a war ravaged Iraq have done to warrant a life of trauma it might live for the rest of its life? What about the young boys and girls being maimed daily in Israel and Palestine? And the millions of kids who will go hungry due to drought in Africa as a result catastrophic man made changes in the world climate?
Perhaps if each person asked himself or herself what wrong a snake did to him or her before striking it with a stick, then perhaps a consciousness would be born that would wipe out most of the world’s suffering.
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3:38
Acquisitions, Waivers & Others
» KA-INVESTOR 
Was reading about the Barclays Bank bid for ABN Amro bank in Europe and I notice the sweet offer they are giving to the Amro’s shareholders. I think the local CFC-Stanbic merger should follow this precedence and forget about the waiver that may easily cost them the merger if CMA declines it. Already CMA has granted Equity Bank a waiver in the Housing Finance take over and if they keep on doing it their credibility will be in bad books. I think the cost of buying out the minority shareholders will be cheaper than cancellation of the bid at this very last stage. In fact Stanbic bank international has confirmed that they are still seeking to acquire more partners in Kenya and their aim was to get one of the 4 top banks in Kenya. Is the ‘new’ National bank next on line?
Other news:
- Kenya Re has been oversubscribed by 334% {just as expected} despite the shorter qeues compared to other IPO's, thanks to the allocation mode. most of the oversubscription was by Insurance firms and QII's.
- The East African stock exchange is on course with already 11 companies across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania set to cross list in the three bourses soon. Comesa too has plans to integrate the seven East and Southern securities markets.
- The Telkom IPO may be coming early next year soon after the potential investor has been found in November this year. The government increased the bid to 51% to attract more potential investors.
- Barclays bank {Kenya} is looking for direct sale agents {read loan hawkers} to enable them meet their growth plan. They are offering a good package for new graduates.
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