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15:49
From: Kenya Imagine
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In a move likely to go down like a bitter pill in Parliament, but a sweet lozenge elsewhere the government this Friday announced the appointment of professionals to manage Constituency Development Funds. Read more here as Stephen Wanyama on spending public funds.
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13:59
From: Black Looks
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A Glamour magazine beauty editor told a women’s luncheon of a Wall Street law firm, Cleary Gottlieb, that Black female attorneys should avoid wearing “political” hairstyles like dreadlocks or Afros, because these hairstyles are seen as unattractive and unprofessional.
To make a long story short, the Black lawyers in the audience and many in the blogosphere [...]
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12:56
From: You Missed This
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archiveI have learnt in life that the best policy is to keep things as simple. This is true in everything you handle in this life. The way things stand, this year's presidential election is going to be the most complex ever. For instance the current MP for Marakwet East, Mrs Linah Chebii Kilimo in her defection announcement this week only announced a defection in the presidential candidate she is going to support. She did not indicate which party she would use to seek re-election. However she ruled out Narc Kenya. There is a very high possibility that Narc Kenya will probably not even bother to market itself in most of the Rift Valley and will instead leave its' allies like Kanu to sort out things in the expansive province. Read moreHow To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains
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12:55
From: You Missed This
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archiveIn the stories I carried yesterday analyzing what motivation Moi may have in fighting tooth and nail to make sure that Raila does not see the inside of State House, I mentioned that the former president's aides believe that they are averting bloodshed because some radical but influential presidential advisors have sworn that they will hand over power to anybody else but Raila. Many of my dear readers including a very close friend interpreted the story as evidence that I am supporting Raila and the revelation was probably supposed to draw sympathy for the ODM presidential hopeful. It is no secret that members of the house of Mumbi are extremely sensitive to any criticism on one of their own (I have noted the trend since I launched this blog), but what I want us all to investigate is why most of them tend to feel this way. Read moreHow To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains
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12:50
From: You Missed This
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archiveRowdy Kamukunji constituents do not want to hear a single word from their current MP Norman Nyagah. They loudly jeered and shouted him down during the Narc celebration rally at the historic Kamukunji grounds last weekend. Several times, he tried in vain to speak and even bravely attempted to shout above the din, however it proved impossible and he had no alternative but to sit down dejected. It is now very clear that Kamukunji constituency is no man's land for Norman. One wonders how the poor guy will campaign against a very crowded field of eager candidates that is still growing by the day. One option would be for him to relocate elsewhere in Nairobi (but where?) or alternatively head back to Gacoka (where the situation will be much worse because apart from his big brother seeking re-election, inside information has confirmed to this blogger that long-serving and respected former NCCK chair, Mutava Musyimi is also eyeing that parliamentary seat and what's more, he has the full blessings and backing of State House. That will surely make the little matter of a Narc nomination extremely complex for Norman. Read moreHow To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains
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12:47
From: You Missed This
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archiveMy recent investigations indicate that executives at the leading daily newspapers in the country are extremely worried over the recent behavior of newspaper circulation. Let me give you a little background. Usually in election years, newspapers tend to report huge windfall profits as election fever grips the country. This has not happened this time round. If anything both the two leading daily newspapers have been struggling to sell a respectable number of newspapers daily. What is really worrying is that the editorial costs of covering the elections usually run into millions and the newspapers have never had any problems covering it because of the usual windfall circulation profits that start pouring in early in the year. And falling circulation is not entirely their fault. The dwindling purchasing power of ordinary Kenyans that has now made a newspaper a luxury that most cannot afford, is the main culprit. Then technology has wrecked havoc. Lifestyles have actually been turned upside down by technology. For example in the 80s the first thing I would do when I got up in the morning was to turn on the radio. Why? Read moreHow To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains
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12:43
From: You Missed This
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archiveSo what happens to the smaller newspapers when the big boys are "bleeding?" Answer; things are worse for them. My informed calculations indicate that the recently launched Nairobi Star is "bleeding" and "bleeding very badly." It was assumed when this baby was on the drawing boards that the huge popularity of KissFM would lift the newspaper above the horrifying daily expenses of doing a full color newspaper without your own printing press. It is very clear that certain structural mistakes which were made when the paper was launched have come back to haunt them. For instance full color may be desirable in all the pages, but it does not sell newspapers on its' own. Content does and the Nairobi Star does not have very much of it. Read moreHow To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains
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12:40
From: You Missed This
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archiveI have devoted most of my adult life to understanding newspapers and why they make or lose money. In that time I have launched no less than seven newspapers either for myself or others. They say the best captain to sail with is the one who has been shipwrecked because he knows where all the rocks are. I am that captain but I have also been involved in the sensational turnaround of a monthly business magazine that was losing a lot of money. Little wonder that I was able to easily transfer my talents online to run successful moneymaking blogs, such as this one you are reading. Here's what I would do if I were given a chance to turn around the Nairobi Star. My hope is that those involved with the newspaper will pick up an idea or two that they can use. Read moreHow To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains
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12:00
From: tHiNkEr'S rOoM
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I have nothing against my fellow man. After all, I am a solid and lifelong member of the fellowship. However when it comes to the ritual of using the facilities I hold my fellows in a fine disdain. All O y'all are crazy my sons. I am extremely ...
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10:54
From: Startups in Kenya
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In case you missed the piece on Genius Executive Centre in the Business Daily here is the link [www.bdafrica.com]
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9:50
From: Startups in Kenya
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What a wonderful new service from Safaricom. If you have been hesitating getting your rural internet cafe set up, then you have no more excuses. Safaricom has launched a flat-fee (up to a point) internet connection product that is very affordable. The service branded as Bambanet costs KShs. 1,999 (USD 30) per month and needs you to buy a USB modem for KShs. 5,999 (USD 90). For this you get to download 700 MB per month and for anything over that it will cost you K.Shs. 10 (USD 0.16) per MB. I can positively confirm that this offer is by far the best internet product in Kenya at the moment: 1. It's relatively very cheap. 2. It's easy and cheap to setup 3. It's available almost everywhere in Kenya. Way to go Safaricom, let's see if your competition down on Mombasa Road takes up the cue.
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9:14
From: Cock And Bull
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As children, we said that sticks and stones could break our bones but names would never hurt us. However, we seem to forget the saying as we grow up. Perhaps the reason is because when we talked about sticks and stones as kids, we referred to others, and never thought that we would one day be capable of hurting ourselves unknowingly and even knowingly.
Have you ever made a decision to do something and then realized that you could not go through it simply because of what it would make you? For example, a person might delay a separation from a marriage partner for an agonizingly long time simply because he or she is afraid of being labeled, ‘divorcee’.
Consider a person who has lost both parents. That person might be doing quite well for themselves, but go down the dumps on remembering that he or she is an ‘orphan’. When that happens, it is as if the miseries that have afflicted orphans over the ages are suddenly piled on that person’s shoulders. The transformation is often so severe and unexpected that a person immediately forgets all the lessons that they have learnt while walking a path in life that has separated then from parents. The word ‘orphan’ drains away all the strength that they might have built over time, and they become totally helpless.
The same case could apply to a woman who lost a husband at an early age. Just by thinking that she is a ‘widow’, she feels old, dreary and unattractive. The label ‘widow’ saps away all the energy and the previously strong woman feels helpless. This also happens when a perfectly healthy person who might be worried about their HIV status hears the word, ‘AIDS’. The same undesirable effects can grip a person who has grown without a father when he or she thinks themselves as a ‘bastard’.
The reason why this paralysis happens is because of the negative mental association that we have for words. Take for instance AIDS. What picture does that word bring to the mind? If a person imagines an emaciated human being with a terrible cough, diseased skin and bleached lips, then that person becomes them when they imagine that they have AIDS. It is just in the same way that a person would imagine themselves with a pair of wings when they think of themselves as angels.
In order to free ourselves from the power that these labels have over us, we need to diffuse the fear by unloading the negative image that we associate with a word. The best way of removing a negative is by replacing it with a positive. For example, a person can look for information about successful people who started out without parents in order to remove the stigma that society has build over such people over the ages. Incidentally, history is littered with stories of heroes who never know their fathers and others who lost both parents at an early age.
As for AIDS, one needs not be afraid of their own imagination. Anyone who has ever done a HIV test reports that regardless of the results, the knowledge sets one free from worry. Many people know today that a positive result in no longer a pronouncement of a death sentence, thanks to medical drugs and other therapies.
As for being a divorced person, one only needs to consider whether they would be better off in or out of the failed relationship. In most cases, it makes more sense to be a divorcee than be in an abusive relationship.
Once again, this is one of those things that are easily said and not necessarily easily implemented. As always, let us remember that God is on our side. Let us ask Him for courage to do the things we need to do.
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8:12
From: Cock And Bull
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There is a man who has been lying in a ditch at a place called Posta along Kiambu Road. I first heard about him yesterday when one guy asked another in Kiswahili, “Kamzee bado kako?” Using the derogatory word for ‘old man’, the first guy was asking his friend if the man was still lying in the ditch.
When I saw him today, he was curled into a small ball, with both hands tightly clutched and tucked between his thighs. His eyes were closed and he was oblivious to the world that passed by him on the highway, and the adjacent footpath. Though not old, he looked ancient from days of neglect, with long dirty hair and beard, and worn out clothes. He had no shoes on, and his right foot was deformed at the ankle. I later came to learn that the man has been lying at that spot since Monday.
I found myself wondering, “What is the worth of a human being?”
If a one shilling coin was thrown on the ground where the man lay, it would not stay there for long without finding a new owner. If a piece of paper was to be dropped on the same spot, it would not last for long before a Chokora (scavenger) picked it up for recycling. And yet, the man has been lying there for days without anyone bothering about him. Can a man be worth less than a coin, or scrap piece of paper?
When the man finally opened his eyes and decided to move, he bobbled unsteadily on account of his damaged foot. He was also shaking visibly most probably due to hunger than the damp clothes from lying on moist soil. He could hardly walk on his own and after just a few meters, he sat down on a huge pole that lay by the roadside, giving a bleary look to the Electricity company employees that were working across the road. When a passerby offered him a packet of milk, he tore it apart with unexpected energy and sucked on the plastic packet well past it was empty, leaving him out of breathe. After a while, he seemed to be shivering less.
Soon, the men from the Electricity company crossed the road and forced him to move from the pole. They were just about to erect it and he was on the way. With nowhere to go, the man hobbled back to the place where he was curled earlier. Before he could lie down, some men from the Electricity company got hold of him and supported him across the road, leaving him on a grassy patch of ground. Another passerby gave him some boiled maize which he attacked with renewed gusto.
As I left, I realized how gratifying it is to see that there are people who care about the wretched. May God bless the strangers with kind hearts! But still I wonder, “What is the worth of a human being?”
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7:30
From: Cock And Bull
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In my Kikuyu culture, we say that a person whose nose sweats often must have suckled for too long. I am one of those people whose nose sweats often, and sure enough, as a child I stayed too long on the breast.
In Kenya before the mid 1970’s, children used to come fast and in big numbers. For example, children were born 1 year apart and it was quite usual for a couple to have as many as 12 children, not counting the ones who might have died at a very young age. And so as you can imagine, the newborn literally kicked the older sibling from the breast, making it harder to find people who suckled for more than just a few months. The only reason why I was able to suckle for long is because there is a four years gap between my younger brother and I. My older siblings were all born one year apart, and that means that in my family, only I and our last born sweats at the nose.
Ironically, the children who managed to suckle for longer periods often ended up staying at the breast until they were almost of school going age. For example, I have the memory of the day that my mother finally refused to breastfeed me. I remember seeing her squeezing jets of milk from her nipples and onto the ground so that she could get relief from the discomfort that the unexpected accumulation of un-suckled milk produced.
It was not usually a peaceful period when a mother finally decided that their child was simply too big to suckle. When confronted with the new turn of events, a child often threw a tantrum and insisted that it was his or her right to suckle. As a last resort, a mother would liberally smear chili all over the breasts so as to make the suckling experience as unpleasant as possible for the stubborn child. Eventually, the boy or girl would accept that their suckling days were over.
By the time that the child was forcefully stopped from breastfeeding, he or she would have been weaned on solid foods ages before, and the breast milk would just be an unnecessary indulgence. In fact, the suckling used to happen in secret since the child would be old enough to be self conscious. On the other hand, the mother would derive some pleasure from the prolonged close bond that developed between her and the child. As I mentioned earlier, a mother never had the chance to stay long with one child before Mr. Stock from baby factory perched on her roof for the umpteenth time.
Often, we hold onto things or situations that we have clearly outgrown. In such cases, we continue holding on simply because of the comfort we derive from them, for they add very little value to our lives. For example, a person might be making enough money by themselves and still insist on continuing to live under the parent’s roof. Another example is when a person has decided to get married and still continues to secretly derive the comfort and tenderness of an old lover. What about those people that continue carrying their pre-Christian hocus pocus paraphernalia – protective charms, amulets, love potions - even to church? Eventually, every boy or girl has to accept that their suckling days are over.
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7:30
From: Mount Kirima
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For all you that have been Wondering. This is where I live if you zoom in a bit more you can actually see my house therefore no further direction necessary.
Zoom out to see how deep in the wilderness it actually is.
You are all welcome!
View Larger Map
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7:05
From: AfriGadget
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This is the walker most Ghanaian babies used to learn how to walk. Myself this is what I used to learn how to walk( Yes my mummy told me ).
For a baby to use it to learn how to walk it is very simple. The baby holds the horizontal bar at the top with the hands at both ends of the bar and he stands up on his/her feet and start pushing the walker. Two to three falls will get him or her to start being on his/her feet by him/her self and by the 7th to 8th falls, he/she should start moving the legs on his/her own and before you know it, your baby is walking.
This walker is simple, no ring bells around to keep the baby off focus on learning how to walk.
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4:17
From: Startups in Kenya
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Back in July my good pal Eric Mibuari, an MIT alumni, invited me to help him set up internet access at a computer centre he founded in Laare, Meru. The idea was to use my internet in the village model which I had already deployed in two other places. I jumped at the idea, not only is Eric a fun guy, but I had never been to Meru and I needed a holiday from Forex trading. So together with another of my pals, Dru, we piled into a 4WD and headed off towards Meru. Now, I have never been to Meru so I didn't really know what to expect. I borrowed the 4WD from a friend suspecting I'd be in trouble without it but I was pleasantly surprised to find well paved roads most of the way. There was another reason I borrowed the 4WD, it was because it had enough storage room. The previous week Nakumatt (Kenya's leading retailer) had announced the opening of its Meru branch and I had my eye on a big-screen TV that was going to be on a special half price offer. I was sure of getting it as I would be in Meru on the day right after grand opening. A rapid learning experience my trip was to prove, the first thing I realised was that Meru is a very wealthy town. If the fact that the TVs were all sold out on day one by 11:00 am did not convince me of this fact then it was the brand new Toyota Hilux pick-ups scattered everywhere making up 1 of every 3 cars. I was to learn in due course why this was the favoured vehicle. Eric was already in Meru and asked us to rendezvous with him in Maua - a town 50km north of Meru and near the Meru National Park. We finally got to Meru at about 6pm and I discovered the second thing about Meru; at 1800M above sea level and off the slopes of Mount Kenya, the place is extremely cold. By luck Dru and I had both had packed heavy woolen sweaters, although the cold seemed to seep through those too. While waiting for Eric, who was coming from the centre, we took a tour of Maua. To our surprise we found that half the town's occupants were of Somali origin. Now for a non-Kenyan to understand this you must appreciate that rural areas are usually homogenous in ethnic makeup. We expected at least 90% Meru ethnicity. Somalis however are extremely capable merchants and Maua has a very valuable and tradeable commodity, miraa. So like flies to honey they flocked in their hundreds to the small yet extremely rich town. By the time we got to Maua I had been driving for six hours and over 400km but when we finally met up with Eric he insisted on taking us to see the centre. So after checking in to our hotel we drove on to Laare, about 10km from Maua. The centre is temporarily hosted by the Laare Catholic parish. This stoked the fire of conviction that churches form a good backbone for such community projects; direct access to the community and structural resources. Our trip to the parish was also our first chance to interact with locals of Meru - the priests. Kimeru language is not so much spoken as it is sung, with alternating pitch, tempo, and rhythm. It was fascinating to listen as the priests and Eric weaved kimeru in and out of the English conversation. Our hosts generously served us some hot tea and bananas (incredibly huge bananas) as they found out about our mission to Meru. Eric also showed us the computers and equipment that had been donated by MIT for use in the centre. An impressive number of relatively new PCs, laptops, routers and switches all the way from Boston were stacked up in one corner of the priests' living room waiting for us to set them up the following day. We finally left at around nine o'clock and slowly drove back to Maua. Slowly because it was a pitch black moonless night and the cold mountain air hitting the warmer tarmac caused instant rising mist on the road. Used to Nairobi's fast pace we found ourselves still eager to explore the place at that late hour. However the few places we checked out were lifeless (it was a Tuesday) so we decided to go to the hotel and strategize on the following day. Before retiring though we purchased some of Meru's finest. So while chewing on a few choice stems, we tried out the EDGE internet connectivity from the hotel room using my laptop and my cell phone as a modem. The connection worked quite well and I was even able to open my forex trading platform and put in a few trades. (Isn't technology wonderful - you can buy and sell off Wall Street while in a hotel in Meru right on the slopes of Mount Kenya!) I finally gave in at 1:00 am as even the cathinone in the miraa could not erase six hours of driving. I left a 'cathinoned' Eric sending emails and on the phone with his colleagues in Boston late into the night. Read more about my Meru trip on day two searching for miraa.com
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4:14
From: Startups in Kenya
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Thanks to all readers of this blog who keep coming back even though I haven't posted stuff for quite a while. I'm keeping this one short but check back soon for my adventures over the past three months.
Read the complete article at
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