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22:10
From: White African
Read This Entry & More At White African
Afrotechie is a blog written by Andrew Heavens, of Meskel Square, it’s an excellent blog that covers the gamut of news on the African tech scene.
His most recent story is about the way the governments of Sudan and Ethiopia are blocking certain websites. It’s a fascinating read that discusses how the motives behind the action move the government’s hand.
In Sudan it’s religion. In Ethiopia it’s politics.
This highlights the very reason why technology can make such an impact in Africa - it can be used to bypass inefficient and corrupt regimes. For every government action to block web and mobile communication, there’s a technologist waiting to bypass their often ham-fisted actions.
 
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20:59
From: AfriGadget
Read This Entry & More At AfriGadget
The HAPV (Advertised as HAPPY) is a twist on the ‘horse and buggy’ mode of transportation, making this a donkey, cart, solar panel on a canopy FUV (Farm Utility Vehicle) that is quite ingenious and absolutely AfriGadget. A donkey drawn carriage is commonplace in many countries in Africa, and this retrofit by the organization Water and Wheel adds more functionality and utility especially suited for rural Africa.
Fitted with a solar panel that charges a 12 volt battery under the driver’s seat, the “HAPPY” becomes an independent, sustainable source of energy that powers cell phone connectivity, front and rear emergency lights and a small neon tube at night. Add a water filtration system, and the “HAPPY” doubles as a multi functional mobile business unit, that can empower an entrepreneurial owner, to generate income from it as a fresh water outlet, a mobile phone kiosk or a spaza shop – even after dark.
Read more about it here.
(Hat tip Mweshi)
Note: Erik Hersman (White African) was interviewed a few minutes ago on BBC, a podcast will be available in a day or two and we will be sure to share it here (link).
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14:34
From: White African
Read This Entry & More At White African
 It turns out that what Google is doing in the mobile space might not be a direct competitor to the iPhone, like was originally rumored. Google’s take on the space is going to be based around the idea of a Mobile OS - creating an open source alternative to Windows Mobile. If it includes a browser, then it will compete with Opera and Safari as well.
At the core of Google’s phone efforts is an operating system for mobile phones that will be based on open-source Linux software, according to industry executives familiar with the project. In addition, Google is expected to develop mobile versions of its applications that go well beyond the mobile search and map software it offers today.
Read more about this on the NY Times.
These rumors fit very well into the other rumor of a Google mobile payment system. Let’s hope it all pans out, I want to see more competition in both OS and the mobile/online payment space.
 
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14:19
From: You Missed This
Read This Entry & More At You Missed This
 The first signs of the effects of the mammoth crowd that stifled Uhuru Park last Saturday emerged yesterday when during a church service in Meru energy minister Kiraitu Murungi told the congregation that unless the Mount Kenya region voted as a block, they might as well forget about State House for another 5 years. This coupled with the other accusations about ODM being heavily funded from abroad are sending a very clear message to all those who are observant. It is finally dawning on the President’s team and his allies that they are staring defeat straight in the face. Personally I do not see how the president’s campaign can be saved. It is rare that I make sweeping statements here in Kumekucha but the truth is that Mwai Kibaki is finished. I say this is anger and sadness because the truth is that the president does not have a message to sell. His campaign team has no idea what they are doing. That is the truth. Even the team he sent to London basically repeated the same old mantra, that ODM will bring chaos to Kenya. And while it is normal and acceptable in politics to attack the other side and point out their weaknesses, you don’t do so before you have sold yourself first. So what does a second Kibaki term have to offer? Somebody please tell me, I may have missed the message. By the way the definition of selling a message to the people is not reading some carefully prepared boring speech. It is telling us in a language we understand and with examples exactly what you are planning to do. The president’s team is telling Kenyans that this administration should continue. What exactly does that mean because we have seen many things in the Kibaki administration that we do NOT like. So should we vote in the president to continue with them? For example there has been a very focused and determined effort to gag the media. Of course the word being used is “control.” So the next question is who needs “control” more? The media that broke the Anglo Leasing scam to Kenyans when the opposition in parliament were fast asleep. Read moreRaila Odinga secretly met John Githongo in London last monthGuess what John Githongo's nickname was when he worked at State HouseWhen will PNU wake up and get a serious campaign going?
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14:16
From: You Missed This
Read This Entry & More At You Missed This
 PROLOGUE Nairobi - early December 2004 ……… “Frau Briner, we are now facing the most dangerous part of your visit to Kenya.” Those words, dropping off the lips of the German Ambassador, sent shockwaves down my spine. I knew that I was up against an old enemy. A ruthless, proven killer. But as the events of the last couple of hours had demonstrated, there was an even more dangerous enemy in the mix now. A man who wanted to conceal certain details of his private life forever. Secrets which I knew and could therefore talk about and with this could eventually endanger his up to now peaceful retirement. “So ….. how do we handle this?” I therefore asked, as I was watching how an employee of the Embassy was depositing my luggage into the trunk of this armored vehicle which the German Ambassador had put at my disposal. The Ambassador looked down. “I have arranged with my personal Military Escort at the Embassy to accompany you to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. And because it’s a good forty-five kilometers drive from here, I would not be surprised if the marauding murderers come after you, even may try to blow up this car as you cruise down Uhuru Highway. To be on the safe side, we have also decided that another member of my Security Personnel will accompany you. It is a woman and she is blonde like you. This will put some doubts since like that there will be two blonde women in the car and it will be difficult to find out which is the right one ….. But in any case, it is very important that you remain calm. Whatever happens, keep your practiced Swiss poise. ” He then looked her straight in the eye, “Listen, Mrs. Briner. I shouldn’t tell you this, but because I understand how frightful this whole situation is for you, I will.” He looked around, “Look careful at this car – it’s equipped with the latest German-built explosives. They have a five-kilometer range and they have heat sensors. When they are fired, they follow the heat emission of the object they are intended to hit and blow it up upon contact. They have a proven enviable track record.” When I nodded grimly, he continued, “What I am saying, Mrs. Briner, is that the goons have no chance against us. You will get to the airport …… just make sure you follow the advice of the Military Escort carefully.” Read moreRaila Odinga secretly met John Githongo in London last monthGuess what John Githongo's nickname was when he worked at State HouseWhen will PNU wake up and get a serious campaign going?
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10:03
From: bankelele
Read This Entry & More At bankelele
The elections are a few weeks away and assets are disposed of and savings converted into consumer spending and other election-related services. People are being warned to be careful with their SUV’s (lest they are stolen to be used in rural campaigns and dumped) There are 210 constituencies in the country and one estimate of the cost of running a viable campaign is set at about 10 million shillings ($150,000) - and this can be as high as 100 million shillings (where titans are battling it out to enter Parliament) Scenes from the Nairobi show Also known as the Nairobi international trade fair (which ended on Sunday October 7) - Traffic to the showground was so bad along Ngong road, that it was better and faster to detour along Kibera. I asked one very tired policeman about this and he replied that the heavy traffic was not related to the trade fair – just that vehicles never cease coming no matter how long directs the traffic (too many cars) - Visiting an impressive stand, I’m reminded that long before Vice President Moody Awori spruced up the Prisons Department, it was highly regarded for the good quality furniture that they i.e. prisoners used to (and still) produce and which the department would sell to the public - A yellow Humvee is a big draw for all the school kids even though they are not allowed near it - I was able to get my social security statement from the NSSF stand, but my stockbroker could not give me a statement! (They were not online). The NSSF also gave a friendly reminder to patrons to top up their contributions otherwise they would receive very little when they retired - Ice cream vendors almost every 10 yards. And the way it was hot, they were all doing roaring business - JKUAT (University) enterprises produce a variety of juices, jams, soaps and lotions. - A drunk high school student being hauled out of the show grounds by his colleagues. I later passed them outside the showground and noticed they have wisely removed their school uniforms – otherwise they could have bundled into a police wagon to be paraded on the evening news.
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8:11
From: REBECCA WANJIKU'S BLOG
Read This Entry & More At REBECCA WANJIKU'S BLOG
The East African Community, in its current form, was established as a partnership between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2001. Burundi and Rwanda joined the Community in 2007.
The purpose of the Community is "to widen and deepen economic, political, social and cultural integration in order to improve the quality of life of the people of East Africa through increased competitiveness, value added production, trade and investment." This includes a process of integration beginning with customs union (established in 2005), moving through the creation of a common/single market, then to monetary union and finally to political federation.
Harmonisation is crucial to this process. Harmonisation does not necessarily mean that arrangements in all three countries must be the same, but that they must work together in a way which promotes cooperation and cross-border trade, and which does not favour one country or its businesses/citizens over another. The EAC Strategic Plan proposes harmonisation in many areas of economic and other activity - from fiscal and trade policy to legal and judicial processes.
Harmonisation of policies and regulations relating to communications is also proposed within the EAC. Harmonisation was an important part of the development of a single market in communications within the European Union - in which communications businesses from any one country can compete on equal terms with those in any other country within the Union. The regulatory frameworks associated with harmonisation have been very important in liberalisation within the EU.
The study which David Souter is presently working on focuses on options for harmonisation of communications policy and regulation within the EAC. It is primarily (but not exclusively) concerned with telecommunications and with services that depend on telecommunications. At this stage, it is also primarily concerned with the three founder members of the EAC (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda).
Important questions raised by harmonisation include the following:
1. What differences are there at present between the communications markets in the different EAC countries? What effect do these have? What would be the effect of removing them?
2. What are the main problems with current policy and regulatory arrangements in each country - particularly where business development and consumer services are concerned?
3. What effect would the development of a single market in the EAC region have on communications businesses and on consumers? For example:
a. What would businesses be able to do that they cannot do at present?
b. What difference would it make to consumers?
c. Would it facilitate more transactions across national borders - in ICT and other sectors?
d. Would it lead to the development of more EAC-wide ICT businesses?
4. What are the main (economic, social, political) drivers for harmonisation of communications policy and regulation? What are the main constraints?
5. What priority issues need to be addressed in the first stage of harmonisation? (In other words, what major problems faced by businesses or consumers should be addressed first on a cross-border basis?)
6. Should arrangements for market structure and regulation eventually be the same in all EAC countries? If so, over what timescale? If not, why not?
7. What institutional arrangements would be appropriate for harmonising communications policy and regulation in the region? What would be the right timescale for doing this?
ends
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7:38
From: My part of the world.......
Read This Entry & More At My part of the world.......
I think alongside the annual state of prostitution in Kenya article, the "life is hard abroad" article is also making an at least annual appearance in Kenyan media. This time round The Standard took a shot at telling people the hard reality of life in the States. But the sad thing is that as the article prophesied is that people never ever listen, the saddest/funniest ones are the ones who throw bashes and sell their stuff before they go to the Embassy. I once knew some two sisters who thought the sun revolved around them, they loudly announced they were going to the States and even threw a ginormus bash before going to the Embassy. Needless to say they were both denied and came back with their tales between their legs, I think they opted for a country with less stringent visa regulations but it was a lesson to all of us. In an ideal world Kenyans shouldn't have to use the States as an escape from the harsh realities of our present existence but what to do? Life is hard for Americans too, but the people who piss me off are the ones who go back home on vacation and make it look like they shop on Rodeo Drive and live in High Rise Condominiums. I say keep it real, if you have to stand on your feet for 8 hours in Walmart then be honest about it, instead of creating false dreams for others. But this isn't to say that it isn't possible to make it in the States, it can be done but it is often a long hard and lonely road. Anyway moving onto less depressing topics but still depressing. I am sick and tired of hearing and seeing Britney Spears on every other channel on cable. Yes she is going to her trailer park roots and slowly self destructing, but enough already. Like a cat that has been hit by a car, let's let her drag herself into the bushes and expire with some dignity. Damn celebrity obsessed country! I don't know if you are all aware of this but do you know that VH1, MTV and BET are all owned by VIACOM, not to forget they also own Comedy Central. I think it is pathetic that one company can have so much power over the direction that music takes. They are a perfect example of capitalism being allowed to run amok. It is no surprise that BET's pathetic offerings went from bad to worse when VIACOM took over. Call me a hater but the less small independant media houses we have the less choice viewers and listeners have, I mean unless you have the expanded MTV on Cable when was the last time you saw more than 10 music videos in a row on MTV instead of all the tepid reality TV shows they give us? Another fantastic reason not to have cable.......... I have been reading the last few issues of Nation's Buzz Magazine and it seems that the mark of having made it as a model is getting a white boyfriend/ girlfriend. Kenyans never cease to amaze me, but I guess it is a symbiotic relationship on both sides, the models get to enjoy the nicer things in life that the white folks money can buy while the white folks who probably weren't hot numbers back home now get to have some of the hottest bods for themselves. Next weekend I have decided that I am going to visit one of the Kenyan churches that are near where I live. I was supposed to go to one this weekend but I decided to sleep in and gave it a miss, and I have no excuse at all because it was an afternoon service. Trying to connect with people by going to the club is a waste of time, so let's see if going during the day helps granted half of the people in the club might be there but what the heck! That reminds me, I caught up with one of my old uni mates recently, the dude is all the way in Chi-town and when he heard that I live in the ATL area he was quick to tell me that he was going to come and stay with me over Thanksgiving. Kenyans have some gall I tell you, they can buy air-tickets for hundreds of dollars, rent cars, buy new outfits, spend hundreds on booze and entrance to events but they would rather pile up 10 people in an apartment instead of paying around $50 per night for a motel. Cheap bastards! Just wait till November comes, the Acolyte is going AWOL! Ps: If there are any of you that have blogs on or supported by the Wordpress engine for some reason or other I can't comment on those blogs at all. So don't think I dont read your blog, I do comment and nothing at all appears on the other side, I think the god of Wordpress hates me. Oh well, have a good week people....
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5:58
From: You Missed This
Read This Entry & More At You Missed This
Listening to President Kibaki’s daughter Judy, Nairobi Stock Exchange chairman Jimnah Mbaru and Equity Bank chairman Peter Munga during the launch of Diaspora for Kibaki (D4K) lobby in London leaves one with the gut feeling that our political bad manners are genetic. Instead of extolling the development record and virtues of their candidate, the trio wasted a golden opportunity and instead turned Cumberland Hotel in central London into another Uhuru Park Raila-bashing. Speak of old habits dieing hard or failing to learn from previous goofs. The rainbow face of Mr. Alfred Ndemo, the D4K organizer, told it all. The chap could be seen squirming in his seat anytime the troika opened their mouth to spew arrays of trivia. And boy, one would be forgiven for imagining that tribalism never boards planes to London. Sitting incognito, I enjoyed myself to the full from a rich menu of exported hate speeches delivered in first language. Surely the road to political self-destruction must be immaculately paved with tempting parking lots which Emilio’s campaigners cannot resist populating. Raila Odinga secretly met John Githongo in London last monthGuess what John Githongo's nickname was when he worked at State HouseWhen will PNU wake up and get a serious campaign going?
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5:44
From: You Missed This
Read This Entry & More At You Missed This
This weekend was full of activities as it has been lately being an election year, however the notable event was that of ODM Presidential candidate Mr. Raila Odinga’s launch at Uhuru park dubbed the THUNDER. The Presidents PNU party also had a rally the same day at Afraha stadium in Nakuru. ODM-K of Kalonzo Musyoka also had activities. Gospel Musician Angela Chibalonza Muliri's body was flown from Kenya to be buried in Congo on Saturday, rest in peace Angie.  I met this group of ODM supporters walking to Uhuru Park from Panafric Hotel. The THUNDER rally out shined all the weekend’s activities with their spectacular event attended by a crowd of over 400,000 at Uhuru park. It was a true picture of what majority Kenyans want CHANGE. ODM Pentagon has promised the change that Kenyans are yearning for. We have been promised this in the past but majority of Kenyans have not seen or felt the economic growth. The economic growth means nothing to the common mwananchi (citizens) if Ugali (maize meal) costs more, if prices for bread, milk, sugar and other essential commodities go up. Some becoming a luxury for poor families. So I believe the common mwananchi will vote for a coalition that has a new change to offer not the change for the worst they have experienced. I couldn't attend ODM rally at Uhuru park because I had some errands to do in the morning and had to take my kids to the Nairobi show, they told me you will see ODM everyday but show is only once a year. So I had to obey these young Kenyans who also have their rights. I have attended the Nairobi Agricultural show, which is now known as Nairobi International Trade fair since I was young and got used to the long queues at the gates. We walked to the gate on Kibera side and expected a long queue like it has always been but was shocked that there was no queue, only a few people and kids standing outside the gates (many may have opted to attended ODM rally at Uhuru park). When I went to pay I came to realize that those people with kids outside couldn’t enter because of the charges. Adults were paying Kshs. 200/- and children Kshs.150/-, one man came with nearly 5 kids who were so eager to enter the show, he enquired about the charges, after being told he said sita weza kulipa hiyo (I cannot afford that). The father walked away with very annoyed kids.   Kids entertainment facilities at the show, charges range from Kshs.50 - 100 I can imagine that this man was from the slums, his kids insisted on daddy to take them to the show like other kids. This man and many other parents of kids from the slums could not afford to pay the gate charges. Most people in the slums are casual laborers who earn as little as 200/day. This is the money they use to pay rent and to put a meal on the table for their families. So one cannot take their weeks salary of Kshs. 1000 – 1200 to go to such a show. On the other hand the show cannot be free but I feel the organizers should have set a date for kids to be charged less if not free, to give Kenyans of all walks of lives an opportunity to see what our country has to offer. I only concluded that this was not a poor man’s show. -Jamii ya Kenya- Raila Odinga secretly met John Githongo in London last monthGuess what John Githongo's nickname was when he worked at State HouseWhen will PNU wake up and get a serious campaign going?
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4:14
From: REBECCA WANJIKU'S BLOG
Read This Entry & More At REBECCA WANJIKU'S BLOG
Tuesday is the day for the fertility clinic and the young women in the queue have all had a challenge getting pregnant. Most of them are young, and outwardly in great shape. Not a single one looks unhealthy, or malnourished. Their faces betray a profound melancholy, the only sign that anything is amiss. I only find out why they were standing there when I get into a conversation with an older woman standing with them. The conversation turns to the subject of family-planning and she points at the women before launching into what is for me a detailed overview of the science of contraception. She explains that years of using family planning pills and injections has brought on something like an outbreak in the numbers of women who find themselves going through great difficulty conceiving. So extensive is the problem that the district hospital has designated a day on which the affected women get to learn more about their condition and also share information with the doctors on what is in these numbers a recent phenomenon. Ironically, the clinics are set-up much in the style of the very family-planning clinics where women are brought together and taught the benefits of birth control programs. "So when did the rain start beating us?" I asked. She is quick to respond: "when we deserted our values and decided to pursue sex for pleasure. Chastity is no longer valued and the role of grandmothers and aunts is now only peripheral." Upon reflection, I wonder at how true her sentiments ring. Graduating from high school now opens the doors to a period of carefree sexual adventures. More and more, the girls who restrain themselves are seen as backward and repressed. The problem however, is that the very society that allows and encourages young girls to give themselves up to this passion, cannot accept in that girl the consequences of her freedom. So it is that the girl must be free to have sex as she pleases, but this must never lead to pregancies. Pregnancies would disrupt her education and career, the security and support of having a partner may be denied her and the social consequences of her pregnancy in our increasingly religious society will be hard to bear. The psychological burden of ostracisation and perhaps even rejection by her family, are added to by the financial burden of caring for a child in an economy with sky-high inflation and endemic unemployment. Deprived of the social security net of the past, pregnancy is for many young girls a terrible undertaking, one to be avoided at all costs. u003cp>And so it is that we start takingncontraceptive pills very early on in life. This causes our hormones tonadjust, and may lead to such problems as irregularnperiods or in extreme cases, to prolonged postponement of the menses.nBut this is just a small part of the problem. Contraceptives have beennblamed in scientific studies for everything from lower bone densities,nstrokes, heart-attacks, increased incidences of cancers and blood clotsnto an increased susceptibility to venereal disease. u003c/p>u003cp>Whatnfurther exacerbates an already messy situation is the fact that unlikenother drugs, these contracptives are often taken in secret, without thencareful attention and constant supervision of a physician. While manyncan and do get away with it, there are few who can claim to have enoughninformation to make truly sound decisions. u003c/p>nnnu003cp>The challenge therefore is to appreciate the dangers ofncontraception and the necessity of information in deciding what to use,nin what quantities and for what periods. It is not enough to be able tonaccess this over the internet, or to diagnose oneself on the basis ofnthe musings of a random blogger. Like with most things, look hardnbefore you leap.nu003c/p>nn",0] ); D(["ce"]); //--> And so it is that we start taking contraceptive pills very early on in life. This causes our hormones to adjust, and may lead to such problems as irregular periods or in extreme cases, to prolonged postponement of the menses. But this is just a small part of the problem. Contraceptives have been blamed in scientific studies for everything from lower bone densities, strokes, heart-attacks, increased incidences of cancers and blood clots to an increased susceptibility to venereal disease. What further exacerbates an already messy situation is the fact that unlike other drugs, these contracptives are often taken in secret, without the careful attention and constant supervision of a physician. While many can and do get away with it, there are few who can claim to have enough information to make truly sound decisions. The challenge therefore is to appreciate the dangers of contraception and the necessity of information in deciding what to use, in what quantities and for what periods. It is not enough to be able to access this over the internet, or to diagnose oneself on the basis of the musings of a random blogger. Like with most things, look hard before you leap.
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3:04
From: stranded in me
Read This Entry & More At stranded in me
now that we're closer to the d-day my stomach is in knots, this is really a BIG deal for me and its the same feeling n the team. i must say it will be important to work with people who understand the bigger picture. No personality rubbish, there's work to be done, lets get it done. We have decided to think positively, and think positively i will, someone mentioned how there'll be all sorts of muck creeping out of the wood work the minute this comes to be. thats no biggie, absence really doesnt make my heart grow fonder, it just creates a vacuum which usually gets filled. my best pal is really excited acccording to her even tho it doesnt go through atleast it will confirm thats there's more people than the three (boyfy included) of us who think i have potential... if we get it, the ideal celebration would be do s'thing with the team then have a tasty meal in a beautiful restaurant with boyfie n best pal. when the future was bleak these two people were there for me. actually when i think about it maggie has been with me thru it all, she knows me inside out. she knows stuff about me, that no one else does. we laugh, we cry together thru everything. when my sister died and i thought i would too she held my hand. i have had many seasonal friends, who came into my life and left. some left the country. others we fell out. others got what they wanted and left, others were good for the season and not anymore. as we get older we realise that some friendships are not good for us so we move on. but maggie, has always been maggie, and this friendship is one that death will conquer. back to the tv series that i created, i have the artists that id like to play certain roles in mind tho one of them worries me as i think she might hold us at ransom. she has a warped work ethic, tho highly talented the importance of this series means alot to us. having a good team that feels the same will help. 
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2:24
From: Black Looks
Read This Entry & More At Black Looks
“I am Jewish, and stifling debate and dissent [and] criticism of Israel is a disservice to all Jews, the state of Israel and the American people,” [Marv Davidov] said.
[source]
Mr Davidov was referring to the decision by St Thomas University in Minnesota not to invite Desmond Tutu. The reason the school gave was that Bishop Tutu [...]
Read the complete article at
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