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23:37
[nt]
» Kenyanpoet
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22:10
An Open Source Disc-Burning Kiosk
» White African 
Springwise is running a story on Freedom Toaster. Backed by the Shuttleworth Foundation (behind Ubuntu Linux, the popular open source option to Windows) it’s a free kiosk that allows anyone to put a disc in it and burn a copy of Linux, OpenOffice, and some e-books. It’s a very interesting concept, and it fits perfectly into low, or spotty, bandwidth areas like Africa. …a Freedom Toaster is much like a candy vending machine. Users insert a CD, follow the easy instructions on the touch-screen monitor and—presto—a copy of Linux is “toasted” by the unit’s internal CD burner. Since copies of the software come from the kiosk’s own hard drive, there’s no need to hook the Toaster up to the web, a major plus in areas where broadband access is scarce.
Many open source software devotees are trying to push African companies and government institutions into accepting the use of options like Linux and OpenOffice into their organizations. It’s proven and it cuts costs dramatically. Luckily, Freedom Toaster also provides the plans and manuals for you to create your own version and start making it available in your country.
(hat tip Tzaadi)
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20:56
Not the miracle man!
» Kenya Imagine Mwingi South MP Kalonzo Musyoka was in his element last Sunday gone, buoyed along by the massive turnout to his campaign's official launch at Uhuru Park. The former long serving Kanu organizing secretary is arguably the best political propagandist the country has ever produced. He was as eloquent as always, even though little from the team he fronted, Bahari MP Joe Khamisi excepted, suggested that they meant in any way what they were pontificating.
Read here Solomon Gakungu's criticism of Kalonzo Musyoka. -
What of the loot?
» Kenya Imagine Kenyan politics has always had a 9.8 rating for entertainment and thrills. The twists the turns, break-ups and make-ups, lies and promises, it is one long soap opera and it's only likely to get better.
Fret not Moi, rest easy. Your soul and Raila's are united forever, or as William Ruto put it, the Ndung'u report cannot be implemented because his name and that of Raila are also mentioned in the report.
Read more from Stephen Wainaina.
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20:11 Sanjay? Where Did My Job Go?
» Kenyanentrepreneur.com This is a documentary about an American computer programmer who travels to India to find out why so many “American” jobs are being outsourced to that location. The guy is obviously bitter about being laid off and I got no sense from watching this video that he has come to terms with the realities of the [...]
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18:00
Random: Tragedy is…
» Afromusing 
Image from forota (one of my favorite photographers, check out his other shots)Tragedy is…running out of Kenyan tea. What to do? Get some English breakfast tea from the local grocery store and dream of pushing a cart in Nakumatt soon. This diaspora life sucks, especially when the weather becomes surly.
Reasons why I am resisting the urge to get an Iphone
1. In the US it means switching to AT&T. I am happy with T-mobile and I am not switching to a network that has less than stellar coverage (just my opinion, the last time i tried AT&T I was in college and couldn’t get signal around my Uni, which was smack in the middle of the city) An aside, why isn’t there a text message plan or package that includes international text msgs? Gosh its 2007 and didn’t Friedman say the world is flat? Why aren’t service plans getting cheaper in the US? As a consumer I don’t really see much competition in that arena…prices are just about the same across the board and It wouldn’t make much sense to get the Iphone without the data plan anyway.2. I would want my Iphone unlocked, free and ready to roam to Kenya or any other place in the world with a GSM network…which is pretty much the whole world. I do not shy away from tinkering with phones, but I don’t think I want to brick an expensive bit of tech then go through a 19 step recovery process
. If it was 5 steps sorta like the grief process, I might reconsider…NOT! Even if you sign a contract with AT&T and ask for unlock codes when you are travelling, something that carriers do for you without batting an eye…not happening, not possible, no way Jose, *hapana (not to be confused with the amazing Bryan Habana!).
I think I would be wiling to pay extra to have an Iphone that i could use in any network though.3. Why buy it when it doesn’t have 3G capability now, and when tested against the RAZR and even the T-mobile sidekick much favored by rappers and a certain Hilton progeny, took forever to open a page in a download race? (To be fair, the comments indicate that it may be faster than reported, but everyone has a reality distortion field around them). Oh as with apple products that are shape shifting, paradigm blasting, fat burning and calorie free there are always rumors. The rumor/confirmed fact masquerading as a rumor is that the Iphone in 2008 will actually have 3G capability and on the horizon the Iphone could even be Wimax capable.
4. The wi-fi capability is nice, but when traveling, good luck finding open networks that wont charge you an arm, a leg and kidney to connect. Special offenders - some airports like O’Hare in Chicago. I do not like paying for wi-fi esp. when its almost 10 bucks for just a few hours. Perhaps i should try Fon again.
Via 69Mb:The Iphone is Kenya bound in November apparently, which network will it be chained to and how much will the data plan for that be? Not clear from the BDAfrica article, probably in the 5000Ksh range like the Blackberries? Carrier specific phones are not a good idea in Kenya, I enjoyed the freedom to pick which carrier i would go with depending on their rates, and I think the Kenyan consumers and all consumers for that matter need to be able to make the best choice of data plans regardless of the hardware.
All this…and i still ogle at the thing each time I see it! Ok, that is the end of my little screed for today.
Btw, Liz Henry is tweeting the ‘She’s Geeky’ UnConference.
DMKW - Diary of a Mad Kenyan Woman is back!!!!!!!!
Blogged with Flock
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12:58
The Campaign Gimmick Behind Today’s Unique Dissolution of Parliament
» You Missed This 
The 9th parliament is no more. And for the first time in the history of the nation the president addressed the entire nation on live TV to dissolved parliament, officially paving way for the general election later this year. The live broadcast started at 4 pm (local Kenyan time).
To justify going on air, president Kibaki took time to summarize the achievements of the controversial own-perks-and-remuneration-hiking 9th parliament noting the important bills it had passed into law during its’ life.
This was a smart move and one of the few things that the embattled president’s handlers have gotten right in a very long time. The psychological effect of the power behind the throne personally dissolving the 9th parliament is not without impact and paints a picture of a president fully in control of the country and one who surely deserves a second look by voters for possible re-election. That live broadcast alone must have captured at the very least tens of thousands of votes countrywide for president Kibaki. As to whether those “captured” hearts will remain with the president until polling day, only time can tell.
5 most popular Kumekucha stories today. -
Story Of Woman Who Loved Two Men Depicts Kenyan Presidential Elections Politics Perfectly
» You Missed This
If truth be told, I have never really liked Raila Odinga.
Nothing personal, but I have never been particularly endeared to his personal style and way of doing things. However one man in this country has changed all that in recent years for many Kenyans.
I will tell you a story that illustrates my point here perfectly and will explain the mystery of how this man called Raila suddenly became so popular.
Dorothy was in that dilemma that some women find themselves in. Two men had proposed to her and she had to make up her mind whom she was going to marry. The two men in her life were burly muscular and very handsome Kib and passionate but possessive Rai whom she had known for a longer time.
Read more
5 most popular Kumekucha stories today. -
Otieno Kajwang Gets Life Line From Raila But…
» You Missed This
Towards the end of last week some very fascinating meetings were taking place at the Professional Centre in Nairobi. The characters in the meetings call themselves “islanders” based in the city and are mostly supporters of an aspirant for the Mbita parliamentary seat called Sammy Wakiaga.
The latest news is that Wakiaga has been “persuaded” to step down in favor of the incumbent Otieno Kajwang. Yet he had already quit his job with the NSIS (National Security Intelligence Services) where he was the chief accountant to vie for the Mbita seat.
The gentlemen were particularly incensed that Raila appears to be using his usual, underhand means to ensure that those close to him retain their parliamentary seats and yet, the group claims, the people of Mbita have had more than enough of Kajwang.
These die hard ODM supporters then went on to invoke the name of Tom Mboya’s widow, Pamela Mboya claiming Mrs Mboya was a supporter of Wakiaga and was questioning why Raila will not leave...
Read more
5 most popular Kumekucha stories today. -
Widow Still In Mourning (Kenya Betrayed)
» You Missed This 
Fifteen years after her husband’s brutal murder, Christabel was never the same person she used to be. She had become a different woman - wiser, tougher and a lot more protective of her children - and she had learned to hide her deep sorrow.
But one only had to look into her eyes to realize her still existing pain….
Because she had endured so much agony over the years, there was a glacial stare in her eyes, a certain plain look that came out of her deep sorrow. Even when she outwardly tried to project an image of toughness ….. of normalcy ….
Unlike in earlier years, when she was rated by many Kenyans as one of the best political wives, she had receded into the background, drastically reduced her public appearances.
In fact, it became known in circles around Nairobi and Kisumu that she longer wanted to appear in public, to do interviews or meet anybody linked to her husband’s murder.
And she had learned to endure those long lonely evenings – and mainly those nights where she craved for his carresses – the warmth of his voice and mainly the tenderness of his touch.
She was still glad that she had refused to see his tortured body. In her memory and that of her children, he could therefore continue living as the husband and father they had seen last ….. a loving and caring and very proud man ……… she had therefore asked...
Read more
5 most popular Kumekucha stories today.
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10:54
Good riddance of bad rubbish
» Mentalacrobatics
Although you may stumble across a few good individuals in the 9th parliament, collectively they were a big disappointment. More interested in their salaries, interest free Prados, health insurance, than they were in the building the nation.
Let us work to make the 10th parliament worthy of our great country.
© Mentalacrobatics for Mentalacrobatics, 2007. | Permalink | 2 comments
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10:33
Mubarak Abdullahi’s home-made helicopter takes Nigeria’s Kano Plains by storm
» AfriGadget Yahoo! News (among other sources) carries a story from October 21st about Mubarak Muhammad Abdullahi of the Kano Plains of Nigeria who has built a working helicopter over the last 8 months using scrap aluminum and parts from a Honda Civic, an old Toyota and from the remains of a crashed Boeing 747.
This inventor has had no formal training in flying and his helicopter has never flown higher than 7 feet of the ground. In an interview, he talks about how the machine works:
“You start it, allow it to run for a minute or two and you then shift the accelerator forward and the propeller on top begins to spin. The further you shift the accelerator the faster it goes and once you reach 300 rmp you press the joystick and it takes off,”
Mubarak is ambitious however and has embarked on a new project to build a better helicopter that will be able to make 3 hour flights. He hopes to get support for his project from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other Nigerian government bodies.
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8:21
Hanging Out At The Mall
» For Love and Money Hanging Out At The Mall
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7:29
Monday Moanings Part X
» My part of the world....... I was reading this article in the Pulse, and I came to two conclusions about Cess Mutungi. One, this girl really gets around; Two, she doesn't get around but someone at Standard hates her guts. I never did get to see her in action, so I can't give a first hand report but I have heard from some very reputable sources so it does seem that some of those accusations have some merit.
What irked me is the fact that I am sure that alot of male celebs get around as much even if not more so but there was hardly anything written about it. In fact the whole article was a bit thread bare if you ask me. But if there is one thing The Standard will never be accused of is World Class reporting.
Another Dumb Ass
Eric Gichaga Kariuki, 22 from XXXX XXXX in Sandy Springs, Georgia was arrested when he tried to pass a check at the "Ace Checks Cashed" store. The check was pitiful in nature, having been crudely altered using tape and so on. It was made to Kariuki for over $900. The actual owner of the check was called and, confirmed the forgery, and came to the location as did the cops. Kariuki said he got the check from an unknown man at XXXXX apartments. He was taken to XXXX jail.
My take on this? I know life in the States is hard but there are smarter ways of getting your hustle on. First of all, you don't want to pass a fake check and a check cashing establishment. Why? This is because this is the joint where they have seen every attempted scam and are always on the up and up; you are better of trying to pass a check at a Bank.
Second, when you cash a check you have to give picture ID. Unless you have made a fake ID, you will be busted, if not then it will be later.
Congratulations for doing your best to place us in the same books as the brodas, Kenyans are being mentioned in the media here for all the wrong reasons.
Quote Of The Week
"Your cleavage is distracting me every time I look in the mirror, and I can't concentrate on the traffic. If you don't sit somewhere else, I'm going to have to throw you off the bus"
A German Bus Driver, demanding in July that a 20 year old passenger in a low cut shirt move from his line of vision.
If that isn't dedication to your work then I don't know what is.
And in local news, time and again I have read, heard and experienced how the lack of expansion on Kenyan roads is leading to total grid lock. The question I ask, is the Government going to wait until Nairobi turns into a very large slow moving parking lot till something is done?
Anyway before I leave let me leave you all with a jewel. I recently discovered Goapele, if you are a fan of neo soul and R n B, you have to get hold of her music. To be frank it disgusts me how MTV and the other big record companies give such talented artistes so little air-time while giving other less talented musicians loads of air-time. Pathetic really.
Have a nice Monday all!
Ps: You know the world is small when you go for a Kenyatta day bash for Kenyans and you meet your ex-girlfriends best pal who you last saw like 6 years ago! Anyway time to get back to the grind.....
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WHY KIBAKI DESERVES NO SECOND CHANCE
» You Missed This 
This is circulating on email, I decided to post it because they are facts on issues that have affected the rest of Kenyans who are not from Mt. Kenya region like me. There are very few from Mt. Kenya region who are not as tribal as our current leaders from that region, however most of them are and fully support the leadership just like its written in the last paragraph.
Can someone tell me why I should give him another chance, when I have not felt the economic growth which he said will be 7% at the end of the year? When more of my relatives and friends who are not from his region are jobless and I wonder where are the 1.8 million jobs he said his government has created in the past four years during Kenyatta Day celebrations?
"This is a message to all, especially our brothers and sisters from Mt. Kenyan region, who still seem to imagine they DON'T know why their man is being rejected by the rest of Kenyans from ALL OTHER regions….
Take clear note Raila is a product of Kibaki's failure to keep his word. You guys from Central Province believe that all other Kenyans are silly and do not deserve the national cake.You assume that the house of Mumbi should be the only property owners and the other Kenyans should be consumers and servants.
Your guys should have known better that four years of Kibaki rule consigned all Kenyans,except Mt Kenyans, to periphery economically and politically. Your man failed to practice equal justice hence the current rejection by many Kenyans.
Kibaki fired the people who made him president in the mistaken believe that he would just deceive Kenyans to vote for him again. He rewarded none Kikuyu friends with nonexistent ministries such as Public Service, East African Corporation, Immigration and other weak ministries he created for none Kikuyus. Important ministries such as Finance, Education, Constitutional Affairs, etc have sons and daughters of Mumbi as heads. This arrangement is designed to boost Kikuyus academically and financially while disregarding all other Kenyans.
Who bought Kengen if I may ask? The scheme by Kibaki is evil at best. it is meant to subjugate and marginalize none Kikuyus politically, economically and intellectually.
Thank God Kenyans discovered your schemes before you went far!
Sample this:
Scholarships from government and China in the last four years favored Mt Kenyans more than all other Kenyans – ask Mutua [Govt Spokesman] to publish the list
Kenya Revenue Authority. From the fleas in the offices to the the head of Kenya Revenue Authorithy are from Central Province. Scheme: collect money and pass on some of it to Mt Kenyans.
Most PCs, DCs, DOs and police chiefs in Rift Valley, Nyanza, etc are from Mt Kenya. Scheme: suppress and subjugate government critics in these areas given that people in these regions are marginalized in everything.
In New York, The Kenyan Ambassador to the UN Mr. Zachariah Dominic Mburi-Muita recently got Kikuyus from Kenya and in the last 6 months alone hired 15 of them as Locals. You get to that office and it is all Kikuyus some have no offices and work on corridors; Kukuyu Language has become the official language in the Kenyan Mission to the UN office. Get there and it is all Kikuyus, No wander Kenyans and international bodies are tired of them. People suffer from what ha scommonly come to be known as "The Kikuyu fatigue".
Constitution: Kibaki told Kenyans that The Bomas of Kenya Draft Constitution was the best for Kenya and promised that it would become Kenya Constitution 100 days after his inauguration. He never Kept the promise…he tried to unilaterally write another constitution favoring his cronies and kin that was CERTAINLY defeated at the referendum. How would anyone trust him when he promises heaven in his campaigns? How about the MOU, The instrument that was used to CON Kenyans into voting him into power!!! – Keriri recently confessed it was a scheme to get 'US' into power…HOW CAN ANYONE TRUST A WORD FROM THIS MAN'S MOUTH???
While Kibaki is giving Mt Kenyans money to invest in businesses and buy government corporations on sale, he is busy bribing none Kikuyus with districts which are not self-sustaining, colleges and university campuses which in reality do not belong to the locals.
How about Anglo-Leasing debacle? Has anyone forgotten that billions were stolen and Kibaki, according former PS Mr John Githongo, knows where the money went.
Kibaki has always boasted of economic growth. How can such happen without people benefiting. The ordinary guy in the village cannot afford sugar and bread. The prices of these items which most Kenyans survive on have more than doubled since 2002…These two are made from locally raised crops and yet they are very expensive. What does economic growth mean when the ordinary bread and sugar are luxuries to many Kenyans?
And now the MOTHER of all: Have you ever wondered WHY kuyos will never support anyone other than one of their own…think back….TRY AS HARD to recall such instance…pole can see you are getting a headache because HAKUNA…all the way from independence: Moi in all his years ruled without Mt Kenya's support and votes YET everyone else, at one point or another has SUPPORTED and VOTED for you… The late Odinga started off with Kenyatta and we thought after so many years, you have learnt and now ready to jumuika na wakenya wengine ndio we trooped in the thousands and voted in Kibaki, lakini, Lo!! Enough is enough-you should never blame Kenyans if they NEVER EVER elect your ilk into office again…at least in the next few generations, SAHAU KABISA"
