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18:12
From: You Missed This
Read This Entry & More At You Missed This
 Yesterday the president was busy spelling out his elaborate youth plan to an already highly disfranchised yet unmistakeably key crucial voting bloc-the segmented youth of Kenya No promise was good enough not to be made-300,000 new jobs by the end of 2008, enabling the youth to be fully represented in every aspect of society's decision making leadership,..truly not even the sky was the limit Leaving glib smooth-talk aside for just a second, one thing the president did get right though is when he said that the youth can reform Kenya. What he failed to mention is..."if given a chance" Standing under an open hot sun listening to dinosaurs of yesterday rehash tall stories from a piece of paper stating party beliefs of the way to the promised land is one way of campaigning but it is certainly not the chance the youth want nor is it the way President should have chosen to go in order to attract that crucial key youth vote Long have Kenya's youth been duped into holding in high esteem those who shout the loudest claiming to do so on their behalf but with no subsequent delivery. Not anymore. This year's December elections has already attracted a record high number of both parliamentary and civic young candidates and the message is clear-no more talk. the leaders of tomorrow are starting work today The president should have had by his side the FEW (emphasis) young candidates who did manage to win the PNU party primary nominations to vie for seats in next months elections. Other than his and Mohammed Kuti, their faces should have been the ones he chose to parade yesterday in-front of 1,000 plus segment of his youth supporters. At least for that one event only, banish far from sight the appearance of anyone remotely resembling dinosaur architects of past decay if you are serious about convincing the younger population that you intend for them to form the core of your administration should you win Moving on Strategy is what failed some of these young contenders to the mweshimiwa title; for example, quite a number did not win in the just concluded sham of a parties nominations yet apart from saving their own posteriors by decamping to "grass is greener" parties, the majority have shown that other than having little years in life to their advantage, they were ill-prepared to wrest the parliamentary seats from their older, more subtle occupiers who though having little life remaining in their few years are snakes waiting to be rattled. More groundwork and grass-roots support is needed my young friends if we are to not forget the name of your face in the next 3+weeks Congratulations to the successful aspirants including Jesse Masai, John Kiarie and Mongolo-to the rest of you losers, its not over until the Anglo-leasing bird sings. Keep your eyes fixed firmly on D-day and give us a hat-trick-hata kama ni kwa TIPTIP Amani Kenya
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16:56
From: You Missed This
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 The leading presidential candidates conveniently put last week's party nomination fiasco behind them by puling no stops in launching their final dash in the state House race. But the political terrain is so bumpy leaving them to cling to hope and Kenya's good manners of forgetting fast and doing their bidding. President Kibaki must have seen it coming by snubbing a bonding session with PNU nominees at KICC leaving his ever loyal deputy Uncle Moody to soothe the hostile moods of PNU aspirants and losers. And as good leader he only appeared at the right time with the right stuff in hosting a sumptuous lunch at Intercontinental hotel. Careful not to reopen gaping political wounds, Kibaki steered clear of controversy and even toned down on his earlier directive for a three-piece PNU voting. That is vantage Kenyan politician for you, ready to sup with the devil with eyes singularly trained on the ultimate trophy. But PNU is not out of the political woods yet. The many fringe parties supporting Kibaki are meeting tomorrow to 'brainstorm' on the impact of Emilio's weekend directive to recognize only PNU nominees. Reading in between the line where no words is printed this amounts to clever blackmail. They are daring the Kibaki to ignore them at his own political peril. Knowing what is at stake your guess on the heat ahead is as good as mine. Pawns in the political game Across the city at Bomas, the juice from hitherto sweet orange proved too bitter for nomination losers. They came to claim glory in loss and alive to the titanic battle with the incumbent ahead, the Pentagon has never been more soft and reconciliatory. Beneath all this mad race to rule and not lead us lies the true colour of our leaders. They lie with straight face and will stop at nothing to cheat their way into our hearts and power. Desperate times calls for desperate measures. Now madam Ngilu can afford to let the cat roam out of the political bag by broadcasting to all and sundry that she kept Narc party in her bag to wade off Kibaki and ''save Kenya'. That is EXPEDIENCY per excellence. But wait a minute. Who is fooling who here? Picture this. Kibaki wins the presidency and Kanu wins most seats, who becomes the Official opposition? Or worse still, Raila wins and a Ngilu also coasts with a sizable number of Narc MPs out of the 78 who sought political solace in her outfit after losing the nominations. Scoundrels per excellence The tenth parliamentary may be just as chaotic if not more selfish than their discredited and shameless ninth counterparts. The only constant in all this political dynamics is that we as Kenyans have accepted to remain pawns in the political games played out by these scoundrels for politicians. In a nutshell we are inevitably staring in the face another 5 years of whining and more political motions with no commensurate movement. Welcome to Kenyans brand of politics. Na bado.
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15:34
From: Kenya Imagine
Read This Entry & More At Kenya Imagine
This week just gone I was subjected to the horror of listening in as my countrymen described how they would put us Muslims in our place if we ever got to try and implement our secret deal with Raila Odinga. It would be dishonest to claim I was not angry. These were after all solidly middle class students, the kind of people that should properly be immune to the hateful propaganda machinations of the political parties. It is also true that as an agnostic with a nickname that does not betray my cultural background, those making these statements did not think I would be threatened by their invection. Perhaps they even thought it natural that I would be in agreement with their scheme, that I would offer up ideas on how to deal with the Islamic threat. Now hours later, I am left asking myself why this has come to pass. Have Kenyan Christians and Muslims not lived side by side in mostly sunny forbearance for aeons? What has changed? Read more from Amir Ibrahim here.
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15:31
From: Kenya Imagine
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This weekend was sad and tough. I lost an Uncle who was dear to me. But this weekend also had its better parts. Friends and relatives, some whom I had not seen in a long while all came to my Uncle’s home to comfort my aunt, my five cousins and me. [...] For the younger committee members, and trust me there were many of us, the politics and the subsequent committee break-up meant that we could go out, sit by a fire and reminisce on years past. The weather was very good all week long and we would sit outside unhindered, talk about our growing years and about our current lives. It ended up turning into an interesting study of modern Kenyan youth. Juliet Maruru takes a look back growing up in Kenya. Read more here.
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14:36
From: Hapa Kenya
Read This Entry & More At Hapa Kenya
- I recently got a job with one of the unprofitable parastatal and was posted to Kakamega. Looking at things, poor road network, high transport cost and the desire to save, I decided to change my polling station from Embakasi to Lurambi. The flipside is that on the ECK list, I am a voter in Embakasi while my card reads Lurambi. I don’t see this changing soon.
- The last time I tried voting, the queue was 1km long. That was during the just concluded ODM nominations. After spending about 30minutes without the queue moving, I decided to grab a beer as it reduced. Two hours later I was too drunk to think about politics I decided to chase skirts. I intend to wake up early on the Election Day, if I don’t indulge on its eve.
- A friend of mine, with a relative on the ECK has just promised to hook me up with a temporary jobbo as a polling clerk in Sabatia. That is 30KM from my designate polling station. If I get this job, how the hell will I vote? Am still debating, though the chums looks handsome, loaf is 32/= and the economy has grown to 7%, I might just need the ECK cash
- Chris a college buddy who once declared that the use of condoms is a form of celibacy is breathing his last chain of air. The doctor says he for sure will not vote for PNU. If he goes, let his burial not be on the 27th.
- I got hooked to this lovely mama who is enslaved at Equity Bank. Due to our busy schedule, we only get to see each other during the “Madaraka” day, “Jamhuri” Day and “Lucy Kibaki” day. She might just pop in 27th morning. If she does, some glory we’ll be in order. I don’t think voting will an agenda if she does come.
- “Mimi Raila Amolo Odinga nimeamua kutojihusisha na uchaguzi ambao umeibiwa tayari”. If I hear that radio on the 26th or any day before, I might just ignore the whole thing in solidarity with Rais Mtarajiwa.
- Due to harsh economic times (2month rent arears) and the political differences that I have with my landlady, she decides to lock me in the house. The lady is so Ford-K, you wonder what century she lives.
- Am on the ECK list, 20th on the queue but as expected, ECK misroute the Lurambi papers to Garsen, 3hrs later the papers can still not be traced.
- Kibaki steps down: I will not waste my vote if this were to occur. My candidate would have worn without so much sweat.
- I spend most of the time watching election news on TV, planning to do a last minute rush to the poll station, then just 15minutes past 4, an idea hits me and I turn to this lousy laptop to post a blog.
Blogged with Flock
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14:18
From: Farmgal
Read This Entry & More At Farmgal
I am not in the habit of ringing married men, especially if I don’t know what their wives are like. I have some close pals who are married and their husbands call me and I call them. But that’s because I know that their wives know they can trust me.
The other day a married [...]
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13:46
From: Me, Life & Everything
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Rendezvous: 2246hrs
Prolixity: Rambling
Mood: Sated
Whereabouts: Home
Echelon: VIII
Track: Soledad, Westlife
Indeed a fine day, though not too many of the human race thinks that this is so, how is the start of a week not a fine time? The birth of a new week, starting afresh, feeling well and ready to erstwhile tackle anything thrown your way. Like [...]
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13:14
From: White African
Read This Entry & More At White African
 I just got an email from TED stating that TED Africa will be taking place in Cape Town, South Africa from September 29 to October 1, 2008. Great news for everyone in SA!
Here’s the email:
TEDAfrica will be held in Cape Town, South Africa on September 29-October 1, 2008 (save the date!), and will follow the format of this year’s event in Arusha, Tanzania.
The conference will be organized by a wonderful local team with whom we have just signed a license agreement. The four-person team includes TED Fellow Kelo Kubu and the conference will be operated out of a new South Africa-based non-profit organization devoted to promoting a better future for the continent, the “TED Africa Foundation”.
We will be supporting the foundation both financially and logistically to help ensure that the event maintains and builds on the quality and success of the Arusha event.
Initially we had intended that conference to be a one-off, but we received such enthusiastic feedback that we had to find a way to bring it back and in the summer we invited groups to apply for a license to host the conference. Kelo’s team were one of several who submitted bid and we were stunned by the quality of the proposals. The winning bid included several brilliant ideas to make TED Africa even better, and also featured a strong plan to ensure the event’s financial success and long-term sustainability. We therefore have enormous confidence that the next TED will every bit as exciting as Arusha was.
The organizers have already begun feverish preparations and when registration for the event formally opens, we will put out another note. Meanwhile, if you want to suggest a speaker, discuss sponsorship, or offer other help, you can write to contact@tedafrica.org. A new website promoting the conference will eventually be launched at www.tedafrica.org.
Kelo wanted us to forward the following note:
“It has been an honor and a privilege to be part of the TED Africa process . The team is naturally excited to be hosting TEDAfrica 2008, and we look forward to the challenge of generating the usual TED cocktail of inspiration and magic. The task is undoubtedly a daunting one but Africa provides the perfect platform, and Cape Town the ideal location for yet another memorable event.
We look forward to welcoming the world to the southern most tip of Africa to share, spread and nurture groundbreaking ideas that could open new possibilities to growth and prosperity on the continent.”
Our congratulations to her and her team. We hope to see you in Cape Town!
Very best,
Chris Anderson
Emeka Okafor
I hope to be there, let’s see what the next evolution of TED looks like in Africa!
 
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12:52
From: You Missed This
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 Oscar Foundation Free Legal Aid Clinic-Kenya has confronted the Government with researched and gory detail on the massacre of 8040 Kenyans during the operation to wipe out Mungiki. And to make matters worse, the group adds that a further 4,070 people had gone missing as security forces tried to wipe out the Mungiki sect. Whatever the case, killing that many Kenyans for whatever reason is a massacre by any other name. And given the explosive emotions accompanying such events one can safely bet that our Government is deluding herself in bottling a time bomb waiting to explode. No form of extrajudicial killing is warranted in any civilized society. The Mungiki menace is one thing fertilized by our scoundrel es for politicians. Add to this the fuel of corruption in the police force and inept judicial system then you get a lethal recipe for chaos. The next 3+ weeks will see the demand of these gangs skyrocket as politician seek to sort their opponents out. And such is the unwitting watering of the cancer that will outgrow its funders and take us hostage to their murderous ways thereafter. Speak of sharpening the spear only to end up having its nice sharp blades kissing your skull. Are we steadily grinding into a country at war with itself?
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11:57
From: Black Looks
Read This Entry & More At Black Looks
Shackdwellers International (SDI) is USAID funded NGO created to set up and support shackdweller organisations around the world. In other words shut them up. The South African branch of the SDI works closely with the local and national government and we all know how supportive they have been of the shackdweller movement in [...]
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9:08
From: White African
Read This Entry & More At White African
Peter Vlam of Africa News put me onto an interesting story regarding education and technology. Learning About Living is a new eLearning program to teach children in Nigeria about sexual health, HIV/AIDS, maternal mortality and gender violence. Young people in Lagos, Cross Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja will be piloting the project, which is specifically designed for the OLPC, Classmate and government computer programs.
Learning about Living being tested on a Classmate
What I find the most interesting about this program is how the NGO behind it, Butterfly Works, is working to make it compatible with normal computers, the trendy new OLPC and Classmate, and also for the mobile phones. I’m curious to see how it works on a mobile phone, but it’s a good sign when an organization works to make their software available on the platforms that their users actually use.
Though the program has been tested on the OLPC and, it is made for secondary school children, whereas the OLPC is aimed at primary students. They have plans to develop a primary school version just in case the Nigerian government decides to buy into the OLPC program.
Ineke Aquarius, Program Director for Butterfly Works, informs me that they are working to make the program accessible by other African countries that have bought into the OLPC. First target: Ethiopia, who purchased 50,000 OLPC’s.
[Update: Great article on OLPC and Classmate at ZD Net]
 
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6:29
From: My part of the world.......
Read This Entry & More At My part of the world.......
Yeah yeah I know I have been MIA for a minute now. No excuses other than my life has gotten into a very predictable routine. Thanksgiving has come and gone, I have been off work since Wed afternoon so getting back into the grind is going to be difficult to say the least! There were loads and loads of bashes that went on this Thanksgiving. I don't know how many of you came down to ATL for the bashes. I would like to get an honest opinion, which bashes were better? The Takeover DJs or 2kat? As regards this issue I am split, I vote for Takeover DJs in terms of music but when it comes to venues 2kat comes out on top. When it comes to crowds, 2kat has a more mature but yet "snobbish"; what do I mean? Well with a 2kat bash when you walk in, it's like you've checked into the local; everyone seems to know each other and you feel like a visitor. Takeover DJs on the other hand seems to have a more diverse crowd, so it's a bit easier to mingle with the crowd. I got to watch Hardstone do a surprise performance during one of the Takeover DJ bashes and that was a nice blast from the past, the only beef that I had is that on Friday night I think that the Bamboo or whoever it was who was to perform must have done their thing after 4 am because I left at 4 am and he hadn't performed. But at least on Saturday they planned well because Jua Cali performed by 2 am, I have to give him marks for the energy he has and his ability to work the crowd but I wasn't too thrilled with the use of playback tracks and such but I do know it would have been a stretch for him to get a live band and practice with them so that's cool. I did get some video via my cell phone, nothing to write home about though so I think I need to invest in a camcorder pretty soon. The next big thing is Miami for the New Year but I think I'll give that a pass, I'll do L.A Sevens instead. Back to real life now I guess. I was reading this article in the Herald Tribune about the roots of the 35 hour work week in France and how it's proposed abolishment is causing a lot of drama in France. I now work a 35 hour work week and I must say it is heavenly. It is amazing how much more relaxed you are when you have 5 extra hours to yourself every week. I do know the French issue extends far past 5 hours a week but I do think that America needs to consider experimenting with a 35 hour work week, here most people are over worked, under paid and stressed to the core! In other news I need some advice. Currently I'm living with my immediate fam (it always makes for fun and games) but our lease is expiring next year and it highly looks likely that everyone is going their own way. Which is good for me because I have been yearning to get a place I can call my own. But now here is the clincher, to get a room mate or not to get a room mate? Both come with their own pros and cons, you see if you have a room mate the costs go down considerably esp rent because here they rob you blind when you get a one room apartment but on the other hand getting someone you can live with is a headache and it is hard for me because I've been in the ATL area for less than a year so I'm not in the mix with people as such, you see I'd rather move in with someone I know than a complete total stranger. What also makes it more interesting is choosing an Apartment complex isn't easy because some places here are either in bad areas, have horrible residents, too ghetto, too expensive and have pathetic service or a combination of any of those; if you don't believe me go visit Apartment ratings. Anyway let me know what you think, I still have time to plan. Now back to the grind..........
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5:42
From: Black Looks
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Arriving at Dubai airport you are first met by a huge red sign WELCOME TO TOMORROW. If this is the future, maybe I should bow out right now! Everything here is huge - the airport - the duty free shop, the immigration hall - endless free ways, glass skyscrapers reaching to the sky, [...]
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0:14
From: stranded in me
Read This Entry & More At stranded in me
This morning i have the task of creating characters.. this for anyone who doesnt know are the people you watch on tv. For a character to be memorable/loved/hated/desired et al its alot of work and kinda boring, coz the character traits are the ones that make them behave as they do and stuff like backstories, i.e stuff that happened in their childhood that has shaped their character. its tedious.. but its got to be done. the writting schedule were using is way too tight i think it to be too ambitious the problem with that is we run the risk of losing creativity. having you seen the crappy ads on air these days? its coz the creatives are overworked. But the job will be done and you have my word it will be done good!! 
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