Mashada Blogs » December 10, 2007

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December 10, 2007
22:57
Kumekucha Poll Survey: Bizarre Results in Kisii
From: You Missed This

Read This Entry & More At You Missed This

Anytime now, I will be releasing the results of a countrywide survey that I have carried out with the help of our numerous countrywide sources of information.

The different thing about this survey is that it was done amongst the ordinary folks of Kenya as well as the down and out struggling to put food on the table who make up the vast majority of voters.

To be absolutely honest I believe that I have always had my hand very close to the pulse of the nation, but I was still quite surprised by some of the findings that came through.

Today I will share about one of the areas of the country where our findings really surprised me.

I know the Kisii people fairly well and I have assumed all along that considering the strong influence Hon Simeon Nyachae has on the people in this area, ODM was unlikely to get anything better than lukewarm support from the Abagusii community.

My recent survey has proved just how wrong I was.

Read more

The 5 Most Popular Stories in Kumekucha today-10th Nov

1. What this election is really all about

2. Who is this woman called Marianne Briner?

3. Mystery behind Raila's sudden popularity

4. What our Luo brothers need to know

5. Sahel CEO says that Raila is God's choice
22:55
Kenyans Favour Presidential Debate That Is Unlikely To Happen
From: You Missed This

Read This Entry & More At You Missed This

ODM Presidential candidate Raila Odinga has challenged PNU’s President Kibaki to a nationally televised debate.

Interestingly a quick SMS survey done by KTN revealed that a staggering 88% would like to see such a debate.

Sadly it is highly unlikely that the debate will ever happen. The reason is probably best illustrated by the comment of one of the respondents in the SMS survey who does not favour such a contest. “It is a trap,” they said and this is how the president’s handlers will most likely see it knowing very well that their man is not half as good in “domo” as the ODM man.

Secondly Raila’s experience with the president during his short stint in government saw him gather numerous unflattering anecdotes that pain the president in poor light. For instance his rejection of a fully sponsored slum upgrading programme that would have seen the face of many Nairobi slums changed forever. Interestingly the American construction organization that had pledged full support for such a programme had already committed the funds and had to hurriedly relocate to Cameroon where the project is set to be a roaring success. Obviously in his own wisdom based on many decades in government, the president knows best why he ended up rejecting such a programme, however he would be hard pressed to explain it on national TV.

And there are many other similar instances meaning that it would be plain political suicide for the president to accept his Raila’s challenge.

The 5 Most Popular Stories in Kumekucha today-10th Nov

1. What this election is really all about

2. Who is this woman called Marianne Briner?

3. Mystery behind Raila's sudden popularity

4. What our Luo brothers need to know

5. Sahel CEO says that Raila is God's choice
22:49
The Worrying Thing About Raila’s Financial Backers
From: You Missed This

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Guest post by a former insider

One clarification first: I do not hold the key to a solution, but I may be able to explain where and how things went wrong .... the solution lies in the hands of each and everybody of you when you go to vote on December 27th .....

Things went wrong a long time ago but as long as a totally corrupt and surpressing Government (speak Moi) did not allow free expression of mind and controlled the press totally, many things were not known and could not be known. And if anybody dared to talk, he (she) disappeared out of public (political) life and sometimes even got killed (and I do not only talk about Dr. Ouko .....).

But now you have the possibility to know and to talk - and still, the same people who held you for ransom for so long, continue controlling your life - and that is unexcusable .... do not allow this to happen.

Although I do not see that things will change in the next 10 or so years ... Moi, Biwott and also Kibaki are too clever ....

Read more

The 5 Most Popular Stories in Kumekucha today-10th Nov

1. What this election is really all about

2. Who is this woman called Marianne Briner?

3. Mystery behind Raila's sudden popularity

4. What our Luo brothers need to know

5. Sahel CEO says that Raila is God's choice

22:09
Africa Rising…..
From: Kenyanentrepreneur.com

Tags: General

Read This Entry & More At Kenyanentrepreneur.com
Where was this picture taken? (& it’s not Nairobi) There’s an interesting article about Africa’s rising economies in the Sunday Globe. The mzungu’s still don’t understand what’s going on or why Africa is finally changing. They are just beginning to notice and the article interviews a whole bunch of them who give a whole [...]

20:03
Kenya's Infant Scoundrels
From: You Missed This

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Some ridiculous things can only take place in Kenya. Seeing Bishop Muiru’s pastors expediently denouncing their Boss at smacks off tactlessness without parallel. The men of God chose to join the politicians in peddling cheap lies at the alter of poltical expediency.

It makes you wonder where these pastors have been all these months since Muiru announced his presidential candidature. Maybe they know a thing we don't and they are simply escaping from a sinking sheep. Who knows whether the maximum miracles have dwindled with resources exhausted in campaign? Expect Kenyans to smell opportunities (plastic or others) miles away.

Now that they don't find Muiru qualified to lead why not denounce their faith all together. Religion is really opium of the people and as Luke wont to say Kenyans are its loyal consumers.

Legislating science
Add these developments to Henry Obwocha's directive to KEBS to legislate science and Kenya becomes a fertile ground for breeding infant scoundrels with no element of shame in mouthing ridiculous directives. How I wish they would even pretend to give these litany of goofs some resemblance of tact. But that is just a wish and no horse to ride.

You can only imagine what others in the wide world think of our leaders when they read Obwocha demanding a specific number of samples for opinion polls. Conducting a mini census defeats the premise of sampling. But this Kenya where pigs grow wings.

16:11
Lessing
From: Kikuyumoja's realm

Tags: literature

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“We are in a fragmenting culture, where our certainties of even a few decades ago are questioned and where it is common for young men and women who have had years of education, to know nothing about the world, to have read nothing, knowing only some speciality or other, for instance, computers.”

“Reading, books, used to be part of a general education.”

“And we must remember that this respect and hunger for books comes, not from Mugabe’s regime, but from the one before it, the whites. It is an astonishing phenomenon, this hunger for books, and it can be seen everywhere from Kenya down to the Cape of Good Hope.”

“Yet despite these difficulties, writers came into being, and there is another thing we should remember. This was Zimbabwe, physically conquered less than a hundred years before. The grandfathers and grandmothers of these people might have been storytellers for their clan. The oral tradition. In one generation – two, the transition from stories remembered and passed on, to print, to books. What an achievement.”

“Writers are often asked, How do you write? With a processor? an electric typewriter? a quill? longhand? But the essential question is, “Have you found a space, that empty space, which should surround you when you write? Into that space, which is like a form of listening, of attention, will come the words, the words your characters will speak, ideas – inspiration.” (source)

As long as someone with a Mercedes has a better social standing than a university professor, as long as books are still very expensive in some parts of the world, as long as tv is the “new” medium for those who have been without such entertainment for a long time, as long as the old generation will still mistake LOLcats & Jackass videos on YouTube for the new digital world order - as long as these conditions persist - blogs will fill in the gap where publishers have just failed in the past, wikis will do what encyclopaedias have failed to deliver and multimedia online will provide what many controlled institutions are trying to hide from the masses.

8:14
:::Lafarge Acquires Egypt's Cement Company:::
From: RIBA CAPITAL

Read This Entry & More At RIBA CAPITAL

What’s next for Kenya’s Cement makers, with Lafarge holding substantial stakes in all listed Cement makers in the country. Any international development on Lafarge should be of key interest to us.
Lafarge which is the world’s largest cement maker is in the process of acquiring Egypt’s Orascom Cement for a reported Euro 8.8 Bn. Read more

This enhances its penetration in Emerging markets and in particular in Africa. The French company was also in plans to consolidate its businesses here in Kenya. Read more and also ; though unsuccessful at the first shot earlier in the year, it’s believed they could be currently working on a counter proposal.

Lafarge has a 41 per cent stake in East Africa Portland and a 17 per cent stake in Athi River Mining Ltd. And a 58.6% controlling stake in Bamburi Cement.
The company also holds a majority stake in Cement manufacturers in both Uganda and Tanzania with plans currently underway to double the capacity of the Uganda plant.

With current market developments and the housing boom which is likely to be sustained come next year, Riba Capital holds a very positive outlook in the Cement industry.

And I would recommend that we hold a cement company in our portfolio’s.

The past few years have seen all the three companies post record earnings and with their current market prices at Bamburi - Kes:195.00, E.A Portland – Kes:136.00 and Athi River Mining at Kes: 92.00, I think these stocks are good. Though you I would recommend an entry during the Safaricom IPO, if it takes place later in the month or at least the week of elections when prices might take a dip.

7:34
Happy Holidays From Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)
From: You Missed This

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Dear Kumekuchans and Kenyans at large,

Here's to wishing you guys heri na fanaka kwa msimu huu wa krismasi na mwaka mpya from the man himself - Raila Amolo Odinga - Rais mtarajiwa wa Jamhuri ya Kenya.

2:21
Carnival of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence
From: Black Looks

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Thanks to everyone who participated in the Carnival by submitting posts as well as those who linked and promoted the carnival on their blogs. Thinking about how to group the Carnival posts I finally decided on two groupings, those that speak specifically to the Global South and those which speak to a [...]

2:20
Africa Investment Day
From: Kikuyumoja's realm

Tags: Africa

Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm

Just a short note to let you know of “Africa Investment Day” on December 11th 2007 @ Frankfurt am Main Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 09:00 am - 06:00 pm. (PDF)

Read the complete article at

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