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18:26
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
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zur Erinnerung an die Wahl am kommenden Sonntag, anbei ein Video in zwei Teilen mit dem Spitzenkandidaten der PARTEI (HH):
YouTube directvideo link
YouTube directvideo link
Heinz Strunk!
Mein Lieblingspunkt aus dem Regierungsprogramm: “Die Partei bekennt: Hamburg ist eine Stadt in Europa und Zentrum der Gegend um Hamburg.”
*i endorse Heinz Strunk ‘08* :-)
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14:02
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
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As mentioned earlier, I am currently searching for a new template for this blog. Don’t get me wrong - the current Sirius theme is great and offers lots of comfort and whitespace, but it’s from 2006 (dev unfortunately stopped since then which is such a pity!) and so I thought about going for a new one. Simple as that.
Most templates aren’t that 100% perfect though and/or still require lots of tweaking. So what IF i come up with my own layout? Instead of stealing something from here or there and mixing it all up, let me just do some try&error sketching and present it here as a raw draft:
Actually, I like this grey wallpaper, also have it on my desktop. Wallpapers are a bit too 1990s, but so what. Used to have no image on my desktop to save RAM + keep it fast & clean, but nowadays I just dont care. So, the basic idea was to create something around this wallpaper that doesnt look too ..ahh…strange ? :-)
Next task was to see which colour may fit. I need lots of whitespace due to my inability to include transparent backgrounds to the smaller banners. Whitespace looks nice. Lakini here, there’s no whitespace. Only transparent ebony(-white) supposed-to-be-slightly-rounded boxes that have a yellow-ish touch to it. White on ebony/yellow - does that work?
Then the font colours. I somehow like that green/turquoise. Sijui why. Maybe because of my Kikoi banner on the Sirius theme.
As for fonts: GEORGIA! Lovely font.
Icons by FamFam and 69mb (thx!).
1 content bar, 2 sidebars. 1st sidebar for blog related links (recent comments, links, meta, etc.), 2nd sidebar for external promotions / google adsense etc.
Thought about giving them some transparency - the most important one (= content bar) with the lowest transparency and so on (as pictured).
Overall width ~ 900 px, should display @ 1024×768. Oh, and content bar should be 505 - 530 px for all my 500px images + margins.
Everything else is work in progress. Before I continue, I would like to hear/read your HONEST opinion on this. Does this look OK or just horrible? Remember, I am the guy who does these things, so I may be a bit strange sometimes…
Any feedback is appreciated! :-)
Oh, and with white layers:
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13:21
From: You Missed This
Read This Entry & More At You Missed This
 Kenya's 'de facto president' Raila Odinga, of the popular Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). It now appears that the deep divisions regarding the powers of the proposed Prime Minister's post have driven the weary mediation team apart and in effect left very little hopes for a political deal between ODM and PNU anytime soon. No deal? Kenyans brace for the worst! By the time the talks adjourned late Friday evening, hopes for a deal announcement quickly evaporated when neither Annan nor his spokesperson showed up at the press briefing. Media houses who have set up permanent camps (complete with OB vans and satellite) at Serena Hotel were disppointed when Annan failed to show up. The press have been forced to work in shifts so as to keep a 24 hour vigil at the five star hotel where the talks are taking place. An optimistic and upbeat Annan last addressed a press conference accompanied by US secretary of state Condi Rice a couple of days ago. It looks like the agreement that was apparently 'signed' by the warring parties in Kilanguni lodge last Friday is already being disregarded. How is Annan taking all this? To add insult to injury, this morning, the ODM captain Raila Odinga (pictured) skipped an appointment with Jean Ping, the new chairman of the African Union (executive) Commission. That was after the PNU team needlessly kept Kofi Annan, his eminent persons panel and the ODM team waiting for five hours after taking an early break (buying time) yesterday to attend, sic, the funeral of the man who set-up the infamous Nyayo House torture chambers and the brainchild behind Kenya's biggest scam of all time - Goldenberg International. That man was known as James Kanyotu. Jean Ping was met by Uhuru Kenyatta on arrival in Nairobi's JKI Airport and carefully shepherded to Kalonzo Musyoka's Harambee House office yesterday before meeting Mwai Kibai this morning. While the AU have not officially endorsed the PNU government, their behavior and amateurish actions clearly show which side they fall on. During Mr. Ping's visit, ODM were kept out of the picture as was Annan and his team. Ironically, Annan is in Kenya under the AU auspices. Perhaps this tightly and remote-controlled itinerary may have probably upset the ODM and made them send a junior team to meet Jean Ping. Although Raila was reportedly flown to Nigeria on chartered jet, no official in Abuja nor Lagos can confirm his presence in Nairaland. The Nigerian foreign affairs minister is not aware of Raila's visit. In a nutshell, Raila's whereabouts - Kenya's de facto president - is publicly unknown. What is going on? Both PNU and ODM teams reportedly emerged from Serena Hotel late Friday evening saying that they were giving each other the weekend for consultations and would resume talks on Monday. Kofi Annan was nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, state intimidation moved to another level when ODM pointman in Uasin Gishu Jackson Kibor spent the second night in police custody after police announced they would arraign him in court on murder charges. Family, doctor and lawyers have been barred from seeing the 72 year-old diabetic Kibor. This afternoon, Kibor was subject of a heated argument between ODM legislators and journalists who had gone to cover the ODM Parliamentary Group meeting.
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12:40
From: You Missed This
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And it came to pass. Another weekend of bottled emotions as a nation suffers acute bouts of anxiety. Well, hope remains our singular consolation. As to whether the good virtue is bankable or realistic given the immediate past experience is any Kenyan’s guess.
Annan must be one unique African endowed with BOUNDLESS and ELASTIC PATIENCE. No wonder he scaled ranks to the highest global diplomat. With petty games played on him virtually everyday he must summon all his wits to stay a float in the Kenya political kraal.
Meanwhile the so-called negotiators can continue with their impunity to hold the whole country at ransom. One day they take political grandstanding to new heights and before Kenya can say NO DEAL they offer a sweetener to our eyes which they don’t mean of its letters. And as we brace ourselves for the epic announcement, their fingers promptly hit the MUTE button.
Just like cowards pessimists live longer because of their tendency to factor in many REALITY constraints before seeking any optimal equation. But minimization is the other face of optimization. So you see minimalists are actually maximalists albeit in the reverse.
Suspended storm
No rational human being derives pleasure from delivering bad news to others. But it is equally morally criminal to stare failure in the face and fail to recognize it. True, HOPE is the spice with which a depressing menu is served. On the same vain you do yourself no favour by burying your head to reality hoping against hope that a storm will evaporate.
Kibaki is back to what he knows best - chasing a rodent while house burns. He is busy addressing sideshows in the belief that he is home and dry. His arrogance makes him think ALL Kenyans are fools (he literally means the pumbavu thing by the way). If only he would be alive to the truth that the crisis he singularly created will NEVER go away just by cheaply branding it human challenges in need of divine intervention. The true God is never cheated and He never deserts his creation either.
Fingers we must cross hoping for the best from Annan. But reality and experience also nags us to face the unpleasant truth. No honest Kenyan will hinge his HOPE on Kibaki giving any meaningful concession. Kazi inedelee (with all the vices) was a slogan not coined in vain. And grand coalition can only derail the good work of scoundrels.
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9:33
From: Kenya Imagine
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Recently he haunts my nights, most nights just like he's been stalking the distant edge of my memory all of these years, since those days we told ourselves we would not talk about. I remember now; so clearly...I'm walking up the stairs, it's a sunny afternoon and it's got a Thursday feeling about it. Like it's lazy in an undecided kind of manner. I must be about five or six months into eleven and my skinny five nine is swelling into something more like woman and less like girl. Read more from L. Akitelek Papakemus here.
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9:31
From: Kenya Imagine
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Are we experiencing post colonial blues or are we suffering from something more sinister: learned helplessness? I've been following with some interest the ongoing discussions by the National Dialogue Team and juxtaposing those with the general mood in the country. What strikes you almost immediately is the collective sentiment among the public that if the Annan team fails to strike a deal and then all is lost. Kenya as we used to know it ceases to exist. In my musings I've been trying to understand when we fell into this abyss that we are finding rather difficult to climb out of, where it's become a do or die with the negotiation teams and failure has been declared a non-option (and perhaps rightly so). Read more from Sophie Mukwana here.
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9:30
From: Kenya Imagine
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With a click of the mouse, I am in out and into the world. I can watch videos, read blogs, read international newspapers, and even get direct advice on the world's latest. That is who I am; a global citizen. I read online literature, I get the latest music, I can download the latest movies, I interact with the people of faraway lands. I can book a holiday, pay for it and even book transportation; all at the click of a mouse. I know of the latest innovations, the latest advances in research, business mergers and acquisitions, business models at the turn of my Google Reader. Read more from Wanjiru Kamau here.
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8:32
From: Kenyanentrepreneur.com
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It’s a slow Friday and I want to take a break from bashing Raila (but of course, if he starts his domo, domo, domo, I’ll have to reverse this policy and relaunch the attacks).
Anyway, I want to talk about health today. Why? because I’ve noticed that when I get together with my friends, they are [...]
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8:14
From: My part of the world.......
Read This Entry & More At My part of the world.......
This was a very interesting quiz that was part of the Sunday paper a week or so ago. I think it's a good piece to share with friends as it helps bring out the elephant in the room that we have all been ignoring. I also came across these funny cartoons online. Simple yet rather amusing. Since Val's has just past us and some of your ladies out there shall be looking for a man to spend the days after that with, here is a good survey for you to print out and make him take, so as to see if you are getting quality or not. I was reading this story about Real Madrid and their Club President had me lost for words...... 'Iker Casillas and Raul have both agreed to stay with the club for the rest of their sporting lives,' Real president Ramon Calderon told a news conference on Thursday. 'On this day, which is Valentine's day, Iker, Raul and Real can say they love each other, they need each other, and complement each other and will commit for life. I have a confession to make, I am a serial student ID abuser. After my undergrad degree I used my student ID for around 4 years whenever and wherever I could; the only sad thing is that it had an expiry date at the back showing when I was due to have graduated so that severely limited its' use. Since I graduated last year I have had a new ID to abuse and this one has no expiration date!!! I have used it to get a cheap gym membership, cheaper movie tickets and I recently used it to buy concert tickets at student rates. Only when I get white hairs and no longer look like the chap in the picture is when I shall stop using that student ID. I was reading Bankelele's blog the other day and one his inflation index he had the price of a pack of fries in Nairobi at 50 - 60 shillings. Oh, the horror!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes yes I know that that price may drop when potatoes become more readily available and the price of cooking oil drops, but damn! That is still way too much to pay for fries. Anyway I guess air burgers it is for people in Nairobi now sadly. Have a nice weekend all!
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7:32
From: Eyes on Kenya
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Many articles in the Kenyan “blogosphere” (see chart below), local and international media have been written about the post-election crisis. The numbers reach into their thousands. This article tries to give an overview about good articles with background information on Kenya and the current political crisis. It is just a selection and we are sure that we may have missed many good ones. It is just the beginning and we will try to keep it updated, so if you see any good ones that would fit into this page, please use the comment function to add them.
(Topics in alphabetical order)
Constitution
The Draft Constitution of Kenya, known as the Boma’s draft, was adopted by the National Constitutional Conference on 15th of march 2004.
Economy
“The potential impact of economic sanctions on the Kenyan government” takes a closer look at the Kenyan economy and delivers useful statistics and numbers.
The Reuter’s fact box gives an overview about the “Aid to Kenya”, the CIA fact book delivers more economic figures.
“Eyes on the World Bank and Kibaki’s economy” takes a closer look at the economic program of Kibaki’s government and at the World Bank’s interest in Kenya.
Ethnic Violence
Antony Otieno Ong’ayo, a researcher at the Transnational Institute, Amsterdam, gives “An overview of the underlying factors” of “The Post-election Violence in Kenya” at Pambazuka News. It is detailed and gives a great historic overview as well .
“Unearthing of the sources of tribal disagreements and ethno-politics in Kenya” takes a closer look at the historic background of tribalism in Kenya.
The US biased NGO Human Rights Watch published a report about the involvement of opposition politicians in the preparation of the Rift valley violence. “Kenya: Opposition Officials Helped Plan Rift Valley Violence” was published on January 24th 2008.
Health
The article “The effect of the Kenyan crisis on Kenya’s health system” tries to summarize the struggles to keep up the Kenyan health system in this time of crisis. It also refers to an article by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs IRIN “KENYA: Healthcare threatened by political crisis”
International Medical Corps addresses the issue “Risk of Long-Term Food Insecurity and Malnutrition” in Kenya.
Land distribution
The Africa Policy Institute published a report by Horace Njuguna Gisemba named “The Lie of the land: Evictions and Kenya’s crisis”. It takes a closer look at the history of land distribution and ownership in the Rift valley and disputes the often heard argument of “land distribution” as the underlying cause for the killings. It is controversally discussed at the Kenya imagine.
Media
Reuter’s alertnet posted an article by Joanne Tomkinson called “MEDIAWATCH: Kenyan media inciting ethnic hatred” on Februray 7th 2008. It deals with the local radio stations promoting ethnic hatred.
Humanitarian news and analysis (IRIN) also writes about “Spreading the word of hate” .
John Barbieri, an independent reporter and the founder of the US Coalition for Peace with Truth and Justice in Kenya writes about the “The poverty of international journalism”.
Simiyu Barasa, a member of the Coalition of Concerned Kenyan Writers, wrote an essay on “War journalism: Kenya’s newest tourist attraction” on the kwani blog. Barasa picks up the concept of “peace journalism” by the Norwegian Scholar John Galtun and shows how the local media tries to use their influence to promote peace and fails due to an international “war journalism”. He gives examples how cameras create stories and that media attention is only drawn by violence. This is done by the very same media cooperation which thought it was their responsibility not to show any cruel pictures after 9/11 and during the Iraq war.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Association of East Africa (FCAEA) strongly condemned the violation of press freedoms and intimidation of journalists on January 19t.
Political Parties
The Mukoma Wa Ngugi analysis on the differences within the Orange Democratic Movement and the different political approaches by its leaders. “Understanding the Kenyan Opposition” brings to light the differences between the activist-intellectual left, the Moi-ist retrogressives, and the populists within the party.
“Eyes on Kenyan Political Parties: A call for change” looks at the historic background of Kenya’s Parties and the lack of their political profiles.
In the publication “Political Succession in East Africa - In Search for a Limited Leadership” by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Dr. Katumanga Musambayi wrote the chapter: “After the floods – The Rainbow: Contextualising NARC’s election victory – Lessons learnt and the challenges ahead”. It was published in 2006 and gives an overview about the prior election in 2002.
Power-sharing
The full text of the power-sharing deal was signed by Kibaki and Odinga on February 28th 2008.
Religion
Despite the fact that the different religious communities play an important role in Kenya’s society, we have not found any deeper analysis on the role of the churches to promote peace and their role in finding a conflict solution.
United States of America
Here we are still looking for a good article, that analyses the change in the US policies towards the Kibaki government.
Our early analysis on the “The role of the US Department of State in the aftermath of Kenyan Election” sees a change in US policies as the results of a learning process due to the mistakes made in the 2005 Ethiopian election.
Patrick Mutahi asks the Question”What is America’s stake in this?” and explains their interest according to their “war on terror” policies.
Women’s rights
The “Women’s Memorandum to the Mediation Team” was published on Pambazuka News. It was written by the “Kenyan Women’s Consultation Group on the Current Crisis in Kenya” a group of women from various backgrounds who met to discuss a solution to the crisis. Among other important points it stresses the importance of women participation in the finding of conflict solutions adhereing to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
“Violence and women in Kenya” portraits the Kenyans Prof. Wangari Maathai, Dekha Ibrahim Abdi and Gladwell Otieno and takes a closer look at violence against female candidates in the pre-election period.
Again: If you know other background articles on the current situation in Kenya, please use the comment function or the “Contact Page” to add them. If you leave a comment you have the option to be notified for any further comments.
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5:05
From: You Missed This
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Raila's Trip: PNU Intelligence Caught Napping After intentionally delaying this morning's mediation talks for about 5 hours, the government/PNU side were this morning thrown into disarray when news reached them that Raila Odinga had abruptly left the country. Was he in prison? This incident shows Kenyans just how organised ODM is. Firstly, unlike the duly elected President Kibaki who made several secret trips out of Kenya and to Mombasa immediately after the elections, ODM, through its deputy captain Musalia Mudavadi was open and clear: Yes, the captain is abroad for a day, but he is definitely available at all times for consultation while out there. Which means, (much to PNU's disappointment) mediation talks will not be delayed because Raila is out of reach. Secondly, ODM supporters are not left with any anxiety as a results of their leader's absence. PNU have continuously been playing delaying tactics with Annan for three weeks now, and they have been desperate for an excuse to lay blame on ODM for any reason that would delay the talks or show lack of seriousness. Hopes that a deal would be announced today appear to be premature. It is emerging that the protagonist are still deeply divided over the powers of the prime minister. The PNU side do not want to agree to a PM with executive powers, while the ODM side insist that the state and government must be divided with the PM only answerable to parliament and leading the government while the president leads the state. PNU have even tried to suggest the PM's role be crafted along the lines of some chief minister with some functions attached, but the ODM side would hear none of it. In order to show their seriousness, this afternoon, a second ODM PG meeting in as many days issued an ultimatum reconfirming its earlier threat that there would be countrywide mass protest within a week that is; as from Wednesday 27th February, if the PNU side failed to agree to their demands. ODM spokesperson Ababu Namwamba said that the huge amount of concessions their party had made in the search for peace was far much more than what the PNU side had made, if any at all. ODM accused the PNU of buying time so as to consolidate its illegitimacy. ODM's statement also appeared to emphasize the right to self-determination, and it will be interesting to see how players react to this. ODM had earlier requested that parliament be recalled to address issues of insecurity in the country, but it seems the man in whose hands the power to re-call parliament rests (PNU's Mwai Kibaki) is in no hurry. Insiders in ODM are insisting that Kibaki must be made to sign a peace agreement that shares executive power, and that the agreement must be legalised by way of constitutional amendment. Only then will ODM take up its duties. After all they ask; which pledge/promise has Kibaki ever fulfilled in his 40 years stint as a public figure/ MP / president? None.
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1:31
From: REBECCA WANJIKU'S BLOG
Read This Entry & More At REBECCA WANJIKU'S BLOG
When the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) board was disbanded by former Information and Communication Minister Raphael Tuju, there was outcry from the local and international Information Society.
I recall that Steve Lang, an editor from South Africa called me, wondering whether the gains of WSIS had been reversed. Kenya played a pivotal role within WSIS, chairing the all important Internet Governance track. There was hope that the move was all for the better.
But with time, it seems what was supposed to be changed actually never changed per se. The industry hoped that CCK would play a more pivotal role in regulating the telecoms industry.
In the CCK website, it talks of tariff regulation within the telecoms sector as well as the postal sector. The write up is so brief and there is no evidence that CCK has done anything to address interconnectivity tariffs within Celtel and Safaricom.
By interconnectivity tariff, my lay understanding would have expected CCK to address why it is cheaper for callers within one network to call each other and more expensive to call across networks.
Sample this: one can call at shs 4 within Celtel or shs 8 per minute within Safaricom (take your pick). Why does it cost me shs 40 to call Celtel from Safaricom? Or better still, why is it damn expensive to call across networks?
The 26% duty aside, it means that terminating a call in any of the two networks is actually low and I am only charged high because the two networks want to limit me within their network hence the high charges.
As a consumer and tax payer, it is reasonable for me to expect CCK to address these pricing issues. I am not expecting CCK to set the prices but what is regulation about? Bring the respective heads to a negotiating table and document it on the website, that way, we know who is stubborn, Safaricom or Celtel.
I am sure it will not be rude to demand an online source in this information age; otherwise the post office will take longer to deliver it to me.
This is just one issue, am sure marketing needs another post.
CCK marketing has a serious job to do, yes, they sponsored the Africa Cup of Nations and I enjoyed my game, but please get over that football referee/ moving goal posts advert.
Post on marketing to follow.
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1:14
From: REBECCA WANJIKU'S BLOG
Read This Entry & More At REBECCA WANJIKU'S BLOG
The other day I was listening to Michael Joseph (MJ) Safaricom CEO talking about Safaricom's recent switch to better equipment to address the perenial congestion within the network.
Though I did not listen to the whole speech, he made an interesting observation that Nairobi CBD has the highest number of callers in the whole world. That could as well be true because many offices in London, New York and J'burg have land lines.
But the question is, if MJ knows this, why not invest in several base stations instead of only one. With the kind of profits Safaricom makes, I am sure that investment will be worth it.
It has been argued that Kenyans have peculiar calling habits and even when the network is congested, we still insist on sticking to the network even when the network gives almost zero call completion rate.
I have always wondered why interconnectivity between Celtel and Safaricom is so expensive. Forget about the 26% duty levied by the government, if i can call Safaricom to safaricom at shs 8 per minute, why do I have to pay shs 23 per minute to call Celtel?
Assuming that at shs 8 the network is making money, it means terminating a call to the other network is cheaper.
In other countries, interconnectivity is easier but it seems in Kenya the desire to outdo each other in profits outweighs the overall goal of ensuring access.
I wonder what CCK has to say in all this, or maybe they have done a study which is busy gathering dust somewhere.
Ends
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0:59
From: Kenya Imagine
Read This Entry & More At Kenya Imagine
The Africa Policy Institute, a Kenya based independent think tank has released a report titled The Lie of the land: Evictions and Kenya's crisis. It argues that while Kenya, like other former British white settler colonies such as South Africa and Zimbabwe have yet to decisively deal with the legacy of colonial and post-colonial injustices relating to land ownership, the link between the on-going systematic evictions in the Rift Valley and Western Kenya and “post-colonial injustices” relating to land is very tenuous. A much more plausible explanation is that Kenya is reeling under a deadly intra-elite power game that has come to characterise multi-party politics here. Read more from Patrick Mutahi here.
Read the complete article at
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