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21:37
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
Ok, this one is for Cgzed and Mzeecedric (CG), my DSLR-affectionados:
Some years ago, I think it was in 2000, I traded in an older Nikon F2 with a 50mm lens into a Nikon F70 - both being single-lens reflex cameras. I went for the Nikon range because a) i wanted to use some older lenses we had acquired in Japan during the 1980s and b) I’d first gone for a Canon model but didnt like its weight. There’s a much better grip on the F70 and with a decent 28-105mm lens, it wasn’t as top-heavy as the Canon.
a Nikon F3 with an MD-4 motor-drive, some lenses, filters & bags
Needless to say that my F70 is still almost in mint condition - contrary to Cgzed or CG, I am too lazy for carrying such a huge camera around with me. I guess I’ll keep it for a very very very long time now…
Then came the digital age and my first digital camera was a Casio QV-100 I had managed to obtain for a relatively low price in 1998. Picture wise it came close to what low-budget webcams are capable of doing these days (or even worse) although it came with a CCD chip (instead of a CMOS chip). Battery consumption on this machine was horrible and just one day it went into early retirement. Although I couldnt get it back to life, I had managed to still sell it on eBay. Nice!
Casio QV-100 with data caboools
Next cam that followed was another low budget solution: Mustek gSmart Mini - which only advantage was the limited size. And you could use it as a webcam, which was pretty cool - back then. This little cam was later on inherited to a member of my extended family.
I think the best part about these cams came when I disassembled them - similar to what this guy did.
Years passed on and nothing happened. Then, during winter 2003, digital cameras started to flood the market. Mama Xmas gave me the hint that I’d have the choice between a bigger bed and a better camera. “You decide what you want, JKE”, she said. “I’ll help you kununua a bigger bed, or you’ll save it and get a camera”. Hmm. A bigged bed? What for? My bed was already 90cm wide and 200cm long - what would I need a bigged bed for? Don’t you know that nerds often sleep alone? …Well, I ended up going for a better camera (and later on inherited a bigger bed from my bro-in-law ;-) => Sanyo Xacti J1, 3Mpx with an internal lens which provides a 2cm macro mode . Awesome!
Sanyo Xacti J1 (not my hand)
The Sanyo J1 is still in use and I’ve often thought about buying a better point&shoot cam, maybe a 7,1*mpx “low-budget” (aka beginners) cam with some more features. Or rather go for a Nikon D40(x)? Of course, Hash will argue that the D50 is a much better deal, but then: unless you have a family and a baby buggy to carry around, there’s no way for me to carry a bulky camera around with me. PLUS: i am way too broke to seriously think about buying just another camera.
There are so many good cameras out there and so many talented photographers. Ok, maybe some of these ppl photoshop their results before uploading them to Flickr & Ipernity, but still: with todays advanced cameras, you basically only require some decent light and the right angle to take a picture. Of course it makes sense to invest into proper equipment, but if you’re as lazy & broke as I am, something like the autofocus 5mpx cam (based on a CMOS sensor) in my Nokia N95 will have to do. Also, it competes with other 3,2mpx cameraphones (N73, SE K800i) and is a real progress to what I had used before, and especially in Kenya: my Nokia 6230(i), which came with a nice & quick CMOS chip. Alas, if you need to take a quick pic without much ado, the Nokia 6230i is still the best cameraphone for that purpose. In fact, it was more fun taking snapshots with my 6230i than it is right now with the N95. But then - I am using the N95 as a real camera substitute, and not for snapshots only.
I’ve now lived with the N95 and its cam for the last 1,2,3….9 months and have taken most of my photos with this cameraphone. Why? Because it’s just around when I need it. Simple.
…and this picture is even geotagged!
I am not such a good photographer and so I actually don’t even have to worry about better equipment (as i does NOT depend on the right equipment + i’d be happy if i could get rid of the inherited F3 equipment above which has only been kept due to sentimental reasons + the bad market situation), but my aim right now is to see what’s possible with a relatively bad camera / good cameraphone. What kind of picture quality is this cameraphone capable of?
For a start, check out this Nokia N95 user group on flickr.
*there was this discussion on the net the other day where some camera testers argued the best mpx resolution/chip size was achieved at the 5-7mpx range - can’t find the relevant link though…
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19:03
From: Kenyanentrepreneur.com
Read This Entry & More At Kenyanentrepreneur.com
So, I’m reading this piece in the Nation where Mr. Matharau Muthaura is essentially telling Mr. Ojinga Odinga that his Executive Prime Ministerial position is basically useless. According to Muthaura: “The PM will come in handy in setting up inter-ministerial committees, following up on policy, sometimes developing the policy and ensuring ministries are kept in [...]
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17:57
From: Rants, Raves & Reviews
Read This Entry & More At Rants, Raves & Reviews
Now that the international community has moved to other more important issues, the cracks in the so-called 'Grand Coalition' have started... Does anyone have Guy Fawkes' phone number? The good news is that Kenyans are unlikely to return to a despotic presidency. The bad news is that the struggle continues to rid Kenya of one... Kenya has goodwill... let's not lose it... I say we should outsource Kenya's governance to Lee Kuan Yew... or there is always Obama - if he does not win the USA election - or ask Kenya's business leaders to form a junta. Pay for performance.
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17:29
From: Mshairi
Read This Entry & More At Mshairi
Stand aside Patrick ‘Jon-Luc’ Stewart and Sir Ian ‘Gandalf’ McKellen and bow to the new king of theatre, Chiwetel Ejiofor, who last night won the Laurence Olivier award for best actor.
Chiwetel has been excellent in everything I have seen him in and especially in Children of Men - my favourite film of 2007.
Truth [...]
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17:22
From: Rants, Raves & Reviews
Read This Entry & More At Rants, Raves & Reviews
Its not the weather. There has been a huge increase in positive investor sentiment as evidenced by the various investor conferences all over the world focused on Africa. When a luminary like Mark Mobius attends one of these... erm, something is cooking... So I managed to take a snap with MM... I will have to upload it one of these days... then there is Warren Buffet... yep, I will get him to pose with me as well... and perhaps get a stock tip or two? Africans have a nasty habit of playing down what 'foreigners' can bring to the table. Yes, Africans are the masters of their own destinies BUT take all the help you can get!!! Why do we want to re-invent the wheel? The potential is huge. We know the problems exist but an open society with less deference to ignorant elders or leaders is a step to overcoming obstacles. Father does not always know best. I will blog on a firm that has an excellent product that every investor in Africa should use... more later... RenCap is really piling on the big boys... Terry Davidson, Maina Mwangi, Amish Gupta & now Mutahi Kagwe. Mauritius is off the starting blocks... will Kenya catch up? Mauritius has got a flat tax rate. Yes, easy to implement. Laffer had it right!!! Mauritius is small. Yes, small but it attracts more FDI than Kenya does. Why? Smart policies. Kenyan politicians - most of whom care only about themselves & their wives, kids & misstresses - are dithering while other African countries are adopting progressive policies. Of course, there is the typical government (corrupt or inept or both) bureaucrats... look at the roadblocks in the deal that would have Essar take over the inefficient Kenya Oil Refinery. Why do African presidents think they are important? I can't believe a terminal is to be reserved for the so-called VVIPs... VVIPs my a**e. BTW, I plan to visit Rwanda... any tips? Anyway... Africa is hot... get in before the ship leaves...
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14:12
From: You Missed This
Read This Entry & More At You Missed This
ODM emerged from a crisis meeting moments ago with both guns blazing and poured cold water on the shocking Muthaura statement made earlier today saying among other ridiculous things that the Prime Minister would Be third in command in the new government structure (after the president and vice president) to accommodate the Anan peace deal.
Speaking on behalf of ODM, legislator Amukoa Anangwe quite rightly pointed out that the only people who could issue a clarification of the peace deal were the two principals, namely Hon Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki.
He added that it was hardly surprising that the historic peace deal is witnessing some “resistance” from civil servants who will be drastically affected by the Anan brokered peace accord.
Although some readers of this blog had already panicked and viewed this latest development as a clear sign that President Mwai Kibaki is doing his favorite thing of reneging on signed agreements, keen observers believe that what we are seeing are the “kicks of a dying horse” as PNU hardliners fight to derail things and for attention in a situation where the previously easily accessible president is no longer reachable.
Only time will tell where the truth lies.
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12:39
From: White African
Read This Entry & More At White African
I’m at the “Mobile Phones: International Devices of Mystery” at SXSW. It was a hard choice to make between this panel and the “Hardware Mashups: Introducing the Long Tail of Gadgets” panel. The deciding factor was Nathan Eagle, of EPROM, being in the mobile phone session. He’s been in Kenya for the last year or two, doing some really amazing stuff with mobile phones and getting university students excited about developing for it.
Nathan Eagle - EPROM and MIT (Lives in Kenya)
Matt Jones - Dopplr (used to work for Nokia)
Jennifer Bove - Huge Inc
John Poisson - Radar.net
Michael Sharon - Socialight (South African)
A last minute addition is John Poisson, of Radar. I’m really glad to see him though, as I’ve been following Radar for a while now and think it’s a great application. This makes sense, as he just said they started with mobile as being the primary experience, then the normal PC web. He also strongly believes that mobile apps should work across all carriers and platforms, and that that’s hard to do.
What are the most interesting and unexpected things you’ve seen?
Nathan Eagle - using mobile phone credits for money. Transferring airtime in Kenya (Mpesa). He tells the story of using Mobile phone credits to pay for matatu rides and paying for groceries at the local duka.
Jennifer Bove - Got a message from the Italian government saying not to visit Rome as the Pope was dying.
Matt Jones - the designers for mobile phone manufacturers should live/work in their same environments as their users, not in their “Volvo estates.”
What are the most common phones you see?
Nathan Eagle - Cell phone alley in Nairobi, where you can see the hackers their put together a GSM phone for a grand total of $!2.95. Most of the phones are pre-2003 in a lot of places in Africa. You have to think about the phones that were used in the West in the ’90s.
Matt Jones - You need to look for the “universals”, the things that everyone has. High-end phones and their projected uses really only reside in the minds of the product managers at the manufacturers.
The “road to free”
It varies between countries and regions. It can cost around 20 cents in Kenya to send SMS between competing carriers. Also, think about the flat-rate data plans in the US vs other parts of the world. The path to free in developing regions tend to go different ways, like Mxit in South Africa using Java and the data layer.
Nathan brings up the use of “beeping and flashing”, also known as a “Scottish Call”. Ring once = yes. Ring twice = no. User groups decide on the way they will communicate without paying anything. Quasi-conversations for free. This happens all over the world, not just in Africa.
Question Time:
Someone asked whether there is a future for creating a mobile social application for Africa. Nathan thinks that would be a good idea, but that his students just want to create Facebook apps. The biggest problem is if it’s based around SMS, then you have to really provide strong incentives to get people to use this relatively expensive medium. (note, again there is a real opportunity around the future use of Java apps on phones in Africa, like Mxit is doing in South Africa.)
How do you see video usage in Europe and Asia? Matt Jones answers that they’re seeing more peer-to-peer MMS sharing of video between friends, and they can be very viral. How that moves from this p2p darknet to the internet (ie: YouTube) is still not all there, but it’s starting to percolate up.
How do you monetize in the mobile space? Poisson states that it’s still being figured out, but buying apps probably won’t work. Sharon mentions the “Call Me” service in South Africa, and how they monetize by putting ads in the short SMS message (of which there are about 20 million being sent out per day). It sounds like advertising is the main model right now.
How about mobile payment?
“With things like Mpesa minutes/credits are acting as a surrogate to money, so carriers can just print money. After all, they just create more airtime.” - Nathan Eagle
 Twitter in Africa Sidenote:
I just chatted with Blaine Cook of Twitter. I had heard that that some South Africans were having their SMS messages throttled for Twitter. It’s true, they are. The limit outside of the US is 250 SMS messages outgoing from Twitter per week. It makes sense I guess, since they’re eating the cost on those messages and not at the same cheap rates they get in the US.
 
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12:13
From: You Missed This
Read This Entry & More At You Missed This
Why should the ECK be celebrating the death of Kenyans at the Coast?
Earlier today members of the civil service disrupted an ECK seminar/meeting in Mombasa’s luxurious Sun ‘n Sands hotel.
What the hell would the ECK be discussing at a Mombasa hotel at this time?!! How to rig the upcoming byelections? Surely that could have been discussed in Nairobi.
It seems that the ECK was celebrating the chaos they caused in Kenya including the loss of over 5,000 precious Kenyan lives. The guys who disrupted and broke up their meeting did the right thing. In fact it leaves a very bad taste in my mouth and that of many Kenyan to realize that this fraudulent ECK remains in office to this day enjoying their perks and even having the audacity to celebrate at the Coast when so many Kenyans are still in refugee camps in their own country after the antics of the same ECK. THAT IS JUST PRESPOSTEROUS AND UNACCEPTABLE!
This issue of the ECK is really very simple.
Our PNU brothers tell us that Mwai Kibaki won the elections. Let us assume for a moment that this is true. Then it means that the whole mess the country fell into lies squarely at the feet of the ECK. They should ALL be arrested and locked up to assist police with investigations and should only be released when they tell us what really happened.
The truth of the matter is that ECK and PNU CANNOT both be right. One of them is lying, so police commissioner Ali should arrest Kivuitu and his entire team at the ECK on charges to do with causing the deaths of over 1,000 Kenyans (Kumekucha reliable figures say over 5,000.)
Meanwhile in the new found spirit of co-operation, the entire ECK should be disbanded immediately by the president because its’ continued existence is an incitement to violence to the good people of Kenya who lined for hours to vote in the last general elections as was clearly demonstrated by the reaction of the gallant Kenyans at the Coast a few hours earlier today.
P.S. There is a lot happening in Kenya at the moment. And political temperatures seem to be on the rise once again. We are told that ODM is in a meeting to discuss an appropriate reaction to a so called “government clarification on the peace accord” earlier today (see earlier post in this blog by Phil.).
Indications are that somebody is very busy trying to cool down things after some people somewhere deliberately went out of their way to cause mischief. The suspicion of this blogger is that some hardliners within PNU are trying very hard to derail things. I am currently investigating the issue and will get back to you with a firm answer as soon as I have concrete details.
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9:44
From: You Missed This
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 Military personnel converge at the Eldoret Airstrip on Sunday in preparation for an operation in Mt Elgon District, where Sabaot Land Defence Force militia are believed to be hiding. Picture by Biketi Kikechi
A massive millitary operation is underway in Mt. Elgon area to flush out the notorious Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF). The government seems to have been prompted into action following the death of 12 people in the area last week. As of this afternoon, up to 30,000 residents were said to have been fleeing their homes with Mt. Elgon Member of Parliament Fred Kapondi accusing the government of bombing villages instead of pursuing SLDF raiders into the Mt. Elgon forest. Mt. Elgon has remained a major security flashpoint ever since President Kibaki took power in 2002 but problems in the area have their origins as far back as 1963. The ragtag militia known as SLDF has been blamed for most of the killings in the area and the motive of the group is reportedly to seek redress for alleged injustice during land distribution in the Chebyuk settlement scheme. So volatile is the area that raiders have repeatedly raided the police station in the area. The former Mt. Elgon MP John Serut, himself a target of the raiders, had his brother killed by the raiders in 2007 as a warning to himself and his family. Serut hardly spent the night in the constituency during his days as a legislator. The situation in Mt. Elgon has deteriorated so much so that the Head of the Médécins Sans Frontières (MSF) mission in Kenya, Mr. Remi Carrier termed it 'below human dignity'. The press in Kenya also called the Mt. Elgon insecurity a disgrace.
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9:12
From: bankelele
Read This Entry & More At bankelele
 Compared to last year’s expo, the first tourism expo of the year at Sarit Center had fewer stands, foreign exhibitors, and focus was on getting domestic tourists to rediscover the usual haunts. You have to salute the industry for going ahead and trying to rebuild after two months of violence wiped out a decade of steady growth. While they were advertising Easter packages (discounts of about 10% if booked at the fair), their goal was to get the sector back on track in the long term. Here are a few of the offerings still have a bias for the Coast; new- Holiday Homes Kenya, a network of fully staffed private homes for holiday. – New Man Eaters Camp by Voi Wildlife Lodge at the site of the infamous man eating lions that terrorized railways builders in 1898 - Mombasa Continental hotel (former intercontinental hotel) opened in December 07 (days before election) has introductory rates valid up to December 20, 2008 - Wild Waters theme park in Nyali - which closed in January when the tourists left, but reopened over the weekend (March 9) Coast– Jacaranda Beach flying package from Nairobi for East Africa residents for Kshs. 22,400 (inclusive of 2 nights) - Kenya Bay Beach Hotel has these prices for 2008; Kshs. 3,700 (up to April 30), Kshs. 3200 up to June 30, and Kshs. 3,500 (July up to December 31) (all half board, per person sharing)– lock in these low rates for the rest of the yeat before the tourism prices pick up – Sun n Sand no special offers, but the hotel is still a favorite for state and private sector retreats at the coast, so may not struggle Wildlife safaris- Discover Wilderness has flying packages to the Mara (keekorok) and Samburu for Kshs. 24,950 per night and Kshs. 11,950 for extra night – (includes 3 game drives, full board valid up June 30) - Serena have flying package to the Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, (2 nights, 2 game drives at 40,000 pp) other- Kenya Wildlife Services: who have self catering bandas in Amboseli, Tsavo and Mt. Kenya as well as Homa Bay, Marsabit, Mt. Elgon, Malindi and Kisite-Mpunguti (Kwale) - Nairobi's Silver Springs Hotel has two new sister premises in Sangare Tented Camp and Green Hills Hotel in Nyeri Airlines- Discovered some ‘truths’ behind Fly 540 airline: low special offers; that $79 Entebbe and Juba $199 fare to Juba re one way and translate to $135 and $279 after the hefty taxes on both routes. So a round trip to Entebbe costs $270 while Nairobi-Juba and back is $558 - Air Kenya with their point to point flights are the best way for a tourists to avoid Kenya’s roads and get around in as little time as possible – so you can fly from Mombasa to Masai Mara, Mombasa-Kilimanjaro, fly from Nairobi to Lewa , from Samburu to Masai Mara etc. - Virgin Atlantic have $425 Nairobi to London and $829 fares to Los Angeles or San Francisco Elsewherenot at the trade fair, but in the news over the weekendLewa marathon sponsored by Safaricom is open for registration up to 23/5 - Vipingo Ridge, a housing estate/golf course under development in Kilifi (40km north of Mombasa) by Rea Vipingo was a sponsor at the Kenya Open Golf Course. Some plots of land are still available but not much info is online yet about it.
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9:00
From: My part of the world.......
Read This Entry & More At My part of the world.......
I think I have discovered the root of my malaise. For some reason or other I have found myself listening to the kind of music mentioned in this earlier post, so dank days are here again. No nothing bad has happened in my life. Yes I may have to spend some more time at work so I can't go to the gym so that in turn reminds me how empty my social calendar is but I don't mind my job or my work mates, I'm in good health and I'm not broke. Oh yes, I think the root of my malaise is the fact that I think too much about things, not to the point of obsessing or worrying but thinking too much anyway. Case in point, there are small things people like to do to take their minds off how pathetic their everyday lives are here, such as shopping. That's great go out and shop, enjoy yourself and just heap up more debt on yourself while America is in the middle of a recession so you don't even know if you are going to have your job tomorrow. Or maybe what I could do instead is meet a nice girl, get to know her and even get laid! Wonderful suggestion, were it not for the fact that 1 in 4 women have herpes, so who knows what other wonderful surprises you might come across. Maybe I could go out for a few drinks with the boys instead and try not to have too much fun and end up with a DUI like quite a few Kenyans out here. Don't worry I'm being a tad bit dramatic but quite a few times I do think about things I could do and I either do them or shrug my shoulders. I want to be more like those people who drink and party like there is no tomorrow. You know the kind of people who work for their next paycheck so they can go out and have some fun, instead of being like me who is trying to scrimp and save and plan for what I'm going to do and be several years in the future. So don't worry The Acolyte isn't balled up in some corner depressed or anything, I'm just having one of those internal self examinations where you make the mistake of examining your life by the standards of the world as opposed to your own and we all know where that leads but the good thing is that unlike many I do manage to come to my senses before any long term damage is done. At times I think it does take a strong person to cope with life in the West because everywhere you look, someone is telling you what you should have, where you should be, where you should live, where you should work, how you should look and who you should be with. It was never this bad in Kenya when I think back, no wonder so many people here crack up trying to be the Joneses. In other news, anyone who works in an office building in the States is aware of the fact that the windows here are just for show and don't open at all. I understand about the higher floors but are they scared that someone on the ground floor will still try and toss themselves out of that window onto the curb? Because of that air conditioning is the sole form of climate control, so when the air con gets busted you are in trouble. Last week our thermostat was having issues so the office became rather warm, I didn't know that but when I began feeling hot flashes the first thing that came to mind was, "Damn, aren't I a bit young for male menopause?" Anyway a new week is here and it's time to get back to the grind, just marvelous!
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7:34
From: You Missed This
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The following is a statement read by Francis Muthaura (Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet) a few moments ago. ODM are said to be in a crisis meeting and are expect to respond shortly.
"There have been various media reports that have created concern as to the roles of the position of the Prime Minister, Government appointments and structure of the Government following the national Accord. In that regard the Government wishes to clarify as follows:
• The President remains the Head of State and Head of Government.
• The Vice-President is the Principal Assistant or the President and the Leader of Government Business in Parliament.
• The Prime Minister will coordinate and supervise the Government functions under the authority of the President.
• The Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Ministers will also have ministerial portfolios.
• The President will appoint the Vice-President, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers and all Ministers subject to the terms of the Accord. The Vice-President, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers and all Ministers are directly responsible to the President. The President will continue to Chair the Cabinet.
• The Accord does not include sharing of jobs in the Public Service.
• Therefore, it should be clear that appointments in the Public Service are governed by the Constitution or Acts of Parliament.
To this end:
• Holders of Constitutional offices, Permanent Secretaries, Ambassadors, Judges of the High Court, Chairpersons of boards and a few chief Executives of Parastatals are appointed by the President.
• All other civil servants in Central Government and Local Authorities are appointed by the Public Service Commission or through its delegated authority.
• Judicial Officers including Magistrates, etc are appointed by the Judicial Service Commission.
• Teachers are appointed by the Teachers Service Commission.
• Almost all Members of the Boards of Parastatals, Except the Chairmen, are appointed by their respective Ministers.
• Chief Executives of Parastatals are appointed by the ministers on recommendation of the respective Boards.
• Other staff or Parastatals are appointed by their respective boards.
I wish to assure public servants that there is nothing to worry about the safety of their jobs or the politicization of the Public Service. I urge public servants to embrace the implementation of the Accord. It is extremely important that professionalism in the Public Service is maintained and free from partisan politics."
AMB: FRANCIS K. MUTHAURA, EGH
PERMANENT SECRETARY SECRETARY TO THE CABINET AND HEAD OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE
10 March 2008
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5:35
From: You Missed This
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 Last week the Kenyan Parliament debated the peace deal signed last week between President Mwai Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU) and Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). The main points of the agreement provide for constitutional changes that will see the creation of the post of prime minister - which Odinga is expected to occupy - and the formation of a coalition government by the two parties. The deal has been widely welcomed and it is hoped that it will put an end to the ethnic violence that killed more than 1 500 Kenyans since elections in late December. But, as the agreement's main mediator, Kofi Annan, said prior to departing Kenya: "The journey is far from over. In fact, it is only the beginning." Stephanie Wolters (Mail and Guardian) spoke to the ODM's Raila Odinga about the challenges that lie ahead. If it is accepted, it will pave the way for the formation of a 50-50 coalition government, consisting of a minister from the ODM and the PNU. How do you propose to negotiate the formation of such a government? The agreement says that the government will be shared on a 50-50 basis with particular regard to portfolio balance, which means that weightings can be put on some ministries as opposed to other ministries. This is something that is going to be negotiated with our political partners. We have already set up a team of three representatives from both parties. Are there particular portfolios that the ODM wants? No, I don't want to judge and we want to be fairly flexible, but there are certain important ministries that we want to share between the two sides. Last week you met Kibaki for the first time outside of the framework of negotiations. Why should the Kenyan public believe that you can work together and have the political will to put the country ahead of the political ambitions of your parties? I think there are historical circumstances that have dictated that we must work together and I don't think that there are any particular obstacles that lie between me and Kibaki. We worked together in the past in a coalition government. If Nelson Mandela could work with FW de Klerk, I don't see why Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki cannot work in a government. The ODM and the PNU have very different views on economic distribution. You campaigned on a platform of more equitable distribution of the country's resources through decentralisation, playing on the perception that the ruling party has favoured its ethnic base. Now that you are in a coalition government with that party, how do you propose to pursue your supporters' desire for more equitable distribution of the country's resources? Yes, it is true that our campaign platforms are very different in certain areas. [For example] we want to see more equitable distribution of resources in our country through a devolved system of government and very strong anti-corruption measures … Those are the issues that we have agreed we must address beforehand and the team we have set up together, apart from negotiating the structure of government, is going to deal with the harmonisation of the manifestos of our different parties … so that we can come up with one common programme. These types of negotiations could take some time. How will you convince local leaders that their grievances are being addressed and that violence is not the means of addressing their concerns? This should not take too much time. I am sure the PNU would also like to see some of these issues addressed. Except it did not prioritise them. I do expect that by the time we form the government, common ground will have been reached on most of these issues. It is not a question of just forming a coalition government; it has to be based on something, that is why we are negotiating up front to agree on a communal programme to take to the people as a compromise. That is what coalitions are all about, so we will really come towards the centre. Has the violence of the past two months permanently transformed ethnic relations in Kenya? Certainly it has confounded things, so the country is more polarised along the ethnic … lines than any time since before independence. We will need to work on reconciliation for society, so that we refuse the polarisation that has taken place in the past two months According to the terms of the peace deal, it falls apart when one of the two parties walks out of the coalition government. What is a deal breaker for you? A deal breaker would be if for example the other partner refuses to facilitate the carrying out of the reforms which we have all agreed to, in particular the constitutional, legal and institutional reforms that this county so much desires. If there is a stonewalling, it will be sufficient grounds for the break-up of the coalition. The Kibaki government had close relations with the United States and has been criticised by the Kenyan Muslim community for its cooperation with the practice of extraordinary renditions. Will you push for change in this relationship? We have very good relations with the US and I don't see that anybody wants to destroy that, we want to strengthen that relationship. We agree with the US that they have genuine reasons to fight crime, terrorism and so on. We are an ally in the fight against terrorism, except that ... we believe that if Kenyans commit crimes on Kenyan soil, then they should be tried by Kenyan law. This is an issue that we are going to discuss with the US and with our own coalition partners. What advice do you have for Mugabe on how he handles the upcoming elections in Zimbabwe? I have got very little regard for Mugabe. He used to be my hero once upon a time, but we parted ways when he began to use a big stick to deal with his political adversaries. I think he is a disgrace to the African continent and the time has really come for him to try to move on and let other people govern. I don't think it is right for someone to hold a country hostage for generations. I think it is not right for Africa. This article has been adapted from Mail & Guardian, News Insight
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5:12
From: You Missed This
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Test for our "selfless" leaders
My dear fellow Kenyans, we need to understand that getting the reforms we need will not be easy. This is hardly the time to hero-worship any of our leaders, no matter how good their past record may be. This is the time to come up with ideas that will bring the wolves to account.
In the United States they go to the polls every four years and yet that is a place where there should be a strong case for giving leaders a longer mandate to see through their programs.
Why is it then that we have our so-called leaders in office for 5 long years? My former idiot of an MP served two terms meaning that we have had no leader in our constituency for 10 LONG YEARS!!!
I propose that we push the legislators in the grand coalition to cut down the life of parliament from 5 years to 4 years ONLY. Whatever they cannot do in 4 years, they will hardly be expected to do in 5 years.
Let us have elections once every 4 years (if it was up to me I would even go for 3 years until some people get it into their minds that elections are not there to be stolen or to use cash to manipulate). Besides Mayors are elected every 2 and half years, are they not?
It is my conviction that this simple change will have a huge impact on the affairs of our country and the way things are managed.
Secondly it is the view of many Kenyans that the cabinet should not have more than 20 ministers. That is 10 from ODM and 10 from PNU. And since we have insisted on having two deputy prime ministers, they should be included within that figure of 20.
My fellow Kenyans it is time to get down to work, let's see how selfless these political heroes of ours really are. This is the first test. If they pass these two suggestions quickly, and without debate, I will be the first to apologize here for misjudging them.
P.S. A 4 year term should take effect immediately so that assuming that President Kibaki serves a full term, it will expire in 2011 and therefore there should be a general election that year.
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3:31
From: White African
Read This Entry & More At White African
I’ll start by saying that coming to the SXSW conference has given me far more of a return on my time and investment than any conference besides TED. The people you get to talk to here are, by and large, interesting and usually doing cool stuff.
The Africa 2.0 Panel
[image by Martin Kliehm]
I had the honor of sharing the stage with Kofi, Uduok and Nii today. Kofi moderated the panel, and did an excellent job of keeping it going. He was the one who put in all the hard work to make this panel happen, and then to organize us enough in advance so that we had a coherent conversation on stage.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect, since it seemed to be a rather eclectic group. Nii is from the finance and business world, Kofi from design and marketing, myself from tech and Uduok from fashion and design. I don’t know much about the fashion industry, but Uduok did and was incredibly well spoken and poised as she discussed it. I learned a lot from just listening to her discuss Nigeria, Nollywood and the fashion industry.
The best part of the panel was the after-panel discussions though. A dozen of us got together and went to grab a bite to eat, where we continued to discuss the uses of technology in Africa. Discussions ranged from activism to sports (Nike was present) and everything in between. Another highlight for me was when fellow African blogger Gareth Knight showed up, and we talked about his new and highly successful “family tree” app: Kindo.
The Keynote Trainwreck…
The trainwreck that was the Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) keynote by Sarah Lacy was just so awkward. In fact, it was rather ugly. Read about it here, here, here or here. Watch the non-empathetic after-video of her here, or the full video here. Just amazing to watch someone lose it this bad.
 
Read the complete article at
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