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22:49
From: More to Life
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Kenya is headed back towards the abyss. I for one, I am not surprised. Peace as fragile as based on two grown men with their own selfish ambitions, surrounded by other influences and bogged by promises they made to others over a future that belongs only to God, is not peace. It wasn't there and anyone who believed in it is much more of an optimist than I ever could be. Anyone who dares to stare facts in truth, ugly as they can be may want to read on.
Kenya has no choice but to go to full blown anarchy. Only after that kind of genocidal situation, ugly as it is will anything in Kenya change. The damage has been done. Those who started antikikuyuism sentiments many years ago were like George Bush as he attempted to convince congress of saddam's weapons of mass destruction. Those who reignited the madness recently were like Bush when he decided to invade Iraq. You can get the ball rolling, maybe even declare success. And then the real situation will arise.
Not even the alternative of military controlled government exists as a solution. The time for simple solutions, simpler choices is behind Kenya. No human being, unless guided firmly by the spirit of God will be able to navigate Kenya out of this mess blood free.
War is ugly and unpredictable and no one can control the events that will occur. Those who meant for there to be war against the kikuyus can begin to celebrate. It's inevitable, it will happen. But for every man dead, there exists a pool of innocent blood left behind.
For those who believe that human sacrifice is okay for the greater good whatever they deem greater good to be, they are wrong according to God. Especially when chasing earthly goods and prosperity. There is only one acceptable human sacrifice. And that is the part of Jesus that was human. Period.
At the point when that blood flows, and continues to flow, remember that you are sacrificing humans for the returns you hope for. God does not accept human sacrifice. Man is an unclean animal. So whom then are you serving, knowingly or not? And how much of that can you control? Recall, not believing does not negate existence.
Only those who kill in self defense will be spared.
The vengeance of God over Kenya is nigh but is waiting for the final blows to be dealt. Wait patiently for there will be those who will be blessed and those whose God's vengeance will settle upon. When it's all done, no one will wonder what side anyone of these members belonged to.
I don't preach peace upon Kenya anymore. I pray for the spirit of God to befall Kenya. Those who believe pray to God in all earnesty and don't bother to dictate outcomes. Pray for his peace, his outcome for only that can be correct.
It would be make sense to wonder why a regular believer, not pious, ordained or overly religious would write these things. Why would I take the Jeremiah Wright approach?
The beauty of God, however, is in how much he can't wait for the opportunity to forgive.
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18:53
From: Rants, Raves & Reviews
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Finally the CMA is damning the high brokerage fees that allow lousy brokers to survive! Some broker give inane reasons... that the broker fees help 'grow the market'... more like grow their profits for lousy inefficient service! Itslong overdue for Kenyan brokers to embrace flat fees. Its long overdue for Kenya to have a 2nd stock exchange modeled on the all-electronic NASDAQ. The NSE charges horrendous fees for having firms listed! You should eliminate the fees so more firms list! Brokers - who own the NSE - should make money off trades not listing fees!
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17:04
From: Rants, Raves & Reviews
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Unlike some commentators on KenyanEntrepreneur, I believe Kenya has a lot to gain from closer economic ties with India. The racist tone overpowers any sensible discussion. Anyway, kibz missed a great opportunity to visit with African & Indian leaders in India during the ongoing India-Africa Forum Summit which is meant to mimic the Africa-China Summit. Sometimes it these meetings that enhance cooperation between countries. India remains a 3rd world country but world-class in IT & engineering. It provided advanced manufacturing & engineering to Boeing. Even GM, Ford & Airbus use software & design firms in India. Yet Indian technology is better suited for Africa than (most) European, American or Far-east Asian technology since India shares common attributes with most of sub-Saharan Africa. They have a large poor population, huge population crammed into cities/slums, large base of small-scale/subsistence farmers. Since India is facing labour shortages in IT, what better way for all to benefit than outsource some BPO work to Kenya? This in turn will lead to work higher up on the ladder. Indian firms are heavily involved in construction work in the Middle East. Hopefully, Africa - & Kenya - can provide expertise or labour to these firms. The conditions the workers face are not ideal but at least they are real jobs. Kenya needs the remittances.
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14:18
From: You Missed This
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 Kibaki has done his part and the Kenya is slowly but surely smouldering. Last evening saw great trek from the estates in Eldoret back to the showground. The January exodus of GRIEF from Munyaka and Kahoya is being re-enacted replete with buses hired to Nakuru and other safer grounds. While some here at Kumekucha gleefully gloat of clampdown, no regime can afford to post a policeman in every home leave alone house. While the THIEF-IN-CHIEF deludes himself with fraudulent power, his voters continue to suffer from the harsh elements of weather with their stomachs holding any edibles at the mercy of charities. Personal security is more in perception and instinct that order. Kibaki can feign ignorance all the much he wishes but the countryside is bearing the full brunt of his raw grandstanding and brinkmanship. It is not out of sheer resignation to claim that Kenya will never be the same again but out of duty and urge to tell nothing but the truth. Harm the body, fire the spirit Saitoti too deludes himself that he is acting tough with the security on red alert. Well, right now about 200 GSU and APs camping at at Chepterit junction to Moi University but the remaining hovels in nearby Burnt forests are up in smoke again. A decade or more from now most Kibaki apologists would be asking themselves why the rest of Kenya hates them so much. The answer to that riddle lies in the question itself. They either chose to be part of Kenya of soil their hands in joining forces with the JANJAWEED president in collectively raping us. Winston Churchill said it in the first half of the last Century and it still rings true now like it did then: YOU NEVER SUCCEED IN GOVERNING UNWILLING POPULATION. While juvenile gloating prompts others here to point that Robert Mugabe did it, just cast your eyes above the horizon and see the raging fire down in Zimbabwe. Mobutu did it with all the might and his fate awaits the Kibakis and Mugabes of this world. This is the 21st Century and any attempt to bastardize a knowledgeable population with impunity will be overtly or covertly met with equal resistance. Brute force may slow the pace of resistance by visiting fatigue and physical harm but the spirit ends up fired astronomically. The resulting revolt is unstoppable. Not by any army or ammunition.
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12:26
From: Kenya Imagine
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What choices does Mugabe have now? Stepping down is definately not an option... so, for now, he is just waiting.
Hello. So, now what is happening? He is waiting. I mentioned, perhaps not in this forum, that in four days the mood would be lost. Four days have gone (maybe I got the time wrong) but he is waiting for attention to leave Zimbabwe, then he will steal the election. Again. And the opposition (led by the MDC, or not led as the case may be) will sit around and do nothing. Lots of talks, going to the courts, and all that excuse for inactivity, but they will do nothing. Read more from Michael Laban here.
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12:23
From: Kenya Imagine
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The spread of HIV has meant personal and national health crises in many countries. The disease has strained many poorer countries’ health care budgets and has challenged scientists, medical professionals and those in social services affected by it. But despite the devastation it leaves in its wake, some activists confronting HIV also appreciate the opportunities it provides to rethink, reimagine and revision a host of social, political, and medical engagements. Read more from Amanda Atwood here.
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12:04
From: The Displaced African
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Language is….wonderful! Ever since I discovered the world of metaphor, double entendre and riddle, I have been a lover of word-smithing (it’s a word) and the art of literary and linguistic manipulation. Here now are seven unique definitions of words that we all know and the impact that these unique definitions have had on my life.
1) Integrity:
When your mind, your body and your soul are fully aligned towards one purpose: when you know what you want to do, why you want to do it, you feel good doing it and you feel bad not doing it.
Most definitions of integrity that I had heard until I encountered the above basically broke integrity down into honesty vs dishonesty and the main struggle was to try and be honest and not tell a lie.
This definition of integrity? I prefer!That’s because the end result of achieving integrity is the type of life that many of us dream of but few of us ever really achieve: a life where we take control of our mind,body and soul and direct them all in one direction. A life where we feel,in the core of our gut, that that is the direction we should be headed in and can think of millions of reasons why we should be headed that way at the drop of a hat.
It means not only will you no longer lie to others and yourself. The primary job when we look at integrity in this manner is removing any contradictions or internal barriers that exist within us. With clear sight on our destination, this process, though difficult, is much easier than trying to live a lifetime ‘without lying’. After all we are simply removing obstacles and changing direction without any doubt as to where we are headed (as you can tell, knowing where we are headed is what excites me the most about this definition). Great definition that is hard to achieve but has fantastic rewards.
2) Freedom:
Freedom is when you are fully honest and fulfill all the promises you make to yourself. When you say you are going to do something you do it. When you make a promise to yourself you never have to worry about breaking it. This is the type of life where you never ever doubt yourself because you know that you take yourself and your word and your promises seriously.
Very closely linked to the definition of integrity. Most people tend to think of freedom as a life without limits. A life where no one restricts what we are, what we say or what we do. As opposed to hinging freedom on the actions of others, I like the above definition of freedom because it puts the responsibility squarely on the one thing that we have absolute control over: ourselves.
The way to achieve this definition of freedom is the same as how we would achieve integrity. Know what we are after and go about eliminating any internal (ultimately external but we must begin with internal) barriers that may stop us from fulfilling on the promises we make to ourselves.
3) Respect
Being 100% honest with another human being. Not only showing them our best side, but our most hideous, disgusting side so that they can also feel comfortable to be themselves around us and are never in fear of us.
This one has gotten me into a helluva lot of trouble and will probably be the one that people will agree with the least. In my humble opinion, should you want a relationship with someone that will last a looooonnnnnggggggg time, then from the get go be as frank as possible about your shortcomings and your failings as well as your strengths.
I began doing this in my teens out of fear of getting into a relationship with someone (male or female, old or young) and then having them abandon me later on because they realize I am not the person they thought I was (how many times have we heard of this happening). So I started the art of showing my most obnoxious and worst habits in bite size chunks whenever I would meet you.
Interestingly enough, it’s worked out pretty OK for me. Whenever people trust me, there is a genuine, deep trust and very few people have ever accused me of having hidden agendas because I am usually quite open with my agendas and my intentions, no matter how selfish, from the get go.
Of course this doesn’t mean that you should just begin talking about your criminal history or your unique romantic attraction to oak trees in the first five minutes of meeting someone but make it an objective, even at a subconscious level, to reveal your ugly side as soon as you can. As I have alluded to in the past, we all have ugly sides, and you showing yours, makes it that much easier for me to show you mine.
4) A Problem
A problem is one of two things:
a) A sign from God that something is wrong in your world that you need to fix and:
b) Your opportunity to grow beyond your current limitations
To paraphrase a quote from the great Alby Einstein: the problems of today will not be solved by the thinking of yesterday. If you have a problem and it persists it is because you can’t handle it or solve it. I know of very few problems, short of spiritual/existential ones, that some human being somewhere in the world, or in history, has not solved before. All you need to do is find people who have solved the problems that you need to solve in the past and find out how they did it. Learn how to solve this problem and as a result you will come out a better man, or woman or XXY, on the other side. And the act of disciplining yourself towardssolving a problem and/or creating something much greater than the problem ever was, typically has multiple rewards that go beyond solving the problem.
5) Love
When you look at someone that you have known a long time and all you see is a putrid, disgusting, smelly, repugnant, idiotic, son of a (insert animal here) that drives you absolutely mad when they once made you feel over the moon or safe or secure or loved. If in that moment, you choose to love them and give to them unconditionally. You are in a rare breed of people who love truly love. Truly, madly, deeply and unconditionally (Mwangi, the Displaced African, 2008)
In short, in my humble opinion, love is a choice. Infatuation (the heart palpitations, the persistent thinking about someone, the uber-high oxytocin levels, the persistent grin on your face, the feelings of safety, security and love around someone) is not love. It is the precursor to true love, it drives us together. But once that oxytocin fades, that’s when love gets its chance to shine. That’s when you get your chance to test just how much you can exercise this power of free will. You do this when your emotions are telling you that they are about as appealing as athlete’s foot during a marathon. Contradicts the definition of integrity and freedom, but hey they say love is tantamount to insanity. And what I am suggesting here is insane. Immaculately beautiful, but insane.
6)Learning
A permanent change in behavior caused by experience.
I first learned this one when sitting in Year 11/ Form 3 Psychology class. Until that point in time I had always thought that learning was the act of accumulating facts in your head that you could recite at will to either get a job done or impress your fellow man (the latter is an art that we Africans have perfected: to perspirate grandiloquent words indiscriminately and magnanimously into sentences without ejaculatory appreciation for their meaning or application).
When I learned this definition that changed all that. Learning is interacting with something in the world and coming out different on the other side. It might be that you pick up a piece of information that you never knew about before. In this case, new brain cells get added to your brain where they will stay waiting to be retrieved and used.
It might also be that you form new connections between old pieces of data, such as phone lines + computers = Internet. It might also be that as a result of performing a specific activity, your body acclimatizes to the movement to the point that the activity can be performed at the drop of a hat.
In short the best way to learn is by actually interacting and doing something with what you learn. Rather than sitting in the middle of a library trying to cram facts, actually take a moment to understand how that knowledge gets applied in the real world, go interact with people who use the data on a daily basis and make the information a part of you.
Another way this changed the way I do things is that any time I had to learn something, I immediately tried to connect any new information with information that already exists within my head. This is what makes tools such as mnemonics so powerful. So, if you have something you need to learn, like say how to find the circumference of a circle, perhaps try to measure the radius and diameter of your wheel and find it’s area rather than sticking strictly to abstract drawings on two dimensional pages.
7) Decision
This one just got me to the core of my soul:
A decision is when you set your sights on something and cut yourself off from any other possibility other than what you have set your sights on.
This means that we can no longer “try” to do things. We either do things or we don’t. We either commit to doing something and doing it to the best of our abilities and powers or we don’t. We don’t “try” (which is usually our way of saying, we won’t give our all, we’ll give a half hearted attempt because we are scared of fully committing to something, failing and making a fool of ourselves).
We set our sights on that which we love, become people of integrity and freedom who know we have nothing to fear whenever we reveal our ugly sides to others and we use any problems we encounter as opportunities to grow and thrive beyond the problem.
I hope this article wasn’t too abstract. It felt a helluva-lot-of-good to write this article and I hope it feels a helluva-lot-better-to-read-it and you get things that you can apply to your life.
Be blessed and bless others,
Mwangi
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9:09
From: Kenyanentrepreneur.com
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Well, I guess there’s no surprise here that the talks have collapsed. Like I said in a previous piece, Mutula Kilonzo and Martha Karua are very smart lawyers. They simply outwitted James Orengo when it came to drafting that agreement.
Isn’t that the first thing they teach you in a contracts class? never, ever, write generalized contracts [...]
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7:39
From: Kenyanentrepreneur.com
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There’s an interesting article in the Standard about call centres coming to Kenya. I guess this cable line has everyone excited about outsourcing opportunities. If you are based in America, you’ve pretty much dealt with call centres in India and I know of very few people who are impressed by them (heavy accents, unpleasant personalities, rude, etc, [...]
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6:43
From: You Missed This
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As Violence Breaks Out in Kibera Slums Tension is steadily building around the country following the collapse of talks between PNU and ODM towards the formation of a grand coalition cabinet. The PNU have outrightly rejected ODM's demands for certain cabinet portfolios while the ODM had announced a few moments ago that it is suspending any further discussions with PNU until the current cabinet is dissolved. The calmness that has been prevailing in most parts of the country following the signing of the peace agreement on 28th February 2008 was this morning shattered following ODM's announcement that they had with immediate effect suspended any form of discussions with PNU until the current cabinet is dissolved. That announcement immediately triggered violent demonstrations in Kibera with mobs barricading roads and lighting fires. Police have already been dispatched to Kibera but reports reaching Nairobi say that tension is building Kisumu, Naivasha, Nakuru and Eldoret. These are the towns that witnessed the worst form of violence and destruction of property following the post election skirmishes earlier this year. At the time of posting this, the ODM Member of Parliament for Mt. Elgon Fred Kapondi was also reportedly being detained by police on unspecified charges. Update by Chris at 16:11 PM All indications so far are that Internal security Minister George Saitoti and his team have been on red alert since last night. There are reports coming in that there was also a little trouble in Kipkelion in the Rift Valley earlier today but it was swiftly contained. Reports also indicate that the troubles in Kibera have also been quickly snuffed out. There is a possibility that we will witness numerous arrests over the next few days as a way to pre-empt violence. Fascinatingly the thinking has not changed since last December. After the elections the game plan was to shoot to kill to scare. That one failed big time. This time it is arrest to scare. It is anybody's guess how effective this will be. However the fact remains that there are too many hungry jobless Kenyans out there for comfort. Update by Chris at 21:00 PM Kenyan Time Violence reported in Kisumu. I will give more details as I get them.
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6:38
From: Marian's Blog
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April 8-9 mark the first-ever India-Africa Forum Summit. Might the Summit include any component addressing human trafficking and undocumented (i.e., illegal) immigration coming from the Asian subcontinent into East and Southern Africa?? India and the African Union each has its...
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6:34
From: You Missed This
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In politics the unspoken is usually more important than what has been said and the hidden cards constantly being played under the table and out of site by politicians always have a much bigger impact than what can be seen ODM has been having a parliamentary group and national Executive council meeting to discuss the cabinet crisis. The meeting has been going on at the Orange House headquarters of the ODM all morning. Separately PNU and it’s affiliate parties are having a meeting at KICC being chaired by the Vice president and official leader of government business Kalonzo Musyoka. The agenda of that meeting is to also discuss the cabinet crisis. President Kibaki is expected at his Harambee house office any minute now to chair a cabinet meeting. The message to ordinary Kenyans should be clear. PNU have a plan and it seems that ODM has got wind of it and are desperately trying to figure out the best way to frustrate that PNU plan in the works. The question is; what is PNU’s plan? In all likelihood it seems that what PNU and President Kibaki have been planning all along is on how to take over government for themselves and without anybody looking over their shoulders. So it seems that in the political chess game that was being played out, Kibaki shouted last night in private; CHECKMATE!! In all likelihood and based on information from my sources, chances are very high that PNU is about to make a drastic and major move very soon. The ODM high command seem to know what it is but are not talking, at least not to the press. Meanwhile Raila has said that ODM will not go back for any more negotiations with PNU until the two parties can agree on one interpretation of the Anan acts and what a grand coalition government means. Keep your eyes on the news coming out of Kenya and on this space. P.S. Everybody seems to have missed a remark made yesterday by President Kibaki towards the end of his speech. He assured Kenyans that the government is “still working” even as it tries to find a solution to the cabinet crisis. In other words he was saying that there is already a government in place. Some including this blogger would argue that that government he was talking about and especially the half cabinet, is illegal because it contravenes the recently passed Anan talks legislation. But while all this circus and hoodwinking of the public is going on, Kibaki is still President and very much in power. P.S. 2: The events of the next few weeks will force Kenyans to rethink very deeply many basic issues that have to do with freedom and democracy. My good friend Marianne Briner emailed me an interesting piece about freedom. I hereby reproduce it below; Freedom - in the old meaning of the word - depended upon a give and take and a moral sense of what was right or wrong for its preservation.
Today, however, our civilization has become so complicated, our values so warped, political pressure on government so great, that freedom has become an illusion for ordinary people. Freedom is now only a word repeated parrot fashion by our leaders as they rush from making one new law to making another.
It seems that today's society is unaware that freedom's existence depends on the readiness to take risks. If risks are chained, freedom dies.
Freedom was once governed in this country by common sense - just as behaviour was governed by conscience. Laws were then limited to guarding the frame-work of freedom and these laws were respected - just as the rules of behaviour were respected. Of course there were abuses, but the offenders had to risk the moral condemnation of their comrades, an intangible punishment which hurt.
Today there is no such condemnation. We have become instead bemused by cynicism, and by the overwhelming mass of legislation which - although enacted in the name of freedom – isin fact eroding it.
Freedom is no longer synonymous with fair play for the conscientious.
The laws have become so extensive and complicated that only the few can understand them and so liberty - as our fathers knew it - is fading away. We can no longer follow our dreams. We need no longer reach for the stars because there will be no reward in reaching them.
And then there are those who have died sacrificing their lives for the freedom of their beloved country. They died also for those of us who wish to live in a free and fair society - in a new Kenya where everybody - regardless of tribes and ethnic background - can live as equal individuals and have the possibility to follow his own way of life within a framework of commonsense laws and conventions.
Let's all fight to reach this common goal: a peaceful Kenya ruled by a legally elected Government which is willing to take over the responsibility to 'care' for its people, in the truest sense of this word. Who is listening in to your cell phone conversations, Kenyans?Naomi Campbell allegedly spat at policeman and could get 6 months in jail if found guiltyPaper Bag (juala) causes young girl a serious infection, guess how it got inside her...
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6:26
From: Kenyan Pundit
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- One of the better written pieces on Mobitelea that I have seen. Too bad this issue was handled shoddily by ODM, they had a real opportunity to give this story legs. And I like that there is some finger pointing and Vodafone and the Brits as well - it takes two [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Quick Hits April 8", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/2008/04/08/quick-hits-april-8/" });
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5:50
From: Memories, Sentiments, Rants and Raves
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The past couple of weeks had me in a reflective mood.One of the things i have learnt it that in the blink of an eye life can change and never be the same again. I have learnt that every decision and choice counts though sadly we sometimes have to them in the a split second or take as long as we need. See some decisions are so routine that we don't think of the impact that the have on our life. I don't understand how something so routine, same choice made over and over again then the one day you choose differently all hell breaks loose. I have learnt that there is no decision that shouldn't be thought through and consequences weighed no matter how big or small.
In the same time, i have known what it is for someone to give you their love and show it with no reservations. I have seen love in action, seldom said but shown not in a bid to impress me but just because it is felt and because the person derives the pleasure from it. I have wished and prayed to be able to requite such unmeasurable love yet i couldn't feel anything besides immense nolstagia and deep friendship. I have taken time to think and rethink the pros and cons. My Ma says that in considering forever with someone, true friendship outweighs love any day. I don't remember the last time i prayed to God so much for wisdom so as to make the right choice as well as a sign to say yes, no or wait. The decision made all the more difficult by history (cant believe i have known you for 5 years already) and knowing that you are most of the things i pray for in a mate. Then despite all, knowing that i have to let you go since its not fair to you believing that if you are mine you will be back.
I have rediscovered the pleasure of spending time alone, just chilling or with a good book. Sometimes in the still of the night, just to lay still and let thoughts run through the mind. At the same time, realized the pleasure of good company-easy conversation late into the night, silly jokes, sound advice, the sharing and catching up, endless bottles of wine and munchies, soccer and movies, the fights and all. Knowing when to be silent and listen as well as the joys of sharing.
Spirituality, the very essence of me that i promised to work on this year. I have learnt how to pray not necessarily by kneeling, hands clasped and all but by having constant conversation with God though out my day. In the process, i am transformed into a woman that am loving more everyday. I have learnt to be thankful. I was going through my journal and i realized that i have lot of answered prayers. Some prayers i wish hadn't been answered yet others am grateful that they were. Still am growing steadily, mending my relationship with God in the hope that through that the rest will be mended as well.
I have made peace with the past, knowing very well how far i have come and all the things that have transpired. Some secrets that i will go to the grave with while others that need time to heal and others already healed. Transgressions forgiven and forgotten, others requiring a bit more grace.
It has also been a time when my eyes have been opened to a few issues i was blissfully ignorant. Funny how some friendships don't take lot of effort, i could like not talk to you for long yet when i call you are there just as i am there when you need me and its like we were always together. Friendships, company evaluated and re-evaluated.
Looking forward, a lot of changes ahead, all in name of self improvement and growing up. One small step many more to go...
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4:02
From: Black Looks
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Although the Nigerian Same Sex Marriage Bill of 2006 appears to be at least temporarily shelved, no one knows if and when it will reappear. For the moment the focus is on another proposed “morality” legislation, the Dress Code Bill sponsored by Senator Eme Ekatte, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women and Youth [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "A nation of police", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2008/04/a_nation_of_police.html" });
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4:00
From: Black Looks
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The map by ILGA is available in English, Spanish, French and Portugese, has been created to “raise awareness of state sponsored homophobia across the world.
Tags:
LGBTI
State Sponsored Homophobia
ILGA
Maps
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Global map of LGBT rights", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2008/04/global_map_of_lgbt_rights.html" });
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2:26
From: You Missed This
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Here is a glimpse of the cabinet crisis drama in writing..... 7th April 2008 His Excellency Mwai Kibaki, CGH, MP President of the Republic of Kenya Office of the President, P.O. Box 30510, NAIROBI Your Excellency, RE: FORMATION OF THE GRAND COALITION GOVERNMENT The meeting yesterday adjourned to allow for consultations until this afternoon, after you declined further discussions on portfolio balance and instead insisted on your proposed allocation of ministries. Our party is deeply concerned that the stalemate over the formation of the Grand Coalition Government is increasing uncertainty and anxiety in the country. It is also escalating the mistrust that we as leaders were expected to eliminate by the establishment of the Grand Coalition. The National Accord and Reconciliation Act is already in force. It must be understood that ODM and PNU are equal partners in the Grand Coalition. The failure to form the Grand Coalition Government is in fact a continuing breach of the Act and the Constitution. We have always acted in good faith and conveyed to Your Excellency that the Grand Coalition would be one government. The positions PNU is staking claim to imply that we are forming a government with two cabinets. On the contrary, this is a Grand Coalition of two equal partners sharing executive power on a 50-50 basis. It is becoming clear to our party that your side is reluctant to honour the spirit and principles of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act. I therefore wish to let you know that the following issues must be resolved in the course of our further consultations on the formation of the Government: - The Current Cabinet
The current cabinet should be dissolved to allow for the formation of a fresh Cabinet in accordance with the Act. - Portfolio Balance
Although we reluctantly conceded to an enlarged cabinet against the wishes of Kenyans, our party now maintains that the Grand Coalition Cabinet should not exceed 34 ministries. Allocations of portfolios must be based on the agreement of 3rd April 2008 in which we agreed that the PNU side nominates appointments in the Finance and Security portfolios and in return, ODM would nominate Ministers to the following portfolios: · Local Government · Foreign Affairs · Transport · Energy · Cabinet Affairs It is important I reiterate that the above represents and remains our Party’s irreducible minimum position. We attach hereto, for your ease of reference, the full ODM Portfolio Balance List, which was delivered to you last Friday. - Structure and Organization of Government
The following must also be agreed upon in advance: · An acceptable classification of ministries; · A clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of the Office of the Prime Minister; · The structure and organization of government, including the rationalisation of the roles of the Head of the Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet; · Appointment of the Permanent Secretaries; · Appointment of Ambassadors and High Commissioners; and the · Appointment of the Chairpersons, Directors and Chief Executives of parastatals, and constitutional offices. I propose that a Joint Team of four members, two from each side, be constituted to build consensus on these issues within the next three days. Please confirm your acceptance of the above before the meeting this afternoon. Yours truly, Hon Raila Odinga, EGH, MP Prime Minister-Designate Encl. 88888888888888888000000000000000011111111111111111 STATEMENT BY HON. RAILA ODINGA, PRIME MINISTER-DESIGNATE, ON THE CURRENT STATUS OF NEGOTIATIONS ON FORMING THE GRAND COALITION GOVERNMENT 7 April 08 With cries of jubilation and Happy New Years, Kenyans on 28th February began to breathe freely again as the National Accord brokered by Mr. Kofi Annan was signed by President Kibaki and myself. The terror and fear they had been living under at the hands of mobs, militias and government forces was finally over. A few weeks later, Parliament unanimously entrenched the Accord into the Constitution and Laws of Kenya. But since then, Kenyans have observed with growing dismay and anxiety that not a single concrete agreement has been achieved on any aspect of the new coalition government. Our nation is adrift and without direction, and with each passing day, our problems are mounting. To overcome this terrible impasse and another looming crisis, our side has gone many extra miles and made an extraordinary number of concessions. Against the strong wishes of our supporters and indeed of all Kenyans, we accepted PNU’s insistence on a bloated 40 member Cabinet. I agreed also to cede some of the most crucial ministries – such as Finance, Defense, Internal Security and Justice and Constitutional Affairs. -+In exchange, we obtained infrastructural ministries such as Energy, Transport and Roads - which are instrumental in the building of rapid economic growth - as well as Local Government and Foreign Affairs. But in agreeing to this, I indicated that we had reached our irreducible minimum. The response to our magnanimity from the other side has been to retract every agreement we have finalized! This latest crisis in portfolio balance captures the astonishing lengths PNU is willing to go to ensure that it continues to monopolize power. On 1st April, President Kibaki’s emissary, Hon George Saitoti, gave me a proposed list of 40 ministries and how they should be divided. The next day, we wrote to the President’s Office rejecting the proposal. The following day, 3rd April, President Kibaki and I met for two hours and made numerous concrete agreements on portfolio balance that I have just mentioned, which enabled both of us to say publicly that the Cabinet would be announced yesterday (Sunday). On Saturday, I received from Ambassador Muthaura a letter unilaterally indicating that the Cabinet to be announced would be formed on the basis of an enclosed list of ministries and their allocations that we had rejected on 2nd April! The agreements we reached in our 3rd April meeting were nowhere to be seen. We were therefore unable to reach any agreement in the six hours of talks yesterday. Today, in response to a letter I had written to President Kibaki, we received a reply from Ambassador Muthaura side reneging on our previous agreements, as well as the spirit and the letter of the Accord. In PNU’s interpretation, the Constitution grants the President exclusive executive power to run this country on his own, and that these powers supersede all the provisions of the Accord. The President and I promised the nation yesterday that we would finalize arrangements for the Grand Coalition government, including the naming of the Cabinet. However, PNU’s misconception of the Accord and the principles of democratic governance mean that there was no point in meeting today to conclude discussions on Cabinet formation and the constitution of the government. We hereby provide correspondence between our two sides which gives details of the issues at stake and our proposals on the way forward. Let me state once again that we are committed to the full and speedy implementation of the National Accord to resolve the crisis gripping our country. 88888888888888888000000000000000011111111111111111 7 April 2008 His Excellency Mwai Kibaki, CGH, MP, President of the Republic of Kenya, State House, NAIROBI Your Excellency, FORMATION OF THE GRAND COALITION GOVERNMENT I have been directed by the Prime Minister-Designate to reply to your letter as follows: - We note PNU’s expressed commitment to the implementation of National Accord and Reconciliation Act. However, the tone and content of your letter completely negates the spirit and the letter of the Accord.
- As you may appreciate, this arrangement is about a Grand Coalition Government arrived at after protracted consultations that saved this country from total collapse.
- To facilitate the formation of the Grand Coalition Government, the National Accord and Reconciliation Act, 2008 and the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Act, 2008 were enacted.
- Your reference to Sections 23, 17, 18 and 111 of the Constitution, with respect to executive authority of government, assigning of portfolios to ministers and appointment to Secretary to the Cabinet, Permanent Secretaries and High Commissioners is misleading.
- A Grand Coalition Government as envisaged by the National Accord can only be managed under the provisions of the Act. The other sections of the Constitution did not envisage the Grand Coalition Government.
- The Constitution as amended, in Section 4 (3) of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act (2008) provides that “the composition of the coalition Government shall at all times reflect the relative parliamentary strength of the respective parties and shall at all times take into account the principle of portfolio balance”. That is the Constitution as it stands today.
- Your reference to Sections 23, 17, 18 and 111 are overridden by the proviso to Section 3 and Section 15A (5) and (6) of the Constitution which states respectively as follows:
“Provided that the provisions of this section as to consistency with this Constitution shall not apply in respect of an Act made pursuant to section 15A(3)”, and “Nothing contained in or done under the authority of an Act of Parliament made pursuant to subsection (3) immediately following the commencement of this section shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of any provisions of this Constitution”. Therefore, the references to the above sections of the Constitution and all other provisions relating to the exercise of the executive authority, appointments and assignments of responsibility by the President, in this coalition arrangement, MUST be exercised in strict conformity and complete compliance with full provisions and requirements of the Accord. - We look forward to the full and speedy implementation of the Accord and will avail ourselves at the earliest opportunity to discuss portfolio balance, structure and organization of government, the appointments of Secretary to the Cabinet, Permanent Secretaries, Ambassadors and High Commissioners in our joint pursuit to constitute the coalition Government as envisaged in Section 4(3) of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act, 2008.
- The basic framework and structure of the Government of Kenya must be in accordance with the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Act, 2008 and National Accord and Reconciliation Act (2008) which is founded on power-sharing. Any departure from the Constitution and the Accord is an abrogation of the supreme law of the land and any government otherwise established is illegal and unconstitutional.
Yours truly Dr. Mohamed Isahakia ODM Secretariat
Who is listening in to your cell phone conversations, Kenyans?
Naomi Campbell allegedly spat at policeman and could get 6 months in jail if found guilty
Paper Bag (juala) causes young girl a serious infection, guess how it got inside her...
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From: Kenyanpoet
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Leadership Forum Networking Professionals The Creative Economy The World Bank has estimated that creative industries already contribute as much as 7% of the world GDP, exhibiting a particularly rapid rate of expansion over the past decade. The forecast is for growth rates averaging 10% per annum in the coming years.The creative industries account for 8.2 per cent of UK GDP and are growing at twice the rate of the economy as a whole – averaging 5 per cent a year between 1997 and 2004. Creative industries are industries based on individual creativity, skill and talent such as advertising, Art and antiques markets and Film and video amongst others. The British Council Leadership Forum brings you a panel of three discussing the creative economy in Kenya with the audience
Duncan Ogweno
(IT co-ordinator IFC, SME solution centre)
Moses Mbasu a.k.a Buddha Blaze ( Creative Entrepreneur) Eric Wainaina( Creative Entrepreneur) @ The Stanley Hotel Ball Room
16th April 2008, 5.30 pm – 8 pm
Charges: Leadership Forum members – Free
Non-Leadership Forum Members – Kshs 3,000 per year or Kshs 500 per session Please forward questions you would like to be addressed by this panel as you confirm your attendance by Wednesday 11th April to facilitate planning. [britishcouncilkenyalead.blogspot.com]
Regards, Stella Munene | Customer Service
British Council | PO Box 40751, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone +254 (0)20 2836000 (Pilot) | Fax +254 (0)20 2836500 Organisational change for less than you think.
www.britishcouncil.org/kenya “As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical”
  
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From: Kenyanpoet
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Calling out: ‘Reading Stages’ workshop - Kwani Trust
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From: Kenyanpoet
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Kunja Dance Theatre presents - Triple Bill(Contemporary Dance)
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