17:40
According to the Nation Susan Mudhune the immediate former chairperson of KCB has retired. Or is it poor reporting by Nation? Or slow updates by KCB?
She still appears - as of 2 July - on the KCB Bank website as a director.
The only other woman to chair an AGM, for a listed company, was Susan Mudhune chairing Kenya Commercial Bank, but without the benefit of a woman chief executive. Ms Mudhune retired from the bank’s board last month.
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16:30 Why Does Amos Wako Exist?
» Kenyanentrepreneur.com If there is one civil servant in Kenya whose job is entirely and completely irrelevant, it is that of the Attorney General. Can somebody please tell me what good Amos Wako has ever done for the country? There is no scandal he has ever prevented, there is no important prosecution he has ever [...]
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14:41
Ingrid Betancourt Freed in Colombia
» Marian's Blog French and U.S. media report the military rescue of Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt along with three persons identified as U.S. State Department military contractors, and several Colombian military. Betancourt and her campaign manager, Clara Rojas (released several months ago), were... -
14:25
Habitat for fishies?
» Marian's Blog More than 40 NYC subway cars have been retired, submerged and 're-purposed' as a unique refuge for aquatic life off Virginia's coast:
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13:03
What is the Western Entitlement Syndrome?
» The Displaced African What is the Western Entitlement Syndrome?
If this article is a little to abstract or ambiguous, ask questions in the comments thread and I will gladly make sure you get what I’m trying to say.
In the interests of ensuring that everyone understands everyone as much as possible, I will write about something today that I have chosen to label:
The Western Entitlement Syndrome
But Mwangi What is the Western Entitlement Syndrome?
I am so glad you asked. It should be noted that this syndrome is most visible in either people who are from the West AND (this is important) people who are Westernized, i.e. anyone from a city is at risk of getting this disease. The Western entitlement syndrome is a rather complex thing that has a few parts:
It is the genuine heart felt belief that goodness and blessings are a birthright for the simple fact that I was born. This is coupled with a belief that God, the world and everything in it is on one’s side and anything that isn’t one one’s side and/or takes away from the goodness is either an obstacle that must be eliminated or a weird, creepy thing that must be ignored.
As I said, it is a complex thing (and I was too lazy to split it up into parts and explain each different part) and so to illustrate just what this syndrome looks like I will tell you a couple of stories:
The Young Men Who Thought they Were Supermen
I remember back when I was still in high school I went to this house party. It was in a small secluded home at the very top of a dark, well forested mountain. I showed up in there with three of my “brothers from the motherland” determined to make cross-cultural exchange a double entedre.I was the loudest, most obnoxious fellow in the room. And after singing, hugging, grabbing, joking, huffing and puffing, I packed my bags because I was going home alone. As we were packing up to leave a panic hit the party.
Are those Boys Mad?
It turns out that the girl hosting the party had had a spat with three vveerrrryyyyy drunk boys who had attended the party and somehow the boys decided that the way they would get vengeance would be by trying to take the 5-10 kilometer extremely-convoluted-and-pitch-black hike down the mountain on their own. Well, their technique looked like it worked because this girl was horror stricken.
The Search Begins
We packed my friends saloon car with 5 males and 2 girls and off we went in search of these three young men, as the rain came pouring heavily down. We screamed their names and drove around for close to an hour and a half before we found the first boy. Soon after we found the second.
The Third is Always the Special One Isn’t He?
I will never forget the way we found the third one. I want you to imagine the Blair Witch Project or the Exorcist. The world around us was in a blanket of darkness but for the meagre lights of my buddy’s Nissan Silvia. As we descended down a hill, at the very bottom of it, the spotlight rest on a what-the-heck-is-that-doing-in-the-middle-of-nowhere street post that had two signs, one pointing to the left and one to the right. Leaning against that pole, completely drenched and looking like he was among the walking dead was the third boy.
Success
I don’t even know if he was fully conscious as we brought him back to the car and put him in the backseat. Feeling very much like self-sacrificing heroes, me and my buddy got in the trunk of the car so that these boys could have room in the back seat.
What I have never forgotten about that day, aside from the hyperbolic drama, was the last thing the third boy said to me just as we were dropping him home:
Thank you. I didn’t know what I was thinking. You know we thought we were superman. We thought we were invincible.
Hmmmm
God My Provider
If you have no understanding of Christian faith or theology, see you in the next headline below…….
Of late, I have been going to church and church related events A LOT. One thing that seems to come up over and over and over and over and over and over again is a little process that I like to call cognitive dissonance that probably should never have happened in the first place:
Step one: People in churches all over Australia reach out to people by telling them that, “God and His love will fulfill your every want and need and so surrender to him and he’ll give you everything your heart hungers for.”Step two: People join the church believing and expecting that now that they have “surrendered” they will get everything they want and need….ooohhh, I “need” a car, a flat screen, a mouse trap, an X- box 360 (Wii is way better but whatever)
Step three: Tragedy strikes: They get sick, lose a job a car or a nail.
Step four: They cry out for God to fix it
Step five: He doesn’t
Step six: They get very mad because God isn’t some vending machine that pops out miracles every time they pray and actually brings pain to their lives.
Step seven: They realize that God won’t always provide and either really struggle with this or leave the church.
Now I know a lot of folk reading this raised in a third world country, when they read step 6 said:
Well, d’uh ( In Indonesia this means bye, seriously try it go to an Indonesian and say da! ) ! He runs the Universe, He does what He wants, when He wants and sometimes we are beneficiaries, some times we are not. But he isn’t here to be our vending machines.
And yet, a lot of folk out here struggle with this. Why?
Because of the Western entitlement syndrome
So What’s Your Point?
I really have no point. I just wanted to put a post out there and make you aware that this exists. That some people really do think that human rights ARE intrinsic human rights not limited to the UN conventions but also including material prosperity and health. Is it wrong? I don’t know. Is it real? You better believe it and you best find a way to handle it. Our complaining won’t make it go away…………………..To hear more about what I have learned from 6 years + of being an African immigrant ensure you stay in the loop via RSS or email .
Have an empathetic day, Mwangi
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11:09
UNBOWED & STORYMOJA NYAMACHOMA FIESTA
» Kenyanpoet UNBOWED!
"By the time of my court hearing, my legs had completely seized up, crying from the pain and weak from hunger. I had to be carried by four strong policewomen into the court room. It was strange for me to feel so helpless. People were shocked when they saw me unable even to stand to hear the charges read. "What have they given her!? They have killed her!" People shouted.
(excerpt from Prof. Wangari Maathai's autobiography 'Unbowed, one woman's story')
How far are you willing to go to defend what you believe in?
The story of Nobel laureate Prof Wangari Maathai is one of a woman who would not flinch in the defense of what she believed in. Its the story of the extraordinary life, struggle and rise of this extraordinary lady from the little village of Ihithe, Tetu District, who rose to be the first female Nobel Laureate on the continent. It's a story of passion, humility, determination and above all unwavering courage in the face of overwhelming odds. It's the story of what this nation desperately needs at this hour; leadership that is dedicated to a cause greater than self.
On the 7th of July, special guest Hon Njoki Ndungu and the Storymoja Book Club look at the life and times of Kenya's first Nobel Laureate Prof.Wangari Maathai as written in her autobiography 'Unbowed, one woman's story' and the forces that shaped her life to produce the icon that she is today. Come join us and share with us at Books First Restaurant, 1st floor, Nakumatt Lifestyle between 6pm and 8pm.
STORYMOJA NYAMACHOMA FIESTA ON 10TH AUGUST 2008
Story Moja team invites you to join them in celebrating Kenyan stories by attending the 2008 Storymoja Nyamachoma Reading Fiesta.
This is the second annual Fiesta. It will be held on Sunday 10th August at Impala Club grounds. The theme of this year’s event is, ‘Storytelling for Peace’.
In preparation for the event, they plan to run four different build-up activities commencing mid-June 2008 in order to generate excitement and pre-sell tickets for the Fiesta.
The Build- up events will be from mid-June to 1st August
For more info contact David for more info. david (at )storymojaafrica.co.ke
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Our husband has gone mad again & Nuts
» Kenyanpoet Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}Festival of Creative Arts (FCA), this weekend bring you Nuts & Our Husband has gone mad again.
Nuts will be showing at the French Cultural Center from the 3rd to 6thJuly.. Our husband…will be showing at the Kenya National Theatre from 4th to 6th JulyCharges are:
Adults : Ksh. 400
Students : Ksh. 300
Advance : Ksh. 300
They have a special offer of Ksh. 600 if one buys tickets for both plays.
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10:29
Grand Debate
» bankelele [EDIT – at the end of the session, members of parliament passed a motion of censure against the Minister for Finance – Amos Kimunya, MP for Kipipiri]
Live on TV - all stations
Is the debate to censure Finance Minister Amos Kimunya for his role in the controversial sale of the Grand Regency Hotel.
Before a rather hostile opposition side, He’s just given a statement where he:
- Outlined his long history as an accountant and a crusader for reforms, revenue gains and tax savings for the Kenyan people numerous times such as with De La Rue, pending contractor bills, Safaricom, Telkom Kenya
- On Safaricom. Mobietelea was there long before he was in government or parliament
- On Alcazar - reputed owner of 11% in Safaricom – he says after Vodafone (K) and the Kenya government, no one else owns more than 1% of the company (after the IPO)
- On the Grand Regency Hotel: it was sold for $45 million {~ billion shillings} in May 2008
- The central bank made the sale and was not under duress.
- The ministry of lands, attorney generals office, prime ministers’ office have all received various reports
- More info forthcoming tomorrow
Safaricom IPO
Day 18 - Deals 5,266 Turnover 439, million ($6.86) million Ave 7.29 Closing 7.25 High 7.50 Low 7.20 Last 7.30 Volume 60.3 million shares - Market still absorbing supply but its very well supported at these levels. The move higher depends on how much more de-leveraging has to be done.
Day 17 - Deals 4,671 Turnover 302 million ($4.7 million) 7.35 High 7.50 Low 7.25 Last volume of 41 million shares - orderly and some sellers came off 7.50 to sell lower. Strong demand at 7.25. Remains constructive. 6.65-8.15 range.
commentary and data courtesy of Rich.co.ke - N.S.E Data Vendor
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10:03
What Kibaki Is About To Do To Ease Grand Regency Pressure
» You Missed This Muta-do?The Anglo Leasing scandal which happened during President Kibaki’s first term and where Kenyans lost billions of shillings is now long forgotten.
But what should interest Kenyans more is what was done to cool off things then because history is about to repeat itself on hapless Kenyans.
Those who know the president are well aware of the fact that he is very slow to make decisions. This has both advantages and disadvantages as any good manager will tell you. One of the huge disadvantages is that in our fast-paced world of today delayed decisions can be disastrous. But I digress. What I wanted to say was that at the height of Anglo Leasing, there was pressure for days which turned into weeks and finally the Finance Minister then Daudi Mwiraria resigned over the still unsolved scandal. This was followed by the resignation of the then energy minister Kiraitu Murungi (whose voice was clearly heard in one of the Githongo tapes asking the ethics PS to go slow on Anglo leasing culprits). Note that the two ministers were not sacked. They resigned.
It was not lost on close observers that both ministers had sworn never to resign (just like Amos Kimunya has done. In fact he has said that those calling for his resignation should themselves resign). But after a brief meeting with the appointing authority they emerged with a different mind set. The president hates to fire anybody and that is a serious management weakness.
The resignation of a cabinet minister was unprecedented in the history of Kenya at the time and therefore the public was very excited and happy. The end result of this was that information released later on the Anglo Leasing scam was mostly ignored. Kenyans never got to the bottom of Anglo Leasing and Mwai Kibaki survived to fight another day.
We all know what happened next. The two gentlemen sneaked back into cabinet after being given a clean bill of health by the anti corruption jokers led by one Aaron Ringera.
Now folks, watch carefully. The same thing is about to happen. This is almost a certainty and the only thing nagging the president’s close advisors now is whom to replace Kimunya with. Yep, shifty-eyes-blind-side-winger Amos Kimunya is going to be used as a sacrificial lamb.
But what must really be nagging Kibaki insiders is the fact that there is the annoying possibility that the ODM arm of the coalition government will push for one of their own to take over at Treasury which will in fact be a very smart move because it will appease ODM supporters who will no longer be interested in getting to the bottom of this Grand Regency saga. PNU chaps will then just fall into line. Or divert attention by making noise about the appointment. Perfect. Just perfect. There are too many possibilities in the star-studded ODM camp for the Finance portfolio starting with Prof Anyang Nyong’o.
The other advantage of appointing from ODM is that it may just cause this 6 month marriage to be finally consummated. Very strange marriage this coalition thing, imagine there has been no sex happening! What kind of marriage is that?
And so Mwai Kibaki will survive yet again.
Muta-do?
P.S. I am certain of one thing. Mwai Kibaki has lots of regrets over decisions that he made last year in the run up to the ill-fated presidential elections (including the current Grand Regency thing and many other issues that will emerge in due time. But if you want to know them early you can read my latest raw notes).
I am sure he has fantasies all the time about the comfortable slow life in retirement that he would have been enjoying at Othaya now while Raila Odinga would have been sweating it out by now and seeing his popularity dip from some very high and impossible expectations Kenyans had. Problems like the current oil price crisis and rising food prices would have ensured a very rocky beginning indeed for the ODM government. The people would have been saying that Kibaki’s rule was better. I can almost see some MPs making noise in parliament about President Odinga and saying that he does not know any economics like Mwai Kibaki did.
But alas last year Mr Kibaki did not want to go down in history as the first one-term president ever in Africa, nothing else mattered. Now he has to pay the price.
Life is really fascinating ain’t it?
Breaking News at 6:22 PM
Parliament has just unanimously passed the motion of censure against Finance Minister Amos Kimunya. A sweating Kimunya at one point even had to invoke his wife and daughter in an emotional defense that lacked substance. The drama continues to unfold. The big question is will kenyans get the answers or will the resignation of Kimunya close the chapter?
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9:09
When I See You
» tHiNkEr'S rOoM -
Dracula’s Wedding
» tHiNkEr'S rOoM Ah, Outkast! Genius!!
© M for tHiNkEr'S rOoM, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:
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2:49
Why oh why?
» Memories, Sentiments, Rants and Raves Does size matter?
Why are men so comfortable with nudity, they just strip and strut around whether
they have a six pack or pot belly, ashy skin, bad legs, unshaved or shaved "Jordo"?
Why do some TV channels insist on airing programs/movies that are not
family friendly as early as 8pm with nudity and cursing? Come to think of it is it
just me or do most cartoons have an adult theme?
Why do some women feel a need to flirt with bus conductors so as to either not pay
fare or pay half of the require amount, Is it really necessary even in the name of
cutting costs?
Why do some men hate on women driving big cars always assuming(loudly) that they
are mistresses or driving daddy's car or boyfriend's car and even if so, then what?
In this day and age, why would one feel a deep need to flash his/her business
card/title all in bid to get some attention. How about trying to develop some
conversation skills?
Most of the men i know will pick up the cheque or go dutch which is good either
way, that i can handle. Abeg you explain the breed of men who just sit there and
wait for women to pay and no they wont do dutch either!
Do people generally realize that there is a difference between making love and
having sex?
When you buy someone a gift or treat them to something,do you realize that the
receiver owes you nothing but gratitude.In the event that you want more kindly let
the term and conditions/fine print be known sooner than later.
Why do i always need a holiday to recover from my holiday?
Why do we as women set such low standards for men?
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Is this a coalition government or are these two separate governments?
» You Missed This It's now six months since the events of December 2007 made necessary the formation of a coalition government. In that time, a lot has happened that makes it necessary for us to wonder whether Kenya's is truly a coalition government or two separate and unequal governments.
Here are the pertinent issues.
1. After the elections, it was my understanding, and that of most Kenyans, that one of the most critical issues that faced the nation was the restructuring of the Electoral Commission of Kenya. There was a man called Samuel Kivuitu who had disgraced himself so irreparably that the only redemptive way out for him was to resign, then be charged with aiding and abetting fraudulence in an election. As things stand, this matter seems to have effectively been shelved by the Kibaki side of the government. What I have to wonder is...by agreeing to participate in the by-elections recently held, was the ODM side saying Kivuitu is just fine? Is reforming this discredited body still a priority, or must Kenyans wait till we are close to another election before our perpetually shortsighted politicians sense that this matter could lead to another meltdown?
2. The matter of the constitution was supposed to be a top priority. Indeed, it was the understanding of Kenyans that the government was going to move with speed to address the many issues our constitution fell short on. Land Policy. Distribution of resources. Gender equality. Religious freedom. Six months later, what we've witnessed is the PNU side, led by Amos Kimunya, reading a budget that failed to allocate any funds for this critical exercise. The question again is...what's the ODM storyline here? Are we waiting for 2011 to start scrambling? It will be the biggest failure of leadership if the PNU side hoodwinks us and successfully sends Kenya to another election under the unrepresentative constitution.
3. The IDPs were supposed to have been settled by now. What in the world are our brothers and sisters still doing in the cold and the unforgiving rains of the season? Where is the money that was allocated for the exercise of settling these folks, and why can't the exercise be commenced and done with the competence and compassion it deserves? Six months later? Shame on all of us! But again, where is the ODM on this matter? Are we waiting for 2011, when we are looking for the votes of these suffering mothers and fathers? Where is action, folks?
4. The final urgent matter is the amnesty issue. On this, we know that the Kibaki side of the government wants to prosecute what they call criminals. The Odinga side wants to forgive and foster reconciliation. These are two visions that have a bearing on the future of our nation. Like I've always warned, the Kibaki team is hell-bent on scapegoating the small man for the election debacle. To the PNU, everything would have been just fine if Kibaki's theft of the election had gone unchallenged and the Mungiki was given a free reign. Well, to ODM's credit, this is a matter that has been pursued with gusto. But that's not enough. At some point it must be made clear that there is a time limit to the call for amnesty. The ODM must let Kenyans know what steps will be taken if the other side of the government insists on punishing the small man and letting the real criminals go free.
Those are the big four. Indeed, it would be enough if from here on out, the two governments concentrated on resolving those four issues only. Those issues are enough to occupy us till 2012. If we don't get them right, God forbid that we should face another election so soon!
That said, here are the other arising matters.
a. The Cabinet
It's now clear that while folks in the PNU side are engaged in corruption on a grand scale, like the harrowing sale of the nation's landmark hotel, the folks in the ODM side are asking questions and working to stop the blatant looting going on. Does the fact that the Hon James Orengo was out of the loop on a matter of this magnitude inspire your confidence as a Kenyan? Hhmm. And you still call this a coalition?
b. Permanent Secretaries
Once upon a time we were told that this was supposed to be a 50-50 government. But when the two principals got behind closed doors and presented their list of PSs to the nation, what we saw was anything but a 50-50 split. We also saw a bunch of oldies. I understand and applaud the pragmatism that led the Prime Minister to swallow this bitter pill, but this matter aptly demonstrates the fact that what we have is two governments.
c. Diplomatic Assignments
It seems to me like once again the folks who were in these positions were merely affirmed. Where are the 50% that represent the ODM in the world's capitals?
d. Corporate Appointments
Again, point a finger at the 50% that represent the ODM.
As usual, I expect to be called an inciter and all manner of names for slapping the facts on the table. But if we don't deal with these matters on an honest basis, we'll only be fooling ourselves. Facts have a way of coming back to kick the butt of those who ignore them. So based on what has transpired in the six months, fellow Kenyans, what I see is two separate governments, one more powerful and more corrupt, the other less powerful but more patriotic.
For the sake of Kenya, I pray that the patriots will have an upper hand.
For Love of Country,
Guest post by Sam O. Okello
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