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22:33
It Pays To Be Patient
» For Love and Money It Pays To Be Patient
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21:09
Scoundrel Lawyers Scavaning Carcass Kenya
» You Missed This Mouths or legal scoundrels for hire. Lawyers will smell opportunity to scavenge even before the prey is identified leave alone falling dead. What is more, they have no qualms how the prey met her death. Now the smart pair of Kibe Muigai and Ahmednasir are circling carcase Kenya with their claws all drawn out to curve out the choicest beef.
Best known for superlative splitting of hairs, the pair are now busy trashing Waki’s report for claiming he breached Kenya's Commission of Inquiry Act oblivious of the fact and circumstances that fathered the commission in the first place. Hawky Ahmednasir started it over the weekend by showering MUTE Kriegler with praise for his objectivity while selectively knit picking on Waki’s report for playing to the gallery.
You don’t have to be a neurosurgeon to see the thinly veiled cry now that Waki saw it coming and sealed all rent-seeking loopholes. Soon we will see the politicos join the fray claiming that Waki report was designed to settle scores originating from Kiaritu-Ringera radical surgery that never saw the inside of a theatre. It will be interesting to see these pair of loud-mouthed unofficial STATE LAWYERS manufacture law or twist the present one to pin Waki down.
The devil is securely housed in the secret envelope. All efforts will be made to belittle Annan and his next move with the envelope. Fortunately the die is cast and rolling fast down hill. The Hague Express is beckoning all her fully paid up passengers. No amount of sideshows however cleverly crafted will fly. What an obtuse paradox how lawyers foam at the mouth warning all and sundry about the perils of impunity oblivious of the naked fact that their actions weans the same monster.
Waki is no angel but on this single score he saw the devil, cut a responsible corner with the trophy. All the mongrels can do is to shed crocodile tears over spilt milk while atop the tree on the opposite bank of the raging River JUSTICE.
More wood to Hague pyre
Kibe and Ahmednasir can shout all the legal niceties claiming Waki overstepped his mandate in authoring the contents of the secret envelope, but Kenyans are no longer the naive lot let by the leash of NGO/LEGAL parasites sucking us to the bone marrow.
Waki’s smart move must have been informed and inspired by his desire to free Kenyans from the chocking bondage of IMPUNITY premised on fraudulent and deceptive leadership. The political class shamelessly continue digging even after plunging us into a bottomless hole.
Philip Waki has immortalized Achebe’s wisdom on its head. Because we have been serially turning and turning in the widening gyre of rudderlessness, the falcon cannot hear the falconer and things fell apart with devastating thud. The centre can no longer hold and we need the international community to punish and eradicate IMPUNITY.
More dry wood to the Hague pyre please.
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Scoundrel Lawyers Scavenging Carcass Kenya
» You Missed This Mouths or legal scoundrels for hire. Lawyers will smell opportunity to scavenge even before the prey is identified leave alone falling dead. What is more, they have no qualms how the prey met her death. Now the smart pair of Kibe Muigai and Ahmednasir are circling carcase Kenya with their claws all drawn out to curve out the choicest beef.
Best known for superlative splitting of hairs, the pair are now busy trashing Waki’s report for claiming he breached Kenya's Commission of Inquiry Act oblivious of the fact and circumstances that fathered the commission in the first place. Hawky Ahmednasir started it over the weekend by showering MUTE Kriegler with praise for his objectivity while selectively knit picking on Waki’s report for playing to the gallery.
You don’t have to be a neurosurgeon to see the thinly veiled cry now that Waki saw it coming and sealed all rent-seeking loopholes. Soon we will see the politicos join the fray claiming that Waki report was designed to settle scores originating from Kiaritu-Ringera radical surgery that never saw the inside of a theatre. It will be interesting to see these pair of loud-mouthed unofficial STATE LAWYERS manufacture law or twist the present one to pin Waki down.
The devil is securely housed in the secret envelope. All efforts will be made to belittle Annan and his next move with the envelope. Fortunately the die is cast and rolling. The Hague Express is beckoning all her rightful passengers and no amount of sideshows however cleverly crafted will fly.
What an obtuse paradox how lawyers foam at the mouth warning all and sundry about the perils of impunity oblivious of the naked fact that their actions weans the same monster. Waki is no angel but on this one he saw the devil, cut a corner with the trophy and all the mongrel can do is cry over spilt milk while atop the tree on the opposite bank of the raging River JUSTICE.
More wood to Hague pyre
Kibe and Ahmednasir can shout all the legal niceties claiming Waki overstepped his mandate in authoring the contents of the secret envelope, but Kenyans are no longer the naive lot let by the leash of NGO/LEGAL parasites sucking us to the bone marrow.
Waki’s smart move must have been informed by his desire to free Kenyans from the collective bondage of IMPUNITY premised on fraudulent and deceptive leadership. The political class shamelessly continue digging even after plunging us into a bottomless hole.
Waki has literally translated Achebe’s wisdom on its head. Because we have been serially turning and turning in the widening gyre of rudderlessness, the falcon cannot hear the falconer and things fell apart with devastating thud. The centre can no longer hold and we need the international community to punish and eradicate IMPUNITY.
More dry wood to the Hague pyre please.
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17:33
Ushahidi alpha is out!
» Kenyan Pundit Click here for all the juicy details!
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17:27 Geo-Engineering - A Big Ridiculous Idea?
» Afromusing In the September 10th 2008 issue of the Economist, there was an article about Geo-engineering, describing the ‘Transactional Analysis’ document from the Royal scientists…
In the paper, the idea of planting trees was was ‘alluded to but not discussed’.A second idea for scrubbing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, alluded to in the Transactions but not much discussed, is to plant more trees. In principle, any old trees would do—although they die and rot, more forest cover would lock up more carbon dioxide. However, genetically modified trees might grow faster. Such trees are being developed to help the lumber, pulp and biofuel industries. But fast-growing forests could also be planted in order to capture carbon dioxide quickly.
Funny, this is the idea that seems doable yet it is not given much attention. Amongst other benefits, trees would help reclaim water catchment areas that are dwindling as we speak, and while we are at, why not encourage planting indigenous trees to enhance plant diversity?
It warms my heart when right wingers like Pat Robertson can sit with Al Sharpton on a setee by the beach, and proclaim that they see eye to eye on the climate crisis. The ads just point people to visit wecansolveit.org. A website will not a crisis avert. Granted they are are trying to create a community/movement, but that wont do much in my opinion. The ads would have been more effective if they pointed out one demonstrable action that people can take (I’d suggest urging people to plant trees) AND visit wecansolveit.org. Al, I love you, but please find a more practical way, or change ad agencies.
Planting trees; though quite obvious seems to make much more sense to me than giant rotating cylinders that create the ‘magnus effect’. It makes more sense that putting sulphur in jet fuel, flying in high altitudes and polluting the atmosphere so the sulphur crystals can reflect the sun’s rays off the earth. Don’t get me wrong, I would really like to believe that I am open-minded the big ideas put forth in the transactional paper. I do agree that the climate crisis is one big ginormous problem that threatens the future stability of the world, heck my grandma told me climate change is real. What is being done NOW to adapt to climate change? What are we doing to reclaim our rapidly deforested areas? Big questions. Yet, we can start with simple, yet obvious actions like planting trees.
In the quest to make it a cool thing to do (Gardeners and tree huggers are hardly rock stars) perhaps borrowing an idea from Joi Ito, he tags photos on his flickr stream with ‘freesouls’ How about we begin a tag ‘greensouls’ where you take a picture of someone/yourself planting a tree, upload to flickr, tag it and if you can, geo-tag it as ‘greensoul’?
Oh, if you can find a trader who can help monetize the tree planting to carbon credits, I would very much like to assuage my carbon guilt. I seem to have added it to my catholic guilt so now I have much more guilt than I know what to do with. It does not help that some friends keep chiding me about my carbon footprint.
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Scoundrel Lawyers Scavenging Carcass Kenya
» You Missed This Mouths or legal scoundrels for hire. Lawyers will smell opportunity to scavenge even before the prey is identified leave alone falling dead. What is more, they have no qualms how the prey met her death. Now the smart pair of Kibe Muigai and Ahmednasir are circling carcase Kenya with their claws all drawn out to curve out the choicest beef.
Best known for superlative splitting of hairs, the pair are now busy trashing Waki’s report for claiming he breached Kenya's Commission of Inquiry Act oblivious of the fact and circumstances that fathered the commission in the first place. Hawky Ahmednasir started it over the weekend by showering MUTE Kriegler with praise for his objectivity while selectively knit picking on Waki’s report for playing to the gallery.
You don’t have to be a neurosurgeon to see the thinly veiled cry now that Waki saw it coming and sealed all rent-seeking loopholes. Soon we will see the politicos join the fray claiming that Waki report was designed to settle scores originating from Kiaritu-Ringera radical surgery that never saw the inside of a theatre. It will be interesting to see these pair of loud-mouthed unofficial STATE LAWYERS manufacture law or twist the present one to pin Waki down.
The devil is housed in the secret envelope. All efforts will be made to belittle Annan and his next move with the envelope. Fortunately the die is cast and rolling. The Hague Express is beckoning all her rightful passengers and no amount of sideshows however cleverly crafted will fly.
Wood for Hague pyre
What an obtuse paradox how lawyers foam at the mouth warning all and sundry about the perils of impunity oblivious of the naked fact that their actions weans the same monster. Waki is no angel but on this one he saw the devil, cut a corner with the trophy and all the mongrel can do is cry over spilt milk while atop the tree on the opposite bank of the raging River JUSTICE. Kibe and Ahmednasir can shout all the legal niceties claiming Waki overstepped his mandate in authoring the contents of the secret envelope, but Kenyans are no longer the naive lot let by the leash of NGO/LEGAL parasites sucking us to the bone marrow.
Waki’s smart move must have been informed by his desire to free Kenyans from the collective bondage of IMPUNITY premised on fraudulent and deceptive leadership. The political class shamelessly continue digging even after plunging us into a bottomless hole.
Waki has literally translated Achebe’s wisdom on its head. Because we have been serially turning and turning in the widening gyre of rudderlessness, the falcon cannot hear the falconer and things fell apart with devastating thud. The centre can no longer hold and we need the international community to punish and eradicate IMPUNITY. More dry wood to the Hague pyre please.
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13:03
Poets & Artists Celebrate Daniel Pearl World Music Days @ Paa Ya Paa Gallery
» Kenyanpoet I had a rather hectic weekend, and at some point, a clash of interests(that is what happens when you have lots of things to do and very little time, yet u still want to do them all)
I had been invited by Elimu Njau and his wife Phillda to get fellow poets for an event at their gallery in Kiambu in celebration of the Daniel Pearl World music day.(see earlier post here).
I managed to get Mike Kwambo, Grand Master Masese(see photo as he poses with his Obokano) Denis Inkwa and Obaladan (although Obala got stuck in Kajiado that day and couldn’t make it back to Nrb in time for the show)
The event was set to start at 3.30pm in the leafy suburbs of Central province with various groups both local and some from as far as Sudan poised to share the stage.
And boy, did I have a hectic time getting there! At 2.20pm I was still somewhere in Kabete. Needless to say, I arrived at the venue at 3.55pm-breathless.
Fortunately the event was just starting although the place was already packed with dignitaries from the US Embassy, friends of Paa ya Paa, invited guests and artists.
After a brief intro of the event and the person behind it(Daniel Pearl) by Elimu Njau, the program started with a further intro by Ellen Bienstock, the US Embassy Cultural Attache`.
The Counselor for public Affairs at the US Embassy, TJ Dowling also gave a few remarks after which the performances started.
Among the groups that performed were; Ensemble Bush Bach(a group in which Phillda Njau is a pianist)
Zare Folk group from Darfur Sudan, ACREF Singers and dancers from Kalapapla Baganda, Kuruka Maisha and the 4 poets among other solo artists.
The turn out on Saturday for the event was quite amazing as Mrs. Njau later confessed to me, she had actually been worried that very few would come.
She is making plans to have a monthly evening event of performance arts. Details will be posted here.
As part of the celebration, there will be a showing of the Daniel Pearl fild ‘A Mighty Heart” starring Angelina Jolie. It has been produced from a memoir by his wife, Marianne Pearl. The film will be shown at the Ridgeways Baptist Church on Church lane, Ridgeways on Wednesday 29th at 5.30. Entrance is free.
Find time and visit the Paa ya Paa gallery if you have never been there. They may be reached on info(at)paayapaa(dot)com.
It is unfortunate that I couldn’t not make it for the forum Jacob Oketch had invited me for at the Goethe Institute. My apologies.
On a painful note, I am now nursing some serious muscle aches after some real running in the Stanchart Marathon on Sunday. 10KMs is no joke! See photos on SportsKenya
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Jitters In Kenyan Kitchen Cabinet Over An Obama Win
» You Missed This But are they really justified?
Insider sources inform this blogger that when the possibility of an Obama win was first brought up within the Kibaki kitchen cabinet months ago, it was dismissed outright. Somebody confidently predicted that Sanetor Hillary Clinton would win the Democratic party nomination to run for the presidency and that she would do it easily. Most of the old school members of this inner circle have visited the United States many times and some have even lived there and so they were pretty confident with their predictions. The general feeling was that there was no way the racially charged Americans could elect Barack Obama.
Well now there are serious jitters within this inner circle even as they remain completely puzzled and dumbfounded as to what the hell is going on. How can that son of a “Jaruo” rise to be president of the most powerful nation in the world? HOW???
In fact if I could talk to them I would tell them something else to completely bawl them over. My insider source in America (with decades of experience observing the politics in that country) told me last night that it is now looking like the first time Illonois Senator will win the presidency by a landslide. YES, I was stunned myself at this information and I still am.
But why should any Kenyan in their right mind not be happy at the prospect of the son of a Kenyan from Siaya becoming president of the most powerful nation on earth? The answer can be found in the complex cut-throat game of politics.
You see despite the so called Grand coalition government, the truth is that both the PNU and ODM factions within the coalition are still bitter rivals looking for the upper hand that will carry the day when the next general elections are called. It is no secret that the man who could be the next President of the United States has some very close ties with the ODM top brass. One just needs to cast their mind back to the Obama visit last year and the feathers it ruffled in the then Kibaki government to realize what I am talking about here. Don’t forget that President Kibaki flatly refused to meet with Senator Obama during that memorable visit. Now if Obama lands in the White House, roles will be reversed and it will be president Kibaki seeking audience with Obama.
And that is in a scenario where Prime Minister Raila Odinga regularly has cell phone conversations with Obama. Naturally this makes many within the president’s inner circle very jittery and hoping against all hope for some miracle that will see John McCain somehow winning.
What worries PNU insiders is that the president of the most powerful nation is well able to make decisions that could greatly jeopardize their well laid plans. In fact those jitters extend to most of the political class and those who have made their money through dubious means.
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10:05
Bank Tales
» bankelele Bank Tales
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9:57
The Big GFC: Global Financial Crisis? Or Global Food Crisis?
» What An African Woman Thinks Gado’s editorial cartoon in today’s edition of the Daily Nation is priceless.
Up at the top are briefcase carrying Wall Street fat cats venting their anguish at and bemoaning the global financial crisis.
Down below is a rural African man balancing a hoe over his right shoulder and a carrying a small portable radio in his left hand from which, I presume, he’s receiving news of a financial crisis. Next to him is a rural African woman with a baby on her back and a bucket on her head exclaiming “…crisis? What crisis!?”
It’s like this: all your neighbours have electricity and you don’t, but then someone comes along and cuts the electricity supply and your neighbours begin to gripe because of all the things they can’t do on account of their being no electricity but your life goes on because you didn’t lose anything because you had nothing to lose.
So it turns out that this is an equal opportunity year: we have two global crises on our hands, The Global Food Crisis, and the Global Financial Crisis, each attacking at different extremes of the pyramid while all the while piling pressure on that sometimes bloated middle.
When we look back at this year from the distance of the next, I wonder what we will think about how much time and other resources we spent dealing with each of these crises, and what that will tell us about who we are.It's my window, but I don't own the view. -
Power to the Barmaid
» What An African Woman Thinks I salute the organiser(s) of the Barmaid’s Conference in Nairobi this week, whoever they might be.
The work life of a typical Kenyan barmaid is grim at best.
I just heard one being interviewed on the KTN news at one. She said all they as barmaids want is the respect that should be accorded anybody who’s doing best they can to earn a living and make their way in the world. She said she isn’t a barmaid because she committed a crime. That’s just the way her life turned out and all she’s trying to do is earn an honest living and not be a burden on anybody.
Why then, she asked, should she be treated with contempt, abused and even beaten on occasion in the course of carrying out her duties? Tuheshimiane tafadhali.
Hear, hear.
So not many people grow up thinking, “when I grow up, I want to be a barmaid.” Life happens.
Here’s hoping that this gathering of barmaids comes up with concrete ways to assert their right to just as much respect and dignity as the next guy, as a group, and as individuals.
All said, a conference is not a bad starting point.It's my window, but I don't own the view.
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5:24
Is the new AP "Poll" a Setup for another stolen US election?
» The Benin Epilogue Part I: Africa-Ready for Business The Associated press came out with a remarkable poll Thursday. It claimed that the presidential race had tightened from the consistent leads Obama has shown over the past weeks to become one of those "too close to call" national elections. Every other poll in and outside the US point to a consistent Obama lead of between 9 and double digit points - So what is AP Up To............READ MORE
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4:05
Marriage equality and civil rights
» Black Looks This essay by Ahimsa Timoteo Bodhrán makes the link between civil rights and marriage equality with a plea for voters in three US state, California, Florida and Arizonia to vote against amendments which would outlaw same gender marriage. Although directly addressing people in the US, Timoteo Bodhran words speak to those in Africa and elsewhere [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Marriage equality and civil rights", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2008/10/marriage_equality_and_civil_rights.html" });
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Waki Commission - options beyond ICC/tribunal?
» Kenyan Pundit My two cents on options for civil society…
First, many organizations (some of who testified before Waki) have powerful testimonials / evidence etc. from that period…I suggest bringing these back to the forefront via media etc- personalize the stories (so that it is not become just an ODM vs PNU story)…young lives were snuffed out, parents who lost a child; victims of police violence; victims of sexual violence, IDPs who are still being neglected and so on. Most of this information is sitting in fancy reports that the average Kenyan has not seen…remind people of what happened, put a human face to what happened…it might be a controversial strategy as far as “inflaming the situation” but frankly it seems like in Kenya the only way to avoid inertia when it comes to political change is a crisis.
Second, why wait for a truth and reconciliation law to be implemented? Maybe start a parallel process led by civil society focused on communities - think a gacaca type process where the focus is on addressing the “smaller fry” as it werem but at the same time build pressure on the need for the big wigs to also also be subject to a process of some sort.
Third, what civil society can do is, if things to get to the stage of an ICC referral (and even for a local tribunal), is work to build a coherent case (think PR really) for why justice is necessary and why the process won’t be “costly” as far as reigniting tensions etc. and also help build a case that can stand up in court - if (big IF) Moreno and co. come knocking looking for answers civil society should be ready with CONCRETE stuff. Pressure must be sustained in a visible manner, maybe with a weekly action - think Mothers of Plaza de Mayo. Attempt private prosecutions, even though Wako will kill that story. Anything (but press conferences and workshops in hotels about the Waki report) to keep the pressure up. It is important to note that the ICC and all other UN-type options require one to first demonstrate the exhaustion of all domestic remedies.
Fourth, international options beyond ICC (hat tip Wangui for input!)
- Pursue procedure 1503 with the office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, especially in the cases where violence was committed by the State apparatus e.g. police. It is a cumbersome process, but taken quite seriously by the UN. Resource-wise, I’m sure this could be pitched to law school clinics in Kenya and internationally for pro-bono assistance in putting a complaint together.
- For the gender-based violence, submit a complaint to the Commission on the Status of Women.Any other thoughts out there?
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2:23
30 Plus Things To Do In An Exam You're Going To Fail Anyway
» Kenya Imagine So I just got back home from school after a whole day of study!! study!! study!! and here I am getting ready to study for a MATH EXAM that we will be having first thing tomorrow morning. By the way did I mention that I hate/loathe/dislike/resent (and every word out there that
More? -
The Mind of God
» Kenya Imagine I have always loved this particular beautiful description of the BIBLE even though I am still not sure exactly about the author who may have written it. Being the visual creature that I am, I totally couldn't help but write this blog.
More?
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0:31
Another Day.........
» My part of the world....... Once again I decide to appear and wipe the dust off the blog. I guess my life has become so mundane that I let the joy of blogging pass me by. So this is my feeble attempt to get back on the wagon.
Anyone who knows me a bit knows if there is one thing that I abhor, it's bad journalism. Sadly Kenyan newspapers are constant offenders, this article is a good example.
When TLC released their one time hit song, “you are my little secret and that’s how we should keep it,” we all sang along to it little knowing that at one point in our lives, the song would bring grief to women when they discovered that very men out there have mastered the art of deceiving them into thinking that they are the only women in the said men’s lives when in reality, they have a string of others hanging around them.
Please view this video, Xscape sang the song. Fact checking is fundamental.
I also read an article in the Nation about corruption at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi. I would also like to tell you that the sun rises in the East, water is wet and the Pope is Catholic.
I ran across this wonderful video that I felt I had to share.
If you weren't as amused as I was then you need to loosen up. I also ran across this jewel below.
Tables of the world united for against oppression! Don't you think it was apt that a gospel song began playing after her fall esp with those lyrics; "we fall down, but we get up" Classic!
One more video for the road.
In my book nothing beats a good laugh as long as nobody gets hurt, then it's just hilarious!
I was reading this article in the Standard about the cost of child birth. That there is a wonderful motivator not to ever have a kid unless you can afford the cost. For 200k that kid had better turn out to be someone of note otherwise with no shame I would send him an invoice for being born and tack on some interest!
I would also like to congratulate M and J for tying the knot recently and wish them all the best!
Oh and to Chelsea fans out there (ahem Archer and co.) Have that! Go sit with Man U in the corner....
