Feeds

12361 items (0 unread) in 79 feeds

• February 19, 2009
• 23:18

  No Ugali, Why Don't The People Eat Chapati?

   » ‎ You Missed This
  Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* 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;}

  Also published in the last few hours: Defeated Ruto Censure motion saved lives by Taabu
  

  
  

  Final Warning: A Bloody Revolution Is Coming
  
  Yesterday President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga sat visibly uncomfortable as they received a well-deserved dressing down from religious leaders from virtually all faiths united in their view that the trio has failed Kenyans. Even more telling were the wild cheers the clergymen received from the crowds.
  
  Indeed many of the points they put forward will be extremely familiar to Kumekucha readers but the bottom line is that the principals have remained tribal chiefs who just wanted the big seat and have failed to provide leadership for the country and to unite all Kenyans at a very crucial time. They have no business leading a cattle dip, let alone a whole nation.
  Read The Full story of what happened.
  
  Personally what I find to be the saddest thing of all in Kenya today is that many leaders and indeed other Kenyans who live a comfortable life have failed completely to see where we are headed. Too many Kenyans are asking the question that shows they have no clue; if there is no ugali, why don't the people eat chapati, after all it is now cheaper? In other words they have failed completely to understand the masses and what is really going on now as you read this that can only end in one thing--bloody chaos.
  
  --------------------------------
  Do you suspect your spouse is cheati9ng on you? Well, you can easily find out for sure by recovering deleted sms messages on their cell phones. Hehehehehehehe.
  --------------------------------
  
  This was very well illustrated here last week when I gave a my predictions for the future based on careful analysis (and not witchcraft as some commentators believe). My predictions were greeted with anger, especially the one about a coming bloody uprising by the hungry masses. Folks just couldn't stomach that. Not after the bloody post-war chaos that we are yet to recover from.
  
  Ladies and gentlemen let us not be the proverbial ostrich that buries it's head in sand and ignores the rapidly approaching forest fire, believing that if they cannot see it then it does not exist.
  
  Actually since I made those predictions numerous other political analysts have concurred including Mutahi Ngunyi on an interview aired on national TV and in his Sunday Nation column. So I think we have reached that place where it is important to understand why all these sane people are talking war.
  
  Since I penned the controversial words in my prediction, the situation has in fact badly deteriorated. One of the ways that we would have been able to avoid violence was if the 10th parliament had continued on the same path and in the same spirit they had in rejecting the constitutional amendment bill to create a local tribunal. That spirit was perfect because it echoed the feelings of the people on the ground. That would have easily saved the situation. However in defeating the Ruto censure motion, the current parliament showed it's true colours and alienated itself from the people. Even as you read this interest in the live parliamentary broadcasts is waning rapidly. And sadly so because some interesting things happened in the house yesterday (parliament failed to pass the list of new interim electoral commissioners simply because somebody whispered that the chairman is a wife-batterer).
  
  In other words because parliament has failed to articulate the true feelings on the ground, the people will be left with no other option. And get me right, not that anybody will plan it it will all be spontaneous. And don't call me an inciter because the real inciters are parliament and our leaders.
  
  Sample this; in replying to the very genuine points of constructive criticism brought against the grand coalition government President Kibaki jeered at them and told them to stop acting holier than thou because everybody is to blame. Kalonzo Musyoka repeated the same sentiments quoting a verse from the Bible out of context that says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. What does that tell you? It is clear that Kibaki and Raila will do nothing. It will be business as usual (wacha wale wanataka kupayuka wapayuke). So what do you sincerely expect?
  
  Please tell me what we should do? A commentator here yesterday criticized me for not offering solutions. How can you offer solutions when people are in denial and are saying that actually there is no problem. What problem will your solution be designed to address?
  
  Ohhh and I almost forgot. The staple Maize flour that so many Kenyans rely on for food is already selling for as much as Kshs 90 per 2 kilogram packet (Kshs 120 in some places), however it seems that Kenyans ain't seen nothing yet because prices are set to rise yet again. Read the reason why here.

  Kumekucha

  

  

• 22:59

  The Simple

   » ‎ Cock And Bull

  I first saw him about two years ago while I was walking down the corner from where I live; a young man in his twenties. He was looking up at a banana tree where a small ball with a string attached to it was hanging. It was obvious at first glance that he was different; from the way that his mouth was twisted in a wet grin and the hand seemed to hang half-heartedly on his side. I concluded that he was one of those people that we call ‘mentally retarded’. On that day, I quietly went past him without much thought, and left him behind in his serious contemplation on how to get the ball from up the tree.

  I saw him again about a month ago. On that day, he was running behind a huge truck in high excitement. The lorry was traveling slowly on the bumpy road and he did not have much trouble keeping up. As the lorry passed by in a cloud of dry February dust, the young man jogged behind it, pointing it out to me and shouting ‘kilori!’ – meaning ‘big lorry!’ Since that day, I have come to learn that he really likes lorries since I have seen him hanging around a neighborhood yard where lorries are parked – just waiting for one to move so that he can run after it.

  The day before yesterday, I was walking around the corner from where I live and came across him. It was the same place where I saw him for the first time. This time, he was just standing as if confused by a decision of where to go next. When he saw me, he shouted ‘Mambo!’ – meaning ‘What’s up!’ That word was uttered with the difficulty of a heavy tongue that people with such a condition endure, and yet there is only one ‘normal’ person that I know who says ‘Mambo!’ with as much enthusiastic sincerity as the young man. And as I said Hi to him, he extended his arm for a handshake. When I extended mine, he grabbed it with an oversized palm and covered it with his second palm in a ‘power handshake’ that many seasoned politicians would envy. And then, he held on to my hand briefly and started walking in the direction where I was going. He walked with me for about 20 meters and in that time, we had a little conversation. He can only manage one word at a time and when I asked him his name, he said ‘Annan’. When I asked him where he lived, he pointed towards the direction we were walking from. When I mentioned the word ‘lorry’, he became animated and started uttering words such as ‘big lorry’ and ‘road’ and ‘town’. By then we met another person and he once again offered a warm, ‘Mambo!’ to the man. The man responded warmly to him, and it seemed like they knew each other well, and I left them together.

  It was simplicity that the young man reminded me of. I vividly remember how much fun it used to be when I was a boy to run after a lorry on a dusty village trail. What is a lorry now? A noisy engine that disturbs my peace when I am on the cell phone and covers me in dust when I am hurrying along in my bright shirt? It was sincerity that the young man reminded me of. When did I last feel compelled to use a double handed handshake molded by the warmth of the heart? When did I say ‘Mambo!’ to a total stranger without a second thought? It is such encounters that remind us that humanity is much more than what people look like and that the spirit cannot be suppressed by any human condition.

• 18:11

  Defeated Ruto Censure Motion Saves Lives

   » ‎ You Missed This
  Ruto may have weathered the political storm but most pedestrian pundits are ignorant of the heightened tension on the country side outside the city and our keyboards. North Rift was one place nobody wanted to be before the censure motion.
  
  Te mainstream newspapers and TV stations conveniently avoided telling the story behind people glued to screens keenly watching parliament proceedings live in every joint in Eldoret. Maybe it was responsible of the journalists to practice guarded caution lest they be accused of being alarmist and RATTLING SNAKES.
  
  Anybody with a keen eye on his/her surrounding must have witnessed a near exodus from the outskirts to town centre the day before the motion. Once beaten numerously shy and with the IDP wounds still festering and becoming septic, people were not taking chances after WORD WENT ROUND warning that Bonny Khalwale and Martha Karua and all associated with them by dialect must either shape up or ship out.
  
  Forget about the empty gloating of security for all. The hot balloon has been pierced and deadly militia continue to roam our villages waiting for DEPLOYMENT. Kenyans have reason to fear for themselves. With no moral authority to order anything or anybody around except brute state force, the government lost Kenyans long time ago.
  
  The faint hearted will wax patriotic and chest thumb about raw power oblivious of the potent tinderbox waiting to have its pin off. We all love peace that separates us from other apes but ours is exclusively premised on our love to live a collective national lie. Kenya has never been fractious and if you doubt it from the relative comfort of your keyboard then you better continue dreaming hard and please don’t wake up to the harsh reality.
  
  Politics is no game for saints and Kenyans must brace themselves for the long haul with the present scoundrels on wheels. A few good people may be in it for the wider good but only until the shit hits the fan of expediency and self-preservation. Feathering their nests at our collective expense must be the unwritten memorandum which most appear to water with their blind loyalty.
  
  Cheap politics of emotions
  Thank God for small mercies albeit for all the wring reasons. Defeat of Khalwale’s motions may have restored short term peace in the PEACE VALLEY but not for long. Anytime political temperatures soar, the villagers see the flames engulfing the tinderbox. It remains a matter of when and not if the pin gives way.
  
  In the meanwhile those weaned on newspaper and emotional politics can drink from their time tested cups with their heads deep inside the sand. Reality will eventually strike them hard on the face soon.Kumekucha

  

  

• 18:05

  Small Scale Wind Energy - A call for papers

   » ‎ Afromusing

  Tags:  Africa  

  Via Afriwea

  

  An International Workshop on Small Scale wind energy For Developing Countries will be held
  September 14-16, 2009, Nairobi, Kenya
  The workshop will cover the following main themes:

  • Wind energy technologies, their perspectives and applications in developing countries,

  • Reliability of wind turbines, lifetime and strength of wind turbine components,

  • Low cost and natural materials for wind turbines,

  • Case studies, social and economic aspects of wind energy in developing countries.

  Abstract Submission

  Please submit a two-page abstract (700-800 words, in MS Word format) by e-mail to haqi [at] risoe[dot]dtu[dot]dk no later than March 15, 2008. Authors will be notified of the Committee’s
  decisions shortly thereafter.

  Registration

  All participants are requested to register before March 20, 2009. The registration fee is 200 EURO
  for participants from developed countries, and 1200 Kenyan shillings for the participants from
  developing countries. After March 21, 2009, the registration fee increases to 350 EURO (developed
  countries) and 3000 Kenyan shillings (developing countries), respectively. The payment of the
  registration fee should be made either by credit card (Euro, Master or Visa), or by bank transfer.
  Finally, after June 15, 2009, we take additionally late-registration fee of 70 EURO and 1000
  shillings, for developed and developing countries respectively. The registration includes the access
  to the sessions, coffee/refreshment and lunch/dinner.

  Download the Workshop2009.pdf here.

  PS: please stop laughing at the logo. My explanation, a lion was standing near a wind turbine, it farted a lightbulb or had a brilliant idea.

   

• 16:30

  The Diamond Necklace Of The Heart

   » ‎ Cock And Bull

  There is the story that is told of the woman who owned a diamond necklace. One day she was at home frantically looking everywhere for it – from room to room in her mansion - not knowing that all the while it was hanging around her neck. This story was told to illustrate to us that we might look all around us for Peace, joy, health and well-being not knowing that these treasure can only be found inside us. If the woman had looked at a mirror, she would have seen that she had the precious necklace all the while. What is the mirror that we can use to see the treasures inside? Awareness. Awareness gives us the eyes to see the diamond necklace of the heart.

• 16:19

  The Kenya I Cannot Stand

   » ‎ Kenyan Pundit

  Tags:  Kenya  

  Unedited note from Philo, one of the activists arrested yesterday.

• 16:04

  Perhaps Love

   » ‎ Cock And Bull

  Perhaps love is like a resting place
  A shelter from the storm
  It exists to give you comfort
  It is there to keep you warm
  And in those times of trouble
  When you are most alone
  The memory of love will bring you home

  Perhaps love is like a window
  Perhaps an open door
  It invites you to come closer
  It wants to show you more
  And even if you lose yourself
  And don’t know what to do
  The memory of love will see you through

  Oh, love to some is like a cloud
  To some as strong as steel
  For some a way of living
  For some a way to feel
  And some say love is holding on
  And some say letting go
  And some say love is everything
  And some say they don’t know

  Perhaps love is like the ocean
  Full of conflict, full of Pain
  Like a fire when it’s cold outside
  Or thunder when it rains
  If I should live forever
  And all my dreams come true
  My memories of love will be of you

  - Song by John Denver

• 16:01

  The Keepers

   » ‎ Cock And Bull

  I bought an internet modem from Safaricom about a month ago. It was at a time when the modems were going at a huge discount and it took me at least 2 hours of queuing before I could purchase the modem. After getting the modem, I asked for help from one of the assistants who showed me how to set it up on the computer after unpacking the modem from the box. But as soon as I got home, I realized that I had forgotten to re-park the card containing the details of the pin number for the sim card that the modem was using. However, the thought of the crowds as Safaricom lounge along Kimathi Street kept me from going back to look for the card. I wondered, where would I start looking anyway?

  Today, I needed to load more credit in order to continue using the modem, but I realized that I needed one of the numbers on the card that I left on a bench at Safaricom about a month ago. So, I decided to go back to the Safaricom lounge on Kimathi Street and ask for help. Hopefully, the technicians would figure out how to add more money to the modem without the missing number.

  When I arrived at Safaricom, there were relatively few people, and I went to the nearest technician to explain my problem. When I told him that I lost the card about a month ago, he put on a forlorn face and told me that customers always make the mistake of leaving behind their cards and it would be almost impossible to trace mine amongst the hundreds available. With that, he asked to see my modem. When I gave it to him, he turned it around and looked at the markings on the sim card. He them reached into his wallet and removed a card and compared the numbers on it with the numbers on my modem’s sim card. He then said, “This is the card that you lost. It is good that you have come back since I have kept it in my wallet since that day.”

  Two things surprised me; that of all the cards that have been left behind, mine was the one in his wallet. Why would he think of putting it in his wallet? Of all the technicians that were there today, I went straight to him. How did he even think about comparing my modem’s sim card with the card in his wallet? I couldn’t hide my curiosity and so I asked him about the coincidence. To which he said that he remembered me from that day that I bought the modem and he knew that I would go back.

  I have now become used to these kinds of coincidences and no longer spend too much time with my jaw hanging open. But as I was walking away from Safaricom, I was reminded once again that despite our not knowing it, there are forces that are always working in our favor in the background. Our Keepers. About the incident, my friend said, “Some things are meant to be.”

• 15:21

  The Reassured 50

   » ‎ Cock And Bull

  As I clear the clutter of receipts and scraps of papers that accumulated in the pockets of the clothes that I wore today, I look inside my wallet and see a tattered 50 shillings note. It is among other notes that are clean and crisp. Of all the money that is in my wallet, the 50 shillings note is the only one that I did not get from the bank. I think about removing it from the wallet, but then I change my mind and decide to let it stay. And as I finish clearing the clutter, the story of the tattered 50 shillings note suddenly comes to mind.

  While I was going to work in the morning, some school boys boarded the public transport matatu that I was traveling in. When the time came for everyone to pay their fare, one of the boys gave a 100 shillings note, and was given back a 50 shillings note as his change. However, he angrily thrust the note back at the conductor since it looked old and dirty. The conductor must have been offended by the boy’s rudeness since he refused to change the note for him, and they began arguing over the issue. I was amused when the conductor matter of factly told the school boy that the 50 shillings note was not meant for hanging in the house, and so its beauty did not really matter. But that only incensed the boy who insisted on getting a different note from the conductor to no avail. And that is when I fished a clean 50 shillings note from my pocket and exchanged it with the school boy’s. That is how the tattered 50 shillings note ended up in my wallet.

  When I look at the tired 50 shillings note, all I can think is that rejection can sometimes make a person lose themselves in self pity and easily forget his or her true value. In the face, the 50 shillings note looks tattered, and yet its value is exactly the same as all the other 50 shillings notes in the country. And as I think about the 50 in my wallet hanging out with all the 100s and 200s and 500s and 1000s, I know that this might just be what it needs right now; to know that others accept it as it is. For just like each one of us once in a while, a tattered 50 needs to hear someone tell it that everything will be OK.

• 14:15

  Kenya: Polemic

   » ‎ Mshairi

  Tags:  Africa  

  Add, Edit, Distribute Following on from Keguro… A leadership that degrades its people is unfit to lead. A leadership afraid of its people is unfit to lead. A leadership indifferent to its people’s suffering is unfit to lead. A leadership afraid of political critique is unfit to lead. A leadership that betrays and dishonors the Constitution is unfit to lead. A leadership [...]

• 11:30

  Practical Feminism

   » ‎ Kenya Imagine

  feminism wins by default.

  
  But I give some positive reasons for it anyway.
• 11:26

  Hentai versus and Misogyny

   » ‎ Kenya Imagine

  Hentai is a strange phenomenon, with an almost exclusively-Japanese audience. As a fringe interest, the fixation on cartoon versions of youthful women being ravished by tentacles, lava or snakes may have appeared fairly harmless. With the recent publicity given to Rapelay however, it becomes apparent that there is a strong undercurrent of misogyny and a desire to subjugate women within the hentai genre.

  Stephanie Migot encounters some deeply freaky hentai.
• 11:25

  Miller versus Muli

   » ‎ Kenya Imagine

  There is more that goes into leadership than paper qualification.

  
  Eric Ng'eno reviews Miller v Muli.

• 10:34

  From The Desk Of The Government Spokesman

   » ‎ tHiNkEr'S rOoM

  Tags:  Theater  

  

  Fellow Kenyans,

  My name is Alfred ‘Chemical Ali’ Mutua, Government Spokesman for the Banana Republic of Kenya. My duty is to enlighten the people in Kenya by giving them the facts, not what they think are the facts.

  Maize

  Contrary to popular belief, there is no maize shortage. There is plenty of maize. The problem is that the maize is at a location of which we are unaware. Besides, would we export maize to Sudan if we had it?

  

  Of course not! Also, I would like to categorically state that our Agriculture Minister is allergic to maize, ugali,porridge and indeed anything that contains or looks like maize and therefore cannot be involved in any scandals. Kenyans should diversify and instead of insisting on maize look at alternatives like corn and mahindi.

  Taxes

  Much has been said about MPs and civil servants paying their taxes. Government takes pride that its members refused to give in to peer pressure and took the high road. We can’t all be paying taxes. Think about it. It’s just not logical. Or fair.

  Activists

  Government does not tolerate activists. We insist that activists take their activation elsewhere. We have channels and institutions to address any manner of issues. Look at how we handled Goldenberg, Anglo Leasing, Maize, Fuel and so on. In every case no stone was left unturned. In fact, no turn was left unstoned either.

  Tanks And Military Hardware

  Kenya as you know is a technologically advanced country. I fail to understand what all the hullabaloo is about these tanks. Where were journalists when we bought the Nina, The Pinta and the Santa Maria for our Navy? I’ve just been on a teleconference with some officers of the Kenya Airforce, Captains Njoroge, Ginger and Algy and they too wonder why there was no hullabaloo when the Airforce purchased twenty Sopwith Camels.

  

  The hijacked tanks we acquired, and that we are taking great pains to make a public spectacle of are indeed ours. Whether or not they were used by Stalin in World War II is neither here nor there. In any case tanks are like fine wine. They get better with age. Besides, only the lazy rely on things like electrically powered turrets, lasers and diesel engines. Just a heads up – we will be conducting military exercises to test only the T72 tanks in the Northern Kenyan border so nothing should be made of the sight of a train carrying said tanks heading to Suda—er—Northern Kenya.

  

  Also, we are expecting a shipment of muskets and Samurai swords for the Kenya Army.

  Tourism

  We are still getting inquiries about the 20 million spent on the President’s trip to Masai Mara. Let me clarify this very simply. Due to logistical complications, the President was unable to make it to Masai Mara.

  

  We therefore elected to fly the buffalo, lions, elephants, hippos and  other animals from Masai Mara to the president. To save on costs we insisted the birds make their own way and did not fly them. After all, we are a fiscally prudent government.

  Disasters

  We are declaring hunger a national disaster. This will make it go away. We are also declaring dandruff a national disaster. To make sure we’re covered we’re also declaring fire, water, soil, snow, rain and late night television national disasters.

  We would also like to clarify – no Kenyan has died from hunger. Those who have, have died from death.

  GTV

  We are declaring the collapse of the GTV a national disaster, and are naming a 40 member team to investigate this matter.

  

  Composed of MPs and civil servants, the team will fly to London for a 3 month investigation into this matter. While there the team will also take in the sights and … er … promote Kenya as a tourist destination.

  © M for tHiNkEr'S rOoM, 2009. | Permalink | 21 comments | Add to del.icio.us
  Post tags:
  

  

• 9:39

  Women of Kiberia reach the rooftops

   » ‎ Black Looks
  2000 square meters of rooftops in Kiberia have been covered photos of “the eyes and faces” of the women who live there. The photo project has been a year in the making is covered with special water resistant material. The material used is water resistant so that the photo itself will protect the fragile [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Women of Kiberia reach the rooftops", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2009/02/women_of_kiberia_reach_the_rooftops.html" });
• 9:28

  Jackson family slave memorial theme park combo

   » ‎ Black Looks
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7858010.stm Hello all. I’m testing the waters after a long hiatus from the blogging world. If you haven’t come across this link already you might want to take a look. As extreme and absurd as this horrible plan is, it makes me think of the watered-down versions along the West African coastline. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Jackson family slave memorial theme park combo", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2009/02/jackson_family_slave_memorial_theme_park_combo.html" });

• 6:56

  Poem: No One

   » ‎ Kenyanpoet
  There is sadness tonight
  Even the air refuses to breathe.
  Should I fall in these city nights
  Cascade in love's blinding lights,
  I will wan and fade away.
  Completely deny salvation of sight.
  
  This heart that beats
  Only calls those like me.
  Whisked by cold
  Inside the searing heat.
  It cannot praise true ways
  When it is tainted
  In fear's haze.
  Your hand is not mine to take.
  
  A silhouette of a stranger's gaze
  Trapped inside my window's grave
  Burns through midnight flames
  Burns like passion's night.
  Yet I might hold you
  Stronger then ties of hate
  Selfishly kiss you
  To devilish lows
  But those were just dreams
  I wanted to mend.
  
  A babe's joy-knowing, discovering
  Gracefully drained by cowering veins.
  Those memories I chose to save
  Of aching sorrow as rising crescendos
  My innocence gladly gone
  Never yours to fully taste.
  
  I will not forget to always cry
  Ruptured by eerie climax
  Undone by shredded desire.
  Make me your constant shadow
  Forever there amongst the fallen.
  A virgin unscathed
  By heathen regard.
  
  I will send the wind
  To beg you luck
  For I cannot spread my wings
  To another's touch.
  This body in wishful mind
  Bound to you in swift's sin
  So given to the tragedies within
  No path to walk to me.
  
  Bid goodnight
  It is always night
  These grains of sand
  You cannot hold.
  My heart and soul
  Like empty gold
  Never there for you to mould
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Connie Mutua
  All rights Reserved©
  ♫ niekamwitika(at)gmail(dot)com

• 3:02

  US Stimulus plan

   » ‎ Black Looks
  "This isn't racism," says the cartoonist (CNN) — President Obama earned kudos from the media when he said he screwed up in nominating Tom Daschle as secretary of Health and Human Services despite his problem with paying taxes. Too bad the leadership of the New York Post didn’t follow the lead of the president in admitting [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "US Stimulus plan", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2009/02/us_stimulus_plan.html" });

• 2:28

  Sameer Africa posts better results - Not really

   » ‎ Rants, Raves & Reviews

  Tags:  Review  

  Year End 31 Dec.
  
  Sales down 13% yoy.
  Gross Profit down 6% yoy.
  
  Other Operating Profit up 197% yoy. Ahhh... no details on what this is. Sale of assets?
  
  PAT up by 26% yoy BUT see "Other Operating Profit".
  
  Sameer Africa was affected by the PEV in 2008 & the subsequent knock-on effect on sales later in the year. Anyway, that is history.
  
  How will 2009 be?
  
  IMHO, it will be much tougher. Why?
  
  - Costs of production in Kenya remains high including interest costs, electricity & transport costs.
  - The depreciation of the KShs vs US$ will hurt import input costs. Imported might be pricier if imported from non-US$ countries e.g. India
  - Competition from multiple brands e.g. Pirelli, Michelin, Apollo, etc
  
  Firestone used to be the first choice for Kenyans but I think there has been a major shift since it became Yana. Nakumatt sells 5+ brands & this shows a change in preferences. Yana tyres are NOT the cheapest in the market. Yana needs to sell the 'quality' of their brand to succeed.
  
  2010 - The business park should be reaady but I do not trust naushad merali. I wonder how much SA will benefit from the business park vs merali. I think merali will suck the majority of the profits/gains from the business park.
  
  Anyway, let's wait for the Annual Report.

• 0:56

  Action alert update

   » ‎ Kenyan Pundit

  Tags:  Kenya  

  Colleagues eventually traced the three Kenyan civil society activists arrested and beaten outside Parliament buildings yesterday after a nighttime search.

  Philo Ikonya was released from Gigiri Police Station last night at
  about 11 pm to appear in court this morning. Fwamba N.C Fwamba spent the night in custody at Gigiri Police Station,
  while Patrick Kamotho was held overnight at the Central Police
  Station. All three were beaten up while in custody.

  They were charged this morning at the Chief Magistrates Court
  (High Court buildings Nairobi), Thursday February 19th 2009, with taking part in an unlawful assembly. The court released them of a cash bail of Ksh Ten Thousand each, which their colleagues are making arrangements to pay to facilitate their release.