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• July 10, 2009
• 21:41

  Disclosure Policy

   » ‎ The African Accent
  This policy is valid from 13 July 2009
  This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me, Mwiwa Muli. For questions about this blog, please contact me at mwiwa@hotmail.com
  I write for my own purposes. However, I may be influenced by my background, occupation, religion, political affiliation or experience.
  
  Any compensation received though advertising will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. All paid advertising is in the form of advertisements generated by third party ad networks.
  
  I am not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.
  
  If I claim or appear to be an expert on a certain topic or product or service area, I will only endorse products or services that I believe, based on my expertise, are worthy of such endorsement.
  
  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.
  
  This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
  Collection of Information:For each visitor to the blog page, I do not automatically recognizes any personal information.
  
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• 20:15

  Spoiled

   » ‎ Delusions of Grandeur

  soundtrak: maxwell :: love you

  i have been trying to write this entry all day, to no avail. i know what i want to say, so i should just come out and say it:

  i’m spoiled. jam loved me the way i want a man to love me: i want the attention, i want the kindness, i want somebody to give a damn. and i know Y will never do that for me ever. he’s a guy, so he’s going to try his best not to make me cry (i don’t know… it’s a guy thing), but he’ll never give me what i need.

  *sigh* finally. i said it. now i can take my advil pm (because tylenol pm stopped working a long time ago) and go to sleep.

  peace.

• 18:13

  Never giving up

   » ‎ The African Accent

  Somebody once told me, “One of the greatest comforts in life, is seeing other people worse off that you.” I beg to differ. I think a bigger comfort is seeing your hard work pay off. Daddy V is a prime example of that.

  He made a name for himself as an underground music artist in Nairobi’s ‘jam session’ scene. But talent alone didn’t enable him overcome the barriers in his path to success. Now, living in the USA, Daddy V is finally seeing his hard work begin to pay off.

  I can’t lie, dude can throw down a party. I felt so nostalgic after watching him perform. Memories of F2’s (Florida 2000 Night Club, Nairobi) jam-seh performances came flooding back! He made me miss home. (Check out the clip at the end of this article)

  I had the opportunity to briefly speak to him about his work. This is what he had to say:

  How has moving to the US helped your music career?
  I have been able to access world class studios and producers; something I not able to afford in Kenya.

  According to Kilimanjaro Records, you were unable to record your music even after getting recognition in the underground scene. What, in your view, should change in the industry, so that talent is not so easily overlooked?
  Artists, DJ’s, promoters and others who have made it should should try and take talented budding artists under their wings. Opportunities need to be recycled.

  You list, among others, Alpha Blondy, as an influence. Why is reggae so prominent in your music?
  While growing up in Nairobi as a kid who did not have much, reggae was appealing to me in that I was able to identify with the message in the music. Reggae is spiritual nourishment that comes in handy when one feels oppressed and dejected. It is the only music that is spiritual without being necessarily religious.

  You are a very recognizable figure with the youth in Nairobi. Have you considered a role in grassroots politics?
  Politics is too dirty for me. I love truth and reality.

  The song ‘Kauzi’ touches on guns, and thuggery, in East Africa. Was it inspired by a personal experience, or a conscious effort to address a social issue?
  Both. I know friends who are either in jail or have been shot dead by police because poverty pushed them to commit crimes. Through music, I hope I can use my life experiences to spread social consciousness.

  As an artist, you've come from humble beginnings, to finally recording your music. What's next for Daddy V?
  I feel that I still have a lot of work to promote my debut album, NARE.
  In two weeks, I will be releasing my second video ‘Dear Daddy’ which is dedicated to my late dad, and to all who have lost loved ones.
  I will be touring and releasing more videos for the rest of 2009 and then, I’ll go back to the studio in the middle of 2010 to start recording my second album due out in 2011.

  Check out more of his music on his MySpace page, or on his Facebook fan page.

  

• 17:27

  L.O.V.E

   » ‎ the-undergraduate
  Love can overwhelm you
  Love can lead you to do crazy stuff
  Love can be sweet
  Love can be the wind beneath your wings
  
  Love cares not about keeping a record of wrongs
  Love worries little about flaws
  Love can make you believe in the superhuman qualities
  Love isnt moved by time
  Love doesnt give much to distance
  
  Love is but a pact between two
  Love moulds you into the best you could ever be
  Love celebrates your achievements
  Love provides a comfort in times of need
  
  
  
  Love lost on the other hand can crash you
  The pain of loosing love can never equal another
  If you trully did love,then the pain never seems to go away
  It becomes a craving only one can satisfy
  A gaping hole is your heart that only seems to grow bigger
  You might smile,you might laugh
  You may try to conceal it
  But the sadness always lingers on like a shadow that wont let you be
  
  
  
  I celebrate love everyday
  Am happy for those in love
  But for the rest of us nursing some wounds....sorry doesnt do it so......join my mushy club lol!
  Bring out the love songs,pull out the romance movies,read/write love poetry,join all the ''love is...50 ways to know he/she loves you...i love LOVE....I love my boo...what every kiss means'' etc facebook groups,tease the newly formed couples,play shrink to those experiencing jitters and just have your fun with love.I promise it'll make you feel better,well just a little bit right before you get back to reality and realize,OMG i dont have that!!
  
  LOVE SICK MADNESS CONTINUES......
  
  I love LOVE cos love makes you feel loved,love makes you want to love,love makes you wanna share love,love makes you feel really in love,love LOVES to L.O.V.E
  Love conquers all,love makes eternity seem abit too short cos when your in love time seems to fly

• 14:54

  Kenya - is there any good news?

   » ‎ Rants, Raves & Reviews

  Tags:  Rant  

  KenGen & KPLC - They are raising their rates since Kenya has a shortfall of Hydropower. And the politicians bicker & dither over the water catchment areas. Even worse? We are setting ourselves up for a massive famine.
  Nairobi City Council - Stupid by-laws.

  • Dogs can't bark without permission. WTF?
  • No rainwater harvesting. SMH.

  Welfare Programs (Cash handouts) - Does anyone beside me see the potential for abuse? And where is the GoK going to get funds for this?
  Subsidies - Overall, these drain the coffers while imposing a burden on the greater society. Fertilizer subsidies matter little if there is NO water.
  Water Shortages - No action on water catchment areas. Forest being decimated. And prime forest land continues being 'allocated' to & by politicians.
  Crime - Nairobbery deserves its name. No more "Green City in the Sun". Even the Prime Minister's office was broken into. So much for security! This article is a must read. Even Mombasa is being hit by the crime wave. I used to walk around Old Town at 1am... no fear... not the same anymore...
  Guns & murders are commonplace...
  Untreated sewage dumped into the ocean - Yuck and double yuck. Kenya's 'favorite' ocean town discharges all its RAW sewage into the sea. I am sure this will do wonders for tourism.
  Post-election Murderers running free - Yep, running all over. Free as birds. And stealing whatever they can lay their hands on.
  No wonder Prez Obama stayed away from Kenya...
  Is there anything to redeem Kenya?

• 13:44

  Kazang: A Truly Mobile Prepaid Service Terminal for Africa

   » ‎ White African

  Tags:  Africa  

  Psitek is a company that deeply understands the African market, I’m convinced that this is due to them having all of their work done on the continent. The last time I wrote about them was after I came across the nearly indestructible Streetwise mobile-accessible computer for children.

  As Hannes notes:

  “They are the inventors of that trusted voice access device that anyone that ever travelled to Africa would know about: the Adondo. Designed for Africa with anti-insect electronics, high temperature and humidity tolerance, their devices still ship with car-battery ready clamps.”

  The Kazang service and terminal

  

  This time it’s about Kazang, a prepaid terminal for merchants selling mobile phone services, such as prepaid airtime, paying of electricity bills or insurance. The service is a year and a half old now, and boasts nearly 5,000 vendors ranging from South Africa to Kenya to Zambia.

  

  The newest device, the Timpa, comes with all of the necessary requirements for the challenges that a merchant running a business in a rural (or urban) setting in Africa would need. It has a built-in printer and rechargeable battery which makes it fully mobile, uses GPRS technology to communicate with the Content Ready (back-end) server (just plug in a data SIM card), and a large LCD with backlighting. They have also built in fail-safes for when the GPRS connection drops, or the electricity goes out, so that the merchant doesn’t get charged for a voucher that they didn’t receive.

  Psitek claims that clearing $1000/month is a reasonable to expect by vendors, which would bring home about $80/month of profit (8% margin). This alone makes it a fairly good proposition for a lot of merchants, meaning they can add a Kazang terminal to their shop as an added draw for more customers and it acts as to supplement their other revenue streams.

  Not written about much relative to their impact, Psitek is one of those tech firms offering devices that run behind the scenes of many businesses in the southern part of Africa.

  

• 12:41

  Crime Wave In Kenya: Just Watch, Mambo Bado

   » ‎ You Missed This
  I was in this well-furnished nice apartment block somewhere in Kilimani and stories were being traded in the room about the rising insecurity and close shaves various people had had with carjackers.
  
  Suddenly somebody across the room bluntly said that Maj Gen Hussein Ali should be given a free hand to shoot down every suspected criminal in sight. After all it was the only way to stop the rising crime wave.
  
  I was shocked.
  
  Surely they understood that there was no way crime can be stopped in that way. I thought they understood that the strategy they were talking about had already been tried with the Mungiki only to produce more hardened and determined Mungiki warriors. It was also tried during the post election violence. Kill a few people and the rest will be scared.
  
  I thought about it for a long time and then it dawned on me what the problem here realy was. I grew up in a middle class family and lacked for nothing. I was never sent home for lack of school fees even one day. But luckily after school I had quickly moved out of home and lived in some pretty seedy neighborhoods of Nairobi trying to fend for myself despite my inexperience and naivety. Having moved out of home with nothing but my clothes, I learnt a lot. I learnt what it felt like to go hungry for lack of food. I heard so many stories of how people had been brought up and I saw some things that changed my life forever. I will be forever grateful for that experience.
  
  To understand what is happening in Kenya these days you need to hear this true life story that has happened with hundreds and probably tens of thousands of families across the nation.
  
  Let us call this guy Ted (for lack of a better name). Ted comes from a rural area somewhere in Kenya (I dare not mention the place with all the tribal hoodlums hovering around this blog). His parents have known all along that education is enough. All one needs to do is have a good education and they will never lack for money. So they have struggled and taken Ted all the way to University level. They sold cattle and almost the entire parcel of land owned by the family to take their son through school. They were later advised that a basic degree is not enough since so many people have it and Ted would need to go further and get a masters to land a good job (now Ted is confused because some employers have told him he is over-qualified for the jobs they are offering). Well, Ted has finished his expensive education about 6 years ago and his family were expecting that their huge “investment” would start bringing in a return. As you read this Ted I still jobless. Ted is in fact a vet. You would expect that an agricultural country like Kenya would never have enough Vet doctors to keep livestock healthy and profitable. But Ted is now idling at home with his degrees (up to masters level) and he has no job and no source of income.
  
  Now the sad part of this story is that some of Ted’s school mates (who were not as bright and serious as he was with his studies) are doing very well. One is even the managing director of a State corporation. Others have good jobs in their family businesses.
  
  This scenario is replicated all over the country. I want you to imagine for a minute how bitter Ted is bound to be right now. The poverty around him in his rural home keeps staring back at him and he feels guilty over what the family has sacrificed for his education. The bottom line is that the inequality in Kenya has created people like Ted. Clearly, making it in life no longer depends on hard work but whose son you are.
  
  Now in this kind of scenario, how the hell do you expect anything less than a serious crime wave in Kenya?
  
  Incidentally we have now moved to a new kind of crime that everybody dreads. This is kidnappings for hefty quick ransoms.Nigeria has come to Kenya folks. Now we have one problem in Kenya. People here are very quick to see a winning idea and to copy it so much so that the originator of the idea has no chance to make the killing they deserve from their smart thinking. Kidnappings are perfect. You simply warn the family that if they call the police they will find their loved one dead. So hopefully you should be able to end up with a lump sum without the police even being informed that a crime has been committed. Easy money and the perfect way to get back at the monied class.
  
  Many of you who read this blog have recently gone into a supermarket and spend 10,000 bob without thinking twice about it. But watching you from a corner of the supermarket (maybe at the counter for those purchasing a single item) were a number of guys who have never seen that kind of money in their entire lives. Those of them who have jobs would need to save for 5 months or longer to have that kind of money in their accounts. And yet you blow it away one lazy Sunday afternoon on a whim.
  
  That is the crux of the problem in Kenya. The gap between those who have money and the hopeless is just too wide and widening even as you read this.
  
  So far our so-called leaders who can barely see beyond their noses (and pot bellies the size of which would keep them in good company at a maternity wing of a Nairobi hospital crowded with mothers expecting a bundle of joy at any minute) are using 70s techniques to deal with crime.
  
  Let me tell you a story to prove this. In the 1970s there was a top cop (headed the CID at one point) called Ignatius Nderi who got a reputation for scaring thugs in Nairobi so much so that they called in and handed in their guns in fright (I kid you not). He simply did this by making a few examples and shooting down one or two in cold blood (Kwekwe-squad-style). We also have a guy who used to be called Patrick Shaw. A fat cop who sent shivers down the spines of no-gooders by doing exactly the same thing. There were no human rights activists in those days. Patrick Shaw used to drive an old Volvo and it is said that if there was a riot in Campus and he happened to be sent in. By the time he alighted from his Volvo, University students who had a minute earlier been throwing stones at cars would be kneeling down on the tarmac with their hands as high in the air as they could manage. Apparently he knew where all the thugs lived. He would pay them a visit and warn them and the next day they would pack all their belongings and retreat to their rural home while passing urine on themselves. I kid you not.
  
  So our leaders imagine that if you shoot every suspected thug in site it should be able to work. It worked in the 1970s why should it not work now? The only problem now is of course those darned human rights activists who have managed to attract international attention to Kenya and how we have been dealing with crime for the last 4 decades or so.
  
  Well for one thing in the 70s hard drugs were not such a serious problem in the country. And neither were there so many firearms in the city and country in general. In those days cops felt that they were very well armed when they had a revolver capable of delivering 6 rounds before re-loading. These days no self-respecting thug will do a serious job without an automatic weapon. Again in those days very few people had university degrees. I see a day in the very near future when some thugs will refuse to do jobs with anybody who does not have at least one university degree.
  
  My dear Kenyans in the diaspora, I hope that this post will help you to start understanding where your country is at and why you should not be in the least surprised when you hear that crime has shot up. And to make matters worse the rate at which you guys are returning home penniless as victims of the economic melt-down will just worsen the situation.
  
  I know most of you have never used a pit latrine within the city of Nairobi, so how can you understand what the hell I am talking about here?
  
  P.S. So what is the solution? WE have to think out of the box and even as we get a DNA lab for the police, we need to deal with the root problems that cause crime instead of trying to simply snuff out the symptoms. We should start with corruption and impunity and then we need some urgent ideas to create income earning opportunities for the youth. I will write an ideas post specifically on this in the next few days.Kumekucha

  
  

  

• 11:00

  Life at Dawn

   » ‎ Words Much Like Poetry
  This poem was written for my mother, to be read at a graduation for school counselors. It was meant to reiterate the importance of the seminars they had attended, and their purpose towards those who are young and may be lost.
  
  today is born a part,
  of a whole
  to help fill in the hole,
  in our humanity
  
  a hope to the dusk
  and darkness
  of them among us
  
  a seed to be planted,
  among them
  a seed of hope,
  to bring to life
  the reason for being
  
  a hand held out,
  to those in despair
  a whisper, one of hope
  
  so that they may rise with the dawn,
  shed their despair,
  and start living again
  having found that delicate thread
  they had lost,
  in the cruel labyrinth,
  that is life
  
  and therefore,
  we may smile
  as we know we are:
  the part
  the hope
  the seed
  and the hand
  at the dawn of life

• 9:51

  Celebraring 10 years of CCK(Communications Commission of Kenya) non achievement

   » ‎ Kenyanpoet
  As I was in a matatu headed to the office today morning, I couldn't help but overhear King'ang'i and Marcus on Classic 105 reminiscing on the days gone by when one could only rely on letters to keep in touch. Their discussion was in line with their joint promotion with CCK in celebrating 10 years since Communications Commission of Kenya(CCK) was formed.
  The same has been in the dailies and it got me thinking of what Chris Rock says in one of his comedies(watched it for the uptenth time over the weekend thanks to a friend who was visiting) I think its in 'Bring Back the Pain'
  "Niggaz like being complimented about some ish that they are supposed to do like they'll say  I take care of my kids - damn thats your role, you fathered them". or " I aint never been to no jail" - that is not an accomplishment, you should never go to jail.
  Am sure by now you are wondering, what does C.R have to do with CCK
  
  CCK is bragging about its achievements and spending tax payers money on adverts, things that they should have done within 2 years or 5 maximum, yet it has taken them 10 years.
  
  Do you know how long 10 years is in IT?
  lets see
  -  Microsoft has launched 4 client OSs(Win 98, XP, Vista and now Windows 7)and countless other products.
  - Gadgets called flash disks were invented starting with a capacity of 128MB, now they even have those with 32GB capacity
  -DVDs and CDs had just replaced tapes in music distribution. Now, we even have blu-ray.
  - DVDs replaced those big ugly black cassettes (can't even remember their correct name) and now, DVD players come with USB ports.
  - Google become a company exactly 10 years ago, it is now synonymous with the internet
  - In 10 years, Africa Online moved from being the only ISP to being a non entity in the provision of internet in Kenya getting replaced by the likes of Access Kenya
  
  I have several things to be celebrate with CCK for NON-Achievement
  - Internet is still damn expensive despite there being like 16 or more ISPs
  - There's still not a single radio station I can listen to throughout(simply because most are full of crap)
  - Radio presenters can say anything they want on radio with no consideration to who might be listening
  - No matter how many F words or B words or A^^%H$@ a song has, it will be played at any time
  - TV is not any better and I have resorted to just watching my own videos.
  - Images however lewd will be shown on TV under the guise of Music videos(and you wonder why kids are getting molested and raped )or imorality has become the favourite past time.
  
  -Media houses can be openly biased even become a tool for inciting the masses on a particular agenda(we all know what happened during post election violence)
  -Why are all ISPs operating only in the major towns? Why can't those seeking licences only be given license to operate by province with only two per province.
  - Registering a .co.ke domain is still ridiculously expensive(to hell with patriotism) half of the .co.ke sites are not even hosted locally so whats the point.
  - What is the toll free CCK tel no. which I can call when Safcom deducts my credit for undelievered or delayed smses(which get to the recepient after I have already called. Shouldn't telecom providers sign SLAs(Service Level Agreements)
  - Which CS (Customeer Service)office/line do I get intouch with when I know the number I have called yet it goes to some guy yet I was calling a lady.(I am not nuts, I know what number I dialed, its in my phonebook on speed dial)
  - How come even 6 year olds can surf porn, shouldn't CCK be regulating what content ISPs relay to their customers?
  -Why is reaching CCK like going to see Kibaki, isn't it there to serve its citizens? Am yet to see their Customer Service centers in the CBD.
  - How in heaven's name did they allow this Ujanja service?  shouldn't someone have a police abstract to retrieve data from someone else's phone/pc/notebook?
  -Who should be educating Kenyans about Fiber? shouldn't it be CCK making Kenyans aware of what services they should expect and at what cost?(so that we know when ISPs are reaping us off)
  
  There are many others I can't think of right now!
  Bottom line is, I feel that CCK has taken 10 years to do what they could have done in 5 or even 2 years and thanks to them, we still have unemployed, I.T illiterate Kenyans who have no idea what a blog is or fiber (hiyo fiber ni ire banana fiber?.
  Sorry to those who were hoping that this post had some Art angle to it, we will resume normal broadcasting after this message from our sponsors(eheeeeeh)

• 7:30

  GREAT CORPORATE RIVALRIES IN 2009

   » ‎ Kenyantykoon's Blog
  There are a few things that i like more than corporate battles. In 2009 there are a few corporate streetfights that i have been keenly following. Here they are: GOOGLE vs FACEBOOK vs MICROSOFT vs APPLE Microsoft and Apple started this battle back in the 1970s. Bill Gates (19yrs at the time) and Paul Allen (22) [...]

• 5:36

  This Week’s Readings

   » ‎ Storymoja
  Dear Writers, The Storymoja Hay Festival Season is here. As part of this great celebration of literature and books, various activities have been scheduled. You will not only get a chance to rub shoulders with great African and international writers, but you will also get a chance to fellowship with them in forums and discussions that [...]

• 4:03

  Kenya Cup: Life and Death battle Mean Machine on Nondies

   » ‎ Rugby in Kenya
  Kenya Cup: Life and Death battle Mean Machine on Nondies

• 3:35

  The Waki (CIPEV) Report and After

   » ‎ Mauri Yambo
  The Waki Report is headline news again, after news broke yesterday that Kofi Annan had released the accompanying "Waki's Envelope" to the International Criminal Court at the Hague. The envelope is widely believed to hold the list of 10 leading perpetrators -- the "10 Most Wanted", as it were -- of the post-election violence that erupted across Kenya following the disputed election results of December 2007. Kenyans are excited at the sudden turn of events. Yesterday, in my own first tweet reaction to what Kofi Annan had done, I remarked: "Great day 4 Kenya, now that K. Annan has sent the Waki List to THE HAGUE. Let the nightmare begin 4 the champions of impunity & doublespeak".
  
  The 518-page Waki Report itself does not have the 10 names of The Most Wanted. For those names, we will have to wait a while for ICC's Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo's next few moves. In the meantime, click here to read the complete Waki Report, sans the cover page.
  
  Waki's Envelope has been, to me, key to resolving the issues surrounding Kenya's post-election violence and bringing to an end the completely self-serving and hypocritical to-and-fros that we have witnessed since 2008, as desperate politicians have crudely sought to give cover to impunity and threatened ambitions. Now we'll just have to see how everything turns out. I do think that Kofi Annan's move, yesterday, will be a game-changer of profound proportions for Kenya -- and for Africa.
  
  Vosty (@Vosty) "updated" this tweet yesterday: "Just a thought: Waki List suspects required 2step aside 4investigation! Kibaki/Raila suspects! Then what?" He seemed to worry that the departure to the Hague of a few leaders, including the top two, would rob Kenya of all its leaders -- an obviously untenable prospect. My answer to him, though, is this: We will always find a leader, even leaders, amongst us -- even if there's only one last man or woman standing. And there will be plenty of potentials before that unlikely scenario of The Last Man or Woman. But Vosty clarifies his position in a tweet today as follows: "findin leaders is not ma worry, the mess that r our institutions! Nuthin is clear cut!" Good point!
  
  So, not to worry. I think, though, that we can trace that worry to the media-hogging passions, even pathologies, of our current crop of leaders -- whose effects have been to leave us in "no doubt" that there is no one else out there whom we can choose in their place. But Vosty clarifies his position in a tweet today as follows: "fidin leaders is not ma worry, the mess that r our institutions! Nuthin is clear cut!" Good point! Perhaps, after the Hague, we'll begin to build our institutions in earnest, fully knowing (based on clear evidence before our own eyes) that no one's indispensable [rpc.technorati.com]

  
  

• 3:20

  Weekend Games

   » ‎ Rugby in Kenya
  Weekend Games

• 1:33

  Wishing Safety For All

   » ‎ kaasa
  Hello!       No long post tonight and just wanted to say: 1. First and most important, I pray for my cousins, you and your families in Kenya, now that Ocampo has the list. I pray there won’t be threats and posturing by the guilty, no violence and that all will be well. 2. Sometimes [...]