Sep. 20 | Tentatively, it is safe to say that Kenyan voters kind of have the plot now. They know that it is retrogressive and does not benefit them to take part in pre and post poll violence.
As witnessed in the recent referendum, Kenyans have realised that “yes we can” vote without necessarily engaging in intimidation and aggression.
As we work on making sure that the violence is forever stamped out, it is time to move onto the second phase.
Do we know how to elect a good leader? Can it confidently be said that the votes of Kenyans will not be swayed by ‘they of the deeper pockets’?
I do not share this confidence. Because I believe Kenyans are a loyal crop of people, who many times are blinded by the silliest of reasons; more commonly known as money.
Dear sisters and brothers, we must understand and share with those we know...
Sep. 12 | Women in Kenya are increasingly being considered as loose. I have heard many a foreign man saying that they love coming to Kenya because it is easy to get a girl.
A lot of Kenyan men say that too. But when you hear a mzungu or even a Nigerian say that, it means the problem – so to speak – has crossed borders.
And by loose I don’t mean like a non-fitting item of clothing.
More often than not, there is no need to buy the services of the ladies of the night, because you could get a bank manager for free in one of the more affluent night-spots.
Its true that Kenyans have been known for being warm and welcoming, but I think we could be taking hospitality a bit too far. Even the guys are becoming confused.
Its safe to say that maybe 70 percent or so of the men are happy that its easier to get a girl. However, a growing number are...
Sep. 5 | Somewhere about 70kms from the heart of Mzansi there is a man-made pool of water – quite expansive – called Hartebeesport Dam. Apart from the hard name and dazzling ripples of sunlight bouncing off the water, there are quite a number of dreams bopping up and down the dam.
One of these dreams goes by the name Toro Ya Me – which in Suthu means my mother’s dream. And the author of this dream is Derna Van Vuuren. One day Derna had a dream. She dreamed of a boat on the water, with her home close by. Her husband would be the skipper and she would share her boat with visitors, whom she would charge to ride on her dream.
It doesn’t seem like much, but its more than most of the people I know have ever come up with.
I think a big mistake a number of us make is we dream of money. We dream of the Dollar Race or the Millionaires...
Aug. 22 | I can’t wait for Friday, the holiday – day of Promulgation. As a Kenyan or at least 60 percent of the human race, I love holidays. However, this one is different…
This one, for me, is a landmark in the history of our fantastic nation. I feel that it signifies a moment of rest right before the start of a long stretch of work, and very hard work at that.
If you toil within the government corridors, it means the laying down and effecting of laws that make the new constitution a reality. It means righting the wrongs, and laying strenuous processes bare, so that Kenya’s wheels turn solidly in the right direction.
If you’re not in the government, it means making sound decisions. (I make reference to the electing of leaders who govern us). Let the definition of leaders change from those who prove their allegiance by...
Aug. 15 | If you do not have sex with me I will kill you. Don’t mess with me, o!
The possible dialogue from the couples who recently argued over conjugal rights might have made material for a funny Nollywood production, but the actual deaths that occurred, left behind a very confusing feeling.
What?! I mean, it is a bit more common to hear that a man demanded for his conjugal rights in the dead of night, but when a woman in Kibera went bonkers and stabbed her husband in the chest for refusing to honour her connubial demands, it was like overkill!
Do you think Kenyans are becoming ‘victim’ crazy? Yes, are they playing the victim a tad too much? It’s TD Jakes who planted this seed in my head.
Let me explain. In this ‘new age’ quest of trying to find ourselves, we discover that the reasons why we do things could be...
Jul. 26 | I have been branded an optimist. And yet all I said was that I really doubt there was going to be violence after the referendum.
I choose to imagine and do feel that the days of August 5 and 6 will be peaceful ones for Kenya. Why do I feel this? Because I believe that anyone who lost his/her home or loved one in early 2008, or merely watched what the post election violence on television, would have better sense than to engage in riots after the referendum.
For me, the recent by elections are a very good indication that the Kenyan voter is finally more enlightened and mature about winning or losing the contest, after decades of practice.
Another plus for my argument is that politicians and their friends are watching what they say nowadays, or rather being forced to. In the workplace as well, there is no animosity about which ‘camp’...
Jul. 18 | She could not have been more than 7 years old. I saw her while on a visit to a school in one of the many remote areas in this country, namely Turkana.
Her head was half plaited and I watched in a bit of wonder as she flung her body down the metal rungs into a well where she would draw water for the house.
Her mother cannot go down there because the wooden ladder leading into the water at the bottom of the last rung looks like it is highly unlikely to support a grown person.
As she filled her jerry can the girl’s feet were in the water, some of which no doubt would be used for drinking.
This particular school (Daaba Primary School) has a windmill, which no longer works. It has an electric pump that stands fenced and in silence because there is no money to buy fuel for the generator that runs it.
There are about 180 students between nursery...
Jul. 12 | I am instant Kenyan. I have come to realise that thanks to a church sermon over the weekend. And I know for certain that I’m not the only one.
By instant I mean that I want things to happen as quickly as possible. I like instant coffee because all I need to do is boil the water, add some sugar and voila! I like cup a soup because of the same thing.
Just in case you were there with me during the Sunday service, let me deviate a little.
There is nothing fundamentally wrong I believe with wanting things to go quickly, but if it’s at the expense of more important virtues, you might want to try and slow down a little sometimes.
Let’s put it into the perspective of family, work, and life’s challenges a la Kenya, such as getting a passport, an identity card or a P3 form; it can be a bit tricky.
The instant people that we are,...
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