What next for the Kikuyu nation, Raila cannot Rule, from the brains of a tea man.

I was at the local tea kiosk this afternoon. As a young man who has gone to college and who spends most of the time scouring international media for anything noteworthy, the local tea kiosk is the tea kiosk is the only place that affords me closeness with my people. I am a Kikuyu from central Kenya; probably in a globalizing world my ethnic identity does not form the axis of my life and my thinking. The local tea kiosk I s a different story altogether, set in a small township in Nyandarua county in Central province it is nestled in a very local environment. This though provides an opportunity for me, it is the only place I can capture the neigh emotions and aspirations of my people; (the Kikuyu) it is a microcosm of opinions of peoples from central Kenya be they inside the province or in diaspora. I will consciously author this piece as from an ethnic point of view but don not get me wrong I do intend to trade my objectivity to ethnic bigotry.
So, as I am sitting in the tea kiosk, glossing over crumpled pages of The Daily Nation, the team man starts handing leaflets to us. The forms bear the names of a political party I have never heard as a Kenyan, and boy do I know a lot about political parties in Kenya. They are also structured in the form of a declaration, yes declaring the unequivocal support of a the venerable Uhuru Kenyatta, (son of Kenya’s founding father, current Minister for Finance, Deputy Prime Minister and the current member of parliament for Gatundu Constituency) as Kenya’s next president.
But, wait a minute; I have not heard any one announce a general election. The only general election I am faintly aware about is scheduled to happen in August or in December 2012, depending on who you ask. The aforementioned figure head of the Kikuyu nation has an undetermined case at the International Court of Justice. So why the hell am I supposed to make the choice about who I will vote for right now?
A gentleman sitting adjacent fills in the form without questions asked. I respectfully refuse to fill up the forms. The tea man and the gentle man adjacent in the revolutionary Rastafarian regalia immediately take me on.
“Why do you let your community down?” they quip.
As coolly as I can I explain that although I think that Uhuru Kenyatta is a very likable and able politician and sort of has a nationwide presence he is not a choice I am prepared to make.
“So who will you vote for?” They ask.
“Peter Kenneth,” I answer probably in an effort to balm their pains for Peter Kenneth is another Kikuyu politician, an eloquent man a thinker and a man I believe the Kenyan state deserves as a president. The problem is he is a political light weight being that it is he is not the ass that pulls the ethnic bandwagon of Kikuyu politics.
“But Raila will win, Raila needs a hitter like himself if we are to win the presidency.” The tea man tells me, who is in himself an authority on social, political relationships and reproductive health issues in the village.
Raila is another politician, quite conspicuous in the Kenyan political scene. His hoi polloi venerate him into a demigod; they say he evokes both Raila Phobia and Raila Mania. What is happening here is a classic case of Raila Phobia (an artificially fear of Raila the man.) A Nigerian man has authored a biography on Raila; his detractors say he paid the author. Personally, I think he is a joke I do not buy his populist antics and his half-baked riddles, I also cannot vote or support a politician who is ideologically ambivalent as he is. Exactly what does he stand for?
Back to the tea kiosk, my fellow tribesmen are fearful of a Raila presidency, for what I do not know, I am fearful of a Raila presidency to, why? I do not quite subscribe to his Social Democracy ideology, social democracy is socialism in politically correct language. I am also fearful of an Uhuru Kenyatta presidency, I see him sitting between where we are as a nation and where we want to go.
(This paragraph is an unbridled advice on the kikuyu nation. Everybody knows Raila has no equal; politically that is, that is why the Kikuyu nation tries to prop Uhuru up to fight it out with Raila when it is clear he is not Raila’s equal. The problem though is not with Uhuru, it is with the Kikuyu nation. The Kikuyus, have been content to raise subservient children, our in-laws from the lake have taught their children to shout it out, even their ignorant shout it out at the top of their voices at soccer matches at political podiums and shout it out with stones (ikidis). The Kikuyu rest on the fact that they are the bourgeoisie in the country.)
That aside I propose a formula that will rid Kenya of the triad of evil in Kenya’s politics (Uhuru, Raila, Ruto) and their imps Simple, Ruto and Uhuru have their charges confirmed at the Hague, Kenyans will blame Raila for that, a protest vote against Raila happens in the next general election and bam Kenya gets itself a new breed of politicians incapable of creating personality cults around themselves. Kenyan institutions flourish and the future is good to go.

THE WAR ON AL-SHABAB: A BAD IDEA

As a write this article Kenyan soldiers are in the unforgiving terrain that is Somalia trying to fight out with slippery ghouls in the name of Al-Shabab. Tomorrow withe the benefit of hindsight we shall be castigate and be entirely unforgiving to those politicians and policy makers who made this rush decision to set our soldiers to war.

Do not get me wrong, I am and adherent of the school of thought that calls for the sanctity and of international boundaries and the integrity of national boundaries. The question that begs though is, why didn't we show our metal to Uganda for stealing our Island (Migingo) from our very noses?

I perceive an out of scene marionette read the (USA)directing our every move. We not only fight for our national interests in this war but also advance the national strategic interests of another sovereign power. We are the foot soldiers though, we shall lose our lives and the lives of poor innocent civilians if Al-shabab's threat to revenge is taken seriously.

Things need not be like this though. The war on Al shabab nee not be approached on the three pronged approach; (land, air and naval)that our soldiers say will break Al-Shabab. For starter Al-Shabab thrives on a diet of young supple somali's conned into believing that their course is to fight against the enemies of Islam. One of the Al-Shabab spokesman on an interview said that Kenya will pay dearly for invading Islam's holy land, i fail to remember when Somali was any one's holy land.

That aside i think the war on Al-shabab can be fought not in Soamalia but in New York, Stockholm or Mombasa or in any other world capital. The war on Al-Shabab can only be won over through i diffusion of extreme religious dogma that is prevalent in London as it may be in Kismayu or Mogadishu. If the Islamic clerics are won over and made to understand that Al-shabab offers no good for the Somali people, then certainly the dollars will stop coming and with it the young youth from around the world cheated into believing that a Jihad is on between enemies of Islam and the Al-shabab.

Occupy What Street? Kenyans Know Better.

Occupy What Street? Kenyans Know Better.
Kenyans seem to be smarter than Americans, now before you start frothing in mouth preparing halfhearted attempts to oppose the above statement, let me give you hints why this is so. Over a period of a almost a month now I have been following an amorphous movement in the United States which started under the romantic banner of; ‘occupy Wall Street’ on satellite television. Flipping channels from the; CNN, Sky News, Al-Jazeera, BBC, Russia Today and Press TV, the self-proclaimed mouthpiece of the pious Iranian theocracy has its own advantages, it broadens the whole picture. The CNN, Sky News and the BBC will sort of tuck occupy wall street in between The news, Al-Jazeera might give the movement some air paly whereas the Press TV and Russia today will spend days on end explaining to their global viewer why a crumble of contemporary American Society is imminent but inevitable. Through both brilliant and bigoted economic-financial punditry on world media I have come to the conclusion that occupy wall street is an amorphous and directionless movement which will eventually dissipate once the snow fall starts falling in winter.
Protesters in occupy Wall Street seem blonde at best and seem increasingly oblivious of the crux of issues that beleaguer the American economy. Protesters in their lack of political hindsight have mounted an incessant campaign against alleged ‘Wall Street Corporate greed.’ Whereas I reckon that greed in any form and on any street is supposed to be frowned upon, occupy wall street seems to forget that ‘it takes two tango.’ The movement seems to selectively forget that only a while ago US politicians through flawed policy were in bed with the greedy corporate heads of wall street. Politicians though being as smart as they always are run off from the seen shouting, ‘it was’t me’ pointing an accusing finger at the Wallstreetians. The shortsighted American public is now baying for the blood of the woman forgetting that it takes two to tango.

Occupy wall Street seem to forget that Capitol Hill is not as blameless it portrays itself to be. The American government through flawed fiscal policies should claim its fair share of blame with regards to debilitating economic conditions confronting the American people. The lack of adequate fiscal oversight by the American government meant that ‘profits were localized to a few minority while risk was distributed to entire populations’ not to mention that the exchequer was responsible for pumping billions of dollars as bail out funds into reckless investment banks.
In another continent and in Kenya to be exact we have a very strong sense of who is to blame for stagnation within our society. In Kenya a bottle of standard malt beer goes for 100KSHs (1US$D), much more expensive than a packet of maize flour which retails at 150 KSHs (1.50US$D). As a Kenyan I have to say from the onset that I do not care if sugar in the shop shelves comes from Mauritius and not Mumias in Western Kenya as long it is cheaper on my pocket, I also do not care whether maize comes from Malawi or anywhere else as long as it is cheaper than locally produced maize.
Yet the politicians and the government lies at the heart of this anarchic economic situation. ‘Crony capitalism’ allows the politicians to extract rent from business cartels who on their part torture Kenyans through inflated commodity prices.
The grim economic labyrinth is painted by the situation below; a bag of 50kg bag of fertilizer goes 50 US$D, yet the government has continuously refused to license more fertilizer importers and license another bulk grain haulage player at the Port of Mombasa, something that eventually drives the cost of all loose cargo imported through the cost of Mombasa. The government wants Kenyan consumers to continue paying through their teeth for Kenyan sugar, yet the production cost of Kenyan sugar is 4 times more expensive than sugar from Mauritius or Uganda. Yet the president recently accented into a price control bill that is supposedly make things better for Kenyans.
That is why on 15/10/2011 we shall not turn on diligent business men. We shall be shall march along Haraambe Avenue on our way to parliaments buildings. Because we are determined to stone the philanderer before he deflowers another good woman.

What A Vindication of Ruto, Uhuru might Mean for Raila.

The ICC MIGHT VINDICATE UHURU AND RUTO AFTER ALL.
Kenyans have of late been treated to some new form of drama. A new soap opera cast far away in the Hague. The cast features notable members of Kenya’s political elite and her bureaucracy such as; Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, Minister for Finance, Mr. William Ruto, immediate Minister for Higher Education, Mr Henry Kosgey, Minister of Industrialization, short Joshua Sang a broadcaster, Mr. Francis Muthaura, the Secretary to the cabinet and Mr. Hussein Ali former Commissioner of police and the current post master general.
The above are charged with among others; crimes against humanity or quite simply playing a somewhat visible role in the post-election violence of 2008. Whereas the political pundits provide cryptic matrices of the effects of the confirmation or the lack of thereof of the charges in the ICC, the situation is simpler than the pundits would want us to believe. It is not a labyrinth.
Here are the facts, of the six facing trials only two of them; Uhuru and Ruto can change the political dynamics in Kenya. Therefore the only possible situations are;
• (A) charges for Uhuru and Ruto are confirmed,
• (B) charges for Ruto and Uhuru are not confirmed
• (C) charges for Uhuru are confirmed
• (D) Charges for Ruto are confirmed
• (E) charges for Uhuru are not confirmed
• (F) charges for Ruto are not confirmed
I am not quite well endowed in legal scholarship so I will ignore altogether the legal technicalities involved. I will therefore dwell on a disaggregated situation where either one or both of the two will walk away without the confirmation of charges. Namely B, E, and F.

So what will the legal vindication of either one of Uhuru and Ruto or both mean for Kenya?
To begin with it is preposterous to think that the non-confirmation of charges will go a long way in changing the attitudes of Kenyans with regards to apportioning guilt on what happened in the post-election violence of the year 2008. The victims of the PEV from whichever side of the political divide in Kenya have a very clear mind about who was responsible for their fate.
That the Hague trials were politically emasculated is well known fact. Political pundits will tell you that the trials were intricately politically balanced to avoid the odious shame of parading Principle Raila to The Hague.
Though the International Justice System may fail to find the aforementioned Ruto and Uhuru with considerable blemish, Kenyans may not be two forgiving. However if the ICC fails to confirm the charges to Uhuru and Ruto, their morals will be vindicated. The moral battle between them and the Raila Odinga will be half won. The moral balance as to who has stands on the moral high ground and thus can lead Kenya, which in itself has been skewed in Raila’s favour may rebalance to portray the ICCs ruling.

THE SYMBOLISM OF WANGARI MAATHAI’S CREMATION.

THE SYMBOLISM OF WANGARI MAATHAI’S CREMATION.
Today one of the most iconic women of our time was laid to rest; well not quite not, in the traditional sense. She was cremated in keeping with her last wishes. That she lived before her times more so in the African continent not up for debate. She rises on a pedestal, she plies in her own league, has no contemporaries not in current African statesmen. (I will consciously use the present tense even though the aforementioned “Tree Mother of Africa” is now deceased.
Hers is a life time that was filled with a zestful pursuit of what she believed in ‘the pursuit of happiness’. She was the first East African woman to achieve a PhD, succeeded in lobbying against the construction of a Sixty story complex on Uhuru Park’s Freedom Corner a venue, she successfully organized the mothers of political prisoner into a nude protest, sad as it was into a nude protest in the early 1990’s something that led to the release of the political prisoners incarcerated by the former autocratic Moi regime. Her efforts though were vindicated when she became the first African Woman to win the Nobel peace prize.
In keeping with her keeping with her last wishes; her family, peers and friends were left with no recourse but honour her last wishes. She had previously observed that it was wasteful and immoral to cut down trees to inter the dead. We the living require trees. Thus in keeping with her desires her clay was carried from the Lee Funeral home, not in an ornate coffin of gold and teak but rather in a simple casket made from papyrus. She further moved away from contemporary cultural customs by directing that her remains be cremated at the Kariakor crematorium, rather the conventional customary or Christian burial.
This decision has been the subject of debate in and around the country. While the conservatives bemoaned this decision, some of us, the objective ones could not help but marvel at her conscious and genuine love for nature. Yet superseding all this debate about her passionate love for the environment was the symbolism regarding her last rites.
The superficial observer might have dismissed her as some whose aim was to go against convention. Yet in the foresight that characterized her life she had been foresee what a conventional burial would have meant for her and her course. In death as in her life she had refused to be confined within the rigid confines of a grave. She had decided that her spirit, her zest her verve would not be confined in a in a grave, decorated or not.
It gives me great hope to know that while the smoke from the crematorium wafts above up into the heavens, it carries with it her spirit, her soul envelopes the world like the sky. In death she gives us, the living lessons to refuse to get tied down by physical, cultural, religious or any other constrains that might tie up our desires and our aspirations within ourselves.
Wangari Maathai’s humming bird analogy is a harbinger of hope for all those of us who want to bring progressive change in our society.
A huge forest caught fire and started burning down, as the animals stood aside stupefied and watching helplessly, a small humming bird ran into the stream and carried water in her beak and decided to try and extinguish the fire. Back and forth she went from the stream to the burning forest. The big stupefied animals started mocking her, “What are you doing, your beak and feathers are too small.”
“I am doing the best I can,” the humming bird answered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGMW6YWjMxw

Kenya Does not Need a Facebook President

ME THINKS I CAN BE PRESIDENT TO.
A few years back I tried (unsuccessfully) to offer myself for a small position of leadership. Whereas I still maintain that I was the most qualified for the post, (gloating aside) I admittedly lost to a lesser candidate. The experience build my character or so I like to believe in a momentous way. That is why I squirm and shudder in disbelief every time I see another Facebook Presidential candidate announce their presidential aspirations on National television (read Citizen TV).
Whereas i am staunch believer in self-belief, I have this gnawing feeling that something is seriously wrong in the minds of this young people offering themselves for president. Whereas the current constitution removes the hurdle that would have prevented these so called ‘diaper presidential candidates’ I am of the opinion that they should shelve their political ambitions a wee bit longer. Some of these young politicians will ignorantly incapacitate their budding political careers before they even starts.
Kingwa Kamenchu, a graduate student at the distinguished Oxford university thinks that she is has an abundance of passion than anyone else in the country. Well she couldn’t be more deluded, some of us are equally passionate as well.
Before any one even thinks of throwing their hart in the presidential sphere, they should have at least been in the public sphere for a considerable period of time. Only then can the wider Kenyan populace pick at their character in a bid to ensure that it is not only beyond reproach but that that they have the verve that merits the echelons of power in this country.
Abraham Lincoln a conspicuous American president had tried albeit unsuccessfully to offer himself for lower levels of leadership before he finally made president. President Obama had a long history of activism in his home state of Illinois before he became president and finally president.
Whereas I do not have a problem with young men and women going for seats such as; members of parliament, governors or senators I have a colossal problem with those who think that they are the most capable of becoming president. “Who told them that they can climb a tree from the top?
Whereas I acquiesce that at some point I will throw myself into the political circus, I am wiser enough to buffer myself first before I do so. Chinua Achebe aptly described these characters; Kingwa Kamenchu and another whose name I don’t really grasp as those who ‘dance themselves lame before the main dance.’
Besides this ‘Facebook’ presidents are so out of touch with contemporary Kenyan society to that they apparently do not know what Kenyan society wants. Their lack of political foresight will only work to their detriment. They need to venture beyond the comfort of their Facebook friends to truly decipher what Kenyans want. They need to venture beyond Nairobi and know the aspirations of other 46 counties. And they should not give us that bull shi*t that they want to change the status quo. For a man ‘changeth not what he knoweth not.’

Decolonizing the Ethnic Mind.

In this world it is much more important to be forthright than sane. When I was young, growing up in predominately Kikuyu neighborhood, I received pretty much of my entire ethnic acculturation from this areas.
Passed on from colonial periods were tales of Kikuyu’s suffering at the hands of Kings African Rifles, (KAR) or Nyango’ris a force which at the time was pre-dominantly staffed by people from Western Kenya. Then there were stories of a not so civil people living around Kabartonjo or thereabouts. The forthright amongst us will acquiesce to receiving an en-culturation laced with ethnic biases, the sooner we accept this better positioned we are to address the ethnic frictions that blow up once in a while.
In Kenya we have been seemingly unable to provide solutions to the ethnic divide that permeates Kenyan society. Because we have seemingly been unable to find a solution in healing our tribal problems we must therefore agree that tribalism ought to learn to live with before we seek solutions. Only then could we engage our creative selves towards decolonizing our ethnic minds.

just post

quotes a candind friend "lets not be hypocrites, let's embrace tribalism,' and this again exposes the facade that is the Kenyan nation, United in loathing against the Kikuyus, the sooner we voice this out the faster we heal. We are a proud people, we stand on the pedestal and like the Jews we shall never be annihalated whether Raila or Hittler stands at the other side of the barrel.