Alpha Rwath

Meeting Senator Barack Obama

2005-10-12T10:17:00.002+03:00

The key cities of New York and Washington D.C. in the United States were host to a number of Kenyan delegations on nation building exercises during the month of September. While the President of Kenya led the largest delegation amongst UN member countries to the 60th anniversary celebrations of the United Nations and a Special Summit on implementation of Millennium Development Goals, the Hon. Paul Muite led the Parliamentary Departmental Committee on the Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs to Washington D.C, to lobby Senators on crucial pending legislation of national importance.

In Washington D.C, the two Democrat Senators from Illinois, Senator Richard J. Durbin and Senator Barrack Obama invited a group of East African government and civil society leaders to their weekly forum with lobby groups from Illinois. Dubbed the “Illinois Coffee”, it serves as an opportunity for the senators to meet their constituents in a hall at their senate office building to discuss constituency matters and to update them on legislative affairs affecting them. A similar meeting is also held later in the week at the state of Illinois. In this particular meeting, some of the pressure groups present were drawn from HIV/AIDS groups, university students and even an eighteen year old ex-convict inquiring on employment opportunities for those in his predicament. On the other hand, the eighteen Kenyans, Ugandans and Tanzanians were undergoing a six-week training programme on anti-corruption and good governance at the Les Aspin Centre for Government based in Washington D.C. This was one of the positive things I saw in the U.S. political system. If any Kenyan MP met with his ocnstituents to update them on legislation affecting them and to listen to their issues, we would have a different Kenya. Unfortunately, we elect some of the most dumb politicians who do not even know what laws they are discussing in the house. So long as their patron tells them how to vote, they are ocntent with ammassing wealth and women.

Senator Obama and Senator Durbin took time to update their constituents on the progress with key legislations before fielding questions from them. Thereafter they gave the East Africans a chance to speak and ask questions on issues affecting their countries with relation to U.S. foreign policy. Some of the issues addressed included the recent suspension of $201 Million dollars Global Fund to Uganda due to massive corruption and a lapse in leadership. The Senators expressed their concern at the massive corruption in the East African countries which, in due course, impacts negatively on their foreign policy and trade. Senator Obama cited his recent meeting with the Prime Minister of Britain, Tony Blair where they discussed the latter’s efforts at assisting African countries in poverty alleviation as well as debt cancellation through Britain’s current leadership at the G8. Senator Obama then informed the East Africans that he would be traveling to the region later next year.

Later that evening, the East African delegation held a meeting with Senator Obama’s Chief of Staff where I had the priviledge of presenting a memorandum highlighting key concerns that we have in our respective countries. The memorandum included an imploration for the inclusion of whistleblower protection legislation alongside witness protection which the U.S. is urging Kenya to pass as a measure to curb terrorist activity; concern at the opportunities for graft and civil unrest as the Tanzanians prepare for their elections and the Kenyans for their referendum on the draft constitution. The delegation also requested the Senators to use their influence in ensuring that the Les Aspin Centre programme continues to get federal government support as it had trained leaders in the past who have made an impact in their countries. Some of the past fellows of the programme include Kenyan Cabinet Ministers Hon. Ochillo Ayacko and Hon. Amos Kimunya and the late Hon. Frederick Chesereck as well as a host of current civil society Executive Directors and senior civil servants.

The two Illinois Senators are quite influential in their own right. Senator Durbin is the Assistant Minority Leader, the second highest ranking Democratic Leadership post. He is serving his second six-year term as Senator and sits on the powerful Appropriations Committee as well as the Judiciary and Rules and Administrations Committees. Senator Barrack Obama is a member of the crucial Foreign Relations Committee where he also sits on the sub-committee on African Affairs. According to his website, he sought to serve on this committee because of his interest in the issues such as keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists and his personal background. His father was born in Kenya and he is the only African – American Senator. He also serves on the important Environment and Public Works Committee which oversees legislation and funding for the environment and public works projects throughout the country, including the national transportation bill, and the Veteran’s Affairs Committee.

Everyone (i.e. American) I talked to is in agreement that Senator Barack Obama's star is rising. He is one of the few Senators who are known and highly regarded country-wide (i.e.U.S.). Hillary Clinton is known as she was the wife to the immediate former President and a brilliant attorney. Others stake their claim to fame through scandals or controversies. One thing worth noting is that there is still widespread hesitation when Obama is linked to the Oval office in terms of his future political career. It is easier to think of Hillary in those terms . One of the well connected people to Capitol Hill waxed lyrical on how Obama owes his political career to Senator Durbin, who has mentored him. Granted the mentorship system that seems to be one of the hallmarks of the U.S. legislative history is commendable, but this person totally refused to acknowlegde Senator Obama in his own right.

For the past six years, the Les Aspin Center has sponsored training programs for community leaders from Kenya, Ghana, Uganda,Mali,Nigeria, andTanzania in democracy principles and practice. The training program began in 1996 with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and has been extended since then. The Democracy Training Program involves six weeks of lectures and discussions in a seminar setting. The participants also undertake site visits to experience directly and learn about the functioning of democracy and the public policy process. The presenters and the participants discuss, compare, and critique the American and African political institutions and how these operate to produce and implement effective public policy. The entire seminar experience enables the participants to understand and synthesize key insights that can be integrated into their country experience. This way, they can identify what is relevant for promoting effective democratic participation in their countries.

My next post will expound on my one month Washington D.C. and Milwaukee visit for the training and my experiences there.

Charles Njonjo: Rigid in a changing church and changing times

2005-07-04T09:57:00.000+03:00

When the name Charles NJonjo is mentioned, what comes to your mind? I will not mention anything for now, but the octogenarian is really steeped in church issues. He is a staunch member of the Anglican Church and devotedly and without fail attends the 6p.m. evening service at All Saints' Cathedral Church. This service is more "Anglican" than any other services on a typical Sunday at All Saints' and includes Latin chants. For a moment you feel like you've been transported to England. This is a service that is seldom interfered with even during the "Mission Month" when All Saints' drops it's conservative approach and embraces evangelistic styles only seen at Charismatic gatherings. Granted the church has a vibrant, well funded Evangelism and Outreach Ministry, but they employ the Charismatic modus operandi for one month, to win over souls...and it has proven to be effective. The other months are spent in well strategised and creative approaches that has seen a church that was once slowly dying, turned into a vibrant growing church with many who left slowly trooping back to their "Mother Church" after wandering out there.

Back to "Sir" Charles Njonjo. He made some remarks that were captured in a section of the press. The East African Standard on Monday 27th June 2005 edition quoted him taking a swipe at the Anglican Church. Now Njonjo usually communicates a lot with the press. This has become the only forum you will get to hear from him on socio-political issues. That is when he is not launching some philanthropic initiative or receiving accounts from one of the many high profile organizations he chairs. His remarks as reported in the Standard were as follows:

The former AG also took a swipe at the Anglican Church of Kenya for "embracing pentecostalism".Njonjo, a member of the All Saints Cathedral, said the church had abandoned its dignified way of worship.He said the clergy was forcing worshippers to "jump, shout and lift their arms," a style of worship mostly associated with Pentecostals."The clergy have abandoned the clerical collar and instead of the traditional formal way of dressing, they lead services dressed in white kanzu."But we are heartened that the archbishop has heard our cries and appointed a committee to look into the administration of the cathedral with the aim of hopefully returning it to the good old ways."Saying there was a pentecostal church not far from the All Saints Cathedral, Njonjo said those who wanted to become Pentecostals were free do go there. "We want to follow the 1662 (Common Book of Prayer) and to see our priests in proper formal attire and clerical collars," he said.He revisited the "cash-for-prayers" saga of last year and wondered why the cleric who was accused of receiving money from the City Council to offer prayers for its officials was still in employment.

The following is my response:

Log on to the Anglican Communion official website and a banner message on the home page reads, “Greetings for the season of Pentecost. Come Holy Spirit and kindle in us the fire of your love.” The former Attorney General and Anglican congregant Charles Njonjo may not be aware of the existence of this website and its contents which totally contradict his recent swipe at the Anglican Church of Kenya for embracing what he terms as “Pentecostalism”, as reported in a section of the press. Mr. Njonjo actually has a problem with “jumping, shouting and lifting of hands” and very carelessly refers those who prefer this mode of expression to a Pentecostal church “not far from All Saints’ Cathedral”. The banner message clearly recognizes the place of the Holy Spirit and Pentecost in the Anglican Church, giving it predominance and pre-eminence. The books of prayer Mr. Njonjo prefers over and above “Pentecostal” expression also make reference to the Holy Spirit in numerous prayers and creeds and Pentecost is observed in the Anglican calendar every year.

First and foremost, it must be granted that Mr. Njonjo is indeed entitled to his opinion and he therefore has the freedom to express them in any way he so wishes. What is of concern is that he does not channel his discontentment to the church authorities. Rather, he chooses to do so through the media. The press on the other hand, refers to him as “a Church elder” and confuses the general public in thinking that his statements reflect the very thinking and standing of the Anglican Church. This has previously caused confusion during debates on abortion amongst other contentious issues. He is an elder, in terms of his seniority in age and high profile public life, but holds no known position within the Anglican Church hierarchy, or the All Saints Cathedral Church.

Secondly, Mr. Njonjo must be living in a different age and time. The mainstream church today throughout Africa is embracing “Africanization” of the church. The Roman Catholic Church in fact is ahead of the Anglican Church and the Presbyterian Church in this. Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches also have elements of “Africanization” though with the proliferation of the foreign Christian media content, many of them are looking more African - American than African. After his visit to celebrate the centenary of the Church of the Province of Kenya in 1994, Archbishop George Carey, the then Head of the Anglican Church, said, “I believe that there are yet untapped riches in African culture waiting to be used for the glory of God”. While he was in Kenya, he took every opportunity to encourage the inclusion of African songs in worship. Such songs will always be accompanied by jumping, shouting and clapping. Various string, wind and percussion musical instruments are being used in church worship as a complement to the traditional church piped organ. A recent development that Mr. Njonjo must have smarted about was the Church of England’s appointment of a man who fled the poverty and persecution of Idi Amin’s Uganda as its first black Archbishop. It would be interesting to see what Dr. John Sentamu’s appointment means in the predominantly white and traditionalist York.

Thirdly, Mr. Njonjo should desist from antagonizing friends with his statements. All Saints Cathedral has a good relationship with its neighbouring churches. By dismissing those who supposedly express themselves in a “different way” and telling them to go to a “Pentecostal Church not far off”, Mr. Njonjo is sending a very negative message across to the friends of his church across the road. If the handling of external factors like Kadhi’s Courts or alleged Masonic symbols in church architecture is anything to go by, an internal dispute on a doctrinal issue would cause untold chaos unless sobriety takes root first. It didn’t escape many that a local Christian radio station host made Njonjo’s reported statement the subject of her breakfast show and reduced the issue to an “us” verses “them” battle on the issue of Pentecost, complete with quoting Bible verses and receiving emails from listeners expressing solidarity with her. Many Christians can misread her intentions.

Finally, the newspaper article reported Njonjo’s happiness at the redress over administrative anomalies at All Saints’ Cathedral Church and quoted him as saying that “we are heartened that the Archbishop has heard our cries and appointed a committee to look into the administration of the cathedral with the aim of hopefully returning it to the good old ways." His happiness is obviously misplaced as the Archbishop’s move had nothing to do with “jumping, shouting and lifting of arms”. Njonjo risks inaccuracy by relying on the media as his source of information for church issues.

On a more conciliatory note, the viability of Africanization for the Anglican community in Kenya depends upon holding these different spiritualities not as antithetical, but as complementary partners. I believe that this will provide the Anglican Church of Kenya with a meaningful spirituality for the future.

The Kenya Bribery Index at a glance

2005-04-01T10:59:00.000+03:00

Transparency International - Kenya recently launched their annual Kenya Bribery Index. Much as it has been in the news due to a misrepresentation by our low calibre journalists , this index focuses on exactly where Kenyans are being hurt by bribery. Furthermore, this is where we should be focusing on and not on the sideshows that the politicans would want us to focus on. It would be inetersting to hear what guys have gone through in these organisations. This is a brief summary of the Bribery Index. The full report can be found at the Transparency International website . Find the link to the right of my page.

THE

KENYA

BRIBERY INDEX 2005 AT A GLANCE:

The Kenya Bribery Index 2005 survey features 34 organizations, 4 less than in 2004. This reflects reduced number of organizations that had sufficient sample to be included individually. The survey indicates a decline in bribery in 2004 but by significantly less than the reduction reported in 2003. The number of bribery encounters reported declined from 40 % to 34 % of encounters, both public and private. The number of bribes paid declined from an average of 2.7 to 0.5 (i.e. one bribe for every two people who interacted with officials).

The Bribery Index measures Kenyan’s experiences with petty bribery and does not capture grand corruption, the mega scandals involving billions in kick backs and negative macro-economic impact such as Goldenberg or the Anglo-Leasing scandal “that never was”.

On the bribes reported in the survey, the average expenditure on bribery declined to Ksh.2,660 from Ksh. 4,000 in 2003, while the average bribe paid increased significantly, from Ksh.1, 484 to Ksh. 4,958. Kenyans are paying fewer bribes than before in addition to a significant reduction in frequency across all organizations. Conversely, the amount of money changing hands has reportedly increased. With time, public focus on corruption, bribery and service delivery has remained sustained, especially with the government’s pledge of zero-tolerance to corruption and its recovery programme that gives priority to good governance and the rule of law as the foundation of our economic growth. This has made public servants more reluctant to openly seek for bribes hence the increase in the average size of the bribes due to the high risk of being caught.

The Worst Offenders

The Kenya Police tops the list once again, and has topped the list since the inception the survey. This time it has recorded its worst index score of 72.4, down from 57.3 in 2004. Furthermore, the Police force ranked worst in five of the six indicators, save for average size of bribes, where it is ranked second. In the previous surveys, it had recorded relatively low amounts for the average size of bribes, an average of about Kshs.540 annually. This time its average size of bribes has increased drastically to Kshs 10,800. Kenyans are now paying an average of Kshs.2, 377 per annum to the police,an increase from Kshs.805. Incidentally, the bribery transactions reported have reduced form 12.5 to 2.5.

As explained earlier, there is an environment of law enforcement and order and numerous reform initiatives especially in the Traffic Division that makes it harder for one to get away with an offense. Subsequently, due to the increased risk of severe punishment coupled with an increase in the amounts of the fines and the penalties, the bribe price has increased. Despite the police being better equipped both in the towns and rural areas due to partnerships with donors to fund reforms, there is reportedly no corresponding improvement in service delivery.

The Judiciary, which works closely with the Police, has a similar trend whereby there is a reduction in bribery encounters (4.7 to 0.4) and an increase in the size of bribes. (Kshs.1, 836 to Kshs.3, 606). The much touted radical surgery that took place in 2003 may come under increased scrutiny, especially since it was surgery that was carried out at the top.

Other organizations that performed poorly include the Teachers Service Commission, whose index increased from 18.7 to 30.6 and whose ranking rose from 19^th to 2^nd. The Commission also ranked worst in average size of bribes, with an average of Kshs.13, 115 reportedly being paid. The Bribery Index has been able to track a trend in national recruitment exercises by various organizations, where their episodic appearance and high ranking in the index takes place after a recruitment process. This was evident with the Department of Defense in last years’ index when it was ranked second following a national recruitment. It does not feature in this years’ recruitment. Teacher recruitment, promotion and appraisals have been dogged by reports of massive bribery.

Interestingly, the Education sector features prominently, with five education service providers appearing on the Bribery Index this year. These are the Teachers Service Commission, the Ministry of Education, Public Universities, Public Colleges and Public Schools. The first four are amongst the top 15 in the average size of bribe category.

The Local Authorities index has increased from 17.3 to 25.2. A major contribution to this is the inclusion of the Kisumu and Mombasa City Councils’ in the Local Authorities category since they were not cited by a significant number of respondents so as to reach the sample significance criteria that would warrant them to be ranked separately.

Organizations that have improved.

The Nairobi City Council was ranked 7^th with an index of 20.4, a slight improvement from an index of 26.2 from last years’ index. The Nairobi City Council has recorded significant improvements across the indicators. Worth noting is the decrease in the cost of bribes per person from Kshs. 89.9 to Kshs. 2.71 and the frequency of bribes ,from 5.8 to 0.3. The average size of bribes though has increased by about 50%, from Kshs. 863 to Kshs.1, 266. It would be interesting to track the impact of the decentralization of certain services from the Nairobi City Council, including the newly created Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, the new partnership with the Kenya Revenue Authority where the latter has been contracted to collect land rates on behalf of the Council and the impending awarding of the garbage collection contract.

Other organizations that have shown marked improvements include: The State Corporations n.e.s, The Immigration Department, The Kenya Revenue Authority and the Central Government n.e.s.

Behaviour Change in the Public

There is a sharp increase in the frequency of members of the public declining to bribe and there is also an increase in the willingness to report bribery encounters indicating that it is behaviour change by the public, as opposed to behaviour change by public officials that is driving reduction in bribery. This should send out a message to the public and private organizations involved in sensitizing the public on corruption. Programmes targeting public officials should be designed and implemented.

Perceptions of Change.

The perceptions of significant reduction in corruption declined to 9% from 14% in 2003, while perceptions of slight reduction also declined from 18% to 15%. Conversely, perceptions of significant increase rose from 8.5% to 12% and perceptions of marginal increase rose slightly from 4.4 to 5.5%. The majority (57.5%) perceived no change.

The Bribery Indicators: Where do organizations rank?

A sneak preview into the six indicators constructed to capture the different dimensions of corruption is given below. The top ten organizations for each indicator are provided.

Indicator 1: Likelihood of Encountering Bribery, % of encounters.

The Immigration Department registered significant improvement on this score. It was ranked worst with a score of 90% and this has educed to 60%.The likelihood of encountering bribery increased very significantly in Public Universities, the Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya Power and Lighting Company and the Ministry of Health.

Indicator 2: Prevalence (Bribery Encounters as % of respondents affected)

The Judiciary, the Registrar of Persons and the Nairobi City Council registered significant improvements and dropped from the top ten offenders list. The Immigration Department registered the most notable improvement, moving down from 14^th to 27^th position. The Ministry of Agriculture and Public Universities have registered the most significant regression, the former from the second most favourable position to 18^th position, and the latter from most favourable position to 25^th position.

Indicator 3: Severity (% of declinations resulting in service denial).

Amongst the ten worst offenders last year, only three organizations have registered some improvement, namely the Registrar of Persons, The Kenya Revenue Authority and the Immigration Department in that order. The Teachers Service Commission registered the worst performance, from the second best to the 8^th worst offender. Other poor performers in this category include: Local Authorities (19^th to 5th),

Indicator 4: Cost of Bribes in Kshs.

Public organizations have an overall downward trend in the total expenditure on bribery, save for the Police, who are now extracting three times more than last year. (From Kshs.805 to Kshs.2.377). Notably, however, the increase has occurred in rural areas, from Kshs.49 to Kshs.3, 700 per person per month. The downward trend in the public sector is offset by an increase in the private sector, where Co-operative societies (4th), the Private Sector (6th) and NGOs/CBOs (10th) feature prominently.

Indicator 5: Frequency (average number of bribes paid, per client p.a.).

On average, people are paying significantly fewer bribes to all organizations. Significant improvements were recorded by the Immigration Department (8^th to 25th) and the Nairobi City Council (from 5^th to 17th). Poorly performing organizations include the Ministry of Agriculture/Livestock (25^th to 6th) and the Ministry of Gender, Sports Culture and Social Services.(7thand first time on the Bribery Index).

Indicator 6: Average size of Bribes.

The two top offenders, the Teachers Service Commission (Kshs.13, 000) and the Kenya Police (Kshs.10, 800), also top the list of the largest increases in size of bribes paid. (By Kshs.8, 560 and Kshs.10, 200 respectively). Others with significant increases include the Postal Corporation, the Judiciary and Co-operative Societies. Significant reductions were recorded by the Public Universities, who were ranked first last year and moved from Kshs.35, 000 to Kshs.1, 550; State Corporations and Public Colleges.

The Bribery Index Table.

Aggregate Index 2004
		2004	2004	2004	2003	2003	2003
Rank	Organization	national	urban	rural	national	urban	rural
1	Kenya Police	72.4	62.2	75.3	57.3	57.6	55.9
2	Teachers Service Commission	30.6	23.0	28.6	18.7	24.2	12.2
3	Local Authorities n.e.s	25.2	31.3	20.7	17.3	17	18.1
4	Judiciary	23.7	30.1	21.1	24	24.7	23.6
5	Ministry of Lands	23.6	28.4	22.0	24.5	21.2	31.4
6	Provincial Administration	22.7	30.0	21.6	26.7	23.9	31.8
7	Nairobi City Council	20.4	21.0	27.4	26.2	27.8	16.6
8	Immigration Department	18.2	21.8	12.7	30.1	31.8	24.9
9	Kenya Revenue Authority	17.8	21.0	14.7	28.8	25.3	28
10	Ministry of Culture,Gender& Sports	16.9	11.2	19.0
11	Central Govt n.e.s	16.8	21.2	14.5	25.5	22.7	31.1
12	Cooperatives	16.3	17.7	15.9	12.5	15	12
13	Public Hospitals	15.3	16.4	15.3	21.9	24.1	17.3
14	Registrar of Persons	15.0	16.7	14.0	21	20.5	21.9
15	Private Sector n.e.s	14.4	11.9	17.4	17	17.3	15.9
16	Ministry of Agriculture/Livestock	14.0	17.1	12.6	5.8	14.9	5.4
17	Kenya Power & Lighting Company	12.8	13.1	15.0	12.9	12.7	15.8
18	Ministry of Education	12.7	24.8	10.9	14.3	12.8	16.2
19	State Corporations n.e.s	12.7	13.5	12.8	30.1	37.5	10.5
20	Ministry of Water Development	12.1	16.0	8.4	8.9	12.3	4.2
21	National Social Security Fund	11.4	15.0	7.8	18.8	18.8	18.7
22	Ministry of Health	10.8	11.1	11.2	12.7	12.3	13.2
23	Public Universities	9.2	11.4	8.5	21.6	21.9	16.6
24	Public Colleges	9.1	12.0	7.3	13.2	16.9	4.3
25	NGOs/CSOs	9.0	6.4	10.3	7.3	7	8
26	Kenya Tea Development Agency	8.9	14.8	7.9
27	Postal Corporation of Kenya	7.1	13.3	0.8	4	5.4	2.3
28	Public Schools	6.9	8.7	6.2	8.5	11.7	5.1
29	International Orgs/Dip. Missions	5.3	4.7	6.3	8.9	8.8	5.6
30	National Health Insurance Fund	4.1	3.0	4.9
31	Coffee Board of Kenya	4.0	-	3.9
32	Financial Institutions n.e.s	3.3	3.8	3.0	8.2	11.1	3.9
33	Kenya Commercial Bank	2.8	0.7	2.8	3.8	3.1	4.5
34	Religious Organizations	2.3	3.1	2.6	2.4	2.6	2.6

Kenya Blog Meme

2005-02-27T23:31:00.000+03:00

Let me attempt to answer some of these questions which have been developed by Mama Junkyard . It looks like an initiating ritual for new bloggers. I have laughed my head off at MentalAcrobatic's answer to things that non-kenyans should know about kenyans and in particular at Kenyans drinking prowess. Yaani....Ok. Here goes.

Favourite Kenyan Food

Charcoal grilled chicken with ugali and kunde. This is best eaten at community (upper hill area near the Milimani commercial courts) in those lunch sheds that are smoky full time . Before you go in , you can actually get a piece of the chicken (or roast meat) to taste. The waiters and waitresses take fifteen orders at a go...and deliver !

Favourite Drink

Goat-head soup: I don't know how many of you would retain the head of the goat as you roast the rest of the meat. This is boiled in hot water (duh!) until all the ocntents of the brains etc are reduced to soup. But it has to be served in those metal mugs, the ones we use in shagz these days but we used to have in our digz in the eighties.

Favourite Kenyan TV Programme

I guess Vitimbi has always remained fresh...especially now that Ojwang has a "number two"(a mistress) and his wife does not know!
Tushauriane: This was a hit and the current local soaps do not come close to it.
Newshot in KTN: Political satire in five minutes. But it's dying slowly due to its founder being poached by the rival station, Nation Media.

Top three Kenyan hangouts

The kenchic franchise: The fastest growing fast food franchise in town. The chicken (they were the first to display chicken being roasted slowly on their grills that would rotate them on the display window resulting in that tug on mummy's skirt...and hence the name coined for it...kuku porno'!) is unbeatable and i discovered fries taste better when eaten with your bare hands!
GreenHouse: The hangout for jango's. Jango' delicacies and the great music group, Orutu Kenge Kenge playing their traditional instruments. English, Kiswahili and any other language is left at the gate and conversation is in the full jango.
Java Coffee House, Adams Arcade: I have never tasted hot chocolate like they do it at Java. I'm hooked! I stress the Adams Arcade branch 'cause the town branch has been taken over by local MCs and musicians meeting their fans. It's always full, both inside, in the aisles and outside! Java Adams ,on the ocntrary,is peaceful, especially on Sunday.

Top Kenyan Holiday Destination

Coast and shagz (Kisumu town and rural. In town, every jang' from nairobi has checked in so you feel at home.)

3 Kenyan phrases you use a lot (ati, nini, nani DO NOT count and neither does bilaz!)

Kwani?, Yaani and laterz

Three things about Kenya/Kenyans that make you go 'hmmm'.

When it starts raining at about 4:45p.m. everyone panics and gets their cars on the road to dash home,resulting in a mad jam! Why can't guys just sit in the office and surf, or go and have a drink until the rain and the normal traffic subsides?
Very idle sometimes: You just need to stand somewhere in town,, and look up curiously, like you have spotted a UFO or something. After ten minutes, you will have a crowd of like twenty guys looking up with you, and some actually seeing something. You can even walk away quietly and leave them still trying to figure out what it is that we were looking at!
Very Romantic: On sunday afternoon,under every single tree (and you can take me up on this) at Uhuru Park, there is a couple seated having soda and buns and holding each other. It relaxes your mind and reminds you that depsite the harsh conditions in the country...romance still abounds.

Three things non-Kenyans say about Kenya/Kenyans that make you go 'hmmm'

When I was in Sudan last September, the Sudanese told me that if Elijah Sumbeiywo (who chaired the peace process talks) ran for president, he would win! They love us and think we care for them.

"Are you guys educated?"

Happy , fun-loving and joyful all the time.

Three things about Kenya/Kenyans which non-Kenyans ought to know

Yes, we are caring and that's why funerals are a great part of our life programme....the whole hog, from turning to the obituary page first and being satisfied that our friend and/or relative's face was published; cutting out that page and keeping it somewhere in the diary or wallet for remembrance; going for daily visits to just be with the mourning family and give both in cash and in kind; Crying and rolling on the gorund in mourning then a couple of minutes later asking.." Chakula iko tayari?"

Yes we are very educated, more than you are. In addition to mastering education by your standards and definitions, we are streetwise and even know towns within your states. Do you know Eldoret town?

Our pubs are full every day of every week of every month of every year. It's also amazing how most of those who are perceived to be comfortably wealthy by the cars they drive, how they dress and the jobs they hold or businesses they run, can be found drinking and eating roast meat at their local pub, which is nothing more than a iron sheet roofed ,wooden structure almost bursting with people. This group of people will only be found at high cost , five star hotels when they are attending meetings and forums!

Complete this sentence: I am Kenyan because...

...of my love for the country , the people and the events and activities that are strictly Kenyan and that I would not trade for anything. God bless Kenya and Kenyans.

Time for an African Pope?

2005-02-27T01:57:00.000+03:00

It's sad to have the Pope in and out of hospital. This is one personality who has inspired the world and been a voice of reason in a world whose conscience is fast searing to ash. This is one Pope who is highly likely to join some of his religious predecessors in receiving the NObel Peace Prize: Mother Teresa, The Archbishop Desmond Tutu, The Dalai Lama and the Rev. Martin Luther King. His humility is quite intriguing especially if one read the circumstances with which he came to office following the death of Pope Paul V1, who according to David Yallop's bestseller, In God's Name, a timeless master piece in investigative journalism, was murdered for his open book policy and modus operandi among other reasons. The election of the pope is indeed a strict process that is followed closely by the world media and both Catholics and non-catholics alike . Involving only the church cardinals, it is carried out in utmost secrecy and high security. Only 120 Cardinals are eligible to vote or participate in the election of the Pope. For details on how the Pope is elected check out http://www.italiansrus.com/articles/conclave.htm for a good summary by Anthony Parente or for something with details upon details, check out http://www.osv.com/catholicalmanac.

Granted that my former religion teacher at my high school alma mater , Silvano Borruso, who is arguably one of the most brilliant and knowledge men , South of Sahara , will flinch at my perspectives as rightly put by a suspected "anonymous" fellow alumni to fellow blogger, thinkersroom.blogspot.com,(who therefore is also an alumni) when thinker discussed the same topic. My thesis in arguing for an African Pope stems purely from a realization that Africans did play major roles in th eyears Before Christ (B.C.) and After Christ (A.D.), and in particular,throughout the Bible Stories. Whenever I watch a movie or a play, or when I'm writing a script,the best way I identify the crucial role of a lead actor/actress is by tring to picture the movie/play without them.....mentally removing them from the story and trying to see if the plot would proceed successfully without them. In the majority of instances, it does not. Similarly, when you remove the Africans appearing in the Bible, the gospel story is incomplete!

Beginning with Abraham, the Father of our faith, he married a lady called Keturah, after Sarah died. I subscribe to the belief that Keturah was an African. Her descendants include the Queen of Sheba . Some researchers also say that Abraham was an African,from Chaldea, where the ancient Chaldeans were black. Theologians bent on supresing the role of Africans in the Bible has for so long propagated an untruth, that Noah's curse on Canaan , son of Ham who had seen the father's nakedness,signified a curse on Africa. The sopn of Ham who is believed to be the ancestor of Africans is Cush (hence Cushites), and he was not cursed by Noah. We go to Jethro, father-in-law to Moses. Jethro was a descendant of the Midianites, from Midian,son of Keturah. Jethro is credited with tarining Moses to survive in the harsh wilderness, and even gave them one of his guides to show them through the wilderness. Moses's siblings, Miriam and Aaron, did not like a "Cushite" wife of his. In the New Testament, Simon of Cyrene helped a weak and tired Jesus to carry His cross just before he was crucified. Paul and Barnabus, just before they began their evangelistic mission had hands laid on him by the elders,including one called Simon who was also called Niger, and another called Lucius of Cyrene.

These are a few examples just meant to trigger debate on the subject but for me, they would be my reasons for advocating for an African Pope.

Introduction to Alpha-Rwath

2005-02-26T03:05:00.000+03:00

I guess this is the latest in the blogging fraternity and in particular amongst the Kenyan bloggers. Really inspired by some of the few Kenyan blogs I've come across like Thinker's Room amongst others. Granted all the Kenyan blogs are discussiong socio-political issues on Kenya and Kenyans alike. I will do the same but proably from a totally different perspective, and from Nairobi,Kenya. But first things first, where is my African politeness?

Alpha - Rwath......you must be wondering what the heck this means. Alpha as we all know is "the first, the beginning...." Rwath is Luo meaning "a bull". Therefore.....I present to you the FIRST BULL! While on campus at Moi University in Eldoret (best climate in the world), I used to go to a small community church in town as opposed to the student run Christian Union.(for protestants...and keep it here for critical analysis of C.U.s). It was the custom of our dear pastor to pray for final year students and throw a big luncheon for them, just before the exams. So when it was my year's time (2002),he laid hands on each one of us and spoke a word that said something about your charater and how that would propel you into your destiny after campus.

When he laid his hands on my head, I was really...trembling, anxious, curious...to know what was going to be said. What did he think of me...what does God say about me? My four years on campus flashed through my mind as I attempted to baptize my self before he did it......"Lord, this man is a bull, a fighter for you..." he screamed as he shook my head almost jerking it off my neck. When he was done, I sat down and thought....."a bull?" I realized that I had fought many battles, won some , lost some and yet for those that proceeded to the stage of war, I may have lost the battle but won the war, or won the battle and lost the war, or won both...or lost both....or whichever comes first! Was I a defender of the faith? Was I attempting to defend an All-Mighty God? Whatever the case, my passion for research, and especially christian and political research was fuelled then and I vowed that whatever or whoever it was that I felt I didn't agree with, I would have an attitude of "being armed" before the battle. Why go for battles when you are not armed? Even if you are armed with five smooth stones, you can bring down any giant! I know the "battle is the Lord's" group. That's why one of my favourite quotes is from the economist Henry George, in his writings on Progress and Poverty, when he said:"
I Propose to beg no question, shrink from no conclusion, but to follow the truth to wherever it may lead....if the conclusions that we reach run counter to our prejudices,let us not flinch, if they challenge institutions that have long been deemed wise and natural,let us not turn back"

My battles were numerous and these shall be posted later for comments. A few were: Convincing a whole university that the students affairs can be run by students who ran the christian union, purely to stem the corruption that had emptied the students coffers....and winning the campaign, challenging the christian union to justify their monopoly on ministry in the campus, challenging the chairman of the entire Eldoret town Pastor's fellowship to justify his monopoly on ministry in the town.....etc.

Politics and religion are two issues that occupy the minds of Kenyans....and probably everyone. All the intriguing stories, some for the right reasons and most for the wrong reasons ,revolve around the two subjects. My interest in researching and commenting on the two issues runs deep...real deep. I am employed by an organisation whose work is very political and rubs the political class the wrong way. I have a very close relationship with God....with Jesus who I love as Lord and personal saviour....and strive everyday to be a better man. Yet, I am not your everyday born-again christian who sits and waits on the Lord for everything, including those things that He has empowered us to perform, such as the basic use of your brain to think. My posts and blogs will revolve around empowering the Kenyan christian, who I think has been duped for too long by their pastors and those who claim to know.

Definitely our everyday social issues and current affairs will be analyzed right here and granted my desk is one hot desk in the politics of this country, you will get it hot from the oven. Enjoy!