One of the initial reasons for getting a new phone was that I wanted to have a good tool that allows me to blog “from the road”, as I had already done that last year on December 30th through my old Nokia 6230i while waiting in the lobby of a neat Hotel in Mombasa. With the Nokia N95 in my hands, this task seems to be a bit easier now, although I still have to figure out how to enter hyperlinks + the keyboard keypad is a bit disappointing. Should I switch to a Nokia E61i?
And….haiiyaaa…there’s SO much more to write about this new gadget, but then - the internet is full of interesting stories + I am horribly short in time these days, so the mobile code below actually says it all. Ama? :-)
Mistakes will no doubt be made, and your average attention seeking politician is
likely to let fly something he will regret as soon as it leaves his mouth.
However, the conduct of interviews and press releases is controllable.


It took me close to 30 minutes to download a 2MB file over a VPN connection. Mind you, this is over a broadband internet connection.
This reminds me of 10 years ago when it used to take forever to download documents from the web. I've still got 12 more minutes before I can download and synchronize all my emails onto MS Outlook.
Even something simple like getting a quote from a company takes the whole day as they claim their systems are slow if not down most of the time. Productivity must be at an all time low in Kenya if this is the way business is carried out.
Four of the AfriGadget editors descended upon Limuru, Kenya to visit the NEST orphanage - a home of children whose mother’s are in prison. The orphanage lies about an hour outside of Nairobi and has 70 children ages 7 months to 15 years old. The true capacity of the home is 96 children, but the they’re resource-strapped as it is and the 70 they have is a lot.
95% of the children’s mothers are in prison. Only four mothers are in prison for capital offenses, the others are in for drugs, neglect, prostitution, or some other type of petty offense. Since the majority of children are neglected, there is generally a large amount of medical attention needed - which again stretches their resources.
Juergen, who writes as Kikuyumoja and originally asked us to take a look at the place, has set up a blog for the NEST home (www.thenesthome.com). It’s been up for a while, and it helps keep up to date with what is happening at the orphanage. If you would like to support them, you can there.
Afromusing has a moving blog post up telling a story about one of the abused babies that was given into the NEST home’s care.
From the Kenya Gazette last week,
The Oserian Development Corporation has been licensed (by the Minister for Energy) to operate two geothermal power plants at oserian farm, Lake Naivasha area for a period of for 15 years.
There isn’t a link online but this story on the bbc offers some great background info.
From M&G Online - South Africa
Increasing use of renewable energy can be encouraged using an energy policy directive. That is how Denmark did it. South Africa appears to be heading in a positive direction.
Under the proposed by-law — the first of its kind in South Africa — most new buildings (and those undergoing renovations) with a value of more than about R490 000 will be required to meet at least 60% of their water-heating requirements with solar heaters.
The city’s 2005 Energy and Climate-Change Strategy has set a target of having 10% of all city households using solar water heating by 2010. Official estimates put Cape Town’s population at 3,23-million
An update from Timbuktu Chronicles on Ashden award winning companies, Zara Solar of Tanzania and Deng Ltd of Ghana.
I cant ffind the link to the one below but there’s a part two.
ANNIE
July 7 2007 at 9:54 PM looking for a husband to marry me
——————————————————————————–
IM LOOKING FOR A KENYAN MAN TO MARRY ME. NIMEZULULA NIMEZULULA LAKINI SASA NIMEAMUA EAST OR WEST HOME GUYS ARE THE BEST.I HAVE REALISED THE TO BE FAITHFULL IS A VIRTUE AND THERE IS A BLESSING ATTACHED TO IT.AND WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.
IM VERY ATTRACTIVE WOMAN I TRIED KENYANS GUYS I REALISED THEY WERE BOGUS BUT AFTER SEARCHING FOR SIX YEARS I HAVE COME TO MY SENSES.
I NEED A NY SEREOUS TO SETTLE AND GET KIDS HATA WALE WANAKUNYUA UJI LAZYBONES ITHAYO . IM TIRED OF KUENDA KARIMA-INI TO DRINK
I WANT A GUY OF OUTSIDE LONDON.WALE WAKO LONDON TOO SLY FOR MY TASTE. HATA NIKIPEWA BURE SITAKI.
IM EXCELENT IN BED
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Author Reply
man
annie July 8 2007, 1:44 AM
WAKO OUTSIDE MJI MKUU R SO DEAR N ORGANISED, THEY DON’T WANT MISUSED ONE TO GET NEAR THEM, SO THEY R NOT INTERESTED AT THIS JUNCTURE,BETTER THE DEVIL U KNOW THAN U DON’T KNOW. SO WE KNOW U NOT.
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niaje
Re: ANNIE July 8 2007, 11:09 AM
You are so choozy even after “KUZULULA ZULULA” and after saying so bad about the men do you think you will get one? Utazulula zulula another 6 yrs ukicheza. Kuja mos mos dada.
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Karani
@niaje July 8 2007, 12:30 PM
niaje wewe niaje? Twaseema zururazurura. Si zulula zulula. You must be a terrible shrubber!
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abc
@Annie July 8 2007, 7:30 PM
How old are you and where do you leave.These are some of the points people would like to know.They would also like to know whether you are from gatundu, brought up in Nairobi. Please explain. Someone might be interested.
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Lizi
Re: ANNIE July 8 2007, 1:23 PM
Oh dear!!
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mama’s boy
Re: ANNIE July 8 2007, 2:01 PM
Haiya!! ANNIE, Hata sisi tunatafuta lakini hatutaki DAMAGED GOODS, as the mswahili says Chema chajiuza, lakini, kibaya chajitembeze. If i were you i would live the tiny bit details in the beginning. I am looking too for a nice Kenya lady but for you i’ll PASS this time.
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MKENYA
Re: ANNIE July 8 2007, 11:44 PM
Si u leave ur # then how do u expect us to get in touch with u?
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Demo
ANNIE July 9 2007, 1:36 AM
Here is a perfect guy for u and living in London,walakini ni kwamba kama IMEZULULISWA NA KUZULULISWA kama usemavyo basi haina ladha na lazima TWENDE MOT.
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ric
Re: ANNIE July 9 2007, 12:08 PM
vile umezulula zulula si vitu zimefunguliwa na watu wa london sasa wataka kutuletea huku outside.tafuta mnaijo mtawezana sisi hatutaki mitumba.

Currently, there is a raging debate in the Kenyan public domain concerning the merits and demerits of abortion and whether it should be legalized or not. A few days ago, a top official in the government threw a spanner in the works by claiming that he routinely helped Catholic nuns procure abortions while he once practiced as a doctor. Now, the Catholic Church is trying to cover its shame by angrily stating its position in the matter. The church’s spokespeople insist that the nuns do not represent any of its wishes since the Catholic Church is pro life. Of course the advocates of abortion are strongly stating their case that unsafe backstreet abortions are becoming too rampant, and it is time to save lives by legalizing abortion. Slightly over a week ago, such strong sentiments by advocates from both the pro and anti camps forced a tie-and-suit conference to degenerate into chaos. Amidst all the noise, the media is having a field day.
All over the world, sensitive issues such as abortion and homosexuality tend to draw very strong reactions from the public. But then again, history teaches us that any issue that contradicts religious teachings is often met with very strong opposition.
The case of the Catholic nuns procuring abortions calls to attention the dimension that a problem takes when it comes knocking on a person’s door. I have always wondered what decision a father who vigorously campaigns against abortion would make if his 15 year old daughter was to get pregnant through rape. Would he reconsider his stand given that the daughter’s future life would be hinged on this one time choice? What percentage of parents would close their eyes in a prior prayer of forgiveness and later take the young girl to be operated on?
What about a parent who has always condemned homosexuals as queers destined to hell learning that his or her own teenage child is gay? Would a parent throw out a child on account of sexual orientation? Given a parent’s Love, the father or mother would try every means available to make the young man or woman conform. Perhaps while making threats during the day, they would be kneeling in prayer at night supplicating God on behalf of the child. I imagine if all else failed, they would probably just accept the child and continue praying for a miracle. For that to happen, they would probably change their initial concepts about the issue, and perhaps look at the homosexual community through a totally different lens of humanity.
The same kind of scenario is common is a case involving a stigmatized disease. Take the case of HIV/AIDS. About 10 years ago, it would have been prudent for anyone seeking fitness to wear a t-shirt emblazoned with the words, “I have lost weight because I have been working out” in order to prevent tongues from wagging and avoid social isolation. Now that HIV/AIDS is not as mysterious as it used to be, people are more tolerant. The fact that many people know at least one person – perhaps a close relative - who has lived with the disease makes it a problem to be handled with humanity.
It is easy for anyone to point and judge from a distance without remembering that tables often turn. When a person makes fun about a nun – or any other woman - who got an abortion, he or she fails to consider how difficult it is for the woman to live with the decision of losing that child each day - counting to imaginary 9 months, then the first birth day, and subsequent birthdays - It hurts, very much. The judgmental person who might laugh that a nun would find herself in a position to get pregnant might not even have an idea of how painful it is for a person who has chosen to profess the Love for God in public when the desires of the body win over the human will. As usual, let us take it easy on ourselves and on others.
When I come to think about it, I still conclude that women are generally more successful in the art of living than men. I suppose that is why statistics indicate that on average, wives outlive their husbands and women live longer than men. I believe this results in the many subtle differences that characterize both genders and that lead a lot of people to conclude that men and women must be from different planets.
For a start, women not only seem to know themselves better, but also take better care of themselves. These facts become clear first thing in the morning and continue being so for the rest of the day. A woman’s morning ritual involves a considerable amount of time looking at her image in the mirror. It also involves a lot of touching; literally from head to toe. If you have ever observed a woman doing these things, you might have noticed a focused attention that contains much more tenderness and care than that a man will give himself from 2 minutes of hurried shaving, followed by the grimace resulting from a stinging splash of aftershave. Throughout the day, women will take brief moments to fish out small mirrors from their bags to look at themselves before continuing to make themselves prettier with tiny combs and other paraphernalia of grooming. On the other hand, it is sufficient to say that apart from the brief morning face to face encounter while shaving and adjusting the tie, the only other time that a man gets to see his face is over the bathroom mirror while washing his hands. Of course, the more you get to see a person, the more familiar you get with them. The more physical contact you make with a person, the more intimate you become with them. This not only holds true to others, but to ourselves as well. We can then conclude that based on the time taken to look at and touch, women score higher in knowing and being intimate with themselves.
When a woman wants to reward herself, she will invariably include a trip to the hair saloon, manicurist, spa or any such place where she will get pampered and even get therapeutically regenerated. When coming from such an excursion, she will look radiant for days. On the other hand, a man’s idea of rewarding himself often involves an extended visit to a crowded, smoke filled bar, followed by a few walking-dead days resulting from a massive hangover and lack of sleep. Incidentally, many pubs in Kenya have a section where a man’s car will get washed, vacuumed, and waxed while the guy gets inebriated and engorges himself in barbequed meat. I suppose here is one of those places that many men take better care of their cars then they do themselves.
Through talking out their problems, girlfriends often act as each other’s shrinks, and emotional ventilators. Of course there is great value in this practice since all the talking, laughing and crying goes a long way in clearing any baggage that might have been weighing down a person. For many men, it is more honorable to shatter like glass under stress and emotional pressure than find a crying shoulder in another person, no matter how close that person might be.
Anyone would be justified to conclude that I am slightly biased and perhaps bit too hard on men. The reason is because I am using a great deal of generalization and a bit of stereotyping. I mean no offence. But just from these few examples, you can then see why a woman would wonder, “How can a person live like this?” when referring to a man. You can also see why a man would say to his friend, “I do not understand women!”
It is interesting to see a sizeable fraction of women trying hard to acquire the characteristics that traditionally define men. This is especially true in this part of the world where until recently, masculinity and femininity had a clearly drawn dividing line marked “do not cross” in clear bold font. Looking around, one would be forgiven for concluding that femininity seems to be losing its allure as girls attempt to outdo men at being boys. Incidentally, as the girls become gruff, cuss loudly, party and hardy ever so harder, more boys than ever before are braiding their hair, having their nails done, and wearing thongs as they try to find their feminine sides.
It is a beautiful thing to watch a woman who has embraced her femininity. It is quite surprising to feel the inadvertent excitement that the presence of such a woman evokes from a place that rarely shows itself just by a simple walk across a room. It is from that same place that men have created music over the ages about the grace of a woman in the same beat with the fragrance of a red rose and the mystery of the stars above. I suppose if a woman was to write about the appeal of masculinity to her gender, it would be with similar glowing tribute.
From all the role reversing, cross dressing, sex change and homosexuality, it is apparent that more people are becoming uneasy with belonging to a particular gender. Maybe it is just a matter of time before we all meet at a unisex middle and perhaps, a couple would have to toss a coin each morning to decide who would be the man for that day. I wonder if the world will be a better place then? Or are we better off just embracing who we are?