Another day of high political drama saw a second sitting cabinet Minister decamp from the Government in one week. While Emilio has rolled his sleeves and showing Kenyans that he is also hands on, EA minister John Koech decided to shade himself under Orange tree leaving PNU after enjoying honey derived from Kanu's nectar.
Trust politicians to lie through the teeth with a straight face. After defending Mama na Baba for years and flying ministerial flag courtesy of Kibaki, he has the temerity to claim that the Government he has been serving is a fraud. His reason? The President has defected and Kenyans doesn't know to which party. And after initially rubbishing ODM, he turns around to proclaim that only Raila could bring meaningful changes.
Hear the baptized and now cryptic Koech: "There are more reasons to work with Raila and there are even more reasons to leave PNU. President Kibaki has people around him who do not listen." He leaves you asking who is fooling who here and whom was he serving all those years as cabinet minister. In my book his epitomizes the height of being an unparalleled scoundrel.
Granted, defection of a cabinet minister to an opposition party is no mean feat. The symbolic coup is massive. Now that the Makerere Alumni has deserted his comrade, whether his defection would add any value in a crowded field in Chepalungu chocking with close to 20 aspirants, only time will tell.
Also joining the Orange crowd from the Rift Valley vote basket were Former Cabinet Minister Andrew Kiptoon and ex-Prisons commander Abraham Kamakil. The two defection of these two underscores the Titanic battle ahead for ODM during nominations. They leave Benjamin Sogomo (former TSC boss) and Moroto looking over their shoulders for Baringo North and Kapenguria seats respectively.
Reversed Roles
Over in Sabatia, former Posta boss, Francis Chahonyo, has ditched Kanu for Hooh Ndhi Emmh. Sabatia is again promising to witness a battle of titans. What with UASU boss Edebe, MYWO boss and now Chahonyo challenging ODM deputy captain Mudavadi?
What baffles in all the above developments is the observation that roles appear reversed. Kenyans are used to seeing politicians quitting opposition parties to the government. Not this time round. While the President appear contended with receiving defecting councillors, the opposition is netting heavy weights.
Are these indications of changed times, things to come or merely a game political musical chairs that all amount to opportunism per excellence? I personally have no idea but time never lies and it will surely tell. I have the luxury of patience and watching keenly with both eyes open. Na bado.
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16:25
Parliament as a Big Brother House
» Kenya Imagine Reality TV is an essential part of the zeitgeist , and no part of it more emblematic than the phenomenon of the Big Brother TV show. Question is, is that spirit transferrable? Shouldn't we watch our MPs just as closely?
The idea of regular live coverage of parliament has already been mooted, so this fantasy is not too far from fruition. But what is it all about?
Find out here. -
Gibraltar's General Elections: A Kenyan view
» Kenya Imagine Passing time as I wait for the night to set in, I look through the local paper; the Gibraltar Chronicle. There are in it final statements from the leaders of the three main party making their case with voters.
The ruling Gibraltar Social Democrats party which has been in office for the last 4 years is led by Chief Minister Peter Caruana and claims to have achieved a lot for Gibraltans. Even as it goes on to list its achievements, its main opponents the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party/ Gibraltar Liberal Party coalition led by veteran Joe Bosana, have busied themselves dismissing all the alleged gains made by the GSD at the last election. This recalls the Kenyan scenario where the ODM party has taken out the Presidents promise card from his swearing in, and is now pointing out exactly where he failed to deliver.
Read more here. -
Kitchen Toto
» Kenya Imagine Kenyan film has made large strides in quality and distribution. Encouragingly also, a growing, cultured middle class is adding to the viability of these efforts.
Still, there's scope for improvement and crucially too for the treatment of subjects such as our history and the social issues that have informed our painful progress through times. The dark days of the Kenyatta government, the hunger and horrors of the Moi years and the increasing unemployment and desperation that collar us to this day are all fertile ground for a wealth of ideas that properly done, would make for great movie experiences.
Read more here.
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15:22 Diabetes in Kenya: Is There A Niche Business Here?
» Kenyanentrepreneur.com I was listening to a BBC report last night and they were interviewing some people in Kenya about the growing diabetes crisis. The BBC reporter attributed the rise in diabetes cases directly to unhealthy lifestyle choices. However, I once asked a diabetes doctor in Kenya why so many people were suffering from this [...]
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14:40
Why Kibaki Must Win
» You Missed This First things first and you don’t have to be superstitious nor religious to see the jinx. Kibaki has a strange jinx in ten years going for him in his political career. He was a Finance Minister for ten years, VP for ten years and in the opposition for ten years too. And why would one imagine that he won’t keep that tradition going by serving as President for ten years?
Despite REAL threat to his Presidency, a defeat for Emilio spells doom and death to Kenya’s infant democracy. Come to think of it soberly please before you throw any e-stones at me. If Kibaki loses, can he afford to go to Parliament as the leader of the opposition? Ask Paul Martin, the immediate ex-PM of Canada. The humiliation is immeasurable and the guy relinquished any trace of responsibility on losing last year’s elections to the Conservative candidate Stephen Harper.
In retrospect a Kibaki win would be a blessing in disguise for the wider good. Counterfactually, his loss would dramatically change Kenya’s political landscape like never seen before. Everybody hanging on his coattails have their eyes singularly trained on 2012.
Kibaki is the honeycomb attracting all the political bees to PNU. He loses, the honey dissipates and the opportunists disintegrate into all the four corners of the world. A Kibaki loss would throw the already highly volatile succession issue for 2012 into total disarray.
The calculus won’t gel; neither differentiate nor integrate. The turbulent political currents running under the unity smokescreen in PNU would bust its banks. Saitoti and Uhuru are not fools to board and fund a marine vehicle destined to the wrong coast. It doesn’t need the cognitive skills of nuclear physics to foresee a disintegrating and disastrous opposition in the event of Kibaki losing.
The ensuring political fluidity would make chaos of 2003-5 look like a political honeymoon. The scoundrels that are our MPs all unfortunately believe their selfish interests can only be generously served while in Government. They won’t bat an eyelid in shamelessly crossing over to the side wielding the yam and the knife.
The end result will be a rebirth of another GNU of loose and boundless dimensions bereft of teeth to sink into any substantive agenda. With no formidable opposition to sustain objectivity, such an eventuality with be tantamount to engraving Kenya’s parliament’s epitaph in golden letters. Are we ready or inadvertently propping that ugly scenario? I don’t know and may be you good people out there can shed some light in that gloomy predicament, far-fetched but possible. -
No, Kwani what did you tell them?
» You Missed This 
All I did was tell them, "PNU” is going to win the elections"!
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8:10
Off To Party!!!
» Mount Kirima Tomorrow the company I work for is having an annual company picnic party which has been set out to bring all the employees together with the management to have fun, eat and make merry together. The intention is always noble, to encourage a sense of team spirit and appreciation for a job well done throughout [...]
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8:08
3 days to go: Blog Action Day, Join in and plant a tree!
» Afromusing 
On Monday October 15th, bloggers will be writing about one topic for one day…the environment. My idea for this day is to appeal to my fellow African bloggers to help make this a fun day in the African blogosphere. The idea is to make it even more special by not only talking about the environment, but by doing something, one thing. So please,- Plant a tree
- Take a picture or have someone take a picture of you planting the tree
- Please post on your blogI will be checking the African blogs starting on Sunday, to compile a feature for global voices online.
- Please leave a comment if you will be participating (though you don’t have to, you can tag your post with Africa + Blog Action Day)
Pass the idea along. If we can get one blogger from each country featured on Afrigator, Kenyaunlimited, Amatomu, mashada blogs etc planting a tree, we would really appreciate it.*Incentive for the first Kenyan blogger to commit to participating: Airtime for you purchased through mamamikes!
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7:53
Blog Drought & Changes
» KA-INVESTOR 
Ka-investor has been out of blogging for a while now but I have been up and about the blog world commenting on various issues, changed my blog design to a three column and just wondered off into the wilderness. I came across some nice personal financial blogs like nevblog and pfblog. These blogs have made me think a lot about my own personal finances and my plan to grow financially in the next five years. Odegle has also inspired me with the way he writes about his life and investments in a simple but likable way. It has made me shift my writings from the contemporary writing just on NSE and related companies to an inwards look of my life.
Nothing much has changed in my life. Only that last weekend I was appointed the secretary of a small investment club called the ‘The Big Bang Investment Group’. Being the youngest in the group most of the old member were so much impressed with my interest in stocks. Over the year, I have consistently dished out investment ideas that have seen the club gaining tremendously. Our investments in stocks has grown by over 46% since the correction in March and I can blow my own trumpet and say most of the winning buys were done because of my in-put.
Away from the club, I have been watching the Safaricom IPO saga and I am worried this sweet thing is turning into a campaign tool for both sides of the divide. ODM wants to come out as the peoples’ savior and win votes in the process while on the other hand the government wants to appease the voters by dishing out the IPO just before the election date. Either way, one side must win.
Future IPO’s: Nakumatt and K-rep have come out to say they are planning for an IPO within two years. This means that next year, apart from the KenGen OFS, we may be expecting another IPO from Nakumatt and most probably Family Finance bank. I like Nakumatt's the 24 hours shopping idea but what measures have they put in place to ensure there's enough security for the customers?
Stanbic-CFC merger: I simply do not like the angle the merger is taking. So what will happen if they loose the case?
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7:13
Diverse Expresssions and living in peace
» Black Looks SMUG (Sexual minorities of Uganda) have closed the “Let us live in peace campaign”. The campaign began 45 days ago with 8 members of the LGBTI community sharing their experiences at a press conference in Kampala. The aim of the campaign was to try to bring some understanding of the reality of the lives [...]
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6:21
Of work and insecure lovers
» Farmgal EDIT Please read Mwari’s current post if you haven’t. http://mwariwadavid.wordpress.com/ The matters at work have gone out of hand and am now left no choice but to seek legal advice. I’ll not be blogging about it for now cos I don’t know who’s larking around here. When it’s all resolved, I’ll share with you! On other matters. Would you [...]
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4:30
Sicko !
» tHE mEDiCinEmAn 
Wow, brilliant film this...
If you’ve not watched this movie, you must. Michael Moore is a brilliant cinematographer and he certainly didn’t let up in this ironic angle on the American health care system, with comparisons with erstwhile looked down upon states like Cuba. It’s remarkable how big business has taken hold of such an important and basic element of American life.
In one scene in the film one woman, unconscious when she is put into an ambulance, is billed for the trip because her insurer says it was not pre-authorized. Now you wonder how could she get authorization for the ambulance ride when she was out cold on the pavement? Yeah, that bad.
Towards the film's end, he discovers that Jim Keneflick, proprietor of the web's largest anti-Moore website Moorewatch.com, is going to be forced to shut down his site after his wife becomes ill and he can't afford the $12,000 needed to pay for her care. So, keen to protect Keneflick's right to free speech, or so he says, he sends the money to him. Jim is especially grateful for the anonymous contribution. It is only revealed that it was from Michael Moore, when the film is released.
The movie as described by some movie reviewers and critics..
“acidic new documentary about healthcare”
“Michael Moore's litany of horrors about the American health care system, which is run for profit,”
“It's those personal stories, of ordinary lives destroyed one form letter at a time, that make "Sicko" so powerful.”
"It's not impossible that this bitterly funny, bitterly sad call to alms could move reform back up the political agenda. For that reason alone, you owe it to yourself to see this movie."
“It’s a really brilliant movie this, and surreal”
A must watch.
tHE mEDiCinEmAn.
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The 4th Presidential candidate
» You Missed This 
People have decided to ignore this Presidential candidate, apparently I had also forgot about him until I saw him on KTN yesterday night, where he confirmed that he is still in the race. He has also complained to the media of not giving him enough coverage like others. I am referring to Pastor Pius Muiru of Kuna Nuru Gizani which means there is light in darkness (I wonder how that is possible!).
Presidential candidates in the race in this elections are said to be riding on two types of animals depending on their strengths. ODM’s Raila Odinga and PNU’s Mwai Kibaki are said to be on horses. ODM-K Kalonzo Musyoka is on a donkey, Puis Muiru is definitely not on a horse, I will put him in category of his brother in Christ Kalonzo Musyoka riding on a donkey. I know many will tell me off for comparing Kalonzo with Muiru, but I will explain why this candidate should not be taken for granted.
He has a big following from dealing with the public on a daily basis compared to other politicians. From what I hear he holds services at Odeon Cinema at least two times a day and holds rallies country wide quite frequently. His rallies normally have a big gathering of people thirsty for the word and maximum miracles (like his slogan).
From my days in school I know he has faithful followers like guys of CU/SU (Christian/Scripture union). Who would not hear anything negative about their pastors or bishops and would follow their advice and teaching seriously. He also has a group of young singers Maximum Melodies (Kora award winners in 2005 for the best spiritual group in Africa). So we should not take this candidate lightly and expect maximum miracles in these elections.
What do you think about Pius Muiru’s presidential candidature in the coming elections?
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3:51
The Carnival of African Enterprising [Part 1]
» The Benin Epilogue Part I: Africa-Ready for Business 
This is the first part of the 5th Carnival of African Enterprising presenting views of bloggers based on the theme Positioning Africa in the 21st Century. This edition was first published in The African Executive on 10th October 2007. The second part will be presented on the 17th of October 2007.
According to Timothy Kioko, Positioning is the aggregate perception that people (target market) have of a particular continent (product) in relation to competitors in the same category. A country like India is positioned as a business outsourcing hub; China on the other hand, is growing super fast as a major force in the international trade arena and is in the process of positioning itself as a major trading partner in Africa. Saying that Africa is already positioned as the highest recipient of foreign aid, he advises the continent to re-position itself as a business hub by embracing democracy, efficiency, respect of property rights and encourage innovation. Africa should not sleep as the other regions take over the world!
Kenyanomics holds that adopting sound economic policies that encourage economic freedom will lead to economic prosperity. He adds that obsession with poverty eradication is a major threat to economic freedom in developing nations as it increases central planning and crowds out individual effort. Kimani argues that the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) only serve to widen avenues of corruption and increased budget imbalances, both of which have crippled Third World economies for decades.
Randy Nichols believes that developing a market based education system that encourages careers in business will boost the continent in its bid to position itself as a source of international labor. Experiential knowledge gained from such labor exports will form an integral part in Africa’s development. He advises Africa to embrace any opportunity to get training in fields that will see its marketability soar to greater heights.
According to Gustav S going to university does not mean that one is highly educated. Many Africans believe that the only way to achieve goals in life is to go to school, learn a profession and then get employment. Becoming a professional, going to the University or taking required steps to land your desired job are important but it is just the beginning of one’s way to success. He urges Africans to develop Discipline, Self Control, Consistency, Perseverance and Faith in order to move forward as a continent.
Finally, G. Kofi Annan says that the continent needs to develop its own film and broadcasting industries with focus on local content. By producing local themed movies in the “right way” we can better present African in the international media. In his opinion, one of the ways that will change the process of making African films for Western audiences is to tie the African film industry to the strong African-American film community. While the film industry at large struggles to make a return on the production costs, with blockbusters not making the numbers they used to, the African-American film community has a great opportunity to align with the African film community and continue to grow professionally and financially. But creativity and authenticity is the real key.
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0:35
Black History Month@ WAPI
» Kenyanpoet Black History Month@ WAPI
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