The three commission set up to enquire on DECEPTION and FRAUD are measuring up to the written script. From Cockar to Waki, the commissioners are attempting to justify their pay by revisiting the very old and tired lines albeit with a sprinkling of legal lingo. It is typical Kenyan way to buying time secure in the knowledge that Kenyans have perishable memories.
While Majid Cockar and his team are getting superlative entertainment from legal busybodies who are synonymous of fraudulent regimes, Waki is apologizing to bullet and rape victims promising them no repeat of their traumatic and shattered lives. The Cockar-led commission is another window to showcase Kenyans professionals hawking their expertise to the most fraudulent power brokers. In their twisted minds, the Masikas of this world shamelessly feign ignorance when their services were sourced by the best scheming fraudsters hell-bent on milking cow Kenya to the last drop of blood.
Judge Kriegler must be enjoying every act of the show from his VIP seat as the cast from besmirched ECK outdo themselves in sanitizing the stench they invited upon themselves. You read about former PPO Matagaro wax lyrical in his defending the indefensible and wonder whether he is reading straight from comments in Kumekucha. The besieged ECK have fallen to such predictable lines that one is left wondering where the thin line between them and propaganda-laden politicians lie.
Calling thieves' bluff
The common thread running through the duplicitous Waki-Kriegler and Cockar commission is the intention to sanitize DECEPTION and FRAUD. Only in Kenya do scoundrels have the luxury to constitute probes to investigate themselves with predictable reports that will never see the light of the day. Meanwhile the poor IDPs remain the collateral of the whole scheme of deception personified.
But just wait a minute! Imagine the consequences of Judge Kriegler muddying the waters by calling the scoundrel’s bluff. Caging the ECK for bungling the polls would definitely lead to some form of fall out and the attendant bean spilling from one Sam Kivuitu and his bunch of incompetents. That may be a wild thought but were it to happen Kimunya’s script of resorting to drumming tribal support will reach a crescendo. We surely live in interesting political times. Na bado.
«
Expand/Collapse
-
12:52
Quick Hits Around Africa - Focus on Nigeria
» White African Jeremy at the NaijaBlog talks about two eCommerce websites in Nigeria: Reloadng and Wishstop. He has another interesting one on a simple power solution for Nigeria.
Ethan Zuckerman is using Google Insight to look at what is most important in some African countries. Including the fact that one of the most searched for term in Nigeria is for email spam software. It’s not just Nigeria, but a strong focus in West Africa.
Oluniyi David Ajao talks about Automated Thieving Machines (ATMs) in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Washington Post writes about Reverse Brain Drain in Nigeria, where opportunity and money are drawing back the young businessmen and entrepreneurs from the West.
-
9:52
Facing the Bear
» KA-INVESTOR 
The NSE has been on a downward trend for a little over a month now; I’ve even forgotten the last time my portfolio made a reasonable gain. All but one counter (Stanbic UG) are in the red now and I’m wondering if my investment strategy is working. At some point last months I almost put into practice Aly Khan’s Safaricom stop loss strategy on all the stocks in my portfolio, but decided otherwise since I couldn’t see any fundamental reason to do so. I consoled myself that I’m a long term investor (every stocks investor does this at one point or the other), but how much decline can I take before I wedge in?
Several explanations have been given as to why the market is looking so bearish. Optimists see a correction, pessimist see a bear run. But all agree that things are tight in this market. The last time the NSE was this low was during the January post election violence. So what could be causing this now with everything looking fine except for the high inflation.
Talking to a friend the other day I found myself with little to say about the market outlook, the only thing I kept on saying was that the market will rebound sooner than later and the depression in share values present a good opportunity for getting in. I think this make me an optimist or simply in denial. But I want to believe that this will be the case and not the opposite.
Like many other investors I would like to face the turn in market trend boldly. This has driven me searching for a simple solution for any investor faced with a bear run in the stocks market. Many investor at the NSE are used to invest in a bullish market, where you buy stocks expecting their price to rise above you buy price for one to make some capital gain. This scenario has turned many retail investors to mere speculators, in for a quick gain here and there without focusing on the long term. And there is where our entire problem lies.
Investing in a bear market is far much tricky than one can imagine. MainT of KCIG recently gave some survival strategies for investor in such a market. It’s during a bear market that you’ll differentiate the big boys (true investors) from the kids (speculators). In such a market, the more free & fluid your cash flow the better, since you will be able to position your self and buy at ridiculously cheap prices from bullish speculator scampering to leave the market and save face.
Panic in not any investor’s pal. That’s for chicken investors who get slaughtered on their way out. The only thing to do in such a market is keep a level head and seek as much information as you can. It’s at such times that many investors see the importance of investing through an advisor, even if it cost a dime. Good information is worth more than gold in a bear market and will help you a great deal in making strategic moves that will eventually grow your investment, even if its only marginal growth. Be happy with low returns, it could have been worse.
Don't feed the bear!
Brokers are known to be very witty and will only advise you to buy in a bear market citing that most shares are selling at a bargain. In most cases that’s not true, the only thing the broker is concerned about is his transaction fee when you trade and will care less when you burn your fingers. You’ll be better off holding cash. Equally, selling at a loss in one counter to jump for what you consider a bargain is a very wrong decision. Although there will be some bargains in a bear market, often it will be a case of catching a falling knife, with only painful results.
Some of the industries to invest in a bear market include banking, construction and petroleum, which are most likely to gain from the re-emergence of the economy and in effect the stock market. Hey! This is not advice to buy; it’s only a suggestion that has been proved to work before in bigger and better markets. But for our NSE it’s wise to be patient and wait the correction (bear?) to reach the bottom. For how long it will take for the market to bottom out nobody knows.
-
9:51
Breaking News: Githongo Expected In Nairobi
» You Missed This According to information that I have just received, exiled former Ethics PS John Githongo is expected in Nairobi in the next few days.
Apparently he is not returning from exile but will merely be in Kenya for "a short visit." All efforts to get an idea of his itinerary by our people on the ground failed only for us to later learn that his handlers are talking to the mainstream media and giving out a lot of information. It is expected that they will break the news in tomorrow mornings newspapers or later in the day in the electronic press.
However the news has already reached various political factions in the country and my information is that there is a lot of anxiety all round. There is no doubt that the visit will cause plenty of ripples right across the political divide.
This piece of news creates many more questions than answers. There is for instance the question of security. Little has changed since Githongo fled the country in 2003 and the threats to his life are no doubt still intact.
Then the question that must be bothering many in political circles is what the real reason for his visit might be. And why now?
Githongo will arrive in the country when political temperatures are way too high considering that it is barely 7 months since the last general elections.
More to follow as I get it.
-
7:59
Quick Hits Aug 13
» Kenyan Pundit - Kenyan Stories - clips from a film soon to be released by Carol Pineau (of Africa Open for Business fame) about entrepreneurs in Kenya competing in a national business plan competition. Hat tip Afrom! - How the Hillary campaign strategy fell apart. Very interesting read. - Food blog search. If you [...]
-
7:31
Scangroup sellout, new bank?
» bankelele Scangoup takeover WPP acquires effective control over Scangroup which was listed on the NSE in 2006, by buying 27.5% of the company, but not taking over or de-listing. They also have pre-emptive rights over a chunk of CEO Bharat Thakar (and largest shareholder) stake when his lock up period expires in 2011. Aly Khan (Rich.co.ke) points out that the slumping NSE offers cheap company shareholding buy opportunities e.g Scangroup and Unilever Tea (going private)
More Libya: 2010 may see another bank to Kenya this time Libyan / Ugandan Tropical bank. Does Kenya need another bank really? And $19 million share capital won’t go very far these days.
Entrepreneur Opportunity: The 2008 Pioneers of Prosperity Africa Awards rewards six business leaders of Africa who serve as role models to Africa’s aspiring entrepreneurs and demonstrate business excellence, innovation and profitability. Submissions will be accepted from Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda and a total of $350,000 will be awarded to the winners. D/L 31 August 2008.
-
6:31
Untapped: The Scramble For Africa's Oil .
» My Africa Today The following is an excerpt from the book Untapped by John Ghazvinian Published by Harcourt, Inc.; April 2007;$25.00US; 978-0-15-101138-4 Copyright © 2007 John Ghazvinian
Since 1990 alone, the petroleum industry has invested more than $20 billion in exploration and production activity in Africa . A further $50 billion will be spent between now and the end of the decade, the largest investment in the continent's history -- and around one-third of it will come from the United States . Three of the world's largest oil companies -- the British-Dutch consortium Shell, France's Total, and America's Chevron -- are spending 15 percent, 30 percent, and 35 percent respectively of their global exploration and production budgets in Africa. Chevron alone is in the process of rolling out $20 billion in African projects over a five-year period.
The overwhelming majority of this new drilling activity has taken place in the so-called "deep water" and the "ultradeep" of the Gulf of Guinea , the roughly 90-degree bend along the west coast of Africa that can best be visualized as the continent's "armpit." Its littoral zone passes through the territorial waters of a dozen countries, from Ivory Coast in the northwest down to Angola in the south, and a good deal of its geology shares the characteristics that have made Nigeria a prolific producer for decades. Indeed, a number of unexpectedly productive fields have been discovered in the Gulf over the past decade. But although the Gulf of Guinea has lately been sub-Saharan Africa 's most exciting region for the oil industry, it is hardly the only "prospective" part of the continent (to borrow the industry term). The parched semideserts of southern Chad and southern Sudan have recently added hundreds of thousands of barrels a day to global markets, and a growing chorus of voices is now touting the East African margin as the industry's "next big thing."
But be it east or west, jungle or desert, it is a safe bet that where the drillers go, the politicians, strategists, and lobbyists are not far behind. Washington in particular has taken a keen interest in Africa 's growing significance as an oil-producing region since the headline discoveries of the late 1990s. In December 2000 the National Intelligence Council, an internal CIA think tank, published a report in which it declared unambiguously that sub-Saharan Africa "will play an increasing role in global energy markets," and predicted that the region would provide 25 percent of North American oil imports by 2015, up from the 15 percent or so at the time. (This would put Africa well ahead of Saudi Arabia as a source of oil for the United States .) In May 2001 a controversial and fairly secretive energy task force put together by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney declared in its report: " West Africa is expected to be one of the fastest-growing sources of oil and gas for the American market."
In the following months, a group of congressmen, lobbyists, and defense strategists came together under the umbrella of the African Oil Policy Initiative Group, and began preaching the message that the Gulf of Guinea was the new Persian Gulf, and that it should become a strategic priority for the United States, even to the point of requiring an expanded military presence. A series of well-placed articles in the American media followed, some breathlessly announcing the inauguration of a new Middle East off the shores of Africa . Before long, the influential Center for Strategic and International Studies had chimed in with a couple of reports, its most recent, in July 2005, claiming that "an exceptional mix of U.S. interests is at play in West Africa's Gulf of Guinea ."
During these years, a number of prominent lawmakers in Washington began getting excited about the possibility of shifting some of America 's oil dependence from the Middle East to Africa . One former senior official charged with African affairs recalls Kansas Senator Sam Brownback rushing up to him one afternoon in October 2002, positively glowing with excitement. "What do you think about bases in Africa ?" Brownback asked. "Wouldn't that be great?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But does Africa measure up to the hype? After all, the entire continent is believed to contain, at best, 10 percent of the world's proven oil reserves, making it a minnow swimming in an ocean of seasoned sharks. Africa is unlikely ever to "replace" the Middle East or any other major oil-producing region. So why the song and dance? Why all the goose bumps? Why do so many influential people in Washington let themselves get so carried away when they talk about African oil?
The answer has very little to do with geology. Africa 's significance as an oil "play," to borrow the industry lingo, lies beyond the number of barrels that may or may not be buried under its cretaceous rock. Instead, what makes the African oil boom interesting to energy security strategists in both Washington and Europe (and, increasingly, Beijing ) is a series of serendipitous and unrelated factors that, together, tell a story of unfolding opportunity.
To begin with, one of the more attractive attributes of Africa 's oil boom is the quality of the oil itself. The variety of crude found in the Gulf of Guinea is known in industry parlance as "light" and "sweet," meaning it is viscous and low in sulfur, and therefore easier and cheaper to refine than, say, Middle Eastern crude, which tends to be lacking in lower hydrocarbons and is therefore very "sticky." This is particularly appealing to American and European refineries, which have to contend with strict environmental regulations that make it difficult to refine heavier and sourer varieties of crude without running up costs that make the entire proposition worthless.
Then there is the geographic accident of Africa 's being almost entirely surrounded by water, which significantly cuts transport-related costs and risks. The Gulf of Guinea , in particular, is well positioned to allow speedy transport to the major trading ports of Europe and North America . Existing sea-lanes can be used for quick, cheap delivery, so there is no need to worry about the Suez Canal , for instance, or to build expensive pipelines through unpredictable countries. This may seem a minor point, until you look at Central Asia, where the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, stretching from Azerbaijan through Georgia and into Turkey , and intended to deliver Caspian crude into the Mediterranean, had to navigate a minefield of Middle East politics, antiglobalization protests, and red tape before it could be opened. African oil faces none of those issues. It is simply loaded onto a tanker at the point of production and begins its smooth, unmolested journey on the high seas, arriving just days later in Shreveport , Southampton, or Le Havre .
A third advantage, from the perspective of the oil companies, is that Africa offers a tremendously favorable contractual environment. Unlike in, say, Saudi Arabia, where the state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco has a monopoly on the exploration, production, and distribution of the country's crude oil, most sub-Saharan African countries operate on the basis of so-called production-sharing agreements, or PSAs. In these arrangements, a foreign oil company is awarded a license to look for petroleum on the condition that it assume the up-front costs of exploration and production. If oil is discovered in that block, the oil company will share the revenues with the host government, but only after its initial costs have been recouped. PSAs are generally offered to impoverished countries that would never be able to amass either the technical expertise or the billions in capital investment required to drill for oil themselves. For the oil company, a relatively small up-front investment can quickly turn into untold billions in profits.
Yet another strategic benefit, particularly from the perspective of American politicians, is that, until recently, with the exception of Nigeria , none of the oil-producing countries of sub-Saharan Africa had belonged to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Thus they have not been subject to the strict limits on output OPEC imposes on its members in an attempt to keep the price of oil artificially high. The more non-OPEC oil that comes onto the global market, the more difficult it becomes for OPEC countries to sell their crude at high prices, and the lower the overall price of oil. Put more simply, if new reserves are discovered in Venezuela , they have very little effect on the price of oil because Venezuela 's OPEC commitments will not allow it to increase its output very much. But if new reserves are discovered in Gabon , it means more cheap oil for everybody.
But probably the most attractive of all the attributes of Africa's oil boom, for Western governments and oil companies alike, is that virtually all the big discoveries of recent years have been made offshore, in deepwater reserves that are often many miles from populated land. This means that even if a civil war or violent insurrection breaks out onshore (always a concern in Africa ), the oil companies can continue to pump out oil with little likelihood of sabotage, banditry, or nationalist fervor getting in the way. Given the hundreds of thousands of barrels of Nigerian crude that are lost every year as a result of fighting, community protests, and organized crime, this is something the industry gets rather excited about.
Finally, there is the sheer speed of growth in African oil production, and the fact that Africa is one of the world's last underexplored regions. In a world used to hearing that there are no more big oil discoveries out there, and few truly untapped reserves to look forward to, the ferocious pace and scale of Africa 's oil boom has proved a bracing tonic. One-third of the world's new oil discoveries since the year 2000 have taken place in Africa . Of the 8 billion barrels of new oil reserves discovered in 2001, 7 billion were found there. In the years between 2005 and 2010, 20 percent of the world's new production capacity is expected to come from Africa . And there is now an almost contagious feeling in the oil industry that no one really knows just how much oil might be there, since no one's ever really bothered to check.
All these factors add up to a convincing value proposition: African oil is cheaper, safer, and more accessible than its competitors, and there seems to be more of it every day. And, though Africa may not be able to compete with the Persian Gulf at the level of proven reserves, it has just enough up its sleeve to make it a potential "swing" region -- an oil province that can kick in just enough production to keep markets calm when supplies elsewhere in the world are unpredictable. Diversification of the oil supply has been a goal -- even an obsession -- in the United States since the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s. Successive U.S. administrations have understood that if the world is overly reliant on two or three hot spots for its energy security, there is a greater risk of supply disruptions and price volatility. And for obvious reasons, the effort to distribute America 's energy-security portfolio across multiple nodes has taken on a new urgency since September 11, 2001. In his State of the Union address in January 2006, President Bush said he wanted to reduce America 's dependence on Middle East crude by 75 percent by 2025.
Copyright © 2007 John GhazvinianCustomize your mobile with your Complimentary Ringtone! -
Top 10 Craziest Science Facts You Didn’t Need To Know
» My Africa Today Top 10 Craziest Science Facts You Didn’t Need To Know1. You can Hypnotize Chickens
by S0Cal
A chicken can be hypnotized, or put into a trance by holding its head down against the ground, and continuously drawing a line along the ground with a stick or a finger, starting at its beak and extending straight outward in front of the chicken.
If the chicken is hypnotized in this manner, it will remain immobile for somewhere between 15 seconds to 30 minutes, continuing to stare at the line.
2. You can have an erection once dead
A death erection (sometimes referred to as “angel lust”) is a post-mortem erection which occurs when a male individual dies vertically or face-down – the cadaver remaining in this position. During life, the pumping of blood by the heart ensures a relatively even distribution around the blood vessels of the human body. Once this mechanism has ended, only the force of gravity acts upon the blood. As with any mass, the blood settles at the lowest point of the body and causes edema or swelling to occur; the discoloration caused by this is called lividity.
Sorry, no photo for this one!3. Your hand can have a life of it’s own
Alien hand syndrome (or Dr. Strangelove syndrome) is an unusual neurological disorder in which one of the sufferer’s hands seems to take on a life of its own.
AHS is best documented in cases where a person has had the two hemispheres of their brain surgically separated, a procedure sometimes used to relieve the symptoms of extreme cases of epilepsy. It also occurs in some cases after other brain surgery, strokes, or infections. The HAND is after you!
4. Don’t laugh too much, it can kill you
Fatal hilarity is death as a result of laughter. In the third century B.C. the Greek philosopher Chrysippus died of laughter after seeing a donkey eating figs (hey, it wasn’t THAT funny).
On 24 March 1975 Alex Mitchell, a 50-year-old bricklayer from King’s Lynn, England, literally died laughing while watching an episode of The Goodies. According to his wife, who was a witness, Mitchell was unable to stop laughing whilst watching a sketch in the episode “Kung Fu Kapers” in which Tim Brooke-Taylor, dressed as a kilted Scotsman, used a set of bagpipes to defend himself from a psychopathic black pudding in a demonstration of the Scottish martial art of “Hoots-Toot-ochaye”. After twenty-five minutes of continuous laughter Mitchell finally slumped on the sofa and expired from heart failure. His widow later sent the Goodies a letter thanking them for making Mitchell’s final moments so pleasant.
5. A weapon could make you Gay
Gay bomb is an informal name for a potential non-lethal chemical weapon, which a U.S. Air Force research laboratory speculated about producing.
In one sentence of the document it was suggested that a strong aphrodisiac could be dropped on enemy troops, ideally one which would also cause “homosexual behaviour”. So that’s how they got Saddam!
6. It’s true, Men can breastfeed
The phenomenon of male lactation in humans has become more common in recent years due to the use of medications that stimulate a human male’s mammary glands.
Male lactation is most commonly caused by hormonal treatments given to men suffering from prostate cancer. It is also possible for males (and females) to induce lactation through constant massage and simulated ’sucking’ of the nipple over a long period of time (months).
7. Bart Simpson’s Tomacco ( Half Tomato Half Tobacco) was possible
A tomacco is originally a fictional hybrid fruit that is half tomato and half tobacco, from the 1999 episode “E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)” of The Simpsons; the method used to create the tomacco in the episode is fictional.
The tomacco became real when it was allegedly produced in 2003. Inspired by The Simpsons, Rob Baur of Lake Oswego, Oregon successfully grafted a tomato plant onto the roots of a tobacco plant, which was possible because both plants come from the same family.
8. It’s OK to have a third nipple
A supernumerary nipple (also known as a third nipple) is an additional nipple occurring in mammals including humans. Often mistaken for moles, supernumerary nipples are diagnosed at a rate of 2% in females, less in males. The nipples appear along the two vertical “milk lines” which start in the armpit on each side, run down through the typical nipples and end at the groin. They are classified into eight levels of completeness from a simple patch of hair to a milk-bearing breast in miniature.
9. You can die on the Toilet
There are many toilet-related injuries and some toilet-related deaths throughout history and in urban legends.
In young boys, one of the most common causes of genital injury is when the toilet seat falls down while using the toilet.
George II of Great Britain died on the toilet on 25 October 1760 from an aortic dissection. According to Horace Walpole’s memoirs, King George “rose as usual at six, and drank his chocolate; for all his actions were invariably methodic. A quarter after seven he went into a little closet. His German valet de chambre in waiting heard a noise, and running in, found the King dead on the floor.”
10. .Picking one’s nose and eating it might be healthy
View Mikkel Elbech’s map Taken in a place with no name (See more photos or videos here) Mucophagy (literally mucus-eating, also referred as picking one’s nose and eating it) is the consumption of the nasal mucus, boogers, and other detritus obtained from nose-picking.
Some research suggests that mucophagy may be a natural and even healthy activity, which exposes the digestive system to bacteria accumulated in the mucus, thereby helping to strengthen the immune system.
var bdv_ref_pid=161266;var bdv_ref_type='i';var bdv_ref_option='p';var bdv_ref_eb='0';var bdv_ref_gif_id='ref_110x32_black_pbl';var bdv_ref_width=110;var bdv_ref_height=32;
internet marketing
Customize your mobile with your Complimentary Ringtone!
-
2:40
Behold, Hump Day Is Upon Us!!!!!!!!!!
» My part of the world....... I was reading this article about restaurant cleanliness and it gave me some interesting memories about Kenya. I remember in Kenya we did have health inspectors but how much inspecting they did was debatable. I do know for a fact that they did used to inspect the 5 star joints more often than not plus the 5 star Restaurants to keep themselves in good books internationally used to impose their own standards. But of course when it came to the good old 1 star joints this was another story altogether.
I once recall going for some nyama choma at a joint and some zealous health inspectors came in ready for the inspection. Well what the proprietor of the joint did was to crack a few jokes with the inspectors and since it was around lunch time, had some ribs roasted for the inspectors, sat down with them, chatted and sent them away with some money and meat for their trouble. That was that year's inspection dealt with.
How we used to escape major food poisoning always made me wonder, I guess our stomachs adapted over time.
I found this video online and thought I had to share it esp since over the years I always made jokes about how cosmo never missed an article about how to please your man; I always thought by now they would have run out of methods of doing so.
Anyone who lives in the States is more than aware about how serious child molesting is taken out here. So much so that when a sex offender is let out of prison, they have to register with their local police station wherever they go to live. This information is then made public for the people who live in those areas on sites like this.
That of course is a great tool but there are a few things to consider; children are molested more often than not by people they know, family members, teachers, clergy etc. So there should be a system parents set up to monitor those people too. Second, why should registration end with sex offenders. I think paroled murderers, violent robbers, arsonists, con-men, people with mental illnesses that lead to episodes of violence and drug dealers among others should also be put into a National database for our own safety. Now discuss that issue in 100o words or less in the comments section, thank you.
I know some of you are now drooling waiting for the "You Shoulda Stayed Home" picture segment. Well I must apologize and say that one you have to wait next week for, but you know me; I always have something tasteless to share. Like I always say, this isn't the place to come for high society discussion and that kind of thing. Yes once in a while I do make pretensions to intellect and lofty ideals but on other days, I just want to share what's on the street. Anyway moving on.....
A classic
I think some men out there need to see this one so do share..
Yes I know I'll burn in hell for this one
Funny thing is that I have eaten there before and their burgers weren't half bad....
Now we know....
Funny for all the wrong reasons...
If you don't know the joke then it doesn't make sense but still those boys are going to burn......
Well sadly it's now back to the real world where work and responsibility await. To be a kid again......
-
2:04
Am blessed!
» Memories, Sentiments, Rants and Raves I want to shout, real loud hoping to ease the pressure or is it excitement then call A and spill it all out but i cant do that ,while it lasts i intend to enjoy it to the fullest Lord help me.
Copyright © 1999 - 2009 Mashada - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions