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• July 20, 2009
• 23:55

  We Go Big, Or We Go Home! (Part 2)

   » ‎ The African Accent

  (continued from Part 1)

  I have known Biko for years. He is an engineer by profession, but he finds time to make people dance. He is one third of SoulChild Entertainment. Their maxim: ‘We go big, or we go home!’ After my parade was rained on at the concert in Toronto, I turned to him, seeking insight on who to blame … and more importantly, why I was so easily hustled off a pao! I gave Biko my scenario: A venue has been secured; a recognizable Kenyan artist has been thrown in for good measure; a Facebook ad tells me that there’s a party.

  I don't think they hate the promoter, but how come people didn’t show up?
  Interesting question! I think they didn’t show up because somebody did not make it enticing enough for them. I believe all events should have a “what’s in it for me?” factor for the targeted guests. Notice my use of the word guest. It should start from there. Everyone that you invite is your guest, visiting your “home” . . . and you have to give them a very good reason to come and visit you.
  You should not assume that people will show up just because the artist is there. You have to market their music, get it out on the local radio station, and get some local DJ’s to play it. Then you have to make the fact the artist is coming into town an event in itself; convincing everyone that they are part of something special.
  Marketing is very important. How you advertise will make or break your turn-out; followed closely by your reputation.

  Who do we blame when a show fails to turn a crowd?
  The promoter/entertainment group is solely responsible for turning up the crowd. No excuses! That is their job description by definition!

  You have proven certain amplitude in managing these types of events. What makes a good events co-coordinator?
  Thank you!
  The first rule is to know your audience. I deal with the Afro-Caribbean crowd: primarily African; mainly and most importantly East African. Put yourself in their shoes and ask, “Why would I attend the event?” and incorporate the answer into the planning of it!
  Be HUMBLE! It’s a small community, and even though I have a big event, I make sure that I talk to, and thank everyone that attends. Remember, they came to the venue (which you should treat like it’s your home, i.e. make it clean, safe, secure and accessible). Make use of the new-media (Facebook, Twitter, email, Text-messages) to advertise the event to your friends and urge them to bring their friends. Make them feel like it’s also their party and they have a vested interest to make it a success.
  One important thing to remember especially with our community is, never make it about money! Never over-charge; and never argue with guests at the door about money.
  It never hurts to have an over-abundance of respect. In this delicate business, you are dealing with people who have a lot of pride. It’s always better to treat them gently. Last but not least you must DELIVER!
  The music must be ‘on point’ … and the DJs should have people dancing all night and leave them asking for more.

  SoulChild Entertainment is arguably the only show in town (in Ottawa), and it is quite successful at what it does. What's the trick?
  SoulChild Entertainment consists of three members who multi-task in the various roles of promoter, manager and DJs. We are close friends: Yves Bertrand, Eric Mulwa and I (Steve Biko).
  lol! This may sound weird, but, we do NOT do it for money. Once you accept that, it gets easier and simpler. We concentrate on QUALITY … and we make sure that the guests get their money’s worth. HARD WORK and preparation is key. In fact, it is paramount! The profits come eventually because our product speaks for itself.
  Yves and Eric are both in university for Business and Engineering respectively; and I have an Electrical Engineering degree, shooting for a Masters in September. We do this (SoulChild) on our spare time: strictly because we felt that there was a need for an avenue in which we could channel in some good African music, for Africans who are here in Ottawa, Ontario and provide a venue for them to converge on.
  We provide an essential service … we think.
  We play African music, but we mix it in with hip-hop, dancehall, R&B, reggae and ol’ skool. We make sure that when we play all the regions of Africa are represented in the music. We find out the popular song requests through intelligent scouting; the rest is up to the crowd.
  Yves is a shrewd manager with good instincts and Eric (Skillz) is a talented DJ who has the same music IQ as I do. We think alike as DJs and we work very well together.
  So what’s the trick? I‘d say we work hard so that our guests have fun. We never take any event for granted and make sure that everyone has a positive experience. We make our events classy and we will always have something planned that will please the ladies. I could go on but I don’t want to reveal any more secrets. Lol!

  Back to the example: After taking people's money and not delivering, how does one recover their reputation from the ashes of a failed entertainment event?
  That’s a tough one to answer.
  An angry mob cannot be calmed easily. First and foremost APOLOGISE! Admit the error in judgment and ask for tolerance. Make amends (that is: refunds, free entrance et cetera). A complete re-birth is needed. They have to acknowledge the fact that they will not make any money for the next few events. Re-think the strategy and apply some of what I have said above.
  Last but not least make sure to deliver the goods the next time.

  The recent Nameless concert in Ottawa was a huge success. I think it definitively put Ontario on the map for East African performing artists. What else is in the works at SoulChild Ent.?
  We worked hard on the event and it paid off. But the biggest bonus was the performance of the artist. Nameless was amazing. He worked the crowd and sent the place on fire! There is no way to describe how good he was!
  SoulChild Ent. will hold our Sexy Diva II party (in appreciation to the ladies who grace us with their presence at our events); we have our annual CARIBANA party in Toronto, and our annual Safari Boat Cruise, all before September. We are hoping to bring in T.I.D, WAHU, REDSAN or Ali Kiba next. We will ask our patrons and use their feedback to deliver what they want.
  Other than that, we remain humbled by our success in Ottawa, remain indebted to our fans coz they make us … and we thank God for the people around us (close friends and/or family) who keep us grounded!

  Contact SoulChild Entertainment in Ottawa at +(613) 796-6778
• 23:52

  We Go Big, or We Go Home! (Part 1)

   » ‎ The African Accent

  I have attended more concerts this summer than any other during my thirteen year stint in Canada. Like Mwaka said, live shows are a showcase of true talent. Most of the shows I attended were organized excellently. Everything was in place; the people, the performer, and the music. I took for granted the talent it takes to bring these elements together for a successful event … until very recently.

  It was announced on Facebook that a certain African mega-star was coming to town. I was so excited, I even bought a new outfit. I assumed that being Toronto, a metropolis of 5.3 million souls, the turnout would be massive. Boy was I wrong!

  According to the flyer, the show started at 8:00 pm. I arrived fashionably late at kedo 9:30 pm to an empty hall. I sat by myself for a couple of hours, watching my Tusker bottle sweat the hall humidity thinking, ‘Guys will show up’. They never did. By 2:00am, we were like twenty deep. The artiste was still not on stage, and the crowd was quickly turning to an angry mob. I asked the DJ what was happening, and he replied, “It’s these Kenyans! They never support!”

  I shuffled away quickly before the conversation went any further. The crowd had started assuming that I was part of the management (since I was there before everybody else, and I seemed to be buddy-buddy with the guys behind the scenes).

  The next day, my Facebook inbox had a fair share of angry Torontonians demanding answers. I decided to get some.

  (Continued on Part 2)

  

• 20:55

  Maji Honoured

   » ‎ Kenya Cricket
  Congratulations to David 'Maji' Waters who has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to Kenyan cricket.
  
  As all who have met David and know the hard work and soul he put into the sport in Kenya will attest this honour is well deserved and it is it great to see his efforts recognised.
  
  Congratulations!Become a fan of Kenya Cricket.com on facebook: [www.facebook.com]
• 20:23

  Standard article on U19 World Cup being moved

   » ‎ Kenya Cricket
  This article by James Waindi just a reminder that we are still yet to hear from Cricket Kenya regarding this. Unusually for most articles pertaining to cricket in the local dailies, this is well written and it is clear that he has done his homework on this and taken the time to contact relevant sources. Hope we see more articles from this journalist on cricket in the future.
  
  Nothing in the article is new, but it is still relevant. One thing missing though is the fact that is is not just financially that Kenya loses out, but also loses a great opportunity to grow the game.Become a fan of Kenya Cricket.com on facebook: [www.facebook.com]
• 19:55

  Players Overseas still in good touch

   » ‎ Kenya Cricket
  
  With national team players stealing the limelight in the first week of the NPCA League, is should also be noted that a few Kenyan players went well this week in England.
  
  Seren Waters (Pictured taking a catch v Ireland in this year's Intercontinental Cup - courtesy Cricket Europe) is again back in the runs as he made 89 for Surrey 2nd XI.
  
  
  Ragheb Aga has made two consecutive 50's for Eastbourne and backed one of those 50's up with a 3 wicket haul.
  
  Also turning in a good all round performance was Moses Otieno who scored a personal season's best for his side (Combined Forces) with 46 against Sandhurst and followed it up with 3 for 22 as Sandhurst won by 4 wickets chasing 177.
  
  Ex Kenyan International Hitesh Modi took 2-36 against Fleet CC for club side Chesham then followed it up by top scoring with 52 off 57 in their Thames Valley League Division 1 match which ended in a tie.Become a fan of Kenya Cricket.com on facebook: [www.facebook.com]

• 18:24

  The Curious Case of Africa Blindness

   » ‎ White African

  Tags:  Africa  

  A scotoma is a blind spot in your vision. Everyone has it, and it’s due to the lack of photoreceptors where your optic nerve exits your eyeball. Normally, it’s right at the center of your vision. It’s curious to note that most maps have Africa placed squarely in the center, and most are blind to it as well.

  I’m a big fan of infographics, visualization tools that help us understand something faster than reading a long-winded explanation or a spreadsheet of data. It’s disappointed to see how Africa is usually missing from the global ones – especially in relation to technology.

  I call this “Africa blindness”.

  Luke Wertz linked one to me earlier today from the New Scientist on Twitter saying, “Notice anything missing from this image? Oh yea, the ENTIRE continent of Africa.”:

  

  It’s a good graphic, really well designed and it does gets a point across. However, it’s missing two continents: Africa and Australia. Thank goodness, we’re not just dealing with Africa-blindness, but Oz-blindess too.

  Here’s another great technology infographic, this time by XKCD where he’s showing the IPv4 space (that’s how you get an IP address). Note the glaringly obvious fact that the entire continent of Africa has the same-sized IP allocation as the likes of Apple and half as much as Japan.

  

  Is there a case for Africa Blindness in tech?

  A part of me can understand how a graphic designer sitting in the US or Europe, tasked with creating a graphic, would bypass Africa. After all, if you’re not from the continent, you surely don’t think of it as having much relevance in the high-tech world. On top of that, it’s not always easy to find web and mobile data in Africa as it is in the rest of the world. The first is an issue of education and media focus. The second is far more serious of a problem.

  You’d think that finding aggregate information on tech in Africa would be fairly easy to find. It’s not, at least not for free like it is for much of the rest of the world. If anyone should know this, it’s me. After all, this is what I spend a great deal of time tracking…

  

• 17:06

  words to life

   » ‎ the-undergraduate
  People often regret alot of things,the worst being the question of what could have been.
  Egoes play alot into this category,where its simply easier to brush a few unpleasantries beneath the carpet hoping theyll stay put if only till you find alternatives to salvage your pride
  If there ever was an over used phrase in my primary school headmistress' talks it was that 'pride comes before a fall'.Back then it used to hit all the wrong notes and we all termed it as malicious slander.Today i see the wisdom of it all,to this day am never afraid to stay humble especially in situations that am not well versed on the fact.
  You never know what'll sneak out of the corner,you never know who you'll find sitted on the high seat,but for as long as you require something,swallow your pride and by all means never forget those you meet along the way,there might come a day when you'll need them

• 17:00

  Respect Kenya: Kibaki Must Stay Above the Law

   » ‎ You Missed This
  
  No country or leader auctions the priceless gift and honour of sovereignty. And Kibaki as the embodiment of Kenya must remain above the law no matter what the Rome statutes say about tribunals.
  
  Ministers have once again confirmed the tower of Babel that they have become. They have refused to unite and lead by example instead they are leading from the rear with the singular virtue of bickering. While they all toned down towards agreeing on setting a local tribunal, Kibaki’s position must remain NONNEGOTIABLE.
  
  After saving us from stewing ourselves in our own blood, Kibaki deserves respect and must avoid the indignity of answering to Ocampo’s melodrama at the Hague. The ICC may demand watertight declaration in offering immunity to nobody but we must unite in protecting our third president from such a shame.
  
  Ocampo and Annan must not be allowed to re-invent themselves using Kenya as a case study. They need to know the basics and avoid being easily excitable. For their information they better know that past tense of pigs fly is a common disease ravaging the world presently. Swine flu is no epidemic.
  
  Midnight swearing
  Mutula Kilonzo must learn politics made and practised inn Kenya. Well, he may have signed some papers with the ICC Prosecutor agreeing to stamp out impunity once and for all. But he must be aware that within our shores anything on paper is as good as the wet ink. Once liquiud is dry, the memorandum and agreement naturally goes comatose. What is more, we are a living testimony.
  
  So the cabinet can shout, wine and dine every week but they must make sure President Kibaki is comprehensively protected from scavengers like Ocampo and his sidekick Annan. They is only once centre of power in Kenya and we can only dare upset that institution at our collective national peril.
  
  Ocampo can breathe all the coloured fires and brimstone but Kibaki as a symbol of our nationhood must retain the authority to dish CLEMENCY so that we can heal. Kibaki knows Kenya better than even Obama and must not be intimidated at whatever cost. And on that note the MPs' hostility to Special Tribunal Bill is justified in protecting our exotic sovereignty.
  
  Kibaki is a master at delegation but he cannot be naive to delegate to Ocampo the role of wielding the axe on his own neck. Justice Gicheru should know better. He couldn’t have sworn in the president at midnight only to have the old man subjected to embarrassment by international minions like Ocampo, NEVER.Kumekucha

  
  

  

• 13:34

  Meeting the Outlaws

   » ‎ STONE COLD HAVEN

  Recently, a good friend asked me for some advice as he prepared for a rare trip back home. As I write this post, I wonder quietly whether he came through unscathed, but I guess I’ll have to wait for him to get on a plane and for us to eventually sit and chat with a cold beer in hand, before I can find out the true extent of the said expedition. For many folks who have settled abroad, a long overdue trip back to the motherland is something to get excited about, and it’s something you plan for a long time.

  Granted, a holiday trip home, especially with ‘er indoors and the kids is a project in itself. However, the benefits say for folks at home who genuinely want to see you (as opposed to those who get pissed off that you’ve spent thousands of pounds on air fare for you and your kin – money which would have been better spent via a western union transfer to them), far outweigh the financial and emotional investment and stress involved. Well, with the exception of that dreaded trip to the outlaws.

  “Come we stay” has been the de facto option for most immigrant couples from home who meet abroad, and I suspect that at the back of every man’s mind (at least those who are not just interested in the convenience of in-house booty as opposed to a serious relationship), there’s that daunting feeling that the time will come when you’ll have to make an honest woman of the lady you’ve been waking up next to for most part.

  It’s the sort of trip that despite constant assurances from your other half aka mshikaji, its extremely naive and negligent for a man to embark on such a trip to the wild west solely on the assurances of a loving partner. I mean, how would she know it’ll be OK unless she’s been married before and has forensic evidence of how your outlaws (I mean in-laws) to be will react? Call it a duty to the survival of fellow man folk, but seeking and giving advice from those who have experienced that dreaded trip to the girl’s family to, shall we say, atone for and explain why their precious daughter has been living in sin with you for however long.

  I’m not talking about weddings here. Weddings are side shows and opportunities for drama and fairy tale showbiz that a significant amount of folks don’t have the opportunity to indulge in. Where I come from, a marriage is a done deal once the traditional formalities are given a nod by the powers to be. This would involve that dreaded visit that I talk about, complete with the delivery of “cows” to the homestead of the outlaws. This concept of a wedding in church is a more recent western oriented phenomenon that those who can afford to, go ahead with to compliment the process of a traditional marriage – and as my aunt Rhodah would say – “forget the wedding – once they let you leave that boma with their daughter, it’s a done deal. Otherwise, that girl won’t be allowed to leave”. Aunt Rhodah should know, she’s been around the block a few times and left her father’s gate several times – and she ain’t a spring chicken.

  So when a friend asks “what can I expect when visiting the outlaws” – the best advice to give is:

  1. Get a good negotiator – you’re too emotionally involved. Get a chief of staff you trust, a consigliere who can competently represent your wishes and that of your mshikaji. Also make sure you have a good delegation of friends – peers you grew up with and your tight with, an aunt you trust, and perhaps one of your dad’s peers – call him an elderly statesman who is in the delegation for good measure. You’re going to need them.
  2. There’s always a fixer in the girl’s family – identify that person quick and get on their side. It’s usually (but not always) a grandmother, or an elderly female mother figure like an aunt. This is the person who has the ability to smooth things as and when (yes as and when and not if and when) things go pear shaped.
  3. Forget all the assurances your partner has given you or all the “it’ll be OK sweetie – my folks are really nice nonsense”. Consider everyone an outlaw. Only those at the table will negotiate the bride price and she’s not going to be there, and in most cases, will never be told how ugly it got.

  I’ve been involved in enough of these expeditions to pick the signs of how things can transpire, and the one thing you always say to yourself is this is the time to be a boy scout – always be prepared…LOL! My expedition was comparatively and thankfully a straight forward one, but by being part of many other expeditions of friends and those close to me who asked for my support – I have seen enough that will traumatize any fully grown warm blooded male.

  In one particular case, the whole marriage was nearly called off because of the brinkmanship of some of the folks on the outlaws team, and the insistence of the elders on our delegation that their boy was not going to be taken for a mug…LOL! It’s only in such cases that you ever get to see the value of the “fixer” from the girl’s side.

  You see, in my culture, its customary that the suitor takes no part in any aspect of the negotiation. Their job is to sit down and look pretty and occasionally remind folks by standing up to answer the question of “who the gentleman is that is seeking to take away their daughter”.

  It’s also customary that after the niceties and warm welcome, there is a sidebar session where the girl’s mother is given her own time with our delegation outside the main negotiating table. This task is usually assigned to the chief negotiator aka consigliere and perhaps a female in your contingent like an elderly aunt or something who step outside with the mother of the bride. During this sidebar, the mother of the bride has to be “sorted” out in her own terms.

  And boy don’t some mothers know how to milk this one. I’ve heard lines like “You know that girl kept me in labour for 18 hours and she was a very difficult birth” or “she was a very stubborn child when she grew up” or “she broke all my favourite plates”…LOL! The point is – until the mother of the bride goes back to the negotiating committee and declares that “wameniona vizuri kando” (they’ve sorted me out properly), can the proper negotiation of the bride price go ahead. It doesn’t matter how much the mother of the bride relieved you off, or what arrangement you came to – whether in full or in instalments, that part was a side show that plays no part in the bride price negotiation.

  It is at this point where it’s possible to see grown men cry….LOL! particularly in cases where more than just the immediate family of the girl is involved – uncles and cousins are notorious for this. But let’s face it, the negotiation and payment of bride price has become a cottage industry of sorts – and for the most part, it’s immaterial what a girl thinks or hopes will happen. They have no influence in what her “peeps” are capable of. And some of these guys play hard ball. All the girl can hope while hanging out with her own peers and kina auntie is that her husband to be will get past the outlaws. The longer it takes, the more nervous she gets, especially when she gets insider whispers during those very frequent and essential sidebars for “consultation”.

  The ante is seriously upped when the bride price is dramatically increased for things like perceived virginity (dare you try and call their bluff and suggest their daughter was not a virgin when she met you – this is not the time and place to stand your ground…and considering you’re the first suitor she’s brought in front of this committee, they have a case for the presumption that she was a virgin before she met you – and you don’t want to take this case on LOL), the girl having a university degree and a job of her own (read: our western union remittance will reduce), the fact that you both live abroad and you’re balling it like a nonsense, or that you have a good job and can afford it. It brings a whole new meaning to “we raised our daughter well and we are pleased that you appreciate our effort – and the bride price is a token of your appreciation to the work done here all round”.

  So as you can imagine in lore’s case, things weren’t going well on the negotiating table. It was another pal Kim who noticed Lore was in distress – mainly from the throbbing vertical vein that had formed on the left side of his forehead and his eyes developing an unnervy shade of red. Kim swiftly whisked Lore out of the house on the pretence of having a cigarette break – but clearly, the man was being distressed by the very thought of the brinkmanship that was threatening his impending marriage. A few of us joined the so called fag break at the fence and were even approached by one of L’s girlfriend’s peers to find out if we were OK and if we needed anything.

  Clearly Lore’s girlfriend and her peeps had seen L being led out in distress and wanted to find out what was cutting – but the only thing you could say is “wazee bado hawajamaliza” (the elders are still talking). Though it was hard to see at that time, we suspected that the folks negotiating on behalf of the bride had their own agenda…LOL! They were there to get paid and they knew that Lore had a good job abroad.

  There was a timely break in the protracted negotiations when you had to admire the skills of the elderly statesmen and women we had with us. They had insisted on coming for the ride, though most of us were convinced they were there for the feast. But their value begun to show by the way they maintain conversation and a light hearted spirit to pass the time by with laughter and old timers stories. For most people in the house who weren’t part of the negotiation, it seemed that everything was going on well – if they only knew…LOL!

  What we didn’t know at the time, is a group of the mercenary negotiators who were hell bent on getting paid, had accosted the bride to be during this negotiation and meal break– apparently to get her to confess how much money Lore had with him. In fact they literally threatened the girl to tell them how much they had brought with them from “ngambo”. It’s an understatement to say that they scared the living shit out of the poor girl who was in tears for most of the time after that. I guess you could be if you’re being told that your “man” is too stingy to pay the bride price and that his people are threatening to walk away – which I guess was an option, but never one that had reared its head on the table.

  Lore’s girlfriend’s distress didn’t go unnoticed and a savvy aunt approached us at one of our famous fag breaks at the fence with that re-assuring “are you guys OK out here” greeting and smile – and a coded “you guys are not leaving this girl here” message, with cryptic instructions of how we could find the back door. Of course we were too stupid then to figure this out and more focussed on the fact that there were totally unreasonable demands being made on the high table and walking away now seemed an option to consider…LOL!

  After indicating to our consigliere that auntie so and so had given us a coded message by saying we were not leaving that girl there – the consigliere, who now looked like a man who needed a break… – had a word with the oldest member of our delegation, a neighbour of Lore’s dad who had travelled with us. He disappeared for about half an hour and on his return, the consigliere asked for another break.

  Honestly by that time, few actually had any hope we were going to pull this off – yet we had to maintain our smiles and pretend that all was well. The truth is that if we had guns – her 2 cousins and uncle (the mercenaries) could have easily been dead – though you have to question whether that would have done any good for Lore’s marriage…LOL!

  The key was the grandmother. She had been out in the background and no one took notice of her – and it was the old man from our delegation who went to have a cup of tea with her. From what we gathered, she was well aware of the mercenary tactics of some of the members of the outlaws team though the hope was that the rest will tame them. But I guess pay day is pay day. The deal that was brokered was for what Lore was willing to offer to be an upfront payment of some sort – and that a small token of appreciation will be on-going – kind of like to keep a bond for the family.

  On our part, we gave way to not demanding and being given assurances about what future instalments and demands will be, and on the granny’s part, she guaranteed that the girl will leave that homestead with us and an assurance that tomorrow was another day – this will pass.

  Even as people celebrated the new traditional union, there were some very bitter people in that room. Some of our friends went as far as loading everything that the girl owned, including presents from her folk into one of the SUV’s we had, and by the time all the good-bye’s and crying was taking place, all the drivers were revving the cars outside the gate. All that was left was for that girl to be smuggled into one of the cars….LOL! She was ours and we weren’t taking chances that them mercenaries were going to change their minds.

  Funny thing is that over a year later at Lore’s wedding, the two looked so happy in church and lapping up the event. If only folks there knew that that wedding might have never happened…LOL! I guess it must be harder for the couple especially since they normally have to take a back seat as others see to their business. I don’t blame Lore for never telling his wife what was said in that room. There is some truth that sometimes you have to protect the ones you love and some things she just did not need to hear.

  And to think of how she was a bitch to everyone during the wedding preparations – “Guys, no one is going to fuck this up for me – this is the most important day of my life”. Lordy Lord, if she knew the hoops Lore and his boys had to jump to give her the freedom to say that…LOL!
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• 11:49

  My Favorite African Tech Blog Reads of the Week

   » ‎ White African

  Tags:  Africa  

  This last week has seen a higher than average number of great technology blog pieces by a number of people. Here are my favorites.

  Bankelele writes about Professor Calestous Juma with a review of a talk that he gave on how Africa can use technological innovation to stimulate economic recovery, spur economic growth and spread prosperity.

  Aptivate gave us their Top 10 Rules for Designing Low-Bandwidth Websites. This is a goldmine, every web designer in Africa should print this out and hang it above their monitor.

  Jon Gosier gave us a Comparison between On- and Off-network GSM Rates in Nigeria. Proving that, “with the exception of Etisalat, it’s quite clear that it’s cheaper to own four cell phones than one [in Nigeria].” (I hope this data makes its way to African Signals)

  Ethan writes about Mike Best and his team’s work in post-conflict Liberia around digital storytelling.

  South Africa’s popular mobile social networking application, Mxit, is now at 14 million users. “MXit users currently send approximately 35,000 messages per second during peak times and visit the system more than 20 million times per day.” Wow!

  Bill does a review of Ndiyo, the thin-client computing solution for Africa. Specifically, on how Ndiyo “provides an alternative to traditional Western notions of how technologies should be deployed, used and paid for in developing countries”.

  

• 11:47

  Kibaki, Raila And The Hague: Can You Take The Terrible Truth?

   » ‎ You Missed This
  
  In some ways, I cannot help sympathizing with the Kenyan government just now because they are really between a rock and a hard place where the Hague issue is concerned.
  
  There is immense pressure on the government of Kenya to form a local tribunal to try post-election violence suspects and this push is coming mainly from the International community, especially the United States and Britain. (As I said in an earlier post the main architect behind this move is the president of the United States, Barack Obama).
  
  However Kenyans have absolutely no faith in their own judicial system and want all the criminals (especially the big boys) to go to the Hague and face justice there. Even if it takes two or three years for this to happen.
  
  Now the Kenyan government cannot form a local tribunal because any such legislation to make this possible will have to pass through parliament. And you and I know for a fact that there is no way the current parliament will pass any such bill (with or without instructions from party leaders).
  
  So the only logical solution is to call for fresh elections.
  
  I can hear you groaning and I can also hear you complaining about how the country is not ready for a general election and will NOT be ready for a while. I myself can fill this page with 100 reasons why there should never be any general elections in Kenya for the next 20 or even 100 years. However what is the alternative? What is the alternative to an election?
  
  Incidentally there was an interesting statement made by Raila Odinga over the weekend. The Prime Minister has castigated the Kenya Human Rights Commission for releasing the list of suspects (upon which Kofi Anan based his list). Raila has also said (almost with the same breath) that the Hague should release it’s list of suspects too.
  
  Very confusing statements those, don’t you think?
  
  But let me help you see through the smoke screens. You must bear in mind that what politicians say and what they really want are always two very different things. The late Vice President Wamalwa Kijana put it very eloquently when he said that some politicians play their cards on the table while hiding the really dangerous ones under the table. That’s how the game of politics is played everywhere in the world.
  
  Let me tell you a story to cement my point here. There is this guy who keeps on telling this woman that he loves her very much. The woman naturally drinks in this, but fate puts a terrible test before him. Just before their wedding, they decide to go for an HIV test. The Man comes out negative but the woman is HIV positive. Now in my book if the man really loves the woman as he has been constantly saying, and if it is true that he cannot do without her, then he ought to marry her, HIV or no HIV. Right?
  
  In my story the man was naturally doing what most men do to women—telling her a pack of lies. And so when they come out of the VCT centre the man is lost for words even as his woman is devastated. He cannot even offer words of consolation. His mind is simply racing trying to find the quickest way out of all this… and yet the wedding cards have already been printed and the bride’s gown has been made.
  
  So it is in politics. The truth of the matter is that both sides of the current political leadership funded and incited the chaos we saw in January 2008. ODM did it strategically to stop the stolen elections from being allowed to stand. The long term strategy was to make the country unmanageable until the elections were either repeated or the presidency given to the rightful winner. PNU did it mostly in retaliation for the blood bath that went on in the Rift Valley where the main victims were supporters of the party. So in essence before anybody else is put on trial for the blood bath, common sense demands that the leaders of ODM and PNU face justice first for what they sanctioned—the buck stops at their tables. If the courts find them innocent then it is okay as long as it is not the kind of courts Kenyan have seen in these shores since independence. The kind that they do NOT want the post election suspects to be tried in.
  
  And that is why I have been suggesting for a long time now that the only solution for Kenya is that we find a way to go back to the polls as soon as possible. You don’t need to have any brains to realize that as long as the current government is in power you will NEVER get Raila and Kibaki to face justice. In fact the longer they remain in power the harder it will be to take those two gentlemen anywhere. For the politically naïve, let me explain further. Those two gentlemen this very minute do NOT have anything higher in their agenda than staying out of jail after they leave power and we are just giving them more time to destroy evidence, kill witnesses etc.
  
  And by the way the minimal reforms people are talking about before the next elections is a pipe dream as long as Raila and Kibaki are in power. Do you honestly think that these two gentlemen and their advisors will allow reforms that will come back to haunt them? Please!!!!
  
  That is the brutal truth. Sorry for saying such nasty things (especially about characters who are worshipped by some avid readers of this blog. Please remember that the good book says you shall NOT worship anybody else BUT THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD). Admittedly, the truth is often pretty nasty and unpalatable and usually requires quite a “strong stomach” to take.
  
  P.S. I have recently been doing some fascinating e-interviews with various Kenyans from all walks of life. I will be publishing them here in Kumekucha and today I have started with THIS ONE about a Kenyan who claims he is making a lot of money from the web whilst based in Nairobi.Kumekucha

  
  

  
• 11:40

  What!!??? Kenyans Making Money On The Web?

   » ‎ You Missed This
  That Can’t Be True
  
  
  Kumekucha: Why don’t you want to tell Kenyans your second name?
  
  Faizul: Several reasons. One, I fear your site because you write very controversial things. Secondly I fear the competition because Kenyans like to copy things and flood the market. Naturally this will harm my business.
  
  Kumekucha: So why agree to the e-interview in the first place?
  
  Faizul: Mainly as a favour to the SEO expert who showed me what to do and also to encourage jobless Kenyans out there.
  
  Kumekucha: What do you sell online from Nairobi?
  
  Faizul: All I can say is that it is something related to the rapidly growing IT and computer industry.
  
  Kumekucha: So how does it work?
  
  Faizul: There are tens of thousands of Kenyans who search the web every day looking for all kinds of things. We started off researching the keywords they use to find what it is that I sell. Once we had identified the main keywords we created a free site with all my information and then optimized it for those keywords. What this means is that when people type those relevant words in a search engine, my free site ends up in the top ten of the search engine results. They then visit my site where I have advertised the products with features and prices. Usually they will email me for further details and I take it from there, sometimes following up with a telephone call or two to seal the deal.
  
  Kumekucha: What kind of money are you making from your free site?
  
  Faizul: (Laughing) You don’t expect me to tell you that do you? Let’s just say hundreds of thousands every month.
  
  Kumekucha: I find that hard to believe and I think my readers will also find it hard to believe.
  
  Faizul: Well, it is the truth. Just go and do research on how many people use the Google search engine every day and then divide the figure you get by the number of countries in the world. You will be shocked. What you need to understand here is that the people you get coming to a site from a search engine are serious buyers who want to buy right away. If you grasp that secret, then you will find it easier to believe what I am saying.
  
  Kumekucha: Any parting shot for Kenyans.
  
  Faizul: I’m not sure if you will print this. But I find your site too controversial and there is too much abusive language going on in there for most people to take you seriously. If you made it a bit serious I think you would gain more readers very quickly because reading your news online is much more convenient than sitting around with a newspaper these days. Especially for business people.
  
  About making money online. I saw a TV documentary recently about this small outsourcing company in Egypt (set up like a cyber café) that handles work from all over the world and has been voted a top 100 business (unfortunately I don’t have the details). But that centre has created many jobs for Egyptians. Industry in Kenya has collapsed and all this nonsense about making Kenya an industrialized nation is untenable, the only ray of hope I see is on the web.
  
  Faizul’s mentor gives free advice through a brand new weekly ezine he produces. It is FREE. You can subscribe for it HERE.
  
  Read THIS for more details.
  Kumekucha

  
  

  

• 10:59

  Tujuane Mixer: Info Session on Launching a start-up in Kenya!

   » ‎ KA-INVESTOR
  
  Nairobist (through the Tujuane Network) in Partnership with GoInnovate would be hosting an information session on financing and managing a start-up business in Kenya on July 30th, 2009 at The Sarova Stanley Hotel. Emerging Kenyan entrepreneurs are invited to discuss and share their insights on the challenges, opportunities and experience on financing and managing a start-up business in Kenya.
  
  Theme: Challenges, Opportunities and Learning in Early Stage SME Financing.
  Date: Thursday, July 30, 2009.
  Venue: The Sarova Stanley Hotel (Huxley Room).
  Time: 5:30 P.M to 8:30 P.M.
  Cost: Tujuane Members: KES1000 (& it’s free to join!)
  
  Topics:
  

  • Strategies for overcoming challenges of start-up businesses
  • Key economic trends that affect start-up businesses in Kenya
  • How Innovation and Technology impacts the success of a start-up business
  • Insights on Creating a Successful Hybrid Social Venture Capital Fund

  Panelists and Speakers:
  Gavin Bell: Founder and Managing Director, Kengele's Restaurants
  Joanne Mwangi: Founder, Professional Marketing Services (SME Top 100 Firm)
  Al-Khan Satchu: Founder and CEO, Rich Management Limited
  Moses Kemibaro: Co-Founder, DotSavvy Limited
  Annabel Onyando: Founder, Synergy Excel Management Consultants
  Agatha Verdadero: Founder, Master Publishing and CAN-DO! Magazine
  (Their Profiles)
  
  Moderated by:
  Wanjiku Kamau: Events Manager, Nairobist
  Courtney Rountree: Harvard Kennedy School and Founder, GoInnovate
  
  for more info click here or email info@tujuane.com

• 10:48

  A Quote Besides

   » ‎ Words Much Like Poetry
  "You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

• 8:39

  Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

   » ‎ tHiNkEr'S rOoM

  Tags:  Hubbub  

  Running through my list of RSS subscriptions this fine morning I came across this gem that precipitated me on the forked path leading to laughter and tears:

  Several computers containing the results of the referendum Zelaya wanted to conduct are seized at the Presidential Palace

  That’s right. Results of the referendum the president wanted to conduct; i.e. said referendum had not been conducted yet and yet there were results. Does that remind you of an occasion when Government helpfully voted for its citizens in a past election with impressive turnouts of up to 120% of the voting republic?

  Methinks government at times takes its dedication to helping the public to its illogical extreme. Voting for the public, by and large, is a no-no!

  © M for tHiNkEr'S rOoM, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
  Post tags:
  

  

• 7:45

  Remembering FannyAnn Eddy

   » ‎ Black Looks
  Ife Franklin created this collage (not the complete series) over the past 5 years in memory of lesbian activist and human rights defender, FannyAnn Eddy who was raped and murdered on the 28thSeptember 2004 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Fannyann Eddy was an African woman who is from Sierra Leone West Africa. She was a [...]

• 7:40

  Mindspeak with Professor Calestous Juma

   » ‎ bankelele

  Tags:  Diaspora  

  
  
  The Nairobi lecture circuit has many forums which have yielded some interesting talks - such as from the leadership forum (run by British Council) that hosted Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph, and Nairobi Town Clerk John Gakuo, Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA), NCBDA which had British High Commissioner Edward Clay and also the Nairobist/tujuane entrepreneurship entrepreneurship series.
  
  I made my first attendance at the Mindspeak series which had Harvard’s Professor Calestous Juma give a talk in Nairobi on July 17 2009. It was hosted by Aly Khan Satchu of Rich.co.ke and the professor was making a return talk to one he gave about a year ago.
  
  The theme today was Rebooting the Economy – Technological Innovation & Africa’s Growth Prospects - on how Africa can use technological innovation to stimulate economic recovery, spur economic growth and spread prosperity. It was timed to coincide with the landing of the Seacom Fibre Optic Cable (to be launched ion July 23) which, at a cost of $700 million he called the largest foreign investment in east Africa since the Uganda Railway.
  
  some notes from the talk in an A to Z sequence
  
  Drivers of economic growth
  1. Infrastructure – roads, electricity
  - large continent of Africa has very little infrastructure (roads, railroad, power distribution) yet despite this has grown faster than most economies (except Asian) this has mostly been driven by mineral
  - China has great interest in Africa minerals, but in order to move minerals, they also build up infrastructure, which is why African leaders have been cozying up to china. They are also admitting more African students to Chinese universities (building engineering capacity) and they always plan for these students to return to their countries
  2. Technical education – build capacity in the engineering sciences
  3. New business creation in the private sector
  
  Technological abundance
  - we must acknowledge technical abundance in a world today where technical knowledge doubles every 14 months now
  - There are 880 satellites in space as at April 09, and cell phone use, GPS would not be possible. Also planned other3b network spearheaded by Google could go live in 2011 will cover most of Africa and the tropics a series of satellites design do
  - first cell phone in Kenya cost as much as a 4 bedroom house in buru buru according to information PS bitange ndemo (then about Kshs. 250,000)
  - What will Fibre will change? Right now it takes about 40 seconds download the wall street journal homepage from Africa, this will reduce to 15 seconds – and bandwidth cost which are as high as $8 per mbit in west Africa can’s compare to the $0.12 that US universities pay. Fibre also costs 1/10 to install compared to what it costs 10 years ago, and storage has gotten much cheaper (emergence of cloud computing, and OLPC has no hard drive).
  
  technological advance are not just in IT but also other sectors
  
  Education sector Links
  excamples
  - Moi University bought the (collpased) rivatex factory, and its now operating at 10% with the main challenge being lack of cotton. Move departments there, students spend time at factory, updating curriculum
  - Pontifical catholic university of Rio de Janeiro has a genesis institute that is a business incubator – and they graduate companies alongside with their students
  - Pohang Science & Technology University in South Korea is the best in Asia is an example of how business can create universities
  - Kenyan ministries have training institutions that should be upgraded to universes (but only at post-graduate level so as not co compete with basic universities)
  - Give young people technical literacy, such as with the $100(OLPC) laptop. Rwanda has become the global learning center for the OLPC, which was unfortunately bad mouthed by competitors which scared off other African leaders from embracing it
  
  Energy:
  - wind power can have great impact, and peaceful Somalia has the potential to supply a lot of wind power to the east Africa region, there are new wind power turbine and technology 9suc as Canadian Kite)
  - solar also had great potential over next few years, and European countries plan to build solar farms in Sahara desert for their power, while Taiwan plan to launch a 1-passenger solar taxi later this year. Best technology for solar is from Israel engineers and firms, and African countries should learn from there
  agriculture
  - Genetically modified foods which resist pests, require less chemical and drought resistant (so far SA, Burkina Faso, and Egypt)
  - advance in fish breeding, add a growth hormone (not GM) to salmon, and soon tilapia, and will see fish mature faster
  - European countries concerned about GM foods are also big investors in that area, so African should target agricultural products that are relevant to Africa
  
  Going Green
  - used to mean paying more, but it is becoming pay less
  - The future is sustainable, renewable energy, use of nano technology etc. Africa is not tied to polluting technologies and can start afresh using green technologies. e.g GM seeds – farmers don’t have to buy pesticides, don’t have to weed (turn over their farms) which means soils hold more carbon & moisture
  
  Health
  I.e. Africa has still very high maternal mortality
  - Costs of ultrasound come down from $20,000, to $2,000 in a few years, and plans to cerate cell phone device that cost just $100 (and this is replacing the doctor’s stethoscope)
  what do these mean for Africa?
  These are not innovations unless they spread in the market place
  
  Innovations Waves have occurred in the history of the world
  
  1st 1785-1845: water power, mechanization, textile industry
  2nd 1845-1900 steam power, steel industry, and cotton industry
  3rd 1900-1950 electrification, chemicals, internal combustion engine
  4th 1950-1990 petrochemical, aviation, space
  5th 1990-2020 digital networks, biotechnology
  6th ---- (should incorporate Africa, renewable energy, nano technology, Fibre)
  With each, with the periods getting shorter and with more countries are drawn into the world economy each time if they utilize the chance to add knowledge to their economies (upgrade their software)
  
  Military Links
  Private sector can’t do it alone. African countries must explore us their militaries to do infrastructure - building roads, irrigation channels, dams, – they have the capability, discipline and knowledge (roman roads were build by the military)
  - Military colleges should expand curriculum to be engineering colleges
  
  Other aspects of growth
  - venture capital – linking those with capital to those with ideas
  - international trade – out exports under AGOA have been limited
  - regional integration –enable close regional trade, otherwise we will not be bale to export to far countries
  - Security – many countries spend a lot of productive resources on idle military. A controversial proposal was to embrace AFRICOM (whose tenets are defense, diplomacy and development), also equip diplomatic missions to identify emerging technologies that can benefit their countries.
  - Executive dynamism – to link the business, academia and government to work together and transform economies. E.g. Rwanda has a minister of science who operate from the office of the president
  
  Q&A
  - How is Kenya doing? Creation of national economic social council (NESC) good start. Needs to be specific; many forums are held in Kenya achieve nothing because they are too general - and vision 2030 will only work if driven by executive not ministries
  - How can Diaspora contribute to development? African absorptive capacity of Diaspora returnees is still low – countries need to have office dedicated to harnessing the efforts of their Diaspora to meaningful economic development, and also give those structures that resemble what they are used to. Kenya now has a Diaspora department in ministry of foreign affairs. Also don’t try and get Diaspora to contribute to Kenya simply because they are from Kenya - treat them as professionals, and shield them from petty politics
  - Change from innovating in wants to needs like food, water, electricity? Professor argued that innovations like ultrasound, mobile phone, GM foods were no loner wants but needs
  - Food production in Africa? president of Malawi was cited, took over as president at a time that country was in famine. Set out to fix sector, and controversially made himself minister of agriculture, shift in subsidy from consumers to subsidy of farmers enabled them to transform in two years and produce surplus harvest. Prof Juma that more African presidents should also hold the agriculture portfolio in charge of food security) later also became minister of research as he realized that country had reached limits of production under the current methods/processes
  - How can Africa improve governance? Train our leaders (model institutions based on the Kennedy school) as some bad leadership comes from ignorance not malice. Also More information and transparency (media & exposure) will make corruption more difficult,
  - How have other African countries (SA, Nigeria) used the fibre? Other countries have fibre in West Africa but business model was wrong, targeted at expensive customer and SAT3 has about 5% utilization. In this case give free access to bandwidth to universities to enable them to digitize their records. Wants to see a local animation industry in Kenya, wants to see Kenyan university lecturers teaching other countries on African history and culture to the Diaspora, beam signal right form here in Nairobi
  - Any intellectual property rights in Kenya? Professor Juma and others wrote industrial property rights in Kenya yeas ago (KIPI)
  
  Want more?
  - Prof Juma has set up a multi-media centre in Kisumu with KCA University
  - He will be a giving a talk targeted at the education sector on July 21 at the Kenyatta International Conference Center at 4 PM

• 3:57

  Kenya Cup - Week 6

   » ‎ Rugby in Kenya
  Kenya Cup - Week 6

• 3:33

  Yet Another Monday......

   » ‎ My part of the world.......

  Tags:  life  

  It's been a minute and a half since I was in this joint, so first things first; a quick tribute video to the dearly departed King of Pop.
  
  
  
  
  Moving on, its been monotonus life as usual for me so nothing really major worth blogging about has gone down.
  In other news, I am now just like the Hulk; I just want to smash. Yes that line cracks me up! For real though as a Kenyan rapper once said, "ni kama drought imevisit wakulima." It's a sad state of affairs, I am now a full time passenger of the B-train (if you don't know what that means, too bad for you). But I'm looking at the plus side, the longer it goes on; it shall be like I never took the jump in the first place and my innocence shall be restored in no time! Cue angels singing and halo over my head.
  This is old news but how in the hell can Michael Owen sign the dotted line for Manchester United?!! I mean that's truely selling out your roots, I have no respect for that man whatsoever! Anyway he had taken out to sending out marketing packs to various teams to sell himself so it's obvious he was going to whore himself out to the greatest bidder. I'm just hoping he breaks a leg first week of the season! He deserves it since he did jack for Newcastle and ditched them as soon as they were relegated.
  I know as a single dude I should be the last one posting an exit strategy video but the series has never failed to crack me up. Back to the classic episode 1!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I know I owe ya'll a part 2 of the Weed PSA and those are on their way. I just realized maybe I need to do something about my locs, I have had 2 of my very own Kenyan brethren pass me over to the Jamaicans on sight, what happened to being able to identify your fellow Kenyan from miles away without them speaking, maybe I need to grow a forehead or fivehead?
  Anyway Monday is here, the one day in the week when I have to do all that I can not to wake up in tears. Have a productive week people, and smash on my behalf....

• 3:33

  Sheng Word Of The Week: wegejeng

   » ‎ The African Accent

  Wegejeng
  -verb, noun

  in the African accent: weh-geh-jeng’
  origin: Unknown
  first used: Unknown
  meanings in English:
  - To be very drunk ^Verb
  - Very strong drink - usually illicit ^noun
  

  Usage examples:
  (verb)
  Maze! Trish yuko wegejeng
  Man! Trish is so drunk
  (noun)
  Musau ame enda kukamish wegejeng
  Musau has gone to buy chang'aa

  Courtesy of

  

  

• 3:24

  Remembering June 16th: thoughts on education today

   » ‎ Black Looks
  “A pile of bricks, no matter how well crafted, is not a wall. And a group of walls, no matter how sturdy or beautiful, is not a cathedral. If you want to end up with a cathedral, you have to start with that global vision in mind, and “design down” from there.” –Dr. William Spady [...]

• 3:06

  Watu Wazima: A gender analysis of forced male circumcisions during Kenya's post-election violence.

   » ‎ Kenya Imagine
  We're delighted to have managed to get Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, of akilidada fame, onto our pages. Her new piece is a gender-analytic look at forced male circumcisions during PEV. As she says herself, if asked what gender analysis has for men, a piece like this would have to figure.

• 2:44

  Not A Bed of Roses

   » ‎ Diary of a gay Kenyan
  HIV continues to wreak havoc in Sub-Saharan Africa more than in any other region of the world and it appears African males who have sex with men are particularly affected.
  
  10 times higher HIV rates than in general male population according to a recent report.
  
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8158469.stm
  
  For more on HIV check out Simon's blog on the situation in Kenya.

• 2:23

  What Do You Tell A Friend When There's A Brick Wall Ahead

   » ‎ You Missed This
  That friend is Raila Odinga.
  
  I've agonized about the increasingly fragile situation this masterful politician from my backyard finds himself in. Because of his stand on various issues, he faces what is beginning to look like a quagmire, a situation he will be unable to extricate himself from when the time to run for president rolls around in 2012.
  
  The range of issues that the Prime Minister needs to worry about are growing. Obviously he is at the point where he has just about successfully alienated the Kalenjin. We all know that the Mau situation needs to be carefully handled, and that a solution must immediately be found that takes into account the interests of the folks there at the same time as the interests of the wider Kenyan, and indeed East African community, is taken care of. But this is a landmine. Should Raila have played politics on this issue and placed the future of a region in jeopardy?
  
  What do you tell a friend?
  
  Then there is the growing perception that a certain group of people is setting up the PM for failure. According to this theory, it is believed that this group has curved out only the most politically difficult issues for Raila to deal with and not Kibaki. For instance, they say, why has Kibaki not been as forceful in handling the Mau issue as Raila has been? Why hasn't he been seen to be vocal about a new constitution? And why has he appeared so disinterested in the Migingo issue when he knows that Migingo is an issue that deeply troubles the folks from his own Prime Minister's backyard? And just wait. Does it look strange that when the Hague now looks inevitable the conniving group has brought in Raila to plead with Kenyans for a local tribunal? Why can't Kibaki crisscross the nation campaigning for that dead-horse idea, the theorists ask?
  
  What do you tell a friend?
  
  If a friend is a man or a woman you love and trust, you will always tell them the truth. I've read accounts of well-meaning men and women who have advised Raila to go slow on Mau, to let the perpetrators of ethnic killings roast at the Hague, to be more defiant in the face of the charged assignments slapped on his desk by the group hell bent on making him catch the flak when things go wrong. My fear is that such people are not Raila's friends.
  
  Friends tell the truth.
  
  The truth is that Raila, as a leader, must stand firm for what is right. When those who understand the environmental issues at play at Mau tell us that we face a disaster if the activities currently ongoing there are not addressed, why would Raila choose political expediency and play to the ignorant lot that don't seem to care what will happen in just five to ten years? And since Raila signed on to work with Kibaki as a partner, why would he now turn around and cause upheaval in the coalition a good three years before the next presidential campaign season? Isn't it right for the PM to keep his end of the bargain till the time comes to say, "Let's present a new vision to the Kenyan people?"
  
  What do you tell a friend?
  
  Tell the friend to lead with conviction and wisdom. In all that you do, Hon. Prime Minister, ensure that you put the interests of this nation first and all will be just fine. And even if I should disagree with you about the local tribunal, I give you the fact that you have...at this point in time...weighed the options and decided that the local tribunal route is the best for Kenya. I hope soon you'll sense its retrogressive nature and join those of us who are pushing for the Hague.
  
  I hope you also tell your friend you are praying for them!Kumekucha

  
  

  

• 1:25

  "New books from Kwani? -Launch Event" on Thursday, July 23 at 7:00pm, Club Afrique

   » ‎ Kenyanpoet
  Event: New books from Kwani? PLUS Launch Event
  "NEW BOOK RELEASES FROM KWANI TRUST"
  What: Performance
  Host: Kwani?
  Start Time: Thursday, July 23 at 7:00pm
  End Time: Thursday, July 23 at 10:00pm
  Where: Club Afrique
• 1:20

  A call for Kenyan Poems from Komma - A Swedish Magazine

   » ‎ Kenyanpoet
  The literature magazine Komma is based in Lulea, on the northern coast
  of Sweden and not far away from the Arctic Circle. Komma publishes
  newly written poems and prose. Among those who contribute the readers
  will find both established writers and those who are in progress. It
  also happens that Komma reviews foreign poetry. They have done so, at
  least one issue per year.
  
  Now they would like to put Kenyan poetry in focus and present some poems
  for our Swedish readers. Poems to contributed will be published in the March
  2010 issue.
  
  Please note that all poems must be written in English and be sent to:
  Komma
  c/o Rask
  Stationsgatan 62 C
  972 34 Lulea
  Sweden
  or:
  
  komma(at)bredband.net
  Submission Deadline: 1st of November 2009.
  Contributers will receive two copies of Komma.
• 1:14

  Urban Mirror to host Ukoo Flani, Visual & Performance Art at Goethe on 25th July 9pm

   » ‎ Kenyanpoet
  * URBAN MIRROR SHOW ** MUSIC, VISUAL ART, LITERATURE, PERFORMING ART, PERFORMANCE ART, DJ SETS ** MC'S: UKOO FLANI ** SATURDAY 25 JULY 2009 - 9 PM ** GOETHE-INSTITUT NAIROBI ** MONROVIA STREET ** NAIROBI ** ENTRY FREE *

• 1:12

  Seven Stories and a festival like never before.

   » ‎ Storymoja
  The Storymoja Hay Festival is drawing ever closer. As you may have noticed, I am dedicating this month’s blogs to informing you of what you can look forward to. Already one of you, Marvin Tumbo, has been rewarded with tickets to the festival, and one other writer will be rewarded before the festival begins. The festival [...]

• 0:30

  KenCall: Dialing Up An IPO - 2011

   » ‎ KA-INVESTOR
  
  (Thanks to @alykhansatchu of Rich.co.ke tweets)
  
  KenCall, a leading East African call center company based in Kenya, is planning an initial public offering (IPO) on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) or the London Stock Exchange (LSE) (how feasible is this?) in 2011. With the landing of fibre-optic cables at the Kenyan cost this month, call center costs are expected to decline tremendously. With the increased internet speed, the company aims to generate sales of up to $10 million this year.
  
  According to their website, KenCall operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, has over 600 employees (mostly recent graduates) and can scale up to 1,500 seats. KenCall has a world class facility in Nairobi and last month opened an office in London. The company has been in business since early 2005 but turned its first profit in April 2006 (still searching for the numbers) .but it has not been a smooth ride ever since either, the company has had several cashflow glitches.
  
  Expansion plan
  
  In the next 18 months the call center plans to triple its sales and to expand its operations in Africa. The firm is already building a second bigger office in Nairobi to boost its capacity and plans to open an office in Rwanda by the end to this year.
  
  Call center services in East Africa have been limited by the mere fact that we are probably the last part of the planet not connected by the under sea internet cables and depends mainly on costly satellite links for internet. That’s until the recent landing of The East African Marine Systems (TEAMS) fibre-optic cable at Mombasa, closely followed by the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy) and Seacom.