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18:25
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Kenyan Pundit
A reminder of how grim Biglaw life can be.
Though I’m not so sure I’m under less pressure nowadays as a social entrepreneur in the tech space…the pressure to keep up and stay informed is intense.
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17:49
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Kenyan Pundit
Interesting article in the NYTimes.
In my experience parenting has made me better at work…how so?
- a lot more focused…no time to dilly-dally if you are managing a household with two kids under three;
- much better at seeing the bigger picture…kids give you perspective;
- better at multi-tasking (I’m mum, nurse, story-teller, cook, psychologist, arbitrator, negotiater, fixer of bubus, Teletubbies watcher, decider, etc.);
- better at decision making (is this worth going to the ER to or not?),
- and much much better at trusting my intuition (there is no playbook for parenting, 99% is trusting your gut).
What about you KP readers, has parenting made you better at work?
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18:00
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Kenyan Pundit
- Can Cape Town become South Africa’s Silicon Valley (interesting debate in the comments as well)? And Nairobi for East Africa?
- Is it just me, or is gender-based sexual violence now a requisite part of political violence (not just war) in Africa?
- Cave-dwelling blogger hasn’t spent money in 9 years. Um. OK.
- What entrepreneurs can learn from activists. Occasionally we can be practical 
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12:59
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Kenyan Pundit
Trying to get my blogging mojo back, and I have been spending quite a bit of time lately mentoring young students, and it occurred to me that as I’m settling into my 30s I’m developing a set of maxims that guide me…thought I’d share some of them.
- If you want to make something happen, I really believe in speaking it. Over and over again. No matter how long it takes to get there. Not just to yourself but to others. It makes it real, it forces you to develop a practical game plan and you become accountable.
- The word no won’t kill you. Learn to ask for what you want or go for what you want (women especially).
- On the flip said, learn to say no when it comes to things you don’t want.
- Lately I get asked about my work/family life balance or how I juggle. I don’t balance and I don’t juggle. Everything has to work around my family or it’s not happening.
- When you have children, remember that they are an addition to the family that is you and your partner – without this center the family is nothing…do not make your lives revolve around your kids.
- On the light side. No kiddie CDs in my car. Ever.
- If you don’t give back to your community/to society…it’s all meaningless.
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16:35
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Kenyan Pundit
Lazy, because the links are largely lifted from stuff I put up on twitter [yep, twitter still sucking dry my blogging mojo - it's like color tv vs. black and white].
Anyway, on to the links:
- African Venture Capital Fellows: Program aimed at promoting venture capital in Africa by educating and training future venture capitalists and leaders of high-growth and early stage companies based in Africa. Initial target countries – South Africa and Nigeria.
- Stanford’s E-corner: free videos and podcasts of leading Silicon Valley thought leaders.
- What Google should do in Africa – support Open Spectrum
- Twitter for newbies.
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17:20
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Kenyan Pundit
Story in the Washington Post about African immigrants moving back home after basically getting tired of the 24-7 hustle of life in the West and tired of worrying about the recession.
I’m definitely seeing this a lot with my friends / peers - you do give up luxuries and there are frustrations but you get to the opportunity to re-center, rest, and even have time to pursue things you are passionate about.
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1:48
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Kenyan Pundit
- Rafiki Kenya’s superb review on places to eat, chill, and general ku-jienjoy in Nairobi. I wish more bloggers would write positively about Nairobi - so much good there, still.
- New blogs I’ve discovered/I like:
Musings of an Alien
The Gay Kenyan
- For the mamas, especially new mamas (who Google everything tehehe), this is a great resource.
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5:03
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Kenyan Pundit
My feed issues should be resolved and you shouldn’t see any spam now on your mobile browser.
The blog had been hacked by spammers.
Thank you everyone who pointed out the errors.
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13:42
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Kenyan Pundit
After months (years actually) of fighting it, I’ve succumbed and become an active tweep, twitterer, twit?.
It’s sort of like blogging in the early days. When it was simple and you didn’t have to over think it and worry about making your blog pretty etc.
If all goes well, I’ll be in Geneva next week for the meeting to assess the status of the coalition government. The principles have refused to attend so it will be interesting to see how things pan out.
Stay tuned for updates.
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19:58
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Kenyan Pundit
Dambisa Moyo, author of “Dead Aid” is featured in the New York Times Magazine. I’m feeling her riff on celebrities and Africa (add Nicholas Kristoff to the gag list), though I must say we as Africans are not exactly helping our cause when we do things like steal maize meant for famine relief and have Cabinets with 40 ministers funded by KENYANS.
Sigh.
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13:56
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Kenyan Pundit
I know Wananchi folks read KP, anyone care to respond to this scathing review (esp on customer service).
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16:41
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Kenyan Pundit
APPEAL FOR AN ART INSTALLATION (by Prina Shah)
My name is Prina Shah and I am a Visual Artist in Kenya. Currently, I am working on an Art Installation (art that is created for a specific site/venue, often incorporating materials or physical features of the site), for an exhibition project called AMNESIA, taking place this Nov in Nairobi.
Amnesia was started and directed by the Kenyan Multi Media artist Jimmy Ogonga and Nairobi Arts Trust/ Centre for the contemporary Art for East Africa. The project aims at the advanced contemporary art and thematically at the critical scrutiny of colonialism and the question of African cultural identities.
My installation is based on the ‘Post Election Violence’, verbal and physical. In some form of way, ‘Like or dislike” all of us in this nation were involved either as VICTIMS or PERPETRATORS.
I want all of you to be a part of this installation, as we all have, been a part together in the making of the ‘Post Election Violence’. All I ask of you, is to share your experience. Whether in writing, drawing, a photo… Anything…It doesn’t matter whether you want to indicate your name or particulars, the importance of what you want to share, is up to you.
All materials that you send will be dealt with the up-most confidentiality and respect.
* Email me your experience on kilolodesigns@gmail.com
* If you have a photo/drawing, either scan and send on email or on the following Postal Address- P.O. Box 38932-00623, Nairobi, Kenya
* Submit all material by 28th of October 2008.
I take this opportunity to thank you all in advance for your support and being a part of this nation’s Mourning, Grieving, Forgiveness, Cohesion and Healing. Close to the date of the exhibition, you will all receive my personal invite.
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10:53
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Kenyan Pundit
The African Cities Reader seeks submissions for its launch issue (2008/9) organised around the theme: “Pan-African Practices”. The Reader is open to writing and art in multiple genres (literature, philosophy, faction, reportage, ethnographic narrative, etc) and forms of representation (text, image, sound and possibly performance) by practitioners, academics, activists and artists from diverse fields across Africa in all of her expansiveness.
All published work will be remunerated @ $500. Deadline Friday 31st October 2008. More details here.
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7:42
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Kenyan Pundit
“Struggling to make an impact on your target audience? Are issues unresolved despite your best efforts? Are issues unresolved despite your best efforts? Do the internet, mobile phones or information design present exciting possibilities in advocacy but difficult to take advantage of? The Info Activism camp, to be held in Bangalore, India from February 19 to 25, offers rights advocates the chance to make a greater impact in their work.
The seven-day camp, organised by Tactical Technology Collective helps advocates to make the best use of information, communication and digital technologies to achieve their objectives. The first-ever international camp on info activism will feature 120 participants, picked through a competitive selection process, and who will not only learn but also share skills and techniques to aid in the process of advocacy. Workshops, group discussions, interactive sessions and live demos, which to a large extent will evolve from participants’ proposals, are all part of the one-week programme. Info-Activism is a compelling approach to launch campaigns and bring issues to light. The camp presents a great opportunity for rights advocates to enhance their skills.”
EDIT: Link has been fixed, apologies.
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18:05
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Kenyan Pundit
- Tech scene buzzing in Africa (and yes not just in South Africa). Particularly happy to see the Skunkworks event getting underway…this is an outcome from Barcamp Nairobi and other forums where local developers have been complaining about the fact that the government and local companies don’t support local software developers…now the govt & industry have demonstrating that they are willing to engage and I hope the developers step up (although notice was late). An aside: Would love to know if there’s any action in West Africa.
- Remember the milk: online to do list mgmt.
- Lifehacker’s best of the best.
- Get catalogue of free online college courses.
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17:06
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Kenyan Pundit
Mendi be cracking me up.
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10:14
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Kenyan Pundit
So Microsoft is thinking about sponsoring a bloggercon for Kenyan bloggers. If you would be interested in attending such a conference, please leave your details here.
EDIT: Wait to get more details about the event first before signing up.
AOB: Thank you, thank you, thank you for your very kind comments on [...]
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7:59
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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 [...]
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6:57
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Kenyan Pundit
Details available here.
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14:55
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Kenyan Pundit
This is pretty nifty. The soaring cost of electricity in SA has made me a turn off the lights Nazi at home. And maybe I can finally convince my mum that the TV does not need to be unplugged from the wall after its been turned off.
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16:09
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Kenyan Pundit
I didn’t know that all 12 of the indictments issued by the ICC have targeted Africans (do we really have a monopoly on atrocities?). On a more serious note, I think the article raises some serious issues. Lets face it…while we all like to pat ourselves on the back for “removing” [...]
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8:28
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Kenyan Pundit
- Now this is competitive advantage
- How to make a killer slide presentation.
- Is Google making you stupid?
_ Ushahidi featured in MIT’s Technology Review as one of Top 10 Start-ups to watch.
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Quick Hits June 30", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/2008/06/30/quick-hits-june-30/" });
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17:49
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Kenyan Pundit
The UN(EP) recently launched a campaign to encourage people to “Kick the CO2 habit.” That’s all well and good except for the fact that while, the UN is busy encouraging us to reduce carbon emissions, as Dipesh points out, they don’t seem to have a problem with staff members driving around Kenya (and I’m [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Hypocritical UNEP campaign", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/2008/06/22/hypocritical-unep-campaign/" });
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10:13
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Kenyan Pundit
- Great piece about Kenyan blogger (and Mara park ranger) Joseph Kimojino. Got me wondering if local experienced bloggers could other organizations develop their online presence (I know Daudi’s doing a great job with Kwani and Generation Kenya).
- Always uber-helpful Life hacker roundup.
- 6 most frequently quoted BS stats.
- Hash [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Quick Hits May 27", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/2008/05/27/quick-hits-may-27/" });
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6:33
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Kenyan Pundit
Deadline for entry is May 8. Details are here.
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Guardian International Journalism Competition", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/2008/04/29/guardian-international-journalism-competition/" });
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10:45
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Kenyan Pundit
- Interesting perspective on Kisumu youth who took part in the riots (if you ignore the author’s tendency for the overdramatic). I really wish more of our Kenyan writers / journalists would make an effort to talk to and write about the often faceless and nameless “violent youth with nothing to lose”.
- And another [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Quick Hits April 24", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/2008/04/24/quick-hits-april-24/" });
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6:26
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Kenyan Pundit
- One of the better written pieces on Mobitelea that I have seen. Too bad this issue was handled shoddily by ODM, they had a real opportunity to give this story legs. And I like that there is some finger pointing and Vodafone and the Brits as well - it takes two [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Quick Hits April 8", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/2008/04/08/quick-hits-april-8/" });
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8:41
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Kenyan Pundit
- Spitzer wants to be more than just a number…hehehe.
- Derrick Ashong in the New York Times.
- The Shikwekwes, an African ‘webcomic’.
- Interesting post by Ethan on transparency and corruption in Brazil. Speaking about public declaration of wealth by civil servants, what the hell is happening in Kenya? Wasn’t there [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Quick Hits: Mar 18", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/2008/03/18/quick-hits-mar-18/" });
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4:51
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Kenyan Pundit
Hat tip AfroM
The competition is open to university students in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Burundi.
The deadline for this is March 17th; so if you have some great ideas, you can still submit them for consideration. The categories/types of software gadgets and apps that they are looking for include:
(1) Best Gadget UI
(2) Best Local [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Google East Africa Gadget Competition", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/?p=472" });
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5:14
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Kenyan Pundit
- Bankelele has a great write-up of this years first Skunkworks meeting held at the Google offices in Kenya. For more about Skunkworks, click here. There’s 3 points that resonate with me in Bankelele’s write-up:
1. The fear of sharing content online - or really just sharing information in Kenya. From [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Quick Hits: Mar 5", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/?p=467" });
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6:41
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Kenyan Pundit
Please let us introduce the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, one of America ’s leading programs supporting new writing for the stage. Based in Sundance, Utah (with offices in Los Angeles, California), as part of the Sundance Institute (www.sundance.org), its mission is to identify and assist emerging theatre artists, to reinvigorate the creative energies of established [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Opportunity for theatre artistes in East Africa", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/?p=462" });
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9:29
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Kenyan Pundit
Thanks everyone for sharing the 8-4-4 memories, you have me cracking up…and it’s a great reminder of what’s so fabulous about being Kenyan.
- Problems I’d like to have. Oh darling…do we really have to give up the Barcelonas…tehehe. Gosh I miss the self-indulgent aspects of living in the U.S. sometimes. I [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Quick Hits: Feb 21", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/?p=460" });
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5:55
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Kenyan Pundit
Apologies for the lack of posts, been dealing with personal stuff (read drama).
So I’ve been thinking it’s time for a little break since the news is slow pending the outcome of the Annan negotiations. There’s all sorts of people complaining about “imposed” solutions,and foreign intervention, and “Kenyan solutions“, but the last time [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Mental break: 8-4-4 memories", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/?p=459" });
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9:07
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Kenyan Pundit
Fundraising event for Kenyans in NY: Kenyans in New York are organising a fundraiser aimed at helping the victims of the violence. We are fundraising specifically for Urgent Action fund which has a rapid response strategy and reaches out to victims of violence. Our focus is that the funds be used for [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Quick Hits - Feb 11", url: "http://www.kenyanpundit.com/?p=457" });
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9:25
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Kenyan Pundit
I’m blogging from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I’ll be speaking at the GK3 Conference tomorrow and participating in a BBC World (TV) panel on the One Lap Per Child debate. I was meant to write about this earlier, but in between a terrible flu that was passed on to Gabriella, winding up [...]
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11:48
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Kenyan Pundit
Bankelele’s post on the third anniversary of his blog (congrats!) reminded me that I need to make note of Kenyan Pundit’s fourth anniversary.
That’s right, I’ve been at this for FOUR years! I’m surprised I’ve managed to keep at it for this long (well maybe not because I tend to be disciplined [...]
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14:17
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Kenyan Pundit
For those interested in the intersection between human rights and technology.
AOB: This blogger is hilarious. Too bad he doesn’t write more frequently. Hat tip M!
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16:31
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Kenyan Pundit
- In Switzerland, cleanliness appears to really be next to Godliness.
- I believe. And I believe.
- Interesting post on a perennial question for the faithful - Why does God allow suffering?
- Dude, where’s my Gphone? I wonder whether their commitment to making the platform GLOBAL will really pan out.
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15:07
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Kenyan Pundit
- Macharia Gaitho is on point as far as his assessment of Kibaki’s campaign vs. Raila’s campaign. If Kibaki doesn’t shape up, and all signs are that his campaign team still has their heads up their you-know-where (and still hasn’t moved by the “how can we be ruled by a Luo” train [...]
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15:37
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Kenyan Pundit
Mzalendo has lots of new snazzy features mainly geared to . Please stop by and check them out and let us know if you have any ideas, comments, etc.
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10:57
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Kenyan Pundit
Couple of new Nairobi and Joburg listings. Just got back from a couple of days in Nairobi. Regular punditing resumes tomorrow.
AOB: PNU (Kibaki’s new outfit) has been labeled “Porojo na Ukabila”….hehe guys in Nairobi are fast.
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9:07
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Kenyan Pundit
I watch Big Brother Africa.
I know.
I got sucked in.
Ati first just to see what the fuss is about, and then as “background” when I’m working at home, and then so I could contribute meaningfully to office storos. But I knew things were thick, when I timed the eviction show this past [...]
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9:10
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Kenyan Pundit
- Does Safaricom Bambanet herald the dawn of affordable internet access in Kenya? Lets hope the connectivity speed matches up to the pricing. Users of the service, please let us know.
- No afro’s please, we’re a law firm. What the hell? I’m a bit sensitive to this issue [...]
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17:43
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Kenyan Pundit
…gosh, the days are flying…can’t believe it’s been over a week since I posted. Not suffering from writer’s block, just trying to juggle motherhood, work (which is suddenly crazy busy and has to fit into a part-time schedule), and a long-overdue Mzalendo ramp up especially with elections around the corner. [...]
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16:26
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Kenyan Pundit
- Competition is good , probably in response to Sambaza Now, Mama Mikes is running the following airtime campaign:
Airtime ordered before 5pm Kenyan time is topped up the same day
All phone numbers are verified before [...]
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8:22
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Kenyan Pundit
- Get your blog on at the Carnival for Africa Enterprising (deadline for submissions is tonight!).
- New website called Sambazanow that allows you to send mobile phone airtime to your people in Kenya (apparently cheaper than Mama Mikes).
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14:51
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Kenyan Pundit
This article cracked me up. I should have learned not to succumb to books that are way too popular after my underwhelming experience with the Da Vinci Code, but succumb to the Alchemist I did. After I finished reading the book, I couldn’t help but be upset that I’d wasted my limited [...]
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5:01
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Kenyan Pundit
On the heels of free wireless (for some only apparently), there’s a free sms promotion going on at this website.
EDIT: Looks like the promotion is now over.
EDIT 2 (June 15): The website is back up.
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14:25
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Kenyan Pundit
See details here.
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10:20
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Kenyan Pundit
I was having a conversation last night that took me way back to 8-4-4 Fasihi nightmares. Anyone remember Kusadikika aka Kusad? Can’t believe that was thirteen years ago!
Anyway, we spent a while trying to figure out which book contained the phrase “Mdundo wa highlife.” We figured it out eventually, but I’m [...]