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Showing posts from February 19, 2012

We Will Not Eat!

Last week Nyeri County became the butt of all jokes everywhere in Kenya, from the satirical cartoons in the daily newspapers to almost every morning radio show. The gender based violence in the area only served as proof of the Nyeri woman’s legendary precocity, a stereotype women in the area have always fought hard against. But on Monday with the case of Jurliana Wairimu 26 (which in my opinion is too you for marriage) attacked her husband Simon Kiguta 40 with a Panga (machete) after he came home drunk Nyeri residence feared that the spirit of Wangu Wa Makeri had reappeared in all its fighting glory.   The feared Makeri became chief of Weithaga district Muran’ga in 1901 a position given to her by the colonialists and which she would hold for 35 years. 35 long and fearfully hellish years for any and all men in her district.   She vowed (on her entrance into that position of power) to take revenge all me who had oppressed and maltreated women at the time. Subjecting the seemingly

Home Going.

It was a Sunday morning like any other as I awoke with the sun intent to prepare for church but instead let my heavy eye lids close once more. After a quick prayer to ask for the forgiveness for once again sleeping in I turned on my radio and slid back under the warm sheets, but before I could close my weary eyes I heard a shocking story that vanquished all thoughts and hope of peaceful rest: Whitney Elizabeth Houston was dead, and as the anchor continued I sat up and reached for the remote to turn up the volume and make double sure that my ears had not deceived me and as her beautiful voice sang in the background I realised with a thud that my ears had heard right, that this was not an internet spawned rumour or death hoax. Later that morning and indeed throughout last week as her greatest hit blared on every radio station and with no doubt every music lovers car, cd player, ipod and home music system and her historic rise to fame and her subsequent struggles with the demons that we