Kenyan Idiot

Abdullah el-Faisal has become something of a hot potato that no one wants to handle. The 45-year-old Jamaican-born Muslim cleric was arrested by Kenyan authorities on New Year's Day for preaching at a mosque in Nairobi, Kenya. This breached stipulations of his work permit. Efforts to deport el-Faisal back to his native Jamaica have been thwarted by other countries unwillingness to let him transit though their airports. The subsequent protests by Muslim youth which was called by the Muslim Human Rights Forum to protest the arrest of controversial cleric Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal in on Friday turned violent and caused the death of at least four people and injured 15, including a member of the GSU. Vehicles, business premises and buildings worth millions did not escape the wrath of the young protesters. The numerous youth engaged police in battle by pelting them with stones, to which the initially overwhelmed police replied with canisters of teargas and live bullets. The controvers...

Earlier this week Jacob Zuma tied his fifth knot! To many living outside South Africa - where polygamy is practiced by 'traditionalists' of which the ANC leader is one - Zuma's choice is baffling and a multicomplication. I cannot see the logic of this choice except if the president were in competition with King Mswati of Swaziland; in which case he had better quit as the King has a jaw dropping 13 wives (as of 08)! These men are truly in a league of their own. One can't help but wonder why inflict such inevitable complications on yourself. Most may men have trouble dealing with just one wife what of 5 or 13? It is a fact that these men are considerably wealthier than the average man but in my mind that doesn't even begin to justify polygamy. If you are like me you have not been keeping count of Mr. Presidents many spouses so here is a breakdown courtesy of The right perspective He is still married to his first wife, Sizakele Khumalo, whom he met in 1959. Not mu...

The recent flooding and prevalence of El Nino in certain parts of the country and the recently ended matatu strikes exposed the country as grossly unprepared for nature's revenge. As the rain poured down on parts of Pokot, Baringo, Turkana, Marakwet districts, and other regions in the North Rift unrelenting and swift in its displacement of thousands. The response to this natural wrath has always been lethargic and uncoordinated. The Disaster Response and Management Unit - yes the country has one - located in the office of the president has been like a caged and incapacitated animal in assisting Kenyans in their plight. The gaping hole left by the government is valiantly filled by NGO's such as the Red Cross who's first response is critical in life saving. The priorities of the government seem to be askew as they flew out to affected zones a week after the floods occurred. The money used to fly several ministers to and from these sights could go to the relief efforts such...

Well it's another brand new year with which to make more comical error and only minimal strides into a deep dark uncertain future; somewhere in the distance we will come upon the end of the tunnel and see the light... I hope. I have to say though that I have developed a healthy scepicism when it comes to politics and the people who partake in the practice. It's 2010 but Kenya still suffers from a case of unsolved issues, we continue to lag with us baggage from last year. The large black plastic bags weighing heavy on our shoulders hold in them the unfulfilled promise of a new constitution that we've been waiting on since 03 when the then NARC presidential candidate Mwai Kibaki promised us among other things a constitution in about a year or so. Last year the issue was again resurrected, and dusted off; the result of which was the harmonised draft constitution . And so we wait to see this year whether any end roads will be made in bringing us what we want. The last year wa...

The season to be jolly is here and more to the point, the day on which to be the merriest of all has come and almost gone. I hope this post is published in the nick of time. For most people - including myself and besides the religious and spiritual meaning to the day - today turned out to be the day that I pigged out until the belt on my jeans was a little too tight and everything that maybe considered 'bad' for me seemed to make a bee line straight into my mouth - no questions asked! Today we put aside the worries about the latest financial scam... never mind that finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta swears that the education system will not be affected by the misappropriation of said monies and tried successfully to train our minds on more pleasant things such as family and friends. This was a time to reconnect with old friends and the family members you know about or meet entirely new branches of the tree you did not, a time to build bonds or reaffirm existing relationships. I...

Kenya and those in authority sunk to a new all time low last week when it was revealed that education ministry officials and school administrators took for themselves what was meant for the betterment of the countries next generations. This story truly came to the public's attention on December 11, when Britain's Department for International Development announced suspension of payments to the Ministry of Education, after the discovery that more than $1 million had been stolen from the Kenyan Free Primary Education Program. The free primary education programme was a key campaign promise in NARC's 2002 election victory. The programme went underway in earnest in January the following year. The program gave more than 7.5 million previously uneducated children the chance for a brighter future. Despite facing many challenges at the start including; too many children per classroom and a lack of teachers, the program was a success. It served to lighten the financial burden felt...

Now, I have to be honest and say that although I am not a golf fan - I do not understand it and so choose to stay away - nor am I one for gossip of any kind... But when I really think about it and the bigger this story gets, the more I realise that this cannot be scooped into the same category as mere tabloid fodder. As news of golf's world #1 Tiger Eldrick Woods' 'transgressions' continued to emerge through out the week; and as more mistresses spoke up about their affairs with the first black man to win a major golf championship, the billionaire - as of next year - became increasingly wedged between a rock and a hard place; this was nowhere more evident than when wife Elin gave her husband of 5 years a do or die ultimatum - Golf or Me - to which he has responded by deciding 'to take an indefinite break from professional golf.' This seems to me like a man who is ether very sorry - well that can be disputed because of the timing of said remorseful apology, comi...