Kenyan Idiot

Kenya’s fight to protect itself and rid its borders of the Al Shabaab and its terrifying menace has entered its third week. The brave young men and women were spurred into action on a day like any other when the Al Shabaab, who have terrified East Africa before in two gruesome attacks on Ugandan football fans in 2010 while they had gathered together in Kampala to watch that year’s world cup final; an act of terrorism that not only took 74 lives but shocked the rest of East Africa. Still no one thought that more than a year later the terror group would strike fear into the hearts and minds of Kenyan’s and as a consequence wake us from our peaceful slumber by invading the shores of Lamu and kidnapping first a British couple on holiday then a French woman (who was later killed) these two acts set off questions about our internal security and questions were fast in going to internal security minister George Saitoti: the professor who also has one eye on next year’s elections and the ta...

If there’s one thing we Kenyan’s know how to do its come together in times of crisis or in this case to bid a respectful good bye to one of its fallen and much loved heroines. After the initial shock, awe and sadness had worn off then came the tributes flowing fast like a river unabated and for a brief moment we were all banded together and our differences seemed to disappear if only just for the week. We gathered together a band of brothers and sisters to pay our respects and sing our songs to one of the strongest most passionate fighters of the environment and women’s (and indeed human) rights the nation has had the pleasure of spawning. She was fierce in her beliefs and love for the country; she was truly amazing and will be missed by the world. Ovarian cancer ended her struggle to preserve not only our present but our future generations. Everyone is planting trees from the young to the old, to the famous and the ordinary, everyone is getting their hands dirty for this good c...

At least 12 are dead after they became ‘Yokozuna’s’ victims. No this is not a joke nor a slip of the tongue and to all those wrestling fans-if they still exist- I do not mean the near 500 pound Polynesian wrestling champ who claimed fame in the ‘80’s and 90’s. No, rather I am referring to an illicit local concoction originating in Nyahururu that lies just east of Nakuru in Nyandarua county. The lethal and blinding brew that was introduced in the region just last week has rapidly killed, blinded or hospitalized those that dared to drink it . After threats to protest over the brew and its brewers Nyahururu’s District commissioner Lucy Mulili ordered a crackdown on all drinking dens believed to stock the deadly brew she further added that those who sell the brew are not licenced to do so. This is not however the first time that Kenyans of all generations, ages and genders have lost their sight or lives to the taste of ‘one more drink’. Since as far back as 1998 Kenyans have been ...

“So far, the government does not have an official report of a Kenyan that has died as a result of the hunger, We are asking anybody who has information of a confirmed death due to starvation to let us know; the government needs that information because it is very wrong for a Kenyan to die or starve whereas there is food in the country, Currently the government does not lack food to feed the hungry; we have set aside Sh10.5 billion shillings to feed Kenyans” Show us the Kenyans that have died of hunger and not just natural causes” These are the words that shocked and angered the nation and even though they were uttered about two weeks ago at a weekly address to the nation they are continually being replayed on both radio and television stations, being used as a reference point for the government’s lack of preparedness, hopeless infrastructure and planning for a problem that was months even years in the making. As the government and most especially it’s spin doctor Alfred Mutua conti...

As the cocks first cries filled the dark sky and as the pitch black of night gently gave way to the dim morning of what would undoubtedly be another stiflingly hot day the alarm clock radio on my bedside table interrupted my peaceful slumber with the dull monotone voice of a BBC news anchor I wiped the sleep from my eyes while my mind worked hard to compute all the day’s headlines. As I lazily and rather reluctantly left the security of my bed and fumbled around for the light switch the dull, dry voice stopped me dead arm frozen in mid-air. This is how I heard the news I and so many others dreaded: That 27 year old Amy Jade Winehouse had died in her North London apartment yesterday July 23. Thus giving the soulful diva entry into a growing and mystifying group of musicians who have all gone way too soon and from whom much greatness would have been expected. The singer, whose distinct beehive hair style, heavy eye makeup, old fashioned sailor tattoos and big voice made you sit and t...

Placards and chanting marked the arrival of the Civil Society of Kenya members onto Education minister Sam Ongeri’s Jogoo house door step; the fact that the 2nd floor office was empty did not deter the crowd’s single minded determination. Thus was the scene at the sit in on its second day. The 10 who padlocked the minister’s office door and vowed with whistles and chants of ‘Ongeri must go’ that they would not budge until the beleaguered minister packs up and vacates the office he has held since So strong was this groups will that not even a 3 hour stint at the Central Police Station could dampen their fervour as they swiftly returned to the business at hand, continuing their camp out saying that they had enough money and food and would forgo their showers for a month if need be. The free primary education funds scandal was thrust back into the spotlight and public consciousness when the results of an audit conducted by the Treasury were released early last week. Figures in the re...

Congratulations world, we're all still here! It has been five days since the world was prophesied to come to a clattering, crashing, crescendo. The hour of doom was to have been 6pm Saturday May 28th. It came and went for me as many had in the past and as I settled down to the tv, I couldn't help but think of 89 year old Harold Camping a retired civil engineer whose followers must have thought this second time luck for the faux profit who first tried his luck in 1994. Apparently being burnt once does not make you shy the second time. Mr. Campings blush with prophetical embarrassment reminded me of the house of Yahweh whose leader; yet another American, Yisrayl Hawkins predicted, falsely that the world would end before 12th September 2006 and advised his followers to build bunkers in case of the nuclear war that would result. The sect began here in Kenya in 1997, their followers sold everything they owned and moved into their newly built cave like bunkers some of Mr. Campings ...