Nobody can deny the fact that accessories are the finishing pieces to any well-heeled look—done the right way, you will end up presenting a polished picture to the world. The image conscious in society not only want to fit in among their peers by wearing high-end accessories, they also want a simple convenient way to give back to society. And if they can accomplish that while looking their best, then they will often be delighted.
That's exactly where Belisi Fashions comes in with its' flashy well designed ties. More recently the fashion house has also delved into scarves and handbags as well.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The Swing State In Kenyan Politics
Recent elections have proved that Ukambani, where Presidential hopeful, Musyoka hails from is the "swing state" in Kenyan politics. It’s like Florida in the American Presidential elections.
In 1992 Ukambani puts its’ weight behind Moi and Kanu as food distribution intensified in the vast semi-arid province in the run up to those first multi-party elections, since 1963. Kanu won.
In 1997 Ukambani stuck with Kanu and Moi who won those elections
In 2002 Ukambani switched to the opposition Narc who won those elections
In November 2005 Referendum Ukambani switched to the “No” camp at the height of campaigns. The No camp won.
So what happens when the swing state fields a candidate? Difficult to tell and this complicates things further for the 2007 Presidential elections.
In 1992 Ukambani puts its’ weight behind Moi and Kanu as food distribution intensified in the vast semi-arid province in the run up to those first multi-party elections, since 1963. Kanu won.
In 1997 Ukambani stuck with Kanu and Moi who won those elections
In 2002 Ukambani switched to the opposition Narc who won those elections
In November 2005 Referendum Ukambani switched to the “No” camp at the height of campaigns. The No camp won.
So what happens when the swing state fields a candidate? Difficult to tell and this complicates things further for the 2007 Presidential elections.
Can Kalonzo Musyoka Become The Next President Of Kenya?
Kalonzo cannot become President on his own. He needs the support of other major political blocks.
As events unfold it will be interesting to see what happens, especially within Kanu where Musyoka is still very close to former President Moi and the chief chess player behind current heightened moves to snatch back political power for President Mwai Kibaki.
As events unfold it will be interesting to see what happens, especially within Kanu where Musyoka is still very close to former President Moi and the chief chess player behind current heightened moves to snatch back political power for President Mwai Kibaki.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Huge Advantage
The huge advantage of going for an online master degree on the web is the fact that the cost of having to physically be at some campus is eliminated. This can amount to a fairly substantial amount and in effect what the World Wide Web has done is open the doors to education to a large chunk of the population, which would previously not have been able to afford it.
Some of the major names in online universities include the likes of Capella University. This University has been in existence since 1993. Capella is an accredited online university that offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology, and bachelor's degree programs in business and information technology.
Some of the major names in online universities include the likes of Capella University. This University has been in existence since 1993. Capella is an accredited online university that offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology, and bachelor's degree programs in business and information technology.
Public Holidays Have Lost Their Meaning In Kenya
I sat through the Jamuhuri day presidential speech today and felt very sad how 43 years after independence the lot of the ordinary Kenyan has actually grown worse rather than gotten better. It is really a humiliating experience to have to admit that the repressive colonial government was more responsive to the needs of ordinary Kenyans
A President Who Is Not A Politician
President Kibaki, despite whatever good intentions he may have at heart, is hardly a politician. His speech this Jamuhuri day was boring, uninspiring and totally removed from the real situation of the Kenyan people on the ground today. He talked of an improved economy when most Kenyans have found it increasingly difficult to put food on the table, let alone find a decent job.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Leading Precious Metals Dealer
Have you heard of a company called, Monex Precious Metals? This is home to a large and dedicated staff of hard asset professionals committed to serving your precious metals investment needs being America's best precious metals dealer for many years.
One of the precious metals dealt with by Monex is of course gold. Buying gold has been recognized for centuries as one of the best ways to preserve one's wealth and purchasing power. Gold bullion is a very unique investment without equal.
Little wonder that throughout history man has taken gold very seriously indeed. From the time of ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to more modern times, man has had an affinity for gold bullion.
One of the precious metals dealt with by Monex is of course gold. Buying gold has been recognized for centuries as one of the best ways to preserve one's wealth and purchasing power. Gold bullion is a very unique investment without equal.
Little wonder that throughout history man has taken gold very seriously indeed. From the time of ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to more modern times, man has had an affinity for gold bullion.
The Sick Cancer Of Tribalism
After I broke the story about the secret that Moi and Biwott have kept from Kenyans for 16 years at great cost, including many people losing their lives (read the story of the millennium for yourself), I got a silly email from a Kenyan accusing me of tribalism. According to him, the reason why I was exposing all this was because Moi and Biwott belong to the Kalenjin tribe and I am in some way against members of that tribe.
This is the nonsense that has kept Kenya behind for so long.
This is the nonsense that has kept Kenya behind for so long.
Tribalism Cancer In Kenya
Why is it that a corrupt politician steals money and enjoys it on his own. But when he is exposed, he wants the whole tribe to arise and complain that somebody is out to finish the tribe the thief happens to belong to.
But what is really amazing is the fact that younger generations of Kenyans are also actively promoting this kind of thinking.
But what is really amazing is the fact that younger generations of Kenyans are also actively promoting this kind of thinking.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Popularity From Links, Easily
Link popularity plays a key role in deciding how much traffic you ultimately receive from search engines. It is actually possible to receive massive traffic from popular search engines like Google.
The most efficient way to increase link popularity is through Blogs. Blogs have many advantages including the fact that they are naturally filled with lots of valuable content, which the search engines crave and they also naturally link to other websites that they talk about within their posts.
Blogitive.com program with its' network of more than 2000 blogs plays a major role in helping many sites improve their link popularity. The way the system works is that a press release is distributed to the blogs and the bloggers blog on it with their own words.
What is equally amazing about the Blogitive.com program is just how affordable it is especially when you consider that you will always recover your costs many times over when you start ranking highly with search engines. You will then end up with huge traffic from the search engines.
The most efficient way to increase link popularity is through Blogs. Blogs have many advantages including the fact that they are naturally filled with lots of valuable content, which the search engines crave and they also naturally link to other websites that they talk about within their posts.
Blogitive.com program with its' network of more than 2000 blogs plays a major role in helping many sites improve their link popularity. The way the system works is that a press release is distributed to the blogs and the bloggers blog on it with their own words.
What is equally amazing about the Blogitive.com program is just how affordable it is especially when you consider that you will always recover your costs many times over when you start ranking highly with search engines. You will then end up with huge traffic from the search engines.
KUMEKUCHA HOT ADS
ADVERTISISING
Have you seen an interesting ad somewhere that you think readers of this site will be interested in? Place it here, just email it to us at umissedthis at yahoo dot com
BUSINESS FOR SALE
Restaurant Kilimani plus Bungalow. Ideal Choma place. 0724 600030
COMPUTERS
Laptop batteries and adaptors at reasonable prices 0726 471366
INTERNET
Want to dramatically increase targeted traffic to your site using cheap but effective articles written for you that will attract thousands of hits from search engines? It does not matter whether you want traffic from all over the world or just from Kenya, these low cost articles will do it. Contact local Kenyan representative of international SEO expert. 0726 052152
JOBS
Are you a registered nurse? Do you want to work in the US? Yes, you can migrate with your family 0727 207200
LIFE PARTNERS
The truth is that most dating agencies in Kenya are questionable. Before you join any dating agency, log onto our site. For details; 0723 859799
TAX MATTERS
Electronic Tax Registers 0722-481514
Ads in Kumekucha are free. Send in yours today to umissedthis at yahoo dot com and sell like crazy this Christmas season.
See simple rules
Have you seen an interesting ad somewhere that you think readers of this site will be interested in? Place it here, just email it to us at umissedthis at yahoo dot com
BUSINESS FOR SALE
Restaurant Kilimani plus Bungalow. Ideal Choma place. 0724 600030
COMPUTERS
Laptop batteries and adaptors at reasonable prices 0726 471366
INTERNET
Want to dramatically increase targeted traffic to your site using cheap but effective articles written for you that will attract thousands of hits from search engines? It does not matter whether you want traffic from all over the world or just from Kenya, these low cost articles will do it. Contact local Kenyan representative of international SEO expert. 0726 052152
JOBS
Are you a registered nurse? Do you want to work in the US? Yes, you can migrate with your family 0727 207200
LIFE PARTNERS
The truth is that most dating agencies in Kenya are questionable. Before you join any dating agency, log onto our site. For details; 0723 859799
TAX MATTERS
Electronic Tax Registers 0722-481514
Ads in Kumekucha are free. Send in yours today to umissedthis at yahoo dot com and sell like crazy this Christmas season.
See simple rules
Simple Rules For Advertising In Kumekucha Hot Ads
- All ads are permanent once placed so you can sell like crazy for years (this offer for a limited time, so hurry and place your ad now).
- This site enjoys huge traffic of Kenyans with money to spend based in Kenya and all over the world.
- However you will appreciate the fact that because this service is free and we do not earn money by charging people to access our site, we are not able to hire somebody to edit or make changes on your ad or to take time to enter too many details without making an error. Therefore we charge a very small token fee for those additional services that is just enough to cover the administrative fees of receiving funds and also somebody's time to post those changes/additions online. Here are the minimal charges for extra services;
a) To edit ads or make changes, including putting other contact details (we allow full contact details).
b) To delete an ad or replace it with another.
c) To add photographs (max of 2 allowed per ad)
d) To link from main news pages directly to your ad (gives you much more traffic and exposure)
e) To place your advertisement In it's own page so that search engines can index it directly, giving you much more exposure. You can also receive comments directly from happy customers and clients on the page. (All negative comments - if any - are assumed to be malicious and are deleted by the site owner).
For each of the above extra services we charge a very nominal $15/Kshs 1,000. Remember that your ad will be permanent and accessible through all the popular search engines like www.google.co.ke yahoo.com and www.google.com
Alternatively instead of paying $15/Kshs 1,000 you can introduce 5 people to advertise their services/products here. Get them to email their ads (to umissedthis@yahoo.com) and then send us an email pointing to the 5 different ads from 5 different individuals and their mobile telephone numbers. If you are able to do this then we will give you any of the above services for FREE.
Email in your free ad now or send in your changes and additions to umissedthis at yahoo dot com
- This site enjoys huge traffic of Kenyans with money to spend based in Kenya and all over the world.
- However you will appreciate the fact that because this service is free and we do not earn money by charging people to access our site, we are not able to hire somebody to edit or make changes on your ad or to take time to enter too many details without making an error. Therefore we charge a very small token fee for those additional services that is just enough to cover the administrative fees of receiving funds and also somebody's time to post those changes/additions online. Here are the minimal charges for extra services;
a) To edit ads or make changes, including putting other contact details (we allow full contact details).
b) To delete an ad or replace it with another.
c) To add photographs (max of 2 allowed per ad)
d) To link from main news pages directly to your ad (gives you much more traffic and exposure)
e) To place your advertisement In it's own page so that search engines can index it directly, giving you much more exposure. You can also receive comments directly from happy customers and clients on the page. (All negative comments - if any - are assumed to be malicious and are deleted by the site owner).
For each of the above extra services we charge a very nominal $15/Kshs 1,000. Remember that your ad will be permanent and accessible through all the popular search engines like www.google.co.ke yahoo.com and www.google.com
Alternatively instead of paying $15/Kshs 1,000 you can introduce 5 people to advertise their services/products here. Get them to email their ads (to umissedthis@yahoo.com) and then send us an email pointing to the 5 different ads from 5 different individuals and their mobile telephone numbers. If you are able to do this then we will give you any of the above services for FREE.
Email in your free ad now or send in your changes and additions to umissedthis at yahoo dot com
Monday, November 06, 2006
Are You Looking For A Business Degree Online?
If you are looking for a business degree online, then you may want to take a look at one of the most well-known and respected online universities, by the name of Capella University.
Founded in 1993, Capella University offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology, and bachelor’s degree programs in business and information technology.
All are offered in excellent online programs and within those areas, Capella offers 76 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate specializations. The online university currently serves 16,000 students from all 50 states and 63 countries.
Capella is a national leader in online education, committed to providing high-caliber academic excellence and pursuing balanced business growth.
Founded in 1993, Capella University offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology, and bachelor’s degree programs in business and information technology.
All are offered in excellent online programs and within those areas, Capella offers 76 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate specializations. The online university currently serves 16,000 students from all 50 states and 63 countries.
Capella is a national leader in online education, committed to providing high-caliber academic excellence and pursuing balanced business growth.
What Makes Coffee Special?
It is said that the larger the bean, the greater the accumulation of fine coffee oils. The oils produce many of the hundreds of compounds that combine to produce a fine cup. The larger the bean, the more heady the aroma and the more flavorful the cup.
Though each individual coffee taker will naturally have his or her favorite, anyone who enjoys fine coffee will give a Kenya AA high marks. It is the perfect way to start a busy day, or sooth the nerves after a hectic afternoon. Try some and find out for yourself why.
Though each individual coffee taker will naturally have his or her favorite, anyone who enjoys fine coffee will give a Kenya AA high marks. It is the perfect way to start a busy day, or sooth the nerves after a hectic afternoon. Try some and find out for yourself why.
Quick Facts About Kenya: The Flavor Of Kenyan World Famous Coffee
Many Kenyans are unaware of the things Kenya is famous for out there in the world.
Take Coffe for instance. Coffee from Kenya is famous for its intense flavor and full body. That flavor isn't overwhelming, though. For reasons known best to coffee chemists, the strong acidity of Kenyan coffee is well-balanced resulting in a pleasant tang, rather than a bitter jolt.
Some of that heady flavor is the result of using primarily AA beans in gourmet Kenyan coffee. The ratings - AA, AB, PB, C, E, TT, and T - refer, not directly to the quality, but to the size of the bean.
Take Coffe for instance. Coffee from Kenya is famous for its intense flavor and full body. That flavor isn't overwhelming, though. For reasons known best to coffee chemists, the strong acidity of Kenyan coffee is well-balanced resulting in a pleasant tang, rather than a bitter jolt.
Some of that heady flavor is the result of using primarily AA beans in gourmet Kenyan coffee. The ratings - AA, AB, PB, C, E, TT, and T - refer, not directly to the quality, but to the size of the bean.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Online Money Making Secret
This is indeed a genuine money-making secret because not many people know about it yet, although there are quite a number of bloggers already making a hefty sum every week for doing little more than making posts at their blogs following some simple instructions.
There cannot be an easier way to make money online.
All you need to get started is a blog. The site even advices you on what to do to get your blog to qualify, incase it does not qualify automatically.
What is even more exciting is that Blogitive (the site w are talking about here) is set to introduce more ingenious ways for bloggers and others to make easy money online.
There cannot be an easier way to make money online.
All you need to get started is a blog. The site even advices you on what to do to get your blog to qualify, incase it does not qualify automatically.
What is even more exciting is that Blogitive (the site w are talking about here) is set to introduce more ingenious ways for bloggers and others to make easy money online.
Two Tribes In Particular Tower Above The Rest And Make It Virtually Impossible For Kenya To Bury Her Ugly Past
Two tribes in particular tower above the rest and make it virtually impossible for Kenya to bury her ugly past and move on to the future. It is said that even in far away foreign countries, where Luos and Kikuyus, meet there is usually a lot f tension and undercurrent which explodes to the surface at the least excuse.
Visit our raging debate and leave your views on this burning issue.
Visit our raging debate and leave your views on this burning issue.
Is There Really Any Problem Of Tribalism In Kenya Today?
Is there really any problem of tribalism in Kenya today? Reading some of the comments in many blogs online, one would be forgiven for believing that no such crisis exists in Kenya, let alone being the “Goliath” of a stumbling block that stands in the way to stop this uniquely gifted nation from marching into great prosperity as she exploits her full potential.
Visit our raging debate and leave your views on this burning issue.
Visit our raging debate and leave your views on this burning issue.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Why Is Silver So Hot?
There are very few investment products urrently that can beat silver currently. It is very convenient because it is available in coin or ingot form. Ingots are generally silver ingots of pure bullion cast in a convenient size and shape. Coins have a currency value or they are actually defined as ingots. There may never be a better time for buying silver bullion than right now. World demand for silver now exceeds annual production, and has every year since 1990
Through Monex Deposit Company (MDC) you can purchase silver or other precious metals for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository.
Through Monex Deposit Company (MDC) you can purchase silver or other precious metals for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
An MBA From Capela
There are many reasons why you should look at Capela University (www.capella.edu), a leader in distance learning, when looking for an MBA. This online university currently serves 16,000 students from all over the world and all over the USA.
This is an accredited online university (accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools) that offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology, and bachelor’s degree programs in business and information technology. Within those areas, Capella offers 76 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate specializations.
This is an accredited online university (accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools) that offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology, and bachelor’s degree programs in business and information technology. Within those areas, Capella offers 76 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate specializations.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
The Night Before The Wedding
Message From Our Sponsors
Just imagine a party where you serve up fresh seafood with all the New England fixin’s at a traditional clambake. To make it an authentic feast, you can have it at the beach and dig a two or three foot deep pit-lined with rocks and then get a wood fire going at the top. Fill buckets with shells and seafood-shaped candies at each table.
Surely, long gone are the days of predictable sit-down dinners the night before the wedding. Couples are instead learning how to get really creative and as a result are ending up making the day such a roaring success, that will not quickly be forgotten.
This is but one of the many wonderful and creative ideas from cheap wedding favors. There are plenty more where this particular one came from.
Just imagine a party where you serve up fresh seafood with all the New England fixin’s at a traditional clambake. To make it an authentic feast, you can have it at the beach and dig a two or three foot deep pit-lined with rocks and then get a wood fire going at the top. Fill buckets with shells and seafood-shaped candies at each table.
Surely, long gone are the days of predictable sit-down dinners the night before the wedding. Couples are instead learning how to get really creative and as a result are ending up making the day such a roaring success, that will not quickly be forgotten.
This is but one of the many wonderful and creative ideas from cheap wedding favors. There are plenty more where this particular one came from.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Here's What Is Wrong
Message From Our Sponsors
Do you feel like you are losing your edge at thw rok place? Feeling tired all the time? The naswer could be simpler than you think.
When was the last time you took a break? When is the last time you strolled along a sunset beach without a care in the world?
With amazing Discount Vacation Packages there is absolutely no excuse for not taking a break. The packages are available from Fairfield Getaways who offer weekend getaways, family vacations, and travel packages that include hotel accommodation and extras to top destinations.
Spend your next vacation on a relaxing beach in Destin, Florida or trying your luck in Las Vegas. Whatever your vacation desires Fairield Getaways are useful people to talk to about what you have in mind for the ideal holiday or short break.
Do you feel like you are losing your edge at thw rok place? Feeling tired all the time? The naswer could be simpler than you think.
When was the last time you took a break? When is the last time you strolled along a sunset beach without a care in the world?
With amazing Discount Vacation Packages there is absolutely no excuse for not taking a break. The packages are available from Fairfield Getaways who offer weekend getaways, family vacations, and travel packages that include hotel accommodation and extras to top destinations.
Spend your next vacation on a relaxing beach in Destin, Florida or trying your luck in Las Vegas. Whatever your vacation desires Fairield Getaways are useful people to talk to about what you have in mind for the ideal holiday or short break.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Shop Safely Online
Message From Our Sponsors:
How about being able to shop online at more than 800 name-brand stores, including Barnes & Noble, Office Depot, Circuit City and Target, to name just a few. What if you can also save an average of 5 percent on every purchase at participating online stores, and up to 25 percent at some stores,
We are of course talking about Ebates. Online shopping has never been easier and giving to charity while you are at it is now a breeze. Latest online coupons and the best deals on the web included.
An easy-to-use online shopping portal that gives consumers cash back whenever they shop online at more than 800 name-brand stores Ebates announced that members can now automatically donate the cash-back they earn directly to their favorite charity while shopping. Ebates (www.ebates.com) has with this announcement made it very easy for online shoppers to save and send money to any charity or non-profit organization fo their choice including those assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississipi.
Online shopping is the future that is already here and you should be careful that you don't get left behind.
How about being able to shop online at more than 800 name-brand stores, including Barnes & Noble, Office Depot, Circuit City and Target, to name just a few. What if you can also save an average of 5 percent on every purchase at participating online stores, and up to 25 percent at some stores,
We are of course talking about Ebates. Online shopping has never been easier and giving to charity while you are at it is now a breeze. Latest online coupons and the best deals on the web included.
An easy-to-use online shopping portal that gives consumers cash back whenever they shop online at more than 800 name-brand stores Ebates announced that members can now automatically donate the cash-back they earn directly to their favorite charity while shopping. Ebates (www.ebates.com) has with this announcement made it very easy for online shoppers to save and send money to any charity or non-profit organization fo their choice including those assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississipi.
Online shopping is the future that is already here and you should be careful that you don't get left behind.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Guns Have Caused Airsoft To Be A Very Popular Sport
Special Sponsor's Message
What really attracts players to the Airsoft sport are the Airsoft guns. The Airsoft sport really took off and became very popular in Japan in the early 80s when it was illegal to own firearms in that country. Airsoft guns are 1:1 scale replicas of actual firearms that fire 6mm, round, plastic pellets commonly called as "BB's" which are propelled out of the guns by compressed air.
Zephyrpaintball.com stocks cheap airsoft guns. The web site has Airsoft pistols and rifles arriving daily from Firepower, KWA and China Airsoft. One of the main objectives in founding Zephyrpaintball.com was to bring low prices, customer service and fast shipping to the paintball world.
What really attracts players to the Airsoft sport are the Airsoft guns. The Airsoft sport really took off and became very popular in Japan in the early 80s when it was illegal to own firearms in that country. Airsoft guns are 1:1 scale replicas of actual firearms that fire 6mm, round, plastic pellets commonly called as "BB's" which are propelled out of the guns by compressed air.
Zephyrpaintball.com stocks cheap airsoft guns. The web site has Airsoft pistols and rifles arriving daily from Firepower, KWA and China Airsoft. One of the main objectives in founding Zephyrpaintball.com was to bring low prices, customer service and fast shipping to the paintball world.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
True Kenyan Story: Man Gives Deadly Gift To Lover
On July 5th this year (2006) a Kenyan man was so much in love with his lover that he decided to give her a gift of a deadly Black Mamba snake wrapped in a gift box and told his unsuspecting girl friend not to open the box until she got home.
His parting remarks were even more bizarre. Without revealing what the gift was he asked her to come back for a “red one” if she was not satisfied with quality of the “black one” inside the box.
The man, Evans Nyakundi was found guilty of “pretending to conduct witchcraft by presenting a black mamba” by a Kericho court and was jailed for a year with an option of paying a Kshs 10,000 fine ($138).
It looks like romance for Mr Nyakundi’s lover evaporated the moment she received the strange gift, because she was in court to testify against him as the complainant (accuser) in the case.
What Mr Snake-gift Romeo had to say in his defense was even more interesting.
“I had no intention of bewitching her because to date we have not broken off our relationship.
“It was really a very small issue, I just wanted to scare her a little. But she screamed and people gathered and made it look like an act of witchcraft. She believed them because she is from a different tribe.”
The woman said she was traumatized when she expectantly opened the box, only to find a coiled snake.
This blogger doubts whether the court (or the reporter) got their facts right. The black Mamba is the deadliest snake in the world. It is lightening fast and its’ venom kills in minutes. It usually avoids humans and the only evidence that often warns herders that it is around is when a whole herd of cows or goats suddenly collapses, paralyzed and in great pain. Death quickly follows in a matter of minutes.
Chances are that if the woman in question opened a box containing a black mamba it is unlikely that she would have lived to testify in court.
Snakes are widely used in witchcraft and bizarre tales of childless women being asked to strip naked and sit on African pots so that a snake can lick their private parts from the darkness of the huge pot, to enable them conceive have been told to this blogger. In many communities the only people who would be carrying around snakes with them are persons involved in witchcraft.
==============
Previous Hot stories in this series:
The Doctor’s Revenge
Maid Gets Revenge On Sexually Abusive Father And Two Sons.
Matatu Nightmare
Couples Reunion Turns Ugly
Husband Learns His Lesson The Hard Way
His parting remarks were even more bizarre. Without revealing what the gift was he asked her to come back for a “red one” if she was not satisfied with quality of the “black one” inside the box.
The man, Evans Nyakundi was found guilty of “pretending to conduct witchcraft by presenting a black mamba” by a Kericho court and was jailed for a year with an option of paying a Kshs 10,000 fine ($138).
It looks like romance for Mr Nyakundi’s lover evaporated the moment she received the strange gift, because she was in court to testify against him as the complainant (accuser) in the case.
What Mr Snake-gift Romeo had to say in his defense was even more interesting.
“I had no intention of bewitching her because to date we have not broken off our relationship.
“It was really a very small issue, I just wanted to scare her a little. But she screamed and people gathered and made it look like an act of witchcraft. She believed them because she is from a different tribe.”
The woman said she was traumatized when she expectantly opened the box, only to find a coiled snake.
This blogger doubts whether the court (or the reporter) got their facts right. The black Mamba is the deadliest snake in the world. It is lightening fast and its’ venom kills in minutes. It usually avoids humans and the only evidence that often warns herders that it is around is when a whole herd of cows or goats suddenly collapses, paralyzed and in great pain. Death quickly follows in a matter of minutes.
Chances are that if the woman in question opened a box containing a black mamba it is unlikely that she would have lived to testify in court.
Snakes are widely used in witchcraft and bizarre tales of childless women being asked to strip naked and sit on African pots so that a snake can lick their private parts from the darkness of the huge pot, to enable them conceive have been told to this blogger. In many communities the only people who would be carrying around snakes with them are persons involved in witchcraft.
==============
Previous Hot stories in this series:
The Doctor’s Revenge
Maid Gets Revenge On Sexually Abusive Father And Two Sons.
Matatu Nightmare
Couples Reunion Turns Ugly
Husband Learns His Lesson The Hard Way
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
A True Kenyan Story: Father And Two Sons Seduced By Death
This was once incident that shocked Kenyans to the bone and is still talked about in many parts of the country to this day.
Residents of either Thika in the outskirts of Nairobi or Ongata Rongai in the late 90s will be familiar with the tale as I am told there is a distinct link to the two locations.
The story started with this family like any other employing this househelp. A shy, very innocent-looking young girl. But then as this tale proves, looks can be very deceiving indeed.
After a short while, it became apparent that the house-help was very sick. However it was not exactly clear what the problem was. This was in the late 90s and people were not very fast to diagnose Aids or even attempt to test for the virus.
The young girl coughed a lot and she seemed to have some strange-looking sores on her body. The good-natured family did their best to get treatment for her but every time she seemed to show signs of recovery, something else would crop up. Either she would develop a fever or serious diarrhea.
Then one day she just disappeared and has never been heard of again since.
This family would have settled down and forgotten the whole incident, had it not been for the youngest son (a teenager) suddenly falling sick with symptoms that were strangely familiar and in fact similar to those of the departed maid.
To cut a long sad story short, the man of the house and his two sons ended up losing their lives from the mysterious disease that was later identified as the dreaded Aids.
What got people really talking so that this tale was all over Nairobi at one time, was the facts that it became clear that the Father and his two sons had been enjoying sexual favors from the house help, apparently without each other's knowledge. That is what is so sick about this tale. Strangely enough the mother of the house remained unscathed. There were some unconfirmed rumors that she had actually tested negative to the dreaded HIV virus.
One popular gutter press publication at the time had the headline to this story; "Maid Wipes Out Thika Family." In my opinion this headline is unfair and very far from being accurate. It portrays the family as the victim when it is actually the poor young girls we employ in our houses who are victims of sexual harassment and even rape, every day and have very few options in these matters. What is she expected to do when the man of the house, her employer approaches her for sexual favors? Or her employer's children? This is the sick thing going on in Kenyan homes and it took a maid suffering from Aids (maybe even acquired from a previous employer) to expose it.
Previous Hot stories in this series:
The Doctor’s Revenge
Matatu Nightmare
Couples Reunion Turns Ugly
Husband Learns His Lesson The Hard Way
Residents of either Thika in the outskirts of Nairobi or Ongata Rongai in the late 90s will be familiar with the tale as I am told there is a distinct link to the two locations.
The story started with this family like any other employing this househelp. A shy, very innocent-looking young girl. But then as this tale proves, looks can be very deceiving indeed.
After a short while, it became apparent that the house-help was very sick. However it was not exactly clear what the problem was. This was in the late 90s and people were not very fast to diagnose Aids or even attempt to test for the virus.
The young girl coughed a lot and she seemed to have some strange-looking sores on her body. The good-natured family did their best to get treatment for her but every time she seemed to show signs of recovery, something else would crop up. Either she would develop a fever or serious diarrhea.
Then one day she just disappeared and has never been heard of again since.
This family would have settled down and forgotten the whole incident, had it not been for the youngest son (a teenager) suddenly falling sick with symptoms that were strangely familiar and in fact similar to those of the departed maid.
To cut a long sad story short, the man of the house and his two sons ended up losing their lives from the mysterious disease that was later identified as the dreaded Aids.
What got people really talking so that this tale was all over Nairobi at one time, was the facts that it became clear that the Father and his two sons had been enjoying sexual favors from the house help, apparently without each other's knowledge. That is what is so sick about this tale. Strangely enough the mother of the house remained unscathed. There were some unconfirmed rumors that she had actually tested negative to the dreaded HIV virus.
One popular gutter press publication at the time had the headline to this story; "Maid Wipes Out Thika Family." In my opinion this headline is unfair and very far from being accurate. It portrays the family as the victim when it is actually the poor young girls we employ in our houses who are victims of sexual harassment and even rape, every day and have very few options in these matters. What is she expected to do when the man of the house, her employer approaches her for sexual favors? Or her employer's children? This is the sick thing going on in Kenyan homes and it took a maid suffering from Aids (maybe even acquired from a previous employer) to expose it.
Previous Hot stories in this series:
The Doctor’s Revenge
Matatu Nightmare
Couples Reunion Turns Ugly
Husband Learns His Lesson The Hard Way
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
What You Can Do Now To Influence The Outcome in 2007
The aim of this group that we are launching online is simple. To bring all young people of Kenya (45 years and younger) under one umbrella body where they can speak with one voice. This is not a political party and you are free to stay in whatever political party you belong to and support whoever you want to.
Our aim here is to speak and act as one. If you intend to stand in the forthcoming elections for any post from councillor to MP to President (which we encourage you to) then this is the group to join because we plan to bring candidates together so that they can campaign together countrywide in the various constituencies. There is strength in unity, there is a lot of power in unity. We may not always agree with each other (how can we?) but my firm belief is that we can do better than our fathers and agree to disagree and more importantly remain united in the single selfless mission of making our country a better place.
The Internet is a powerful tool to use although many Kenyans still do not have access to it. My belief is that online and with the help of mobile phones (we will soon start receiving membership through registration of mobile telephone numbers (for those who do not have net access) we can achieve a lot within a very short time. For instance we can take votes on certain contentious issues and instantly know what the feeling of the majority is. So that when the young people of Kenya speak anywhere in the country, they will be truly speaking for all of us.
More importantly we can also share ideas, experiences and strategies as well as the latest news that will make us a formidable force in the upcoming election.
Initially our aim will be to recruit as many young people of Kenya as possible, irrespective of where in the world they currently are. We Will also use our online group to sensitize those around us to the fact that the only way our lives can improve is if we take our country back from greedy politicians who are daily brainwashing us, telling us it can't be done and that to win an election, you need to have a lot of money.
The truth is that Kenyans are fed up and they are ready to try out a new generation of younger leaders with new ideas.
Our time has come. We must rise to the occasion and save Kenyan now. Please send that blank email to
YoungKenyan4President07-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please tell every young person you know about this initiative. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Make that step now. Rise up to be counted at this momentous and yet critical time in the history of Kenya.
Send that email to register now. Send a blank email to
YoungKenyan4President07-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Our aim here is to speak and act as one. If you intend to stand in the forthcoming elections for any post from councillor to MP to President (which we encourage you to) then this is the group to join because we plan to bring candidates together so that they can campaign together countrywide in the various constituencies. There is strength in unity, there is a lot of power in unity. We may not always agree with each other (how can we?) but my firm belief is that we can do better than our fathers and agree to disagree and more importantly remain united in the single selfless mission of making our country a better place.
The Internet is a powerful tool to use although many Kenyans still do not have access to it. My belief is that online and with the help of mobile phones (we will soon start receiving membership through registration of mobile telephone numbers (for those who do not have net access) we can achieve a lot within a very short time. For instance we can take votes on certain contentious issues and instantly know what the feeling of the majority is. So that when the young people of Kenya speak anywhere in the country, they will be truly speaking for all of us.
More importantly we can also share ideas, experiences and strategies as well as the latest news that will make us a formidable force in the upcoming election.
Initially our aim will be to recruit as many young people of Kenya as possible, irrespective of where in the world they currently are. We Will also use our online group to sensitize those around us to the fact that the only way our lives can improve is if we take our country back from greedy politicians who are daily brainwashing us, telling us it can't be done and that to win an election, you need to have a lot of money.
The truth is that Kenyans are fed up and they are ready to try out a new generation of younger leaders with new ideas.
Our time has come. We must rise to the occasion and save Kenyan now. Please send that blank email to
YoungKenyan4President07-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please tell every young person you know about this initiative. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Make that step now. Rise up to be counted at this momentous and yet critical time in the history of Kenya.
Send that email to register now. Send a blank email to
YoungKenyan4President07-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Kumekucha Announces Birth Of New Movement To Bring The Young To Power In '07
This blogger takes this opportunity to announce the birth of a new initiative called Young Kenyan For President in 2007. The initiative seeks to get a new generation of younger leaders into power both at State House and in parliament.
The aim is to bring together all young hopefuls (born after 1960) and their supporters together to campaign from a united front. You do not have to leave your current political party to join because this initiative is reaching out to young Kenyans across party and tribal lines.
Mahatma Gandhi won independence for India using effective non-violent means. When he started his campaign people laughed and wrote him off. However at the end of it, the then mighty British empire bowed down to pressure and Gandhi had his ay. This blogger is launching this initiative online and in a small way but it is destined to make a major impact in the general elections in 2007.
Most young people have an email address and those who do not have one or cannot access one, can be reached by those who do, using mobile phones. And in this way even those millions of young Kenyans who do not own a mobile phone can also be reached. Our objective is to get our generation of younger Kenyans into power in 2007. It is very possible. Yote yawezekana tukiungana.
Any Kenyan of any age can join as long as they support our initiative to get younger people into power. All they have to do is to send a blank email to the email address below and then promise to be active in group tasks. Group tasks will include recruitment and other simple activities that can be done online to start with. Later, as we register enough young men of Kenya, we will be able to move forward to other tactics and strategies.
I invite you to join now by sending a blank email to:
YoungKenyan4President07-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
It is better to try and fail than to regret that you did nothing as our country is taken over by selfish people with only their self interests at heart. BUT mark my words, this campaign will NOT FAIL. Send that blank email now and you will soon see the power of unity and purpose at work.
We will use Internet technology to bring as many young Kenyan political strategists as possible to work out a strategy that we will use together as a group to get a new generation of younger Kenyan leaders into power in 2007.
The mindset in our country is that one needs a lot of money to campaign and win an election. I put it to you that integrity, selflessness and a good strategy is much more valuable than billions of shillings and we are going to prove it here. After all Narc did not in with money in 2002.
Until we are able to hold elections the Interim leader of this campaign is the owner of this list, Kumekucha. This is a selfless campaign (let us not stray into the power hungry habits of the current leaders we have) and I take this opportunity to invite all young Kenyans (born after 1960) -- the younger the better who are interested in contending for any parliamentary seat or the Presidency to join this initiative. Together we can be much more effective.
The core values of this movement are as follows:
1) Fight to eliminate tribalism in Kenya.
2) Fight to reduce poverty by implementing policies designed to increase job opportunities for Kenyans both locally and out of the country.
3) Fight for a bigger say by ordinary Kenyans in the day to day running of the country.
This group is strictly for Kenyans living either in the country or abroad. We regret that at this time we cannot invite non-Kenyans.
I stress again, do not worry yourself about resources, together we will work out everything and not only become an effective force, but the winning team in 2007.
Please invite as many other Kenyans as you know to join, Kenya is depending on you.
Join by sending that blank email to:
YoungKenyan4President07-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please do it NOW!
The aim is to bring together all young hopefuls (born after 1960) and their supporters together to campaign from a united front. You do not have to leave your current political party to join because this initiative is reaching out to young Kenyans across party and tribal lines.
Mahatma Gandhi won independence for India using effective non-violent means. When he started his campaign people laughed and wrote him off. However at the end of it, the then mighty British empire bowed down to pressure and Gandhi had his ay. This blogger is launching this initiative online and in a small way but it is destined to make a major impact in the general elections in 2007.
Most young people have an email address and those who do not have one or cannot access one, can be reached by those who do, using mobile phones. And in this way even those millions of young Kenyans who do not own a mobile phone can also be reached. Our objective is to get our generation of younger Kenyans into power in 2007. It is very possible. Yote yawezekana tukiungana.
Any Kenyan of any age can join as long as they support our initiative to get younger people into power. All they have to do is to send a blank email to the email address below and then promise to be active in group tasks. Group tasks will include recruitment and other simple activities that can be done online to start with. Later, as we register enough young men of Kenya, we will be able to move forward to other tactics and strategies.
I invite you to join now by sending a blank email to:
YoungKenyan4President07-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
It is better to try and fail than to regret that you did nothing as our country is taken over by selfish people with only their self interests at heart. BUT mark my words, this campaign will NOT FAIL. Send that blank email now and you will soon see the power of unity and purpose at work.
We will use Internet technology to bring as many young Kenyan political strategists as possible to work out a strategy that we will use together as a group to get a new generation of younger Kenyan leaders into power in 2007.
The mindset in our country is that one needs a lot of money to campaign and win an election. I put it to you that integrity, selflessness and a good strategy is much more valuable than billions of shillings and we are going to prove it here. After all Narc did not in with money in 2002.
Until we are able to hold elections the Interim leader of this campaign is the owner of this list, Kumekucha. This is a selfless campaign (let us not stray into the power hungry habits of the current leaders we have) and I take this opportunity to invite all young Kenyans (born after 1960) -- the younger the better who are interested in contending for any parliamentary seat or the Presidency to join this initiative. Together we can be much more effective.
The core values of this movement are as follows:
1) Fight to eliminate tribalism in Kenya.
2) Fight to reduce poverty by implementing policies designed to increase job opportunities for Kenyans both locally and out of the country.
3) Fight for a bigger say by ordinary Kenyans in the day to day running of the country.
This group is strictly for Kenyans living either in the country or abroad. We regret that at this time we cannot invite non-Kenyans.
I stress again, do not worry yourself about resources, together we will work out everything and not only become an effective force, but the winning team in 2007.
Please invite as many other Kenyans as you know to join, Kenya is depending on you.
Join by sending that blank email to:
YoungKenyan4President07-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please do it NOW!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Kumekucha For President: Two Initiatives That Will Have Tremendous Impact On The Lives of Kenyans
The potential we have in Kenya today is vast and yet it has never been effectively exploited and remains idle. Past governments, including the present one has been too busy trying to survive to focus on harnessing this potential for the good of ordinary Kenyans.
I can hear you asking me the question; what makes you so sure that your administration (if elected) will not be busy trying to survive like all the others before you?
To answer that question we must understand what it is that has put past governments in that position and a perfect example is the current Narc-government which came to power with massive goodwill from the people of Kenya. But the people in that government were actually the same people from the previous Kanu regime who jumped ship at the last moment (most of them) so the new government which we had so much hope on, slipped into the same old habits.
Had this government come anywhere near meeting the expectations of the people, not even the controversial memorandum of understanding would have been a threat to it.
But let us not dwell so much on the past and previous mistakes because this is one presidential candidate with a clear agenda and vision and a clear idea of how to get there.
There are two areas I am going to focus on where a little creativity and effort from a new government with new ideas can make a huge difference and a major impact on the lives of most Kenyans.
This is on the two issues of ordinary Kenyans owning houses and the so-called hawker problem (which I don't see as a problem but a major opportunity to turn around the fortunes of our country).
Very few Kenyans today own homes. The situation has been made worse by the disappearance of the middle class in Kenya. Various so-called low-income housing projects have been attempted in the past with little success. Yet a viable low-income mortgage plan is very possible and can have a tremendous impact on the economy both in terms of creating jobs (the main focus of my vision and everything that I propose) and also in improving the quality of life of the majority of Kenyans.
A national mortgage plan for low income Kenyans is no pipe dream. Not with the available creative mortgage plans that are working in other parts of the world today. Let me focus on two particular ones that can help us create one of our own.
We have the interest only mortgage that is fairly common in the United Kingdom, where the capital is not repaid throughout the term. Instead regular contributions are made to a separate investment plan designed to build up a lump sum to repay the mortgage at maturity. This arrangement is also called the investment-backed mortgage.
The other highly creative mortgage plan is where today, older borrowers in western countries qualify for a mortgage where neither the capital nor the interest is repaid. The interest is rolled up with the capital, increasing the debt each year. It is finally repaid when the borrower dies and the property is sold (or when they move into a home for the old). Legally the lender cannot lay claim to any additional assets if the sale does not repay the debt in full. This is usually covered by the heavy insurance that goes with this mortgage. In the event that the sale yields more than is owed, the money goes to he next of kin (if the borrower has passed on.) This kind of mortgage is called a reverse mortgage, lifetime mortgage or equity release mortgage, depending on the country.
What I propose in Kenya is a hybrid system that is a cross between the two for low-income earners. Today we have various investment opportunities that are bringing in very high yields (actually higher than in many other parts of the world). This can be of great help in creating a project that would allow a very large number of ordinary low income earning Kenyans to acquire their own homes by having mortgage plans where only the interest is repaid and the principal is taken care of by a special investment pool. Once we have a vibrant mortgage market, it will then be easy to handle defaulters in such a system (critical in keeping the project self-sustaining and moving) where their houses can be sold and if the price does not cover the initial mortgage loan, it can be met by insurance.
Just a little creativity in mortgage financing can unlock the huge potential and create a vibrant new construction industry and related services that will create lots of new jobs as well as enable many ordinary Kenyans to own their own homes.
Hawkers are considered a nuisance and every previous government despite paying lip service to the promotion of the so called "jua kali" industry has viewed them as such. The really ironical injustice here is the excuse government always has that it is protecting taxpayers against hawkers (who are supposedly tax evaders). Well we now know that very few of the mainstream businesses referred to as taxpayers actually pay their taxes. They are in fact the biggest tax evaders. Only recently we have heard some shocking claims about Nakumatt, the biggest private supermarket chain in East and Central Africa.
Then there is the well-known fact that government collects a lot of revenue from VAT which every citizen pays, including the hawkers. There is in fact a bigger impact on revenue collection when more Kenyans are generating income to make more purchases and thus pay more VAT.
Hawkers are a national asset that can be used to rapidly increase wealth and prosperity in our beloved country. I propose to do two things to make this happen.
Firstly I intend to dramatically expand and encourage the ongoing business incubation projects in the country. A business incubator as the term suggests, is where small businesses are accommodated in a special business park for a brief period of time where facilities are made available to "incubate" the infant business and give it a chance to grow sufficiently enough to stand on its' own.
It is not realistic to expect a 100% success rate, but even a very low success rate will move a good number of small businesses from one man hawker operations to prosperous small businesses able to employ one or two persons. A huge number of new jobs can be created in this way.
Secondly we should actively promote programs in all major cities in the country where certain main streets of the city are closed to traffic over weekends and small traders given access to the "central business district" market to sell their wares and practice their entrepreneurial skills. Extra revenue can be collected by charging them a small daily fee for this privilege.
I am not naïve to think that they will be no obstacles or problems in the radical ideas that I am suggesting here. Every successful enterprise must be prepared for setbacks here and there before they finally land on the rails to big success. In fact it will make a big and refreshing change from the past to see a little government failure as it works towards improving the lot of ordinary Kenyans. In fact Kenyans would have been more understanding today if our past governments had failed while making genuine efforts to improve the quality of life of ordinary Kenyans. Nothing like that has happened, instead past governments have helped individuals amass vast wealth at the expense of the ordinary Kenyan.
We must change this now, before it is too late. My passionate appeal today goes out to young Kenyans and older Kenyans who are still capable of dreaming, because the reality of success always emerges from dreams and not skepticism. I urge you to support this initiative by Kumekucha to make a difference and to have a genuine fresh start for our beloved Kenya. (please see my special appeal).
My Special Appeal by Kumekucha
Dear fellow Kenyans, recent events in our country have clearly proved this blogger correct in predicting the worst for Kenya in 2007 where we will see Kenyan voters being hoodwinked again by the very same people who cheated us in 2002. The people who took our dreams and crushed them, making us all look very foolish.
The only hope we have in stopping them is in a younger generation of new leaders who have not been in politics before taking over power in Kenya. The fact that you are reading this clearly shows that you are of like mind.
We cannot just sit and watch things happening without taking any action. We have debated and talked enough in this forum and elsewhere, we need to start doing something. Believe it or not, the small effort YOU are capable of making can make a huge difference.
I am going to suggest just one thing you can actively do today that will make a difference. You can put the following brief statement at the end of each email you send out to friends and associates. Even better you can make it your permanent email signature. It will increase traffic to this forum where we are selling nothing but a better and more prosperous future for Kenya. Keep visiting this site to participate in our next decisive move.
================
Wakenya, Kumekucha, Vijana Kumekucha, let us grab destiny and change things in Kenya. Visit http://kumekucha1.blogspot.com, NOW and start playing an active role in changing things in Kenya in 2007.
================
I take this opportunity to thank you in advance for your patriotic action. Thank you for loving your country and may the almighty God help us all in our efforts to save it.
==============
Previous Campaign Posts By This Presidential Candidate
Kumekucha launches Presidential campaign
Kumekucha’s Presidential Campaign: We Need One Priority, We Need Lots Of Creativity
===============
World famous Rodeo Drive will have one more thing that it will be famous for - plastic surgery. This is now the home to reasonably priced liposuction, face lifts and breast augmentation. At los angeles plastic surgery patients are sure to receive world-class service at competitive prices in an environment that befits plastic surgery’s growing mass appeal.
I can hear you asking me the question; what makes you so sure that your administration (if elected) will not be busy trying to survive like all the others before you?
To answer that question we must understand what it is that has put past governments in that position and a perfect example is the current Narc-government which came to power with massive goodwill from the people of Kenya. But the people in that government were actually the same people from the previous Kanu regime who jumped ship at the last moment (most of them) so the new government which we had so much hope on, slipped into the same old habits.
Had this government come anywhere near meeting the expectations of the people, not even the controversial memorandum of understanding would have been a threat to it.
But let us not dwell so much on the past and previous mistakes because this is one presidential candidate with a clear agenda and vision and a clear idea of how to get there.
There are two areas I am going to focus on where a little creativity and effort from a new government with new ideas can make a huge difference and a major impact on the lives of most Kenyans.
This is on the two issues of ordinary Kenyans owning houses and the so-called hawker problem (which I don't see as a problem but a major opportunity to turn around the fortunes of our country).
Very few Kenyans today own homes. The situation has been made worse by the disappearance of the middle class in Kenya. Various so-called low-income housing projects have been attempted in the past with little success. Yet a viable low-income mortgage plan is very possible and can have a tremendous impact on the economy both in terms of creating jobs (the main focus of my vision and everything that I propose) and also in improving the quality of life of the majority of Kenyans.
A national mortgage plan for low income Kenyans is no pipe dream. Not with the available creative mortgage plans that are working in other parts of the world today. Let me focus on two particular ones that can help us create one of our own.
We have the interest only mortgage that is fairly common in the United Kingdom, where the capital is not repaid throughout the term. Instead regular contributions are made to a separate investment plan designed to build up a lump sum to repay the mortgage at maturity. This arrangement is also called the investment-backed mortgage.
The other highly creative mortgage plan is where today, older borrowers in western countries qualify for a mortgage where neither the capital nor the interest is repaid. The interest is rolled up with the capital, increasing the debt each year. It is finally repaid when the borrower dies and the property is sold (or when they move into a home for the old). Legally the lender cannot lay claim to any additional assets if the sale does not repay the debt in full. This is usually covered by the heavy insurance that goes with this mortgage. In the event that the sale yields more than is owed, the money goes to he next of kin (if the borrower has passed on.) This kind of mortgage is called a reverse mortgage, lifetime mortgage or equity release mortgage, depending on the country.
What I propose in Kenya is a hybrid system that is a cross between the two for low-income earners. Today we have various investment opportunities that are bringing in very high yields (actually higher than in many other parts of the world). This can be of great help in creating a project that would allow a very large number of ordinary low income earning Kenyans to acquire their own homes by having mortgage plans where only the interest is repaid and the principal is taken care of by a special investment pool. Once we have a vibrant mortgage market, it will then be easy to handle defaulters in such a system (critical in keeping the project self-sustaining and moving) where their houses can be sold and if the price does not cover the initial mortgage loan, it can be met by insurance.
Just a little creativity in mortgage financing can unlock the huge potential and create a vibrant new construction industry and related services that will create lots of new jobs as well as enable many ordinary Kenyans to own their own homes.
Hawkers are considered a nuisance and every previous government despite paying lip service to the promotion of the so called "jua kali" industry has viewed them as such. The really ironical injustice here is the excuse government always has that it is protecting taxpayers against hawkers (who are supposedly tax evaders). Well we now know that very few of the mainstream businesses referred to as taxpayers actually pay their taxes. They are in fact the biggest tax evaders. Only recently we have heard some shocking claims about Nakumatt, the biggest private supermarket chain in East and Central Africa.
Then there is the well-known fact that government collects a lot of revenue from VAT which every citizen pays, including the hawkers. There is in fact a bigger impact on revenue collection when more Kenyans are generating income to make more purchases and thus pay more VAT.
Hawkers are a national asset that can be used to rapidly increase wealth and prosperity in our beloved country. I propose to do two things to make this happen.
Firstly I intend to dramatically expand and encourage the ongoing business incubation projects in the country. A business incubator as the term suggests, is where small businesses are accommodated in a special business park for a brief period of time where facilities are made available to "incubate" the infant business and give it a chance to grow sufficiently enough to stand on its' own.
It is not realistic to expect a 100% success rate, but even a very low success rate will move a good number of small businesses from one man hawker operations to prosperous small businesses able to employ one or two persons. A huge number of new jobs can be created in this way.
Secondly we should actively promote programs in all major cities in the country where certain main streets of the city are closed to traffic over weekends and small traders given access to the "central business district" market to sell their wares and practice their entrepreneurial skills. Extra revenue can be collected by charging them a small daily fee for this privilege.
I am not naïve to think that they will be no obstacles or problems in the radical ideas that I am suggesting here. Every successful enterprise must be prepared for setbacks here and there before they finally land on the rails to big success. In fact it will make a big and refreshing change from the past to see a little government failure as it works towards improving the lot of ordinary Kenyans. In fact Kenyans would have been more understanding today if our past governments had failed while making genuine efforts to improve the quality of life of ordinary Kenyans. Nothing like that has happened, instead past governments have helped individuals amass vast wealth at the expense of the ordinary Kenyan.
We must change this now, before it is too late. My passionate appeal today goes out to young Kenyans and older Kenyans who are still capable of dreaming, because the reality of success always emerges from dreams and not skepticism. I urge you to support this initiative by Kumekucha to make a difference and to have a genuine fresh start for our beloved Kenya. (please see my special appeal).
My Special Appeal by Kumekucha
Dear fellow Kenyans, recent events in our country have clearly proved this blogger correct in predicting the worst for Kenya in 2007 where we will see Kenyan voters being hoodwinked again by the very same people who cheated us in 2002. The people who took our dreams and crushed them, making us all look very foolish.
The only hope we have in stopping them is in a younger generation of new leaders who have not been in politics before taking over power in Kenya. The fact that you are reading this clearly shows that you are of like mind.
We cannot just sit and watch things happening without taking any action. We have debated and talked enough in this forum and elsewhere, we need to start doing something. Believe it or not, the small effort YOU are capable of making can make a huge difference.
I am going to suggest just one thing you can actively do today that will make a difference. You can put the following brief statement at the end of each email you send out to friends and associates. Even better you can make it your permanent email signature. It will increase traffic to this forum where we are selling nothing but a better and more prosperous future for Kenya. Keep visiting this site to participate in our next decisive move.
================
Wakenya, Kumekucha, Vijana Kumekucha, let us grab destiny and change things in Kenya. Visit http://kumekucha1.blogspot.com, NOW and start playing an active role in changing things in Kenya in 2007.
================
I take this opportunity to thank you in advance for your patriotic action. Thank you for loving your country and may the almighty God help us all in our efforts to save it.
==============
Previous Campaign Posts By This Presidential Candidate
Kumekucha launches Presidential campaign
Kumekucha’s Presidential Campaign: We Need One Priority, We Need Lots Of Creativity
===============
World famous Rodeo Drive will have one more thing that it will be famous for - plastic surgery. This is now the home to reasonably priced liposuction, face lifts and breast augmentation. At los angeles plastic surgery patients are sure to receive world-class service at competitive prices in an environment that befits plastic surgery’s growing mass appeal.
Friday, July 28, 2006
A Kenyan Story: Errant Buru Buru Husband Learns His Lesson The Hard Way
Some stories are just too strange to be fiction and the one you are about to read falls neatly into this category.
This long suffering Kenyan wife knew her husband well and especially his promiscuity, but stayed in the marriage for the sake of her children. She did this at great risk to her life because we all know that these days, a husbands' infidelity can cost a wife their life though the dreaded Aids (okay, even a wife's infidelity can, but those cases are somewhat extremely rare.)
The couple moved into this new neighborhood and as usual the husband started playing his "games". It did not matter that the focus of his attention was a married woman whose husband traveled a lot. The woman lived right next door to them.
Luckily the young woman struck a friendship with the errant husband's wife (let us call the errant man "Jogoo").
Jogoo knew about the friendship and that is why he was a little surprised when the woman suddenly started softening towards his advances. To the extent where she invited him for a night of passionate lovemaking, as long as he followed her instructions to the letter. Jogoo could not believe his ears and at first thought that the woman was joking. But he soon realized that she was dead serious. He brushed aside any doubts he may have had by telling himself that most women found him irresistible.
The day of his "hot" date could not come soon enough but finally it arrived and Jogoo was in very high spirits the whole of that day, really looking forward with all his heart to the panned activities of the night. Of all his "conquests", this one had to be the most major. The young neighbors wife was extremely attractive and was now his wife's best friend. Meaning that she desired him so much that she was prepared to risk her friendship with his wife – what a turn on, Jogoo thought to himself. He decided to while the hours away having a few drinks at the nearby "local." His instructions were clear. He was to come in after midnight when chances of the woman's husband showing up unexpectedly were virtually nil. He had also been told not to switch on any lights (you never know which nosy neighbor would spot him, and tell his wife).
He kept himself amused flirting with the huge pot-bellied bar maid who obviously enjoyed his advances immensely. But then he was really no longer interested in her having already enjoyed her favors within a day or two of moving into the neighborhood.
Finally he glanced at his watch and noted that it was a minute or so to midnight. He hurriedly swallowed his last beer and left the bar almost running. He passed his own house and noted that all the lights were off, meaning that his wife had already gone to bed.
He went in through the back and found the key under the mat just as he had been told. Once inside, he locked the door behind him and tiptoed upstairs into his neighbor's bedroom.
She was waiting for him. The first thing that hit him as he entered the bedroom was her perfume. Very feminine but it also smelt like wild flowers. What followed was a night of wild lovemaking with the neighbor's wife. He fell into an exhausted sleep and by the time he woke up the sun was already shining through the still-drawn curtains. Events of the night came flooding back and he turned around with a wide smile to face his neighbor's wife with the thought being intimate one last time. Instead he got the shock of his life.
Lying there right next to him, eyes open and looking straight at him was his dear wife!!
His wife congratulated him for displaying a passion that she had never known him for. Jogoo was too shocked to say anything.
Apparently the two wives had decided to teach him a lesson and to carry out an experiment that proved what psychologists have always been saying – that sex is really in the mind. They had switched places and Jogoo's own wife had worn her friend's night dress and used her perfume and waited eagerly for her own errant husband, who had not recognized her in the dark bedroom and amazingly during the entire long night of lovemaking.
The person who sent me this story left too many questions unanswered. For instance what happened to the marriage after this? Did it get better or worse?
They only ended the story by stating the obvious, that Jogoo learnt a lesson that he would never forget and that his errant ways ended that night.
Can somebody please finish this (true, real life experience) tale for us and tell us exactly what happened.
==========================
Previous Hot stories in this series:
A True Kenyan Story: A Doctor’s Revenge
A True Kenyan Story: Matatu Nightmare
Couples Reunion At The Airport After 6 Long Years, Turns Ugly
==========================
If you're thinking of a holiday in the states then Orlando is the by far the most popular holiday destination in the United States. The focus on family living has spurred residential development over the years on the edge of downtown called Baldwin Park, a traditional neighborhood with architecture reminiscent of the pre-1940's era in Central Florida. Imagine the perfect Florida vacation in an Orlando Rental Home here. To help make your dream come true, you will need to get in touch with Buyers Broker of Florida, a unique exclusive Buyer Agency Office
This long suffering Kenyan wife knew her husband well and especially his promiscuity, but stayed in the marriage for the sake of her children. She did this at great risk to her life because we all know that these days, a husbands' infidelity can cost a wife their life though the dreaded Aids (okay, even a wife's infidelity can, but those cases are somewhat extremely rare.)
The couple moved into this new neighborhood and as usual the husband started playing his "games". It did not matter that the focus of his attention was a married woman whose husband traveled a lot. The woman lived right next door to them.
Luckily the young woman struck a friendship with the errant husband's wife (let us call the errant man "Jogoo").
Jogoo knew about the friendship and that is why he was a little surprised when the woman suddenly started softening towards his advances. To the extent where she invited him for a night of passionate lovemaking, as long as he followed her instructions to the letter. Jogoo could not believe his ears and at first thought that the woman was joking. But he soon realized that she was dead serious. He brushed aside any doubts he may have had by telling himself that most women found him irresistible.
The day of his "hot" date could not come soon enough but finally it arrived and Jogoo was in very high spirits the whole of that day, really looking forward with all his heart to the panned activities of the night. Of all his "conquests", this one had to be the most major. The young neighbors wife was extremely attractive and was now his wife's best friend. Meaning that she desired him so much that she was prepared to risk her friendship with his wife – what a turn on, Jogoo thought to himself. He decided to while the hours away having a few drinks at the nearby "local." His instructions were clear. He was to come in after midnight when chances of the woman's husband showing up unexpectedly were virtually nil. He had also been told not to switch on any lights (you never know which nosy neighbor would spot him, and tell his wife).
He kept himself amused flirting with the huge pot-bellied bar maid who obviously enjoyed his advances immensely. But then he was really no longer interested in her having already enjoyed her favors within a day or two of moving into the neighborhood.
Finally he glanced at his watch and noted that it was a minute or so to midnight. He hurriedly swallowed his last beer and left the bar almost running. He passed his own house and noted that all the lights were off, meaning that his wife had already gone to bed.
He went in through the back and found the key under the mat just as he had been told. Once inside, he locked the door behind him and tiptoed upstairs into his neighbor's bedroom.
She was waiting for him. The first thing that hit him as he entered the bedroom was her perfume. Very feminine but it also smelt like wild flowers. What followed was a night of wild lovemaking with the neighbor's wife. He fell into an exhausted sleep and by the time he woke up the sun was already shining through the still-drawn curtains. Events of the night came flooding back and he turned around with a wide smile to face his neighbor's wife with the thought being intimate one last time. Instead he got the shock of his life.
Lying there right next to him, eyes open and looking straight at him was his dear wife!!
His wife congratulated him for displaying a passion that she had never known him for. Jogoo was too shocked to say anything.
Apparently the two wives had decided to teach him a lesson and to carry out an experiment that proved what psychologists have always been saying – that sex is really in the mind. They had switched places and Jogoo's own wife had worn her friend's night dress and used her perfume and waited eagerly for her own errant husband, who had not recognized her in the dark bedroom and amazingly during the entire long night of lovemaking.
The person who sent me this story left too many questions unanswered. For instance what happened to the marriage after this? Did it get better or worse?
They only ended the story by stating the obvious, that Jogoo learnt a lesson that he would never forget and that his errant ways ended that night.
Can somebody please finish this (true, real life experience) tale for us and tell us exactly what happened.
==========================
Previous Hot stories in this series:
A True Kenyan Story: A Doctor’s Revenge
A True Kenyan Story: Matatu Nightmare
Couples Reunion At The Airport After 6 Long Years, Turns Ugly
==========================
If you're thinking of a holiday in the states then Orlando is the by far the most popular holiday destination in the United States. The focus on family living has spurred residential development over the years on the edge of downtown called Baldwin Park, a traditional neighborhood with architecture reminiscent of the pre-1940's era in Central Florida. Imagine the perfect Florida vacation in an Orlando Rental Home here. To help make your dream come true, you will need to get in touch with Buyers Broker of Florida, a unique exclusive Buyer Agency Office
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Kumekucha Presidential Campaign: The 9 Year Old Dead Kenyan And The Saddest Day Of My Life
One of the saddest days of my life was one Saturday in the year 2000 when I traveled to Meru with my wife for a friend’s funeral. Our hired matatu gave a lift to a young couple carrying the body of their 9 year-old daughter in a tiny cheap coffin in the carrier.
I hardly knew them but we got talking and the mother burst into tears as she narrated the optimism of the young girl as she fought death. It was the sort of optimism you would expect from a 9-year old who did not know better.
I still shed plenty of tears when I remember that encounter. I cry because many Kenyans today have never been given half a chance in their lives, let alone one chance. Because of the greed of our politicians and our corrupt system, many of our people through no fault of their own do not have a chance of ever making anything of their lives. Even if they wanted to bribe, they do not have a rich relative to bribe on their behalf. If they get sick, like that young Kenyan girl who died in 2000, chances of recovering are slim because there is no money to get them proper medical care. There is no doubt on my mind that had that girl had rich parents, she would still be alive today.
I cry all the more because the kindest thing that probably happened to that 9 year old beauty was the fact that she did not live to see her dreams shattered by the cruel and corrupt Kenyan system where if you do not have money, you are basically done.
It is a system I understand very well having lived in a slum area and used pit latrines (a luxury) in those areas. And this was after I had been brought up in a fairly good middle class Kenyan home in my younger days.
It is a system that I will fight with all my strength to destroy so that any Kenyan prepared to work hard and to use their God-given gift can be able to make something out of their lives.
We need to create as many jobs as we can for Kenyans. We need to create as many opportunities as we can for average and low income Kenyans.
Fellow Kenyans, the world has become a small village where to survive both as a nation and as an individual, you need a constant flow of new ideas and then you need to concentrate on the areas where you are good enough to compete with the world.
There is no doubt that this current government has run out of ideas.
The promised 500,000 jobs a year will never happened under the current administration. Do you know the reason why? Nobody really sat down to soberly work out where such a vast volume of brand new jobs were going to come from. The assumption was that if they got the economy moving again, the jobs would be generated automatically. This did not happen. I can also assure you that such a large number of new jobs will not come from reviving stalled parastatals (this was Narc’s chief game plan). In fact in the effort by the current government to try and revive these stalled parastatals, they have failed completely to acknowledge the continuing effects of globalization and the impact it has on our economy.
Whether we like it or not, the world has become a small village that is continuously shrinking in size. The biggest impact of this is that ready or not it thrusts us out into the world economy to compete with the best in the world.
I will give you one recent example. VOIP or voice over internet protocol has made it possible to use the net to carry “voice”. This means that it is now possible to talk with somebody based at the furthest ends of the earth for hours for next to nothing. Your only cost will be your usual ISP charges. This is done by using facilities in popular free email hosts like Yahoo and MSN. For a small fee, you can use specialized web services that will enable you to reach any telephone number (mobile or landlines) anywhere in the world. So all of a sudden a parastatal like Telekom Kenya that has always made huge profits from international calls gets that profit centre wiped out by new developments in the world of telecommunications on the web. This happens almost overnight.
You can be sure that the current globalization trends will continue with a vengeance for years to come. Menaing that many dead parastatals will stay that way – very dead.
What we must do as a nation is focus all our efforts in a completely new direction on what we can do well. On areas where we can compete on the global marketplace. If we do this then we will be able to create solid long term jobs as well as strengthen our economy enormously.
Tourism is one such area and rather than try and invest money in manufacturing, where we’ll have to get past the likes of China. Why not put the money in tourism and agriculture where we can show China and most of the world a thing or two? Don’t get me wrong. We will not discourage foreign investors who want to come into Kenya and take advantage of the well trained and cheap labor that we can offer. But our priorities should be very clear in terms of very specific areas we want to develop where we can compete with the best in the world.
Another example of an area where Kenyans are world beaters is in middle and long distance running. There is a lot of money in sports these days and it is one way of creating wealth very quickly in our country. We need to create special training camps and encourage more “talent” in this area. This may not create jobs directly and not in the volumes we are thinking of here indirectly, but it will help add up.
The place to get our 500,000 jobs plus has to be in agriculture and food processing industries. The way to do it is to produce world class products at a price that few in the world can compete with. I have already said that energy is one area where minimal investment into available idle resources we already have in the country can yield much.
Another area is small and micro-sized businesses. Kenyans have already displayed admirable entrepreneurial skills and if we are making waves in places like South Africa, then it is clear evidence that we can compete with the best in the world.
Currently what we are doing is discouraging the entrepreneurial spirit in our people. The constant clashes with hawkers is a good example here.
I intend to make serious efforts to find and create affordable space in good busy locations for hawkers and small traders. I intend to launch programs for training entrepreneurs and support programs to have small entrepreneurs supply various services and products to the government and to other Kenyans.
Business incubators that take in small entrepreneurs and give them the environment to grow will be a major priority. Every successful small business will probably employ only a handful of Kenyans directly. But if we target at developing just 200, 000 new small businesses countrywide every year, we can comfortably create one million new jobs every year in this way alone.
I also intend to work with NGOs already on the ground and experienced financial institutions already lending to small business. By offering collateral and government guarantees for unsecured small business loans, the potential for growth in the country will be exploited.
Kenyans are currently mostly idle but very eager to work. They just need the opportunities. This is one presidential candidate that pledges to spend a lot of effort in creating vast new opportunities for all.
Small businesses can also make a major contribution to tax collection. By simply introducing a small standard tax rate for small businesses generating One million shillings or less in turnover annually and by having policies in place to encourage the emergence and growth of these businesses, billions in new taxes can land at the exchequer which will further help in new government funded initiatives to create even more jobs.
One other area where small business incubators need to be set up is in the area of ecommerce. I have a program in mind for building web sites to help sell and promote Kenyan products and produce to the world. The kind of sales being achieved by successful web sites all over the world is enormous and growing. If we managed to create a couple of dozen successful web sites selling Kenyan produce to the world, the im[pact would be enormous. Whether we see it or not and whether we like it or not, the Internet is the future and the future is already with us.
One reader asked whether this presidential candidate I am prepared to put my vision and promises in writing. This site is already one such place where my vision and ideas for a better Kenya is being put in writing. I encourage other Kenyans with sites to copy the content here and paste them in their sites (with the proper acknowledgement please) so that there is a record that can never be deleted. That is because I am very sincere in ensuring that I mean what I say and I say what I mean and most important of all I will do everything in my power to turn everything I say into reality.
Kenyans deserve much better than what they have gotten so far.
========================
Quick quiz for you. Which is the most popular tourist destination in the world? It's actually Orlando, in Florida, United States. Orlando welcomes more visitors each year than the population of California - over 43.3 million (2000 statistics). The focus on family living has spurred residential development over the years on the edge of downtown called Baldwin Park, a traditional neighborhood with architecture reminiscent of the pre-1940's era in Central Florida. Imagine the perfect Florida vacation somewhere in the midst of Windermere Real Estate here. To help make your dream come true, you will need to get in touch with Buyers Broker of Florida, a unique exclusive Buyer Agency Office.
=======================
They never ship with annoying popcorn so your gift arrives in perfect condition, packed professionally in air bags and is ready to be enjoyed the moment the recipient opens it. This is one good reason why if you have Sympathy Gift Baskets in mind then Gift baskets by Gourmet Gift Baskets should be the name on your mind. The site specializes in going the extra mile for their customers and the difference really shows in the quality of the final presentation.
I hardly knew them but we got talking and the mother burst into tears as she narrated the optimism of the young girl as she fought death. It was the sort of optimism you would expect from a 9-year old who did not know better.
I still shed plenty of tears when I remember that encounter. I cry because many Kenyans today have never been given half a chance in their lives, let alone one chance. Because of the greed of our politicians and our corrupt system, many of our people through no fault of their own do not have a chance of ever making anything of their lives. Even if they wanted to bribe, they do not have a rich relative to bribe on their behalf. If they get sick, like that young Kenyan girl who died in 2000, chances of recovering are slim because there is no money to get them proper medical care. There is no doubt on my mind that had that girl had rich parents, she would still be alive today.
I cry all the more because the kindest thing that probably happened to that 9 year old beauty was the fact that she did not live to see her dreams shattered by the cruel and corrupt Kenyan system where if you do not have money, you are basically done.
It is a system I understand very well having lived in a slum area and used pit latrines (a luxury) in those areas. And this was after I had been brought up in a fairly good middle class Kenyan home in my younger days.
It is a system that I will fight with all my strength to destroy so that any Kenyan prepared to work hard and to use their God-given gift can be able to make something out of their lives.
We need to create as many jobs as we can for Kenyans. We need to create as many opportunities as we can for average and low income Kenyans.
Fellow Kenyans, the world has become a small village where to survive both as a nation and as an individual, you need a constant flow of new ideas and then you need to concentrate on the areas where you are good enough to compete with the world.
There is no doubt that this current government has run out of ideas.
The promised 500,000 jobs a year will never happened under the current administration. Do you know the reason why? Nobody really sat down to soberly work out where such a vast volume of brand new jobs were going to come from. The assumption was that if they got the economy moving again, the jobs would be generated automatically. This did not happen. I can also assure you that such a large number of new jobs will not come from reviving stalled parastatals (this was Narc’s chief game plan). In fact in the effort by the current government to try and revive these stalled parastatals, they have failed completely to acknowledge the continuing effects of globalization and the impact it has on our economy.
Whether we like it or not, the world has become a small village that is continuously shrinking in size. The biggest impact of this is that ready or not it thrusts us out into the world economy to compete with the best in the world.
I will give you one recent example. VOIP or voice over internet protocol has made it possible to use the net to carry “voice”. This means that it is now possible to talk with somebody based at the furthest ends of the earth for hours for next to nothing. Your only cost will be your usual ISP charges. This is done by using facilities in popular free email hosts like Yahoo and MSN. For a small fee, you can use specialized web services that will enable you to reach any telephone number (mobile or landlines) anywhere in the world. So all of a sudden a parastatal like Telekom Kenya that has always made huge profits from international calls gets that profit centre wiped out by new developments in the world of telecommunications on the web. This happens almost overnight.
You can be sure that the current globalization trends will continue with a vengeance for years to come. Menaing that many dead parastatals will stay that way – very dead.
What we must do as a nation is focus all our efforts in a completely new direction on what we can do well. On areas where we can compete on the global marketplace. If we do this then we will be able to create solid long term jobs as well as strengthen our economy enormously.
Tourism is one such area and rather than try and invest money in manufacturing, where we’ll have to get past the likes of China. Why not put the money in tourism and agriculture where we can show China and most of the world a thing or two? Don’t get me wrong. We will not discourage foreign investors who want to come into Kenya and take advantage of the well trained and cheap labor that we can offer. But our priorities should be very clear in terms of very specific areas we want to develop where we can compete with the best in the world.
Another example of an area where Kenyans are world beaters is in middle and long distance running. There is a lot of money in sports these days and it is one way of creating wealth very quickly in our country. We need to create special training camps and encourage more “talent” in this area. This may not create jobs directly and not in the volumes we are thinking of here indirectly, but it will help add up.
The place to get our 500,000 jobs plus has to be in agriculture and food processing industries. The way to do it is to produce world class products at a price that few in the world can compete with. I have already said that energy is one area where minimal investment into available idle resources we already have in the country can yield much.
Another area is small and micro-sized businesses. Kenyans have already displayed admirable entrepreneurial skills and if we are making waves in places like South Africa, then it is clear evidence that we can compete with the best in the world.
Currently what we are doing is discouraging the entrepreneurial spirit in our people. The constant clashes with hawkers is a good example here.
I intend to make serious efforts to find and create affordable space in good busy locations for hawkers and small traders. I intend to launch programs for training entrepreneurs and support programs to have small entrepreneurs supply various services and products to the government and to other Kenyans.
Business incubators that take in small entrepreneurs and give them the environment to grow will be a major priority. Every successful small business will probably employ only a handful of Kenyans directly. But if we target at developing just 200, 000 new small businesses countrywide every year, we can comfortably create one million new jobs every year in this way alone.
I also intend to work with NGOs already on the ground and experienced financial institutions already lending to small business. By offering collateral and government guarantees for unsecured small business loans, the potential for growth in the country will be exploited.
Kenyans are currently mostly idle but very eager to work. They just need the opportunities. This is one presidential candidate that pledges to spend a lot of effort in creating vast new opportunities for all.
Small businesses can also make a major contribution to tax collection. By simply introducing a small standard tax rate for small businesses generating One million shillings or less in turnover annually and by having policies in place to encourage the emergence and growth of these businesses, billions in new taxes can land at the exchequer which will further help in new government funded initiatives to create even more jobs.
One other area where small business incubators need to be set up is in the area of ecommerce. I have a program in mind for building web sites to help sell and promote Kenyan products and produce to the world. The kind of sales being achieved by successful web sites all over the world is enormous and growing. If we managed to create a couple of dozen successful web sites selling Kenyan produce to the world, the im[pact would be enormous. Whether we see it or not and whether we like it or not, the Internet is the future and the future is already with us.
One reader asked whether this presidential candidate I am prepared to put my vision and promises in writing. This site is already one such place where my vision and ideas for a better Kenya is being put in writing. I encourage other Kenyans with sites to copy the content here and paste them in their sites (with the proper acknowledgement please) so that there is a record that can never be deleted. That is because I am very sincere in ensuring that I mean what I say and I say what I mean and most important of all I will do everything in my power to turn everything I say into reality.
Kenyans deserve much better than what they have gotten so far.
========================
Quick quiz for you. Which is the most popular tourist destination in the world? It's actually Orlando, in Florida, United States. Orlando welcomes more visitors each year than the population of California - over 43.3 million (2000 statistics). The focus on family living has spurred residential development over the years on the edge of downtown called Baldwin Park, a traditional neighborhood with architecture reminiscent of the pre-1940's era in Central Florida. Imagine the perfect Florida vacation somewhere in the midst of Windermere Real Estate here. To help make your dream come true, you will need to get in touch with Buyers Broker of Florida, a unique exclusive Buyer Agency Office.
=======================
They never ship with annoying popcorn so your gift arrives in perfect condition, packed professionally in air bags and is ready to be enjoyed the moment the recipient opens it. This is one good reason why if you have Sympathy Gift Baskets in mind then Gift baskets by Gourmet Gift Baskets should be the name on your mind. The site specializes in going the extra mile for their customers and the difference really shows in the quality of the final presentation.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Kumekucha Presidential Campaign:Why Is This Missing From Kenya?
This candidate, although young, is certainly not naïve. Many people have often reminded me that the kind of financial resources required to run a successful presidential or political campaign of the magnitude we are talking about here is colossal.
Others have been even more blunt. There is no way you will just give people your good ideas and fail to give cash handouts. It will not work.
My reply has been simple and has been in the form of a question. How much money did Narc use in 2002?
"Oh that was different. That was a wave," somebody told me a few days ago.
I do not wish to dwell too much on this issue. It is true that at some point financial resources will be required. When the time comes I am sure a way will be found, and indeed I am working on it as any good manager would, but meanwhile I have to use what I have, not only financial resources but assets and attributes.
Which brings me to what I want to say today. Has anybody done a SWOT analysis of Kenya before embarking on development projects or creating policy? I want to keep this very simple. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity and Threats. It is the analysis done by marketing experts before arriving at their marketing strategy.
But it is a very useful tool for even an individual to use. You analyze your strengths and weaknesses and based on them you decide where the opportunities will most likely be for your profile and while keeping a close eye on possible threats, you arrive at your strategy to market and sell yourself to success. Works beautifully even where you are looking for a job in a market where they are very scarce like is the case in Kenya today.
What are our strengths in Kenya today and how can we use them to our advantage?
Today I will keep this short and give you only one example. My web traffic figures show me that I may be losing readers in this very important section because the posts are too long, so I have decided to keep them as brief as possible.
The Kenyan labour force is huge and well trained and currently most of it is idle and desperate and that's why the crime rate is where it is. I have heard the deep pocketed South African entrepreneurs who have swept across the continent in the last few years taking over everything, saying that they fear only the Kenyans in Africa. I was surprised because I expected them to mention Nigeria first.
Kenyans are today seen as a threat in the commercial arena and everywhere where jobs are being competed for right across the continent and beyond.
This labour force is one of our strengths and a very valuable asset, which I intend to put to good use, if elected president. Every policy, decision and strategy of government must be directed at utilizing this asset. This is the asset that will turn the Kenyan economy into The China of Africa.
The secret or the trick that will make all the difference is in directing our labour and efforts to areas where there is a huge demand both within the country and outside. One such area is the energy sector. One does not need to be a genius to realize that the world is drifting towards a very serious energy crisis. My vision for Kenya is people-driven economic growth, which will naturally put a lot of strain on certain resources, one of them being the energy resources. This means that any effort to produce energy at a cheaper rate than what we currently have will be wildly successful.
Something else we have in plenty in Kenya is sunshine. Scientists say that the amount of energy we receive from the sun in ONE MINUTE is enough to take care of all the world's energy needs for a FULL YEAR.
Solar energy and steam energy generated using the sun in Kenya's vast dry and hot regions can supply more than enough energy. Which we will be able to use and even export to our neighbors. These projects can be implemented in such a way that they are made as labour intensive as possible while keeping the cost down. This should not be too difficult considering that energy costs are already quite high and rising in the region. I am familiar with this technology having spend a brief stint working with a leading solar and alternative energy company in the region and I can tell you that it is very possible and very viable.
It is important that we make use of all the idle resources and assets that we have in plenty in Kenya but do not seem to see at the moment.
I want to end this by asking two questions and then answering them. Firstly, why is it that in Kenya we have never looked to use our strengths and assets? The sad answer is that we have been too busy with corruption to see the opportunities anywhere else. Because the tradition has been to use public office to enrich oneself, our leaders in the past have directed all their thinking and creativity towards finding innovative ways to steal from the public. The result is scams like Goldenberg that have cost the country billions and will take us many years to recover from.
The second question, which I've been asked, am I not afraid that another candidate will steal all my good ideas and present them as his own? The answer is that I am keeping very careful track of that and besides many of the older generation politicians we have today are focusing all their efforts on specifically saying what will please the electorate without really meaning it. A good example is the sweeping Narc statement that they will create 500,000 jobs a year and yet it is now clear that they did not have any clue as to how exactly they were going to do that.
President Moi put it very crudely and I want to repeat what he said here and was reported in the then People weekly newspaper. I am doing this not to offend the nice ladies who are the majority of my readers currently, but to show Kenyans exactly what the old order of Kenyan politics is all about.
Siasa ni kama mwanamke. Unapembeleza na mabo matamau lakini ukishatongoza yeye, bas. This roughly translates as; "The game of politics is like a relationship with a woman. You tell her all sorts of sweet nothings but after you have had sex with her, that’s it."
Kenyan voters please take careful note.
Anybody who steals these ideas will be exposed for who they really are, but even before that, they will have to back up their ideas with solid strategy and substance. That is not very easy to do with somebody else's ideas.
Besides Kenyan voters will not be easily cheated this time.
I do not mind exposing my driving force, what makes me different. It is the fact that I dream different dreams. Most of the politicians we know will dream of relaxing at State House (that's how people start getting ideas of putting up Kshs 100 million buildings in State House, while our people go hungry), a large presidential motorcade and inspecting guards of honour. The last two are both meaningless relics of the colonial era.
I dream of sleepless nights and a punishing 20-hour schedule. I dream of such sweeping positive changes coming for the ordinary Kenyan that they will be virtually impossible to reverse. I dream of a country prosperous and moving forward at high speed. I dream of a presidency that will be too busy in the thick of things and directing efforts that there will hardly be the time to inspect guards of honor. I dream of a presidency where honor will come from one source and one source alone. The ordinary, now struggling people of Kenya whose lives will have been changed by the efforts I will direct with all my strength, energy and being.
My fellow Kenyan, read very carefully between the lines to discover what your favorite presidential candidate really dreams about.
Link to two previous POSTS
Kumekucha launches Presidential campaign
Kumekucha’s Presidential Campaign: We Need One Priority, We Need Lots Of Creativity
=====================
Weddings can be a complex financial undertaking that can prove to be very stressful for the unprepared and unorganized. The average cost for a 150-person wedding is about $25,000 (higher in urban areas).
Here is a basic breakdown of what you can expect to pay: Reception: 48%-50% Ceremony: 2%-3% Attire: 8%-10% Flowers: 8%-10% Entertainment/Music: 8%-10% Photography/Videography: 10%-12% Stationery: 2%-3% Wedding Rings: 2%-3% Parking/Transportation: 2%-3% Gifts: 2%-3% Miscellaneous: 8%. To avoid last minute heart failure, allocate about 5% of your budget for a "just-in-case" fund.
When approached with the seriousness it deserves planning this important occasion right down to the wedding cameras need not be too stressful.
Others have been even more blunt. There is no way you will just give people your good ideas and fail to give cash handouts. It will not work.
My reply has been simple and has been in the form of a question. How much money did Narc use in 2002?
"Oh that was different. That was a wave," somebody told me a few days ago.
I do not wish to dwell too much on this issue. It is true that at some point financial resources will be required. When the time comes I am sure a way will be found, and indeed I am working on it as any good manager would, but meanwhile I have to use what I have, not only financial resources but assets and attributes.
Which brings me to what I want to say today. Has anybody done a SWOT analysis of Kenya before embarking on development projects or creating policy? I want to keep this very simple. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity and Threats. It is the analysis done by marketing experts before arriving at their marketing strategy.
But it is a very useful tool for even an individual to use. You analyze your strengths and weaknesses and based on them you decide where the opportunities will most likely be for your profile and while keeping a close eye on possible threats, you arrive at your strategy to market and sell yourself to success. Works beautifully even where you are looking for a job in a market where they are very scarce like is the case in Kenya today.
What are our strengths in Kenya today and how can we use them to our advantage?
Today I will keep this short and give you only one example. My web traffic figures show me that I may be losing readers in this very important section because the posts are too long, so I have decided to keep them as brief as possible.
The Kenyan labour force is huge and well trained and currently most of it is idle and desperate and that's why the crime rate is where it is. I have heard the deep pocketed South African entrepreneurs who have swept across the continent in the last few years taking over everything, saying that they fear only the Kenyans in Africa. I was surprised because I expected them to mention Nigeria first.
Kenyans are today seen as a threat in the commercial arena and everywhere where jobs are being competed for right across the continent and beyond.
This labour force is one of our strengths and a very valuable asset, which I intend to put to good use, if elected president. Every policy, decision and strategy of government must be directed at utilizing this asset. This is the asset that will turn the Kenyan economy into The China of Africa.
The secret or the trick that will make all the difference is in directing our labour and efforts to areas where there is a huge demand both within the country and outside. One such area is the energy sector. One does not need to be a genius to realize that the world is drifting towards a very serious energy crisis. My vision for Kenya is people-driven economic growth, which will naturally put a lot of strain on certain resources, one of them being the energy resources. This means that any effort to produce energy at a cheaper rate than what we currently have will be wildly successful.
Something else we have in plenty in Kenya is sunshine. Scientists say that the amount of energy we receive from the sun in ONE MINUTE is enough to take care of all the world's energy needs for a FULL YEAR.
Solar energy and steam energy generated using the sun in Kenya's vast dry and hot regions can supply more than enough energy. Which we will be able to use and even export to our neighbors. These projects can be implemented in such a way that they are made as labour intensive as possible while keeping the cost down. This should not be too difficult considering that energy costs are already quite high and rising in the region. I am familiar with this technology having spend a brief stint working with a leading solar and alternative energy company in the region and I can tell you that it is very possible and very viable.
It is important that we make use of all the idle resources and assets that we have in plenty in Kenya but do not seem to see at the moment.
I want to end this by asking two questions and then answering them. Firstly, why is it that in Kenya we have never looked to use our strengths and assets? The sad answer is that we have been too busy with corruption to see the opportunities anywhere else. Because the tradition has been to use public office to enrich oneself, our leaders in the past have directed all their thinking and creativity towards finding innovative ways to steal from the public. The result is scams like Goldenberg that have cost the country billions and will take us many years to recover from.
The second question, which I've been asked, am I not afraid that another candidate will steal all my good ideas and present them as his own? The answer is that I am keeping very careful track of that and besides many of the older generation politicians we have today are focusing all their efforts on specifically saying what will please the electorate without really meaning it. A good example is the sweeping Narc statement that they will create 500,000 jobs a year and yet it is now clear that they did not have any clue as to how exactly they were going to do that.
President Moi put it very crudely and I want to repeat what he said here and was reported in the then People weekly newspaper. I am doing this not to offend the nice ladies who are the majority of my readers currently, but to show Kenyans exactly what the old order of Kenyan politics is all about.
Siasa ni kama mwanamke. Unapembeleza na mabo matamau lakini ukishatongoza yeye, bas. This roughly translates as; "The game of politics is like a relationship with a woman. You tell her all sorts of sweet nothings but after you have had sex with her, that’s it."
Kenyan voters please take careful note.
Anybody who steals these ideas will be exposed for who they really are, but even before that, they will have to back up their ideas with solid strategy and substance. That is not very easy to do with somebody else's ideas.
Besides Kenyan voters will not be easily cheated this time.
I do not mind exposing my driving force, what makes me different. It is the fact that I dream different dreams. Most of the politicians we know will dream of relaxing at State House (that's how people start getting ideas of putting up Kshs 100 million buildings in State House, while our people go hungry), a large presidential motorcade and inspecting guards of honour. The last two are both meaningless relics of the colonial era.
I dream of sleepless nights and a punishing 20-hour schedule. I dream of such sweeping positive changes coming for the ordinary Kenyan that they will be virtually impossible to reverse. I dream of a country prosperous and moving forward at high speed. I dream of a presidency that will be too busy in the thick of things and directing efforts that there will hardly be the time to inspect guards of honor. I dream of a presidency where honor will come from one source and one source alone. The ordinary, now struggling people of Kenya whose lives will have been changed by the efforts I will direct with all my strength, energy and being.
My fellow Kenyan, read very carefully between the lines to discover what your favorite presidential candidate really dreams about.
Link to two previous POSTS
Kumekucha launches Presidential campaign
Kumekucha’s Presidential Campaign: We Need One Priority, We Need Lots Of Creativity
=====================
Weddings can be a complex financial undertaking that can prove to be very stressful for the unprepared and unorganized. The average cost for a 150-person wedding is about $25,000 (higher in urban areas).
Here is a basic breakdown of what you can expect to pay: Reception: 48%-50% Ceremony: 2%-3% Attire: 8%-10% Flowers: 8%-10% Entertainment/Music: 8%-10% Photography/Videography: 10%-12% Stationery: 2%-3% Wedding Rings: 2%-3% Parking/Transportation: 2%-3% Gifts: 2%-3% Miscellaneous: 8%. To avoid last minute heart failure, allocate about 5% of your budget for a "just-in-case" fund.
When approached with the seriousness it deserves planning this important occasion right down to the wedding cameras need not be too stressful.
Couples Reunion At The Airport After 6 Long Years, Turns Ugly
What happened between Mwema and Dorothy (not thei real names) at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) the other day, made me realize how common this problem must be for many Kenyans all over the world these days.
The situation in our country has forced many Kenyans to seek greener pastures outside by going to seek jobs in foreign countries. Many times, it has not been possible for spouses to tag along. The result has been long years of separation. Long years of previously married people going back to living like bachelors.
The following is a reconstruction based on an eyewitness account and on the bitter words that were exchanged in loud voices and actually caused a scene.
Dorothy had left the country for the United States by being part of a group that were going for a special convention somewhere in the States. The meeting was being held in a State where she knew a number of friends and so it was easy for her to miss her flight back to Kenya. For the next six years she worked long and hard to make money in the land of opportunity. It was much harder than she had expected, she would say in her regular communication with her husband Mwema. Mwema was a very responsible man and looked after the couple's children as well as taking care of the home. Dorothy would send money regularly and as a result of her efforts the couple now had not only a plot somewhere in Nairobi, but they had also constructed rental houses.
Mwema had really looked forward to this day with all his heart. He had not made love to his wife for 6 long years and he was so much looking forward to it that he had organized things so that on the way from the airport they would pass a city hotel for a "second honeymoon." But it was not to be.
The minute Mwema saw his wife he knew that there was something that was very wrong. Her smile was not quite hearty enough. It did not reach the eyes. She finally came through and they hugged.
"Where are the children?" Was Dorothy's first question.
"They are at school. I've really missed you Dorothy. How have you been?"
"Could the children not miss school for a day as important as this?"
"But I had plans and…"
"Mwema, you will have to be tested."
Mwema could not believe his ears and it took him sometime before he could digest those words so as to be able to reply.
"What test?"
Dorothy tried to whisper under her breath at as they walked through the busy arrivals area at JKIA. "AIDS."
"You must be joking."
"I have never been more serious in my life."
To cut a long story short, tempers rose and what followed was an ugly scene where several Kenyans were treated to the intimate details of this marriage as accusations and counter accusations flew. What really seemed to irk Mwema was the fact that Dorothy seemed to have set up an intelligence unit, which he had been aware of the whole time, to monitor his movements. Mwema's point was that people who did not trust each other had no reason to get married in the first place. Dorothy's point was that all men are created weak and although the spirit may be willing the flesh is always terribly weak.
The couple left in different taxis after the intervention of security personnel at the airport who urged them to continue their lively debate in the privacy of their home.
The whole incident made me think of my own marriage. If it were to happen and we were parted with my wife for many years. Would I insist on an AIDS test? It is an issue that is still disturbing my mind.
=====================
Send in a true story of something that happened to you or somebody whom you know.
Depending on the nature of your true story, we will be happy to keep your identity and email secret. Remember that this is a Kenyan site and therefore you increase the chances of getting your story published if Kenyans can identify with it. We are specially looking for real life stories that reflect on how life is for Kenyans either in Kenya or anywhere else in the world.
Email your story to us today at umissedthis at yahoo dot com (written like this to avoid robots from spammers that scan text for email addresses)
Previous Hot stories in this series:
A True Kenyan Story: A Doctor’s Revenge
A True Kenyan Story: Matatu Nightmare
===========
Shopping online is the best way to save money and ensure that you get the best deal possible and carInsurance.com is the easiest way to purchase your auto insurance online. It is so easy that in some states the whole process can be completed and you can have proof of insurance in your hands in 15 minutes. The goal here is for you to see how much you can save with their services and this site is very easy to use. There is really no better way to get a free online car insurance quote. You will not only save lots of cash, but you'll also save your precious time.
The situation in our country has forced many Kenyans to seek greener pastures outside by going to seek jobs in foreign countries. Many times, it has not been possible for spouses to tag along. The result has been long years of separation. Long years of previously married people going back to living like bachelors.
The following is a reconstruction based on an eyewitness account and on the bitter words that were exchanged in loud voices and actually caused a scene.
Dorothy had left the country for the United States by being part of a group that were going for a special convention somewhere in the States. The meeting was being held in a State where she knew a number of friends and so it was easy for her to miss her flight back to Kenya. For the next six years she worked long and hard to make money in the land of opportunity. It was much harder than she had expected, she would say in her regular communication with her husband Mwema. Mwema was a very responsible man and looked after the couple's children as well as taking care of the home. Dorothy would send money regularly and as a result of her efforts the couple now had not only a plot somewhere in Nairobi, but they had also constructed rental houses.
Mwema had really looked forward to this day with all his heart. He had not made love to his wife for 6 long years and he was so much looking forward to it that he had organized things so that on the way from the airport they would pass a city hotel for a "second honeymoon." But it was not to be.
The minute Mwema saw his wife he knew that there was something that was very wrong. Her smile was not quite hearty enough. It did not reach the eyes. She finally came through and they hugged.
"Where are the children?" Was Dorothy's first question.
"They are at school. I've really missed you Dorothy. How have you been?"
"Could the children not miss school for a day as important as this?"
"But I had plans and…"
"Mwema, you will have to be tested."
Mwema could not believe his ears and it took him sometime before he could digest those words so as to be able to reply.
"What test?"
Dorothy tried to whisper under her breath at as they walked through the busy arrivals area at JKIA. "AIDS."
"You must be joking."
"I have never been more serious in my life."
To cut a long story short, tempers rose and what followed was an ugly scene where several Kenyans were treated to the intimate details of this marriage as accusations and counter accusations flew. What really seemed to irk Mwema was the fact that Dorothy seemed to have set up an intelligence unit, which he had been aware of the whole time, to monitor his movements. Mwema's point was that people who did not trust each other had no reason to get married in the first place. Dorothy's point was that all men are created weak and although the spirit may be willing the flesh is always terribly weak.
The couple left in different taxis after the intervention of security personnel at the airport who urged them to continue their lively debate in the privacy of their home.
The whole incident made me think of my own marriage. If it were to happen and we were parted with my wife for many years. Would I insist on an AIDS test? It is an issue that is still disturbing my mind.
=====================
Send in a true story of something that happened to you or somebody whom you know.
Depending on the nature of your true story, we will be happy to keep your identity and email secret. Remember that this is a Kenyan site and therefore you increase the chances of getting your story published if Kenyans can identify with it. We are specially looking for real life stories that reflect on how life is for Kenyans either in Kenya or anywhere else in the world.
Email your story to us today at umissedthis at yahoo dot com (written like this to avoid robots from spammers that scan text for email addresses)
Previous Hot stories in this series:
A True Kenyan Story: A Doctor’s Revenge
A True Kenyan Story: Matatu Nightmare
===========
Shopping online is the best way to save money and ensure that you get the best deal possible and carInsurance.com is the easiest way to purchase your auto insurance online. It is so easy that in some states the whole process can be completed and you can have proof of insurance in your hands in 15 minutes. The goal here is for you to see how much you can save with their services and this site is very easy to use. There is really no better way to get a free online car insurance quote. You will not only save lots of cash, but you'll also save your precious time.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
TJ We Remember: A Photo Tribute To Tom Mboya From Kumekucha
Tom Mboya was one of the most prominent personalities in Kenyan history. He was born Thomas Joseph Mboya on 15th August 1930 and was assassinated at the tender age of 39 on 5th July 1969. It is widely believed that his profile and illustrious career as a brilliant and charismatic leader, which was seen as a challenge to the then political establishment, led to his assassination.
Tom Mboya arriving at Uhuru Park for what was to be his last Madaraka day June 1st 1969. He's with his wife Pamela and two children. At this point things were tough politically, but would he have guessed that he would be dead in about a month's time?
More on Tom Mboya.
===============
Did you know that the same weight in silver still buys gas at the price of decades ago (25 cents a gallon). It is paper money that loses value rapidly all the time. That’s why investment experts have long-recommended portfolio diversification and that 20% or more of an investor's assets be devoted to tangible assets such as gold, silver and platinum bullion and bullion coins. This is a prudent asset diversification strategy critical in today’s uncertain world that is made possible by Monex a company that makes buying gold coins easy and convenient and has been doing so since 1967.
Kumekucha's Presidential Campaign 2007: We Need One Priority, We Need Lots of Creativity
Kumekucha's Presidential Campaign 2007
"If an economy is moving, tax it, if it keeps on moving regulate it, if it stalls subsidize it."
- Former US President Ronald Reagan-
No management, let alone government, can be successful without focusing on one key priority issue at a time. The problem we have in Kenya is that we accept to be cheated by presidential candidates who paint a rosy picture of many things that they are going to do. No candidate stands for anything let alone a certain key priority they want to address. And where they pretend to, they have no idea of how they are going to go about it.
And our governments are worse when they come into power because it soon becomes very clear that the leaders had no other agenda but to get power for power's sake.
This presidential campaign will focus on one key priority. Job creation. Naturally this has a lot to do with the economy. But I intend to focus on job creation in every single thing that the government does and in economic policies and even daily decision-making.
It starts with very little things. For example, today it is very difficult for an ordinary Kenyan who wants to seek employment abroad to get a passport. Yet criminals obtain them in a very short time, through corruption or by getting a forged one. So who are all the security measures in obtaining a passport targeted against? It is the common man who wants to improve his lot.
The government should make it very easy for any Kenyan to obtain a passport. Missions abroad will start doing some useful work and help channel information about jobs open to the international market. There will be an aggressive effort by everybody to get as many Kenyans as possible working.
At home we will promote small business like never before. It is a known fact that worldwide job creation these days happens in small and micro enterprises and not large factories like the Kenya Meat Commission which has recently been revived. And neither does it happen with massive foreign investments like was the case in the 70s. Both are good things to happen, but the really significant job creation will happen with small enterprises. The strategy I have in mind will involve both funding and training on a massive scale in partnership with banks and non-governmental organizations already working on the ground. It will also be necessary to create new government organizations specifically charged with promoting small enterprise.
Government procurement of items like stationary does not need to be left to large companies when it can be given to dozens of small businesses. In the past we have been giving lip service to the promotion of small business and then turning round to promote and sustain big business in everything we do. Big business can take care of itself, and anyway they are downsizing and rapidly increasing unemployment.
We need to get very creative here and certain tax waivers can be granted to companies that maintain large work forces. In fact tax policy can be designed to favor larger work forces.
We need more creative solutions to the so-called hawker and kiosk menace. These would appear to be a menace in the thinking of the 70s. Actually I intend to explore ways to use these two great Kenyan enterprises to create massive job opportunities. There is little point in urging the nation to work when there are no jobs and no opportunities. I intend to create the opportunities and the jobs and I know most Kenyans will gladly work. They hardly need to be reminded to work.
All in all I will strive to find creative ways to create employment for Kenyans both at home and abroad.
Somebody may complain that we are promoting the continued brain drain from our country with professionals being attracted to work in other countries. My question is why do we want to keep people in the country when we do not have the opportunities for them yet? Kenya has a massive, highly qualified work force that is second to none in Africa. Travel across the continent and you will see what I am talking about. We have PS's and other senior government bureaucrats working in countries like Namibia and Botswana, and we have Kenyan entrepreneurs involved in all sorts of businesses spread right across the continent from South Africa to North Africa, from Cape to Cairo. More will be found in many countries in the West and elsewhere. These Kenyans are the main reason why the Kenyan shilling stubbornly remains so strong today against major foreign currencies. While the government slept, foreign inflows from nationals living and working abroad has become one of the major foreign exchange earners in the country. But the problem is that the people in power stuck in the thinking (and time-warp) of the 70s are confused. In their book, this sort of thing has never been considered to be a serious foreign exchange earner and therefore they have even been reluctant to find ways of keeping accurate figures.
A new government should work to improve and rapidly increase opportunities for Kenyans to work abroad because apart from anything else, it gives them skill and experience that they can then bring back home in future when we rise to be the super power we really are.
Let me end by saying that if we can succeed in creating jobs, we will have been able to deal with so many other serious problems facing our nation today. A good example is crime. How can you expect crime not to be on the rise in a nation where unemployment stands at over 40% and growing?
A constant healthy flow of foreign currency into the county from nationals working abroad and from productive Kenyans within the country means that the government can be able to comfortably finance itself without seeking foreign aid.
We need to change direction and focus from an economy that benefits a few privileged Kenyans to one that has an impact on the greatest number of Kenyans possible. A good place to start is to escape from the thinking of the past.
This presidential candidate only has one agenda, job creation.
"If an economy is moving, tax it, if it keeps on moving regulate it, if it stalls subsidize it."
- Former US President Ronald Reagan-
No management, let alone government, can be successful without focusing on one key priority issue at a time. The problem we have in Kenya is that we accept to be cheated by presidential candidates who paint a rosy picture of many things that they are going to do. No candidate stands for anything let alone a certain key priority they want to address. And where they pretend to, they have no idea of how they are going to go about it.
And our governments are worse when they come into power because it soon becomes very clear that the leaders had no other agenda but to get power for power's sake.
This presidential campaign will focus on one key priority. Job creation. Naturally this has a lot to do with the economy. But I intend to focus on job creation in every single thing that the government does and in economic policies and even daily decision-making.
It starts with very little things. For example, today it is very difficult for an ordinary Kenyan who wants to seek employment abroad to get a passport. Yet criminals obtain them in a very short time, through corruption or by getting a forged one. So who are all the security measures in obtaining a passport targeted against? It is the common man who wants to improve his lot.
The government should make it very easy for any Kenyan to obtain a passport. Missions abroad will start doing some useful work and help channel information about jobs open to the international market. There will be an aggressive effort by everybody to get as many Kenyans as possible working.
At home we will promote small business like never before. It is a known fact that worldwide job creation these days happens in small and micro enterprises and not large factories like the Kenya Meat Commission which has recently been revived. And neither does it happen with massive foreign investments like was the case in the 70s. Both are good things to happen, but the really significant job creation will happen with small enterprises. The strategy I have in mind will involve both funding and training on a massive scale in partnership with banks and non-governmental organizations already working on the ground. It will also be necessary to create new government organizations specifically charged with promoting small enterprise.
Government procurement of items like stationary does not need to be left to large companies when it can be given to dozens of small businesses. In the past we have been giving lip service to the promotion of small business and then turning round to promote and sustain big business in everything we do. Big business can take care of itself, and anyway they are downsizing and rapidly increasing unemployment.
We need to get very creative here and certain tax waivers can be granted to companies that maintain large work forces. In fact tax policy can be designed to favor larger work forces.
We need more creative solutions to the so-called hawker and kiosk menace. These would appear to be a menace in the thinking of the 70s. Actually I intend to explore ways to use these two great Kenyan enterprises to create massive job opportunities. There is little point in urging the nation to work when there are no jobs and no opportunities. I intend to create the opportunities and the jobs and I know most Kenyans will gladly work. They hardly need to be reminded to work.
All in all I will strive to find creative ways to create employment for Kenyans both at home and abroad.
Somebody may complain that we are promoting the continued brain drain from our country with professionals being attracted to work in other countries. My question is why do we want to keep people in the country when we do not have the opportunities for them yet? Kenya has a massive, highly qualified work force that is second to none in Africa. Travel across the continent and you will see what I am talking about. We have PS's and other senior government bureaucrats working in countries like Namibia and Botswana, and we have Kenyan entrepreneurs involved in all sorts of businesses spread right across the continent from South Africa to North Africa, from Cape to Cairo. More will be found in many countries in the West and elsewhere. These Kenyans are the main reason why the Kenyan shilling stubbornly remains so strong today against major foreign currencies. While the government slept, foreign inflows from nationals living and working abroad has become one of the major foreign exchange earners in the country. But the problem is that the people in power stuck in the thinking (and time-warp) of the 70s are confused. In their book, this sort of thing has never been considered to be a serious foreign exchange earner and therefore they have even been reluctant to find ways of keeping accurate figures.
A new government should work to improve and rapidly increase opportunities for Kenyans to work abroad because apart from anything else, it gives them skill and experience that they can then bring back home in future when we rise to be the super power we really are.
Let me end by saying that if we can succeed in creating jobs, we will have been able to deal with so many other serious problems facing our nation today. A good example is crime. How can you expect crime not to be on the rise in a nation where unemployment stands at over 40% and growing?
A constant healthy flow of foreign currency into the county from nationals working abroad and from productive Kenyans within the country means that the government can be able to comfortably finance itself without seeking foreign aid.
We need to change direction and focus from an economy that benefits a few privileged Kenyans to one that has an impact on the greatest number of Kenyans possible. A good place to start is to escape from the thinking of the past.
This presidential candidate only has one agenda, job creation.
A True Kenyan Story: Matatu Nightmare
When I boarded the matatu headed for my rural home in Nyeri that fateful day in 2001, it never crossed my mind that there was such great horror ahead for me and the other female passengers in that vehicle.
If anything, it had been very reassuring that a thorough search had been carried out on all passengers prior to our boarding the matatu at the popular Nyamakima bus stage, in downtown Nairobi. Matatu-jackings had become too common and this precaution was very re-assuring because it meant that there was nobody onboard carrying a gun.
The journey was uneventful until we were a few kilometres from reaching our destination. A very young man that you would never suspect who was seated at the front of the Nissan minibus next to the driver asked the driver to drop him off at a very dark remote place on the main road. It sounded like a reasonable request. After all it was now dark and it made sense for somebody to be dropped off as close as possible to where they were going, although the place was so dark that it didn't look like anybody lived anywhere close by for miles around.
The moment the vehicle stopped there was a commotion at the back and three other young men (they couldn't have been more than 19 years old) emerged brandishing guns.
I was seated around the middle of the matatu and I froze in horror and went numb. Everything started happening in a hallucinatory way, like it was happening to somebody else or in a movie. There had been a total of 4 car-jackers in the matatu. They took over the vehicle and drove off the main road into the bush for several minutes. We finally stopped in what appeared to be a small clearing.
They proceeded to swiftly rob passengers of all their valuables at gunpoint. Wallets, mobile phones and all sorts of valuables were all put inside a makeshift sack they had fashioned from several shirts belonging to passengers. But the nightmare was only just beginning.
All passengers were then asked to strip naked and our clothes put in a heap. We stood there shivering out of fright and the chilly night air. We were then ordered at gun point to have sex with each other. I saw at least two of the gangsters also involved in the rape of passengers but they used condoms, which were also later recovered from the scene of the crime by the police.
At least two people penetrated me. One an elderly man who was stinking of sweat. It was all too horrible to imagine, let alone be involved in. It continued for what looked like forever. Finally we realized that the gangsters had left (with our clothes as well, so that it was difficult for us to seek help).
My normal senses started returning to me and I had these terrible feelings that are difficult to describe. I felt filthy and violated, there was deep fear in me. What would my husband say? Had I contracted AIDS? It was a horror that did not leave me and will probably never leave me completely.
Even today I can't bring myself to talk about it. This experience of writing it down is the first time I have really described it in any detail.
I have never gone for an AIDS test to date, although we were all treated at the district hospital and given medication. I am no longer with my husband as result of this incident although he supports our children. I have no idea how the guns were never discovered in the search carried out prior to the beginning of our journey.
Blogger/Editor's note:
(Gang rape and forced sex during matatu car jackings and even during robberies in homes is still a menace in Kenya today, although it has dramatically reduced from the high statistics of 2000 to 2002. What makes it worse is that most cases go unreported or are reported days after in scanty detail.
In the same year when this particular incident happened, a matatu carrying mainly female nurses going off duty was hijacked somewhere on Ngong Road and the passengers, including the nurses raped and forced to have sex with other passengers. The vehicle was later abandoned somewhere in Kawangware where people going to work the next morning came across it with condoms scattered all over the floor of the Nissan minibus.
This is a sick, bizarre and inhuman crime whose origin or motivations are unclear. People point to the increased use of drugs and exposures to Internet sex (some of which have violent tendencies) as possible causes.)
Send in your True Kenyan story today. Email to umissedthis@yahoo.com
============
Nancy Burpee is a world class paralympic swimmer, who has set world records in the 50 and 100 yards freestyle but was disqualified and thus effectively locked out from the 2004 Paralympic Games held in Athens, Greece on a procedural technicality. Law firm simmons jannace & stagg represented her in an effort to have the disqualification overturned and argued that the Australian referee showed bias against Ms. Burpee by making various comments indicating that the Australian referee did not want Ms. Burpee competing against an Australian paralympic swimmer at the games.
If anything, it had been very reassuring that a thorough search had been carried out on all passengers prior to our boarding the matatu at the popular Nyamakima bus stage, in downtown Nairobi. Matatu-jackings had become too common and this precaution was very re-assuring because it meant that there was nobody onboard carrying a gun.
The journey was uneventful until we were a few kilometres from reaching our destination. A very young man that you would never suspect who was seated at the front of the Nissan minibus next to the driver asked the driver to drop him off at a very dark remote place on the main road. It sounded like a reasonable request. After all it was now dark and it made sense for somebody to be dropped off as close as possible to where they were going, although the place was so dark that it didn't look like anybody lived anywhere close by for miles around.
The moment the vehicle stopped there was a commotion at the back and three other young men (they couldn't have been more than 19 years old) emerged brandishing guns.
I was seated around the middle of the matatu and I froze in horror and went numb. Everything started happening in a hallucinatory way, like it was happening to somebody else or in a movie. There had been a total of 4 car-jackers in the matatu. They took over the vehicle and drove off the main road into the bush for several minutes. We finally stopped in what appeared to be a small clearing.
They proceeded to swiftly rob passengers of all their valuables at gunpoint. Wallets, mobile phones and all sorts of valuables were all put inside a makeshift sack they had fashioned from several shirts belonging to passengers. But the nightmare was only just beginning.
All passengers were then asked to strip naked and our clothes put in a heap. We stood there shivering out of fright and the chilly night air. We were then ordered at gun point to have sex with each other. I saw at least two of the gangsters also involved in the rape of passengers but they used condoms, which were also later recovered from the scene of the crime by the police.
At least two people penetrated me. One an elderly man who was stinking of sweat. It was all too horrible to imagine, let alone be involved in. It continued for what looked like forever. Finally we realized that the gangsters had left (with our clothes as well, so that it was difficult for us to seek help).
My normal senses started returning to me and I had these terrible feelings that are difficult to describe. I felt filthy and violated, there was deep fear in me. What would my husband say? Had I contracted AIDS? It was a horror that did not leave me and will probably never leave me completely.
Even today I can't bring myself to talk about it. This experience of writing it down is the first time I have really described it in any detail.
I have never gone for an AIDS test to date, although we were all treated at the district hospital and given medication. I am no longer with my husband as result of this incident although he supports our children. I have no idea how the guns were never discovered in the search carried out prior to the beginning of our journey.
Blogger/Editor's note:
(Gang rape and forced sex during matatu car jackings and even during robberies in homes is still a menace in Kenya today, although it has dramatically reduced from the high statistics of 2000 to 2002. What makes it worse is that most cases go unreported or are reported days after in scanty detail.
In the same year when this particular incident happened, a matatu carrying mainly female nurses going off duty was hijacked somewhere on Ngong Road and the passengers, including the nurses raped and forced to have sex with other passengers. The vehicle was later abandoned somewhere in Kawangware where people going to work the next morning came across it with condoms scattered all over the floor of the Nissan minibus.
This is a sick, bizarre and inhuman crime whose origin or motivations are unclear. People point to the increased use of drugs and exposures to Internet sex (some of which have violent tendencies) as possible causes.)
Send in your True Kenyan story today. Email to umissedthis@yahoo.com
============
Nancy Burpee is a world class paralympic swimmer, who has set world records in the 50 and 100 yards freestyle but was disqualified and thus effectively locked out from the 2004 Paralympic Games held in Athens, Greece on a procedural technicality. Law firm simmons jannace & stagg represented her in an effort to have the disqualification overturned and argued that the Australian referee showed bias against Ms. Burpee by making various comments indicating that the Australian referee did not want Ms. Burpee competing against an Australian paralympic swimmer at the games.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Business/Make Money Feature: Is Finance All That Hinders You From Going Into Business For Yourself?
Recently I got an opportunity to make a brief presentation to a small group that is in the process of launching a business project. My presentation focused on the Toyota Motor Corporation's JIT (just in time manufacturing). There was also an emphasis on how letting your customers raise the capital to lift your business enterprise to success (which started with Ford founder and the inventor of the Assembly line, Henry Ford) can be used to dramatically cut down on the risks of financial losses in any enterprise.
I quickly realized how naïve I really was to have thought that I would go in there and change mind sets with one small inspiring presentation. One man even told me right in my face that I was lying and that there was no way that Toyota would manufacture vehicles in the way I "dared to suggest". I quietly referred them to the company web site and also asked them to do a little research using a search engine and the key words "just in time manufacturing." That whole episode really shook me. Just in time manufacturing is the revolutionary production process used by the most efficient manufacturing company in the world to manufacture cars only according to demand and with virtually no waste of resources or raw materials.
Another gentleman at the presentation who is a senior accountant with a large multi-national stuck to his mantra, no doubt written on stone in his heart after years of service to his employer – "nothing moves without a budget," he kept saying in many different ways.
I realized that one of the biggest problems facing would-be entrepreneurs in Kenya and indeed Africa today is not capital but a mindset that won't change. Many Kenyans today would give an arm and a leg (and a spouse – as many have already done) to get an opportunity to go to the United States. Even with the rapidly changing situation in that country, the vast majority of Kenyans strongly believe that all they have to do to become millionaires is get to America (the end justifying any means used).
Yet in that great nation I wonder if the founding fathers (all immigrants) sat down to create a budget before they went in. Where did they get the capital to build this great enterprise called The USA Inc.?
The best-documented example of this old argument, of whether it is acceptable to launch a business without capital or financing, being played out involved Henry Ford himself. The founder of the Ford Motor company just couldn't stand bankers. His belief was that to start a business, you created a product and if it could get customers, you then used the proceeds to build another unit so that it was the customers who "financed" the business. The huge advantage, old man Ford said, was that if the business was not viable, one would not need to waste a ton of capital to find out. It would simply never take off and the person would then be free to try something else, without the burden of debt hanging over their necks and following them to their next enterprise.
Many people ridiculed Henry Ford for these "radical" ideas. No doubt it did not help that he had very limited formal education. However that did not stop Ford from proving practically just how viable his ideas were.
(to be continued… Next Week: How You Can Launch A Part Time Business using this principle.)
I quickly realized how naïve I really was to have thought that I would go in there and change mind sets with one small inspiring presentation. One man even told me right in my face that I was lying and that there was no way that Toyota would manufacture vehicles in the way I "dared to suggest". I quietly referred them to the company web site and also asked them to do a little research using a search engine and the key words "just in time manufacturing." That whole episode really shook me. Just in time manufacturing is the revolutionary production process used by the most efficient manufacturing company in the world to manufacture cars only according to demand and with virtually no waste of resources or raw materials.
Another gentleman at the presentation who is a senior accountant with a large multi-national stuck to his mantra, no doubt written on stone in his heart after years of service to his employer – "nothing moves without a budget," he kept saying in many different ways.
I realized that one of the biggest problems facing would-be entrepreneurs in Kenya and indeed Africa today is not capital but a mindset that won't change. Many Kenyans today would give an arm and a leg (and a spouse – as many have already done) to get an opportunity to go to the United States. Even with the rapidly changing situation in that country, the vast majority of Kenyans strongly believe that all they have to do to become millionaires is get to America (the end justifying any means used).
Yet in that great nation I wonder if the founding fathers (all immigrants) sat down to create a budget before they went in. Where did they get the capital to build this great enterprise called The USA Inc.?
The best-documented example of this old argument, of whether it is acceptable to launch a business without capital or financing, being played out involved Henry Ford himself. The founder of the Ford Motor company just couldn't stand bankers. His belief was that to start a business, you created a product and if it could get customers, you then used the proceeds to build another unit so that it was the customers who "financed" the business. The huge advantage, old man Ford said, was that if the business was not viable, one would not need to waste a ton of capital to find out. It would simply never take off and the person would then be free to try something else, without the burden of debt hanging over their necks and following them to their next enterprise.
Many people ridiculed Henry Ford for these "radical" ideas. No doubt it did not help that he had very limited formal education. However that did not stop Ford from proving practically just how viable his ideas were.
(to be continued… Next Week: How You Can Launch A Part Time Business using this principle.)
Kumekucha launches campaign for the Presidency of Kenya
Presidential Campaign 2007
My dear fellow Kenyans, today I launch in this blog this regular feature that will be a platform to campaign for the presidency of Kenya. This is a unique campaign because unlike other campaigns it does not start with a personality or (God forbid) a tribe and its' interests. In fact we do not have a candidate yet although I am persuaded that we will ultimately find a young Kenyan, born in 1963 or thereabouts to carry forward this very important agenda and issues in a campaign for the presidency.
The time has come when we must look at presidential campaigns differently. Instead of focusing on one's chances of winning (hence the tribal arithmetic quickly coming into play) we now need candidates whose urgent priority will be to be identified with certain issues. Candidates who will have a clear agenda. That is what should get them a following and not the tribe they happen to belong to. We need men and women who are prepared to stand with a certain cause and are willing to stick with it for the long haul if that is what it will take to finally get the support they need to win. We need Kenyan men and women of integrity who when they finally win will use the opportunity entrusted on them by fellow Kenyans, not to enrich themselves but to bring about genuine change and genuine benefits to our beloved nation.
In 2002 we were all delighted that KANU had finally gone – or so we thought. There was such euphoria in the air. Today Kenyans are wiser. One lesson that has clearly come out is that those who took over the reigns of power on that memorable December day, 2002, did not do so with the right motives in mind. Let alone any clear ideas or policies other than to remove Kanu and ascend to power mainly for themselves and for the people second.
Former cabinet minister Kiraitu Muriungi's famous message to former President Moi, still stands out and hangs there shamefully fluttering in the wind as a stark reminder that the politicians Kenyans have known thus far have mainly spoken far too quickly and acted far too slowly or not at all. Hon Muriungi told Moi to retire quietly to his farm in Kabarak and sit back and take some lessons on how a government should be run. Alas, today it is that same Moi who has come back to give some lessons to that same government on how to run a government. Mostly how they can survive in power against the will of the majority of Kenyans yearning for genuine change and feeling very much cheated after 2002. The tactics they intend to use are similar to those that Moi used to stay in power against the will of the majority of Kenyans for many years. Those tactics were used by colonialists very effectively. They are the tactics of divide and rule that thrive on generating tribal animosity.
Since the launch of this blog on a whim, almost two years ago, I have tried very hard to stick to our simple vision and mission. And that is to push for a change of leadership in Kenya where the baton would be passed on to a new, younger generation of Kenyans.
Since that time, some progress has been made, younger people's interest in politics has gathered momentum tremendously and many lobby groups and organizations have been formed. This blog does not claim any credit for what has happened, what we see is proof that here is an idea whose time has come.
Sadly at the same time, the generation of our fathers and grandfathers, desperately fighting to cling onto power has continued in their bad old habits. Only that this time with more political freedom, these politics of appealing to tribal sentiments and fighting for the interests or share in the national cake specifically on behalf and for certain tribes or communities is just too dangerous.
We just need to take a quick look at what happened in neighbouring Somalia and a number of Eastern countries where we have witnessed so called ethnic cleansing, to see this.
The numerous problems facing Kenya today can be turned into opportunities but this is not going to happen if we insist on using yesterday's tired methods being promoted by yesterday's crop of old tired leaders.
A wise man once said that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. The nation that man came from is now a super power. Please join me as I take this single step, this humble beginning to make a difference in our beloved nation.
My dear fellow Kenyans, today I launch in this blog this regular feature that will be a platform to campaign for the presidency of Kenya. This is a unique campaign because unlike other campaigns it does not start with a personality or (God forbid) a tribe and its' interests. In fact we do not have a candidate yet although I am persuaded that we will ultimately find a young Kenyan, born in 1963 or thereabouts to carry forward this very important agenda and issues in a campaign for the presidency.
The time has come when we must look at presidential campaigns differently. Instead of focusing on one's chances of winning (hence the tribal arithmetic quickly coming into play) we now need candidates whose urgent priority will be to be identified with certain issues. Candidates who will have a clear agenda. That is what should get them a following and not the tribe they happen to belong to. We need men and women who are prepared to stand with a certain cause and are willing to stick with it for the long haul if that is what it will take to finally get the support they need to win. We need Kenyan men and women of integrity who when they finally win will use the opportunity entrusted on them by fellow Kenyans, not to enrich themselves but to bring about genuine change and genuine benefits to our beloved nation.
In 2002 we were all delighted that KANU had finally gone – or so we thought. There was such euphoria in the air. Today Kenyans are wiser. One lesson that has clearly come out is that those who took over the reigns of power on that memorable December day, 2002, did not do so with the right motives in mind. Let alone any clear ideas or policies other than to remove Kanu and ascend to power mainly for themselves and for the people second.
Former cabinet minister Kiraitu Muriungi's famous message to former President Moi, still stands out and hangs there shamefully fluttering in the wind as a stark reminder that the politicians Kenyans have known thus far have mainly spoken far too quickly and acted far too slowly or not at all. Hon Muriungi told Moi to retire quietly to his farm in Kabarak and sit back and take some lessons on how a government should be run. Alas, today it is that same Moi who has come back to give some lessons to that same government on how to run a government. Mostly how they can survive in power against the will of the majority of Kenyans yearning for genuine change and feeling very much cheated after 2002. The tactics they intend to use are similar to those that Moi used to stay in power against the will of the majority of Kenyans for many years. Those tactics were used by colonialists very effectively. They are the tactics of divide and rule that thrive on generating tribal animosity.
Since the launch of this blog on a whim, almost two years ago, I have tried very hard to stick to our simple vision and mission. And that is to push for a change of leadership in Kenya where the baton would be passed on to a new, younger generation of Kenyans.
Since that time, some progress has been made, younger people's interest in politics has gathered momentum tremendously and many lobby groups and organizations have been formed. This blog does not claim any credit for what has happened, what we see is proof that here is an idea whose time has come.
Sadly at the same time, the generation of our fathers and grandfathers, desperately fighting to cling onto power has continued in their bad old habits. Only that this time with more political freedom, these politics of appealing to tribal sentiments and fighting for the interests or share in the national cake specifically on behalf and for certain tribes or communities is just too dangerous.
We just need to take a quick look at what happened in neighbouring Somalia and a number of Eastern countries where we have witnessed so called ethnic cleansing, to see this.
The numerous problems facing Kenya today can be turned into opportunities but this is not going to happen if we insist on using yesterday's tired methods being promoted by yesterday's crop of old tired leaders.
A wise man once said that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. The nation that man came from is now a super power. Please join me as I take this single step, this humble beginning to make a difference in our beloved nation.
A True Kenyan Story: A Doctor's Revenge
Not far from Nairobi is a small town full of history called Limuru. If you take the time to talk to locals and ask them about the story of the doctor's revenge, they will tell you this bizzare tale I am about to repeat here.
It all centers around this young Kenyan surgeon who married this beautiful young Kenyan lady whose exact birthplace or origin I cannot quite remember, but she was Kikuyu like the good doctor.
Their life seemed to be happy enough. The doctor, like most surgeons in Kenya was making a good regular income and his young wife lacked for nothing. The only problem was that her husband usually worked late and so she inevitably started getting a little bored and lonely, like many housewives usually do.
There was this young local chief in the area who was a family friend and a regular visitor to the house. Many times when he would visit, the good doctor would be at work. One thing led to another and soon the chief was more than just a family friend to the surgeon's wife.
The rumours finally reached the doctor who was furious, naturally. What really hurt him most must have been the betrayal by the chief, whom he considered a very close friend. Still he held his peace and quietly made his plans.
He faked a long trip out of town but returned in the wee hours, parking his car very far from the house. Now those who have been to Limuru know that it is a very quiet place that can get very cold sometimes. When it gets chilly people tend to sleep so soundly that it would take something close to a bomb to wake them up.
The doctor's wife and the honorable chief were in this kind of sleep. It is said that the doctor walked into his bedroom with all his surgical equipment. When he was done, the chief's status had been changed such that he would never again in his life be able to come anywhere near a woman. Surgery complete and stitched up by the expert hands of the surgeon so that no scar would ever be left, the good doctor made his exit leaving his dear wife and castrated local chief still in deep sleep on his marital bed. He drove back to his "long out of town trip".
Innocently, the doctor returned the next day to be warmly welcomed by his wife. Life continued as it always had for the picture perfect couple. What changed for the doctor was this amused look folks in town always gave him whenever they met him. Some could not hold back a snigger or two. Many women openly giggled while others would burst into loud laughter the moment the doctor and his wife were out of ear shot.
The chief? He disappeared. Nobody knows exactly where he went because he was never heard of again.
That's what I call a permanent surgical solution to a chronic ailment.
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Send in a true story of something that happened to you or somebody whom you know.
Depending on the nature of your true story, we will be happy to keep your identity and email secret. Remember that this is a Kenyan site and therefore you increase the chances of getting your story published if Kenyans can identify with it. We are specially looking for real life stories that reflect on how life is for Kenyans either in Kenya or anywhere else in the world.
Email your story to us today at umissedthis at yahoo dot com (written like this to avoid robots from spammers that scan text for email addresses)
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Why The East African Political Federation Is Dead In The Water
When former powerful Attorney General and later cabinet minister, Charles Mugane Njonjo issued a statement recently where he did not mince any words in saying that the proposed East African Federation was a waste of time, many Kenyans did not agree with his views. Especially when it is quite clear that he was one of the main powerful characters in President Kenyatta's government who pushed for the breaking of the then East African Community in 1977.
However the truth is that Njonjo knows a few things that many ordinary Kenyans do not know. And that is the fact that Tanzania was slowing down progress in the community considerably.
Ironically the current fast tracking initiative for an East African Federation has been slowed down tremendously by one nation, Tanzania. Had this issue been only between Kenya and Uganda, it would have been resolved a long time ago. And maybe the time has now come for the other East African nations, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda to seriously consider moving ahead with an East African Federation that excludes Tanzania whose people are not really interested in such a development.
Sources on the ground reveal to this writer that the vast majority of ordinary Tanzanians view Kenyans as a threat to employment opportunities within their country. Interestingly very few of them are thinking outside Tanzania at the moment despite the massive opportunities and the special Tanzanian talents in trade for instance that would see them prosper virtually anywhere in East Africa. The danger in this kind of thinking is that the Tanzanian "honeymoon economic growth" could end as suddenly as it began, especially if Kenya gets its act together. Economists give various reasons for this but one of the most obvious is that investors prefer Ugandan or Kenyan labour to Tanzanian. The only reason why many of them are in Tanzania is because the conditions are highly favorable to foreign investors unlike the situation in Kenya at the moment.
Listening to the speeches of President Kibaki and President Kikwete during the recent meeting in Arusha, it was easy to capture the tension and undercurrents. President Kibaki talked about the need to remove all trade barriers, and open the borders for the free movement of the peoples of East Africa and Kikwete talked about the incident of increased cross border crime and the need to co-operate to curb it.
The truth that even the most optimistic of Kenyans should be made aware of is that rather than opening up the borders for free movement of people, the vision of most Tanzanians for a bright future is one without any Kenyans in their country. The sooner this truth is realized the less time and public funds will be wasted in chasing the wind.
=====================
Personal bankruptcy is generally considered the ultimate debt management option and although it will get you off the hook as far as many of your creditors are concerned, it is important to realize its’ long term effects and impact on your life. Although in certain situations it is the only option, it will stay on your credit report for 10 years and make life difficult for you in many ways. That is why many opt for debt consolidation instead. Debt consolidation involves taking out a low-interest loan that will pay off all your debts, leaving you with just the one loan to pay off.
However the truth is that Njonjo knows a few things that many ordinary Kenyans do not know. And that is the fact that Tanzania was slowing down progress in the community considerably.
Ironically the current fast tracking initiative for an East African Federation has been slowed down tremendously by one nation, Tanzania. Had this issue been only between Kenya and Uganda, it would have been resolved a long time ago. And maybe the time has now come for the other East African nations, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda to seriously consider moving ahead with an East African Federation that excludes Tanzania whose people are not really interested in such a development.
Sources on the ground reveal to this writer that the vast majority of ordinary Tanzanians view Kenyans as a threat to employment opportunities within their country. Interestingly very few of them are thinking outside Tanzania at the moment despite the massive opportunities and the special Tanzanian talents in trade for instance that would see them prosper virtually anywhere in East Africa. The danger in this kind of thinking is that the Tanzanian "honeymoon economic growth" could end as suddenly as it began, especially if Kenya gets its act together. Economists give various reasons for this but one of the most obvious is that investors prefer Ugandan or Kenyan labour to Tanzanian. The only reason why many of them are in Tanzania is because the conditions are highly favorable to foreign investors unlike the situation in Kenya at the moment.
Listening to the speeches of President Kibaki and President Kikwete during the recent meeting in Arusha, it was easy to capture the tension and undercurrents. President Kibaki talked about the need to remove all trade barriers, and open the borders for the free movement of the peoples of East Africa and Kikwete talked about the incident of increased cross border crime and the need to co-operate to curb it.
The truth that even the most optimistic of Kenyans should be made aware of is that rather than opening up the borders for free movement of people, the vision of most Tanzanians for a bright future is one without any Kenyans in their country. The sooner this truth is realized the less time and public funds will be wasted in chasing the wind.
=====================
Personal bankruptcy is generally considered the ultimate debt management option and although it will get you off the hook as far as many of your creditors are concerned, it is important to realize its’ long term effects and impact on your life. Although in certain situations it is the only option, it will stay on your credit report for 10 years and make life difficult for you in many ways. That is why many opt for debt consolidation instead. Debt consolidation involves taking out a low-interest loan that will pay off all your debts, leaving you with just the one loan to pay off.
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