A chance for my vote to have some meaning...for once

I am usually apathetic to politics (I can be very sarcastic by the way when referring to politicians), and this time round just before the world ends in December 2012, we would have cast our votes in August of that year. My plan was to spoil my vote, or identify some non-starter (Chibule wa Tsuma-like) to basically waste my vote on. In the past it has been a case of voting for "the lesser evil"...Even in 2002, when the old regime of Uncle Dan was trying to get in UK to succeed him in the white house on top of the hill, it was the same case...recycled politicians who were not fit to hold any leadership position.

To be honest, other than a few lawmakers, most of them deserve to be lined up and prodded with some sharp object on their backs to walk the plank...pirate style in shark infested waters. As I watch in amusement at the goings on in the Arab world, I wonder silently to myself in that broken American English phrase ... who woulda thunked that?...The strongmen in these Middle East nations looked like they were going to stay in power for the rest of their lives, but things can change in the blink of an eye...one day Mohamed Bouazizi was pushing his cart of fruits and being hassled by the "kanjo" of Tunisia, and the next moment he had set himself on fire and sparked off a chain of events that saw the Tunisian, and Egyptian regimes sent packing....The times they are a changin'

Anyway, for those of us who are almost losing hope when we look at our situation back in Kenya

, we may have something to hold on to. We passed a new constitution, which makes matters at least bearable in some ways, restricting impunity in its own small ways. But the news that got me most optimistic was the decision by one of the few beacons in the August house to run for the BIG job..step forward Gatanga MP, the most Honorable Peter Kenneth. I have always been silently praying that a revolution of young leaders with the right intentions when gunning for public office come to the fore and do things "the way they are supposed to be done", and I am

sure residents of Gatanga will never be blinded by retrogressive politics from now on...if you can't demonstrate what value you are adding to the community you are representing, you are of no use to them, and they will ensure they get someone who responds to their needs and assists in finding solutions, not necessarily solving them.

Whatever he may have done in the past that I know not of, I really don't give a hoot...he has so far demonstrated service to the community, willingness to deal with development projects to alleviate poverty and non-involvement in hollow verbal exchanges and political plots. So sir, don't bother campaigning to me....you already have my vote! My prayer is you get there and make a "Gatanga" out of our beloved country.

So the journey begins mimi nitafanya pro-bono campaigns for this young man, and hopefully he will surround himself with like minded people (like he said to a few of us the other day) to propel us to where we are supposed to be...Kenya deserves better than what we currently have!

Feb the 14th....

Lemme join the bandwagon and say something about the day of the red stuff!...It is Feb 14th, and just like October 31st, just another day on the calendar for me. It is interesting that about 15 or so years ago, there was never such great furore(thought I'd be a bit fancy there also) about this non-gazetted 'holiday'. The office today was busy with activity as flowers kept coming in and dispersed to some lucky lass. The office bought these humongous 5 kg cakes for the folks and gave the women folk a full breakfast, more cake and a new 'club-house' for them...all this time my Ghanaian boss swung all the ladies on my floor those Ghanaian chocolates, all this time we, the men folk just stared in amusement and with a sense of injustice...anyway, had my share of stuffing myself silly with cake (white forest is the bomb!).

Back to the day. I know a few friends of mine who dread the day like it was an Ebola outbreak. one was so elated he was off to some foreign country some days before, therefore having an excuse not to do anything that day...."Mkisii kama mimi!"...well I know he would say that when "she" is not around to amuse the boys and appear tough. In campus, the red signified another ritual, which we aptly called "kumwaga damu!". I have only paid for one valentine's day, and it was not amusing.

There I was in my room in Hall 3, busy doing my assignments as I watched my roomy shuttle in and out preparing an elaborate valentines experience for his better half. After half a dozen showers and a run around campus laying some treasure-hunt clues, he was set. Now me having no better half to run around for, and being entertained by my roomy all this while was content nto to go through all this stress. then one of my other boys came around, let's call him Simo to put things into context. Now Simo had vowed he was not going to "mwaga damu" this time round, but my roomy's chick lived in the same room with Simo's chick. So when the first flowers rolled in for my roomy's chick, the obvious reaction from Simo's chick was to ask.."what about me?....Simo must be preparing something grand for me..a surprise!" Now is where the troubles started. Simo was broke, and he did not want to disappoint his chick, so he came to yours truly....did I say I funded one valz in my life prior to today?...well I was funding Simo, and he promised to pay back the advance...now six hundred bob at that time in campo was a substantial amount, and am still awaiting Simo to pay me.

Anyway Simo tries to put his act together, buys those inflatedly priced rose flowers, which was dessicated from the Feb sun by the time he was buying them..there was the AICAD dinner still waiting (now AICAD was our local 3-star place to take someone on a date in good ol Juja or for those of us not lucky enough to have anyone fancying us, ..the place to spoil yourself and kill off whatever remained of your allowance, what we called going broke in style!) AICAD was not necessarily cheap for an average campo bloke, and the day gobbled whatever remained of funds Simo and my roomy had (walimwaga damu kweli kweli!) The rest of the week we were all on bursary and beans! And I never got any benefit from the day!

Moving on swiftly, I think if I was forced to, I would go for the discounted 15th or 16th Feb valz..I know am a cheap-skate, but you get value for money, and i can't eat flowers!

Waste of resources

It pains me whenever the media has all these mercy missions trying to raise funds to aid some village in Pokot or some place in Makueni who are being ravaged by drought and famine. And it always seems by coincidence that this takes place in January or February when the dry season is at it's zenith. Like all human beings, most of us relate to the here and now. If it is hot and you talk of drought or famine, I will simply look at the sky..Yup the bloody sun is hot, check the thermometer dial..check!..38 degrees and counting! We seem to quickly forget that it was not more than two months or so before this that we were all complaining that the rainfall was too much, or that it was too cold. Food security projections chuck and we are all told how there will be a deficit in the food needed to feed the nation...palease!...maize does not grow and whither in a month! I feel that there is usually some scheme by some very smart fellas to use the prevailing conditions to hoodwink most of us...that is unless of course the other hypothesis below holds any water. I also saw tomato farmers in Nakuru experiencing a glut, and reducing prices of their produce by 25%..so where is this famine? The blind belief that maize is the only food we can eat as Kenyans is also silly to some extent. When we had a "famine" last time, and had to import maize, world wheat prices were far much lower than maize..why didn't we import wheat instead of maize?

I am also tempted to think that we as Kenyans never learn from past mistakes and experiences and are too lazy to make an attempt to make things right. For instance. Just last year when the rains were pounding the country, our reservoirs were full spilling water everywhere. There was talk of expanding them, dredging the damn things (no pun intended) and then when we get the chance, we remain comfortable, do nothing about it and then we'll complain of low water levels and the need for power rationing. Our planning is at best pathetic. There is also the issue of livestock...it is a case of "bitten many times, never shy!". Kwani every year you will have your livestock dying and you don't do anything to avoid the same next time?This thing of "tunaomba serikali itusaidie" should stop, we should suggest solutions not seek assistance each and every time!

I was once in Lusaka (I would equate it to Naks), and there was one thing they were doing that really jazzed me and I was wondering why we have never thought in such lines...It was around August, just before their rainy season, and the council workers were busy clearing the drainage systems around the city. "You don't want the drains blocked when the rains come....Lusaka is pretty flat, so we make sure all waterways are clear of any debris." I was told. When I came back to good ol' Nairobbery, I could see the way soil, leaves, and all forms of debris was choking our drainage. I may not be an authority on this subject, but from observation, most roads get spoiled whenever they flood. All manner of junk gets onto the road, and the grinding effect scours away the tarmac with much more ease...i.e. in summary, blocked drainage=lower road life. If we had maybe 3 out of ten in our public service units where such critical foresight and action is required, believe me we'd be better of. In our current crop of politicians, there are only two leaders I can sieve out of the chaff...note the deliberate use of the terms "politicians" and "leaders"...Stand up and be counted Mr. Peter Kenneth (please run for president I vote for you!) and one Mr Johnson Muthama of Kangundo (pays his taxes)...

We also tend to be comfortable with the status quo....but we are all too aware of what may happen if the middle class had enough like Tunisians and Egyptians.

Signing off on my angry note!

Grifters in high places

First of 2011....It's been busy, so I hadn't gotten time to jot down anything. I have been exploring some interesting information on my pet subject (corruption). Interesting happenings around the globe towards tackling the vice also caught my eye and got me thinking...we aren't that bad after all...it is only the magnitude that differs and the sums involved. This i can illustrate by one of my favourite stories on corruption.

There were two Civil Engineering students from Malaysia and Nigeria, Aang' and Ayedepo (Sorry I had to use these examples...no offense intended!) who were bosom buddies in England where they pursued their undergraduate degrees with enthusiasm....They were just starting off on life and had big dreams on what they would do with their lives once unleashed onto the world. Well as it always happens, it was time to part ways as they completed their studies. Aang' and Ayedepo promised to keep in touch as they went back to their respective countries.

By coincidence, both were employed by their respective governments in the ministries dealing with road and infrastructure construction. Two years after they parted ways, Ayedepo now an assistant Engineer in his State receives an invitation from his friend Aang' to visit him in Malaysia. Aang' had arranged everything..and I mean evary-thang!Business class tickets to Kuala Lumpur, a limousine to pick him up from the airport to his mansion in the leafy suburbs of Damansara Heights. Ayedepo was awe-struck as he walked around with his mouth wide open at all the pleasures of life his good friend Aang' had managed to amass in just under two years. half a dozen sports cars were neatly parked in his garage and the compound had the state of the art security system.

Then Ayedepo asked the obvious question,.."Aang'..how did you come across all this in under two years?"...Aang' laughed and pointed to the bridge that connects the mainland to the Pulau Indah industrial park..."See that bridge?" he asked..

.."Oh yeah..", replied Ayedepo, as Aang' proceeds to rub his belly.....

.."10%..",Aang says while laughing.

Ayedepo never forgot the good time he had in Malaysia as Aang' gave him a tour of a lifetime. On getting back home, he took a year and extended a similar invitation to Aang' . Aang' being used

to the trappings of wealth was pleasantly surprised to get a first class ticket to Lagos and from Lagos was picked up by a chopper to ferry him to Ayedepo's ranch. Ayedepo had a 100 hectare ranch complete with an artificial lake and a country castle to boot. As the chopper landed, Aang' was led past an environmentally controlled garage that housed a dozen super cars and the occasional Bentley and Rolls Royce. Even before he could take in anymore, Aang' patted Ayedepo on the back when he finally met him...."My good friend Ayedepo...that was quick! How did you do all this in less than two years?..."

Ayedepo was still laughing trying to catch his breath as he motioned to his friend Aang'..."Aang' my dear friend, you taught me a lot when I swung by Kuala Lumpur the last time we met...Do you see that road?..." he said pointing into the horizon..

"What road?.." replied Aang' struggling to see what his friend was pointing at..Ayedepo proceeded to rub his belly.."100%.."

Moral of the story you may ask...This story unfortunately has no morals, but the drift of it is that everywhere in the world unfortunately, the vice exists and it is only the degree of abuse and the level of exposure of those guilty of engaging in the vice (the ones who get caught they say!) that varies. BAE systems for example in the UK involved over £2bn yes...pounds! thats about KES 260bn in fishy payments exchanging hands in the now infamous Al Yamamah contract (It was worth £80bn by the way!)...and what happened to the investigations? well after some veiled threats from the Saudis involved in the contract of not cooperating in the fight against terror and sharing information with the UK, "In public" interest, the Serious Fraud Office, an apparently independent body in the UK that fights graft was prevailed upon to discontinue the investigations. The anti-fraud section of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) to which the UK is a member did raise eyebrows and officially wrote a protest letter on the blatant disregard by the British government in curtailing the fraud investigations on account of safeugarding national and international security. (You can watch a video of this BAE case on the link below)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/blackmoney/view/?utm_campaign=searchpage&utm_medium=videosearch&utm_source=videosearch?autoplay

Anyway I hope the IMF and World Bank sanction the UK sometime in the future over this heh heh heh....