FROM A MIGHTY ROAR TO A SNIVELING WHIMPER

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga arrived back home to a hero’s welcome after a short stint in the United States a few months ago. He came breathing fire, promising nothing short of a revolution in a series of rallies that was to culminate in a major rally on the 7^th of July. The rally was to be held the same calendar day as the one in 1990 when political agitators met in a Nairobi park demanding the end to the one party system. That rally in 1990 ended in violence and running battles between activists and the state police.  Raila in a frenetic build up to this July rally, intimated that we were on the cusp of a new beginning to be brought about by non- too-timid means that would make Tahrir square look like a stroll along the sandy beaches of Mombasa (although that too is becoming quite hazardous).

Well the day of reckoning for the regime turned out to be as placid and tranquil as a wedding in which the full bride price has been paid and there are no dissenters waiting in the wings.  Attendance was dismal and Raila had to endure the added humiliation of a total blackout by the Kenyan media. An embarrassment akin to that of a coy maiden who shrieks out in horror after being felt up by the drunken uncle at the family reunion.

As things turned out, it was both a letdown and a relief. It was a letdown in the sense that his supporters expected a revolution on a grand scale but were instead treated to a declaration rife with platitudes and short on substance. It was a relief because if his supporters (whose proclivity for violence makes English soccer hooligans look like kids playing in the sand box) had been sent forth to revolt, there would have been immeasurable damage to both life and property.

A few weeks down the line and calm and serenity abounds even as the July chill permeates our bones and rewards sellers of hot beverages, blankets and jackets with a boon that will have them gorging on the fat for the rest of the year.

As it stands, we have 3 years to the next General Elections. Being a renowned master of political stratagem, I offer the following advice to Raila Odinga as regards his political future. First a prediction. If he were to be the flag bearer for his CORD coalition in the forthcoming Presidential race, he will be thoroughly beaten if his main rival is the incumbent, President Uhuru Kenyatta. Why? The President has the state machinery to use nefariously if he is so inclined to. Such iniquitous acts would include but would not be limited to: persuasion (intimidation), reciprocal agreements (vote buying) and aggrandizement of data (rigging).  But he would have no need for such antics as the President and his Deputy both enjoy rabid support in their respective strongholds and are making inroads into Raila territory whereas Raila has all but given up on ever getting an inkling of support in the Central and Rift Valley regions.

My advice to Raila is for him to exit center stage and assume the role of puppet master. Cede leadership to the younger generation of leaders. Become the coach of the winning team and you will still get to bask in the limelight of victory. The CORD ticket should be youthful, devoid of the old guard. Embrace the wing of upstarts who threatened to overthrow you and sent you scampering to the United States at the ill fated ODM elections.  They are the representation of the youth and would gather just as much support as yourself, and maybe more if you were to endorse them.

In the next article, I will attempt to put together a winning combination of possible presidential aspirants from the CORD coalition but I can definitely state with utmost assurance that any ticket with Raila, Kalonzo, Wetangula or any other recycled has-been will face eminent defeat at the polls.

In an article down the line, I will try to ascertain the possibility of an Uhuru re-election. All is not rosy for the incumbent given the myriad of problems we are experiencing. I have been gauging the mood on the ground and will be reporting later with my findings.

Be well my readers. Do not fret nor moan for happier days are ahead of us.

Of voter apathy and vacuous leadership

The I.E.B.C (Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission) released the 2012 listing of registered voters.  The figures showed 12.7 million have registered as voters in the country, representing 71 per cent of the target set by IEBC. The electoral body had set the target at 18 million.

Clearly this time around voters are convinced it will be a futile effort at the ballot box as change will not be forthcoming. Many waited until the last minute to register, this in the hope that an alternate candidate may emerge.

My take on the Kenya at present is rather glum. In terms of everyday life, it continues, albeit amid hardships. We are not starving as yet, but putting food on the table takes up most of the family budget leaving precious little for anything else.  In terms of business, some are doing well, while others are struggling. The food industry is holding steady, from the vegetable stand through to manufacturers of foodstuffs. The construction industry continues to grow, emphasis being on high rise buildings for tenant occupation. The real estate industry has stalled. According to brokers, people are not buying land at the moment.  This may be due to uncertainty about the forthcoming General Elections. Potential buyers or investors in real estate are waiting for the outcome of the General Elections to buy land in ‘neutral areas ‘that is, places not affected by post election skirmishes.

On a lighter note, there is one business that does well here in Kenya regardless of harsh economic times. That business is the sale of alcoholic beverages. I have noted that every village, every small town has multiple bars and Wines and Spirits businesses. Yet important institutions such as community centers, where youth can learn some skills and socialize appropriately, are lacking. Kenyans drink in good times and bad, when things are going well, they drink to the good times and when times are bleak they drink to drown away their sorrows, it’s a win-win situation for manufacturers and purveyors of alcoholic beverages.

Condemned to rudderless insipid leadership

With less than 3 months to go to the General Election, aspirants for public office have not defined their agenda for the post election period. They are instead locked in closed door meetings arguing over who will take what position in the government they hope to form. Not one leader has come out to address the concerns of the struggling Kenyan. Yet it is we who will put them into office, the same recycled trash from 20 years ago is still promising us a better Kenya, what complete and utter hogwash! Kenya has not progressed to its full potential since the days of Multi-party politics, instead we have bred a genus of a politician that has perfected the art of stealing public property and funds meant to provide basic services and initiate development projects.

But why is this so? Why do we continue to suffer inept leadership? Why, in a country that that has a relatively well educated population do we make such terrible choices at the ballot box?

My take:

-Voters have become resigned to the fact that this is the way things ought to be, call it voter fatigue. Some believe that things will not change as it is the same people vying for office every 5 years, with nothing to show for their years in office.

-Others think of the election period as a time ‘to eat’. They are mostly unemployed youth who will sing the tune of moneyed politicians in the hope of getting a handout. Others who have fallen prey to this malady are women’s groups. Politicians target these groups as they are voter rich and are easily swayed by a few blankets, some banknotes and bags of sugar.

-Potential great leaders are being locked out by the old guard. One way is through the costly nomination process whereby an aspirant has to pay a hefty registration fee to contest under the banner of a certain party. Although the Constitution allows independent candidates, we are not at that stage where your ideals and policies will sway the masses; the carnival type of campaigning is still the vogue here in Kenya, complete with dancing clowns and gyrating lasses.

-An ignorant, unaware voting populace also contributes to voter malaise. They have been kept so intentionally by our nefarious, inane politicians. Civic education is nonexistent in our schools and in the community. If the masses knew what good leadership entails and the expectations once in office, maybe then they would vote out permanently our corruption ridden politicians.

Post election prediction

I predict that many of the top positions in government will be retained either by those already firmly entrenched or the new administration will bring in their cronies to eat at the trough. We have a lot of qualified bureaucrats yet they will never get to live to their potential as nepotism and tribalism is the criteria for hiring.

I predict that life for the regular Kenyan will continue to be one of hardship and struggle. That feeder road will not be repaired; The Police will continue to be ill equipped, under paid and underprovided for in terms of amenities such as housing, thus making them less effective in service provision.  The local school will not be getting the needed supplies, overcrowding will continue thus teachers will be hard pressed to give individual attention. Hospitals and local health centers will be under staffed and under equipped thus increasing the misery of patients instead of providing succor.

My final prediction and fervent wish is that there will be no post election violence. Even if we elect the same dismal leaders, I urge all my fellow countrymen to remain calm and keep the peace. It does not make sense for neighbor to take arms against his neighbor for the sake of worthless politicians who will not remember you until the next election period. Your neighbor is whom you have to live with after the politicians drive back to their secluded estates, so be wise and please keep the peace and remember to vote.

COMMUNITY CLEAN UP: YOUTH LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Standard 8 students with their teacher picking up trash in Tuala

This Friday, Standard 8 students from Rudolf Steiner School, took time from school work to pick up plastic and other refuse from Tuala town.

They put it into bags to be recycled and properly disposed of by the staff of Kitengela Glass.

SOME BACKGROUND

RUDOLF STIENER SCHOOL

From their website:

The Rudolf Steiner School is a non-profit making organization; the school is situated 20 km south of Nairobi. There are approximately 320 children in the whole school, a Primary department and four Kindergarten groups. 

The school has facilities such as a wood work classroom, a computer classroom and a small farm with milking cows and a vegetable garden.

KITENGELA GLASS

From their website:

Kitengela Glass is located opposite the Nairobi National Park.

The staff led by owner, Nani Croze recycles glass and scraps of other materials into beautiful artworks, jewelry and home wares.

WHY THEY DID THE TRASH PICKUP:

-The students will get funding from Kitengela Glass to go on a field trip.

-The trash will be recycled and disposed with minimum damage to the environment.

-The students get to learn a valuable lesson about how they can make a positive impact in their community by getting involved.

LESSONS FOR THE COMMUNITY:

-It takes a united effort by all members of the community to better our lives and bring progress to our Town.

- We can set an example for our children to follow by taking part in community projects.

- If united, we can put pressure on local Government to deliver the services we pay taxes for.

CONCLUSION:

-It is woefully apparent that Local Government is a complete failure when it comes to service delivery, yet they are vigorous and timely when it comes to tax collection in the form of tolls, license registrations among others.

-Local Government and civic leadership is littered with ineffectual, mediocre and often illiterate personnel who more often than not got their jobs from nepotism and cronyism, thus to expect them to perform is to expect the impossible.

-We, as community activists need to be ever vigilant and even confrontational when it comes to holding the government responsible for service delivery using our tax money.

- We also need to engage our neighbors in mapping and implementing development projects to better our lives.

- We have a General Election in a few months, I urge our readers to critically assess the leadership presently occupying elected positions. If in the last five years, you or your community has not been affected positively by your local leadership, we urge you to reject them soundly at the ballot box. An ignoble end befitting a dismal tenure!

Of re-branding and ‘pigs in lipstick’

President Obama, revered here by some and disdainfully dismissed by others, had this to say about his Republican rival during his campaign for the presidency, “You know, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig”. This was in reference to the policies being offered by Senator McCain being similar to those of President Bush, thus implying that a vote for McCain was actually retention of the old regime.
The above quote aptly mirrors the goings on of our political parties here at home. Re-branding is the buzz word. Recently our Vice President changed the name of his political party to Wiper Democratic Movement from ODM-Kenya. Reason being, he did not want confusion at the ballot box with people intent on voting for him, voting for ODM instead. He changed his symbol from one and a half oranges to an umbrella. I think an appropriate symbol would have been an old rag or some baby wipes in keeping with his ‘Wiper’ name. Next, the Finance minister proposed changing his party from KANU (Kenya African National Union) to KANU (Kenya Alliance National Union) How clever! I can clearly picture the everyday voter discerning the difference. Our good professor has also has been busy. He held a recruitment drive on a day after a major holiday. How well attended was this affair? We can only hazard a guess.
A central theme runs through all these shenanigans being marketed as re-branding. They are still the same wolves whatever they decide to call themselves. And they want to be put in charge of the hen house called Kenya. I can positively predict that none of the chickens will make it to market.
What ails political parties?
-All are devoid of manifestos addressing the genuine concerns of the citizen. Most manifestos, if they have one, are drafted by lawyers. They are wordy yet say nothing.
-All political parties thrive on the whims of their founder. Remove the founder and that party is rudderless or dies immediately.
-All parties are detached from the grassroots. In the cases cited above, they all opened their secretariats in Lavington or thereabouts. How is the voter in the far flung areas of our country supposed to interact with their party? Well, an answer to that would be, “I will fly in on my chopper two months to election time and then its bye until the next election cycle”.
-All political parties treat campaigns as carnivals. Politicians doing road shows like aging rock stars, atop a truck, music blaring, looking pathetic trying to do the jig in vogue, dishing out blankets and cash. This does not add any value to their campaign nor does it help voters make informed decisions.
This is but a tiny fraction of the ills that plague our political parties and our politics in general.
What way forward?
-We propose manifestos be prepared with the input of those they hope to represent. This can be done through informal polling using samples. The benefit of this is that we can hold politicians accountable when they take positions contrary to our wishes and demands.
-We propose political parties be structured like corporations. That way they are free of personal influences and can thrive and grow long after their founders have departed.
-We propose that political parties have a permanent presence at the grassroots. This will enable party members to interact frequently with their party and party officials can disseminate party policy more effectively.
-We propose a different method of campaigning. How about town hall style meetings? Potential candidates can make their pitch and voters can voice their opinions in a back and forth type interaction. How about televised debates for presidential candidates like those held in North America? This would help voters differentiate the dunce from the well informed as regards their grasp of topics, ranging from the important such as the economy to the mundane such as how do we get our people to adopt a different staple food.
Lastly, and this may be contentious, I don’t think social media such as face book or twitter will any add any significant numbers to any candidates tally. I won’t defend this position, it just is so.
Comments are most heartily welcome.

From theory to practice

Some members of Tuala youth initiative group with their donated football siting atop their home made one. Taken on 14th September.

In my efforts to get involved in local community development, I recently accepted an invitation to attend a fund raising for the proposed secondary school in our locality. They have a shell of the secondary school that was started but construction stalled after the contractor fled with the money half way through. The event was moderately attended and a fair amount was raised. This type of fund raising activity brings forth several troubling issues. Among them is the question of accountability. The money raised sometimes gets ‘misplaced somehow’ and those that sat in the sun baking as they handed over that they did not have, are left with nothing but hopes and dreams. Another issue is following through. As previously noted contractors are notorious for accepting money for a project and then abandoning it half way or not doing anything at all. It is usually difficult to pursue these shady contractors once they have accepted the money. Will the school get constructed in time for next year’s school intake? Time will tell and I will keep readers informed of developments.
I also attended a neighborhood meeting of Rongai residents and business people a few weeks ago. The topic discussed was garbage and sewage. As mentioned in the previous article, on entering Ongata Rongai from Nairobi, you are met by open sewage spewing a green murky liquid substance. It is said many a small animal that had the misfortune to stumble into these open drainage systems has been vaporized, never to roam the earth again.
In addition to the garbage and sewer issues, we also discussed building codes, access roads and a few other topics that were not on the agenda. At the end, the participants came up with four resolutions to adopt and implement. My take on this neighborhood meeting is that while the the nothing is going to be done as we have a very ineffective County Council that in my opinion earns a failing grade in the provision of basic services.
Getting Involved
I have begun visiting neighbors and town residents and have met a few development minded citizens. In the course of my ‘meet the people tour’ I met a group of local youth who work in the nearby quarries loading trucks with stones. A little background is deserved. Kajiado County has many rocky areas that are mined for building stones. At the entrance to our town, which is more like a trading center, a group of youth waits for trucks coming from outside the area. They then hop unto the trucks to be loaders of the building stones that are mined in the hinterland. The truck owners have an agreement with the local youth to provide loading work to them in exchange for buying stones from their area. I met the chairman of this group who shared a little about this group. He told me they are a registered group and have an account where every member contributes a set sum weekly. He told me that recently his group has stalled and contributions were no longer being given as regularly. He heartily welcomed me and told me he would like a visionary to help propel their youth group further. Since community activism is what I am all about, I humbly welcomed his invitation to work with his group in engaging the youth in social and recreational activities. The youth in rural Kenya are prone to partaking illicit brews due to boredom or lack of worthwhile engagements.
One of my first gestures of being involved was donating a football to the youth to play with as they waited for loading work. Previously they had been using a homemade football composed of nylon and bound together by sisal rope. This small token was received with much appreciation. Going forward we plan to start a local football team. Duties have been assigned. Among them are scouting suitable grounds, pricing hardware for the goal posts and approaching corporations for sponsorship.
I will keep readers appraised of developments.

Slumber not, dear mother land.

Above photo: Once majestic Nairobi Railways, its frontage has been turned into a terminus for public transport vehicles. I took this on the 17th of September.

As ardent readers of my blog know, I was based abroad from the start of this very informative transformational blog. I am back home ready to assist and do my part in building this yet-to-be great nation. A sage once told me: “Even that America that people are fleeing to, was once barren and bare. Pioneers made it the way it is now. So build your America here in Kenya.” These words of advice, coupled with the fact that all my ideas for development can only be implemented while I am on the ground, made me transplant.
Initial Impressions
Kenya has changed these years I have been away. There are very few clunkers on the roads.There are some nice cars here and there but the vast majority of people still walk or take public transport. Nairobi has become overcrowded. While not rundown, its beauty has paled due to lack of maintenance. It is not a pleasant experience walking around this once great city, former pride of East Africa. On the positive, it is cleaner than it was during the former regime. People don’t litter for fear County Askaris may pounce on you from out of the blue. And gone are the days when women used to cook chapatis outside Times Tower building. There is no smoking on the streets; they have designated smoking areas where people huddle together like chickens during a storm to puff away, inflating their lungs with noxious fumes.
There are many more people especially the youth; sadly they have taken to aping western culture in song dance, dress and mannerisms. Generally, people are well dressed especially the ladies. Clothes, new and used are in abundance and it is thus easy to dress decently.
As for the roads, I have not been to see the famous Thika road and don’t intend to. A major modern highway leading to nowhere serves no purpose and we will be paying for it several generations down the line. What we need are feeder and access roads leading to densely populated areas or areas where commerce takes place. Other roads are still the same. There are no new roads in my area, Rongai which is outside Nairobi. The town has become very densely populated, trash everywhere, traffic a night mare with speeding drivers and non obedient matatus.
As regards communication, everyone has a phone. I mean from the tech savvy generation, up to the old grandma out in the country. Safaricom is very dominant as a supplier of mobile telephone service. Their Mpesa mobile banking system probably has more users then all formal banks combined together. Internet connectivity has improved tremendously according to those I asked. There are many internet capable phones being offered at affordable price points and the youth have taken to them in droves. Internet cafes are still popular as the price of a laptop or desktop is still prohibitive.
As is obvious, our greedy politicians have not bettered their ways, they are busy feeding themselves oblivious of their starving electorate. Recently without fanfare, they unanimously agreed to dip into the emergency reserve fund to pay their back taxes. And a day after a fire tragedy in one of the Nairobi slums, the Cabinet passed a resolution to shift the date of the next General Elections from August next year to December of the same year. The excuse given was flimsy at best. These are not the leaders that will transform this nation. Local Government is even more ineffectual. I will deal with them in the next article.
All in all, I am very optimistic about my motherland but we need a concerted effort with every ones involvement to propel this nation forward. Development will not take place with a centralized form of Government and the new Constitution is already stumbling out the gate as regards its implementation. Hopefully a new Government under a devolved type of administration will fare well as regards delivery services but it will only be driven by a completely new set of servant leaders. So my fellow Kenyans, choose wisely at the next Elections. To this end, we suggest an intense campaign geared towards civic education. I plan to start a civic education program and will be contacting civil society bodies for teaching materials.
Going forward I plan to post more development related articles and interviews with regular Kenyans. The tale of Kenya needs to told and I am optimistic this story will have a happy ending.
I sign off with this well intended Moi era Slogan that somehow went awry: “Peace, Love and Unity.”

Banana juice gold mine

A very fine initiative from our Kenyan youth