How "green" are you? Here are some of the things I do to make myself "green"...

Ensuring that we minimize our negative impact on the environment is a key element in tackling such concerns as pollution, solid waste, deforestation, global warming and climate change among a myriad of other existing and emerging ecological concerns.

A big chunk of the environmental concerns/problems we are experiencing is as a result of anthropogenic activities. Meaning our own actions (either as individuals or groups) have had a chain of reactions with feedbacks exhibited in various forms one of which is degraded environment.

It is worthy of note that, a degraded environment or an unstable ecosystem can barely support life. Therefore, there is a need to always ensure our environment is protected and at the least conserved if we are to have a  guarantee of healthy living. Our lives primarily depend on the natural environment around us and any degradation of it has a direct negative effect on life on Earth.

Each and everyone of us should thus strive to achieve an equilibrium on his/her interaction with the environment. Though our environment does act as a sink for nearly all our waste and those waste of the non-talking partners, we-the intelligent partner- should ensure that we don't serve the sink with more than it can take up at any particular time. In essence, am trying to say that we should minimizing on our waste as much as possible.

In my quest to achieve the highest level of eco-consciousness possible, I have taken to embracing several practices that minimize greatly my ecological footprint. The practices are ordinary and simple yet most of the time   majority of people take them for granted either for simple reason of ignorance or just because of misguided notion that an individual's action can have no substantial effect on a larger scale, say national or global.

The first thing I did was to change my attitude. As a little boy I used to believe that nature provides for us ad libitum and that it was inexhaustible and could take care of itself.  This was not until my dad introduced me to watching Sir David Attenborough's BBC nature documentaries and taking me and my other siblings on a tour of the local museum and agricultural shows, that I began to appreciate the fact that nature is wonderful, exhaustible and deserves to be conserved. I have since evolved in terms of attitude towards the natural environment and now I know better. I know my life is dependent on the quality and sustainability of my environment. I know the environment must be conserved and protected at all cost.

I live in the suburbs of Nairobi City and work within the city. On average, the distance to and from my work station is equivalent to a three hours drive on the minimum, with delays due to traffic jam taken into account. I don't own a personal car so am left with only one option - public transport. A majority use public transport in Nairobi. In fact, it is common place.

However, I have adopted a hybrid option of the public transport (matatus). Ordinarily, I should be boarding two vehicles to work in the morning and the same in the evening. But I do board two vehicles in the morning and only one in the evening. I have supplemented the dropped vehicle with a walk. When I realized the distance between my work station and the city center is a 15 - 20 minutes walk, I   immediately stopped boarding matatus and resorted to walking which not only goes along way in reducing my carbon footprint but also acting as a well deserved daily physical exercise. Am glad to say most of my colleagues at work have taken to walking too.

Still on the same point of public transport, I am always very keen on the kind of matatus I travel in. As a matter of principle, I don't do matatus that play loud music, those with loud exhausts and those that are poorly maintained which I usually judge by the amount of smoke emitted i.e. if a matatu emits huge smoke I don't board it.

Most of the matatus I travel in employ a receipt system. Passengers are issued with a receipt on payment of the bus fare. The receipts are however not reusable a fact that has resulted in an influx of litter(discarded receipts) at bus stops. As part of my going green goal, I have developed a habit of carrying my receipt(s) till the next dust bin where I offload them in there. Overtime I realized most people don't mind throwing litter anyhow and now I have taken to talking people out of the littering habit. I do it in a small scale but overtime am confident the result will be large scale.

In the house, I have taken to wise use (conservation) of everything. In terms of energy use, I am always keen to avoid any wastage. Whenever am leaving the house I do ensure my sockets are switched off. As a matter of principle I use only energy saving bulbs in the house. I strictly do clean energy in my houses, unless otherwise (blackout; when I may resort to candles). Whereas a paraffin stove may be cheap and an electric cooker efficient, I opted for a gas cooker for the simple reason of its eco-friendliness, hygiene and economy.

Taking clothes to the laundry may be stylish in this part of the world, but I have refrained from getting carried away. In fact, I only take my jackets to the laundry because I can't wash them in the house. Generally, I do my laundry in the house using cold water and ordinary washing soaps which have very minimal impacts to the environment as compared to the liquid detergents used at laundry outlets. I do dry my clothes out in the natural heat of the sun which is so abundant here in Nairobi.

Plastic is one commodity I have come to realize that one can't avoid using despite all the information about its negativity. Polythene bag - a member of the plastic family - is a cause of solid waste menace in most of our urban centers today. In fact, on average close to 75% of waste in any dumping site in Kenya is polythene. They're cheap, versatile and very readily available that it is almost impossible to avoid them. In my quest to be green, I have resorted not to demonise plastic/polythene but to use them wisely by embracing their versatility. I have taken to reuse of polythene bags as much as possible. Sometime if the number of polythene bags in my possession increase for one reason or another, I usually resort to using them as dustbins. Once a bag has had enough trash, usually on a weekly basis, I dispose it and all its content in the collection bin outside the house.

I live by two simple principles. One, "trash is not trash till it is trash." Simply put, my trash may be another persons raw material.  Two, "dustbins are only as useful as you want them to be" Don't litter your path with receipts and sweet wraps when you got dustbins all over. Also make sure you dump your trash right into the dustbin. Dropping the trash next to the dustbin helps with nothing but only causes more pollution.

I believe you too are doing something to reduce your ecological footprint. But if you have not started doing something then this is the time to start.

Now is the time for eco-consciousness. Let us mind the impacts of our actions to the environment. Let us all do something for nature. You can plant, switch off that unneeded light bulb, drop those receipts in the dustbin or better still initiate a going green campaign with your friends to create public awareness.

Mine is a call to action by each and everyone of us. Did you know that every trillion starts at one? The cumulative effect of all our little actions is great.

Human life; Is the preciousness and high value accorded to it slowly "unhemming" from our social fabric?

A story is carried in the media of a man who has killed his wife and children somewhere in a shanty dwelling in one of the country's major cities.

A few days pass and another bizarre story is carried in the major dailies. This time a man has hacked his wife to death.

Separately, a man and his fiancée are reported to have been accosted by unknown people on the eve of their wedding day and shot; the man fatally while the lady (who is pregnant) escapes with serious injuries and is rushed to hospital for treatment.

Almost during the same period it is reported that two brothers have been gruesomely hacked to death by unknown people in their rural home under what local residents term "very unclear circumstances."

In another part of the country, floods raise havoc destroying properties, displacing and killing people. But despite the affected people seeking assistance from the government and aid agencies operating in the region, none cares to offer the much needed assistance leaving the community with no option but to contend with their own already highly compromised capacity to cope.

These are just but a few instances where human life and dignity have been accorded, what I consider, the highest level of disregard possible by fellow human beings in our country.

Human life has for the longest time and through out ages been accorded utmost respect and dignity.

In fact, in most societies a person is respected irrespective of his/her social status both in life and death sometimes even more in death. For instance, in my community elaborate burial ceremonies are usually held for departed ones. The sole aim of such a ceremony is to accord the dead person a decent send off. The essence of the decent send off being basically to underscore the fact that every person has dignity and deserves respect.

But the unfolding trend in the contemporary society is a big cause of worry to any human being who believes in the dignity of a person.

Just yesterday there were media reports to the effect that two people, one supposedly an attendant at a leading morgue in Nairobi and the other a hearse driver, had been caught by police in possession of a male private part believed to have been chopped off from one of the dead bodies lying at the morgue. Quite disturbing!

One may wonder what makes a person lose his/her head to the extent of imagining that human body part(s) hold solution(s) to life's problems.

I think something is really wrong somewhere with our perception of life and how we interact and relate, not only amongst ourselves, but also with the other non-talking partners with whom we share this planet.

I believe it is time we looked deep into our relationship(s) and interaction(s) with each other and nature. And reaffirmed our commitment to the spirit of brotherhood and good stewardship with regards to our non-talking partners.

We are losing it. And losing it at a very fast pace.

But all is not lost. We still have a chance of redeeming our kind. I believe one way through which we can achieve this is by changing our mindset and adopting a positive approach to life while discarding the overly superstitious and self centered approach to life that a majority of folks ascribe to today. We also need to be very vigilant in ensuring that the dignity of every person is upheld at all times.

Any attempts to demean human dignity should be repulsed and condemned with the contempt it deserves at all times.

Police may be there to protect us but so long as the rot is deeply rooted in us all their attempts at bringing sanity will be in vain.

It is all up to us. We either change our perception and attitude towards each other and live purposeful lives; or we sit there, watch and do absolutely nothing and get consumed by the ills of a rotten society which we have propagated ourselves.

Let us not be blinded by the allure of Gold

"Kenya strikes gold" reads the title of a story in one of the major dailies in Kenya.

Gold without a doubt is one of the world's most precious and sought after metals trading at about $1246 an ounce. Lucrative, isn't it?

In actual sense, in almost all societies, Gold has been since time immemorial synonymous with wealth and class.

The royal families of the great kingdom of the Asante people in west Africa and the pharaoh dynasty of northern Africa are just but a few examples of ancient societies that used Gold to signify wealth and societal stature.

In the contemporary world, the perception accorded to this metal is not any different. Gold is a preserve of the "who is who" in society. The high and mighty. The rich and wealthy.

Gold is associated with success or great achievements in life. In sports, for instance, the best sports wo/men in any sporting field are usually awarded the gold medal - highest achievement possible.

Back to the newspaper story. What the headline of the story in that daily is trying to pass across is that Kenya has gotten wealth or richness if you may like. As Chinua Achebe would put "Kenya has met Eru the magnificent." That, without a doubt, is a plus for her economy, but it comes at a cost. An environmental cost for that matter and which is the main reason why I have written this article.

Reading the "Kenya strikes gold" story, I am disappointed by the obsession of both the authors with the allure of gold and their total disregard of the environmental and health effects associated with gold mining.

Whereas I am in agreement that gold is good for our economy and once we find substantial deposits of the same we should go ahead and mine it, I disagree with an approach that puts a blind eye to the potential effects of such a venture to our environment.

According to the US based Environmental Literacy Council (ELC), the greatest environmental concern associated with gold mining is the disposal of the overburden that is removed from the mines.

Considering the deposits found in Kenya so far lie deep below the ground, there's no doubt open-cast method will be employed to mine out the ore.

This has a two fold effect to the natural environment. One being the disposal of the overburden and the other being the creation of deep open pits (quarry) that may be very difficult to restore once the ore is exhausted and mining stopped.

The use and disposal of Cyanide solutions to dissolve and extract gold is another environmental concern. Cyanide is a well known poison.

In fact Hydrogen cyanide is acutely toxic to humans and in its gaseous state can be fatal at exposure levels of between 100-300 parts per million. It is also harmful to wildlife such as mammals, birds and fish which have acute toxicity reactions to even low cyanide exposure according to the ELC.

The most significant risk of cyanide use in gold mining is leaching into soil and underground water. As a matter of fact in every gold mine, there exists the grave risk of cyanide spill that could destabilize an ecosystem with exposure to toxic levels of cyanide.

With the foregoing, it is apparent that we as a nation can't just celebrate a gold find without looking seriously into the ramifications of gold mining both to our health and the environment.

It is worth noting that the newspaper story mentions briefly a mining bill and policy that are in the pipeline. These should be fast tracked to bring sanity to the mining industry which has been going on haphazardly, albeit in small scale, for ages.

However, there are existing environmental legislations which MUST be adhered to before ventures such as gold mining can be given a green light.

Article 42 of our newly promulgated constitution accords every citizen the right to a clean and healthy environment which includes the right to have the environment protected for the benefit of the current and future generations.

According to the Environmental (Impact Assessment and Audit) regulations of 2002 which is a subsidiary legislation to the Environmental Management and Coordination Act of 1999, proposed projects - mining projects included - should be subjected to an objective Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to ascertain and/or identify their potential environmental and socio-economic impacts and suggest mitigation measures for the same by developing an Environmental Management Plan.

The law further provides for annual Environmental Audit which is aimed at ensuring compliance with the Environmental Management Plan developed during the EIA process.

In this way, proposed projects get implemented with environmental concerns taken into consideration thereby substantially minimizing adverse impacts to the environment.

Environmental quality and sustainability is key to sustainable economic prosperity of any nation. As a matter of fact, the United Nation member states did recognize when it outlined the infamous Millennium Development Goals; the seventh of which touches on environmental quality and sustainability.

Therefore, though we have every reason as country to celebrate the striking of substantial gold deposits within our territory, we also have every reason to worry about the impacts of gold mining to the quality and sustainability of ecosystems in our environment.

Let us not be blinded by the allure of gold, but we should be vigilant to ensure we reap the benefits of the find at the lowest environmental and health cost possible.

President Kibaki's statement on the new Constitution

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 5 - SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. MWAI KIBAKI, C.G.H., M.P., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING, ON SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE REFERENDUM 5TH AUGUST, 2010

Fellow Kenyans,

We are happy to welcome the provisional results of the referendum. The historic journey that we began over 20 years ago is now coming to a happy end.

I assure our brothers and sisters who voted against the proposed constitution that their voices have been heard.

Let us all join hands together as we begin the process of national renewal under the new constitution.

The adoption of a new constitution is going to be a victory for Kenya and for the many people who fought long and hard for a new constitutional dispensation that reflects our hopes, our aspirations.

The successful and peaceful conclusion of this referendum shows that our democratic institutions have come of age. I am particularly pleased at the transparent and efficient manner that the Interim Independent electoral Commission conducted the referendum.

I also wish to thank the Right Honourable Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the Honourable Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Ministers, Members of Parliament and other national and local leaders for their frontline role and support for the new constitution. The Grand Coalition Government has been able to unite the Kenyan people to reach where we are today. I thank all the institutions established by the Grand Coalition Government under the reform agenda, for their valuable contribution.


Fellow Kenyans,

Let us all re-dedicate ourselves to fulfilling the dream of our founding fathers. Indeed may the new Constitutional dispensation be our shield and defender as we strive to conquer poverty, disease and ignorance.

The journey ahead of national renewal will not be easy. There will be challenges along the way. But it is important that we look forward with renewed optimism to better days ahead.

In you Kenyans, I see a great people ready to build a prosperous nation. I see in you hardworking farmers, dedicated public servants, professionals, industrialists, businessmen and women and leaders.

In our Youth, I see the next generation of leaders and drivers of our economy. It is to the youth, in particular, that we shall be looking up to in this great journey of national renewal.

In this regard I call for unity of purpose in all arms of government - the Executive, Parliament and the Judiciary, as well as political parties, civil society and the media to ensure successful implementation of the new constitution.

Fellow Kenyans,

I call upon all of us to channel our energies to transforming our economy and social well being to higher heights in accordance with vision Twenty Thirty.

We shall continue with dialogue as we implement the new constitution.

Those who have expressed different views about some of the issues in the new constitution will continue to be listened to within the vibrant democratic institutions established under the new constitution.

After all, democracy is about accepting the verdict of the majority while at the same time giving room for accommodation of the minority.

I would like to thank the Almighty God for blessing this country and its people.

May I also thank all our well wishers from many countries who are friends of Kenya. We value the encouragement they have rendered us in this long journey.

Finally let us all prepare to play our part in the New Kenyan Nation that will be ushered in through a new constitution once it is proclaimed.

Meanwhile, we shall soon announce the date of promulgation of the new constitution.

ASANTENI NA MUNGU AWABARIKI

Prime Minister Raila Odinga's statement on the new Constitution

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 5 - YES VICTORY STATEMENT BY THE RT. HON. RAILA A. ODINGA, PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA ON AUGUST 5, 2010:

Fellow Kenyans;

Change has finally come to our land. It has come because we refused to give up. It has come because finally, we agreed to work together.


If there is anyone out there who still doubts whether the dreams of the founders of our nation are still with us, who still questions our people’s thirst for a better country and democracy, who still question whether Kenyans really want a break with the past, today we have the answer.

In schools, churches and mosques around the country, Kenyans stood in miles and miles of lines and waited patiently for hours to cast their vote and provide this answer.

We did it because we believe Kenya can, and should be one nation, indivisible by religion, tribe, race or any other single issue.

Today, the people of Kenya delivered an unforgettable verdict that this nation has to be one; that though we may pursue different political interests, we can come together for the good of the nation.

We extend special recognition to the youth of this land and our mothers and sisters who have long been sidelined as women. They joined together and gave our drive for a Yes vote a mighty push. We are better off for their efforts.

Thank you all for showing the world that we are not just a collection of tribes, clans and races. Thank you for proving that we, the people of Kenya, can still stand up and speak for ourselves when it matters most. Thank you for defying the cynicism and doubts that were planted. Thank you for choosing hope over fear, unity over division.

I extend special thanks to His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki for stepping in front when our country needed it most and taking charge of the campaign for the Proposed Constitution. Be assured that Kenyans recognized your efforts.

Thank you Vice President Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, Cabinet Ministers, MPs and all leaders who stood up for this process.

We thank our almighty God for being on our side and for answering our cry after more than 40 years in the wilderness.

I congratulate the Committee of Experts and the IIEC for a job well done.

We congratulate those who campaigned against the document too. They contributed to the expansion of democracy in our country.

As we celebrate, let us remember that this Yes vote alone is not the change we were looking for. The victory only gives us the mandate to implement the changes we long sought. We must discard the ways and the attitudes of the past and march towards a new Kenya.

The road ahead will be long, rough and sometimes steep, but with your determination, unity and support, we shall get there.

What this victory has proved is that when we stand together as one people, one nation, we will overcome our problems, with the help of God. That must be the spirit in the days and years ahead.

Thank you.

Nairobi 2010; We are fully behind you. Make Kenya proud once more

Beginning 28th July 2010, Kenya will be hosting the 17th edition of African Senior Athletics Championship at Nyayo stadium here in Nairobi. The event will run for roughly one week, till 1st August 2010.

Kenya won the bid to host the tournament after trouncing Benin in the selection meeting held in Dakar, Senegal. Our triumph may be traced to the 2007 successfully hosting of the World Cross Country Championship that was held in Mombasa.

Seeing the President hand over the national flag to our team leaders Janet Jepkosgei and Anderson Mureta yesterday, there was no doubt in my mind that Kenya is going for nothing but glory in the forthcoming Championship.

The confidence that was evident in the faces and voices of the team set to represent us at the Championship, and their track records not withstanding is enough reason to make any concerned Kenya citizen upbeat for an overwhelming win.

The World over, Kenya is credited as a force to reckon with when it comes athletics in the illustrious sports arena.

While I would want take this opportunity to unreservedly wish our team the best in the Championship, I would also wish to urge our citizenry to act with utmost decorum and embrace the immortalized wise words of our national anthem:

"Let all with one accord,
In common bond united,
Build this our nation together,
And the glory of Kenya,
The fruit of our labour,
Fill every heart with thanksgiving."

Go! Kenya go!

Proposed new Constitution: Why article 26 (4) is unnecessary

Anybody who has taken the trouble of reading the proposed new Constitution of the Republic of Kenya set to face a plebiscite on 4^th August 2010 will agree with me that it’s a document with the potentiality of transforming a stagnating nation into a progressive state within an individual’s life time.

This is not to say that the proposed new Constitution is as white as snow. Like all things man made, it has one two hiccups either editorial or logical oversights.

Seeing a section of the Kenyan public oppose the proposed new Constitution, I was - as a concerned citizen - taken aback considering what we have gone through as a nation to reach where we are in our quest for a new constitution.

Overtime, since Parliament unanimously adopted the proposed Constitution without any amendments, I have pondered over the grievances of the opponents of this Constitution ranging from land to abortion.

I have had to read several times the articles of the proposed new Constitution touching on these issues of contention. And I have come to the conclusion that whereas most lack basis, one issue has struck my conscience as a valid concern.

Article 26 (1) of the proposed new Constitution states that “Every person has the right to life,” and Clause 2 of the same article goes further to define when such a life begins by stating that “The life of a person begins at conception.”

Going by these two clauses, one would be right to conclude that in every conception there are at least two persons i.e. the woman and whatever is conceived in her womb.

Having that conclusion in mind, I would wish to bring clause 3 of the same article to your attention. It sates that “A person shall not be deprived of life intentionally, except to the extent authorized by this constitution or other written law.”

This in essence means that the life of a person can be taken away intentionally under certain circumstances - which in all cases would be extraordinary or out of the normal – as may be provided for in this Constitution or other written law.

And up to this point one question begs for an answer and that question is; who according to the proposed new Constitution is a person?

Clause 2 of this article has the answer. It states that the life of a person begins at conception. Essentially, meaning that anything conceived in a woman’s womb after “coming together” with a man (male human being) is considered a person at least to the extent of this proposed new constitution.

I am not a Doctor neither am I a health professional but with my little knowledge, I am aware that an abortion is a procedure that leads to the intentional termination of pregnancy with a single goal of saving the life of a pregnant woman commonly referred to us “the mother”. I am also aware that pregnancy is at least one of, if not the sole result of a conception.

Considering that the proposed new Constitution deems a person as being from conception and that article 26 (3) already deals with conditions under which a person may be deprived of his/her right to life, it beats logic and I find it very unnecessary that article 26 (4) found its way into the proposed new Constitution.

Abortion is such a sensitive issue and complex subject that we may not be able to comprehend as laymen.

The committee of experts should have ended article 26 at clause 3. They ought to have left out anything abortion from the proposed new constitution. In fact it should have not even been mentioned in the first place.

In any case, if you are keen you will notice that article 26 (3) already deals with it in away not so obvious to most mortals' comprehension.

Saba Saba: There were no "drug addicts"

When the now famous 1990 Saba Saba rally was organised by Kenya's pro-reform activists among them Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia and Raila Odinga (currently Kenya's Prime Minister) among others, and thwarted by the then KANU government under former President Moi, I was only a class one pupil.

It found when we had just gone through some tense moments which to us as children didn't really send cold down our spines unless we were in the presence of adults who comprehended the political atmosphere at the time.

The tense moments were as a result of the murder of Dr. Robert Ouko who - as I was to be told by my dad - was until his death Kenya's foreign affairs Minister. He went on to tell me that it is rumoured that he was murdered because of his perceived ambitions of deposing the President, then Moi.

The Saba saba rally came barely five months after the murder of Dr. Ouko - may his soul rest in peace - and was, according to historical records, a pro-democracy demonstration that was aimed at giving wananchi a chance to air their grievances to the then oppressive single party government of KANU under President Moi.

Among the things on the agenda at the time was the agitation for repeal of section 2(a) of the constitution to allow for multiparty democracy which would give Kenya's the democratic right to elect a leader of their choice without intimidation from any quarter.

Others included electoral reforms which would see the mlolongo system done away with and a secret ballot system adopted, limiting of the Presidential tenure and restoration of security of tenure to sections of the judiciary and public service.

According to historical records, the rally was ruthlessly crashed by Moi's government with hundreds of people being killed, thousands arrested and appearing in court and others among them human rights lawyers like Gibson Kamu Kuria being forced into exile.

Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia and Raila Odinga were put under detention without trial only to be released about one year later after being tortured mercilessly.

President Moi termed the demonstration as the work of drug addicts bent on causing havoc and disturbing the "peace" prevailing in the country. However, the church at that time led by the likes of the late Bishop Alexander Muge - may his soul rest in peace - were categorical that the Saba Saba demonstrations were a rebellion against the government of the day by the people brought about by poverty and lack of public participation in national affairs.

If you can remember this were the days of phrases like mtukufu, mkulima nambari moja, mfanyi kazi nambari moja, mwalimu nambari moja and all the other nambari mojas that ever were.

Twenty years down the line, I have grown big, knowledgeable and successfully completed the 8.4.4 system of education. I now comprehend what noble course the Saba Saba architects embarked on. I now know they were not drug addicts but genuine patriotic citizens who had the vision of reforming this country and getting it out of the jaws of the oppressive and corrupt KANU regime into a progressive state. I now know that if it wasn't for them Kenyans could have still been grappling with the oppresive regime of the KANU government.

I salute them all wherever they are, dead or alive. Dead or alive you are our heroes.

Over the years, the reform agenda has taken on a more comprehensive face from the initial piece meal approach. This has seen has seen us reviewing our constitution and now facing a second constitutional referendum on 4th August 2010 after the failed 2005 referendum.

However, it is sad to note that after all this while most of the anti-reformist have not seen any sense in the reform agenda that Kenyans have sought for the longest time, even losing lives along the way.

No wonder now most of the people who were in the KANU regime during the early 90s when the reform agenda took off strongly, are leading opponents of the proposed new constitution.

Even more sad, is the fact that a section of the religious leaders are opposing the proposed new constitution based on very flimsy reasons.

But theirs (the religious leaders) as we all know is a case of misconceived perceptions and unfounded fear. Actually, most of the current religious leaders are ignorant Kenyans who know very little about the history of their own country. They know more of Jews history than they know their own.

As we approach the forthcoming referendum, I wish we spared a thought and dedicated a moment of silence to our fallen pro-reform heroes. Those who were killed during the Saba Saba rally and those who died of related deaths their after. I also wish we celebrated the heroes who still live among us like Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia, Raila Odinga and Timothy Njoya among others by ushering in a new constitution.

Like Rt. Bishop David Gitari puts it "it is better a good document than no document at all."

Look at it this way

Just this morning I was engaged in a debate with one of my friends a Mr. Boroon Siroon. Our debate was centered on the proposed MPs' pay rise that has elicited a lot of outrage from all sections of the Kenyan public.

Though at the beginning of the debate we seemed to read from different scripts, with my friend somehow seeing the whole uproar over the intended MPs' hefty pay rise as a scenario of majoring in the minor while I was of the opinion that the uproar is valid, we came to conclude our debate while reading from the same script.

During our debate I asked myself one question that, is denying the MPs' the payrise that they so yearn for enough? Definately it is not.

As my friend rightly put it during our debate, the bone of contention is not really whether or not the MPs are paid a lot of money or not but whether quality services in terms of health care, quality education, improved infrastructure and so on and so forth accrue to the common mwananchi when MPs are denied a pay rise.

He went on further to state that even if the President refuses to sign the bills authorising the payhike for the MPs, there may be no improvement on the services delivered to the common mwananchi because almost all our institutions are not mwananchi friendly but instead are public officers pocket friendly (read corruption).

Take for example, collection of garbage in the city's suburbs. You may have noticed that whether or not MPs increase their salaries like they have always done in the past, garbage will still be a menace in the suburbs because some institution somewhere is not doing its work of delivering services - in this case garbage collection and disposal - to mwananchi who obediently pay tax and live in those suburbs.

I am not trying to legitimise the MPs demand for a hefty pay rise as being valid, in fact am on record before as having categorically objected to their weird demand but all am trying to say is that we need to give this issue a multifaceted approach for the common good to prevail.

Whereas we are rejecting non-deserved hefty pay rise for the MPs we need to audit our public institutions and rid them of corruption that for years on end has denied the common mwananchi the well deserved quality services like healthcare and clean and healthy living environment which by the way should be a basic human right; though the proposed new constitution already recognises clean and healthy living environment as a basic human right.

It surely does no good to deny the MPs the payrise in the pretex that it will eat into the public coffers, while in reality very little trickles down to the common mwananchi - even at the moment - from the public coffers in form of public services which are also usually not up to standard.

It is wrong to award MPs such hefty pay rise but it is also not right to argue that whether we increase their salaries or not the common mwanachi may not feel any change anyway. Two wrongs will surely never make a right and so a wrong should never be used to legitimise another wrong.

I believe it is past time - just like my friend put - that we addressed the real bone of contention and avoided the sideshows that we are fond of majoring on, for the benefit of the common mwananchi living somewhere deep in the country side.

Let us rid our institutions of corruption and save this country from going to the dogs. It all starts with you. Be the change you want to see in the society.

Open letter to His Exellency President Kibaki

Dear Mr. President,

I am writing to first congratulate you for holding this country together as the head of state thus far.

I know you may be aware that in this country we have been stereotyped that an incumbent President is such a high profile personality that not any Tom, Dick and Hurry can address him/her or that only very pressing and pertinent issues affecting or likely to affect the well being of Kenyan citizens can be brought to his/her attention.

With that background, sir, you may already be having it at the back of your mind that whatever it is I want to bring to your attention is not only of urgency but also pressing and very pertinent to the well being of common mwananchi.

Last week as I know you are aware, our Members of Parliament (MPs) unanimously endorsed the Akiwumi report which makes recommendations that if implemented to the letter will see their salaries skyrocket from the current Ksh. 850,000 to about Ksh. 1,100,000.

Though I am aware you are an MP, I am also aware that as the head of state you are not obliged to attend every parliamentary sitting apart from the opening and closing sessions of each Parliament. I am also aware that the Prime Minister (PM) Right Honourable Raila Odinga who is also an MP was hospitalised during the period when the MPs endorsed the Akiwumi report and as such could not be physically present in Parliament to contribute to the debate. With these in mind I will refrain from lumping you and the PM together with the rest of the MPs when I convey my reservations regarding their endorsement of the report wholesome.

Mr. President it is heart throbbing as a common mwananchi who is barely surving to see an MP - who also happens to be a Cabinet Minister in your government - denouncing the endorsement of the report by his colleagues in Parliament when he/she had the opportunity to be present in Parliament and contribute to the debate that would have seen sections of the report amended or shelved all together. They also no all to well that making noise on the street does not solve any problem and that when Parliament has passed anything it is beyond their individual capacity to make any changes on it either as an MP or Minister.

Our MPs - their predecessors included - have been known to be very united when it comes to passing bills that give them hefty payrises and this particular one, Mr. President, is no exception. Already we have seen their willingness to extend their stay in Parliament beyond the stipulated adjournment period so that they can quickly pass the bills that will inch them closer to the payrise.

Mr. President, it is public knowledge that we are going through tough economic times as a country that we can ill afford to honour such crazy payrise demands from MPs who already are better remunerated considering the fact that we also have the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to boost growth and development in the constituencies across the country.

With all these facts in mind, Mr. President, it is my thoughtful and heartfelt decision to advice you not to sign any of those bills - that am sure the MPs are going to pass in record time - which will ensure their payrise demands are legitimised and so have to be honoured.

I also wish to advice that when the bills get to your desk, send them back to parliament with a note stating your wish to have the payrise recommendation comprehensively and soberly debated in Parliament and conclusions arrived at, that reflect the economic mood of the country and wishes of the common mwananchi.

Otherwise, Mr. President I don't really have much to write about now but just to wish you a wonderful week and hope that you will act decisively on this pressing matter in the interest of the common mwananchi when it finally gets to your desk as am sure it will.

God bless you and may God bless Kenya.

Kind regards,


Asaka J. Ogonda
Concerned Citizen

The women whom I admire

In every human being's life there is someone or some people they admire so much. A person or people they wish everyone else was like. A person or people they would feel so proud to be associated with. A person or people who in their world is or are larger than life. A person they would wish to be in their company not only when they are alive here on earth but even in their next life after death. And all in all a person or people who for them defines certain aspects of human life.

There is no set rule on how to admire others or who we may and may not admire. Actually, I may admire somebody while another person doesn't really admire them. The people we admire may either be women or men depending entirely on us (the admirer).

In contemporary world, most people admire such persons as their school teacher(s), friend(s), political leader(s), great musician(s), university professor(s) and the list is endless.

For me, there are several people (others even dead - may their souls rest in peace) whom I admire based on what section of society one is referring to. For instance, in music I would not say music is music not until I hear some late Franco Luambo Luanzo's hit songs like "Attention na SIDA", late Mayaula Mayoni's "Cherie Bondowe", late Joseph Hill's "Only jah a christian", late Madilu's "Ya Jean", late Michael Jackson's "Earth song" or Eric Wainaina's "Mili yetu".

Now am a young gentleman fast moving towards fatherhood/husband-hood and as such it is normal to find yourself admiring certain women whom you would wish your future wife/mother of your children at least was like if not necessarily a "copy paste". Am sure such women are in every young man's life and for me these women are Mrs. Alice Asaka, Mrs. Ida Odinga and Mrs. Michelle Obama in that order.

Alice Asaka is my mother. The wife of Asaka snr. (God bless you, dad) who is the son of the great land of Kochogo where I belong. Whenever I come across the word discipline, Alice Asaka comes to thought. In my life she is discipline and discipline is her. As a mother through constant correction, direction and guidance she largely molded me into who I am today.

When you see me walk in through the doors of a church building on a Sunday morning; when you come into my house and see a bible somewhere in the corner of the table; when you hear me mention the name "God"; when you hear me say "am sorry" or when you hear me telling somebody "thank you," give it all to her. She taught me all that.

All my life (since I became conscious i.e. able to perceive and memorise/remember) I have observed this woman with keenness that even I, personally, can't comprehend. The way she does her things amazes me. The way she has gone about bringing up all her four children (me included) into responsible individuals makes me admire her the most.

I know nearly everybody loves their mother but am sure not many of us a lot of the time find anything worthy of admiration in mothers except the fact that they carried you for 9 months and were there for you till you became an adult able to fend for him/herself. Sad or grim it may seem but I have observed it around me and it's a fact.

I view myself as a person of influence in the society gauging by the keenness with which people listen to me, the warm reception I get from friends and hardcore resistance I get from my foes. This may be in a small scale now but as sure as sure can be, before long it is gonna grow into an influence worthy of reckoning with.

And this is where my admiration of Mrs. Ida Odinga and Mrs. Michelle Obama comes in. Mrs. Ida Odinga is the wife of Kenya's second Prime Minister the Right Honourable Raila Odinga (quick recovery, sir), while Mrs. Michelle Obama is the wife of United States of America's first black President, his excellency President Barrack Obama (congratulations, sir).

These two women have managed and are managing to successfully jaggle between the heavy tasks of "wifing" men of immense public influence, bringing up decent families while at the same time retaining the "woman" in them. These women have not let their education levels take the better of them. They are well educated at least by the standards of their respective countries (i.e. Kenya and US), sharp in thought, forthright, faithful and above all very pragmatic in their approach to life.

Anybody who has ever seen these women with their families either at a family gathering or on holidays or in cases of emergency like the one Ida unfortunately finds herself in at the moment, will agree with me that they are in charge as wives, mothers and leaders, and none can take that away from them.

Their beauty not withstanding, these three women have won my admiration by their good public rapport that has won them the love of people around them. They have got a welcome spirit that is inherent in them. A spirit that sees them receiving visitors day in day out without getting bored or tired of the continuos or rather never ending visits to their humble aboreds by sometimes total strangers.

They have touched lives of not one, not two, not three but of numerous people around them in ways so simple yet so transforming and unique that may pass unnoticed by most of their contemporaries but will surely be carried on to generations to come as 'golden' legacy.

Surely, these women are larger than life. And I admire them!

Our MPs can do better

Yesterday our Members of Parliament (MPs) unanimously endorsed the Akiwumi report that recommends the increment of their salaries from the current Kshs. 851, 000 to Kshs. 1, 100, 000.

Now they are looking forward to passing three bills in a record seven days so that the increment can take effect after presidential ascent.

Whereas it is public knowledge that living standards keep rising day in day out the world over and that salaries of employees across the divide need to be increased to help them cope up with the changing times, I think it is very irresponsible of a nation to improve the remuneration of its MPs based on the fact that they need more money to give as handouts to their constituents or to contribute in harambees (public fundraisers).

As a country that has committed to achieving the United Nations Millenium Development Goals (UN MGDs), it beats logic to peg socio-economic and even political development of a people on handouts. Handouts other than being short lived and inadequate, are very subjective and difficult to account for once they have been dished out.

Talking of accountability here, am refering to a two fold approach. One, an MP with an inflated salary - a portion of which is intended for handouts to his/her constituents - may decide not to attend any harambee or dish out any money and no one will call him/her to account. Second, the handouts given to individuals or groups by an MP may easily be embezzled without anybody being called to account.

Whereas in the latter case somebody can argue that the MP gave out money but the people embzzled it, I think it is very irresponsible of our MPs to even think of increasing their "handout money" when we have a Constituency Development Fund (CDF) kitty which they would have enlarged instead.

The CDF is a well organised arrangement through which development money can be channeled and used to improve lives in the constituencies across the country. We may only need to make the CDF committees more representative and the whole process a little more consultative and we will be home and dry.

You will all agree with me that putting money intended for the masses in an individual's hand in this greedy society we find ourselves in is akin to the proverbial glutton eating from the same plate with the poor blind lad.

As a matter of fact, there is no economy worth its salt in the entire globe that has successfully thrived on handouts. I think it is past time we as a nation stopped thinking "handout economy." We are not a banana republic for Christ's sake. Or are we?

Stereotyping can really cost you sometimes if not all the time

This evening as I was walking back home from work I made a very interesting observation.

There was this young boy with a profoma in his hands. He strategically stood beside the road at a place where he could see people as they trooped into the estate back from work. It seemed to me he was using the profoma to raise funds for a course that I didn’t get to learn because fortunately or unfortunately he never approached me.

Because I noticed him from a distance I got to make some very interesting observations. Actually, about fifteen people or so - some of whom he approached - went ahead of me. One key observation I made was that the boy only approached men dressed in suits, men who tied a tie and women who seemed young and well dressed.

Unfortunately, of about six people he approached before I passed him, none gave him anything. All they gave him was a brief glance and hearing that lasted not more than a few seconds before I could see them - one after the other - shake their heads and moving on with their journey.

Meanwhile, the averagely dressed – as i wish to put it – individuals kept on passing by without striking his attention. I wonder whether they were also keen to observe what I observed but one thing is sure, simply by stereotyping the boy may have missed out on many people who would have been ready to offer assistance/money.

I may not know whether the boy learnt some lessons from this after I had passed and changed his approach but I hope he did because if he didn’t am afraid he may have gone home with an empty profoma.

Hope you learn some lesson from this.

Avoid stereotyping at all cost. You may never know where your salvation comes from.

Condom with teeth: The worst case scenario

When news of the invention in South Africa of a condom with teeth hit the airwaves, I received it with mixed feelings of great caution and approval.

Having been informed that the condom was is intended to curb incidences of rape that is apparently becoming very common among African states, I approved of the invention knowing that it would go along way in scaring away rapists from committing the vice that continues to tear apart the very fabric of the human society.

Rape by any other name is rape and it is demonic. It is very unfortunate that we are observing an increasing trend of this great vice across our continent. Whereas I may not be in a position to explain why a man or woman takes to raping of a person of the opposite gender, I do believe it is sort of a psychological problem that an individual can be successfully weaned out of through guidance and counseling.

I do not wish to be construed as being lenient with rapists but I want to assert that whereas corporal punishment (castration included) may suffice when it comes to disciplining rapists, it does very little to eradicate the vice. Just like homicide or murder as we would ordinarily call it, death penalty has not stop murders from committing murder.

I think we need to employ a multifaceted approach towards dealing with the perpetrators of this heinous act of sin which should incorporate identification, apprehension, punishment, guidance and counseling, reconciliation, integration back into society, monitoring and character rehabilitation through mentorship programs.

I do believe that such an integrated approach in dealing with the vice may bear more fruits than would be born of a single dose approach of corporal punishment or condemnation.

You may stop and ask yourself, who cares what happens to the convicted rapist after he/she finishes serving his/her jail term? Definitely, he/she will be released back into the human society. But what guarantee do we have that he/she has changed his/her evil ways? What guarantee do we have that he/she will be accepted back into his/her community? How do we deal with the impact of their release from jail on the life of the innocent victim(s)?
All these questions and others that may have not crossed my mind now may only be addressed effectively by an integrated approach as I have suggested here above.

Coming back to my initial reaction, thinking of our society (evil/crazy members of it included) I equally received the news of the invention with great caution. Human beings have been known to derive pleasure or psychological gratification from doing some of the weirdest of things in the planet Earth. A case in point is the recent story about the serial killer who confessed to having killed 17 people (mostly women) largely for psychological gratification. This invention may not be an exception either once it is approved and it hits the market stores.

Now let us look at some of the worst case scenarios that this invention is likely to set forth.

It is not unusual for couples to disagree in their day to life but some people are crazy may take the disagreement too far depending on how grave their judgment rates it.

An irate wife may intentionally lure her husband into the "teethed condom" trap after a disagreement as away of teaching him a lesson. Come to think of it...sounds really out of this planet but it is a possibility.

An enraged girlfriend may wear the dreaded condom without the knowledge of her boyfriend and seduce him into making love - which apparently am told is the best way couples release the stress caused by disagreements among them. The unsuspecting boyfriend will surely go ahead and succumb to her allure and there in lies the trap. Her intention just like in the case of the irate wife would be that of punishing an annoying partner, in this case boyfriend.

Aah! What a pity?

There are numerous of such worst case scenarios that one may think of but due to societal norms I would restrict my argument to the two scenarios here above.

Scary, is it?

The condom with teeth is a good invention but I would advice sobriety and sanity among us and mostly the female folk as we move closer to embracing the new invention. Let it be strictly for rapists.

A Yes or No win in the forthcoming referendum will be of a very small margin

Being a passive political animal, I have the rare advantage of a fence sitter which means I can watch both sides take on each other and discern the strengths and weakness of each side. This is the situation I find myself in with regards to the NO and YES camps in the ongoing constitutional debate and/or campaigns.

From my point of view neither side has a clear cut advantage over the other considering that they both agree that the document is good but may need some amendments to make it better. The only point they differ is that of when the amendments should be made. The NO camp wants the amendments before the referendum whereas the YES camp wants the amendments after the referendum.

The NO camp argues that once the proposed document is passed and adopted as the constitution of the land, amending it would be such a daunting task almost close to impossible. Whereas the YES camp argues that Kenyans have spent a lot of time and money in search of a new constitution and besides it may not be possible to get a 100% acceptable constitution in one go.

Both sides have very valid arguments but one thing is clear, amending the document after or before the referendum is surely going to cost us.

After the referendum, passing such amendments may be very difficult that they actually may never get to pass. For instance, amending clauses in chapter four of the proposed new constitution containing the bill of rights will require a referendum to be conducted. This may prove very tricky considering political campaigns will most likely be involved and such amendments may never get to see the light of day.

Before the referendum, opening the document to amendments will be like opening a Pandora's box. It will give room to the proponents of all the 100 plus amendments that failed to go through in parliament during the debate and vote on the proposed draft constitution which saw it being passed as it is, to agitate for their inclusion. This scenario has the potentiality of dragging the constitutional making process for the longest time.

You can agree with me that Kenyans are caught up in a catch twenty two situation. I know certain politicians and some religious leaders (earthly possessed/obsessed) may dismiss this as a fallacy but when they retire back to the comfort of their warm beds and allow reasoning to prevail, then your guess is surely as good as mine.

This leads me into confirming that the referendum will bring forth a win. A win either for the YES camp or NO camp. Only that the win will be of a very narrow margin.

What informs my conclusion on the results of the referendum?

It is no secret that Kenyans have looked for a new constitution for a very long time and that the proposed new constitution is so far the closest they've come to getting the new constitution they've been looking for all this while.

It is also a public secret that politically a majority of Kenyans are psychologically programmed to oppose. Opposing things has been somewhat turned into a fad and politicians have more than once used the "opposing design" to know and gauge themselves. This psychological programming may be attributed to the long duration most Kenyans have spent opposing their governments hoping to one day bring real change which has been elusive all this time.

In light of these two scenarios, you can deduce that whereas most Kenyans have yearned for a new constitution for along time most Kenyans too are prone to opposing "government projects." The catch twenty two situation not withstanding, this leaves the result of the forthcoming constitutional referendum at the behest of how convincing either camp delivers its package to the public. And surprisingly neither side has so far come out more convincing than the other. I would give them 54-56, in either case.

One may argue that Kenyans have read and are reading the proposed new constitution thus will make informed decision come referendum time. I say wait minute. I mean lets face it, a majority of Kenyans live in the rural areas where literacy level is wanting. Besides, the poor reading culture among Kenyans is now an open secret not with recent media reports indicating a sorry state of affair concerning our reading culture. Trust me that by referendum time very few Kenyans will have read the entire document and understood it.

Now back to my fence sitting business. The most important life skill that Asaka snr. (my dad) ever taught me was that, for life to go on decisions have to be made. Whether they will be reevaluated along the way or not is immaterial. A decision has to be made so that people can move on.

And though I started by saying that am like a fence sitter, I would wish to assure readers of this article and all peace loving Kenyans that I have made a decision and that, God willing, come 4th August 2010 I will vote in the referendum.

Communication Commision of Kenya's directive is a welcome move

The rate at which conning through the use of mobile phones is taking root in Kenya is alarming.

Mobile phone conmen use different strategies to go about their criminal acts. Some of them hoodwink their victims into making down payments by falsely assuring the unsuspecting victims of huge financial gains. Others use threats, as dire as death, to milk money out of their unsuspecting victims. Sad enough, innocent lives have been lost in the recent past as a result of this conning fiasco.

Against the foregoing backdrop, Communication Commission of Kenya’s (CCK) directive that all mobile phone subscribers formally register their SIM-cards/lines is such a welcome move. Whereas the process may be slightly cumbersome considering one has to stand in sometimes very long queues to get their lines registered, all peace loving Kenyans will agree with me that it is worth the trouble.

Registration of lines will see one surrendering such information as national identification number, address (both postal and physical) and biographical information; mainly their full names and date of birth. This will make it very easy to identify subscribers and most importantly enable police to track down criminals and/or stalkers.

Sure thing, this strategy will work miracles. But I have got one concern that I feel should be addressed to enhance the efficacy of the strategy with specific regards to the mobile phone associated crimes in this country.

My concern is to do with phone theft and its implications. Just like in a case where criminals hijack a car and use it in robbery then abandon it, phone thieves are likely to get into the business of stealing phones then using them to terrorize unsuspecting victims. But unlike the hijacked car which may be recovered without implicating the owner, the phone thieves will most definitely throw the SIM-card away after committing a crime with it making it very difficult to trace them thereby putting the real owner (who is not a criminal) of the SIM-card at risk of being arrested for a crime they didn’t commit.

However, in my opinion this can be effectively addressed by passing a special mobile phone subscriber protection law(s) that allow mobile phone subscribers to report cases of lost SIM-cards to the police immediately they occur. This will ensure the genuine owner of the lost SIM-card is exonerated from any charges should their SIM-cards be used in criminal transactions.

Community policing program will come in handy here. And the program’s capacity will need to be enhanced to incorporate updated ways of combating this emerging form of crime so that its members can be better placed to combat such cases, which - unfortunately - are likely to be rampant once the CCK directive takes full effect.

Ghana; Africa's numero une!

On 6th March 1957, Ghana became the first sub Saharan African country to gain independence from British colonial rulers. This in effect made it the first African commonwealth nation to attain self rule/governance.

Africa is at the moment hosting her first football World cup event in South Africa. In this tournament Ghana has proved that the first-bug is sort of endemic to her.

She is the first African nation in the tournament - being held for the first time on African soil - to register a win when they beat Serbia, 1:0 in their group D matches.

The first-bug did not leave Ghana just yet, when she became the first African nation in the tournament to momentarily lead a group (group D) till when Germany displaced them to second place.

The first-bug still clinging on Ghana's skin, Ghana yesterday became the first African team to qualify to the knock out stage (round of 16) of the tournament.

You think that's it? No.

According to preliminary findings of a report card on the UN Millennium Development Goals by the Overseas Development Institute - A UK based think tank - Ghana tops the list of 10 countries that have managed to slash their number of hungry citizens by a huge margin. Ghana has cut the number of malnourished people by 75% between 1990 and 2004.

Ghana is truly a democracy worth emulating.

Is sobriety too high a standard for our leaders to achieve?

When leaders make speeches or utterances that do nothing but breed bad blood between Kenyans, and then when they are called to account some leaders still have the audacity to defend them, then you surely know we have a big problem as a country.

Is it not possible for our leaders - both political and religious - to go about their referendum campaigns without making utterances that do little to inform but misinform and pit Kenyan communities against each other?

I believe when you got an idea/opinion to pass across, you don't have to make your case look so grave to win attention. Whereas such a move may win you some attention, the ultimate effect - more so when making your case grave entails maligning other entities - will surely be as disastrous as you can imagine.

Leaders who employ this kind of strategy are a total disgrace to us as Kenyans and at the least we need them to sober up.