Radio Jambo Converts

Radio Jambo is now a gospel station Seems like I didn't get the memo from Radio Africa Group. Tell, when did Radio Jambo, once touted as Kenya's home of sport and talk, get "saved"? I bumped into the station after many months hanging around Capital FM, XFM and Machoka's Roga Roga only to get a shock by the deeply religious reportoire of local and international gospel music on air.

Is it not a fallacy then that Kenyan's are mad about sports and English Premier League? Seems like that love will not pay the bills! So are we then officially a religious people? No chance in view of the crimes especially of a domestic nature that we witness on a daily basis.

I will keep an ear on the rest of the "new" Radio Jambo's programming for the rest of the week.  

Opportunities Begging For Takers

For some time now I have been contemplating a series of articles here of the various opportunities I see all around me that are just begging to be taken by individuals, companies, state agencies, leaders and so on. Why do I care, you may ask or why cant I take the opportunities myself? Well the truth of the matter is that I am a fountain of ideas, but unfortunately I don't have the courage or resources to implement them. The ideas are not all about making money, otherwise I would have cashed a long time ago. Most of them are just ideas that can save the state coffers a load of cash or make the life of citizens much better. Others are just plain common sense and you keep wondering just why didn't any one see them earlier.

You may wonder why I bother writing about it instead of taking the fight to the owners- the guys who are in positions where they can change things. Well, I have tried all that and more. I recall once when I made an appointment to see the then Mayor of Nairobi to discuss possible cost-free solutions to the perennial hawking problem in Nairobi. However after a long presentation, I realized he was not listening or did not see the opportunity therein. Of course my idea was not bought and we still have the problem. I have made formal and informal presentations to opinion shapers and implementers all over the place. I have written to the media via Letters to the Editors and opinion editors, some times I do get published and most of the others I am just ignored. Anyway, I am determined to share some of the opportunities that I see around my society just waiting for takers.

Please indulge me.

Been A While........

Seems like time just flies right past us.  I must admit that a statement I heard on radio today kind of woke me up- that we are just a month away from Christmas. Did we not just start this year the other day? Is it time to bid the year adios? So soon?

Anyways, it has been a rather hectic year for me both at a personal level as well as at the career level. As always there were numerous ups and downs too, but as always I believe what distinguishes one set from the other is attitude. I am always grateful when things are working out and when they are not, I make a point to learn at least one lesson from each unfortunate or unsuccessful episode that I encounter. It has not been different this year.

At another front, we are now bang in the centre of the silly political season when the whole country seems to lose her marbles. By the way, I have tried to stay away from making any political statements or commentaries in this forum or anywhere else apart from a very small circle of close friends who know me and where I am coming from. That circle is less than five people and even then, we hardly ever seem to agree or share any position. The reason is that my political views are radical and anti the Kenyan script where we are all supposed to take tribal, regional or religious sides.

Anyways, I will not change my position on desisting from sharing political statements just like I learnt that you should not discuss with strangers any of the following no go topics- sex, family, politics, religion and money! Really?  So what else is left to discuss, especially for Kenyans. The weather? I think if you take away politics and EPL from the diet of daily small talk  you will end up with a rather boring bunch of Kenyans.

I think the year 2012 has also been a rather tragic one for me because my mortality has been reaffirmed by the deaths of people close to me. I lost three close friends and at least another four or five acquaintances within the year. November has especially been bad because people of my age were seperated from the world of living and it just seemed so unfair. Why should people who seemed to have everything to live for just depart from our midst so fast and so unexpectedly. Nobody seems to fully explain the phenomena of life and death, but the lessons I take is that we need to live for the day.

Reminds me of an advert I saw the other day from a website for chain of hotels called Viceroy. It is simple but loaded. " Remember to Live" - life is hectic and may just get you lost in it that you may forget to live. How many times do we get so immersed in a work project, in office politics, in religion, in family affairs, in our neighbors, friends, that we forget to live our own lives . I know many people who devote so much of their time in the lives of their children,parents, siblings or friends that they seem content to put their own lives on pause. Their own needs can wait. Seems to me that we must be selfish if we want to lead well balanced, purposeful and meaningful lives.

Anyway, seeing that I have not been able to post anything in more than a month, I am glad that I have let off my rumblings about time, politics and living life. See you some time soon and remember to register as a voter soon so that you can exercise your democratic right to choose your rulers.

Office Guys- No Loo've Lost

I get surprised by the calibre of guys who use the office loo early in the morning. Don’t get it wrong,  I am not keeping tabs on my workmates loo timetables, but I happen to use the small rooms for changing and freshening up every morning from my walking gear to my office gear. So I make a mandatory visit every day just before 8.00 am.

Here, I keep bumping into these senior colleagues with very serious faces full of concentration and with only one thing on their minds. Their greetings are superficial and hurried as they enter the cubicles! These are guys you would expect to be more comfortable using their home and personal loos, but no, they want to jostle for space with their drivers, cleaners and visitors.

I find it strange, because there is nothing I hate like using public loos, be they in a 5-star hotel, at work or another person’s home. I feel like that business needs to be accomplished in the comfort of your home where any discomfort thereof can only be for your family members and not your workmates or total strangers. Which reminds me of a pal who in the old days when public toilets were all nasty and best avoided; he was a walking almanac of the best public loos in the city. He knew which café, cyber, supermarket, and office you could sweet-talk or bribe your way into.  

Back to my office pals. It doesn’t help when the guy with the current record for the smelliest activities also happens to be a guy you like. Somehow, the pong will always get in the way of reinforcing your friendship. I just wish he would keep it at home.

Picture Courtesy - http://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com

Letter To My Son-The Story Of My Handwriting

I am told that your personality can be deduced from your handwriting; that there is a branch of criminology that can investigate the personality of a criminal through forensics including literally reading between the lines of their writings!

While I will not differ or hold a contrary or counter view, however, from my own experience I always find that it is the quality of paper and pen I am using that determines what my handwriting will eventually be. If I encounter very some high grade smooth paper and a softer blotter underneath, my handwriting flourishes and borders on sexy calligraphy!, if on the other hand I end up with one of those extra thin points or tips on a thin paper, then my handwriting ends up being unimpressive.

By the way, I am a collector of pens for I seem to be on a never-ending search for the perfect tip and nib. Over the years, I have retained handwritten diaries not because I had anything important to say, but because I had just the right paper to write on. You can imagine my joy of 365 blank leafs to come back to every day. Talk of a daily fix!

And so it was the other day when we went to buy back-to-school stationery for the kids and I stumbled upon some disposable pens with the finest nib, I have ever encountered anywhere. I quickly picked up some black, blue, green and red pieces and headed to the counter. Each would cost Kshs. 350/= and here I was about to spend Kshs.1000/= on disposable ink pens. My children’s stationery for a whole term including boxes of pencils, colour pencils, erasers, sharpeners and other such stuff was only costing me about Kshs.1500 only.

The clerk at the till was obviously brighter than I was and was quick to offer unsolicited advice against buying disposable pens at that outrageous price. He thought it was more sensible to buy a fountain pen and lots of ink which is what I did. Unfortunately they only had school type plain but functional pens costing Kshs. 85. I grabbed one and later in the day tested it and loved it. It was taking me back to my fine handwriting! Don’t know what that had to do with my personality, but the pen was fine and the paper too.

So to test drive the pen, I wrote a letter to my son and earned myself a big bear hug and some mumbling of “ I love you too Dad”. The fruits of a good handwriting I guess…… 

Let Us Find Ways To Enjoy Thika Superhighway

There is need to ensure that all the drivers and passengers using Thika Superhighway are getting the maximum value of the 27 billion shillings that the country has invested in the project? However, the recent fatal accidents on the road have generated debate on the readiness and ability of Kenyan road users’ to utilize this national asset effectively.

In my humble opinion, I think the handling of the expected final product by managers of the project (KENHA) and their client (Ministry of Roads) is laid-back and their lack of preparedness is giving the motoring public a raw deal. They seem too excited about the 3 year construction period which is a means to an end and not the road’s 50 year usability period. They seem ill-prepared for what ought to be a giant leap for Kenya’s transport sector.

Even before the road is officially commissioned, the Traffic Police have stepped in to arbitrarily reduce the speed limit to 50 kmph as a way of averting the accidents. Rumble strips and humps have become an eyesore on an expressway that was meant to ease the perennial traffic jams that continue to cost the economy in time and money by creating a three lane unhindered road designed for speed.  As is usual with Kenyans when faced with a problem, we are known to go for the solution least likely to offer a lasting result.

There is nothing wrong with Thika Super Highway design or infrastructure or the intentions behind the project. There is however everything wrong with the managers and owners of the road imagining that everything will be clockwork smooth without any effort or input!    

This is the first expressway in Kenya. Usage of a three lane high speed road is new to many. We have only seen three lanes on Mombasa Road/Uhuru Highway/Chiromo Road which are one continuous city thoroughfare where the choice of lane is dictated by destination or exit point and not speed.

On an expressway, however the old “keep left” rule learnt in driving school applies with only one or two exceptions defined by law. The outer lane (to the extreme left) is for the slowest vehicles like trucks, buses, trailers, etc which are expected to be moving at  the speed of 80 kmph or less or those exiting into the service roads to their left, while the middle lane is for all vehicles moving at over 80 kmph but not more than 110kph .  The inside lane (to the extreme right) should always be free and not used unless you are overtaking a slower vehicle in the middle lane or your vehicle has a siren (police, fire, ambulance or presidential motorcade). Its important to remember that the road was designed for safe high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of intersections and roundabouts.

This sounds all sensible, but how do we ensure that every single user of the road understands and adheres. It cannot be through the so-called “sensitizations” that KENHA conducted one morning near Safari Park Hotel and which at most may have attracted a handful of drivers and idlers on a road reportedly used by 250,000 vehicles daily.

The starting point should be installation of very legible signage on the road utilizing the traditional traffic and informational signs as well as the new LED technology to inform, persuade, warn and occasionally threaten with prosecution those intent on breaking the traffic rules. This should be enriched by a 6-month to 1 year multi-media campaign on radio, TV, print, outdoor, online and onsite with a view of introducing and inculcating the best practices by use of “Do’s and Don’ts” with visual, audio and print messages in all languages used by the potential road users and on all media possible. Finally the law enforcers should come down very hard on offenders in a very public way with a view to ensuring that copy cat tendencies are discouraged.

I imagine that this is not the first time that similar challenges have been faced by road users here and abroad. In days gone by, it must have been a challenge for road owners and managers when the our forefathers first transited from the horse cart to the much faster automobile or even the first time that paved surfaces were used as roads. The history of highways and expressways is not very old even in the developed world and we need to take heart in the knowledge that we are pioneering the same in this part of the world. For a minute, think about the confusion that the first roundabout or dual carriage caused in Kenya not so long ago.

I am getting a living eulogy

We are close to the middle of the year and its as good a time as any other to reflect on the state of my life so far. In fact what is on my mind is not the many promises and resolutions I made to  myself about some idealistic or lofty goals I set for myself at the sunrise of the year, but more about what my whole life is worth todate  and for whatever time I have left.


Make no mistake, I am not about to die and I dont have a terminal condition that gives me only a short time to live. It is just that I am wondering and musing about the words and reaction my death will get from those who are near and dear to me. Seeing that I have no control over their reactions and emotions, I have decided to write for myself the eulogy that I hope they will read during my wake.


Infact I feel good about it because I have already come up with the opening lines of my obituary. It goes like this:


"Death has chosen a bad time to visit, at least for me, but in the knowledge that the day of our birth and the day of our death are the only certainites in life, there wasnt a way out it seems.


In days gone by, a man's measure was arrived at by how best he lived within the confines of his society's definition of honour, family pride, love of his nation, success at raising a family amidst plenty, how many enemies you put on a stake, etc A man lived by the dictates of his society but today different people impose on themselves different standards and expectations. We are no longer expected to all live within the boundaries set up over a long period and called called history, heritage or culture..............." 


I will pick up from here and continue to finalise the 2000 word's speech I will be reading during my funeral!  


Dying has inspired some great words and my favourite is a poem written in 1932 by Mary Elizabeth Frye called "Do not stand at my grave and weep" I also hope to be able to write my own poem that will accompany my eulogy. 

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft star-shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die.

Image courtesy of http://danimatchison.blogspot.com/2011/01/blog-post.html 

Why I Will Not die A Conformist

Many people in the world tend to flow with the wind. Many people are afraid to be different, to go against the grain, so to say. That is why we have become a society of hypocrites, people who seem to lean on one side, but when a vote is taken, the results don’t tally with the general view.

Take Kenyan politics for instance, we all claim that we are rid of tribal leanings, that tribe is not a consideration when we vote, that we vote on merit and based on a candidates manifesto. But the politicians know us better and when they campaign, they appeal to our tribal instincts; they play to our fear of domination by other tribes and successfully corner the voter.

Another good example of how hypocritical we are as a society is to be found in the religious sphere. We confess to being deeply religious, but a close examination of the society shows a very immoral, sick and crude people. Watching TV or reading the press, one is exposed to a people deeply troubled, entangled in immorality, cults, witchcraft and everything else that is anti-religion. How would you explain the domestic violence that seems to almost have a sanction? How do you explain widespread practice of FGM? What about the greed that is consistently exposed to have invaded our religious institutions? Many countries that do not profess religion above everything else have a better human rights record than we ever will dream of.

Deep inside my heart, I have always been able to see through all the lies that my society lines up in its feeble attempt to defend itself, and that keeps me striving to avoid falling into the same quagmire. Every day, I try to weigh all the decisions I make and ensure that what I do is based on whether it is right and proper and not motivated by any other factors. I don’t want to die a conformist who knows he made decisions to please the gallery but not his conscience. I don’t want to die a thousand deaths on the inside because I didn’t have the courage to say what I felt deep in my heart.

I don’t want to die a conformist. 

Maybe We Are Human After All

       

Kenya’s top award winning investigative reporter Mohammed Ali of the Jicho Pevu fame was today charged with theft of a mobile phone worth Sh100, 000. He appeared in court charged with the theft of a mobile telephone.  

Only last week a debt collector accused lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi of forgery and claimed that he was not qualified to practice as an advocate.  Mr Bryan Yongo claims Abdullahi does not have a Certificate of Completion of Pupilage as required under the Advocates Act. The lawyer is best known for his recent ferocious scrutiny of judges past rulings and qualifications during the vetting exercise as a representative of LSK in the Judiciary Service Commission.

Only yesterday, Scott Thompson the CEO at Yahoo-US was replaced after the emergence of allegations about a fake computer science degree for the past week.

Remember Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a former IMF chief and potential French President in 2012 who was accused in a criminal case relating to allegations of sexual assault and attempted rape made by a hotel maid, Nafissatou Diallo.

It is easy to blame these men who have excelled in their various specializations for the disgraceful falls and having an Achilles’ Heel , after all they have been at the forefront fighting the good fight and our perception of them was of men beyond reproach.

Is our perception to blame? Do we set high expectations for ourselves through their actions at the best of times? 

Why do we get surprised and wonder where the chink in the armour came from? 

How Long Does It Take To Decompose?

We all know the dangers of disposing waste that is not bio-degradable, but we rarely know how long it takes for the waste to be one with earth. This will shock you......

• Paper Towel - 2-4 weeks 
• Banana Peel - 3-4 weeks 
• Paper Bag - 1 month 
• Newspaper - 1.5 months 
• Apple Core - 2 months 
• Cardboard - 2 months 
• Cotton Glove - 3 months 
• Orange peels - 6 months 
• Plywood - 1-3 years 
• Wool Sock - 1-5 years 
• Milk Cartons - 5 years 
• Cigarette Butts - 10-12 years 
• Leather shoes - 25-40 years 
• Tinned Steel Can - 50 years 
• Foamed Plastic Cups - 50 years 
• Rubber-Boot Sole - 50-80 years 
• Plastic containers - 50-80 years 
• Aluminum Can - 200-500 years 
• Plastic Bottles - 450 years 
• Disposable Diapers - 550 years 
• Monofilament Fishing Line - 600 years 
• Plastic Bags - 200-1000 years 

Think again before you bury some of the waste in the ground. Think about the 4Rs-  Reduce, Re-use, Recycle and Recover.  

Cancer Seems To Have Made High-End Kenya A Permanent Home

Entrepreneur and former Minister, Njenga Karume is the latest prominent Kenyan to be put down by cancer. Cancer which the US National Cancer Institute defines as " a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named for the organ or type of cell in which they start - for example, cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer; cancer that begins in basal cells of the skin is called basal cell carcinoma."


It was only a short while ago that Public Health Minister, Hon. Beth Mugo came out to announce that she is recovering well from breast cancer and probably a year ago, it was her Medical Services colleague, Hon. Prof. Anyang Nyon'go who reported that he had successfully battled with prostate cancer. A leading city marketer and newspaper columnist Jerry Okungu is recovering from the same type of cancer. 


I do recall at the time the good Professor was going public about his case, he was widely acclaimed as brave because African dont make public their disease, especially so if you are a leader. He broke some ground there and as a result we now see many other publicly admitting and telling it all. That is how Hon. Mugo, Mr. Okungu, the late Maathai's family and now Njenga Karume's family are able to come out and say that they are suffering from or their beloved has succumbed from a specific cancer . 


Early last year I was seething mad at the Minister for whinning and doing nothing, but I am glad to note that he did not let me down and soon thereafter set up the African Cancer Foundation (ACF) and it was during Foundation's launch that Kenya was introduced to the ever bubbly ten year old leukaemia patient, Rose Nasimiyu who went on to win the nation's heart with her brave demeanour in the face of a disease that not many in her age bracket would understand.  


According to the ACF website, the Foundation "was formed on April 6th, 2011 as a charitable Trust and incorporated in Kenya on June 15th, 2011. ACF seeks to mobilise resources, carry out research, create awareness and provide services for the prevention, management and treatment of cancer in Africa. It also seeks to establish best practice standards and promote exchange of experience with existing centres of excellence around the world, thereby reducing the knowledge gaps between the Global North and South." The foundation is led by Zawadi Nyon'go, the minister daughter and from the look of things they will achieve their mission plus more. I wish them luck. 

Last year, our very own and world renowned Wangari Maathai was felled by the ovarian variation of the disease, so was author and paediatrician Dr. Margaret Ogolla,  Court of Appeal Judge Justice Moijo ole Keiwua and hundreds of other not so prominent Kenyans whose trysts with the disease happened far from the media glare. According to KBC, "doctors are warning that cancer has reached epidemic proportions with developing countries such as Kenya bearing the brunt of the disease due to lack of knowledge, capacity for screening, early detection, diagnosis and treatment. It is estimated that there are more than 18,000 new cases of cancer every year, with experts saying that more cases go un-diagnosed because of victims' ignorance and lack of access to medical facilities." 

There has been in existence since 1995, the Kenya Cancer Assocation led by Dr. Siele. "KCA is a voluntary run non profit making organization established in Kenya in 1995 after recognition that Cancer was emerging as a leading cause of death in the country. Its core mandate is to raise public awareness on Cancer as well as mobilize and lobby stakeholders including the Government to prioritize Cancer in their programs" Actually there is a proposed Cancer Control Bill which is lined up for presentation to Parliament soon. 

That cancer does not respect the mighty and powerful is evident in far away South America, where former Brazilian president Lula has suffered from throat cancer, Argentine President- Cristina Kirchner from thyroid cancer, Venezuelan Hugo Chavez has also been undergoing cancer treatment for some time.


A recent movie I watched called "50/50" about a   young man’s struggle with cancer shows that fear of the disease is greater than the disease itself. 


My humble prayer is that the thousands of poor Kenyan's who suffer from cancer are able to access quality medical care and advice and diagnosis happens early enough to ensure many fully recover from the disease. 

Motorcycle Riding in Nairobi- A Lifestyle or Craze?

The cheap Chinese and Indian bikes have revolutionized motorcycle riding in Kenyan. In every corner of this country, there are hordes of boda boda operators waiting at road junctions, town bus termini and every corner. Apart from boda boda operators, the motorcycle has changed the very essence of micro and SME set-ups. Farmers can now send milk and other produce to far-flung places, freelance service providers can serve large areas in a day and for leisure and social purposes many middle class rural families now have an affordable means of getting from point A to point B.

In the urban areas, there is a new revolution of motorcycle riding for lifestyle purposes. On any given weekend, you are likely to meet with a posse of bikers heading out to   Naivasha, Magadi, Thika and beyond. These bikers have the financial muscle to buy the most powerful and technology laden machines available anywhere in the world. These bikers do not ride for a living, but live for the ride. In their other lives, they are astute business men, lawyers, managers, doctors, creative, pastors, entertainers, high-end mechanics, expatriates with a sprinkling of the petrol heads, rich and spoilt kids who can afford the lifestyle. 

They are likely to be seen in the latest Harley Davidsons, Yamaha R1s, Suzuki Hayabusas, Honda CBRs, etc. The motorbikes they ride will set you back anything from half a million to 1.8million to acquire a second hand one from Japan, Britain, Dubai or US. 

Some of the better known bikers include Pastor Allan Kiuna, head of Jubilee Christian Centre, Moses Nderitu, an enteprenuer in the sanitation sector, Arthur Igeria, a city lawyer and Charles Kimenyi a music teacher, Oyunga Pala a renowned columnist and DJ Stylez of Code Red DJs. A few other die-hard enthusiast have formed themselves into groups with a view to propagating the biker lifestyle. They include Outriders Association of Kenya whose members are known to offer outrider services to major road events. They are also participants in the Friday night basketball events held in Nyayo Stadium. 

Another grouping with a following of about 1750 is Kenya Bikers who are active on Facebook. They organise rides to places like Narok for purposes of charity and recreation. If you put your ear on the ground and listen hard enough, you are bound to hear whispering about another mysterious community of kids who are into bikes for purposes of executing stunts and illegal road races. There is talk of large sums of money exchanging hands in outrageous bets. For instance the race record for Nairobi to Naivasha is 17 minutes while those who race further do Nakuru in 38 minutes. You hear of possible deaths caused in the chase for glory and fame within these circles. It is likely that relatives of the dead riders may not know the exact circumstances of their unfortunate deaths. 

There are many other riders who do it in singles without joining any groupings. Many expatriates fall within this category and will usually bring in their high-end motor bikes into the country and sell them at the end of their tours of duty. You will likely find them around Gigiri and such other neighbourhoods. The other class of bikers are the professional riders who have grown on motor-cross tracks. Most of the young ones start honing their skills at a very early age and graduate into higher age-sets with time. 

The one common thing with all these riders is that no expense is spared and the bikes are meant to make a huge a statement about who the rider is and their financial ability. They use the well-known brands in riding gear and accessories. Unlike the messenger and boda boda who wear helmets costing Kshs. 2,500, these class of bikers spend close to Kshs.120,000/= worth of in boots, helmets, riding jackets with full body armour, pants and a few other stylish gadgets meant to make the ride enjoyable like bluetooth communication sets and mounted miniature cameras to record every moment for purposes of sharing with friends and posting on Youtube.

So next time you look down on your rear view mirror and see a robot-like rider bearing on you at the speed of lightening and looking more like a lost MotoGP racer, make sure you give him the way; he could be part of a big posse out to beat a record.  

"In My Life" by The Beatles

There are places I remember

All my life though some have changed

Some forever not for better

Some have gone and some remain

All these places have their moments

With lovers and friends I still can recall

Some are dead and some are living

In my life I've loved them all