New Thoughts on the Kenyan Drought.

Its very disheartening to watch Kenyans starving while this nation has so much potential. Its so shameful that we live in a perennial cycle of hunger and drought. I believe that its possible for every Kenyan to be fed and live a life of comfort and abundance. Unfortunately we as a nation are addicted to emergency interventions, when there is no food, plead for aid, when there is no electricity get emergency power. We consistently evade the real issues, we wont to attack the symptoms, not the fundamentals.



For a long while I have felt that the recurrent problem of food in northern Kenya is about development rather than rations. Its about the deprivation of an opportunity to develop and make a difference. Every time the Kenyan leadership talks about taking drought resistant crops to northern Kenya, on the surface it looks plausible but in depth it’s a flawed solution. For hundred of years the people of Northern Kenya have been pastoralists,  not farmers, we cant wake up and decide to make them farmers, we should instead work with what is there, their livestock. Anybody who has the slightest knowledge of livestock keeping in Australia realizes the enormous earnings potential of livestock, so it only makes sense to start where the people of northern Kenya are. Its time the Kenyan leadership promoted livestock education in northern Kenya, developed infrastructure there and promote proper livestock practices and technology. If the people of Northern Kenya could have money in their pockets they wouldn’t need relief food.

Look at it this way, people in cities don’t grow crops, but they don’t starve because they have incomes and with income comes entitlement, that is what should happen in Northern Kenya. There Is so much potential up north, I don’t understand why they have to endure such severe poverty. I mean look at the fishing potential in Lake Turkana, look at the tourism potential of the numerous exotic islands in Lake Turkana, Lake Turkana is arguably the most idyllic unexplored destination in this country, It is time that we promoted the utilization of the resources of Northern Kenya, Koobi fora for instance is a world acclaimed prehistoric site but Kenyans barely know of it, You see, it has to start with us, local tourists first, then the international ones. The cattle in Northern Kenya if promoted well could attract industries from meat processing and leather industries, but infrastructure is needed, electricity, roads and most of all education. The people of Northern Kenya deserve better and Kenya deserves to enjoy prosperity and wealth. All these is only achievable with proper plans, political goodwill and of course peace among the communities of Northern Kenya.

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Look at me size 8! Am a shamba boy!

Today I was woken up pretty rudely, there is nothing I find more offensive than work, You see I am the kind of son who likes to sleep and eat and nothing else. Apparently the gate had gotten stuck in the grass as they opened to let my dad drive out, of course it isn’t a real car, my dad has a toy. It’s a tough economy and they were not going to pay somebody to do some gardening, so, yours truly had to work. Its days like this you hate being a man, You have to fold your sleeves and smell of sweat and other manly smells, Yuck!

I have to say its been a while since I did this kind of thing, I mean its quite a while since I was sweating it out in the School farm at Alliance, I wasn’t on punishment in school, I was just volunteering for the boarding master. I took a Jembe and a Spade, threw some soil about and pretended to be finished, It was then that I saw a rat and the only thing that came to my mind was size 8, Good.

It was then that I saw a rat and the only thing that came to my mind was size 8, Good.Anyway, today I did some Shamba work, so am sort of a shamba boy, I imagine Size 8 would dig that so… LOOK AT ME SIZE 8!! AM A SHAMBA BOY!! Will you be my shamba girl? Of course I am not doing this to be insolent to Size 8, its much more than size 8, Its about sloppy lyrics by Kenyan musicians,I mean look at things like Huratiti, what is it about?

I have nothing against Size 8, but I honestly think that her song shamba boy was just hopeless. Who listens to that garbage? Was she drunk when she wrote it? I mean there is a reason people like Rihanna hire song writers. Anyway, today I did some Shamba work, so am sort of a shamba boy, I imagine Size 8 would dig that so… LOOK AT ME SIZE 8!! AM A SHAMBA BOY!! Will you be my shamba girl? Of course I am not doing this to be insolent to Size 8, its much more than size 8, Its about sloppy lyrics by Kenyan musicians, I mean look at things like Huratiti, what is it about? Look at people like Ng’ang’alito, most of our local music is just garbage. I appreciate gifted artists like Amani, Juliani, Wahu, Redsan… they are many but most are just annoying hit and runs trying out something coz they failed school. Period.

Son of the Village-William Ruto

William Ruto is the small man’s hero, he is a story of rags to riches. He is a story of success against all odds, his is the captivating story of a man with an ordinary birth but rose to extraordinary heights. Ruto is a testimony that every man has a fighting chance, regardless of how ignoble their birth was. Ruto’s story sounds like the Cinderella story, It’s the Romantic story of a young man from the village, who went to school amidst the struggles and against all odds made something for himself, and lived happily ever after… The real story is however rather different. I would like you to imagine Jacob fighting an angel for his blessings… maybe it was Isaac or even Abraham (don’t read the bible much), but that’s besides the point, my story is about Ruto.

Ruto is arguably the most strategic politician Kenya has ever seen, You see, Ruto is a mathematician but a bit more charismatic than a Professor. Ruto is a fast learner who ceases every opportunity with energetic haste, he is a fighter. In 1992 he joined the Y2K movement and he seized the opportunity to make connections that led him to start a political career rather young. His humility and loyalty earned him favour with Moi and he made it to Cabinet, but that was back then when he was less dramatic, I was just giving you a background, and that is that.

Ruto’s story sounds like the Cinderella story, It’s the Romantic story of a young man from the village, who went to school amidst the struggles and against all odds made something for himself, and lived happily ever after… The real story is however rather different. I would like you to imagine Jacob fighting an angel for his blessings… maybe it was Isaac or even Abraham (don’t read the bible much), but that’s besides the point, my story is about Ruto.

Ruto became a Phenomenon in 2005, when he alongside Odinga, Mudavadi, Balala, Kalonzo and Uhuru opposed the proposed constitution. He wasn’t the star player then but he was learning. Eventually this alliance culminated in ODM, a euphorically popular party that starred Odinga, at this point Ruto was just in the Pentagon, just a loyal lieutenant, but he was learning. He was learning Charisma from the best, he was learning to consolidate the community behind himself. He was now rising to displace reknown figures like Biwwot and Moi. Then came the 2007 drama…. To be continued….

The Man with a Harley...

Bad boys wear buggy jeans, their trousers sag like they have soiled them. They talk out the side of their mouths and they wear big sunglasses. The bad boy wants to be noticed, they want to be seen, they know they are not the real deal so they fake it. The real deal plays a different kind of game, You see, I am not writing this for the bad boy, I mean they are just boys, I am writing about Real Men, The kind of man with big balls and bigger brains. The kind of man who doesn’t dress up, he doesn’t talk much but does a lot.

Harleys Davidson’s are built for a man of action, tough man. The kind of man who doesn’t eat vegetables, just  meat. In fact Harley Davidson’s are made for the kind of man who doesn’t even cook his food, eats raw. The kind of man who doesn’t chew his food, just swallows. Harley Davidson’s are made for the kind of man who is not an accountant and if they are the worked at Enron

Unfortunately the world is full of boys, and the sad thing is that there is nothing I could say to make the boys understand what real men are, so let me tell you about something real Men Fancy, The Harley Davidson.

Harley Davidson’s are a testimony of American tradition; it’s the ultimate portrayal of power, independence and even fraternity. The Harley is arguably the most remarkable of all motorbikes and its following arguably the most charismatic. No other item in the world of motoring has such a phenomenal and fanatical following. The Harley is more than a motorbike, its more than a ride; it’s a way of life.

Harleys represent a tradition; they are built for a specific kind of man. Harleys are built to be remembered. Harleys Davidson’s are built for a man of action, tough man. The kind of man who doesn’t eat vegetables, just  meat. In fact Harley Davidson’s are made for the kind of man who doesn’t even cook his food, eats raw. The kind of man who doesn’t chew his food, just swallows. Harley Davidson’s are made for the kind of man who is not an accountant and if they are the worked at Enron and that went burst. Harleys are for the kind of man who doesn’t work in an office, he does his job in a pair of cut jeans and boots, no shirt.

At the end of the day, both the bad boy and the tough man will go to the bar. The bad boy will come wearing some chains and fake jewelry; the tough man will be more subtle. He will sit at the corner quietly and sip his drink as the bad boy runs his mouth. Then the tough man will get up and walk up to the counter and the bad boy will get in his way, The tough man will knock him out and then the sheriff will show up and as soon as he learns the tough man rides a Harley, hey will let him off…But what do I know, I am only a black boy from an African country, I have never seen a Harley, just read about them and seen them on Tv, but they were memorable.

I want to quit Campus.

I hate waking up. I want to sleep all day, I want to watch TV all night and after that I want to eat all I can. I want to be the American bloke on TV who plays video games all day. I hate attending lectures, I hate listening to malicious professors with smelly breaths and nasty beards, what do they know?

Who wants to go to university? I don’t want to be like Daddy, he isn’t cool, all he does is wear suits, drive to the office and pretend to be a consultant. Quincy Timberlake is cool, he is invisible like John Cena. I want to be a big deal, like Ng’ang’alito, I want to be a husla, live the street life and talk about beefs in hip hop. I want to get my car shot at like Mwau, I want to be on TV like Sonko, I want to be Okwonkwo

I want to be the cool guy who left campus and became a rapper. I want to throw away my books, find a studio and become something cool like a DJ. I want to record a few tracks, with skimpy girls dancing for me. I want to be the guy who shouts “WASSUP!”, on a stage while waving his arms. I want to sag my trousers, wear big sunglasses and pretend to be a celebrity like Prezzo. I want to wear a cap backwards and talk through the side of my mouth. Quitting campus is the way to go, Bill Gates and Kanye west did it, I will make it too, I will start a business selling airtime on a lift, nobody has ever done that, have they?

Who wants to go to university? I don’t want to be like Daddy, he isn’t cool, all he does is wear suits, drive to the office and pretend to be a consultant. Quincy Timberlake is cool, he is invisible like John Cena. I want to be a big deal, like Ng’ang’alito, I want to be a husla, live the street life and talk about beefs in hip hop. I want to get my car shot at like Mwau, I want to be on TV like Sonko, I want to be Okwonkwo. YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING?

I want to be on magazines, I want to be followed by paparazzi. Finally I am starting to think like a youth, I am hating Mututho.  I am starting to blame those wazees for ruining my fun, Isn’t that what Kenyan youth is about?

Maybe I should Just be me…

 Sometimes I feel odd, a bit outpaced. Sometimes  I even think am an outcast, you know sometimes it’s a bit tough being different. It’s a bit unnerving to be independent minded, I almost feel like am a pariah sometimes, but most of the time am Ok, I look around and I know am not a copy, I am an original.

people my age, I am odd. I am the only one who is not in a dance troop. Nowadays every young bloke is a msaani, with a band or about to start one. Everybody has a talent, except me. I don’t have a record deal, I am not an actor either, you know everybody is hip except me, everybody wears supra except me, Everyone has some chains except me, every guy has a gangster swag except me. You see, I am a bit odd, I am in the renaissance when everybody is in the Twitter age

At this point I imagine you are wondering… what is he upto? What is he bumbling about? Yes, I know, It all sounds too abstract, a bit too removed from the regular paradigm of things. You wonder what to think, is he isolated or is he special? Is something wrong with me or is something wrong with you? Hold on a bit…

Let me give you some background. When I look at people my age, I am odd. I am the only one who is not in a dance troop. Nowadays every young bloke is a msaani, with a band or about to start one. Everybody has a talent, except me. I don’t have a record deal, I am not an actor either, you know everybody is hip except me, everybody wears supra except me, Everyone has some chains except me, every guy has a gangster swag except me. You see, I am a bit odd, I am in the renaissance when everybody is in the Twitter age, do U see my point? Everybody has an ideos and I don’t, I am the only one who uses my computer to read books rather than play games. The only games I know are solitaire and the other one, wait, what is the other one?

Maybe it’s a time to change, Maybe I should also start to wear baggy jeans and walk holding my crotch. Maybe I should start spitting verses like Ludacris and the other ones, wait, who are the other ones?  I wish I didn’t know so much, I wish I didn’t read Wikipedia, I would be cool and maybe I could even be able to rhyme words like Juliani and the other ones, I would have a record deal and girls like size Avril and the other one would dance in my videos…. Or, maybe I don’t have to change, Maybe I should just be me.