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Lights Off---They Called it a 'Dark Continent' & Kenya today is Doing Exactly that!

By Billy Mutai

They called Africa a ‘Dark Continent’--I see the nation Kenya is today
nodding Yes! to the Western bandwagon when country’s energy sector
announces another darkness in the country after Kenya faced similar
situation eight years ago besides subsequent power interference due to
biting Hydro-electric Power (HEP) shortage.

…Yes! Yes! Yes! do I hear Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU)
boss Atwoli singing the chorus with his infamous yes’s slogan to the
white man’s premonition of the black Africa.

The shortage that leaves section of the country without power for at
least 72 hours a week cuts down on economical output by at least one
quarter casting doubts on country’s socio-economical growth.

This menace undoubtedly sends the nation to the lower ranks among the
developing countries.

When Kenya Association of Manufactures (KAM) cry foul of insufficient
energy supply for their industries, it is an absolute economical
failure taking into account the ‘general fear’ of potential foreign
and local investors in the country.

Amid serialization of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Kenya’s
economy, the basic development ingredients including electricity power
and upbeat strategies are still myriad of miles away.

The Vision 2030 could just be another white elephant yet a well dreamt
dream that could deliver a realistic economical revolution.

In the wake of immense power of telecommunication and industrial
revolution globally, a dreamer who had just completed his
undergraduate programme was already seizing his niche in the recently
launched Fiber Optic Project in Kenya.
.
The graduate is working on a web-based international outsourcing
center right at his room in his rural home. But on the flip side, the
so-called power rationing cannot allow him the envisaged trend to
business.

Even before the rural dwellers harvest the first fruits of the
‘always-promised’ electrification of villages, they were bombarded
with power rationing notice in the media yet electricity dependent
projects have already taken root in country’s village and slums.

Rural power electrification is undoubtedly an economical powerhouse
but the extended electricity wires to trading centers, industries,
health centers, learning institutions without the much needed energy
is a symbol of economical downturn.

The bulk of country’s youths employed in the semi-skilled sectors
including the Jua-Kali, hair dressing and other self-employment are
hard-hit by the irregular electricity supply. When they cannot run
their business effectively, sources of the basic needs is completely
sealed leaving them retreat to the impoverished villages and slums and
eventually bears socio-economical crisis.

Mechanic sector that employees another patch of youths is neither
speared by the HEP shortage as majority of sector’s activities are
dependent on electronic energy.
On the bitter end, it is the poor who are compelled to the extreme
side of poverty gap. Those who brand themselves well-off feel just a
pinch of electricity shortage as they seek refuge in the expensive oil
energy.

The well established business conglomerates could be bothered by the
hitch but the economical power bestows them a number of choices of
production as generators are automatically switched on immediately HEP
is broken.

This leaves them an upper hand in exploring the small scale industries
and business who are only dependent on the HEP.

This is therefore an open door to widening of the gap between the few
rich Kenyan population and the poor who are the bulk of the citizens.

Despite the excuses by energy sector that the rivers are drying up,
it is partly to blame for the HEP crisis.

Even as Mau Complex saga takes political twits, Mt. Kenya that was
earlier destroyed is just extending its consequences to the current
low water level in the Tana River that draws its waters to the
seven-Folk dams that supply the country with HEP.

Irresponsible farming up the hill as well as along the river banks has
lead to low water levels. Illegal irrigation methods are also drawing
away water from the tributaries that feed River Tana.

On the other hand, Mau Complex, the source of myriad rivers in the
Rift Valle Province including the envisaged Sondu Miriu HEP Project is
on the dwindling end.

The recent visit to Nyanza Province by the President and the Prime
Minister could just be a mockery after they visited the Miriu HEP
Project noting the dropping levels of water driving the turbines.

Destruction in one of country’s water towers; Mau Complex has been
adversely felt at River Sondu rendering the HEP project fruitless.

Nonetheless, the skyrocketing population growth in the global arena
and even locally does not spear the ‘still remaining’ water towers
across the country.

As population hits the tops, environmental and ecological related
resources including water catchments areas will in a way be interfered
with.

It is therefore time Kenyans get a lee-way to curb the outstanding crisis.

Renewable sources of energy including the wind energy and solar energy
should be explored in the country to caution the HEP shortage.

Kibaki Succession, Jimmy Forgets Antidote Of Uhuru-Gideon Project

THE 2012 RACE is already taking shape as Jimmy Kibaki promises political dawn yet on the flip side Wananchi risk drowning in the ocean of Monarchy Rule otherwise dubbed ‘Royal Family Style’

With Mutito legislator Kiema Kilonzo and political activist Tony Gachoka on the coaching bench, Kibaki’s boy is already on political springboard in preparation for Othaya mantle and more important become Kenyans Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

As a political beginner, Jimmy the ‘youth’ is already working on country’s powerhouse who scoops over 69 per cent of Kenyas population. By mobilizing the youths sing his tune, he is undoubtedly taking a logical move as he clears the thorny path to the top office.

Taking Kenyans for a ride has been the usual game-- the youths are a stepping stone to political offices…

The ambitious Jimmy is however forgetting the antidote of the project candidate Uhuru Kenyatta who from the moon Moi imposed to Kenyans. But in twist of events, Kenyans sought second liberation.

The rise and fall of Gideon Moi is yet another political dwarf who even his constituents nipped his bud leaving his ODM counterpart Sammy Mwaita free political air space.

As intrigues and counter intrigues take center stage in the political arena, Kenyans are recording the unfolding history as political succession shapes political opinion.

Unfortunately, the Wananchi are on the receiving end bearing the brat of political re-alignments while the political class share the spoils.

Uhuru Kenyatta tried his hand but Kenyas turned him a blind eye while Gideon Moi who was the envisioned ‘Project’ wobbled in the battle field.

What is your take on Jimmy’s move in succeed his father who some say he is the youths darling?

JOIN THE HOT DEBATE BY LEAVING YOUR COMMENT BELOW, INCASE YOU ARE NOT A REGISTERED BLOGGER, YOU CAN COMMENT ANONYMOUSLY.

The Good Days of Cowbell Technology: My Grandfather Narrates

Allow me to tell you the beauty of Kenyan rural homes and especially those who love the indigenous cows with dangling bells on their necks…

The bells kalenjins call Chepchingilit or otherwise Chepkorkongit leaves one admiring its functions.

The other day, I visited my grandfather in his rural home and with his unstoppable storytelling trait, he praised the old native culture and practices.

As the scholars put it, culture is all about customs, music, attire, food, artifacts and language sealing a community wholly.

In his 90s, Mzee Timothy Yebei describes it as a metal artifact strapped to a bull or goat’s neck basically to tell the position of the heard in the grazing fields. The smaller one (Chepchingilit) was strapped to a goat whereas Chepkorkongit belonged to the dominant bulls.

During the old good days, herds were driven to the free forests with the cowbells sending signals on their whereabouts.
“The bell with Lell-met (one of his cows) was bought by my father in 1928, it has been passed down from one bull to another,” narrates Mzee Yebei.

The bells also served as a security alarm in times of cattle raiding. However, the raiders inserted leaves in the bell to stop the metal rod from swinging.

The changing trends in our communities have kicked out the old farming practices for better production. The skyrocketing population has resulted in clearing of forest where pastoralist usually grazed their animals. Instead, farmers now keep up to three cattle with food supplements including nippier grass, unga feeds, and mineral salts among other manufactured products.

The use of these bells dates back to the incoming of Arab traders who exchanged their commodities for farm products including finger millet.

Cowbell: One of African Artifact Still Relevant Among the Locals

A farmer in Kericho District displays a cowbell, its use dates back to the incoming of Arab traders who exchanged their commodities for farm products including finger millet.

Pix: Billy Mutai

Migingo Dispute Lifeblood To East African Community

The disputed Fish- lucrative island takes Kenya and Uganda to litmus test as EAC is yet to decide on the controversial Issues in the drafted Common Market Protocol

By Billy Mutai
Days have rolled into months as the then thought simple-to-solve
Migingo dispute takes its roots deeper demanding historical data
before the world knows the indigenous owner of the fish-lucrative
island.
Outcome of the 60-day timeline to unlock the impasse where Kenya and
Uganda locked horns over Victoria’s island will be the ultimate litmus
test of the long-built East African Community yet it has not been
consummated.
Hiccups on the drafted region’s Common Market Protocol were yet
postponed to later date this year even as the region’s presidents met
last week in Uganda for the 10th Ordinary Summit.
Three out of the 87 items including land ownership, use of national ID
within EA and permanent residence in any member country are yet to be
agreed on after Tanzania maintained its hard-line position on the
items.
The results from the appointed Joint Survey Team will either nature or
nip the already achieved EAC relationship on its bud.
When Kenyas EAC Minister Dr.Jeffah Kingi insists on implementation of
the three pending issues in the drafted EA Protocol, he could be
meaning well for the member states but when those who call themselves
brothers squabble over a fish, it derails the envisioned EAC and the
situation is even worsened by the Tanzania’s snail pace speed on the
three basic components.
Glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel is perceived and again
dimmed as citizens from both countries take up arms to claim the
lucrative-fish island yet they are blood-brothers. When the River-Lake
Nilotes descended from Sudan, some settled in Kenya while others
preceded to Uganda presently the Acholi people while the Highland
Nilotes including the Sabaot settled around Mt.Elgon as others crossed
the border to Uganda.
We salute both Presidents for resorting into diplomatic option. The
brotherly decision was undoubtedly witnessed when Ugandan government
lowered her flag while Kenyan counterparts helped the Rift Valley
Railways engineers repair section of Kibera’s railways line that had
been uprooted in protest of the alleged presence of Ugandan troops in
the island.
Kibera residents living miles away from Victoria’s island demonstrated
what they termed patriotism to sealing off the land locked country.
They however forgot that bulk of trauma was felt harder in their own
country.
As if not enough, Kenya’s grand coalition government did not stop the
Kenyan way of doing politics. President Museveni who had in contrary
to everyone congratulated President Kibaki’s win of the highly
petitioned 2007 general election wisely maneuvered through the
coalition government’s lines of weakness in bid to declare what they
baptised Mijinjo theirs.
Uganda at the same time went ahead an accused the media of blowing the
issue out of proportion in what the say it is incitement.
The question on binding forces in the EAC again bounces back.
Socio-economic analysts point out that, results from the team set to
survey the boundaries will be the ultimate yardstick of the newly born
baby.
It is worth to note that the world including African Union, European
Union, United Nations among other global bodies are closely watching…
Besides the core EA countries squabbling over Victoria’s island,
Tanzania is yet another country in question as it has been accused by
the other four partner states of derailing integration of the drafted
EA Common Market Protocol.
Despite unanimous support by all other members in the recently
concluded EAC 10th Ordinary Summit in Uganda, Tanzania again took its
earlier stance on issues including land access, right of residence and
use of national IDs as a traveling document noting that they are
insecure.
Tanzania who took the stand in 2002, 2008 and even in the just
concluded summit is asking for more time to consult.
In what the inside sources conclude; the contested issues overrides
Tanzania’s policies and laws, they have however resorted to go slow
even at the expense of member state’s commitment.
With the biggest landmass in the region, Tanzania has shoot down land
access to region’s citizens as well as right to permanent residence.
According to the drafted protocol, one can be allowed permanent
residence after the applicant reside in the new country for more than
five years but Tanzania could not buy the idea and instead asked for
more time to consult.
On land ownership, Tanzania states that land is not part of
community’s shared resource yet in other section of the protocol, all
member states are mutual beneficiaries of region’s resources.
Again, Tanzania puts off the use of national ID as a traveling
document terming it insecure and instead proposed use of EA Passport
which is however out of reach to majority citizens.
The question begs on the time Tanzania opens up and allow the long
awaited socio-economical developments in the region even besides free
movement of persons within region’s borders.
Educational, research and technology, socio-cultural integration are
only the tip of the mutual benefits member countries will reap at its
maturity.
It is now upon the three core EA countries (Tanzania, Kenya and
Uganda) to settle down the biting issues within their boarders to
allow consummation of the envisioned socio-economical outburst in the
East African Community.
billymutai@yahoo.com

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…and the story unfolds, they call it 'The Marxists Way '

Protest is the order of the day – that is according to Marxist’s. Walter Mongare Nyambane a.k.a Nyambane tried his hand to Press for Press Freedom in Kenya following Signing of Communication Amendment Bill (2008) into law but he landed into hands of boys in suit.

The famous Comedian was in seconds uprooted as fellow scribes went what they term ‘Talking Photos’ as well as those crucial clips.

Kenyan Fourth Estate Fight By Tooth And Crook For Their Freedom

What mesmerized me most was what these Men in suits were upto…! Take a close look at the position of his hand…Could he be asking him Unajifanya Ng’ombe nani akukamue…

Among what the Fourth Estate termed draconian and retrogressive to Kenyan Democracy, Looming food crisis topped the list besides decline by country’s legislators to pay tax.

…and in minutes, Nyambane Mmoja was and cleared off-the presidential scene.

Their strangle yielded as the President later returned the contested section to the Parliament for review

Mohammed Amin the World Famous Photojournalist Went for the story irrespective of dangers.

World Famous Photo journalist Mohammed Amin (Mo) ignited the world by telling the inside story in the African Continent amid bomb attacks.

He however died a hero following plane crash that had been enrooted to Kenyan Coast.

Those are the people who colour your dailies in an eye blink…They quench your thirst for latest News – Information