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My Vote will not be wasted

November 22, 2012 by kamirithu

In the recent weeks, the popularity of Presidential Aspirant Peter Kenneth has been on the rise. Kenneth has attracted a lot of attention by demonstrating that Kenyans can actually discuss issues and as the Nation Media Group put it recently, ‘the next election must not be business as usual; it must be about issues’.

However, there’s a growing trend and argument around the ‘wasted vote’ concept. Some people are arguing that they agree with what Peter Kenneth stands for, they agree that he is the leaders that Kenya needs and deserves but they will not vote for him because they don’t believe he can win. In other words, they don’t want to waste their votes. Continue Reading »

Posted in Brighter Kenya | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments »

Building the Nation

October 25, 2012 by kamirithu

By Henry Barlow

 

Today I did my share

In building the nation.

I drove a Permanent Secretary

To an important, urgent function

In fact, to a luncheon at the Vic.

 

The menu reflected its importance

Cold bell beer with small talk,

Then fried chicken with niceties

Wine to fill the hollowness of the laughs

Ice-cream to cover the stereotype jokes

Coffee to keep the PS awake on the return journey.

 

I drove the Permanent Secretary back.

He yawned many times in back of the car

Then to keep awake, he suddenly asked,

Did you have any lunch friend?

I replied looking straight ahead

And secretly smiling at his belated concern

That I had not, but was slimming!

Upon which he said with a seriousness

That amused more than annoyed me,

Mwananchi, I too had none!

I attended to matters of state.

Highly delicate diplomatic duties you know,

And friend, it goes against my grain,

Causes me stomach ulcers and wind.

Ah, he continued, yawning again,

The pains we suffer in building the nation!

 

So the PS had ulcers too!

My ulcers I think are equally painful

Only they are caused by hunger,

Not sumptuous lunches!

 

So two nation builders

Arrived home this evening

With terrible stomach pains

The result of building the nation -

- Different ways.

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Kenya Can and Must do better

August 8, 2012 by kamirithu

I congratulate Ezekiel Kemboi for bagging our first Gold at the London Olympics and the rest of our athletes who have so far earned us 5 medals. I send my best wishes to those who still have events and hope that they will add to our medal count.

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Ezekiel Kemboi at the London Olympics / Image from 3news.co.nz

Kenya’s hopes at the London Olympics are dwindling as it seems increasingly unlikely that we will match our performance at the Beijing Olympics. As we try to find answers, allegations of mismanagement, corruption and turf wars between the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) and Athletics Kenya have started to emerge. This has become the bane of our sports and it is unhealthy. The Ministry of Sports should be alive to these challenges and address them conclusively and expeditiously. Continue Reading »

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

We cannot mess with the elections this time round

August 6, 2012 by kamirithu

IEBC has in the period of its existence gained much public confidence. The manner in which they have run by-elections and the 2010 Constitutional Referendum, was in great contrast to its predecessor the Electoral Commission of Kenya. Unfortunately, this has started to change. The wrangles between the Secretariat and the Commission are not at all helpful especially at such a critical juncture of Kenya’s history. Continue Reading »

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Development or Reform Discourse: Which way Kenya 2013?

July 23, 2012 by kamirithu

20120723-134938.jpgPresidential Aspirant Peter Kenneth has stated that the next election will be a two horse race between performers and non-performers.

In his weekly email to supporters he said that while we owe a great deal to the freedom fighters and the heroes of the second liberation, we must not remain there. He stated that we need to change our discourse from a reformist one to a developmental one noting that while the reformist agenda has taken us far the critical thing is the full implementation of the constitution which has a strong focus on the rights based approach to development.

Kenneth argues that Kenyans should now be debating how we will achieve the socio-economic rights in our constitution and base our decision at the next election on the that discourse. Hence, Peter Kenneth argues, and rightfully so, that the next election should be a race between performers and non-performers. Kenyans must evaluate the developmental record of those who are seeking positions of leadership. He wonders why we would reward those that have failed at lower levels with bigger responsibilities? Continue Reading »

Posted in Brighter Kenya, Political Analysis | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Post Cards from Hell: Kenya is a failing state

July 2, 2012 by kamirithu

By Stanley Kamau

Image

Image from http://www.foreignpolicy.com/failedstates2012

The Failed States Index 2012 published by the Foreign Policy Magazine and Fund for Peace has ranked Kenya as the 16th most failed state in the world fairing worse than Congo Republic, Myanmar, Niger and Ethiopia. See the rankings here.

Kenya today demonstrates the symptoms of an extremely weak state that is failing very fast if not failed yet. Most fundamentally, the physical security of the citizens is at great risk. In the last few weeks, the number of people who have died as a result of majorly avoidable circumstances such as grenade attacks, collapsed buildings and road accidents is in the hundreds. The government seems completely unable to assure the citizenry of their security. The most recent attack in two churches in Garissa that claimed the lives of 17 people is a grave demonstration of this fact.

Continue Reading »

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Kenya should take advantage of Medical Tourism opportunities

June 20, 2012 by kamirithu

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Image from aljazeera.com

A middle-class gentleman from the UK plans his holidays to coincide with his dental appointments. A Ugandan lady who life prospects the doctors have written off boards a plane to seek further help as does as a Kenyan diagnosed with the dreadful disease of Cancer. What the English Gentleman, the Ugandan Lady and the Kenyan gentleman have in common is that they are all heading to India; the global centre for medical tourism.

I had heard many people talk about the making of ‘medical miracles’ in India but it was never so important until I chanced upon a 6 part program on Al Jazeera called Indian Hospital. It is a showcase of the realities of the industry and why India’s Medical Tourism Industry has grown to 1.1 million tourists with revenues of US$ 2.4 billion between 2009 and 2012. This unique observational documentary series shines a light on Indian society illuminating the complexities and dilemmas of modern India through the extraordinarily varied lives of patients and medical staff working at the Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital Complex in Bangalore. Continue Reading »

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