Back again

I have been away a long time. During which time a lot has been happening. The lecturers went on strike in public universities and are still there last time I checked. On that, a local paper was kind enough to publish my opinion with just a few more typos of their own. Read it here and let me know what you think.

In the meantime, something else was cooking on the political scene. Officials who had initailly ran away from KANU led by the Total Man suddenly appeared back in the scene. They held a meeting in Mombasa and chose themselves as leaders of Kenya’s oldest party. And the Registar of Societies actually accepted these impostors! Please note, am not a supporter of KANU or the ODM or NARC or any of those despicable people, I am just an ordinary Kenyan who likes to pretend we have some semblence of the rule of law. Clearly, mine is a pipe dream, like we in the media are wont to say from time to time.

There were also elections where I go to school and a bit of mud-slinging as usual(maybe not enough as I would have wanted or liked) All in a semester’s work. So, that’s where I have been.

Blog revolution

The blog euphoria has hit my campus, and in a BIG way too. One time it was just me and my pal Felo who were blogging, the next time every Alice, James and Eric is blogging! Now, hmmh, beef.

They are all hating or for the unschooled, focus on the negative and bring it out. Or exaggerate. There is Daystarminator for example, he/she is new to the blog world and is starting a really worrisome site. The cap goes to the owner of Dayo blog page, that one is just pure hate. Al add their links to my side bar so you can ceck them out.

Nairobi by morning

Today was a good day for blogosphere. It is the kind of day when I encounter nto one but two things that qualify to be put here. First am just walking to the bus stage, minding my business and trying to be a good citizen when it happened. There was this mat that was running speeding so much in an overcrowded place that I just had to notice it. On looking closley, I noticed an ‘oversize’ police man runnig furiously after the mat driver. In essence, the mat driver was getting away and got away!

Second scene a few metres away. A mat again, this time a mini bus. And a tough talking middle aged lady probably on  her way to work. She had either knocked the mat’s behind or the mat guy had suddenly braked and so they were there with another policeman drawing chalk marks all over the road. She was on the verge of ‘beating up’ the mat driver by the time I left. I am not particularly given to stopping and staring like many Nairobians are. If I was, I would tell you where the story ended.

Lecturer’s strike

The public lecturers strike continues to bite. At least 12 have been axed. In today’s press, it was reported that Kenyan dons are among the most paid on http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143960123 and it sure makes interesting reading.

just what should be done to the government to make them realize how serious this issue is? Next we will have the teachers again then the nurses etc. And somebosy said the economy was growing at the impressive rate of 5.8% Good one, tell me another.

horoscopes

Am pissed of thoroughly by two of our ‘newspapers’ and for good reason too. See, am one of those people whose day is not complete without glancing at the ‘star’ of the day. now, our good friends at the Nation centre and I&M want us to pay to read this(yet I already paid for the damn paper)!

Even reputable newspapers so not charge for this.  I know the Washington Times does not charge except for the electronic version.

So there I have had my say.

The effects of a ‘night job’

The life of a Form 4 boy hangs in the balance now after receiving a thorough beating from a girl’s father he was allegedly dating. I stumbled upon this heartrending info from a vernacular radio station’s news. And the news in vernacular can be quite entertaining however serious it is. In this instance, the newscaster reported that the father ‘fell on’ (to mean attacked) and ‘fixed him properly’ (beat him seriously) when he found him ‘creeping’ on her daughter. He had allegedly gone for a ‘night job’ and was let in by the girl through a ‘side door’ when the father discovered the unusual occurrence and promptly set on the boy.

 

The story so far, the boy’s future looks bleak as his chances of sitting his KCSE are very thin. Even if he did, he is likely to spend considerable time in the hospital and hence miss out on the crucial revision he so needs. There are a number of questions raised here and one is whether the father was right to take the law into his own hands. Of course, he was protecting the interests of his daughter but was that the right way? If it had been rape, it would have been a different story. However, in this case, the two parties were consenting; the girl even let the boy in! If it is a beating they deserve, then both of them should have been beaten.

 

A more pertinent issue this raises is the whole matter of fornication among  the youth, if we can assume it got to that. It is perhaps the said father’s incompetence or bad breeding that makes his daughter behave as she did. If he had a talked to her and advised her appropriately on proper sexual activities and timing, she probably wouldn’t be in the news, or would she? The image we get is that of a violent dad who resorts to beating and thoroughly at that) his way out of problems. In the village setting where this took place, the community structure is still strong and getting the two youths together and talking to them about the incident would probably have been more effective. Besides, if they are hell-bent on doing it, nothing will stop them. In fact, the lady will feel she owes him a favour after the trouble he went through. They’ll probably be back at it soon as he’s out of that damn hospital. And that’s just how it is.

 

In the meantime, police have arrested five suspects who are helping with ‘investigations’ into the matter. Somebody give me a break here. Here’s how I see it: the father is having a sleepless night so he decides to take a late-night stroll around the compound. And lo and behold, the neighbour’s son and his own daughter walking away at three in the morning hand in hand! He must be dreaming so he clears his eyes and for sure its true. What happened next is common knowldege.

 

What would you do if you were the thoroughly incensed father?

Nairobi by ‘mat’

You got to love Nairobis matatu drivers, you really got to. Am one of those guys who suffers from acute chronic lateness(self diagnosed). As such, their ingenious methods of beating the jam are always appreciated, very much. I cant make it to class on time(or any other event for that matter)So today, I was running late as usual and I took a Kawangware 46 mat. There was a hell of a jam so he cut to some other route. I think its the 3rd Ngong Avenue(which by the way is far removed from its route) and the other end we run into some army guys manning the street. The street loudly proclaims itself to be the safest street in Nairobi. The jury is still out on that one. Its the one that has Loreto Convent Valley Road School, couldnt get the name.

So the good driver affects a Kisii accent(which is true since all the 46 mat crews are Kisii anyway). The soldier asks him if he knows that route is out of bounds and in the most innocent way, he says he doesnt. He says hes taking us to a church nearby. And he inforrms the guy that he hasnt even spent a week in Nairobi.

He was probably born and grew up in Nairobi but what the heck? Oh, and this illustration is not a true representation of the situation in Kenya now. It wasnt even done by a Kenyan. I just loved it coz its a 46 and most of them shouldnt even be on the road.

Incidentally, today, GADO did a (master)piece today on matatus in relation to the police “crackdown” on unroadworthy ones(most are but the way they go about it is way off the mark)

Anyway my story ends with the soldier allowing the driver to pass “kama ni mara yaho ya kwanza Nairobi” and adds “na ujue sisi ni wabaya.” The good dere concurs saying ” nikiona tu hiyo kofi ya red najua.” So with his ego massaged, he lets us go. I was still late for that class anyway, but the diversion helped(plus it gave me material for my blog)

Finally, someone said ati the late guys are usually happier than the guys who had to wait for them. How true?

The newest home of my thoughts

This is the newest home of my thoughts outside my brain. You know, it actually works; the same way Chess is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can find outside an advertising agency.
Let us just say here is where you will find thoughts on a diverse range of subjects as God allows in his once-green-now-not-so-green earth.
Welcome and do leave comments on the posts you find here. They keep me sane, like for real. Even the negative ones.