On Kenya, SouthKorea, Obama, 1963and a Little Laughter.
Life changes fast. A few years
ago and my favourite books
were “Rumpelstiltskin” and “The Adventures of Thigo”. A few more years and I became a
pre-pubescent teenager. Nelson
Demille’ s "The Lion's Game" became my favourite book. A
few more years into puberty
and Anyang’ Nyong’ o’ s “A Leap Into The Future” was one of my favourite reads (certainly
not my best!) Too much with the
history. Anyway, Nyong’ o’ s book is an awesome read if you
want to pity Kenya. If you want
to feel rage seep within you and
patriotism give way for hate of
country, read this book! In part,
it declares that while some developed country’ s people were busy making strategies, we
were busy obliterating society of
smart minds (Tom Mboya) by
assassinating them. Few fine
brains make it far in Kenya (and
that is why I sometimes fear for my life, just kidding. Who am I
kidding? I am not kidding. Just
kidding.) The other day Obama
lambastes Kenya and her leaders
for failure in developing the
country. What follows? The Luo politicians act fishy
when Obama decides to go to
Ghana. The Luhya politicians
chicken out. The Kisiis go
bananas. Kamba leaders are out
of colour and the Kalenjin leaders lose their desire to live
on the fast lane of life. Kikuyus
were not in the mood to indulge
in life’ s little profits. And rightfully so! Had we behaved
well, Obama would have made
Kenya his first stop. No doubt.
But after our childish stealing of
elections in 2007, his chances of
him coming here changed from redoubtable to doubtable! He
just could not come. Whether or
not his coming would have been
of value is simply rhetorical!
Watch and see how many people
flock Ghana in the next few months! Back home, being one of
Kenya’ s finest brains in the 60s, my President has so sadly
let me down. Picture this, he
graduated top of his class at
Makerere in 1955 and was also
top of his class at the very
prestigious London School of Economics! Makerere in its hey
days, as we all know, was
comparable to the Mukabi
Institute for the Sons of African
Gentlemen, you get the hang if
you were a sucker for Barbara Kimenye’ s Moses series of books. Anyways, for a man of
his ilk and “intelligentsia”, my President has seriously let me
down! I expected much more
from him as a man, and as an
economist of (dis)repute. Folks,
imagine Kenya and South Korea
were at the same level of (under)development in 1963! Let’ s me see where South Korea is now…Now, South Korea is the fourth largest economy in
Asia (in the same league as
Japan, Singapore and the
massive China) while we, Kenya,
are fighting to so hard to
displace several lawless states in Africa and in other forgotten
corners of the world. South
Korea’ s capital Seoul is now a leading commercial Capital in the
World and South Koreans enjoy
some of the highest living
standards in the world! Talk of
LG (Life’ s Good)! An extremely motivated workforce is a
characteristic of Koreans! It is a
taboo for males to be seen
running in traditional society (or
so, claims my Pastor)! The
country is the best in scientific literacy and the second in
Mathematical literature,
according to internet sources.
Her education system is highly
competitive, but functional.
Korea has the highest broadband internet access per
person than any other country
in the world! South Korea has
become synonymous with LG, the
second largest Liquid Crystal
Manufacturer in the world! Going on to mention Hyundai will add
insult to injury! Let us go back
home folks. Here at home in Kenya, food is
a BIG issue! People are eating
contaminated maize everyday!
Talk of government-aided
suicide! Water is scarce and
there is no electricity! What is wrong with us? Don’ t we have an economist for President and
an Engineer for Prime Minister?
Seriously men, you guys are
joking! Do something! Internet in
Kenya is inaccessible! It is a
shame to see ourselves on CNN every other day carrying
machetes and stones (And if we
are to continue behaving like
some brainless barbarics, then
we better keep off the cameras!
Sad to say but the offenders here are well known. To protect
Kisumu’ s identity, I will not mention its name!) Anyway, it is
also sad and pitiable to see
politicians being paid so much
money. Free Primary Education
became so free that even the
government stopped paying for it (properly). Free Secondary
Education? Was it ever
implemented? Not at all. And last
year, during a visit to some
rural place in Vihiga District, I
saw a tad too many Ds and Es on the KCSE results. Why go to
school when you have a preset
grade? Our education system is
so screwed! Honestly folks , politics is such a
voluntary job. No one is forced
into it (well, a few are. Most are
not.) I think we (the young and
fine brained Kenyans aged 0-55)
should demand for the avaricious people contending for
Parliamentary seats to sign
performance contracts that
among other things sets a
maximum salary remunerable to
them, based on the (fair and standard) Constituents’ judgement of the performance
of such office holders. Seriously!
What with 800 000 Shillings per
month? That money is enough
to pay 8 members of parliament
in a poor country! Kenya is not a poor country! Kenya is a very
poor country! Use the 800 000
to pay at least 8 members! It is
sad to see and hear respected
leaders complaining about “nus mkeka na choo” and “having only one wife” while KCSE results are determined in a
dicey manner and university
students have issues so deep
they burn schools! Folks…we need to change Kenya, and
soon. Better still, we need to
own our country! We have been
deaf and dumb (without hearing)
and dumb (without wisdom) for
46 years. Time to wake up is now. Come on guys!!! We can do
a lot! Let us believe in ourselves
and love our country! Then God
will also help us (more)? OK
folks? Yes! It is 2009 and according to
Nostradamus, Mayan history and
paranoia, the world is ending in
2012. Let us make Kenya a
better place before we go to
heaven, or the other place. (Nel On The Head. July 23rd
Edition)
"There is a thin line between
truth and fiction. This is that
line!"
ago and my favourite books
were “Rumpelstiltskin” and “The Adventures of Thigo”. A few more years and I became a
pre-pubescent teenager. Nelson
Demille’ s "The Lion's Game" became my favourite book. A
few more years into puberty
and Anyang’ Nyong’ o’ s “A Leap Into The Future” was one of my favourite reads (certainly
not my best!) Too much with the
history. Anyway, Nyong’ o’ s book is an awesome read if you
want to pity Kenya. If you want
to feel rage seep within you and
patriotism give way for hate of
country, read this book! In part,
it declares that while some developed country’ s people were busy making strategies, we
were busy obliterating society of
smart minds (Tom Mboya) by
assassinating them. Few fine
brains make it far in Kenya (and
that is why I sometimes fear for my life, just kidding. Who am I
kidding? I am not kidding. Just
kidding.) The other day Obama
lambastes Kenya and her leaders
for failure in developing the
country. What follows? The Luo politicians act fishy
when Obama decides to go to
Ghana. The Luhya politicians
chicken out. The Kisiis go
bananas. Kamba leaders are out
of colour and the Kalenjin leaders lose their desire to live
on the fast lane of life. Kikuyus
were not in the mood to indulge
in life’ s little profits. And rightfully so! Had we behaved
well, Obama would have made
Kenya his first stop. No doubt.
But after our childish stealing of
elections in 2007, his chances of
him coming here changed from redoubtable to doubtable! He
just could not come. Whether or
not his coming would have been
of value is simply rhetorical!
Watch and see how many people
flock Ghana in the next few months! Back home, being one of
Kenya’ s finest brains in the 60s, my President has so sadly
let me down. Picture this, he
graduated top of his class at
Makerere in 1955 and was also
top of his class at the very
prestigious London School of Economics! Makerere in its hey
days, as we all know, was
comparable to the Mukabi
Institute for the Sons of African
Gentlemen, you get the hang if
you were a sucker for Barbara Kimenye’ s Moses series of books. Anyways, for a man of
his ilk and “intelligentsia”, my President has seriously let me
down! I expected much more
from him as a man, and as an
economist of (dis)repute. Folks,
imagine Kenya and South Korea
were at the same level of (under)development in 1963! Let’ s me see where South Korea is now…Now, South Korea is the fourth largest economy in
Asia (in the same league as
Japan, Singapore and the
massive China) while we, Kenya,
are fighting to so hard to
displace several lawless states in Africa and in other forgotten
corners of the world. South
Korea’ s capital Seoul is now a leading commercial Capital in the
World and South Koreans enjoy
some of the highest living
standards in the world! Talk of
LG (Life’ s Good)! An extremely motivated workforce is a
characteristic of Koreans! It is a
taboo for males to be seen
running in traditional society (or
so, claims my Pastor)! The
country is the best in scientific literacy and the second in
Mathematical literature,
according to internet sources.
Her education system is highly
competitive, but functional.
Korea has the highest broadband internet access per
person than any other country
in the world! South Korea has
become synonymous with LG, the
second largest Liquid Crystal
Manufacturer in the world! Going on to mention Hyundai will add
insult to injury! Let us go back
home folks. Here at home in Kenya, food is
a BIG issue! People are eating
contaminated maize everyday!
Talk of government-aided
suicide! Water is scarce and
there is no electricity! What is wrong with us? Don’ t we have an economist for President and
an Engineer for Prime Minister?
Seriously men, you guys are
joking! Do something! Internet in
Kenya is inaccessible! It is a
shame to see ourselves on CNN every other day carrying
machetes and stones (And if we
are to continue behaving like
some brainless barbarics, then
we better keep off the cameras!
Sad to say but the offenders here are well known. To protect
Kisumu’ s identity, I will not mention its name!) Anyway, it is
also sad and pitiable to see
politicians being paid so much
money. Free Primary Education
became so free that even the
government stopped paying for it (properly). Free Secondary
Education? Was it ever
implemented? Not at all. And last
year, during a visit to some
rural place in Vihiga District, I
saw a tad too many Ds and Es on the KCSE results. Why go to
school when you have a preset
grade? Our education system is
so screwed! Honestly folks , politics is such a
voluntary job. No one is forced
into it (well, a few are. Most are
not.) I think we (the young and
fine brained Kenyans aged 0-55)
should demand for the avaricious people contending for
Parliamentary seats to sign
performance contracts that
among other things sets a
maximum salary remunerable to
them, based on the (fair and standard) Constituents’ judgement of the performance
of such office holders. Seriously!
What with 800 000 Shillings per
month? That money is enough
to pay 8 members of parliament
in a poor country! Kenya is not a poor country! Kenya is a very
poor country! Use the 800 000
to pay at least 8 members! It is
sad to see and hear respected
leaders complaining about “nus mkeka na choo” and “having only one wife” while KCSE results are determined in a
dicey manner and university
students have issues so deep
they burn schools! Folks…we need to change Kenya, and
soon. Better still, we need to
own our country! We have been
deaf and dumb (without hearing)
and dumb (without wisdom) for
46 years. Time to wake up is now. Come on guys!!! We can do
a lot! Let us believe in ourselves
and love our country! Then God
will also help us (more)? OK
folks? Yes! It is 2009 and according to
Nostradamus, Mayan history and
paranoia, the world is ending in
2012. Let us make Kenya a
better place before we go to
heaven, or the other place. (Nel On The Head. July 23rd
Edition)
"There is a thin line between
truth and fiction. This is that
line!"
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