President Obama is a an American and above all a Global Warrior;he is constantly being bombarded with all kinds of personal,social,cultural,political and racial attacks,but he has survived and he will survive.
The world just witnessed the sort of negative vibes some people,especially in US,may be harbouring,in regard to their 44th President;especially when they heard that he was awarded the Nobel Prize-.Unfortunately much of it coming from disgruntled Americans,who don't like the idea that he[a darker-skinned person most of them think is a stranger,by virtue of not being like them].. beat the best of Presidential candidates [all lighter-skinned like them]-to become by the virtue of the majority vote the 44th President of the United States of America.
Most dare to call all this ANTI-OBAMA politicking; pinkish racism,but it is patronizing racism at its best.Even those World Presidents that are perceived to be enemies of America,congratulated Prez Obama.But some Americans,who really wish that Obama stumbles,fails or disappear,cannot stomach it. But the Prez matches on until victory is won.
Humble Obama, may deny much of his opposition to be racially induced.However,like former Prez Carter put it, it is nothing less of bigotry.President Carter,is a native Southerner, he understands racism better than most of do,or would like to understand.
In the previous blog I wrote about it, but I forgot to state that the President,himself had already expressed his amazement,in comparison to other giants that were honored before him.
Attached below is the President's e-mail ,after he received the good news.
________________________________________
From: President Barack Obama [info@barackobama.com]
Sent: Friday, October 09, 2009 6:46 PM
To: Nehemy Kihara
Subject: A call to action
NEHEMY --
This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.
To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.
But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.
That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.
This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.
So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
--------------------------------------------
Most of his supporters,received this e-mail,and knew about his personal and family-{First Lady],feelings about the honor.The PREZ did not go around beating his chest in pride; but in a humble way accepted the honor ,with a BIG BUT ...I DONT THINK I deserve this..However,the respectable Committee that chose him..made it clear that, there was no mistake-they anonymously voted for OBAMA-he captures the past,present and future ideals of the Nobel Prize- the majority of us agree.Again congratulation Prez Obama,you deserve to be honored with a Nobel prize.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
PRESIDENT H.E. DR. BARACK OBAMA-WINS THE NOBEL PRIZE
The 48-year-old U.S President HE Dr. Barack Obama, was hailed by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for 'his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples'. As a result he won the Nobel Prize for Peace.
He won it,just as he won the US-Presidency-he was the best of the best candidates that all Americans presented.In God's hands he can do all things. Yes, all of us can do things..His domestic enemies and critics are many, and they pray and hope daily that he will fail.Unfortunately,he is a beloved son of the World; Africa,Asia; the Pacific; South America and Europe of course loves Obama, like it or not;He is loved.If one is an American-we are talking of the 44th President of the country-he was elected by the majority not by a minority-he is in office for almost a year under the democratic mandate of the people.All the hatred,sometimes racially induced opposition and criticism is nothing,but petty politics.Whether one had another candidate for the position or not does not matter-they were beaten by OBAMA. Just accept it,there is no use of arguing against facts- he won the Presidency in day light;there was no stolen elections here.Congratulations Dr.Obama,if you are reading this.[Just in case you did not know he has been awarded a number of doctoral degrees-that is why I am using that tittle.]
Prez. Obama represents change and hope for the majority of the Global population,including America.But the world of greed and corporate profit and interest does not read the same script with the rest of the world. He represents challenges and risks, that they are not ready to handle,thus all the so-called conservatives, most of them under the cover of the Republican Party, are opposed to his policies,regardless of their appropriateness. A good example, the Health Bill-comprehensive care for all-who in the world would reject such a value-based policy; unless they are selfish,bigoted and privileged.
In an announcement in Oslo,Thorbjoern Jagland, the the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said that Prez Obama was honoured "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,...Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," The committee said further that; "His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population." The committee said it attached special importance to Mr Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
We may not be there yet, but the world is moving towards peaceful coexistence,
thanks to an American President,who realizes that we are all related,regardless of our geographical location in the globe.Again congratulations Prez Obama.
He won it,just as he won the US-Presidency-he was the best of the best candidates that all Americans presented.In God's hands he can do all things. Yes, all of us can do things..His domestic enemies and critics are many, and they pray and hope daily that he will fail.Unfortunately,he is a beloved son of the World; Africa,Asia; the Pacific; South America and Europe of course loves Obama, like it or not;He is loved.If one is an American-we are talking of the 44th President of the country-he was elected by the majority not by a minority-he is in office for almost a year under the democratic mandate of the people.All the hatred,sometimes racially induced opposition and criticism is nothing,but petty politics.Whether one had another candidate for the position or not does not matter-they were beaten by OBAMA. Just accept it,there is no use of arguing against facts- he won the Presidency in day light;there was no stolen elections here.Congratulations Dr.Obama,if you are reading this.[Just in case you did not know he has been awarded a number of doctoral degrees-that is why I am using that tittle.]
Prez. Obama represents change and hope for the majority of the Global population,including America.But the world of greed and corporate profit and interest does not read the same script with the rest of the world. He represents challenges and risks, that they are not ready to handle,thus all the so-called conservatives, most of them under the cover of the Republican Party, are opposed to his policies,regardless of their appropriateness. A good example, the Health Bill-comprehensive care for all-who in the world would reject such a value-based policy; unless they are selfish,bigoted and privileged.
In an announcement in Oslo,Thorbjoern Jagland, the the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said that Prez Obama was honoured "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,...Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," The committee said further that; "His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population." The committee said it attached special importance to Mr Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
We may not be there yet, but the world is moving towards peaceful coexistence,
thanks to an American President,who realizes that we are all related,regardless of our geographical location in the globe.Again congratulations Prez Obama.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
WORLD'S MUSLIM POPULATION HIT 1.57 BILLION
The recent census data from 232 Countries and Territories, conducted by Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reveals that one in four people in the globe is a Muslim.
In other words a quarter of the World's population,which is about 1.57 billion followers.Islam is the world’s second largest religion behind Christianity, which has an estimated 2.1 billion to 2.2 billion followers,according to the report.
It is now obvious that all Muslims are not Arabs, and all Arabs are not
necessarily Muslims.
The other facts for instance are that, Germany(presumably a predominantly a Christian country), has more Muslims than Lebanon, China has more Muslims than Syria, Russia has more Muslims than Jordan and Libya combined, and Ethiopia has nearly as many Muslims as Afghanistan.Muslims make up to 2.7% of British population ,about 1,647,000 millions.While 38 million Muslims live in Europe (compared to Turkey, with a population of 71 million, and ahead of Algeria, with 34 million); two third of all Muslims are Asians.
Again this proves the point that most Muslims live in countries where
Islam is not the major religion,or the religion of the majority of the people.
About three-quarters of Muslims living as minorities are concentrated in five countries: India (161 million), Ethiopia (28 million), China (22 million),
Russia (16 million) and Tanzania (13 million).
The two main Islamic groups of are ;
1).the majority Sunni,between 87-90% of all Muslims.(in Iran, Pakistan, India,
and Iraq).
2).the minority Shia,between 10-13% of all Muslims.
Asia and the Pacific region has more than 60% of all Muslims. Africa and Middle East (whch is to only one fifth of the world's Muslims),follows with slightly above 35% of all Muslims.Both Europe and Americas has almost 3% of World's Muslims.
While peaceful co-existence is found all over the globe ;in several countries -
from India to Nigeria and China to France - divisions featuring a volatile mix of religion, class and politics have contributed to tension and bloodshed among
ethno-religious groups.
The Pew report highlights that;two-thirds of all Muslims live in 10 countries. Six are in sub-Sahara Africa -1 namely (Nigeria),in North Africa-3 predominantly Arabic (Egypt, Algeria and Morocco)in Asia -6 countries namely,(Bangladesh, Iran and Turkey,Indonesia which is the world's largest Muslim country(203 million, or 13% of the world's total),Pakistan,Hindu India,with the third-largest Muslim population of any nation- yet Muslims account for just 13% of the country's population.
[ The full report is available at http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=451]
October 8, 2009 Mapping the Global Muslim Population:A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population
October 2009
In other words a quarter of the World's population,which is about 1.57 billion followers.Islam is the world’s second largest religion behind Christianity, which has an estimated 2.1 billion to 2.2 billion followers,according to the report.
It is now obvious that all Muslims are not Arabs, and all Arabs are not
necessarily Muslims.
The other facts for instance are that, Germany(presumably a predominantly a Christian country), has more Muslims than Lebanon, China has more Muslims than Syria, Russia has more Muslims than Jordan and Libya combined, and Ethiopia has nearly as many Muslims as Afghanistan.Muslims make up to 2.7% of British population ,about 1,647,000 millions.While 38 million Muslims live in Europe (compared to Turkey, with a population of 71 million, and ahead of Algeria, with 34 million); two third of all Muslims are Asians.
Again this proves the point that most Muslims live in countries where
Islam is not the major religion,or the religion of the majority of the people.
About three-quarters of Muslims living as minorities are concentrated in five countries: India (161 million), Ethiopia (28 million), China (22 million),
Russia (16 million) and Tanzania (13 million).
The two main Islamic groups of are ;
1).the majority Sunni,between 87-90% of all Muslims.(in Iran, Pakistan, India,
and Iraq).
2).the minority Shia,between 10-13% of all Muslims.
Asia and the Pacific region has more than 60% of all Muslims. Africa and Middle East (whch is to only one fifth of the world's Muslims),follows with slightly above 35% of all Muslims.Both Europe and Americas has almost 3% of World's Muslims.
While peaceful co-existence is found all over the globe ;in several countries -
from India to Nigeria and China to France - divisions featuring a volatile mix of religion, class and politics have contributed to tension and bloodshed among
ethno-religious groups.
The Pew report highlights that;two-thirds of all Muslims live in 10 countries. Six are in sub-Sahara Africa -1 namely (Nigeria),in North Africa-3 predominantly Arabic (Egypt, Algeria and Morocco)in Asia -6 countries namely,(Bangladesh, Iran and Turkey,Indonesia which is the world's largest Muslim country(203 million, or 13% of the world's total),Pakistan,Hindu India,with the third-largest Muslim population of any nation- yet Muslims account for just 13% of the country's population.
[ The full report is available at http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=451]
October 8, 2009 Mapping the Global Muslim Population:A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population
October 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
KENYANS ARE OPTIMISTIC PEOPLE AND THAT IS GOOD NEWS.
Kenya is still one of the most optimistic in the world;despite of the bad record recently reported on human rights abuses, that only loyal bureaucratic functionalist administrators can deny. Kenya as a country is improving ; despite of negative conflicts that are fueled by pseudo ethnophilia politicians ,who claim to act for the interests of their people,or those who speak their mother tongue. Unfortunately such politicians; like the former British colonizers of the country, go around creating unfounded ethnophobia,or fear of others-those who don't speak their mother tongue.It is cheap,dirty backyard politics, but it causes people to arm themselves and all suddently began terrorising,attacking and killing their 'not ours' neighbors without mercy and any justifiable reason for such irrational behavior.
For an example, the assumption that Agikuyu and Joluo are traditional enemies,something that was reported all over the world to explain the Kibaki-Oginga election results; was false, since the two communities never shared borders before the coming of the European invaders.The British colonizers in their disorientation and unsettling the Agikuyu brought the Joluo into their neighborhood. The antagonism was started by the fact in farmlands and other places the Brits used the Joluo as the supervisors,policemen or their eye or spy on the Agikuyu.
The Agikuyu developed negative attitudes on the Joluo, to make this worse the colonizing Brits started justifying this on cultural differences due to the fact that the Joluo did't circumcise their men like the Agikuyu ,these two groups cannot come or work together.However, these attitudes were proven to be false, there was instant love between the Agikuyu and Joluo, in their stride towards leading Kenya from the colonial domination. But the damage had already been done,the next colonial move was to creat the ongoing ethnophobia, which they baptised as tribalism. the fear of the Agikuyu-Joluo alliance in KANU, named the 'majority' against the rest namely the 'minority' in KADU ,which included the Euros.
The Euros divide and rule did not work this time, the Kenyan Africans after all were not that damn as the Anglos have come to believe,they united,woked together or pulled together' HARAMBEE SPIRIT' and Kenya become independent, with President-Kenyatta a Gikuyu [ex-Premier] and Vice-President Odinga a Jaluo; these worked well until the same European ideologies of Capitalism {Kenyatta} and Communism{Odinga} made them unceremoniously part their ways adding more fuel to the colonial Kikuyuphobia-fear of the Agikuyu,that now had been justified by predominantly Agikuyu Mau Mau rebellion ,which taught the Anglos that these people can fight fortheir freedom.In the shadows it also created Joluophobia-the whole attitude of calling Odinga an eastern communist caused Odingaphobia-fear of J-O-O[Jaramogi Oginga Odinga= fear of JOluO;] that extends in todays Kenya politics. On one hand there is no other reason for disliking the son of Jaramogi- the current Premier Odinga and the Joluo in extension.On the other hand the wholesale dislike for the Agikuyu,by extension any national leader from the community, like the current Pesident Kibaki.
Therefore, tribalism-in essence is the creation of a community to fear and hate -ethnophobia {these can be picked from all other Kenyans-including the Asians}and by so doing appeal to a community to love and lean on -ethnophilia; {those who speak my mother tongue, and recently those in a political party that works for my interest}; it is that simple but crude and shrewed politicking that have causedpsychologically, unreasonable and economically, retrogressive conflicts called by Euros 'tribal wars'.
The 'Rift Valley'issue is another one of those creations of colonial attitudes and current politics; before the coming of the Euros,namely British Anglos; most of Kenyan Afro communities were on constant migration ,which included intermarriages and ever changing borders and alliances, or shifting 'becoming that or this' mother tongue group' ethnic identities. Most of this was coersively halted by colonial intrusion.
This in reality means that by the time the Anglos put their borders and definations o what threy called 'indegenious tribal lands' many communities were already living outside the assume tribal lands.This is true of the Agikuyu, who naturally were living outside the so called 'central Province which was before kown as Kenya provence' and were already right into areas of the
-called Rift Valley Province,which was at one time known as Naivasha and administered as part of Uganda; the Maasai [ more than half Maasai have Agikuyu blood ] were their neighbors and so were the Kalenjin, on the eastern side their closest cousins the Akamba [almost 70% of Gikuyu language is Kamba, and the same % of Kamba is Gikuyu] and the Aembu and Ameru.
All this ethnophobia talk come ethnophilia politics, about Agikuyu being brought by Kenyatta to the Rift,which is claimed to be Kalenjinland.; disregards the facts that make it possible for Kalenjin to justify their presence in the area, that all people were on constant migration and move,and were free to intermarry anf form such alliances as the seven communities ,today called Kalenjin.,this was a very recent formation.
The best example I can give of this shifting ethnicity, is my mother tongue group; the language
group best spoken by me,namely the Agikuyu. My maternal grandmother was an IlChamus, A Maa-speaking group among the Kalenjin,from around Lake Njemps, where my grandmother was born and my mother too[in 1926] in the now Koibatek District
[former Baringo- home of the former President Moi.]; My maternal grand grand father was from an Agikuyu and Samburu{Maa}/Borana{Oromo} ancestry, and my grandfather was such a mix from the Rift.
My parternal grand grand mother was a Maasai/Gikuyu, married my grand grandfather who was a Meru/Maasai. My grandfather was born in the Rift , and so was my father [in 1924] in the slopes of IlDoigan Hills of Laikipia,where I was born in 1951.As far as I can recall both of my grandparents were nomadic pastoralists, who had herds of goats and cattle. Both of my grandmothers seemed to have some taste for agricultural products iaddition to their greater appetite for meat,they always had some kind of edible plants garden around them or near the animal sheds.
My story is not different from so many other Kenyan ethnic peoples, we are all very mixed in ancestry, than we know or we may want to know or may dare to recognizeand admit. Kenya is more beutiful in its ethnic diversity ,people must be encouraged to embrace that rather than falsification of identities in our attempts to seek false ethnic purity and geo-political zones, called indegenous tribal homelands.By the way while President Kenyatta brought some Agikuyu into parts of present day Rift Valley,he has nothing to to with my family and many other Gikuyu speakers that call the Rift,the ancestral home best known to them.
For an example, the assumption that Agikuyu and Joluo are traditional enemies,something that was reported all over the world to explain the Kibaki-Oginga election results; was false, since the two communities never shared borders before the coming of the European invaders.The British colonizers in their disorientation and unsettling the Agikuyu brought the Joluo into their neighborhood. The antagonism was started by the fact in farmlands and other places the Brits used the Joluo as the supervisors,policemen or their eye or spy on the Agikuyu.
The Agikuyu developed negative attitudes on the Joluo, to make this worse the colonizing Brits started justifying this on cultural differences due to the fact that the Joluo did't circumcise their men like the Agikuyu ,these two groups cannot come or work together.However, these attitudes were proven to be false, there was instant love between the Agikuyu and Joluo, in their stride towards leading Kenya from the colonial domination. But the damage had already been done,the next colonial move was to creat the ongoing ethnophobia, which they baptised as tribalism. the fear of the Agikuyu-Joluo alliance in KANU, named the 'majority' against the rest namely the 'minority' in KADU ,which included the Euros.
The Euros divide and rule did not work this time, the Kenyan Africans after all were not that damn as the Anglos have come to believe,they united,woked together or pulled together' HARAMBEE SPIRIT' and Kenya become independent, with President-Kenyatta a Gikuyu [ex-Premier] and Vice-President Odinga a Jaluo; these worked well until the same European ideologies of Capitalism {Kenyatta} and Communism{Odinga} made them unceremoniously part their ways adding more fuel to the colonial Kikuyuphobia-fear of the Agikuyu,that now had been justified by predominantly Agikuyu Mau Mau rebellion ,which taught the Anglos that these people can fight fortheir freedom.In the shadows it also created Joluophobia-the whole attitude of calling Odinga an eastern communist caused Odingaphobia-fear of J-O-O[Jaramogi Oginga Odinga= fear of JOluO;] that extends in todays Kenya politics. On one hand there is no other reason for disliking the son of Jaramogi- the current Premier Odinga and the Joluo in extension.On the other hand the wholesale dislike for the Agikuyu,by extension any national leader from the community, like the current Pesident Kibaki.
Therefore, tribalism-in essence is the creation of a community to fear and hate -ethnophobia {these can be picked from all other Kenyans-including the Asians}and by so doing appeal to a community to love and lean on -ethnophilia; {those who speak my mother tongue, and recently those in a political party that works for my interest}; it is that simple but crude and shrewed politicking that have causedpsychologically, unreasonable and economically, retrogressive conflicts called by Euros 'tribal wars'.
The 'Rift Valley'issue is another one of those creations of colonial attitudes and current politics; before the coming of the Euros,namely British Anglos; most of Kenyan Afro communities were on constant migration ,which included intermarriages and ever changing borders and alliances, or shifting 'becoming that or this' mother tongue group' ethnic identities. Most of this was coersively halted by colonial intrusion.
This in reality means that by the time the Anglos put their borders and definations o what threy called 'indegenious tribal lands' many communities were already living outside the assume tribal lands.This is true of the Agikuyu, who naturally were living outside the so called 'central Province which was before kown as Kenya provence' and were already right into areas of the
-called Rift Valley Province,which was at one time known as Naivasha and administered as part of Uganda; the Maasai [ more than half Maasai have Agikuyu blood ] were their neighbors and so were the Kalenjin, on the eastern side their closest cousins the Akamba [almost 70% of Gikuyu language is Kamba, and the same % of Kamba is Gikuyu] and the Aembu and Ameru.
All this ethnophobia talk come ethnophilia politics, about Agikuyu being brought by Kenyatta to the Rift,which is claimed to be Kalenjinland.; disregards the facts that make it possible for Kalenjin to justify their presence in the area, that all people were on constant migration and move,and were free to intermarry anf form such alliances as the seven communities ,today called Kalenjin.,this was a very recent formation.
The best example I can give of this shifting ethnicity, is my mother tongue group; the language
group best spoken by me,namely the Agikuyu. My maternal grandmother was an IlChamus, A Maa-speaking group among the Kalenjin,from around Lake Njemps, where my grandmother was born and my mother too[in 1926] in the now Koibatek District
[former Baringo- home of the former President Moi.]; My maternal grand grand father was from an Agikuyu and Samburu{Maa}/Borana{Oromo} ancestry, and my grandfather was such a mix from the Rift.
My parternal grand grand mother was a Maasai/Gikuyu, married my grand grandfather who was a Meru/Maasai. My grandfather was born in the Rift , and so was my father [in 1924] in the slopes of IlDoigan Hills of Laikipia,where I was born in 1951.As far as I can recall both of my grandparents were nomadic pastoralists, who had herds of goats and cattle. Both of my grandmothers seemed to have some taste for agricultural products iaddition to their greater appetite for meat,they always had some kind of edible plants garden around them or near the animal sheds.
My story is not different from so many other Kenyan ethnic peoples, we are all very mixed in ancestry, than we know or we may want to know or may dare to recognizeand admit. Kenya is more beutiful in its ethnic diversity ,people must be encouraged to embrace that rather than falsification of identities in our attempts to seek false ethnic purity and geo-political zones, called indegenous tribal homelands.By the way while President Kenyatta brought some Agikuyu into parts of present day Rift Valley,he has nothing to to with my family and many other Gikuyu speakers that call the Rift,the ancestral home best known to them.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
KENYA IS VERY INNOVATIVE BY ANY STANDARDS
Kenya is still the second most innovative country in Sub-Saharan Africa according to this year's rankings, despite political turmoil and ethnic strife after the 2007 elections.Despite the rported abuses of human rights and negative ethnic conflicts fueled by unfounded ethnophobia-fear of some other ethnic community ;spread and advocated by pseudo ethnnophilliac-lovers of their mother tongue speakers- mostly businessmen cum selfish politicians using the name of ethnic group to carry their own interests.
The country is struggling with the aftermath of such violence following the December 2007 elections which include lower food production,water shortages that are causing draught and disease in Northern region,and tourism revenue decrease.However,the country is improving step by step,these are facts that we cannot argue against.Let us keep on being optimistic and innovative,together we can pull it-pull the country from the pit, it fell into,due to irresponsible leadership.
Kenya has the intelligent leadership it needs right now to carry the country through-an engineer-Premier Ondinga; an attorney/lawyer-Vice President Kalonzo and an economist President Kibaki.These are great people,let us stop putting any of them down.
The country ranked 48 out of 133 in the 2009/2010 Global Competitiveness Report, released by the World Economic Forum on September 8th,2009.
Kenya dropped just six places from last year's 42 and retained its position behind South Africa - 41 in the rankings this year - in the Sub-Saharan Africa category.
The country is struggling with the aftermath of such violence following the December 2007 elections which include lower food production,water shortages that are causing draught and disease in Northern region,and tourism revenue decrease.However,the country is improving step by step,these are facts that we cannot argue against.Let us keep on being optimistic and innovative,together we can pull it-pull the country from the pit, it fell into,due to irresponsible leadership.
Kenya has the intelligent leadership it needs right now to carry the country through-an engineer-Premier Ondinga; an attorney/lawyer-Vice President Kalonzo and an economist President Kibaki.These are great people,let us stop putting any of them down.
The country ranked 48 out of 133 in the 2009/2010 Global Competitiveness Report, released by the World Economic Forum on September 8th,2009.
Kenya dropped just six places from last year's 42 and retained its position behind South Africa - 41 in the rankings this year - in the Sub-Saharan Africa category.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
KENYAN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT-NOT GOOD
LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I WILL SAY AGAIN; KENYA IS ONE OF WORLD'S MOST BEUTIFUL COUNTRIES; BEAUTIFUL IN ECOLOGY ,CULTURE AND PEOPLE. [PLANTS ANIMALS AND PEOPLE]. HOWEVER NASTY POLITICS AND ITS OFFSHOOT OF THUGGISH ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR; SEEMS TO BE DESTROYING MUCH OF THAT. THE HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH WORLD REPORT 2009- HAD THE FOLLOWING ON THE COUNTRY.
Kenya
Controversial presidential elections in December 2007 dominated events in 2008,
exposing the longstanding lack of accountability in Kenyan political culture.
Politicians on both sides of the political fence organized violence in the Rift Valley and western Kenya in January and February 2008, killing at least 1,133 people and displacing at least 300,000. International mediation produced a coalition government in March, returning a fragile stability to the country. Commissions established to investigate electoral fraud and post-election violence concluded that profound electoral reforms and a special tribunal to prosecute those most responsible for the violence were urgently needed.
Patterns of impunity by state security forces persist, with allegations of excessive
use of force and extrajudicial killings shadowing the police. Military deployment
in March to suppress a brutal insurgency in Mt. Elgon was characterized by mass
arrests, detentions, disappearances, and systematic torture. Officials denied the
military’s responsibility for abuses.
Electoral Violence
Kenya is still reeling from the widespread violence following the presidential elections that saw President Mwai Kibaki returned to office. After the results were announced, youths allied to the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) began attacking Kikuyu and other tribes perceived to be supporters of the incumbent Party of National Unity (PNU) across the Rift Valley and in urban slums. Kikuyu gangs struck back, targeting Luo and other perceived opposition supporters, first in the Nairobi slums, and later, at the end of January, in the Rift Valley.
Some violence was prompted by spontaneous anger at the results, leading to the
burning of cars and street protests. Police dispelled the crowds with live ammunition, killing over 400 people. However, the majority of the attacks on both sides were premeditated and coordinated by local leaders and politicians seeking to gain from the forced displacement of certain ethnic groups. According to the Waki Commission (see below), at least 1,133 people died and over 300,000 were displaced.
After several months of unrest, Kenyans pulled back from the brink when former
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan brokered a National Dialogue and Reconciliation
Accord. The negotiations resulted in a government of national unity, agreement
on the need for constitutional and land reforms, and the creation of commissions
to investigate the crisis.
In September, the Independent Review Committee, chaired by South African
judge Justice Kriegler to investigate electoral fraud, concluded that the electoral
process had been so disrupted that it was impossible to tell who won the presidential
poll. It recommended a series of reforms to the electoral law and procedures,
including the replacement of the Electoral Commission.
In October, the Commission to Investigate the Post-Election Violence, chaired by
Kenyan judge Justice Waki, published a damning report implicating senior politicians
from both parties in organizing and encouraging the violence. The report
also accused the police of excessive force. The commission recommended the
creation of a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute those most responsible,
along a strict timeline. In the event of non-compliance by the coalition government,
the commission recommended that the Panel of Eminent African Personalities, headed by Kofi Annan, should forward a confidential list of individuals
implicated in the violence, including ten senior politicians, to the International Criminal Court. The press and civil society strongly support the recommendations but the government, including both the president and the Prime Minister, has given mixed feedback.
Tens of thousands of people remain displaced. The government claimed at the
end of October that 3,170 households remained in displaced persons camps.
However, many have simply returned to “transit camps,” with no reliable services
and no government support to rebuild their homes. In November the UN estimated
113,761 people still to be in such camps. The UN, NGOs, and the Kenyan
National Commission for Human Rights criticized the government for violating the
UN Guiding Principles on Internally Displaced Persons, mismanaging resettlement
programs and forcibly returning displaced people.
Atrocities in Mt. Elgon
The Kenyan government refuses to investigate and prosecute members of the
police and army accused of committing systematic torture in Mt. Elgon. Security
forces deployed in March 2008 in a joint operation to combat a two-year insurgency
by the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF), a militia allied to the local
Member of Parliament, which had been terrorizing the district. Following the operation, the SLDF were much diminished and the extent of their crimes emerged:
over 600 people killed since 2006; hundreds tortured, mutilated, and raped; and
houses looted and destroyed.
However, members of the security forces also committed serious crimes, including
extrajudicial killings and torture, in the course of counterinsurgency. Much of
the male population was rounded up and beaten to force disclosure of the whereabouts
of militia. Over 4,000 people were taken to military camps for “screening”
where victims describe beatings, torture, and some deaths. More than 40 people
are missing, last seen in military detention, and at least one grave containing
seven bodies of people taken into military custody has been identified.
The United Kingdom and the United States have trained units of the 20th
Parachute Regiment which was deployed in Mt. Elgon. Due to allegations of abuses,
the UK announced in July 2008 that it was suspending training of 20 Para but
resumed its military engagement two months later.
Police Impunity
Police were responsible for hundreds of deaths during the post-election violence
and serious questions remain about the chain of command— who ordered the
use of live rounds, and under what circumstances. The reluctance of the police to
investigate its own conduct follows a well established pattern of impunity.
Extrajudicial killings of members of the Mungiki criminal gang in Nairobi continued,
adding to the more than 450 Mungiki linked killings last year. The Waki
Commission recommended extensive reform of the police force, including the setting
up of an independent agency to investigate police conduct.
Regional Renditions
In October, eight Kenyan nationals were repatriated from Ethiopia, some 21
months after they were first arrested in Kenya in 2007 and deported to Somalia
and then Ethiopia, along with at least 90 other men, women, and children.
Another Kenyan—Abdikadir Mohammed Adan—remains in incommunicado detention
in Addis Ababa, some 15 months after he was first arrested, and the whereabouts
of others who have claimed Kenyan citizenship remains unknown. Altogether in 2006 and 2007, the Kenyan government detained approximately 150 individuals fleeing Somalia, including women and children. The government did not take any steps to secure the release of its citizens until August 2008, and still disputes the Kenyan citizenship of Adan. Another Kenyan citizen,
Mohammed Abdulmalik, disappeared for a month after he was arrested by Kenyan officials in February 2007, before ultimately ending up in Guantanamo Bay.
Women’s, Children’s, and LGBT Rights
The Kenyan government scaled up HIV/AIDS services across the country, though
the drugs still did not reach an estimated 250,000 HIV-infected people in urgent
need of antiretroviral treatment. Only about nine percent of those receiving treatment are children. Barriers for children include a reluctance of caregivers to test children, food insecurity, transport costs, unavailability of child treatment at local health facilities, and the neglect and abuse of AIDS orphans.
Following violent school strikes in June, there was debate in government whether
to reintroduce corporal punishment in schools. Child rights groups protested vigorously.
Kenya’s current abortion law criminalizes abortion except to save a woman’s life.
As a result, many women resort to clandestine, unsafe abortions that cause up to
40 percent of maternal deaths. The proposed Reproductive Health and Rights Bill
2008 would legalize abortion in some cases. Article 162 of Kenya’s criminal code, an inheritance from British colonialism, punishes consensual homosexual conduct with up to 14 years’ imprisonment.
Human Rights Defenders and Journalists
During the violence in January and February, human rights defenders and journalists
were threatened by individuals and groups affiliated with the incumbent PNU
party. Journalists and human rights activists who criticized security force abuses
in Mt. Elgon are still being threatened by the military and the police. Two were
forced to leave the country for a short period after publishing a press release
detailing abuses by the SLDF and the military in April 2008.
Key International Actors
Following the electoral violence, a spectrum of international actors including the
United Nations, African Union, and the US secretary of state applied significant
pressure on the government of Mwai Kibaki to compromise and share power with
the opposition. The cooperation between Kenya’s neighbors and donors in bringing
Kenya back from the brink was unprecedented and demonstrated the potential
of sustained diplomatic engagement in a crisis.
All Kenya’s foreign partners and Kenyan civil society at large agree on the need for
far-reaching reform of the justice sector, the constitution, land distribution and
ownership, and major measures to stem corruption and impunity. Without major
changes, including the prosecutions recommended by the Waki Commission, the
risk of violence recurring remains high. The government will need significant sustained pressure from all sides to set up the special tribunal recommended by
Waki and bring those responsible for political violence to justice.
The International Criminal Court indicated that crimes committed in Kenya are under
analysis by its prosecutor.
Due to their close relationship with the Kenyan military, the UK and the US have a
particular responsibility and an opportunity to encourage an independent investigation into atrocities committed in Mt. Elgon.
[Sources; Human Rights Watch Report 2009-pg83-86]
BUT DONT WORRY MUCH OF THIS MESS IT WILL BE FIXED ONE OF THESE DAYS; KENYAN CIVIL SOCIETY AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAS A LOT OF CIVILIZED AND MORALLY STRAIGHT PEOPLE TO CLEAN UP THE SYSTEM.
Kenya
Controversial presidential elections in December 2007 dominated events in 2008,
exposing the longstanding lack of accountability in Kenyan political culture.
Politicians on both sides of the political fence organized violence in the Rift Valley and western Kenya in January and February 2008, killing at least 1,133 people and displacing at least 300,000. International mediation produced a coalition government in March, returning a fragile stability to the country. Commissions established to investigate electoral fraud and post-election violence concluded that profound electoral reforms and a special tribunal to prosecute those most responsible for the violence were urgently needed.
Patterns of impunity by state security forces persist, with allegations of excessive
use of force and extrajudicial killings shadowing the police. Military deployment
in March to suppress a brutal insurgency in Mt. Elgon was characterized by mass
arrests, detentions, disappearances, and systematic torture. Officials denied the
military’s responsibility for abuses.
Electoral Violence
Kenya is still reeling from the widespread violence following the presidential elections that saw President Mwai Kibaki returned to office. After the results were announced, youths allied to the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) began attacking Kikuyu and other tribes perceived to be supporters of the incumbent Party of National Unity (PNU) across the Rift Valley and in urban slums. Kikuyu gangs struck back, targeting Luo and other perceived opposition supporters, first in the Nairobi slums, and later, at the end of January, in the Rift Valley.
Some violence was prompted by spontaneous anger at the results, leading to the
burning of cars and street protests. Police dispelled the crowds with live ammunition, killing over 400 people. However, the majority of the attacks on both sides were premeditated and coordinated by local leaders and politicians seeking to gain from the forced displacement of certain ethnic groups. According to the Waki Commission (see below), at least 1,133 people died and over 300,000 were displaced.
After several months of unrest, Kenyans pulled back from the brink when former
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan brokered a National Dialogue and Reconciliation
Accord. The negotiations resulted in a government of national unity, agreement
on the need for constitutional and land reforms, and the creation of commissions
to investigate the crisis.
In September, the Independent Review Committee, chaired by South African
judge Justice Kriegler to investigate electoral fraud, concluded that the electoral
process had been so disrupted that it was impossible to tell who won the presidential
poll. It recommended a series of reforms to the electoral law and procedures,
including the replacement of the Electoral Commission.
In October, the Commission to Investigate the Post-Election Violence, chaired by
Kenyan judge Justice Waki, published a damning report implicating senior politicians
from both parties in organizing and encouraging the violence. The report
also accused the police of excessive force. The commission recommended the
creation of a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute those most responsible,
along a strict timeline. In the event of non-compliance by the coalition government,
the commission recommended that the Panel of Eminent African Personalities, headed by Kofi Annan, should forward a confidential list of individuals
implicated in the violence, including ten senior politicians, to the International Criminal Court. The press and civil society strongly support the recommendations but the government, including both the president and the Prime Minister, has given mixed feedback.
Tens of thousands of people remain displaced. The government claimed at the
end of October that 3,170 households remained in displaced persons camps.
However, many have simply returned to “transit camps,” with no reliable services
and no government support to rebuild their homes. In November the UN estimated
113,761 people still to be in such camps. The UN, NGOs, and the Kenyan
National Commission for Human Rights criticized the government for violating the
UN Guiding Principles on Internally Displaced Persons, mismanaging resettlement
programs and forcibly returning displaced people.
Atrocities in Mt. Elgon
The Kenyan government refuses to investigate and prosecute members of the
police and army accused of committing systematic torture in Mt. Elgon. Security
forces deployed in March 2008 in a joint operation to combat a two-year insurgency
by the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF), a militia allied to the local
Member of Parliament, which had been terrorizing the district. Following the operation, the SLDF were much diminished and the extent of their crimes emerged:
over 600 people killed since 2006; hundreds tortured, mutilated, and raped; and
houses looted and destroyed.
However, members of the security forces also committed serious crimes, including
extrajudicial killings and torture, in the course of counterinsurgency. Much of
the male population was rounded up and beaten to force disclosure of the whereabouts
of militia. Over 4,000 people were taken to military camps for “screening”
where victims describe beatings, torture, and some deaths. More than 40 people
are missing, last seen in military detention, and at least one grave containing
seven bodies of people taken into military custody has been identified.
The United Kingdom and the United States have trained units of the 20th
Parachute Regiment which was deployed in Mt. Elgon. Due to allegations of abuses,
the UK announced in July 2008 that it was suspending training of 20 Para but
resumed its military engagement two months later.
Police Impunity
Police were responsible for hundreds of deaths during the post-election violence
and serious questions remain about the chain of command— who ordered the
use of live rounds, and under what circumstances. The reluctance of the police to
investigate its own conduct follows a well established pattern of impunity.
Extrajudicial killings of members of the Mungiki criminal gang in Nairobi continued,
adding to the more than 450 Mungiki linked killings last year. The Waki
Commission recommended extensive reform of the police force, including the setting
up of an independent agency to investigate police conduct.
Regional Renditions
In October, eight Kenyan nationals were repatriated from Ethiopia, some 21
months after they were first arrested in Kenya in 2007 and deported to Somalia
and then Ethiopia, along with at least 90 other men, women, and children.
Another Kenyan—Abdikadir Mohammed Adan—remains in incommunicado detention
in Addis Ababa, some 15 months after he was first arrested, and the whereabouts
of others who have claimed Kenyan citizenship remains unknown. Altogether in 2006 and 2007, the Kenyan government detained approximately 150 individuals fleeing Somalia, including women and children. The government did not take any steps to secure the release of its citizens until August 2008, and still disputes the Kenyan citizenship of Adan. Another Kenyan citizen,
Mohammed Abdulmalik, disappeared for a month after he was arrested by Kenyan officials in February 2007, before ultimately ending up in Guantanamo Bay.
Women’s, Children’s, and LGBT Rights
The Kenyan government scaled up HIV/AIDS services across the country, though
the drugs still did not reach an estimated 250,000 HIV-infected people in urgent
need of antiretroviral treatment. Only about nine percent of those receiving treatment are children. Barriers for children include a reluctance of caregivers to test children, food insecurity, transport costs, unavailability of child treatment at local health facilities, and the neglect and abuse of AIDS orphans.
Following violent school strikes in June, there was debate in government whether
to reintroduce corporal punishment in schools. Child rights groups protested vigorously.
Kenya’s current abortion law criminalizes abortion except to save a woman’s life.
As a result, many women resort to clandestine, unsafe abortions that cause up to
40 percent of maternal deaths. The proposed Reproductive Health and Rights Bill
2008 would legalize abortion in some cases. Article 162 of Kenya’s criminal code, an inheritance from British colonialism, punishes consensual homosexual conduct with up to 14 years’ imprisonment.
Human Rights Defenders and Journalists
During the violence in January and February, human rights defenders and journalists
were threatened by individuals and groups affiliated with the incumbent PNU
party. Journalists and human rights activists who criticized security force abuses
in Mt. Elgon are still being threatened by the military and the police. Two were
forced to leave the country for a short period after publishing a press release
detailing abuses by the SLDF and the military in April 2008.
Key International Actors
Following the electoral violence, a spectrum of international actors including the
United Nations, African Union, and the US secretary of state applied significant
pressure on the government of Mwai Kibaki to compromise and share power with
the opposition. The cooperation between Kenya’s neighbors and donors in bringing
Kenya back from the brink was unprecedented and demonstrated the potential
of sustained diplomatic engagement in a crisis.
All Kenya’s foreign partners and Kenyan civil society at large agree on the need for
far-reaching reform of the justice sector, the constitution, land distribution and
ownership, and major measures to stem corruption and impunity. Without major
changes, including the prosecutions recommended by the Waki Commission, the
risk of violence recurring remains high. The government will need significant sustained pressure from all sides to set up the special tribunal recommended by
Waki and bring those responsible for political violence to justice.
The International Criminal Court indicated that crimes committed in Kenya are under
analysis by its prosecutor.
Due to their close relationship with the Kenyan military, the UK and the US have a
particular responsibility and an opportunity to encourage an independent investigation into atrocities committed in Mt. Elgon.
[Sources; Human Rights Watch Report 2009-pg83-86]
BUT DONT WORRY MUCH OF THIS MESS IT WILL BE FIXED ONE OF THESE DAYS; KENYAN CIVIL SOCIETY AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAS A LOT OF CIVILIZED AND MORALLY STRAIGHT PEOPLE TO CLEAN UP THE SYSTEM.
Monday, June 29, 2009
[Statement of my Teaching Philosophy -
My main interaction with learners is a sort of conceptual mapping process in which I guide them towards interconnectedness of different concepts that are involved in a particular topic or unit of the subject. Based on my observation and experience on teaching and learning, students understand things better when they develop a conceptual map of the known whole and move towards the less known parts of the whole. Concepts are crucial in socio-scientific learning. Students also learn better when they connect concepts to everyday living.
As a teacher, my role is to facilitate towards moving in the conceptual outer-circle into the inner-web of interconnected concepts. I motivate students by utilizing the tools of appropriate and subject related humor in my illustrations. This tends to create less tensed and relaxed atmosphere where the attention of the learner is heightened as they expect another doze of creative and interesting conceptualization. Then I challenge them intellectually by asking questions that require their critical thinking and response.
Over the years, I have learnt to pay attention to students who seem to be frustrated and accommodate different abilities by bringing variety of teaching styles to respond to changing circumstances. My classrooms are students centered and I am just their learned partner in that process. Students are freely able to discuss the course materials with personal experience and knowledge. They are responsible for their learning and able to integrate their new knowledge into practice.
My expectations for students are always to help them experience successful learning. Students are able to meet these expectations when they experience more success in my evaluation of what they learned, rather than experiencing failure which leads to self sabotaging their own learning process by being close-minded than open-minded. To evaluate what students have learned I give assignments that write short critical essays and research reports rather than exams only. I guide students individually in this process as much as possible.
My teaching philosophy is based on the idea that we learn well when we find success in the process of learning rather than experiencing constant failure and discouragements.
I operationalize this philosophy of teaching in the classroom by ensuring that learners are rewarded for any efforts they put into academic development. I recognize even the least of the gestures they put towards learning. As a teacher I always demonstrate the core human principles of respect, justice, fairness, peace, and service towards others and in return I expect the learners to demonstrate the same values in the classroom interaction and community at large.
I present myself as a guide to where learning resources are located: leading them to a sort of well full of water that they need to quench their thirst. Then I equip them to draw as much as they can within the given time and location around that well. My course materials are guided by textbooks being used but the activities and assignments are based on real life situations. My professional interactions with students inside and outside classes are always on health and friendly basis. They ask me questions or discuss with me academically related issues, and at times social and personal concerns that hinder their learning are brought to my attention.
My professional growth is driven by my desire to always keep learning through research and teaching. As I prepare for teaching, I always keep in touch with cutting edge of research as well as information technology. I attend conferences, present papers and get involved into discussions. I also keep reading, writing, and researching. As a result I have many unpublished research monographs that I have done over the years that I plan to send for publishing. More publishing has been always one of my goals. I also guide many students in their thesis writing process which helps me to communicate new knowledge and sharpen my understanding of the upcoming innovations.
In order to keep in touch with the community, I am involved as a volunteer in Broadcasting Journalism at the local Radio Station- WATB 1420 AM ,where I volunteer as a Host of a Radio programs in English and Kiswahili; that does commentaries on news, social, political, and economical,sports,fitness and healthy living problems and issues as well as interviewing guests from the community. My students often participate in my programs and join discussions. I also encourage them to integrate their learning into community and public service, believe and practice what they learn.
As a teacher, my role is to facilitate towards moving in the conceptual outer-circle into the inner-web of interconnected concepts. I motivate students by utilizing the tools of appropriate and subject related humor in my illustrations. This tends to create less tensed and relaxed atmosphere where the attention of the learner is heightened as they expect another doze of creative and interesting conceptualization. Then I challenge them intellectually by asking questions that require their critical thinking and response.
Over the years, I have learnt to pay attention to students who seem to be frustrated and accommodate different abilities by bringing variety of teaching styles to respond to changing circumstances. My classrooms are students centered and I am just their learned partner in that process. Students are freely able to discuss the course materials with personal experience and knowledge. They are responsible for their learning and able to integrate their new knowledge into practice.
My expectations for students are always to help them experience successful learning. Students are able to meet these expectations when they experience more success in my evaluation of what they learned, rather than experiencing failure which leads to self sabotaging their own learning process by being close-minded than open-minded. To evaluate what students have learned I give assignments that write short critical essays and research reports rather than exams only. I guide students individually in this process as much as possible.
My teaching philosophy is based on the idea that we learn well when we find success in the process of learning rather than experiencing constant failure and discouragements.
I operationalize this philosophy of teaching in the classroom by ensuring that learners are rewarded for any efforts they put into academic development. I recognize even the least of the gestures they put towards learning. As a teacher I always demonstrate the core human principles of respect, justice, fairness, peace, and service towards others and in return I expect the learners to demonstrate the same values in the classroom interaction and community at large.
I present myself as a guide to where learning resources are located: leading them to a sort of well full of water that they need to quench their thirst. Then I equip them to draw as much as they can within the given time and location around that well. My course materials are guided by textbooks being used but the activities and assignments are based on real life situations. My professional interactions with students inside and outside classes are always on health and friendly basis. They ask me questions or discuss with me academically related issues, and at times social and personal concerns that hinder their learning are brought to my attention.
My professional growth is driven by my desire to always keep learning through research and teaching. As I prepare for teaching, I always keep in touch with cutting edge of research as well as information technology. I attend conferences, present papers and get involved into discussions. I also keep reading, writing, and researching. As a result I have many unpublished research monographs that I have done over the years that I plan to send for publishing. More publishing has been always one of my goals. I also guide many students in their thesis writing process which helps me to communicate new knowledge and sharpen my understanding of the upcoming innovations.
In order to keep in touch with the community, I am involved as a volunteer in Broadcasting Journalism at the local Radio Station- WATB 1420 AM ,where I volunteer as a Host of a Radio programs in English and Kiswahili; that does commentaries on news, social, political, and economical,sports,fitness and healthy living problems and issues as well as interviewing guests from the community. My students often participate in my programs and join discussions. I also encourage them to integrate their learning into community and public service, believe and practice what they learn.
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