You can now download SAKU CONSTITUENCY BURSARY and CDF FORM here very easily, all you need is a click and you have your form which you can print and take it to the SAKU CONSTITUENCY CDF office. This move of having the bursary form on the internet has cut the hassle of getting a bursary form from the office which most often is unavailalble because the issuing officer is out of office or the final date is over or the office has run out of papers. Download it here and tell your friends where to download it too. MARSABIT/ SAKU CONSITUENCY BURSARY FORM can be DOWNLOADED from anywhere for the first time. wellcome and pass the word around!! DOWNLOAD FORM HERE
Introduction. Since the Second World War, international organizations have become integral features of the international system. International organizations have emerged as significant international actors in their own right, international organizations are today more influential internationally than most underdeveloped states. In Today’s world, states can not lead a viable international existence as autonomous units; sovereign independence does not guarantee an ability to act in the international arena hence the need to partner with other states to form international organizations.States must in the modern world cooperate, adjust, accommodate and compromise in so many areas to promote their common welfare, for these and more purposes states have formed elaborate agencies and organizations in a complex set of relationships among nations. Bennett (1995) states that a feature of Today’s world scene is the existence of approximately 3,00O public and 5,000 private international organizations and with the increase of diverse international organizations both in numbers and purpose the issue of categorizing these numerous organizations comes into play. The following is a discussion on categories of international organization.Categories of international organizationsDifferent scholars and schools of thought have different perspectives when it comes to the categorization of IOs. Some categorization model is based on the structural peculiarities of some kinds of organization for example in terms of its regional orientation, functional orientation, structural complexity.Another easy way to classify IOs is based on the structure of their institutions and the comparative power of these institutions.Lynn H.Miller is cited in Bennett’s book as bringing forth a classification model of all regional organizations into three categories: co-operative, Alliance (NATO) and Functional (OECD).Membership is another criterion; membership can be open to all actors in the case of UN and its agencies, IMF, World Bank among others.Organizations can also be classified based on the spill-over effect, in that co-operation in one issue may affect other issue areas, for example ECOWAS initially an economic integration has developed a military wing, ECOMOG to deal with security issues.According to Clive Archer (1995), the most common way of classifying international organizations is their aims and activities. Basically, what they are supposed to do and what they actually do most international organization be they IGOs or INGOs, usually have their activities and aims stated in the basic document by which they have been established. Another easiest way used in classifying according to Clive is by the structure of the institutions and the comparative power of these structures. Organization such as UPU and ITU had permanent established structure.International organizations fall majorly under three conventional categories as outlined in the Yearbook of international organizations and they are as follows: intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs), International Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs) and multinational enterprises. This conventional categorization model is discussed in detail below.INTER-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS.IGOs are set up by three or more states to fulfill common purposes or attain common objectives (field, Jordan & Hurwitz, 1983). The Yearbook of International Organizations (1979) IGOs are primarily made up of sovereign states based on formal agreements between the governments of this states and possess a permanent secretariat. IGOs differ on various criteria. The most general classification of IGOs is derived from geographic scope, where an organization can be regional (AU), sub regional (EAC) or global (UN) in geographic spread.Another category of IGOs is the degree of integration, IGOs can be very loosely integrated with minimum institutional structure and minimum powers conferred upon them by their member states like the UN, or the disbanded League of nations or have high degree of integration like the EU, EAC also aims to achieve a political federation. International Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs)Is an organization whose membership is composed of private individuals or groups (Wigel, 2003). An INGO is an organization whose aims should genuinely be international in character, and manifest the intention to engage in activities in at least three states, membership should be drawn from individuals or collective entities of at least three states and must be open to any appropriately qualified entity/individual. May be found by private philanthropy such as Rockefeller, Carnegie, B. Gates and ford foundation or as an adjunct to existing IOs such as catholic and Lutheran churches. INGOs may be divided into two broad categories according to Bennett (1977), the non profit organization (NPOs) and the multinational business enterprise (MNCs) organized for profit. Non-profit organizations.The NPOs is an organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders but instead uses it to pursue its goals, self preservation and for its expansion. Examples include charities and trade unions. Some NPOs known for their charitable or social nature of their activities conducted over a long period of time include the Red cross, amnesty international founded in UK in 1991 advocates for human rights internationally and by 2002 it had branches in more than Multinational Enterprises.Commonly known as MNCs or enterprises and at times transnational corporations, they are profit firms that have subsidiaries in two or more countries and engage in transnational production of goods and services across national boundaries. It has its management headquarters in one country called home country and operates in several other countries called host countries. Examples include general motors, Unilever, Total, Toyota motors. Problems of international organization categorization.According to Clive Archer (1995), a problem in dealing with international regions is that of delineation; where does one region end and where does another begin: if the world easily divided into segments then the answer would be self evident, but not even the continents provide such neat package in international relations. There seems to be no international organization whose members completely cover one continent and is only drawn from one continent. OAU is the nearest but it excludes South Africa.Not all scholars subscribe to the same use of terms. Some of the terminology applied to this field of international organization is little understood and sometimes lacks precision for example international organization, transnational interaction, transnational relations (Leroy, 1995). Thus, the categorization of international organizations brings some kind of disagreements and contradictions depending on the meaning one ascribes to the terms used.The United States for example, is a member of several organizations that claim regional status and that reach to almost every point of the compass, thus variously identifying the U.S with North Atlantic, America and Southeast Asian areas. None of the organizations involved conforms to any geographic region. The commonwealth is also frequently classified as a regional organization, although its members are dispersed around the globe.(Bennette,1995) Coexistence of regional and universal organizations makes the dividing line between international organizations in these two categories somewhat arbitrary and subjective, for example if a regional organizations/agencies submit to supervision by global agencies or respond positively to their requests for supportive action then the basis for a compatible relationship exists. Thus a combination of regionalism and universalism serves to promote the national interests of most states in their advance beyond unilateralism. (Bennett, 1995)International organizations tend to slide into each other, developing points of approximation or overlap rather than to maintain fixed distances of separation. Some regional organizations like the AU and OAS have different characteristics hence may overlap in categories.Some organizations lack the capacity or do no present a sufficient degree of internationality. The 16th edition (1977) of the yearbook of international organizations gave some recognition to this fact, it states “with the increase in the number and varieties of bodies called ‘international’, it has become difficult to limit a yearbook of international organizations only to those organizations corresponding to the selection criteria used for previous editions, even though those criteria remain valid as a definition of minimal internationality”.Preconceptions and misconceptions about world institutions, international organizations is common place within the realm of international organization. With the existence of many misconceptions many scholars have come up with some hybrid classification of IOs such as the Conventional IOs, federations of IOs, universal membership organizations. Another major problem in categorizing international organizations is the extent to which organs of an IO contain NGO representation as opposed to governmental and vice versa. At both ends are IGOs and INGOs respectively, near INGOs’ are organizations like inter parliamentary Union and Interpol-international criminal police organization which have specialized links to governments and to IGOs’ side are those organizations which have non governmental representation in their representation such as the European Community and the ILO. According to The Yearbook of IOs(1978), some contemporary Conclusion.Because of the existence of very many and diverse international organizations, their classification continues to pose a serious scholarly debate among the student of international relations. From the above discussion and in the analysis of the challenges visited it is clear that no single principle or categorization model can be adopted to precisely place every IO within its respective domain hence every move that aims to adequately categorize international organizations should adopt or put into consideration the existing multiplicity in the categorization models that is there.
The events leading to a student leader’s election is one that leaves a lot to be desired and leaves one with so many questions than answers. Corruption, hatred, tribalism, malicious accusations, negative propaganda and back stabbing politics all finds their course here, in the actions of the future leaders of a nation and a thorough analysis gives the true albeit negative picture of the state of our Kenyan society.
Political alliances akin to that of the national politics are very evident. The KKK (kikuyu, Kamba, Kalenjin) is one such alliance that is both in the national and campus politics wherein genuine Collective bargaining that seeks to advocate for and advance the interests of the students body while embracing the diversity of the student fraternity, representing every ethnic group equally and having only the interests and wellbeing of the student’s body as the primary reason for coming together is replaced by “collective tribal bargaining” where the overriding ideology as Asudi puts it is “our own, our son, our tribes turn”. Shouting the age-old varsity slogan “comrade’s power” smells of another era and a different context and is not a reflection of the reality our struggle but of the misplaced and misguided political rhetoric’s of our time that has bound most in the shell of their ethnic cocoons! Competence, credibility and personal choice is thrown out through the window of democracy in the face of negative ethnicity within the institutions of higher learning in Kenya today. Individuals with naïve consciousness have often been corrupted by power hungry, egocentric wannabes in the name of student tribal leaders who totally distort the capacity of these naïve individuals to stand by their ethical, personal values and beliefs to embrace a culture of retrogressive ethnicity and competition against other tribes instead of focusing on issues affecting them as students. Achebe in the persona of Ikem Osodi in his “ANTI HILLS OF THE SAVANAH” more than two decades ago also spoke of the same problem that we are facing today and presents a challenge to the African varsity students. I just had to quote the entire page, with a prayer that we might rise to this call and rise above our ethnic groups, that we might liberate our minds and take this up at personal level and as our moral duty to purge negative ethnicity from our midst. Only then can we reclaim “comrade power” that we often invoke at all campus political meetings, till then many are mourning the death of “comrade power”.
‘Now what about students? I should really be careful here as I am quite anxious to get home safely tonight. However, truth will out! I regret to say that students are in my humble opinion the cream of parasites. The other day, did not students on national service raze to the ground a new maternity block built by peasants? Why? They were protesting against their posting to a remote rural station without electricity and running water. Did you not read about it?
Perhaps someone can show me one single issue in this country in which students as a class have risen above the low, very low, national level. Tribalism? Religious extremism? Even electoral merchandising. Do you not buy and sell votes. Intimidate and kidnap your opponents just as the politicians used to do?’
Are you as you should be, more competent than those of our countrymen and women not nearly as lucky as yourselves on whom we have squandered our meager educational resources? So what are we talking about?Do you not form tribal pressure groups to secure lower admission requirements instead of striving to equal or excel any student from anywhere? Yes, you prefer academic tariff walls behind which you can potter around in mediocrity? No way!!
Now, don’t misunderstand me. I have no desire to belittle your role in putting this nation finally on the road to self-redemption. But you cannot do that unless you first set about to purge yourselves, to clean up your act. You must learn for a start to hold your own student leaders to responsible performance; only after you have done that can you have the moral authority to lecture the national leadership. You must develop the habit of skepticism, not swallow every piece of superstition you are told by witch doctors and professors. I see too much parroting, too much regurgitating of half digested radical rhetoric….when you have rid yourselves of these things your potentiality for assisting and directing this nation will be quadrupled.
In an early post I had this to say “negative ethnicity in Kenyanvarsities” a fellow student and friend had this to say about the recent student organization election in Maseno University ( read it here)
The use of the social media in most third world governments has not been effectively and efficiently been put to use, at least not in the aspect of communication between the state machinery and the citizens-no structures are in place despite the availability of cheap, effective and reliable technology. Just what the developing nation’s governments can benefit from the use of the social media and border less technology is quite inestimable in ensuring accountability and seeking the opinion of its people. Just to mention a little of these potential capacity of the social media with particular reference to Kenya the following areas shows just how this dynamic and technological craze of the 21st century is yet to be put fully to use. Anti corruption reportingCorruption in Kenya today seems to be abhorred by all; everyone seems to be fighting the same, at least in speech and words if not in action. The social media is awash with criticisms to this vice that is bleeding Kenya and sucking the blood of the poor by robbing them of their little earnings. The KACC institution as a body set up to fight corruption need to realize the importance of the social media to institute policies that will put in place a mechanism that will;• Help the citizens to report corruption activities, • Empower the masses on the effects of corruption, • Seek people’s opinions and ideas on how to end corruption in Kenya.If there was a mechanism to use the social media between the citizens and the police department how many crime activities can be reported through the social media? Uncountable, How many can be prevented from happening? Numerous. But why are the police and law enforcing institutions not using the social media? Is it because of institutional and technological capacity? The technological capacity is there in most third world countries. It is the lack of policy framework that is preventing this from happening. In the developed world numerous criminal activities has been solved through the use of the social media, this crime range from game hunting to theft cases.The government ministries, policy making bodies and all government departments can use the social media immensely to involve the citizens directly in making decisions, formulating policies, policy orientation and its subsequent implementation process by asking for their opinions, ideas and corporation, and in this way the people will be integrated In the process of their governance and will be subjects of the decision’s made and not mere objects. The private sector and the corporate sector seem to have realized the unlimited capacity of the social media and are using the same positively to enhance the productivity of their companies thus ensuring consumer satisfaction. Concepts such as E-democracy, E-governance and E-service delivery is still one that is yet to find its way in third world governments despite the availability of border less and cheap technology. Kenya has been able to achieve some level of e-service delivery where tax, revenue certificates, birth certificates can be assessed through the internet, where companies can be registered online but the same can be replicated to other areas of service provision such that everyone with a computer and access to internet can be served from the comfort of wherever they are and will not be compelled to travel to the cities and big towns. UNESCO defines e-governance as
the public sector’s use of information and communication technologies with the aim of improving information and service delivery, encouraging citizen participation in the decision-making process and making government more accountable, transparent and effective.
The only institutions that seem to realize and exploit the social media potential is the media houses in third world countries, just to give an example; PM live on Nation television in Kenya seeks the opinions of the viewers entirely through Facebook and twitter, it generates a very intense and wide reaching debate and gets contributions from almost all the corners of the country within seconds, the same can be replicated to the government’s activities. Many print media houses in Kenya have their own pages on Facebook and their own twitter accounts where they post news as they happen. Another area that most third world activists need to explore is the use of online petitions that has and is shaping the direction of policies and laws made in many developed countries, sites such as care2 and change.org attests to this. Organizations and bodies involved in civic education and campaigns against HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and other social vices can all find a large audience in the social media world and achieve a tremendous outcome in impacting positively in the lives of many people cutting across boundaries, interest groups, race, religion and gender. Social media in the Middle East and the Arab world has led to revolutions through the communication between people and coordination of actions against the oppressive regimes, this goes down the annals of history simply as an innovative use of the social media. The social media has many invaluable potential in the third world countries and indeed the whole world but it can also have some very far reaching negative impacts on the well-being of the society especially when the users become addicts, or use the social media to spread malicious agendas, propaganda s and hate speech.It can fuel ethnicity and can lead to the lose of values and erodes the morals if it is used to spread pornographic links and other socially unbecoming activities, terrorism and other such activities has often been executed through the use of the social media and ICT, con men have been on the rise and the Nigerian’s are famous for this in the African continent. It is not healthy when individuals use media such as Facebook or twitter to tell the whole world about every aspect of their social and private lives- many critics have come forth condemning the use of the such social media one of such being “the consumptive nature of Facebook.September 03, 2011
Recently the unrest in Moyale was getting all kinds of attention from the national media houses, a 16 year old girl was brutally raped, looting was rampant and a few lost their lives amid the tribal hatred.Fast forward two months latter, two people were brutally murdered as they traveled from Marsabit to Moyale, just a few kilometers from an army camp in Moyale. This happened on Sunday 14, August,2011.A day latter, Monday 15th, three people were arrested with more than 180 rounds of ammunition strapped on their bodies and pistols in their pockets crossing the border check on Boda Boda motorcycles, broad day light. Their arrest was purely a work of luck; no checks are normally carried out, this I have seen.There is no wind of this in the media houses, such killings don’t warrant their attention and incidences like this is not news unless it happens in Othaya, Nakuru, Kisumu, Mombasa or any other part in Kenya except Northern Kenya. The people of Moyale are an isolated lot. Lets focus on the killings first, this is a common occurrence, it did not start yesterday, no! it happened in 1910 as it happened in 2010, it probably will happen again, if the locals don’t take a genuine initiative inspired by their own thinking to end such kinds of killings instead of only looking at the government to intervene and solve this problem, it probably will happen next year, next month or even tomorrow if the locals don’t stop seeing one another as threats. The ethnic killings can only be stopped by the local people themselves if and only if, they start seeing each other as brothers and people who share a common history, common problems and a common background and heritage, begin to embrace their diversity and make tolerance part of their lives. The colonial reports at the Kenya national archives has a detailed account of such inter tribal killings in the northern frontier district (NFD), the biggest tragedy is that history doesn’t seem to teach the people of this region, they have made such killings part of their culture. What actually contributes to insecurity and ethnic hatred in Moyale? Contributors to insecurity in Moyale constitute a complex nexus that warrants a detailed study and research, my deductions are as follows. Dialogue, peace and advocacy of non-violence are regarded as signs of weakness to those who thrive on anarchy, and in Moyale, they are in majority they include jobless youths sitting idle, who fan violence and loot amid the mayhem, in the May, 2011 incidence they broke into shops and looted. Some malcontents have been heard openly saying they don’t want peace and communal dialogue, they are people known to the locals but no action has ever been taken against them, these are the schemers and plotters of war within the region. Ethiopians have been hired to execute atrocious acts within Moyale town, they have been hired to throw stones at one community or break into shops and steal, they add to the region’s insecurity. The women seem to be the main means of directing hate speech, especially the market women are the rumor mills and they direct all kind of allegations and speculations which propagates the culture of suspicion and perpetual fear. They shout the most and they claim to be vulnerable. Men who don’t want to be seen as “weak” in the face of their women then act irrationally without any consideration. Committing a crime and running for safety into Ethiopia is not a problem, anyone can acquire the Ethiopian Identity card at only 15 Birr, equivalent of only 45 Kenya shillings, no records, no birth certificates are needed, and most people of Moyale have identity cards to Kenya and Ethiopia. The porous border has added greatly to the Moyale problem. Moyale is a center for illegal trade and acts as an arms transit center, it attracts people from the Somali region and the Ethiopian side and from as far as the Southern Sudan. The Ethiopian people bring in arms while those from Somali who have access to goods that are zero rated from almost anywhere in the world, sugar from Brazil, rice from Pakistan bring and sell them very cheaply to the locals in Moyale and Ethiopia. A combination of all these propagates insecurity: arms are available to the locals, cheap goods which find their way into the shops means that there are some very rich people who are willing to finance insecurity in this area. The government’s inaction to the insecurity in Moyale, disarming exercise has not yielded any kind of progress in bringing security in this region; the number of people carrying guns in the name of home guards and KPR locals far outdoes the number of police men. Politicians have a role to play in all this tribal hatred- they manipulate the locals and play one community against the other this includes inciting them to fight each other, financing acquisitions of arms, thus preserving their political positions. The community elders have always been used negatively by the politicians.
Its time the media highlights some of these issues, it is only then that the government seems to respond and wake up from their indifference and lethargy to the happenings in this region.Its time the locals work out a comprehensive and long term solution to their tribal problems. The government’s intervention is not a long term solution; a genuine change of stereotypical and unwarranted negative competition between the communities is the solution. An eye for an eye only leaves both blind. The national cohesion and integration commission (NCIC) seems to be failing in its mandate to promote peace and harmonious co-existence among Kenyans. As they set to embark on their county anti ethnicity forum they ought to give a priority to a county like Marsabit because the ethnic tensions and tribal hatred situation is quite rife. Some NGOs in the region have embarked on peace advocacy among the youth through organizing football tournaments, this has been going on for some years now and only last month the Ethio-Kenya peace tournament was held bringing together teams from Marsabit, Wajir, Moyale (Kenyan and Ethiopian) and Megga in Ethiopia. Such kinds of initiatives should be held regularly.
Lets see things together: But since u see better and more Fill up the gaps in my seeing Lets speak out to the land, together, Lets speak out to Africa, together… To the new Africa especially, Lest the falling pot bangs her dead. Joseph KagimuOur societies are losing values and morals, in the wake of globalization, in the age of technological development and in this age of modernism. We, thus, need to draw lessons that will help us forge ahead in these turbulent times and in this era of socio-political deceptions. We need to recreate our societies, recreate our values and beliefs to fit in the changing times. You agree that in this times standards are falling, culture of materialism is common, double talk and hypocrisy is part of our everyday life, the increasing deceptions, killings, rapes, muggings, corruption, outright lies and so many other negative cultures are slowly creeping into our societies and eroding the values and morals of the larger Kenyan society.The alleged classic FM message made public, the death of the six infants in Thika all point to this, if we don’t realize this and act appropriately, this will eventually be our greatest undoing, Kenya has a pride that it needs to safeguard, the once hospitable and polite people are now becoming intolerant and irate, easily flared up by an unwarranted hatred of ones brother and baseless political emotions, divisive politics is diminishing the little that is left.
the r/ship between values and vice.
Following all this, we need to have timeless lessons that will have relevance to all generations; every socio-economic, political, religious cultures and every ethnic group will find the unity of their beliefs and values. Lessons that apply to all, lessons that will help us be in touch with the humanity in us, lessons that will help us embrace ethics and morals. The following are some of these desirable lessons that every individual in Kenya should strive to embrace and manifest in his/her life for a peaceful and united Kenyan society. 1. Dialogue.Kenyans should talk to each other, about their problems, plight and share in the joy of one another. We can resort to solve our differences by words instead of weapons.2. I am my brother’s keeper.Kenyans should see themselves as one larger bloc. The plight of one should be felt by all- we should be our brother’s and sister’s keeper- the KENYANS 4 KENYA initiative that has managed to collect more than 500 million shillings in a few weeks time is an indicator that we have the ability to pull together when we see each other as being in the same boat.3. Integrated persons, lets own Kenya.Many among us Kenyans play spectator roles where active and popular participation is called for, we watch as the direction of our future is shaped and only start complaining when the conditions become unbearable. While some take the role of only criticizing every decision, policy without providing alternatives and other suitable solutions. We need to be integrated into the political process, policy making, and the implementation process too, as integrated persons we will be able to transform and shape Kenya as our responsibility; we will be the subjects of the transforming process. We won’t be subjected to the choices of others when we take initiative: guided by our own thinking.
Kenya institute of management (K.I.M) in partnership with the African Leadership Forum (A.L.F) has organized a convention on AFRICAN GOVERNANCE and LEADERSHIP to discuss, share and deliberate on issues of leadership and governance in the African continent, to shape the future of the African continent through examination of the private sector and public sector partnership in ameliorating the African condition , the theme of the convention focusses on “claiming the second decade” of these century, the convention kicked off today with very prominent people gracing the two day event. Former Nigerian president Olesegun Obasanjo and his South African counterpart Thambo Mbeki, KACC director P.L.O Lumumba, a representative from the UNDP, Peter Mutuka of the kenya commercial bank group, hon ministers from the kenyan government and many development stakeholders in the African continent were present . After very insightful opening remarks from the CEO of K.I.M and A.L.F, Dr. Reuben Mutiso the chairman of Tecura international began by giving some brilliant historical perspectives on the contribution of Africa to civilization and development. Thabo Mbeki was the next on stage. His was a short but realistic introductory remark, from the conventions theme of claiming the second decade, Thabo Mbeki pointed out that we might possibly be loosing the second decade and stated that things are happening to support this. He called on the various governments and stakeholders to convey the lessons from the convention to the rest of Africa and to continue teaching the outcome of deliberations to answer how we can claim the second decade of our century.
Olesegun Obasanjo
Olesegun Obasanjo being the patron of the convention gave a very powerful and educative speech which is the focus of this post. He began by saying that Africa has a lot to learn and share about leadership, understanding its challenges and ensuring that the outcome of the many ongoing deliberations has an impact on the continents well being. He clearly pointed to the fact that quality leadership was the major step for African development. He urged the people to evaluate the impact of leadership, identify what Africa has done right and how we can continue doing this. He emphasized on how we need to put into perspective the outcome of this convention so that we can claim the second generation. He identified coup-de-tats, racism and tribalism as some instances of managerial deficits and how this resulted into intimidating challenges for Africa.
Africa's sub regions
He revisited how at independence, nearly five decades ago, optimism was the driving force, how everyone believed that Africa would develop at quantum levels, how after independence Africa sat back almost with her arms folded only to realize that we didn’t have the political kingdom we thought we had. At the time Africa was viewed as a continent of dereliction and decay- moving backwards in a world moving forward, he substantiated all this claims with some very empirical evidence on the GDP, per capita income and export statistics.He continued elaborating how our economies have preserved the colonial mood and received directions from quarters that bear no context to the African story. African union, NEPAD and African Peer Review Mechanisms were responses to solve this great undoing according to Obasanjo. He again gave some empirical statistics on the progress that is manifest in the new development of Africa.Increased collective GDP -1.6 trillion dollars equal to that of Russia, The increased consumer spending in Africa, The democratized economy, How African government’s is implementing policies to enhance investment, How Africa is experiencing more reforms than the Middle East and Asian countries. He called for value driven and interpretive leadership armed with clarity of goals. He asked Africa to build consensus on shared values which will enhance good governance at the continental level because of the structural and psychological outcomes of the shared values. He gave the following as some consensus on Africa’s shared values. Sense of communal solidarity, Our shared humanity, The drive for protection of the weak and elderly in our communities, The belief that we are our brothers and sisters’ keepers, Our common African destiny, Resistance to tribalism and racism. He gave the link between the management, leadership and governance, how these concepts can help in building a continental synergy in creating a developmental phase to usher in a united Africa. His explanations on the need of private and public sectors partnership to overcome the challenges facing the public sector in the developing countries and its necessity in establishing cost effective leadership . He placed particular emphasis on how development can not be achieved without participation of the private sector. The next decade will be an interesting one, an era of opportunity, but without adequate preparation, without a sense of urgency and speed we will not be able to realize this opportunity, this is where leadership matters a lot is the massage of Obasanjo. As part of the adequate preparation to enjoy the benefits of these opportunities Africa needs to invest in its youth, to imbibe a culture of entrepreneurship, job creation and be prepared for leadership. He asked the institutions of education to focus on producing job creators and not job seekers. Gender balance in governance and leadership is an area that should be fully incorporated into development plans. Such is the form of discussion going on, such is the conventions that shape the direction of a nation, a region, a continent and the world at large. Africa and other third world states need to meet regularly and discuss their problem, exchange ideas and help forge a bright future for their people and regions.
The rule of fairness, justice and equality in resource distribution and service delivery in Kenya is a reserve of those in “Kenya”, those of us relegated to the northern region have no right whatsoever to be included in the affairs and business of the nation of Kenya, have we chosen this? No! The government in which we so much banked our hopes in our belief that it will level the playing ground and rules of the game has time and again been used by those Kenyans who think north eastern province is not part of Kenya to exclude this vast area of land and the people in it from benefitting from the resources of the nation of Kenya.When the nation of Kenya was being developed, we were not on the receiving end, We started too late and had too many handicaps against us when the game began, the facts of Kenyan progress and development agenda and development blueprints precludes northern Kenya. The facts of disparity are clear. North eastern and upper eastern regions covers a considerable part of the Kenyan state, but the size of benefit that this vast area enjoys is not at all proportional to its size, significance or the people residing here. This is the plight of the people of northern Kenya. A people denied opportunity, the opportunity to realize their potential, economically, academically and in every other level. A few that have earlier had the opportunity have proven that the region can produce brilliant people that can greatly contribute to the nation of Kenya, People such as the late Dr. Bonaya Godana, Ahmed Nasser, Gen. Mohammed Ali, Ahmed Isack are just a few of the many very successful people in the kenyan academic and political front. They come from the northern region how many of such are still there, running with guns in the dry plains of Manderra, the desert that is chalbi, the Diid Galgallu plains. Yes, those are still areas in Kenya. A people and a region forgotten, the transport sector in north eastern has only in the past few years seen some effort in its construction- this too not from the Kenyan government who are investing in regions where the land and the people are “economically viable” and will contribute to economic growth of the nation, is the government justified to forget its own people and cut them away from equal resource distribution because of claims such as “the region is not economically productive”? A region neglected, we are yet to hear of any prospects for a university to be built in this area and for a people who really need schooling and reeducation to adapt to a changing world. Other towns in Kenya have well stocked libraries run by GOK, but only one of such is found in the vast Marsabit county, which covers 13% of the landmass of kenya. A people left, to self destruct in fits of traditional ethnic hatred, the government only acts concerned for fear that the western media might crucify them if they show indifference in a case where these community massacres the other over grazing land and water resources- they will normally retrieve to the recesses of their city offices. The local administration can not deliver and is as defunct as can be because of lack of resources to carry out their duties, in some places the office is a makeshift structure or a mobile one. Numerous NGOs operating within this region serve the locals better than the government is doing. A people isolated from all national social programs and services leaving the locals to self destruct and socially degenerate to the most reducible of life’s condition. The unemployment rate is the highest in these regions and the people find solace in MIRAA, that has completely softened the power of initiative and self determination, no government effort has been directed to effectively campaign against the excessive usage of the same. Help, when it comes from the government is like charity, akin a to coin tossed down to a beggar in the gutter from a safe height above the bowl and only after the problem being addressed has had an immense effect, some of these are problems that can be prevented if timely addressed.Don’t you find it mind boggling when for example people die of lack of water or children fail to attend schools as they walk many distances in search of water when actually a little effort from the government can ease this? The Chinese contractors working on the Torbi-Marsabit road are less than a year in the area but they have sunk four very functional boreholes for their road project, the 2.4 billion shilling Badassa dam was completely inappropriate since the government had not explored other cheaper options. We are getting into the devolved government with so many disparity and odds against us. The earlier generation thought of ways to be recognized as a people with potential but since Kenya was not accepting them as its own they explored options such as secession and joining other states like Somalia and Ethiopia, one of this actions resulted to the Wagalla massacre and the shift wars, why would they ever dream of seceding if we are accorded equal rights, resources and opportunities as Kenyans? The government can tap the resources that are found in this vast landmass, the wind power potential of northern Kenya is unmatched anywhere in Africa, for years now there have been talks about Lake Turkana and Bubissa wind power farm. Build an abattoir in the region and exploit the livestock potential of the area. Build more schools with adequate teachers and learning facilities, the area needs public libraries-set up at least one in every town, include the locals in national social programs and they will benefit immensely and be empowered, use the tourism potential of the region to benefit the locals, establish a reliable source of water, even if its piping it from distant water sources and once this is achieved introduce irrigation programs to increase food production, food aid is not a solution to the hunger problems frequently affecting the region. Pardon them if you hear people from northern kenya and upper eastern say, “I am going to Kenya” when he/she travels to the bigger towns that enjoy the benefits of being Kenya. Question not when the people from these areas are socially misplaced in the big cities and towns or when they manifest the mannerisms of a people from another planet, for theirs is a plight of the deceived and neglected.
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:3.95in; mso-para-margin-bottom:0in; mso-para-margin-left:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} I so much wish I could attend the celebration marking your independence people of southern Sudan, I so wish I could be given five minutes to talk to you about some issues that have over the past few days been gnawing at my heart- any true politically conscious son of Africa would wish for the same. Since I won’t be with you as you mark this great day for the life of your state, I am sending you this letter to the true sons of Sudan and say what is on my mind, I hope this finds you in time. Your state, beloved people of southern Sudan is a fragile state, I need not mention the fact that yours is a state only coming out of a civil war spanning five decades, a nation that for many years has been viewed as the sore thumb of Africa or only dismissed as another of the many Africa’s tragedies, a state that now has earned a new title overnight “the resource rich southern Sudan”. People of Sudan you are happy because finally you get to enjoy the independence that many have lost their lives fighting for, happy because you can finally be the deciders of your future, happy that you can now work on reconstructing and rehabilitating what was destroyed in the many years of war. Ironical as I may sound, there are others happier than you or the people of Africa for your newly earned status; these others are hidden in the recesses of international economic and political uncertainty and the intricate web of the international system. Happier are many multinational corporations and international cartels ready to pounce on your newly born state to siphon your resources, ready to replace the sale of weapons with very lucrative “development agendas”, they will act so much as the sons of Sudan, they will make you believe that they were in the battle fields with you, but beloved sons of Sudan these others don’t care so much about this new state that needs to be nurtured and nursed to stand on its own. Amid these celebrations you need to be wary of these others. The people of southern Sudan while you were busy fighting the war of your liberation, long before oil was discovered in your god-blessed land, most nations of the world did not want anything to do with you, you were a pariah state in the international system. Others saw your fighting as an opportunity to make money, those are the industrial-military states, they were selling arms and weapons to you, they did not care whether your died or not, they were least concerned with the plight of your refugees, I tell you they changed the television channel when the grim picture of your sufferings came on the screens of their television without an iota of humane concern. They do not know the efforts you have put in your dreams to see this special day, they do not know the sacrifices of a man like John Garang de Mabior, they do not know why you were fighting, No they don’t!!!,they were of the opinion that SPLM was a terrorist organization or something akin to that, what they know now is your oil and your resources. I am telling you, there are others still amidst you, in the name of politicians who still bear the same sentiments as those that want to exploit and let your resources flow into plunder, and they are your sons, but friends, history has shown that power corrupts and turns people into lesser beings, the humanity in your politicians and leaders will be replaced by greed and selfishness, they will be indifferent to your cries if you let them be corrupted by power and greed. If you don’t put in place checks to limit their powers, people of southern Sudan, they soon will start fighting amongst themselves; coup de tats won’t be a thing of the past if your leaders don’t see the big picture and learn from the history of the many of your sister states in Africa. Soon and very soon my friends many states will be coming up to you to finance this or that project, welcome them, but please be wary of their sudden generosity, be wary I say to you, they will come in the name of charity and aid, but these aid will not be free, no, it will come with so many conditions.They might be driven to finance another war, promise yourselves on this day that you won’t carry arms and go down the same path that you came, brothers. Know your true friends; for many will come, so cunningly dressed in sheep clothes when at heart they are savage foxes ready to devour the lamb that is your state. A new nation like yours has better chances of avoiding corruption and shunning it, do not condone corruption, not even at the price of your slives, look at your neighbor, Kenya, and learn from its mistakes. Inculcate good morals and integrity in your children and leaders; help them learn to be tolerant and respectful of other’s opinions, teach them to embrace diversity in culture. In establishing your infrastructure and institutions, study those of others and draw your own lessons, for most nations in Africa today are still struggling to remedy the mistakes that were made at their teething stages, you have a better chance to sidestep all the mistakes that were made by such states and once you do this, yours is the kingdom of success and development. I wish I would continue sharing with you on more of this, I still will in the future and for all those of you on the frontline of establishing this nation I wish you Godspeed, I pray that the coming years will be blessed with peace and prosperity for you all. On behalf of many others like me I say, thank very much and bon chance.
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Development can only be established in its true sense and sustainably in Kenya, if and only if, some fundamental changes can be effected in its leadership culture and structure. The retrogressive practice of political self preservation by the members of parliament derails the development agenda, as this shifts the focus from the priority of service provision on the side of leaders to that of focusing all their energy and resources to fighting off political opposition and competition within their respective constituencies, this makes the end goal of effecting a sustainable progress in the country an illusion and only an agenda of political campaigns which is to be discarded once the parliamentary campaigns are over. The Kenyan members of parliament and high profile office bearers fail to see the bigger picture of their role in development and nation building but instead focus on some immediate and personal interests. This has been the practice for a long time now; it has taken root and got to their minds till they have forgotten their original roles and duties as the agents and drivers of change. The practice In the Kenyan parliament has been that the member of parliament of a given constituency has no concern for the people of another constituency, however much they require his/her services as a leader; the same practice is often carried to the cabinet where services and resources are channeled in ways that are discriminatory and in underhand processes. These notion and practice has to be changed to achieve the elusive development that Kenyans so much desire. Only when the member of parliament of Kisumu is driven by the plight of the people of Saku constituency in northern Kenya, only when the member of Magarini in coastal Kenya feels the hunger pangs borne by the people of Samburu and Turkana, and only when the member of parliament of Moyale feels the cries of the internally displaced people in Nakuru will we have a unified agenda in Kenya about development and the formulation of policies informed by the needs of the larger Kenyan populace and not those of a small ethnic based, interest driven, selfish and ill motivated drive for self preservation on the side of members of parliament. The perceptions and feelings of despondency, hopelessness and disbelief in their leaders held by Kenyans is not an unwarranted pejorative informed by ignorance and arrogance and the sheer drive to oppose but rather a practice that is the result of many years of deceptive leadership and trickery substantiated by historical facts of failure. It has been shaped by the lies from those who were supposed to lead them in shunning the very lies they were propagating. The deception of the unfulfilled promise of 500,000 new jobs each year, the lie of a new constitution within 100 days, the misappropriation and embezzlement of their money, the billion shillings typing error, the denial of justice and the fallacy of a thousand political speeches . My deductions about the members of parliament in Kenya is as follows, as much as I don’t want to be a prophet of doom, the grim reality is that most of our dear members of parliament are nothing less than unproductive, uniformed and mediocre souls and we are better off without them, these are my categorization, they fall into five classes according to what drives and motivates them. The first category comprises of about 60% of the MP's in parliament, and are those driven by their interests and they don’t think about their constituencies, these are the sort that will only visit their constituencies once a month or twice a year, and they normally claim to dispense their much needed service from their palatial abodes in fancy estates in the city. They are normally very silent when it comes to very important parliamentary debates but they are known to fan party rivalry and they stamp their feet with unmatched vigor to politically sarcastic speeches made in parliament directed to a section of the opposition party or the other. They are the reason we are lagging behind in achieving development, because they have not conceptualized the ideals of development and only think of the same as a campaign strategy. The second category is those that think about Kenyans but only in the sense of how they can cunningly manipulate them to buy their support in the forthcoming elections, these are the type that canvasses the whole country in holding regular political rallies, those that use every opportunity to address any gathering of potential votes, they won’t shy from turning funeral services into political crusade, they are found in different churches every Sunday and they normally talk about what Kenyans want to be told, they have become masters of these trade, they are easily distinguishable by a critical observer and when it comes to parliamentary debates they are mum. They constitute about 15% of the members of parliament and securing their ticket to parliament is not such a big deal for them, they have money and the ability to hoodwink many Kenyans. Most have served as parliamentarians for more than two parliamentary terms. The third category is that of about 10% of MP's concerned about their constituencies, they normally have an office in their constituency and are in their constituencies every two weeks to officiate some function or spearhead some Harambee fundraiser for these or that development project, those in these category will go to any length to safeguard the interests of their constituency. They are not many and often face opposition from the parliamentary joy riders. The fourth category is those driven by nationwide concerns and motivated by the needs of people of Kenya, they are the true nationalists that has seen Kenya move through major political and developmental milestones; helped Kenya make the transition to a multiparty democracy, saw the productive constitution making process, they head many parliamentary committees and commissions. This category comprises of technocrats, well educated and young individuals, they have not been corrupted by power and you will seldom hear them politicking, they back up all their arguments and actions by very concrete reasons, facts and statistics and they are the reason Kenya is holding together. They move important bills and legislations, they pay their taxes and are way above party politics and are driven by reforms. Unfortunately they are not in the majority but only constitute about 10% of the members of parliament. There is still a certain 5% of MP's who do not have any category they can be placed under, they are everywhere at all times and the street term for them is “kigeugeu”. Since there is no certainty with anything politics and political in the Kenyan parliamentary scene I don’t want to mention the names of MP's and the categories under which they fall. But dear Kenyans please consider the category under which your aspiring MP's falls before casting your vote. However much they are the cause of unplanned and misdirected policies, we need as Kenyans to stop blaming and always directing the causes of our woes to the members of parliament. It is only ignorant people or those fed with wrong information that is easily manipulable. Know your constitutional rights, the roles of the members of parliament and the workings of the government. And when you are informed you can say no to oppression and exploitation and demand for what is truly yours.
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} A petitionFrom the Kenyan matatu touts, the roadside maize roaster, the cobbler, the peasant farmer, the shopkeepers, the teachers, the nurses, the men in uniform, the hustling youth, the underpaid government employee, the forgotten people of northern Kenya and everyone in the struggling social strata of the Kenyan society.To the honorable members of Kenyan parliament. Honorable members: For many years you have been practicing without theory and without principle, in cunning ways you have let our resources flow into plunder. Feeding us with fallacy after fallacy of the workings of the economy, plausibly putting forward economic theories and facts which blinded our very reasoning and thus we entrusted you with our future, with our hopes for a brighter future.Your deception can be measured by the rising food prices, rising oil prices, misappropriation of our money in bogus contracts and projects that can be referred to as white elephants. The little knowledge that we have of political economy tells us that economic growth is not the solution to our problems honorable members and it seems like you don’t understand these simple dynamic.Being the prime drivers of the economy we have a right to be consulted in drawing the budget but since your interests come first you by passed us in coming up with the said budget but please consider the following.Henry Hazlitt said something important which we as Kenyans are pointing out to you through this petition, when analyzing economics you “must trace not merely the immediate result but the results in the long run, not merely the primary consequences but the secondary consequences, and not merely the effects on some special group but the effects on everyone”, to this end don’t make economic mistakes today that will bring misery to the generation of the future, make the product of the 5.6% economic growth equitable and available to us all and not only a few clique of selfish individuals and till then the recent read trillion shillings economic budget will not mean anything to us.We understand you like to spend on programs to please your constituents and over the past many years you have been driven by projects which will guarantee you secure votes in the future. We formally ask these noble duties of you so as to achieve economic progress in the name of development; formulate bills that will effect a legal system that protects privately owned property and enforces contracts in even-handed manner, provide competitive markets, place limits on government regulation, establish an efficient capital market to channel capital into wealth-creating projects, ensure monetary stability, lower the tax rates, ensure free trade and effectively order our priorities.To give you some empirical and real life examples of our plight today honorable members, the following are some extracts from the everyday Kenyan conversation. “the price of jogoo,1kg of maize flour, is now more than twice what it cost 5 years ago- uchumi kweli ni mbaya” “I stopped taking tea in the morning like I used to, however much I would like to, I can’t afford a ¼ kg of sugar” “ these days going home from work is something I don’t look forward to like I used to, seeing the looks in my kids eyes and knowing I cant give them enough food to my, my husband doesn’t even talk to me these days, his obsession is watching the evening news, he sulks and the look on his face is of a deceived person”. “am shutting down my shop, I cant continue selling basic foodstuffs to people whom I know cant afford them, I always hear dissatisfaction and slow groans when I announce the new food price”.These are just some of our cries, honorable members, and you tell us Kenya is headed in the right direction, you might be on the right track since you are not headed to any particular destination.The uchumi is growing but where is the money going? Yes, to your oversees accounts, that we know waheshimiwa and we need not mention specific cases like the recent 4.2 billion shillings embezzled education fund and the so many other unexposed plunder of our money, We are a forgiving society, we don’t want to dwell in the past, just try hard to end the habit of stealing from poor Kenyans. Our petition honorable members implores your humane conscience, If at all you have any, to try to feel our pain and work towards relieving us of these burden which your selfish interests has heaped on our backs. Honorable members don’t be ……. “ A canker who cankers the very wood wherein he stays, or the snake who stings and bites those who managed milk for him” Yours,suffering Kenyans.
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Education should add value to those seeking it and be able to transform peoples’ lives, the university might be considered ideally, as an institution that removes traditionalism from the lives of the students body and instill a new level of reasoning that is objective and that does not limit one to his/her immediate environment, simply put it should help people “think outside the box”, in many aspects the Kenyan universities has served these roles but there is a sector in which it has failed completely, in changing the attachment to ethnic cocoons and tribal groups and an unwarranted ethnic hatred that has over the years been accepted as part of the varsity life.The yearly elections of student leaders into the university students organization in the various public and private universities has been a replica of what is seen in the national general elections where people vote along ethnic lines. A coalition like the Kikuyu, Kamba and Kalenjin or the KKK coalition as famously known is found at the Kenyan universities rivaling the other coalition of Luo, Luhya’s and the “leftovers” or the LLL, Kenyans have the audacity to refer to their brothers in minority communities as “leftovers”, how such a self replicating negative culture came to be can not be established precisely. The question that comes to mind is were our national politicians who have gone through the same institutions been socialized in the same way as the current individuals at the universities along ethnic lines or are they the ones spreading the retrogressive culture of ethnicity in the campus politics? Tribalism and negative ethnicity can almost entirely be blamed on the “iron fisted” Moi’s regime who used the policy of divide and rule similar to what the colonial powers used in Kenya to establish their control on the natives. When people are divided collective bargaining and unity becomes an illusion as ethnic chauvinism leads to competition between the different ethnic groups.In Kenyan campuses today certain posts in student leadership is a reserve for certain communities who are the majority, instead of embracing merit and the credibility of individuals and voting for people who can deliver, the generally “uncomunicated” qualification and accepted rule is considering from which community a person vying for a post in leadership comes from and nothing based on merit and secondly his/her ability to mobilize his/her tribesmen.Martin Luther Jr’s dream of having people “judged by the content of their characters and not by the colors of their skin” is a dream that is yet to be instilled in Kenyans, the university which should be on the frontline to inculcate such a dream has failed dismally and until Kenyans see beyond the tribal background of their fellow brothers and sisters peace and unity will remain shaky, and only then shall we fulfill the need to work together to achieve national development.The role of comrade power that in the late 1980s and early 90s saw varsity students take part in issues of national development and political dimensions has slowly been fading away and the demise of the comrade power can be attributed to the ethnically charged individuals found at the universities today whose power of collective bargaining has been taken over by ethnic competition.It is time some common courses should be introduced in the educational institutions and streamline ethnic and race issues in our education curriculum to educate people on how ethnicity impedes national development and acts as an obstacle to achieve peace, unity and stability in Kenya to avoid the occurrence of an incidence like the 2008 post election violence that has seen 1300 Kenyans loose their lives and thousands others displaced from their homes.Lets stand up for unity, lets pronounce zero tolerance against negative ethnicity and end the negative circle of ethnicity in Kenya today.
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Africa has since time immemorial been referred to as the “dark continent”, which is predominantly the western view. Time and tide has changed and Africa needs a new dimension and level of thinking to erase the negative and outward looking solution seeking ideology that has for many years characterized how Africa tackles its problems.People of Africa have been indoctrinated by the western media and made to believe that the solutions to Africa’s problems lies in external solutions in the name of western, IMF and world bank experts who have no connections to Africa whatsoever. What Africa needs is massive adjustments in changing the existing social, economic and political belief that the people of Africa bear. Africans need to believe in their capability and capacity to perform and in working out solutions to their problems without having to rush to the western world for help, yes there is a need to maybe, consult when it is necessary and learn from the west but not to let the west make decisions for Africa. The disbelief of most African societies in the ability of one of their own is a product of the colonial legacy, whose effects are being felt to date despite it happening almost five decades ago. I will give an example of my high school which had a white principal before I joined and the white man had to leave and an African one had to take his place, the reaction of the society then was one of skepticism and doubt in the ability of the African principal to perform and many parents opted to take their children to other schools ironically headed by Africans, a year latter the school achieved results that were the schools highest from its foundation. The need to believe in the African capability can help Africa realize development and end its problem.The Kenyan politicians rejected a local tribunal to prosecute suspects of the 2007 post election violence because of the belief that a local tribunal wont be as effective as the international criminal court and instead recommended that the post election violence suspects be tried at the ICC in Hague.This is not a simple implication as it seems from its outlook, it’s a multifaceted solution in the sense that despite what history has on African leaders and politicians, Africans need to believe in the capability of their leaders to drive Africa to a ‘REFORMED AFRICA’ instead of creating a new Africa typical of the western idea of the solution to the African problem. On the economic front this means that Africa doesn’t need “aid” to help end the hunger, poverty and helplessness manifested in most African societies, Africans need to realize that no aid is free. Why for example does the US borrow money from a state like China and redirect it to Africa as aid? Why don’t they settle their own debts? It is because Africa has created a belief in the west that Africa can not stand on itself without support from the western world.Chinua Achebe in a little book “THE TROUBLE WITH NIGERIA” addresses very pertinent issues in Nigeria’s social conditions, forty years latter issues like tribalism, corruption, social injustice, the cult of mediocrity, indiscipline and a false image of ourselves that Achebe found to be an impediment to Nigeria’s development is very evident in African states to date and the solution to these social moral decay lies in a change of the “moral deficiency syndrome” to a “moral integrity syndrome” where people are guided by ethics and integrity in all their daily undertakings, this lies in the hands of Africans and does not cost much to make the transformation.Peoples of Africa need not take up arms against each other; they need to be in a fight against social decay and a fight against corruption. People of Africa need not to listen to divisive politics from mediocre political leaders but instead replace all such leaders with those who are capable of delivering results.Solutions to Africa’s problems lies in African solution.
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} That we are living in a society of politically conscious masses is without a doubt. Let us break this down a little bit. Political consciousness in this context means that the masses know what to expect from the politicians, political institutions and processes that take place at all the different levels of the society and the nation at large. The current ‘revolutionary protests’ in the middle east that has seen the ousting of Husni Mubarak and an end to his 30 year undemocratic regime can be attributed to the rise of the politically conscious masses. Middle East is just a smaller picture of the global level of political enlightenment. What enlightenment combined with the realization of the role of public opinion can do is quite inestimable. What sub-Saharan Africa can possibly learn from the Middle East is indeed a lot. Imagine an Egypt style mass revolt in Zimbabwe. The question that comes to mind is whether Mugabe can be overthrown as his Egyptian counterpart? The answer is both YES and NO!YES only if the military decides to do so, of course through a coup d’etat. But the chances of a coup happening in Zimbabwe is minimal given the current state of affairs, the fact that Mugabe is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces tells you volumes about this, the military elites are very loyal supporters who have been put in place through the institution of clientelism typical of many despots around the world as a means to suppress any kind of rebellion in the military. On the other hand Zimbabweans can not oust Mugabe the “Egyptian style”, this is for the simple yet complex reason that the people of Zimbabwe have not yet reached the level of political consciousness to employ public protests to overthrow a president who has been clinging to power. Looking at the social-political history of Middle East in the recent past one will not by any chance miss the degree and frequency at which the public has employed public protest to raise their concerns about issues. The lessons for sub-Saharan Africa is learning from the mistakes of what is happening in the middle east and totally avoiding that which is not progressive and employing that which is productive, these may include.The realization that demolishing the existing structures and institutions without suggesting or having ready another that is better and ready to replace the demolished one is not a solution to the existing problems and it can only lead to more problems. A second factor that sub-Saharan Africa can possibly learn from the middle east is realizing the role of public opinion and what public opinion is capable of doing in advancing grievances when the government becomes unresponsive to the needs of its citizenry.
The many sponsors and parents paying for university fees don't know about this, the government is also unaware or they are acting blind to the social and academic degeneration in our public universities, this post might not be taken politely by the culprits who are the target of the article, but I will go ahead and highlight this in the hope that someone might see this and do something about it. Walk into any institutions of higher learning save maybe for the polytecniques in kenya today and if you are observant you won't by any chance the many posters advertising new movie releases, it doesn't end there just walk into any hall of residence and you will find more than five students glued to one computer screen, not for academic reasons though. They would be watching some Jason Statham movie. This is a trend that has permeated our universities today and if it is not adressed as early as possible then there is bound to be a major problem in the human resource, workforce and leadership in the foreseeable future in kenya. It may not look so serious after all, the social life is as important as the academic life to produce competent and all rounded individuals in the job market, but what happens wenthe result of the social life overshadows the academic one? The inevitable result is the production of an incompetent individual. Ever wondered why some people who have graduated from the kenyan universities end up in the streets? Or why some are so mediocre that you wonder what they were doing at the university. Blame not the lecturers! Its evident that the early generations of graduates have been seen to be productive and competent. The earlier generations of university students participated in public foras and organised symposiums with their counterparts in other universities but the current ones are organising inter-university "mchongoano" competition on facebook and spending so many hours on things that don't contribute to the wellbeing of their academic life. This however does not mean its everyone at the university today who has been trapped in the web of social mediocracy, there are others who have embraced technlogy and are using it to develop themselves, their universities and the nation at large. The university administrations are aware of the social decay in the university and they should provide more research and extra-curricula activities that would cut the so many hours many students spend idling and using in watching movies.
The 2010 kenya certificate of primary education results were announced just yesterday, thousands who have been waiting with abated breaths finally don't have to wait anymore. A day latter, some are celebrating for their good grades and others are cursing because their results have been nullified. Despite the mixed reactions from different quarters the KCPE exams is the first major step in the kenyan academic life.
The top performers like is the kenyan tradition are given their chance to shine on the national televisions and part of that is the observation of a norm that no one knows its origin. The top candidates nationally are asked what they want to be in the future or better still where they would wish to work.
The top three performers this year want to be a pilot, aeronautical engineer and a neurosurgeon respectively. Quite ambitious indeed. There is nothing to prevent them from achieving this goals but this dreams are quite unrealistic, the question that comes to mind is who inspired this 13 year olds to choose such career dreams, what do they know about such professions? are they a product of passion? Or is it inspiration from role models? You and I agree that given the exam based kenyan education system its hard for this pupils to know what an aeronautical engineer does except the fact that they deal with planes. They choose such professions from what they hear from their parents that such professions are financially very rewarding in terms of hefty pay packages. Role models are part of a lost era in kenya today, despite the integral part role models could play pupils and students in today do not have examplary people to emulate.
This is the story each year but how many of this ambitious dreams get to be realised?
The pupils need guidance and direction in the persuance of academic achievement and dreams, but what results when the existing structures do not allow the carrying out of these process of guiding and nurturing talents? The result is shattered dreams. This is the case with kenya and many other African states where the school is used as a means to eliminate others from moving up the ladders of education because of the limited schools, teachers and school stationaries and not a place where the pupils realize their potential and persue their goals. Or else how do you explain the fact that a three day exam period determines the outcome of 8 years of schooling and the fact that ones future depends on the marks obtained from that exam period.
The teachers who are entrusted with pupils should strive towards helping the pupils set realistic and achievable goals, the government on the hand should scrap the exam based evaluation and emphasis on nurturing of talent and persuance of dreams. The parents are also served with same role as teachers and should not fix the mind of the young ones to view career opportunities from the angle of financial rewards.
This post has no intention whatsoever of discouraging the 2010 top performers, I wish you all the best in the years to come.
WELLCOMING NOTE. Thank you for taking your time to visit this blog, feel free to comment on the posts that I will be publishing soon but first I will in a few words explain what this blog is all about.
ON THE SPOT is a blog that has been prompted by social decay and many unethical actions of the societal members and leaders in the world today. I will critically and annalytical try to devour the norms that has and is still leading to the emergence of a morally deficient society. My approach won't be any different from the many critics out there but I will with your help try to be as objective as can be.
This blog will majorly focus on the Kenyan society within the international system, it will examine many other issues affecting Africa today. Issues of Politics, development,poverty, peace, war and governmental dimensions shall dominate the posts on this blog. I will also be suggesting remedies to the problems that I will identify..
''Why focus on such issues?" You might ask, I won't answer that. My posts will provide the answer to your questions.
Like I said before your suggestions, comments and criticisms are all welcome. It will help shape the direction of the blog and in maintaining the views expressed are objective.
The topical posts will be a product of my own research.
