So, the ICC finally confirmed charges on 4 of the Ocampo 6.

The four confirmed were:
1. Francis Muthaura
2. Uhuru Kenyatta
3. William Ruto
4. Joshua Arap Sang

Now, to be clear; they aren’t guilty yet. Just going to continue with further trials and such. The only surprise there for me is Uhuru. Pretty sure he’d have been free seeing as palms were presumably gratuitously greased.

Anyhow, thoughts?

Something isn’t right when children in this country commit suicide because they performed poorly in the national exams or because they have been forced to repeat a class or several classes, owing to their poor performance. Which prompted me to tweet yesterday:-

An adult lights himself on fire & Egypt has a revolution. A 15 year old boy in Kenya hangs himself over #KCPE results and we are not moved.—
NittzsahSoulSpinster (@Nittzsah) January 10, 2012

How many kids should commit suicide for the govt to realize that our education system needs to be reviewed? If you can't "pass," pass away.—
NittzsahSoulSpinster (@Nittzsah) January 10, 2012

I realize child suicide is not an uncommon occurrence around the world. Yes it happens, as far as China and across the other side of the globe in the USA, for different reasons. That we can sit back and say “ain’t nothing new” says something about us.

Children shouldn’t commit suicide no more than adults should. Not when they are at that age when they dream and create beautiful, imaginary worlds in their minds. Not at that naive age when they trust adults to guide them. Certainly not at that age when the brain is just so fertile, it freely accommodates any idea (good or bad) planted in it.

I tried to place myself in that 15-year old’s shoes. What amount of futility and utter hopelessness overcame him? How did he figure that death was the only escape? If you have never dealt with a suicidal person or never contemplated suicide, perhaps you wouldn’t know how difficult it is to actually commit suicide. It’s one thing to say you’ll do it; it’s another to actually do it. Moreover, it goes against the 1st law of nature – self preservation. The very reason you can’t bite your palm until it bleeds. Unless you’re trying hard to impress someone or you’re high on a substance.

Well, we may rationalize the matter as just “a few unfortunate cases. About 5 children out of a possible 700,000 candidates who sat the same exams.” But then I’d ask: How many young lives would it take for the number to be deemed significant? How many child suicides should we accumulate until we are moved enough to actually want to look deeper into the matter?

I’m surprised that the Ministry of Education has not said a thing about the suicide(s), yet they government was quick to and defend the adult teachers and headteachers who are being lynched by parents, in various “poorly performing” schools. 

Who are we? What are our priorities? What shape does our hierarchy of needs take?

We hacked, burned, raped and clobbered each other over delayed election results. We torched a church because of two guys we now call Principals. This country stood still at that dark period because of two people who we don’t even interact with. Yet we are not moved over children’s poor exam results, their shame, their feeling of futility and their final act of suicide?

Doesn’t it say something about us?

Doesn’t it point to a discrepancy within the system? A system that seems to invest in and  pass judgement on our children based on one aspect alone – academic prowess. How dictatorial? How limiting? Yet we know, individuals are much more than academics. One’s skills talents and abilities count, and can put a meal on the table. Just because we all cannot be the Pope doesn’t mean we are sinners to be condemned into the flames of hell.

And please note, the system is a very large organism with different components . It’s not just the ministry or the government, or even the teachers. As far as education is concerned in this country, we are all involved one way or the other. Pupils, parents, the entire family, religious institutions, future employers, etc., The system is much larger than our minds want to perceive.

Surely, if constitutions can be reviewed, amended or done away with, why can’t we possibly look into our education system? Just because it has worked in the past doesn’t mean it will work forever. Things change. They come and go. Like I keep saying, the world keeps turning, but society refuses to move with it.

We cannot all be number one. Education is not about winning, it’s about empowering. It’s not about reciting what is already known , it’s about discovering what is not known that we may adapt better to the unknown future. It’s about opening up a child’s mind to the possibilities that are out there.  There’s no end to education. So when a child commits suicide, something tells me that there was very little “learning” that took place in that child’s mind, whether at home or in school. Getting your child an education involves much more than buying a school uniform, paying school fees and sitting him in front of a teacher.

Especially if that kid will end up hanging from the ceiling at only 15.

]]> http://diasporadical.com/2012/01/11/pass-or-pass-away-the-fate-of-kenyas-examination-candidates/feed/ 10 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 nittzsah Suicide suicide note silent lives http://diasporadical.com/2012/01/04/nancy-baraza-the-power-of-words-the-danger-of-power/ http://diasporadical.com/2012/01/04/nancy-baraza-the-power-of-words-the-danger-of-power/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:55:24 +0000 iCon http://diasporadical.com/?p=6475 Continue reading →]]>

The unfortunate truth of being a public figure is that the ‘public’ shall always preface your ‘figure’. Whatever you do or don’t do will always follow what the public says or thinks you have done; and that damage is irreversible.

But under the new constitution, it is punishable by law.

Enter the Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza and this whole saga at the Village Market.

The Star paints a picture of an aggravated Baraza pulling a gun on an innocent security guard who went from trying to do her job to fighting for her life.

The Nation‘s online edition tells a different story of a mother who was buying medication for her hospitalized son when a security guard insisted she be subjected to a search(even though she was already past the security checkpoint). Nancy declined, a verbal exchange ensued and the next morning police reports were lodged and 2 days later, news articles were printed.

The Standard doesn’t seem to have any thoughts on the matter. Our writer, 3CB, however, did:

My first instinct was to question the validity of the story. As much as the media is compromised, I still believe The Nation over The Star as a rule. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time The Star had published a story that was slightly less than true. Plus, a woman who was smart enough and accomplished enough to be publicly vetted as a Deputy Chief Justice is no ordinary person. At the very least, she’s smart enough not to go brandishing a firearm in public.

Amen. I have a routine I pull when going through pointless security checks. While they’re busy going through my backpack and not running a metal detector on me, I tell them ‘Dude, the gun’s in my back pocket and the grenades are in my socks!’ or something of that nature. Normally they laugh it off, give me my bag and smile angrily. It’s no disrespect to their jobs but I’ve never been through an effective security check that wasn’t carried out in an airport. One time at Yaya Centre, I sat down on my penknife and then laughed because I had been joking about weapons in my backpocket on my way in. Earlier that month at an airport, I was relieved of a toothpick.

I say that to say this: even in my satirical social misfit nature, I wouldn’t have been silly or pretentious enough to pull out the knife(or toothpick) had I bypassed the security and then proceed to threaten a security guard. How exactly would that conversation go?

“Dude, don’t search me! I have a weapon and I’m not afraid to use it! Although I realize this is immensely ironic, seeing as this is the precise reason you would frisk me, DON’T FRISK ME OR I’LL CUT YOU! I’ll poke holes in your armpits! Do you know who I am? I run a blog!”

Nah, not likely. My lonely brain cell would commit elaborate suicide at the redundancy of such an action. So why would the DCJ do it? I know she has more braincells than I, and is sufficiently more mature. So when I saw the article in the morning, I yawned and let it slide. It couldn’t have been factual. Also I don’t blindly engage in hate-speech. *cough*

Yet somehow, a lot of people did. The slew of slander on social networks was almost non-stop. From people claiming she was a ‘Gunner’(Arsenal Fan) to other more serious, more flagrant claims of impunity. It was a collective slow motion insertion of feet into very large mouths. We at DR do not endorse oral pedicures so we waited until we had some facts or at least thought through opinions.

It didn’t help that so many versions of the story had popped up after the steamroller of hate and humor began doing donuts all over her reputation.

To quote CB yet again:

“The sad thing is that now every time we look at Nancy Baraza, we will think of Rebecca Morara on her knees with a gun. It doesn’t matter how many retractions will be issued or what Ms Morara’s intentions were – the damage has been done.”

Worse than that, those that chose to liberally defy truths and facts will also have their moment of reckoning. Be you a media house that deems itself reputable when it isn’t, or an online persona with more credibility than foresight, it would’ve been prudent not to get ahead of yourself in such a matter.

Always do the human arithmetic and factor all the people in play from the guard and the DCJ, to the police and those who operate the CCTV, to the lawyers they employ and the families they all have. What if the CCTV reveals that all that happened was that lollipops were exchanged the guard was displeased when she got the lemon flavored one? What if the DCJ had no more lollipops left? What if the guard then tried to extort more lollipops out of the lollipopless DCJ? What if none of this ever happened and your life went on as usual – as it should’ve?

When there are too many unknowns, opt to take a personal learning from the situation and await facts and figures.

The lesson I learned from this is simple: no longer shall I joke with security guards. If I maintain my routine, the Star may have a headline that reads “Buddying Blogger Brutalizes Security Guard with Poisonous Toothpick”.

And I would suffer a lifetime of hurt to my already shifty reputation.

Isn’t the world supposed to end this year?

Happy 2012 anyway.

Seasons’ Greetings!

In the year of our lord Two Nought Double One, the folks at DR invited you into our minds, hearts and thoughts and we are ever so grateful for all of you who read, commented, contributed, criticised and still spread the DR gospel far and wide!

So the aim of this post is to give you a quick run-down of a few memorable posts brought to you by the fantastic crew behind DR: davina, nittzsah, 3CB, iCon and yours truly.

Here goes:

J A N U A R Y :

“Do We Love Or Hate Raila Odinga?” by 3CB

“In the past few weeks, there’s been a lot of talk on Twitter about revolutions and people thinking someone should just set themselves on fire. I think many times, we do, except we do it with words. I just wish writers with authority would think carefully before they put theirs down.” – 3CB

“The Gospel of My Delusion” by Davina

A masterfully written post on feminism through the eyes of a twentysomething young female.

“That that is our curse—that for even the most frivolous, most unlikely reasons, women will decline to extend a helping hand. That for the longest time, we have believed men to be the extremely competitive ones, yet women are sixteen hundred times more competitive.” – Davina.

“Who’s Your Mother?” by Nittzsah

The day Nittzsah had “the talk” with her mother. A powerful, candidly written post. No quotes needed. Well worth reading.

“10 Even More Useless Cars” by iCon

A sequel to his earlier post entitled “10 Cars More Useless Than A Vitz”, mr iCon came back with yet another list of aesthetically annoying automobiles.

F E B R U A R Y :

February was an important month as the world watched a revolution take place in Egypt and murmurs that other countries would follow suit including Libya.

Here at home, there was an online call to nationalism dubbed KenyaFeb28.

Ofcourse, the crew weighed in on this issue:

“My Position On KenyaFeb28″ by Nittzsah

“Is #KenyaFeb28 Missing the Point?” by yours truly.

M A R C H :

The first order of business in March was to celebrate DR’s One Year Birthday! Oh yeah.

We then got straight to business:

“The Politics of Kenyan Lawyers” by me.

A post on how lawyers with political ambitions must be faithful to the laws of the Republic they swore to uphold.

“The “Anti-Gayism In Kenya” Group” by iCon

A well-argued exposition of the anti-homosexuality debate throughout Africa.

“I’d like to see an ‘Anti-Corruption’ group with as much enthuse as this anti-gay group. Instead we’d all rather play God and judge folk for what they do with their wangs in the dark.
Oh, behave.” – iCon.

“All The Lights” by Nittzsah

Nittzsah talks openly about living with epilepsy.

A P R I L :

The month Martha Karua officially declared her bid to be the fourth President of the Republic of Kenya.

“Why do you Women hate Martha Karua?” by yours truly.

A post about the second female to contest for Presidency in Kenya’s history.

“Increased Cost of Living – Cartels? Pirate Money? Or Not” by guest blogger, tripppleO

“While there may be some truth to some of the ‘explanations’ above it is important to remember that a lot goes into rising prices than pirate money or cartels.” – tripppleO.

“Mistresses, (Kenyan) Presidents and Birth Certificates” by yours truly.

A post discussing how the leader of free world, Barack Obama, was forced to produce his birth certificate for public scrutiny. Moral of the story: Politicians, we own you!

“Let’s Talk to Our Teens About Sexuality not Sex” by Nittzsah.

“My concern however is that perhaps we are not doing enough to talk about sex with teenagers. And I mean sex in all it’s forms and expressions no matter how bizarre or immoral we may think certain sexual acts are. We cannot hide our children from the world when they are in school to explore it. Everywhere they look, there are sexual undertones and we cannot blame the media for this.” – Nittzsah.

“The Ugly Side of the First Lady Syndrome in Africa” by yours truly.

How would the Shakespearean Lady Macbeth compare to the likes of Simone Gbagbo, Grace Mugabe, Chantal Biya, Janet Museveni and other African First Ladies?

M A Y :

The month the US finally killed Obama Osama.

“The Cycles at Sheria House” by 3CB.

A government horror story told by a very patient tax-paying, law abiding citizen.

“Customer Care at its Worst: “When Safaricom Meets Nokia Care” by iCon.

With close to 50 comments, this was the most popular post of the month. Great story-telling, humourously written.

“The Sad Case of the Errant African Diplomat” by yours truly.

A contrast between African and Western Ambassadors based in Kenya.

“Lessons From The Failed Rapture” by nittzsah.

A post reflecting on Harold Camping’s prediction that the world would come to an end – which never materialised.

J U N E :

The month “our shuka” graced the runways of global fashion.

“Kiondos, Kikoys and Shukas: Intellectual Property Protection is Everyone’s Business” by yours truly.

A post intended to clear the air on the intellectual property myths surrounding some of Kenya’s well known symbols of culture.

“How Not to Not Pay Taxes” – Why Kenyan MPs May Have Brain Damage” by iCon.

“Kenyan Politics is painful and boring; the same idiots committing the same crimes against the same people – us – and always getting away with it.” – iCon

“We Must Accept the Blame for the Troubled Boy Child” by yours truly.

A post about what it means to be a boy child in today’s African setting. Is the boy child slowly being marginalised?

“So We Want Science, But Won’t Accept It?” by Davina.

“The rationale is that for science to enjoy its exalted position, it must, by necessity, maintain some of its mystery.” – Davina.

“How Middle Class Are You?” by Davina.

“That the truth of the matter is that the African Development Bank has failed us and is now simply trying to justify its existence. That we should really stop kidding ourselves because Africa’s middle class probably constitutes only about 1% of the entire population.” – Davina.

J U L Y :

The month the world’s newest country was born: The Republic of South Sudan!

“Customer Care is Not Enough: Do More, Say Less, Be Better” by iCon.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m still huge on Customer Care. Not because I want people to be nice to us; I just want everyone to do their jobs. My chronicles with Nokia and Safaricom stand as testament to this.” – iCon.

“Feed Kenya: Each of Us Can Do Something” by yours truly.

A call to support the #FeedKenya initiative.

“In Search of a Good Dictator” by Davina.

“What I am about to tell you, I would never tell anyone else. Yet I trust Diasporadicalists. You are the least judgemental people I know. I am confident that none of you will use what am about to tell you against me.” – Davina.

Marriage Law Debate: Are Kenyans Inherently Polygamous? by yours truly.

A post looking at whether our new marriage laws have legalised polygamy.

“Our Next President Had Better Be a Rainmaker” by yours truly.

“The country is crying out for leadership that can do more than just watch as we starve, struggle to make ends meet and get robbed of our hard-earned taxes.” – me.

A U G U S T :

The month Raphael Tuju, ama ‘Rapho’ mukipenda, launched his presidential bid with the infamous ‘sheng’ video.

“#Rapho4Prezzo: “Redefining Raphael Tuju’s Candidacy” by iCon.

An open letter to Mr. Tuju. A well-penned post that will go down the annals of DR history as a classic.

“Badvertising: “Spoof Ads by Diasporadical” Vol. 1″ by iCon.

iCon combines his graphic design skills and rare brand of humour to poke fun at Kenya Power, Yu, KFC, Orange, Safaricom, and others.

“The Political and The Legal Merge: Kenya’s Coalition Attorney-General” by yours truly.

An optimistic post about Kenya’s new Attorney General, Prof. Githu Muigai. However, several months in, he’s failed to live up to my expectations.

“Who Am I Voting For in 2012?” by iCon.

“Now, there’s one thing you might have noticed I don’t complain about: politicians. Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from? They don’t fall out of the sky. They don’t pass through a membrane from another reality. They come from [our] parents and families, [our] homes, [our] schools, [our] churches, [our] businesses and [our] universities, and they are elected by [our] citizens. This is the best we can do folks. This is what we have to offer. It’s what our system produces: Garbage in, garbage out. If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you’re going to get selfish, ignorant leaders. Term limits ain’t going to do any good; you’re just going to end up with a brand new bunch of selfish, ignorant [people]. So, maybe, maybe, maybe, it’s not the politicians who suck. Maybe something else sucks around here… like, the public. Yeah, the public sucks. There’s a nice campaign slogan for somebody: ‘The Public Sucks. Fuck Hope.’”
- George Carlin. (as quoted by iCon)

S E P T E M B E R :

The month when teachers went on strike and Kenyan lives were lost during the Sinai tragedy.
September was also the month the nation and the world mourned the loss of Prof. Wangari Maathai.

“Dear Teachers, Go Back To School” by iCon.

“I’m going to take a shot in the dark and bet 50 stones that the government will promise pay hikes and hiring of new teachers and we’ll be right back at it again next year. In the meantime, all you will have done is set yet another generation of students up for failure; repeating a cycle that peaks at a teacher holding a placard that’s misspelled.” – iCon.

“Dear Traffic Police, We’re Too Stupid To Drive Without You” by Nittzsah.

“Mr. Officer Sir, you can’t leave us especially not at the roundabouts. Coz there, right there, is where our madness, smartness and stupidity come together.” – Nittzsah.

“The Audacity of Hope: Karua, Tuju and Post-2012 Kenya” by yours truly.

A post on the “Obama Factor” in the politics of Kenya’s 2012 presidential race.

“What Would Ruto Do?” by 3CB

“In an ideal world, everybody would be honest. Lost money would be returned to its owner, lawyers would protect the innocent, cops wouldn’t ask for bribes, and nobody would be killed because of their race, height, or mother-tongue. But we don’t live in an ideal world, and I don’t see what good can come of guilting myself to death. So while I don’t have any answers myself, I leave you with this: What would Ruto do? And.., what would you do?” – 3CB.

“What Did You Expect From The #VPMeetUp?” by Nittzsah.

“Perhaps it’s time to adopt a new strategy like Ignore, Don’t Show Up or Walk Away, especially if the mangoes we demand are not forthcoming.” – Nittzsah.

“Remembering Wangai Maathai: Putting Public Interest First in Constitutional Kenya” by yours truly.

“The then MP for Tetu the late Prof. Wangari Maathai told fellow members of parliament that she was ready to surrender her parliamentary seat and safeguard the Kenyan forests.” – me.

O C T O B E R :

The month Kenya invaded Somalia in the name of a war with Al-Shaabab.

“Kenya At War: ‘Have We Already Lost?’” by 3CB

“So argue all you want. Be an analyst. Be a pundit. Name names, call whoever you want to call. But for fuck’s sake, give a thought and a prayer to the soldiers involved. They’re not statistics. They’re human lives. Wives, daughters, husbands, fathers, sons. So take a moment to think before you tweet, and say a prayer or two for our boys. They need them.” – 3CB.

“Surprise, Surprise. The Media’s Compromised.” by iCon

“There are enough of you out there that we could make a change, a real one, and avail the real stories and the real facts being hidden by media houses today. If you read what I wrote carefully, you see that one journalist was not afraid, and was willing to investigate the ugly truth.” – iCon.

““Regional Balancing” and the Bastardization of Kenya’s Constitution” by yours truly.

“I am raising the alarm over what is emerging as a serious breach of our supreme law and a dangerous trend within government. Using the Constitution to justify ethnicity and tribalism violates the very sanctity of the Social Contract entered into between the Government and the Governed on the 27th of August 2010.” – me.

“#RIPMarkMuturi” by 3CB.

“I don’t know why this story has affected me so much. I suppose it’s because I feel like it happened while I watched.” – 3CB.

N O V E M B E R :

The month the government declared war on its own people: attempting to mutilate the Constitution and carrying out forced evictions in Syokimau.

“Sepp Blatter and Uhuru Kenyatta Walk into a Bar in Syokimau…” by yours truly.

My take on a few important news stories.

“Kenya Is The 143rd Richest Country” by iCon.

“The rich are getting richer by digging so deep into our pockets, they’re tickling our knee caps and pulling up our socks.” – iCon.

“Kill Bill: Constitutional Amendment Edition” by yours truly.

“This travesty of justice and brazen display of impunity must not be allowed to stand.” – me.

“Celebrity Charity: “50 Cent Wants To Feed 1 Billion African Children”” by iCon.

“Dear celebrities, hunger will never go away. You really want to do some good: teach them to fish now. Give them healthcare so they can live. Give them a chance.
Otherwise you’re just giving yourself a warm fuzzy feeling for fueling a raging fire. In which case, leave us the Hell alone.” – iCon.

As a parting shot, please watch this trailer to Africa’s most bad ass movie ever: “2016″.

D E C E M B E R:

The month doctors went on strike, the “Wageuzi” animation made waves and Al-Bashir issued ultimatums to Kenya.

““WAGEUZI”, Raila & The New Kenyan Youth” by iCon.

“So when I see something like what Andrew Kaggia has done with Wageuzi, I remember what was said to me. This may not be a new Kenya, but we are dealing with a new Kenyan Youth.” – iCon.

“The Law is Broken: The Doctors’ Strike Isnt The Only Thing that May Be Unconstitutional” by yours truly.

“However, constitutional rights are not absolute especially where there are competing rights such as the right of the general public to the delivery of essential services, which arguably would include health care services” – me.

“Foreign Policy Embarrassment: Kenya Negotiates With Terrorists, Sometimes” by yours truly.

“So, our yearning to reclaim Kenya from the leaders that bedevil it must go beyond vocalising desires to vote them out next year. We must start now. We must push for reforms through the judicial system and through popular protests so the world may know that the people of Kenya are not silent in consent of their government’s misdeeds and that the people of Kenya understand that their destiny is in their own hands.” – me.

“East Africa Rising: Tanzania at 50″ by yours truly.

A post reflecting on post-independence East Africa, particularly Tanzania as contrasted with Kenya.

——————————-

And so, there you have it, folks. On behalf of the entire crew, we wish you all a restful December break and a prosperous 2012. See you all on the other side!

Alright ladies and gents, we’re giving away more tickets. This time, it’s a pair of tickets for a Village Christmas. I’ll let @Saitonne explain it:

It is the greatest love story ever told. It however is not without it’s strange antics and characters. It is literally an explosion of talent and beautiful singing from a cast so immensely talented you will want to watch it again. “Village Christmas: A Love Story” is about a strapping young gentleman, a beautiful, sweet young girl, and an arranged marriage between two respectable families. It’s the perfect fit. Nothing could ruin it… but then again love makes you do funny things. This Christmas, meet a starry-eyed couple whose lives are seemingly ripped apart by a force that had been silent for over 400 years. Their crazy friends do them no favours, and neither does their culture. The bet is on. Will their love survive their idealistic friends, an uncle who hasn’t spoken a word for over six months, and a crazy auntie who thinks she is a talk show host? It’s a festival of love, music and laughter (with some heartbreak), in the most amazing love story ever revealed.

The next shows are Sunday 18th, Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th.
All shows start at 6.30 but guests need to be there at 6.00 pm.
Tickets are on sale for 800/= at the venue (Mavuno Belle Vue, South C).

So how do you win free tickets?

Simple. Pick out ‘the crazy auntie’ from the pictures below. Let us know who you think it is in the comments and the tickets are yours. That simple.

Many thanks to the good people behind this very brilliant theatrical production Village(Mavuno, Kijiji and em).

If you’re looking for something to do on Sunday that IS NOT Blankets and Wine, or you need a family outing for the holidays that’s not the typical boring yawnfest, do this!

Trust, me it’ll be worth it. We’ll be there. Don’t miss it.

Support Kenyan Artists.

Merry merry and happy happy.

“We, the people of Tanganyika, would like to light a candle and put it on the top of Mount Kilimanjaro which would shine beyond our borders giving hope where there was despair, love where there was hate, and dignity where there was before only humiliation.” – Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, 22 October 1959 (before independence), addressing the Tanganyika Legislative Assembly.

Julius Kambarage Nyerere was just 39 years old when he led Tanganyika to independence on 9 December 1961. Today, Tanzania celebrates 50 years of independence! East Africa’s gentle giant, whose size covers the same area as Belgium, France, Switzerland and Italy combined, with 123 ethnic groups, continues to be a shinning example of the African spirit of communalism and a beacon of hope for the process of nation-building and economic awakening in the region.

Focussed leadership in maximising Tanzania’s immense, untapped potential is what many argue, will be the difference in realising the country’s Vision 2025 and if the present GDP growth remains the same, the land of Kilimanjaro could well over take Kenya as the region’s largest economy by 2030. For Tanzania to do so, it is argued that the government must focus on three main sectors: agriculture, mining and energy.

To this end, Jakaya Kikwete’s administration is currently working on several key projects, including: a high-voltage cross border electricity transmission system: the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya Interconnection, a gas pipeline linking natural gas reserves in Songo Songo Island with the capital Dar es Salaam, aggressive oil and gas exploration in Tanzania’s Indian Ocean with both local and international firms, not forgetting that Tanzania is ranked as the world’s fourth largest gold producer and the sole producer of the tanzanite gemstone (a mineral far more rare than diamonds).

Invariably, the road ahead will be long and hard if Tanzania hopes to conquer the “three enemies” that Nyerere identified at post-independence: “Ignorance, Poverty and Disease.”. Therefore, responsible leadership at all levels will be critical in ensuring that Tanzania remains on track with its human and economic development strategy as encapsulated in Vision 2025.

And so, as we celebrate Tanzania’s golden jubilee today and our own Jamhuri Day on Monday, here are some wise words on leadership from Tanzania’s late founding father. These are excerpts taken from a letter Julius Nyerere issued to Cabinet ministers, government officials and party leaders in July 13, 1963:

“The Office of the President should not oblige its holder to become also the greatest public nuisance.. Whenever he decides to go out, whether to a dinner, a dance or even to visit friends, other road-users will suddenly find themselves being cleared out of the way like so much unsightly rubbish (…)
There are several occasions when I have wanted passers-by to be allowed into the grounds to enjoy the ngoma going on. It has become much more difficult to enter those grounds than it was under colonial rule. Hirtherto, whenever I have questioned the value of all this undemocratic pomposity, I have been assured that ‘the people like it’ (…)
Do the people really like being refused permission to join in the ngoma that they can see going on on the other side of State House barriers? Do they really love being shouted at to get off the road because the President, a minister or a regional commissioner is taking an afternoon drive? (…)
Do they really feel a surge of pride and patriotism every time they are expected to stop what they are doing and stand at attention just become some newly-appointed official whom they many not even have seen before is being serenaded with the national anthem? (…)
Dignity does not need pomposity to uphold it: and pomposity in all its forms is wrong. Even if it were proved that the people really enjoyed it – which I very much doubt- it would still be a wrong; and it would still be our duty to put a stop to it and to tell the people that what they had learned to enjoy was wrong. (…)
Some of the things we have done in the past, like buying big cars for regional commissioners, were bad mistakes.
Everyone knows that we are not rich. And the only way to defeat our present poverty is to accept the fact that it exists, to live as poor people and to spend every cent that we have surplus to our basic needs on the things that will make us richer, healthier and more educated in the future.”

Happy Jamhuri Day to all. Enjoy the long Weekend!

In case you were unaware, Donnell Jones is going to be performing in Kenya tonight.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I have a surplus of tickets. So…..a few tickets up for grabs at 1,500/- per ticket!

Anybody interested at buying them at a 1000bob discount, holla. Surprise your lady friend, or any RnB enthusiast.

Consider that you would buy 1 advance ticket at 2,500/- and I’m pretty sure they are 3,000 per ticket at the door, if you even find any.

You wont find a better deal.

Holla promptly. Drop a comment, shoot an email to icon@diasporadical.com, do something!

UPDATE: 1 ticket already gone
UPDATE: Both tickets gone.

That’s Pastor Prophet Paseka Motsoeneng Mboro to you. You see, you only call him Mboro when he has his fingers(or his foot) in your biscuit. And by ‘biscuit’, I mean ‘lady parts’.

That’s right, this pastor heals worshippers and releases their demons by sticking his digits in their…biscuits.

I apologize in advance because I will quote the large bulk of this article; it’s pure gold.

“As he was praying for her she collapsed. Motsoeneng then told the teenager, who was lying on her back, to open her legs, which she did.
He then plunged his fingers into her private parts and started moving his fingers inside her vagina.
As he was busy with his “healing process”, Motsoeneng ordered her to call him by his nickname, Mboro.

“Say Mboro,” he ordered her.

“Mboro” she said, with a stifled cry.

He was interrupted by a female congregant who brought him a glassful of what looked like ice-cream, which she spoon fed him. He was still sitting on the woman’s lap.”

I’m sorry, what? Did this ice-cream-bearing broad just interrupt the healing process? Does she not know this man needs to focus? Or was she immediately distracted by the thought of having ice-cream with warm biscuits? She must focus. And Mboro immediately did; calling upon a ‘doctor’ named ‘Zozo’ to come verify what was wrong with this girl.

“Dr” Zozo then inserted what she said was pregnancy test apparatus into the girl’s vagina, with Motsoeneng looking on.

“The pregnancy tests came out positive. She is pregnant. I could also feel the limbs of the foetus,” Zozo announced .

Oh, I forgot to mention two things. 1. This girl is 17 and 2. This is IN CHURCH. In front of people. On TV. That’s how Prophet Mboro gets down, y’all. And Dr. Zozo; there is none better. She can feel limbs on a fetus a few weeks old. That broad can probably cure cancer if she wasn’t so busy partaking in Mboro’s ice-cream and biscuit buffet.

“As Zozo was leaving the scene, Motsoeneng screamed: “Zozo, she is bleeding and her tummy has subsided.”

Zozo went back to inspect her before she rushed outside. She then came back wearing gloves and holding a pregnancy test kit.
She inserted them into the teen’s vagina and took them out.

She announced: “Now the kit shows neither positive nor negative results.”

Motsoeneng chimed in: “It is because she was sleeping with an animal.”

Motsoeneng then asked the teenager if she was sleeping around with men.

“Did you donate your biscuit to men?” he asked her.

“No” she replied.

He then said: “Haai, I want to ask all men in here to stop eating biscuit. Do you hear me? You must not eat biscuit anymore,” to which the visibly disgusted men did not respond.”

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m NEVER eating biscuits again.

“Motsoeneng then asked a women to fetch a bucket.
The young lass was then lifted from the ground and made to sit on the bucket with her legs wide open, bleeding profusely, while Motsoeneng looked on.
He then said a stone had blocked her vagina and called a cameraman to come and film her, but changed his mind.

“This won’t be flighted on TV,” he said.”

Because TV ain’t ready for the truth. The holiness of pulling stones from biscuits may just have outdone that of drawing water from a rock. www dot prophets dot com, yo.

“Two weeks later the teenage girl was shown on Motsoeneng’s programme on Soweto TV holding stones she claimed had come out of her vagina.”

If I ever run into a girl holding rocks on the street, I’m just gonna walk away. After I throw up.

I won’t quote the rest of the article but it involves Mboro putting his foot on her biscuit to heal it of pain and expelling some satanist broad for not getting wet in church.

A few concerns:

1. Why hasn’t anyone stopped this guy? Google search him and see how many scandals pop up.
2. Where do we draw the line between religious faithfuls and religious fanatics? I want to say when a Prophet is pulling rocks out of your jayjay, you’ve gone too far.
3. When will we stop hearing stories like this out of African countries? It’s as if stories of magical goats vanishing into thin air in Uganda, or getting arrested for armed robbery in Nigeria was just not enough.

And yet we wonder why foreigners think we live in trees.

UPDATE: In related news, another Zimbabwean Pastor/Prophet raped a 16 year old girl claiming he was performing an exorcism. [VIBE WEEKLY]

It is Day 3 of the on-going doctors’ strike by members of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and despite their willingness to try and avert a nation-wide health crisis through negotiation and mutual settlement, the government has decided to play hard ball with a profession that literally holds the lives of Kenyans in its hands.

Many have argued that the Constitution is on the side of the doctors’ two fold: firstly it protects their right to take industrial action and secondly the State is under a positive obligation to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all Kenyans both from a health care perspective as well as from a general human rights perspective.
However, constitutional rights are not absolute especially where there are competing rights such as the right of the general public to the delivery of essential services, which arguably would include health care services.

Before we discuss these weighty matters of legality, let’s start from the beginning.

In downing their stethoscopes and other tools of trade, our health care professionals are exercising their constitutional right to fair labour practices enshrined in Article 41, which encompasses the right to fair remumeration, reasonable working conditions, participation in the activities and programmes of a trade union and finally the right to go on strike.

More fundamentally, the doctors’ strike (unlike the recent teachers’ and lecturers’ strikes) is unique as it has a direct impact on other fundamental rights and freedoms provided in the constitution including the right to life, right to human dignity and the economic and social rights, which includes the right to health care services.

With this background in mind, I have come to the sad realization that there are those in government (Executive and Legislature, in particular) that have studied the Constitution inside out for the sole purpose of finding loopholes and ways to circumvent their obligations under it. Take the present instance of the doctors’ strike, we have heard the government (the Executive) saying that they cannot meet the demands of doctors in public hospitals because doing so would be unconstitutional since the Constitution provides for a Salaries and Remuneration Commission whose jobs is to set the salaries for all public officials including those working as doctors.

While it is true that Article 230 of the Constitution establishes the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, it’s functions are clearly set out. Under sub article 4 (a), this Commission can only set and regularly review the remuneration and benefits of State officers and not other public officers.

Therefore it is wrong for the government to mislead Kenyans that its hands are tied in negotiating and reviewing the salaries of doctors. It is shameful for the government to hide behind Article 230 when that very provision limits the powers of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to only advising the government on the remuneration and benefits for public officers like doctors, lecturers and others.

Therefore, were we to conclude that Government is unwilling to negotiate in good faith and the health care sector continues in a state of paralysis, how does the law propose to address this stand-off?

For this answer, one would ordinarily consult the Labour Relations Act of 2009. Looking at the LRA, it appears to be a modest attempt to strike a balance between the rights and duties of both employers and employees. A critical feature to note is that the LRA talks about what it calls “essential services” defined as “a service the interruption of which would probably endanger the life of a person or the health of the population or any part of the population”. The LRA, in the Fourth Schedule, lists “hospital services” as one of the “essential services” and some would argue that this would include the services offered by members of the Kenya Medical Practioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU). Under section 78(1)(f), the LRA expressly prohibits any person to take part in a strike if the employer and employees are engaged in an essential service. This same prohibition is restated in section 81(3).

If both parties in a labour dispute fail to agree, the LRA provides that either the Minister or the Trade Union itself may refer the dispute to the Industrial Court as a matter of urgency. This provision exists because the employers and employees in question are engaged in an essential service.

So what is the LRA saying? Simply put, in the case of essential services, a strike causes such harm that the social and/or economic considerations of such harm are sufficient to outweigh the usual protection of the right to strike and judicial intervention and or other dispute resolution mechanisms like arbitration are required as the means of resolving disputes in essential services.

Internationally it has been recognised that there should not be a right to strike in ‘essential services’ as such a strike may inflict is far too detrimental to the life, health and safety of the whole or part of the population of a country. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) recognises this exception to the right to strike and has defined it in these terms. Employees who render essential services were not to be left out in the cold; compulsory arbitration was to be their substitute for the right to strike.

However the LRA fails to provide for compulsory arbitration or any other specific form of dispute resolution in cases involving essential services. In addition to clearly defining what would constitute an ‘essential service’, the right to interest arbitration in the case of those engaged in essential services should be spelled out clearly. To this effect, this section of the LRA, in its present form, could be argued to be inconsistent with the Constitution as it purports to unjustifiably and unreasonably limit the labour relations right of workers and employers engaged in essential services.

Therefore from a purely juridical point of view, this doctor’s strike is useful as it will, hopefully, get relevant Ministries and Parliament to re-look this aspect of the Labour Relations Act in order to avert a national crisis in the provision and quality of essential services to Kenyans.