It's been a long time since I've felt the need to put my thoughts on this blog. I got deflated, negatively impacted, jaded or just completely drained after the election skirmishes. I've tried to come back here often, simply because I used to use this space to store my opinions and assess them later - to monitor my state of mind during certain events and to grow from what I observe about myself in those pieces I had written.
I've missed having this place to come back to. I haven't been able to transfer this process to other places where I store my thoughts. But somehow, I do associate the Kenyan blogosphere with the events of early 2008. And I guess I don't like to come back here. My opinion of Kenya was changed so drastically, left huge holes and such a sense of loss in my heart. I got an inside view of Kenya and it was not pretty. I've been trying to overcome that; to see it as an isolated incident. Yet, I believe my hesitation is in the fact that I don't believe in its isolation. Somehow, I feel like my eyes were opened to an ugliness I didn't before have the ability to fathom within my own people. An ugliness I feel has not yet been explored, exposed, addressed or altered. I don't have to be right. I could simply be traumatized. But those are my feelings towards all that at the current time.
With all that said, I had to write my thoughts on the day after the constitution passed. I've talked to many Kenyans, young and old, Christian and not, super intelligent members of society to the regular Joes. It was interesting to hear other people's point of view on the constitution. One very super well to do, smarter mind of society actually argued that Kenya had no need for a new constitution. That what was wrong with kenya was its leadership and that if people were good, and elected only good leaders, all would be well. Now, duh! Isn't that a fact anywhere? Don't we put checks and balances because that is a utopian expecttaion? Don't we know human nature pushes its boundaries? A fact observed with children as they grow? It's an instinct, people get away with as much as they can. It is a survival instinct. Truth be told, this person is also a Christian religious zealot; and I believe we got to this point of view simply because they had run out of ways to justify their opposition to the new constitution.
I'm overjoyed but cautious. And my primary instinct is to call on fiscal responsibility with the implementation of this new constitution.
First, the pay for MPs must be dropped by more than 30%. I say this not because I know that our MPs are overpaid, but because it is prudent and justifiable to reduce pay within the new constuitution. If pay is to be commensurate with responsibility, smaller constituents indicate smaller portion of responsibility per person. Each MP will have less to worry about. And in that manner, one can justify a pay cut on that level. Generally speaking, the cost to run constituencies should at worst case, stay the same. An argument could effectively be made to reduce the cost. I'll admit this huge increase in governance costs was a concern to me. But I figured, if this is handled prudently, a paycut for all MPs should follow. And I chose faith. If Kenyans can get here, maybe they can can get to where they one day alter the cost to run the country so that it makes sense.
I'm of the school of thought that the amount of money spent to pass this referendum the second time around could generally have been spent to improve the first referendum. The naysayers both times were emotionally invested on the side of no. Anyone who has me figured out knows I detest emotional thinking; simply because it almost always kicks out common sense. I recall in 2005 asking a simple question, how many things are wrong? I was told 2 at most. I asked then, "can't they be resolved later?" And was advised 'no!' But this came from a then orange supporter and nothing I could do could get them to listen to anything other than voting against it. I write this, because there is a huge part of me that hopes many who voted no last time have had some time to reflect and see what their voting no has cost the country both in real shillings (the drafting of a new constitution is not cheap) and in missed opportunities. The point is, I hope it has been a learning opportuunity for many, to look inside, understand self more and become a better person. But I'm glad, that finally, the issues were debated and that finally change is nigh.
And I especially hope that Kenyans will learn how to vote wisely. In a country where Raphael Tuju was not reelected, besides having accomplished a great deal; but a host of do nothingers were reelected - I can't help but feel that Kenya has the leaders it deserves. We have to deserve different. And by that I mean we have to start voting for those who do right. Let the consequence match the action. Otherwise, we cannot justify our complaining when the MPs want to hike their own pay. And with no shame, highlight their out of touch attitudes. Can anyone please advise the Kenyan MPs that it is completely rude to the average kenyan, to complain that after all bills are paid, one has ONLY 50,000 to take home. Many Kenyans have way less than that to take home long before they paid huge mortgage and car payments. So frankly, shut up! Because it is rude and inconsiderate and ignorant to speak like that.
The tone of this almost reads like I might be angry. I just caught on to that. I don't feel that way at all. Actually, I feel very hopeful. Maybe the tone is a remnant effect of the fact that my emotions about Kenya are scattered. I love but don't trust or I trust cautiously or something close. It's complicated. Hopefully, next time I come back here I will have sorted that feeling out.
Whichever way, I wanted to say of Kenya, congratulations! Go ye forth and prosper! And I know God is on our side, no matter what those who claim we have kicked God out might think.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Serial Killer Devil Worshipper
This I wrote on June 15th. When I was completely mortified by the one weird Onyancha, blood sucking guy.
Reading about Phillip Onyancha is shocking in more ways than I care to describe. Be it the
callous way he describes his deeds, or the sheer monstrosity of it all; it is all newsworthy; and
not in a good way. But I find two things especially interesting.
One is the mention of the devil worshipping madness. That is interesting to me because just
recently, some friends and I were discussing the absolute insanity that had encompassed
schools in Kenya; in regards to cult worship. The very Christian union (CU) bodies had
been infiltrated by weirdness to the point that God was scary. We had mentioned the devil
worship comments that were constantly being made. But we had more or less concluded the
overzealousness and fanaticism of religion as the culprit. Allow me to say it the way Kenyans
love to say things; “Shock on us!”
The second most troubling thing is the investigation bit. Did I read about some family that kept
forwarding numbers to the cops who kept losing them? As in what the heck?! So I pose a
question to the police commissioner, can you explain to the general public how investigations
are handled? I feel quite sure I ask these questions on behalf of very many people.
First question, is each investigation assigned a case number?
Second, is it then assigned specific people to be working on it?
Third, who monitors the progress of the investigation?
Fourth, what follow up is owed to the victims, the concerned parties, the people who requested
an open investigation; or the people with a missing relative?
Fifth, the filing system – Where do you file all materials related to a case number? Are these
arranged by case numbers? Is all evidence in these files? Who has access to it? What protocols
exist to ensure no evidence is stolen out of files?
Sixth, what about the evidence that has to go for forensic testing? How does it get back to the
file? What is the process? Who is responsible if it goes missing? What is the trail left behind?
Who signs what when they pick it up and when they return it?
Seventh, what are your general standards? What do you internally consider best practices when
handling an investigation?
Eighth, the different bodies, cops, CID, the flying squad – what is the role of each one? When
does each one get involved? What is the official process of handing down a case from one unit
to another?
If there’s a process where the cases are transferred, are the files transferred with them? What is
the trail left behind? Who signs for what?
Where is investigative training provided? When? And for how long?
What are the procedures to ensure crime scenes are not contaminated?
By the general public?
By the people investigating them?
What are the time limits set by the department to start an investigation?
How are suspects handled? What constitutes sufficient evidence to hold a suspect? What
are the processes of keeping an eye on a suspect who cannot be held for lack of sufficient
evidence?
And what tools are at hand for use within investigations? Which departments own them? What
is the process of requesting a department ran a specific test on a piece of evidence? What is
the expected turn around time?
How is information shared between investigative units in different areas of the country and the
districts?
Let me end my questions at this point. I feel quite sure that the commissioner will be hard
pressed to answer 25% of these questions effectively. So let me offer them as starting
points for the setting up of good controls. Every organization needs protocol. People need
guidance otherwise they perform well under par; including loss of evidence. People also need
consequence. If the institution spent a week organizing preliminary responses to most of these
questions, and then embarking on training, there’d be a process to be improved on by the end
of the year. And the results would be instantaneous. Good luck and God speed on this one!
Reading about Phillip Onyancha is shocking in more ways than I care to describe. Be it the
callous way he describes his deeds, or the sheer monstrosity of it all; it is all newsworthy; and
not in a good way. But I find two things especially interesting.
One is the mention of the devil worshipping madness. That is interesting to me because just
recently, some friends and I were discussing the absolute insanity that had encompassed
schools in Kenya; in regards to cult worship. The very Christian union (CU) bodies had
been infiltrated by weirdness to the point that God was scary. We had mentioned the devil
worship comments that were constantly being made. But we had more or less concluded the
overzealousness and fanaticism of religion as the culprit. Allow me to say it the way Kenyans
love to say things; “Shock on us!”
The second most troubling thing is the investigation bit. Did I read about some family that kept
forwarding numbers to the cops who kept losing them? As in what the heck?! So I pose a
question to the police commissioner, can you explain to the general public how investigations
are handled? I feel quite sure I ask these questions on behalf of very many people.
First question, is each investigation assigned a case number?
Second, is it then assigned specific people to be working on it?
Third, who monitors the progress of the investigation?
Fourth, what follow up is owed to the victims, the concerned parties, the people who requested
an open investigation; or the people with a missing relative?
Fifth, the filing system – Where do you file all materials related to a case number? Are these
arranged by case numbers? Is all evidence in these files? Who has access to it? What protocols
exist to ensure no evidence is stolen out of files?
Sixth, what about the evidence that has to go for forensic testing? How does it get back to the
file? What is the process? Who is responsible if it goes missing? What is the trail left behind?
Who signs what when they pick it up and when they return it?
Seventh, what are your general standards? What do you internally consider best practices when
handling an investigation?
Eighth, the different bodies, cops, CID, the flying squad – what is the role of each one? When
does each one get involved? What is the official process of handing down a case from one unit
to another?
If there’s a process where the cases are transferred, are the files transferred with them? What is
the trail left behind? Who signs for what?
Where is investigative training provided? When? And for how long?
What are the procedures to ensure crime scenes are not contaminated?
By the general public?
By the people investigating them?
What are the time limits set by the department to start an investigation?
How are suspects handled? What constitutes sufficient evidence to hold a suspect? What
are the processes of keeping an eye on a suspect who cannot be held for lack of sufficient
evidence?
And what tools are at hand for use within investigations? Which departments own them? What
is the process of requesting a department ran a specific test on a piece of evidence? What is
the expected turn around time?
How is information shared between investigative units in different areas of the country and the
districts?
Let me end my questions at this point. I feel quite sure that the commissioner will be hard
pressed to answer 25% of these questions effectively. So let me offer them as starting
points for the setting up of good controls. Every organization needs protocol. People need
guidance otherwise they perform well under par; including loss of evidence. People also need
consequence. If the institution spent a week organizing preliminary responses to most of these
questions, and then embarking on training, there’d be a process to be improved on by the end
of the year. And the results would be instantaneous. Good luck and God speed on this one!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
RIP MJ
I’m devastated! Completely in mourning! Not MJ. I so wanted that concert to happen, because from it, there would have been great video collection of his hits with some live performances to boot. I was a fan throughout MJ. Even when the world turned against him, I remained faithful. And hopeful for a comeback! The loss, no, the absolute death of that hope is completely saddening.
Even sadder is that MJ died unhappy. Saddened by all the negativity the world threw at him. Perhaps even a little depressed. How cruel the world must have felt to this man. Who never knew the life we all mostly lead. Paris Hilton has had a semblance of a “normal” life. MJ just never did. And to be a toddler and then an icon is a huge leap that is bound to cause out of touch with reality issues. Which MJ definitely suffered from. But we the world, who took his life and turned him into an icon before he was old enough to date, denied him a chance to ever hang out at a mall, go out to a bar with a friend, take a girl out for a date… the things that define us. The moments where we mark passages from childhood to adulthood. The transitions that help us understand growth has happened. For MJ it was one whirlwind of the sameness. Stardom. From toddler to forever. And then one day, the media woke up and realized they had the power to destroy. They tried it on an icon like MJ. I hope they are proud of their success. We as a society watched them, some of us cheering them on, others in protest. But MJ took it all in. Wondered why we had loved him so much and then hated him without any warning. And he had no real life experiences in between that to shield him from that blow. Cruel. That’s what we were to MJ.
So in his death, as the same media sings his praises, words they haven’t said of this man in years. His reality. His super stardom. His great contribution to the arts. All being highlighted in his death. I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of this one thing; that the only time anyone ever needs your kindness is while they are living. And while it’s an awesome gesture to give it to someone’s memory, our real duty is to the living. Let’s try a little kindness, a little constructive criticism, a little corrective nudging, and completely turn away from the death blows we’ve learnt to cheer on from roof tops. Somewhere in this blog is a post titled “The Pontius Pilate syndrome.” Read it if you choose to. These are issues close to my heart.
And on that note, I don’t know who that pastor is; or is he a reverend? But the guy going around Kenya, where there were clashes getting people to confess and pray for forgiveness, I want to throw my full support behind what this man has achieved, what he is trying to accomplish and his method. I thank him for his initiative and I hope that many many many Kenyans will find peace and a new hope in their country from this man’s efforts. When I say a prayer tonight, I will remember to pray for this man to be successful in bringing people face to face with the truth of who they became, if only for a moment, and at the same time providing them with a means to make peace with it, forgive and start to heal.
Even sadder is that MJ died unhappy. Saddened by all the negativity the world threw at him. Perhaps even a little depressed. How cruel the world must have felt to this man. Who never knew the life we all mostly lead. Paris Hilton has had a semblance of a “normal” life. MJ just never did. And to be a toddler and then an icon is a huge leap that is bound to cause out of touch with reality issues. Which MJ definitely suffered from. But we the world, who took his life and turned him into an icon before he was old enough to date, denied him a chance to ever hang out at a mall, go out to a bar with a friend, take a girl out for a date… the things that define us. The moments where we mark passages from childhood to adulthood. The transitions that help us understand growth has happened. For MJ it was one whirlwind of the sameness. Stardom. From toddler to forever. And then one day, the media woke up and realized they had the power to destroy. They tried it on an icon like MJ. I hope they are proud of their success. We as a society watched them, some of us cheering them on, others in protest. But MJ took it all in. Wondered why we had loved him so much and then hated him without any warning. And he had no real life experiences in between that to shield him from that blow. Cruel. That’s what we were to MJ.
So in his death, as the same media sings his praises, words they haven’t said of this man in years. His reality. His super stardom. His great contribution to the arts. All being highlighted in his death. I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of this one thing; that the only time anyone ever needs your kindness is while they are living. And while it’s an awesome gesture to give it to someone’s memory, our real duty is to the living. Let’s try a little kindness, a little constructive criticism, a little corrective nudging, and completely turn away from the death blows we’ve learnt to cheer on from roof tops. Somewhere in this blog is a post titled “The Pontius Pilate syndrome.” Read it if you choose to. These are issues close to my heart.
And on that note, I don’t know who that pastor is; or is he a reverend? But the guy going around Kenya, where there were clashes getting people to confess and pray for forgiveness, I want to throw my full support behind what this man has achieved, what he is trying to accomplish and his method. I thank him for his initiative and I hope that many many many Kenyans will find peace and a new hope in their country from this man’s efforts. When I say a prayer tonight, I will remember to pray for this man to be successful in bringing people face to face with the truth of who they became, if only for a moment, and at the same time providing them with a means to make peace with it, forgive and start to heal.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
What's the real cost of mismanagement?
What are the overall consequences of mismanagement? Often times, the obvious will be stated. But what REALLY are the consequences of mismanagement? I don’t mean outright crazy madness, where the managers are looting. That isn’t mismanagement. It’s embezzlement. I mean where you sit back and watch something you’re in charge of deteriorate to where there’s nothing left of it. Either you’re too dumb to see it’s happening and stop it, or are too busy with other things and have neglected your responsibilities to this point. Whatever the reason, I’m concerned with that kind of attitude. Where the person in charge is around when everything falls apart, and does nothing to stop it. And this situation considered only where no uncontrollable or extenuating circumstances exist.
Of former schools
Let me give an example of the things I’m talking about. I was very fortunate to have attended 3 of some of the best schools there were in my days for primary, secondary and post secondary education. Here’s my point. With all I know about each and every one of these schools, there’s not a single one of them I would wish for my children to attend in the current day. Forget that they were the schools to be in when I was in them. Forget that the longest application lines and processes existed with admittance rates at below 20% for how coveted these institutions were while I was in them. To say that, and for anyone to compare them with what they are now, is to cause everyone around to wonder if maybe I’m making things up.
Primary
2 out of 3 of the alma maters have started some kind of revival processes, thanks to the web and its far reaching arms. The 3rd one hasn’t probably won’t but it’s a far cry from what it used to be. It’s crazy, of all good management I ever saw, all factors considered, was my primary school headmaster. In retrospect. I was too young to understand how his attitude and habits were the overall glue that held all together in that environment. I guess we were fortunate in that for me and my siblings, we all finished our education while he was the HNIC. Fast forward to today. One of my classmates who started a family much earlier than most now has children in this very environment. And the only thing he has to say is just how bad everything is. He says we couldn’t understand it. We have no way to imagine things could be that bad. I’m always the one who asks, why? What happened, what catastrophe changed things? The catastrophe? Change in management. A leader who cannot make the correct calls on budget; including cuts and priorities. A leader who is incapable of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the current institution and taking the steps needed to bolster the foundations.
Post Secondary
My post secondary education was in a prestigious environment, not to us who were in it, but to those who had formulated ideas and attitudes about it. We paid a lot, true. But the heart and soul of that institution had nothing to do with money. It had to do with cohesive functionality. We ranked 1st all the time for the international course we were all part of, to the point that we were audited severally because they thought we had to be cheating. What African school could have so many smart kids lumped in one area? Well, we had instructors who understood the curriculum and the deliverables. Who communicated that very clearly to the students and who allowed push back so that we could ask questions over and over again until we were clear. Never once were we judged, or considered too “spoilt” to have valid opinions. This environment created creativity and fierce loyalty to our brand. And this loyalty translated to so much pride that we were all out there striving to uphold our name.
As luck would have it, this institution would have a history that would come to haunt it. While I was in it, it was run by catholic fathers. Turns out, the catholic fathers had been given the institution to run by a then wealthier different denomination that had more than it could handle. It appears that the ‘operate this school’ contract was “run this” no details attached. So one day, the other denomination is now running broke (shock!) and recalls its property. It’s a violent upheaval. But now they are running the institution. What they did different, I’m never going to know. But the results have been shocking, to say the least. I keep wondering how they possibly could be in the situation they’re in. What they needed to have changed to get there so quickly. Some things are so solid, so stable; you imagine it has to take some time to bring them down. No, not these people. They must have some kind of special talent. Because they have brought down a giant in record time. This is a future case study on how not to manage, for sure.
Family Traditions
Here’s my beef with all this. Primary school, I went to a very nice school. But not the first in my extended family. My father’s side of the family has a rare story for their times. My grandfather was a doctor, my grandmother a teacher. So my father and his siblings got the rare opportunity to not only live in Nairobi but also to attend the best schools. While my father didn’t attend the specific school that I did, his younger brother did. And it played out that our entire slew of cousins from that side went there as well. We wanted to keep this tradition if we could. Now, we’re definitely not considering it. I wonder if I can communicate this sense of loss.
It reminds me of the time when my brother had to go to high school. The conversation had mainly centered on private day school until my mother had an epiphany of sorts and shoved that idea. Here was the problem, there were no boarding schools in Nairobi that we could take him to and feel safe with that decision. This is why the private day school had been the original idea. Now, for my father’s frustration point. My father was an old boy’s member, a group that was trying to revive the school he had gone to. When he was there, he was one of the African students, though by then, they had a few, but not about half the population. In actual fact, he attended the school when it had the title starting with “Duke of … “ Now, imagine his frustration with the fact that my brother has qualified to get into this school, but none of us will hear of it, because we have heard they treat their form ones terribly, and worse when they have small bodies. By then, one or two had died while being rabbalized. In addition, there was nothing but rumors of gay rape happening in these boarding schools. My brother ended up in Gilgil in one of the forces controlled schools. It turned out to have been a blessing because it is a great school he went to. But there! Because of headmasters who refused to reign in bullying and other shenanigans, my father lost what he really wanted. A chance to have an alma mater relationship with his only son. Can I communicate the extent of loss?
Rare opportunity
I should mention that my mother also was amongst the lucky few from their times. Hers was a more stumbled into lucky situation as compared to my father. For starters, proximity. My mother hails from one of the districts that are now about to be absorbed into Nairobi because they have become merely outskirts and suburbs. To put it in perspective, it was a 30 minutes drive to my mum’s shags and we went there on a whim on Sunday evenings often. But her parents were not wealthy nor educated. However, she happens to be the ultimate last born. She was the last born of the youngest of 3 wives children. And fortunately for her, her oldest brother from her mother was educated, done with school, married and flourishing. I should mention that whenever my parents have told us the story of “walking to school without shoes.” Both have lied every time. Very rare circumstance for children of my generation. Anyway, my mother was smart as daylight too. So she ended up in one of Nairobi’s greatest schools for her time. And I ended up there as well. And while I was there, my mother decried the deterioration in prestige of a still then very highly regarded school. Now she just wonders if anything could ever be done to save it. As a student in a school where my mother had been, it felt very good. I was one of two. The other girl, an old family friend, just happened to be my mom’s friend from high school’s daughter. It was quite something. And I had hoped that maybe I could share the same with a possible future daughter. Given the condition of that school currently, woe unto me!
Frustration
So here’s where I am at with all this. I’m frustrated. Maybe even a little upset. I’m just feeling victimized by the actions of those who were put in charge of these institutions. I’d like to write them a letter. It would be polite, but I would like to draw for them a picture that captures just how much more they have robbed people of. I’m sure that they see the decay, the failures of their mismanagement. The evidence is obvious. What I don’t think they know is the far reaching implications. They may not be aware of the “error that keeps on giving” situation they have left behind. To look outside of personal self, these are now huge institutions, filled with potential that at the very least will have a lull in their histories, assuming all ends well and these will be revived to their past glories. Which means that tons of money has to go into bringing back what was the norm into these places. Money that could have been used to take these institutions to the next level! Stalled development, the inheritance they’ve left us all with.
What about the pride with which we regarded our alma maters? We now say we were there and everyone rumbles into, “oh the place has deteriorated” speech because they remember what it meant when we were there. What about that? And what about for those like me, who had hoped to continue a tradition of taking their children to these institutions? As they are currently, it would be an irresponsible decision on any parent’s part. What about that?
Hope - Maybe
All is not lost for me. The kids are yet to be manufactured. The dough has not been kneaded yet, let alone placed in the oven. I could still get lucky and find that by the time I have kids and they’re ready for school, the miracles needed have come through, and these institutions have been revived. Sigh! One can dream, anyway.
Of former schools
Let me give an example of the things I’m talking about. I was very fortunate to have attended 3 of some of the best schools there were in my days for primary, secondary and post secondary education. Here’s my point. With all I know about each and every one of these schools, there’s not a single one of them I would wish for my children to attend in the current day. Forget that they were the schools to be in when I was in them. Forget that the longest application lines and processes existed with admittance rates at below 20% for how coveted these institutions were while I was in them. To say that, and for anyone to compare them with what they are now, is to cause everyone around to wonder if maybe I’m making things up.
Primary
2 out of 3 of the alma maters have started some kind of revival processes, thanks to the web and its far reaching arms. The 3rd one hasn’t probably won’t but it’s a far cry from what it used to be. It’s crazy, of all good management I ever saw, all factors considered, was my primary school headmaster. In retrospect. I was too young to understand how his attitude and habits were the overall glue that held all together in that environment. I guess we were fortunate in that for me and my siblings, we all finished our education while he was the HNIC. Fast forward to today. One of my classmates who started a family much earlier than most now has children in this very environment. And the only thing he has to say is just how bad everything is. He says we couldn’t understand it. We have no way to imagine things could be that bad. I’m always the one who asks, why? What happened, what catastrophe changed things? The catastrophe? Change in management. A leader who cannot make the correct calls on budget; including cuts and priorities. A leader who is incapable of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the current institution and taking the steps needed to bolster the foundations.
Post Secondary
My post secondary education was in a prestigious environment, not to us who were in it, but to those who had formulated ideas and attitudes about it. We paid a lot, true. But the heart and soul of that institution had nothing to do with money. It had to do with cohesive functionality. We ranked 1st all the time for the international course we were all part of, to the point that we were audited severally because they thought we had to be cheating. What African school could have so many smart kids lumped in one area? Well, we had instructors who understood the curriculum and the deliverables. Who communicated that very clearly to the students and who allowed push back so that we could ask questions over and over again until we were clear. Never once were we judged, or considered too “spoilt” to have valid opinions. This environment created creativity and fierce loyalty to our brand. And this loyalty translated to so much pride that we were all out there striving to uphold our name.
As luck would have it, this institution would have a history that would come to haunt it. While I was in it, it was run by catholic fathers. Turns out, the catholic fathers had been given the institution to run by a then wealthier different denomination that had more than it could handle. It appears that the ‘operate this school’ contract was “run this” no details attached. So one day, the other denomination is now running broke (shock!) and recalls its property. It’s a violent upheaval. But now they are running the institution. What they did different, I’m never going to know. But the results have been shocking, to say the least. I keep wondering how they possibly could be in the situation they’re in. What they needed to have changed to get there so quickly. Some things are so solid, so stable; you imagine it has to take some time to bring them down. No, not these people. They must have some kind of special talent. Because they have brought down a giant in record time. This is a future case study on how not to manage, for sure.
Family Traditions
Here’s my beef with all this. Primary school, I went to a very nice school. But not the first in my extended family. My father’s side of the family has a rare story for their times. My grandfather was a doctor, my grandmother a teacher. So my father and his siblings got the rare opportunity to not only live in Nairobi but also to attend the best schools. While my father didn’t attend the specific school that I did, his younger brother did. And it played out that our entire slew of cousins from that side went there as well. We wanted to keep this tradition if we could. Now, we’re definitely not considering it. I wonder if I can communicate this sense of loss.
It reminds me of the time when my brother had to go to high school. The conversation had mainly centered on private day school until my mother had an epiphany of sorts and shoved that idea. Here was the problem, there were no boarding schools in Nairobi that we could take him to and feel safe with that decision. This is why the private day school had been the original idea. Now, for my father’s frustration point. My father was an old boy’s member, a group that was trying to revive the school he had gone to. When he was there, he was one of the African students, though by then, they had a few, but not about half the population. In actual fact, he attended the school when it had the title starting with “Duke of … “ Now, imagine his frustration with the fact that my brother has qualified to get into this school, but none of us will hear of it, because we have heard they treat their form ones terribly, and worse when they have small bodies. By then, one or two had died while being rabbalized. In addition, there was nothing but rumors of gay rape happening in these boarding schools. My brother ended up in Gilgil in one of the forces controlled schools. It turned out to have been a blessing because it is a great school he went to. But there! Because of headmasters who refused to reign in bullying and other shenanigans, my father lost what he really wanted. A chance to have an alma mater relationship with his only son. Can I communicate the extent of loss?
Rare opportunity
I should mention that my mother also was amongst the lucky few from their times. Hers was a more stumbled into lucky situation as compared to my father. For starters, proximity. My mother hails from one of the districts that are now about to be absorbed into Nairobi because they have become merely outskirts and suburbs. To put it in perspective, it was a 30 minutes drive to my mum’s shags and we went there on a whim on Sunday evenings often. But her parents were not wealthy nor educated. However, she happens to be the ultimate last born. She was the last born of the youngest of 3 wives children. And fortunately for her, her oldest brother from her mother was educated, done with school, married and flourishing. I should mention that whenever my parents have told us the story of “walking to school without shoes.” Both have lied every time. Very rare circumstance for children of my generation. Anyway, my mother was smart as daylight too. So she ended up in one of Nairobi’s greatest schools for her time. And I ended up there as well. And while I was there, my mother decried the deterioration in prestige of a still then very highly regarded school. Now she just wonders if anything could ever be done to save it. As a student in a school where my mother had been, it felt very good. I was one of two. The other girl, an old family friend, just happened to be my mom’s friend from high school’s daughter. It was quite something. And I had hoped that maybe I could share the same with a possible future daughter. Given the condition of that school currently, woe unto me!
Frustration
So here’s where I am at with all this. I’m frustrated. Maybe even a little upset. I’m just feeling victimized by the actions of those who were put in charge of these institutions. I’d like to write them a letter. It would be polite, but I would like to draw for them a picture that captures just how much more they have robbed people of. I’m sure that they see the decay, the failures of their mismanagement. The evidence is obvious. What I don’t think they know is the far reaching implications. They may not be aware of the “error that keeps on giving” situation they have left behind. To look outside of personal self, these are now huge institutions, filled with potential that at the very least will have a lull in their histories, assuming all ends well and these will be revived to their past glories. Which means that tons of money has to go into bringing back what was the norm into these places. Money that could have been used to take these institutions to the next level! Stalled development, the inheritance they’ve left us all with.
What about the pride with which we regarded our alma maters? We now say we were there and everyone rumbles into, “oh the place has deteriorated” speech because they remember what it meant when we were there. What about that? And what about for those like me, who had hoped to continue a tradition of taking their children to these institutions? As they are currently, it would be an irresponsible decision on any parent’s part. What about that?
Hope - Maybe
All is not lost for me. The kids are yet to be manufactured. The dough has not been kneaded yet, let alone placed in the oven. I could still get lucky and find that by the time I have kids and they’re ready for school, the miracles needed have come through, and these institutions have been revived. Sigh! One can dream, anyway.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Little bit of this, little bit of ...
This year started with some challenges. A good friend survived a brain aneurism. That’s the good news. The bad, we don’t know the extent of the damage. Why, we had all just moved states and where she is at is far away. Our connection to her is, (read was) a boyfriend, who has decided to take all control and cut us off. Why? We didn’t respect her privacy, he says. How did we do that? We shared the news with only very good friends. Point to this? We’re all struggling to find out. Meanwhile, a reunion over the weekend almost brought us to our knees over the issue. The sheer frustration of not being able to reach a friend in her time of need, because someone blocks your access and the worry that accompanies that, it can be very confusing. Plus, I know if she woke up, she’d kick him hard in the nuts for the very behavior. So I feel that he’s abusing her, because he can, because she is ill and unable to protect herself. I have genuine fury over all of this. I just came to the full realization that it was eating at me more than I was accepting over the weekend. Prayer. Prayer. Over all things we have little control over. Still, I can’t help enjoying a mental picture of bumping into him and kicking him – hard!
This swine flu thing is ridiculous. I’m grateful this news breaks after my 3 bouts with flu in the past 5 months. Otherwise, I’d have died from imagining I had the damn thing. Swine flu? How scary is anyone who coughs around you right now?
Raila! After I had just praised his behind for beginning to show maturity. I should have known better. Now he wants fresh elections? In the same country that does not have an electoral board? Are these people seriously this callous? This careless? This insane, this stupid? Are they really this incompetent? Is it truly possible to utter such crap, such potentially dangerous crap and sleep well at night? Soon that country will be an extension of Somalia. Anarchy will rule the day. But quote me later on this. The tides are shifting. Change is coming. Where victory will belong to the upright. And what you hear are the winds of change. And many wolves in sheep clothing will be very exposed. Many of whom just sit back and point fingers from what seems to be far away places from politics. Shake up, shake down, shift and change.
I need some knowledge on something. Not advice, not opinion. Knowledge. If I just knew something so I could decide on something else. Inexperience is killing me here. Being 50 will sure be welcome on matters such as these. And everytime I bring it up to people, they start either blaming my attitude, expectations or habits. Which is all fine if they feel that way. Point is, it’s who I am and that probably won’t be changing anytime soon. All I want to know is, what do you know about this? All I keep getting is, I feel, I feel, I feel. I don’t really care about your feelings on this one. Not rudely, just really. What are the facts? It’s strange how these two questions are not different to most people. I’m sitting on absolute knowledge that I’m about to make a mistake. But I’ll make it with the best knowledge that I have at this time.
Them Mavericks are doing ok! Lebron? Whoa! Duane Wade? Him too. Kobe, not surprising, but damn!
Today, I really feel the distance between me and my mum. I'd like to hug her.
This swine flu thing is ridiculous. I’m grateful this news breaks after my 3 bouts with flu in the past 5 months. Otherwise, I’d have died from imagining I had the damn thing. Swine flu? How scary is anyone who coughs around you right now?
Raila! After I had just praised his behind for beginning to show maturity. I should have known better. Now he wants fresh elections? In the same country that does not have an electoral board? Are these people seriously this callous? This careless? This insane, this stupid? Are they really this incompetent? Is it truly possible to utter such crap, such potentially dangerous crap and sleep well at night? Soon that country will be an extension of Somalia. Anarchy will rule the day. But quote me later on this. The tides are shifting. Change is coming. Where victory will belong to the upright. And what you hear are the winds of change. And many wolves in sheep clothing will be very exposed. Many of whom just sit back and point fingers from what seems to be far away places from politics. Shake up, shake down, shift and change.
I need some knowledge on something. Not advice, not opinion. Knowledge. If I just knew something so I could decide on something else. Inexperience is killing me here. Being 50 will sure be welcome on matters such as these. And everytime I bring it up to people, they start either blaming my attitude, expectations or habits. Which is all fine if they feel that way. Point is, it’s who I am and that probably won’t be changing anytime soon. All I want to know is, what do you know about this? All I keep getting is, I feel, I feel, I feel. I don’t really care about your feelings on this one. Not rudely, just really. What are the facts? It’s strange how these two questions are not different to most people. I’m sitting on absolute knowledge that I’m about to make a mistake. But I’ll make it with the best knowledge that I have at this time.
Them Mavericks are doing ok! Lebron? Whoa! Duane Wade? Him too. Kobe, not surprising, but damn!
Today, I really feel the distance between me and my mum. I'd like to hug her.
Friday, April 24, 2009
On my mind...
Liberia’s president, Sirleaf, was such a breath of fresh air on Jon Stewart’s, the daily show. In came in a president, but over and above that, that African mother figure. That woman who wants to nurture, love and advice you. Not the structured, zombie leader types that dominate the west. A real person. Someone, you could just sit with and listen to her regale her past. And in the midst of all that, intelligence. What a breath of fresh air.
There are two gangs operating in Kenya right now. One is the Mungiki, well known and being sought after by authorities. But what about Kibera residents who have become the executors of law as they deem fit? Law they have no knowledge of, just tidbits of information here and there. How is it possible that these people can cause billions in dollars to a railway company, and a few days later, start planting grass on the very space that had tracks? They have decided they know better than the authorities who are handling Migingo issues. No, they know force. They have that information that the railway line is a bloodline to Uganda. Unfortunately, that’s all they know. Reminds me that I’ve heard before, the most dangerous man is he who knows little but thinks he knows much. Ergo, Kibera residents. Didn’t they recently injure law enforcement because they were disconnecting illegally connected power lines? They shall live for free? C’mon now! These are thugs and hooligans and somebody needs to stop them dead in their tracks. The sooner the better. We don’t need a second set of under informed nuisances ‘governing’ Kenya.
I’m not going to shy away from pointing out that what they’re portraying is the rule of law as they were taught by their inciters in January 2007. It will never be the same again. Short of intensive psychological intervention, we have birthed the likes of M13, who like many of these gangs that are now killing upto over 4000 a month along the Texas/Mexican borders, started with noble reasons. Just as did the Somali pirates. Law has got to be enforced at the law courts and through the appropriate bodies. Anything outside that, every creator of it, has learnt, over time, that they can birth it, but they can’t control it. The solution? Stop it dead in its tracks! The Mungiki, whose onset was as a result of the Molo clashes where kikuyus were being killed with the noble and effective purpose of curbing the executions. However, some greedy upto no good person took advantage, recruited thugs and set up a thug structure. Now they make easy money, have a false sense of power and are simply pushing to see how far they can go. If they can maintain this easy living, they will. And that’s the people at the top. Again, stop them dead in their tracks. I call for this in full awareness that these are everyday people, our brothers, cousins, uncles and friends. Always start with a short, precise amnesty period that’s fully loaded with educational forums for the laws they break. And then shut them down, with no mercy. It is always, always, an issue of national security. Ask the Mexican government and the US/Texas authorities.
Martha Karua, her resignation. Good move. Poorly handled. Unless she targets the majority of Kenyans who enjoy sensationalism, she pretty much worked hard on alienating those who respect maturity. She shouldn’t have resigned when the president was away; it indicates underhandedness and an inability to resolve issues. A childishness of sorts. As were her reasons; not convincingly about principles, but more about ego. Still, she was within her rights and I think she can achieve more from her current platform as long as she avoids the bickering. Something I fear she might become a part of. She might be trying too hard and I hope a true, honest and worthwhile advisor will intervene. Martha is smart and purposed. She needs to trust her abilities and not succumb to the dumb, illiterate shenanigans that are Kenyan politics.
As for Parliament and its stalemate, if I thought even slightly that there was a majority of intelligence in the Kenyan parliament, or an appetite for truth amongst Kenyans, I might delve into that some. But I don’t. I have understood hopelessness, and what it feels like by attempting to understand the masses within Kenya. The deafening persistence to point fingers, take the easy way out, take advantage of things, and the absolute lack of integrity, from all circles, from homes to offices to government is actually quite shocking once anyone tries to understand it. What’s most confusing is the intelligence level of the perpetrators (basically the entire population). It’s not low, which might explain it otherwise. So, I will say nothing in that regard. But as usual will send a prayer request to God for Kenya and its people. “May the good Lord have mercy on us all, the country, it leadership and its followers. May he open our eyes so that we may see. May he give us the strength to face our demons, our mistakes and our truths. May we learn what our roles are and find the strength to be just that. And may His grace shine upon us all and keep us from disintegrating as we seek our purpose and our places in society.”
There are two gangs operating in Kenya right now. One is the Mungiki, well known and being sought after by authorities. But what about Kibera residents who have become the executors of law as they deem fit? Law they have no knowledge of, just tidbits of information here and there. How is it possible that these people can cause billions in dollars to a railway company, and a few days later, start planting grass on the very space that had tracks? They have decided they know better than the authorities who are handling Migingo issues. No, they know force. They have that information that the railway line is a bloodline to Uganda. Unfortunately, that’s all they know. Reminds me that I’ve heard before, the most dangerous man is he who knows little but thinks he knows much. Ergo, Kibera residents. Didn’t they recently injure law enforcement because they were disconnecting illegally connected power lines? They shall live for free? C’mon now! These are thugs and hooligans and somebody needs to stop them dead in their tracks. The sooner the better. We don’t need a second set of under informed nuisances ‘governing’ Kenya.
I’m not going to shy away from pointing out that what they’re portraying is the rule of law as they were taught by their inciters in January 2007. It will never be the same again. Short of intensive psychological intervention, we have birthed the likes of M13, who like many of these gangs that are now killing upto over 4000 a month along the Texas/Mexican borders, started with noble reasons. Just as did the Somali pirates. Law has got to be enforced at the law courts and through the appropriate bodies. Anything outside that, every creator of it, has learnt, over time, that they can birth it, but they can’t control it. The solution? Stop it dead in its tracks! The Mungiki, whose onset was as a result of the Molo clashes where kikuyus were being killed with the noble and effective purpose of curbing the executions. However, some greedy upto no good person took advantage, recruited thugs and set up a thug structure. Now they make easy money, have a false sense of power and are simply pushing to see how far they can go. If they can maintain this easy living, they will. And that’s the people at the top. Again, stop them dead in their tracks. I call for this in full awareness that these are everyday people, our brothers, cousins, uncles and friends. Always start with a short, precise amnesty period that’s fully loaded with educational forums for the laws they break. And then shut them down, with no mercy. It is always, always, an issue of national security. Ask the Mexican government and the US/Texas authorities.
Martha Karua, her resignation. Good move. Poorly handled. Unless she targets the majority of Kenyans who enjoy sensationalism, she pretty much worked hard on alienating those who respect maturity. She shouldn’t have resigned when the president was away; it indicates underhandedness and an inability to resolve issues. A childishness of sorts. As were her reasons; not convincingly about principles, but more about ego. Still, she was within her rights and I think she can achieve more from her current platform as long as she avoids the bickering. Something I fear she might become a part of. She might be trying too hard and I hope a true, honest and worthwhile advisor will intervene. Martha is smart and purposed. She needs to trust her abilities and not succumb to the dumb, illiterate shenanigans that are Kenyan politics.
As for Parliament and its stalemate, if I thought even slightly that there was a majority of intelligence in the Kenyan parliament, or an appetite for truth amongst Kenyans, I might delve into that some. But I don’t. I have understood hopelessness, and what it feels like by attempting to understand the masses within Kenya. The deafening persistence to point fingers, take the easy way out, take advantage of things, and the absolute lack of integrity, from all circles, from homes to offices to government is actually quite shocking once anyone tries to understand it. What’s most confusing is the intelligence level of the perpetrators (basically the entire population). It’s not low, which might explain it otherwise. So, I will say nothing in that regard. But as usual will send a prayer request to God for Kenya and its people. “May the good Lord have mercy on us all, the country, it leadership and its followers. May he open our eyes so that we may see. May he give us the strength to face our demons, our mistakes and our truths. May we learn what our roles are and find the strength to be just that. And may His grace shine upon us all and keep us from disintegrating as we seek our purpose and our places in society.”
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Kodak Gallery - enforcing minimum annual purchases
So I received this from Kodak gallery:
The Gallery's Terms of Service* have been modified.
Because you currently do not meet the minimum purchase requirement established by our new storage policy, your stored photos will be deleted from your Gallery account if you do not act soon.
Here is your current status:
Current photo storage: 2.77 GB
Purchase requirement: $19.99
Amount you have spent: $0.00
Amount you need to spend: $19.99
Deletion date: 05/16/2009
In order to continue to store photos at the Gallery, members with photo storage of more than 2 gigabytes (GB) or less must make annual minimum purchases totaling at least $19.99.
Once you've met the $19.99 purchase requirement, prior to 05/16/2009, your photos will be safely stored for one year from the date of that qualifying purchase. Thereafter, just make annual Gallery purchases totaling at least $19.99 to preserve your stored photos.**
We look forward to continuing our relationship with you.
The KODAK Gallery
I say this to kodak gallery, Soyanora! Good bye, kwaheri. It's been real!
Picasa, here I come! And were that to fail, I'd prefer to store the pics in an external hard drive. Ala, kodak?!
Malaters.
The Gallery's Terms of Service* have been modified.
Because you currently do not meet the minimum purchase requirement established by our new storage policy, your stored photos will be deleted from your Gallery account if you do not act soon.
Here is your current status:
Current photo storage: 2.77 GB
Purchase requirement: $19.99
Amount you have spent: $0.00
Amount you need to spend: $19.99
Deletion date: 05/16/2009
In order to continue to store photos at the Gallery, members with photo storage of more than 2 gigabytes (GB) or less must make annual minimum purchases totaling at least $19.99.
Once you've met the $19.99 purchase requirement, prior to 05/16/2009, your photos will be safely stored for one year from the date of that qualifying purchase. Thereafter, just make annual Gallery purchases totaling at least $19.99 to preserve your stored photos.**
We look forward to continuing our relationship with you.
The KODAK Gallery
I say this to kodak gallery, Soyanora! Good bye, kwaheri. It's been real!
Picasa, here I come! And were that to fail, I'd prefer to store the pics in an external hard drive. Ala, kodak?!
Malaters.
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