Once a Upon a Time in Kenya, a Woman...

MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CAROLINE MUTOKO

I don’t consider myself a journalist, far, far from it. I write because it’s something I habitually I do. I keep a diary and a journal and I have for a very long time. Writing is something I do for life for sanity for peace of mind. I write to begin a conversation, alittle controversy always helps that along. I write myself out of my nightmares and into my dreams- it’s why I keep a journal. I write to soothe the voices shouting inside me and the anger and despair I feel when I see the things going on around us. I write because I believe in words.

On Tuesday evening while giving my daughter a bath, I had the TV on so I could listen to President Kenyatta’s Cabinet nominees announcement. I didn’t expect him to name four (for chrissake man) but I really didn’t expect him to name a woman as amazing as Ambassador Amina Mohammed. In that moment I forgave him everything. The long wait, the four names (four? Nkt) everything.

I first met Ambassador Amina at a friend’s house in 2011 and I have to be very honest, I barely spoke. I was in awe. She was this mix of woman, mother, girly, tough, smart, warm, kind something. I recall the only thing I had really ever read about her was an article in the dailies that said “from tiny girl to Unep Big Boss” – enough said.

After Ambassador Amina came Raychelle Omamo to the Ministry of Defence, Anne Waiguru to the Ministry of Devolution and Planning, Charity Ngilu to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Phyllis Kandie to the Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism and Judi Wakhungu to the Ministry of Environment, Water and National Resources. Forgive me if I didn’t pay too much attention to the other names on the list.

MUTUNGA WAS UNDER PRESSURE ON RULING

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY NZAU MUSAU

CHIEF Justice Willy Mutunga had been under intense personal pressure before his outburst yesterday.

Former colleagues in academia, civil society, politicians and friends have been questioning the presidential petition verdict released by the Supreme Court on March 30.

The CJ felt singularly "overburdened" with the weight of the unanimous Supreme Court decision with everybody blaming him for all its alleged weak jurisprudential and philosophical grounding, according to one source.

Antagonistic social media commentaries and public jibes by the losers compounded matters. “The only element of pressure he had was the adverse social media commentary which has been growing worse and worse every day,” said a top judiciary source.

MPs fight to get Sh7 million each to buy luxury cars

A Kenya MP can be allocated 7M to buy a car whilst a guy in kibera or mukuru slept hungry. Is kenya for certain people really? Or some people have a life whilst others just exsist? Surely give the dog a bone!....Mashariaz Gitonga

By GEOFFREY MOSOKU

Nairobi, Kenya: Members of Parliament now say Sh5 million cash offered to each of them free to buy luxury vehicles is not enough and plan to increase it to Sh7 million.

The MPs say they are entitled to own sleek cars befi tting their status. The money would be interest-free from Kenyan taxpayers and the MPs would not have to repay it.

In value terms, Sh7 million is sufficient to buy a fashionable flat in some parts of Nairobi.

Experts’ word after 8-hour postmortem examination

By ALLY JAMAH and CYRUS OMBATI

Pathologists who performed a post-mortem examination on the body of the late Senator Mutula Kilonzo took eight hours but at the end concurred the cause of death could only be established in the next eight to ten weeks.

This is the period the autopsy experts expect to have the full results on tests from specimens extracted from the body.

We took long because we wanted to be thorough, Chief Government s Pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor told journalists at the end of the gruelling wait.

ICC cases ‘will not be hijacked’

A special International Crimes Division to be established at the High Court will not take over the cases facing President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto at The Hague, Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has said.

Dr Mutunga said the division would instead handle cases relating to international crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, piracy and money laundering.

“Let us state upfront that these updates have nothing to do with the International Criminal Court cases of the three Kenyans at The Hague,” Dr Mutunga said.

Mutula feared for his life: Muthama

Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo had raised fears over his life 48 hours before he was mysteriously found dead at his Maanzoni home, it has now emerged.

Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama on Tuesday told the Senate that Mr Kilonzo had casually raised issues about his life when they met over lunch together with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at the Norfolk Hotel on Thursday afternoon.

Ferdinand Waititu Accused of Land Invasion

What a con? this is the same guy who was vying for the highest  seat in governing Nairobi city? Even his looks tells you he's an outright thief!.....Mashariaz Gitonga

A former Member of Parliament has been accused of invading a 50-acre parcel of land valued at over Sh1 billion.

The administrator of the estate of Mr Joseph Mwangi Muriithi has urged Lady Justice Pauline Nyamweya to enjoin former Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu in the land dispute.

Congregation abandons pastor for being pious

Pious means, making a hypocritical display of virtue

By Mark Mutahi

Members of a city church have left in droves because their pastor is not worldly enough to their tastes, compared to other men and women of the cloth in rival churches.

Chief among the complaints was that their spiritual guardian, Pastor Joel, isn’t enterprising enough. And does not engage in income-generating activities like selling holy water, holy oils, and holy handkerchiefs.

Pathologist Dr Ian Calder arrives for Mutula Kilonzo’s postmortem

A post mortem examination on the late Mutula Kilonzo will be conducted this afternoon, following the arrival of the family pathologist from the United Kingdom.

The pathologist jetted into the country early this morning and thereafter headed to the ministry of health where he got clearance to perform the examination.

He will work with the other pathologists including government pathologist Johansen Oduor to ascertain the cause of death.

The post mortem examination was meant to have been conducted yesterday but was pushed to today to allow for the foreign pathologist to arrive.

It will be conducted at the lee funeral home. Mutula was found dead at his Maanzoni ranch on Saturday. The late Mutula will be laid to rest next week even though the family is yet to confirm the exact date of the burial.

Meet the man who handles Uhuru’s Facebook and Twitter accounts

For those who thought President Kenyatta is up till midnight when a posts pops up of his accounts, then you can now rest easy. The President gets enough rest.

Meet Machel Waikenda the man in charge of handling President Kenyatta’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. You may have seen Machel’s blog posts on Capital FM so writing is natural to him.

He is TNA’s Director of Communications and Secretary of Arts and Entertainment and speaking of entertainment, he is also the owner of Blackstar Entertainment.

Workers attack Atwoli for defending MPs payrise

Central Organisation of Trade Unions secretary general Francis Atwoli addresses unionists at Cotu headquarters in Nairobi on April 20, 2013. He has been criticised for supporting MPs payrise. 

By BY AGGREY MUTAMBO amutambo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Tuesday, April 30   2013 at  15:21

IN SUMMARY

The Worker’s Right Watch (WRW), an NGO that campaigns for employers to respect rights of workers says Mr Atwoli is “ill-informed and up to no good” in his argument that MPs’ salaries should not be reduced.

A workers’ rights lobby group has criticised Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) secretary-general Francis Atwoli for defending MPs’ demands for payrise and calling for the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to be disbanded.

The Nigger of the Narcissus

Conrad, Joseph, 1857-1924. The Nigger of the Narcissus 
Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library
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About the electronic version


The Nigger of the Narcissus 
Conrad, Joseph, 1857-1924

Creation of machine-readable version: Originally transcribed, deposited and tagged in TEI compatible format by Jeffrey Triggs

Conversion to TEI.2-conformant markup: Public Domain TEI edition prepared at the Oxford Text Archive ca. 330 kilobytes
This version available from the University of Virginia Library.
Charlottesville, Va.   Available from: Oxford Text Archive, Oxford University Computing Services, 13 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6NN; (ota n="1780" crdate="1993-04-10" update="1993-08-07")

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/modeng/modengC.browse.html   Freely available for non-commercial use provided that this header is included in its entirety with any copy distributed

1993
Note: May have been checked against a Penguin Classics ed.

Congo raises Franco from the dead

By CHARLES OMONDI | Monday, April 29  2013 

Legendary Franco Luambo Luanzo Makiadi of TPOK Jazz during a past performance. FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP 

So you loved Franco, the legendary DR Congo musician, and have been agonising over his legacy? Or maybe you were too young to have had enough of him while he was a live?

Are you a new convert to Franco’s music and were apprehensive about the survival of his great works?

Worry no more. The DR Congo government is undertaking every possible measure to ensure that Franco music and spirit lives on for ever.

Cord threatens to derail budget

A section of the National Assembly on March 28. Photo/FILE  NATION

By ISAAC ONGIRI iongiri@ke.nationmedia.com AND MWANIKI WAHOME jwahome@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Monday, April 29  2013 at  19:11

IN SUMMARY

• Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo declared that Cord would not submit its list of membership to all the parliamentary committees unless Jubilee allowed it to take total control of the two oversight teams and the crucial Budget Committee.

Preparations for this year’s Budget have been thrown into confusion after Cord threatened to boycott all parliamentary committees until the government ceded total control of three key House teams.

It looks like a competent Cabinet, but where is the visionary among them?

By MACHARIA GAITHO

Posted  Monday, April 29  2013 

IN SUMMARY

• That was a brave move that could forever alter power dynamics in Kenya, but it will ultimately be measured by whether the distinguished men and women named to the Cabinet will push the reform agenda, or whether they will just be status quo bureaucrats.
• Mr Henry Rotich and Ms Ann Waiguru may also have been competent policy wonks at the Treasury, but I don’t see anything in their CVs indicating appreciation of the works of another Nobel laureate, philosopher and development economist, Amartya Sen.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto — note that they come as a pair to confirm yet another nusu mkate/power-sharing coalition — have rightly earned plaudits for largely honouring their pledge to leave politician out of their Cabinet.

However old habits die hard, and space had to be found to keep alive the political careers of election rejects Charity Ngilu and Najib Balala.

The UhuRuto duo also could not entirely discard the bad old ways of doing things.

Men could be convicted of rape 'even if the woman agrees to have sex'

A man could be convicted of rape even if the woman agreed to have sex, judges in the UK have ruled.

A court headed by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, ruled in a sign-post decision that a man would still be guilty if he did something she asked him not to.

The High Court ordered the Director of Public Prosecutions to think again over a decision not to prosecute a man accused of raping his wife.

Why presidential petition might be CJ’s last big task

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga. [Photo: File/Standard]

By Wahome Thuku

Nairobi, Kenya: Chief Justice Willy Mutunga might not preside over another presidential election petition.

If everything follows the natural course of events, Dr Mutunga will have just retired as a judge when the next General Election is held, having attained the constitutional retirement age of 70 years.

Mutunga was born on June 16, 1947 and will be weeks into his retirement when the elections will be held on the second Tuesday of August 2017 as per the Constitution.

Clean men a turn off to women?

Monday, April 29, 2013 ·

It is assumed that women are extremely keen on personal hygiene and cleanliness, but as LYDIA LIMBE writes, while dirty men are a no go zone, women aren’t falling over themselves to ensnare men who are ‘too clean’ either

When Catherine first met Patrick, she was struck by his meticulous sense of order. He looked sharp, like a male model straight from a magazine and he was lean, tall and confident.

Lillian, on the other hand, met Morris on her first day in campus. She thought he was cute and was immediately taken in by his neat dreadlocks. She also noticed that he went to great lengths to avoid getting his shoes stepped on.

Tollbooths on the superhighway

By WAGA ODONGO

Posted  Monday, April 29  2013 

IN SUMMARY

• Putting tolls alongside fuel levies amounts to double taxation. Motorists have already rendered more than enough unto Caesar

Thika Road is considered the flagship project of Vision 2030 and is hailed as an all-round engineering marvel. It is a bit like a Stalinist project: large, expensive, “successful”, and painful to some... and soon motorists are going to have to pay for the pleasure of driving on the road.

Habits to dump in how we handle our technology devices

By KAHENYA KAMUNYU

Posted  Monday, April 29  2013 at  01:00

There is this desire to be perpetually “connected”, and so, many people carry their mobile phones and tablets everywhere they go.

The emerging menace is that we are slowly choosing these digital connections over real interactions.

In the minds of many, apologising for “taking this call” and then speaking into it for the next 10 minutes, or “just responding to this urgent message” and then going on and on typing away, is fairly okay. No, it is not.

Mutahi Ngunyi’s “Tyranny of Death” on Mutula Kilonzo’s death

 Monday, April 29, 2013 

The blogosphere is spinning after a tweet by Mutahi Ngunyi seemed to implicate certain political quarters in the death of Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo.

Mutahi well known for his Tyranny of Numbers hypothesis prior to the March 4th general elections came up with a theory as to how or why Mutula died.

The tweet read: “An aborted revolution has a way of eating its own children. Two ODM MPs died immediately after the 2007 election. What ate Mutula and why?”

Former minister revealed his worst and best decision

  SHARE BOOKMARKPRINTRATING

Minister for Education Mutula Kilonzo speaks during the release of last year's KCPE results at the KNEC Headquarters in Nairobi on January 28, 2013. Photo/SALATON NJAU  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Posted  Sunday, April 28  2013 

IN SUMMARY

• In July, 2005 MUTULA KILONZO, then nominated MP and Kanu Shadow Justice minister shared with our writer Kitavi Mutua his best and worst decisions. Below is what he said.
• Decision to accept nomination to Parliament ‘worst mistake, so far’

BEST DECISION:

While still a teenager in 1966, I vowed to pursue my ambition of being a lawyer. I was a Form Two student at Machakos Boys High School. That has been my best decision to date.

CJ Mutunga denies bribery claims during Raila's petition

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga charing a session of the Supreme Court Judges during Raila Odinga's presidential petition against the election of President Uhuru Kenyatta on March 25, 2013. PHOTO / FILE 

By Nation Reporter
Posted  Monday, April 29  2013 

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga took to the social media on Monday morning to deny claims that he was bribed during Raila Odinga's presidential petition by against election of President Uhuru Kenyatta

Dr Mutunga, in a statement, said he has never been bribed and urged Kenyans to show respect to members of the Judiciary.

The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey.........“Please all, and you will please none.”

The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey, from Aesop’s Fables

A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: “You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?”

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: “See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides.”

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn’t gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: “Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along.”

Well, the Man didn’t know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said:

“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yours and your hulking son?”

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey’s feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.

“That will teach you,” said an old man who had followed them,

“Please all, and you will please none.”

African Women Leaders shine everywhere.......
Meet 48-year old, Dr. Cecile Kyeng Kashetu, a Congolese- born Italian politician who is set to become Italy's first black Minister after being names in premier designate Enrico's new cabinet. She will be sworn in as an Integration Minister on Monday, April 28th 2013.

Italy's first black minister is a Congolese-born italian politician.

Cécile Kyenge Kashetu, a doctor who was born in Kambove, in the Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is set to become Italy's first black minister after being named in premier designate Enrico Letta's new cabinet.

Peugeot returns with Sh1bn war chest

The new Urysia showroom and service centre on Bunyala Road, Nairobi. The auto dealer that has been selling Peugeot vehicles in the country is planning to venture into the lucrative commercial and luxury car markets. Photo/Diana Ngila 

By VICTOR JUMA

Posted  Thursday, April 25   2013 

IN SUMMARY

• Urysia, which has been selling Peugeot-branded saloon cars, is set to venture in the lucrative commercial and luxury segments.
• The company has sold 210 saloon cars since it launched operations in 2012, including the Peugeot 308 and 408 models, giving it a market share of two per cent.

Peugeot vehicles have made a major comeback after the new dealer invested Sh1 billion in a national network and new models to gain market share.

Experts dominate Uhuru’s new list of Cabinet nominees

By GEOFFREY IRUNGU, Posted  Thursday, April 25   2013 at  22:28

IN SUMMARY

• Nearly all the 12 nominees have postgraduate qualifications, have worked in private and public sector or held senior positions with international organisations. 
• Charity Ngilu and Najib Balala are the only political figures named among the 12 cabinet nominees released Thursday.

Experts dominated President Uhuru Kenyatta’s list of 12 more Cabinet nominees released Thursday, signalling his quest to efficiently manage public resources to speed up growth.   

The list, released after hours of waiting, was largely made up of senior corporate executives, investment bankers, economists, lawyers, engineers, policy experts and academics.

What Nairobi’s new master plan has in store for you

Ngara apartments built by the National Housing Corporation for civil servants in Nairobi. The new master plan for the city envisions residences with all amenities within reach. Photo/SALATON NJAU  

By EVELYN SITUMA

Posted  Thursday, April 25   2013 at  14:09

IN SUMMARY

• A new master plan is set to change Nairobi and give residents something to smile about at last.

Depressed in the middle of shanty buildings, residents of a middle class estate of Langata cry foul about the ever encroaching city slum next door.

The once serene estate has now become a sight to behold - blocked sewers especially during the rains spew filth onto the road as it struggles to find its way over the imposing slums to the drainage system and sewer lines beneath the tinned houses, with erratic power cuts due to illegal connections reminding residents that yet again the transformer has blown up and a water supply that’s next to non-existent

Mobile phone customer deposits hit Sh226 bn

Safaricom’s M-Pesa accounts for the bulk of the Sh226 billion customer deposits. Photo/FILE  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By CHARLES MWANIKI

Posted  Thursday, April 18   2013 at  18:45

IN SUMMARY

• Though the CCK report did not break down the amount held by each telecommunications firm, Safaricom’s M-Pesa is by far the biggest accounting for the bulk of the deposits.

Cash deposits handled by mobile phone companies in three months between October and December last year totalled Sh226 billion, an amount equivalent to total clients' money held by KCB at the close of 2012.

Big names miss in Principal Secretaries list

By Stephen Makabila          

NAIROBI, KENYA: Big names failed to make it to the list of 155 nominees to be interviewed for positions of Principal Secretaries from Monday.

Some of those who missed out had contested various elective seats in the March 4 election but lost, only to apply to the Public Service Commission (PSC) for the slots in the second round of applications that closed last Wednesday.

Out of the 2,088 applicants who had applied to PSC, the 155 shortlisted will be reduced to 66 before the names are forwarded top President Uhuru Kenyatta for appointment.

Riddle persists over Cord leaders

By ISAAC ONGIRI iongiri@ke.nationmedia.com AND JUSTUS WANGA jwanga@ke.nationmedia.com, Posted  Saturday, April 27   2013 

IN SUMMARY

• MPs John Mutambu (Mwingi Central), John Munuve (Mwingi North), Francis Mwangangi (Yatta) and Robert Mutemi (Nominated) have rejected suggestions that they resign to allow Mr Musyoka’s return to Parliament.
• Kibra MP Ken Okoth who succeeded Mr Odinga as area MP says he has not been approached to relinquish his seat to give room for their party leader.

Kenyans might have to wait a little longer to know the next move former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka will make weeks after they were bundled out of government.

He delivered a new Constitution after years of dashed hopes

Senator for Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo home . Senator Mutula Kilonzo was found dead on Saturday at his Kwa Kyelu ranch in Machakos. Photo/JENNIFER MUIRURI  NATION

By EMEKA-MAYAKA GEKARA gmayaka@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Saturday, April 27   2013 at  22:20

IN SUMMARY

• The man who would go without a salary throughout the five years in Parliament after the Kenya Revenue Authority attached his pay to cover tax arrears, would go ahead to win the Mbooni parliamentary seat on an ODM-Kenya ticket in the 2007 elections.

The copy of the Constitution on my office desk was donated to me by Senior Counsel Mutula Kilonzo.

I put emphasis on Senior Counsel, for that is how the political maverick from Makueni and lawyer loved to be addressed.