EDUCATION | Call for responsibility among Kenyan University students

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Since time immemorial, the youth have been excited about joining university, a phase in their lives where they are free from rules, parents and any other obstacles between them and freedom. Once in university, due to peer pressure, they get enthralled by clubbing, irresponsible drinking and other activities that may derail them from their goals. Following the death of three students this year, university scholars should critically analyze these happenings. They should ask themselves ‘is it worth the risk?’ therefore they are urged to be more responsible and be more careful when it comes to the choice of company. They should realize that at the end of the day it is their lives they are shaping. If it is a must to engage in these activities, then they should go with trustworthy individuals.

Ruth Wairimu Ng’anga lost her life after a night of drinking in the company of two male friends. She was found dead in a lodging in Ngara. The journalism student of Smart Media college had been warned against associating with strange people, as the director of the school stated. This was a few weeks after another journalism student of Nairobi university Mercy keino died after she had accompanied a cousin to a party in Westlands, Nairobi.she alledgedly stormed out of the apartments after an altercation with an MP at the party. Dennis Omondi Adari also lost his life in hospital after 6 days of treatment after he was battered by a the guard of ‘PSYS’ in westlands. He and his friends had been partying all around Nairobi when they decided to call it at the night at the club. They had been denied entry when he decided to go through the window. It is said that the boy was drunk.

They all did not have to die. Kenyan universities should offer guidance and counseling services to these youth. They should also be sensitized on the importance of maintaining morally upright peers. They should be taking charge of their lives because the ball is in their hands. Parents should also step up and advise their children on how to carry themselves while away from home. They should not leave this to teachers. The scholars should learn from those unfortunate happenings to be more responsible.

References:

Death at the rave

If varsity students are immoral, blame society

Student, 25, killed in Nairobi lodging

 

 

KENYA PREMIER LEAGUE | The Kenyan El Classico

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In Argentina we have Boca Juniors and River Plate, in England Manchester United and Liverpool while in Spain it is Real Madrid against Barcelona .These are some of the world’s fiercest rivalries in football each with its own unique history as well as numerous glittering silverware to show for. In Kenya any time you talk about club football two names come to mind, AFC leopards and Gor Mahia.  As far as filling the stadium, a match up between these two teams is as good as when the national soccer team plays at home or during a good political rally. Both are community clubs with a huge fanatical following from their respective communities. Both teams have won 24 Kenyan league titles split right down in the middle with 12 a piece.

Whenever derbies take place anywhere in the world there is always a lot at stake for both clubs. Most players say they play their hearts out in such matches compared to other fixtures. Pride off course plays a huge part and in most cases they end up to be low scoring games. The last time these two teams met Gor Mahia won by a solitary goal to nil. Sadly, the match ended in a tragedy after 7 people died while dozens were injured in a stampede at the Nyayo national stadium as fans tried to force their way into the stadium without paying. This time round the organizers of the Kenyan version of the EL Classico have promised to put up more stringent measures to ensure the safety of players and fans a like. About 500 security officers will be deployed around and within the stadium while tickets are going to be made available day prior to the fixture.

Both sides are beaming with confidence promising their fans victory at ‘’all costs”. Come Sunday afternoon and the Nyayo national stadium will be a carnival of blue green and white, the dominant colors of the two most decorated teams in Kenya. Will it be Ingwe’s day or will K’ogallo take advantage of the huge home support and claw the leopard once again?

References:

Glorious chaos in Gor, AFC Leopards match of the season
Top 10 Soccer Club Rivalries of all Time
Deaths in Kenya football stampede

FOOD SECURITY | Can Kenya hide from GMOs?

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On the first of July Kenya became the fourth African country to allow imports of genetically modified organisms, joining the ranks of South Africa, Egypt and Burkina Faso. This decision made by the cabinet in an attempt to try and fix the deficit in mainly maize products in the country has come under a lot of criticism from different angles. Green peace Africa which is a global environmental advocacy group termed the decision by the Kenyan government to approve the imports of GMOs as “short sighted as well as irresponsible “Greenpeace Africa campaign director Olivia Langhoff while speaking to a local daily added that the government should look into other avenues for sustainable food production.

According to most of those opposing the introduction of GMO imports in the country the main concern is the contamination of seeds. The government on the other hand says it will only allow importers to bring in to the country genetically modified maize solely for milling purposes and have warned of huge fines on any lapse in this .Whether the hefty 20 million shilling fine will completely deter unscrupulous individuals from sneaking the GMO seeds into the country will be something we shall have to wait and see.

While the government’s intention in trying to control contamination of indigenous seeds by the genetically modified seeds, is justifiable segregation of seeds will be impossible. Large agribusiness organizations such as the US based Monsanto acknowledge that contamination is inevitable. Apart from the inadvertent mixing of GMO and non-GMO seeds spreading of GMOS through pollen will be almost impossible to control. After all so far GMOS have not been directly linked to any of the environmental as well as human health disasters that the GMOs are tagged with. It is either we completely adopt GMOS completely or reject them in totality; sitting around the fence on this issue is completely out of question.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7426054.stm
http://peakoil.com/enviroment/contamination-the-totalitarian-strategy-of-the-gmo-crop-industry/
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Greenpeace+faults+Kenya+on+GMO+maize+imports/-/1056/1197080/-/11tbc4d/-/index.html
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Stern+warning+to+GMO+importers++/-/1056/1195288/-/hm81mc/-/index.html

ATHLETICS | Kenya’s athletics heroes

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On 22nd August 2010, Kenya’s 800M athlete, David Rudisha broke the men’s 800M world record at an IAAF world challenge event held in Berlin.

On Saturday last week, the world record holder won the 800M race at the National Bank of Kenya National Athletics Championships that saw him book a ticket to next month’s World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, besides nursing a left foot injury that has barred him from participating in several recent events. Last year BBC World Service put Rudisha on record saying, “I have been running fast and I now have the world record but I have not won any major championships yet. It is time to focus on that now and to win a medal at the 2011World Championships. And then I want to be the Olympic champion. That is my focus from now on.”

David Rudisha

Frankly, he’s walking the talk and being good at it! Watts Wacker et al (1999) The Visionary’s Handbook: Ten Paradoxes That Will Shape the Future of  Your Business, wrote, “no one is less ready for tomorrow than the person who holds the most rigid beliefs about what tomorrow will contain.” At jijuze, we celebrate our fallen hero Samuel Wanjiru-the first Kenyan to win the Olympic marathon, and applause our rising star, David Rudisha. Going by his word and form, he could just be the next Kenyan icon on the international stage, going into the London 2012 Olympic games.

Whats Your Say?

The Conversation begins…

References:

Rudisha qualifies for World Champs Super Sport July 16,2011

David Rudisha breaks 800m world record BBC Sport August 22, 2010

 

 

Mobile ‘Market Share’ Strategy

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Essar Telkom’s Yu brand, announced on July 12, a free on-net tariff within its network, active between 6 A.M and 6 P.M daily, to run for three months.

Madhur Taneja, the C.E.O, was reported saying “the offer is aimed at building market share, adding that profits are not their priority in the short-term as they seek numbers to

New offer by Yu

grow revenues in the long term.” The C.E.O presented that “the offer is absolutely free. There are no hidden charges or subscription charges per day. We take this seriously and our competitors should know that we are in the market to stay.” The Standard reported. Recently, President Kibaki issued a directive to Communications Commission of Kenya, to suspend implementation of the Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs), which would see a further drop in interconnection charges.  “This is a big blow to Airtel Kenya, which has been pushing for a further fall in the termination rates as its business strategy, just like that of Essar Telkom’s Yu…” which both depend on a “low-cost mass market model.” allAfrica.com reported. Safaricom and Telkom Orange opposed the reduction in (MTRs) warning that “a further cut would have a negative effect on the sectors profitability, risk of job losses, curtail new capital investments, reduce government revenue and competitiveness.” allAfrica.com reported. In August 2010, CCK cut termination rates by half from Sh. 4.42 to Sh. 2.21, which experts have directly linked to the price wars that saw Safaricom’s market share drop to “69.9% from 75.9% as rival Airtel and Orange, “increased their market share to 15.2% from 13.5% and 8.5% from 4.0% respectively.” However Essar Telkom’s Yu “edged down 0.3% to 6.4%”, Dyer & Blair Investment Bank website reported. From an economic analyst perspective, “it is flawed to assume that lower mobile termination rates will automatically lead to lower overall retail prices and to higher consumer welfare.” However, “this is not to say that the level of mobile termination rates (MTR) does not matter or that high MTRs are necessarily good, as there is a level of termination rates, usually cost based, which maximizes total (consumer plus producer) welfare.” Assessing the impact of lowering mobile termination rates, (July 2008).

That said, Essar Telkom’s Yu latest maneuver (having in mind mobile number portability) to woo over new and existing subscribers from rival networks by offering a free on-net tariff within its network all day, could be viewed as the game-changer in the mobile telephony industry. But is it?

What’s Your Say?

The Conversation begins…

References:

‘yu’ offers free daytime calls for three months Business Daily July 12, 2011

Yu free calls cause ripples in market The Standard (As of) July 17, 2011

Lower Mobile Phone Calling Rates Put On Ice After Intense Lobbying allAfrica.com June 14, 2011

Safaricom’s Stand On Interlink Fee Triggers New Battle With Regulator allAfrica.com April 27, 2011

Safaricom loses market share to smaller players Dyer & Blair Investment Bank June 10, 2011

Assessing the impact of lowering mobile termination rates Frontier Economics July, 2008

 

 

 

Drought Situation in East Africa

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In August 2010, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center (NOAA/CPC), both, officially declared a La Nina event.

Sea Surface Temperature (SST) measurements in 2010 indicated rapid cooling, thus yielding “a moderate La Nina event…” projected to last for 9 to 12 months, Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) reported. “La Nina events are generally associated with drier than normal conditions in the eastern sector of East Africa, and wetter than normal conditions in the western and northern sector of the region.” FEWSNET reported. According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the La Nina phenomenon results in “drought over most parts of East Africa and floods and lush vegetation in Australia and other parts of southeast Asia.” guardian.co.uk reported. Jan de Leeuw, the Operating Project Leader (OPL) in the Vulnerability and sustainability in pastoral and agro-pastoral systems within ILRI’s People, Livestock and Environment theme (PLE) was put on record saying, “this La Nina event is one of the strongest since the 1970s.” Meanwhile, Daily Nation reported that “Kenya has been listed among countries facing the world’s worst food security crisis in the eastern horn of Africa.” Further afield, Associated Press (AP) reported that, “UN officials sounded the alarm Tuesday about a deepening humanitarian crisis in East Africa caused by a severe drought and fighting in Somalia…” Approximately 10 million people in northern Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea and South Sudan need urgent humanitarian assistance as the region experiences the worst drought in 60 years. An estimated 1,300 Somali refugees stream into Dadaab refugee camp daily following continued conflict in Somali, coupled with severe drought. The situation on the ground is getting worse as the world’s largest refugee camp- Dadaab, in Kenya has been forced to house people, four times its full capacity.

I echo Kimani wa Njuguna’s opinion on Tuesday that, “Rather than being preoccupied with weighty bread and butter issues which will add value to the lives of Kenyans, we have seen most elected leaders concentrating on non-issues like singing to the tune of tribal kingpins, how to escape paying taxes, and the 2012 elections.” Real issues are on the ground; drought, a looming food shortage, high inflation, delayed constitutional implementations, and so on. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”, Winston Churchill said. The Kenyan Government should savor the opportunity to act decisively and do something significant to comprehensively take care of the current drought situation.

What’s your say?

The Conversation begins…

References:

Kenya in urgent need of food aid, says US Daily Nation July 11, 2011

La Nina blamed for east African drought guardian.co.uk July 14, 2011

UN struggling to cope with East Africa drought Associated Press July 12, 2011

Executive Brief: La Nina and Food Security in East Africa August 2010 FEWSNET as of July 14, 2011

East African drought ‘worst in 60 years’ Channel 4 News June 28, 2011

Leaders must get their priorities right and put food security at top of agenda Daily Nation:-Opinion July 12, 2011

 

 

 

Replacing Paul Scholes

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Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes decided to hang his boots at the end of last season, 2010/11; ending a successful career of 17 years dominating the midfield. This has left the Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, with a huge task of finding a replacement for Scholes. The United boss says that it is impossible to replace Scholes, a player he ranks among the top four midfielders in the world.

The United boss is in the efforts of rebuilding a team that was out classed in all possible ways by FC Barcelona in the Champions League Finals. Having already made a combined £50million signing of Phil Jones, Ashley Young, and David de Gea; United have more room and money for at least one more signing to fill the position left by Scholes. Manchester United is targeting Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder as a possible Scholes replacement. Sneijder’s eye for goal, good vision, and accurate passing are some of the qualities the United boss is interested in.  Sniedjer, however, will not come cheap. Inter Milan are demanding an estimated £35million to release the player. The deal will also see Sneijder pocket £190,000 a week. Arsenal’s Samir Nasri and Luka Modric of Totenham were the other names linked with a move to United, but Sneijder is the main priority at moment with a deal expected to go through within the next 48 hours.

Manchester United and the fans expect the new signings to help the club clinch their 20th Premier League title and possibly the Champions League. A rebuilt Manchester United will face the ultimate test when the play Barcelona, arguably the best football team ever, in a friendly on 30th of July.
References:
An expensive gamble by Sir  Alex Ferguson FootballFanCast.com July 13th, 2011
Sneijder agrees terms with United Mirrorfootball.co.uk July 13th, 2011
Man Utd confident of landing £ 35m top target Footylatest.com July 13th, 2011

Facebook Launches a Video Calling Feature

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Facebook has launched a video calling feature powered by Skype. The announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon at the Facebook news conference. Along with the launch of video calling, Facebook also rolled out a new feature for group chatting. To get started with video calling, a small install is required; it can be downloaded from the Facebook site. The chat tool did get a little facelift as well.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqd_4KSbnJo

The announcement comes just a week after the launching of Google+ project, Google’s social network, which is currently in limited field trial. Google+ has its own video calling feature, Google Hangout, which supports group calls of up to ten users. Facebook’s video call currently supports only one-on-on calls, but the Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said that most video calls are one-on-one and that is what Facebook is focusing on. Skype is also set to benefit from the partnership with Facebook by having their service accessible by the 750 million Facebook users.

Even though Facebook lacks group calling, video calling is expected to be a new and exciting experience to its massive user base. Video calling will ensure Facebook stays ahead of Twitter and Google+, who are said to its closest competitor.

References:

Facebook announcesSkype-Powered Video Chat BGR July 6th, 2011

Facebook Video Chat V. Google Hangout: It’s no contest Techcrunch  July 6th, 2011

Facebook Releases Group Chat Mashable July 6th, 2011

The Alcohol Dilemma

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In an already soaring economic environment, the so soon effected directive to increase excise duty on alcohol is projected to reduce government revenue.

On March 22nd 2010, National Campaign against Drug Abuse (Nacada) acceded to legalizing chang’aa so that its production can be regulated. On July 22nd the same year, Sam Ikwaye, the Executive Officer of the Pubs and Restaurants Association of Kenya (PERAK) was reported saying that “the proposed laws(Alcoholic Drinks Control Act) will do to the alcohol industry what the “Michuki Rules” did to the public transport sector.” However, we should note that the cause/effect of either vary significantly. Ideologically, the new alcohol law is designed to limit drinking hours in an effort to allow for more time to be spent on productive activities. In a society characterized with high unemployment, and rising cost of living, compounded by increased taxation on alcoholic drinks, it will be difficult to implement the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act because, frequent alcohol consumers who can now not afford the bottle would compulsively opt for cheaper nonstandard alcoholic drinks, which are still highly unregulated, thus reduced revenue collection from licensed alcohol. “Increase of excise duty on alcohol is ‘counter productive’ and likely to reduce government revenue from the industry which is one of the major contributors”, said Consultancy firm Deloitte and Touche Kenya.

Instead of aggressively enforcing regulation of the alcohol industry by strict adherence to directives by the district liquor licensing boards, the government should consider a more overt system to address the issue of alcohol abuse by establishing adequate and affordable rehabilitation facilities and advocate for aggressive civil education on the economic, social, and psychological effects of alcohol abuse. Do not bite the hand that feeds you, and two wrongs never make a right.

References:

High Alcohol Tax Likely to Affect Revenue-Analyst allAfrica.com June 10, 2011

License Chang’aa, Nacada tells State Daily Nation March 22, 2010

New alcohol law hard to effect, say players Daily Nation July 22, 2010

 

Fraud in the Ministry of Education

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More than 100 people, including top civil servants may face graft charges following a new forensic audit by the government revealing fraud involving Sh4.2 billion in the Education Ministry.

The Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta disclosed findings that alleged Sh4.2 billion intended for the Free Primary Education Programme (FPEP) is unaccounted for. Kenyatta, who is also the Finance Minister, handed over the audit report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director, Ndegwa Muhoro. Daily Nation website reported that, “according to Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, the officials (in the Ministry of Education) not only stole the money, but also manipulated the records to hide the theft.” On one hand, Education Minister Prof. Sam Ongeri has sided with Uhuru Kenyatta in saying, “the focus was not going to be on prosecutions alone, but also on the recovery of the money, with the real possibility that some of the assets of those found guilty may be seized”, Daily Nation reported. On the other hand, Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) Director, PLO Lumumba was reported accusing Uhuru Kenyatta of “putting on a show for the World Bank…” The article goes on to read that “Lumumba said Kenya is trying to look good before the world, whereas it is not, adding that the launch and handover of the report to the CID was meant to please the World Bank officials who are in the country to inspect the projects they sponsor.”  Last year, the U.K. Department For International Development (DFID) terminated its financial support to the Ministry of Education in Kenya citing, “It is vital that U.K. aid money is being spent on its intended purpose. We could not be sure this was happening and also we have stopped direct funding to the Ministry of Education in Kenya,” following a statement made by the DFID concerning allegations that some officials in the Ministry misappropriated the fund. Prior to the statement by the DFID, Prime Minister Raila Odinga suspended Ongeri from office for a period of three months following a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers Kenya and  Internal Auditor General, which “laid credible foundations…” African Press International (API) website reported. However, President Kibaki later annulled the suspension.

In 1970, Abba Eban, an Israeli diplomat, said, “history teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.” Maybe this time the culprits involved in the scam will face the law. ‘Big and small fish’ alike all should be prosecuted, because only then will the government inch closer to recovering the lost billions and more so, toward ending the culture of impunity.

References:

How free education billions were stolen Daily Nation June 16, 2011

Heat over missing billions for schools The Standard June 14, 2011

DFID Halts Funding for Kenyan Education Ministry Devex March 16, 2010

Ministers Ongeri, Ruto suspended by PM Raila over graft: Will his action breed powerful

enemies and destroy his chances to seek presidency come 2012? African Press International February 14, 2010