The kind of news we have to put up with daily

Of late I have realized there is hardly any good news in Kenya. I rarely watch or listen to news because I know what it will be about even before it starts. I cannot remember the last time I sat down to watch newscast from the beginning to the end, I always end up switching to a channel without news or move out of the room to do my something else.

Politics makes 90% of most news and our politicians are no longer interesting to listen to because there is nothing new they have to offer. One leader that has offended many Kenyans recently is Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, when he announced he wants to form an alliance of three tribes whose names start with K that is Kikuyu, Kalenjin and his Kamba tribe. This is in preparation for 2012 elections. Imagine this is a person who wants to lead the country!? We have not healed from the last election violence that was caused by tribal politics. In fact internally displaced persons (IDPs) are yet to settle out of their camps. Kenyans have been urged to shun tribal politics because we know the consequences, so it is ridiculous for someone of his level to promote tribal politics. That is a minus to his already bad CV it is also unfortunate that some leaders supported him.

The other issues in the news daily is about the slow pace of reforms, a number of Government officials had to be issued with letters from the US Government. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan came back to talk about the urgency of reforms. Now we expect ICC Prosecutor Moreno Ocampo in the country because no action has been taken on perpetrators of post election violence. Getting a new constitution is a mirage. Then the stories of IDPs being asked to leave camps and being offered some money waiting to be settled on Government land. This is a complex issue because there are IDPs all over the country and in such groups there can never miss impostors. Those who had resettled on their own may also come out again to ask for compensation.

Other sad news about increase in road accidents, when we thought things would be better after the new police boss was appointed and he started with bringing back order in the most corrupt institution in the country. The Minister of Transport as usual is not accepting his office is also to blame and is pointing fingers at the police. Rains are yet to pour in other parts of the country that have experience severe drought. People and animals have died it is sad to watch this in the news and I wonder how long will Kenyans keep suffering due to drought (over 40 years after independence), those in parts of Kenya that are hard hit feel like they are in a different country. Metrological department predicted that El Nino rains are coming, though they can be destructive, this is what Kenya needs now. At the same time Kenyans are loosing the animals they remain with in this drought to cattle rustlers.

Before I forget another bad news is Kenyan football, Harambee Stars is back from Tunisia and even before they left the country I knew they will not win again. I don’t like football but I can at least watch if it is my country playing. However I have given up on Kenyan football, they are getting worse and worse. I feel the money being used on them and to pay coaches from other countries can help in other projects like irrigation. The team should be disbanded until further notice because Kenyans are busy with European premier league. Kenya can concentrate participating on other sports they do well in like athletics, cricket, volley ball etc….

Last but not least is the issue of Al Shabab militia of Somali threatening Kenya once again; the Government has promised they have taken measures against these threats. I hope so and pray they do not have a base in Kenya especially in Eastleigh which is like Somali capital in Kenya.

The list of bad news is endless I just had to mention a few.

The sorry state of Mama Ngina Children’s Home

The story of Mama Ngina Children’s home as seen on NTV news is a very sad one. It just shows how deep the level of greed and corruption by administrators running government institutions has sunk. It is shocking that an administrator of a home for orphans can rent out staff houses and even a school that was built for the orphans of the home, the school is run privately so the orphans cannot study in the school. The worst is food and other basic necessities of the home rotting in the store. That one is now not only greed, it is wickedness! Most of the stuff is from donors and well wishers, so why deny children the stuff???? For heavens sake there is food shortage in the country so why would anyone in their right mind, let food rot in a store!!!

This is a wake up call for the Government to investigate activities of children’s homes in the country and ensure all is well. Most homes for orphaned children are visited during festive season especially in December. Many of us Kenyan’s forget they exist until December when we have something to share or when we are reminded by organizations or religious groups. We only worry about the problems we face, politics but forget the ones without parents and are left in the hands of administrators who turn out to be wicked like the one running Mama Ngina Children’s home, actually this is one administrator who should be punished and shamed publicly.

This home should be returned to its former glory to give the children hope for a better future.

Judge Ringera, is it not time to quit?

I cannot imagine what is in the mind of judge Ringera after he has been rejected by the Kenyan parliament. Leave or not leave. But one thing is clear; he has been rejected not only by the Kenyan parliament but the whole world. He is not a performer; why lie. The man is behaving like a hunted animal cornered but could still see few ways of escape. However, whether he escapes or not, he is already an injured animal that cannot run far before other hunters hit again. The best option is to through in the towel. The more he stays on, the more he remains hunted.

The dying animals vs the hungry Kenyans

Did you see what I saw? The government of Kenya has been buying malnourished cows from the farmers from drought stricken parts of the country to save farmers from losses and allow them to restock once the rains come. Each cow goes for Kshs.8,000/=I good idea though. But before purchased animals could be slaughtered, a good number of them die and the carcass buried. This concedes with the hunger that is wide spread in the country to the point that people are feeding themselves on wild fruits,rats,insects etc. Why can`t these cows be slaughtered immediately and the meet taken to the areas affected by food shortage? This to me looks like a corruption avenue whereby the government officers handling the transactions with the farmers fake the number of animals bought and claim that some have died and buried. Who is reconciling the records of the purchased number, cash paid, the dead and buried with the numbers that eventually reach the slaughter houses.
The second problem is on what quality of meet is in our markets. That I would not like to anticipate but there are high chances that things are not right.