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Monday, May 05, 2008

Huyo Ametupa Mbao versus Conservative Kenyan Ideas

I am a crazy one when an idea gets hold of me. One thing that happens is that I really get excited about it and discouraging me becomes impossible.

The truth is that time and again in my life I have pressed on with a number of “crazy ideas that will never work” that have ended up not doing too badly. A good example is this very blog. “One of his crazy ideas that never work, huyo ametupa mbao” somebody who thinks they know me too well quipped about it.

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Also posted in the last few minutes;

The good thing about the fat donkey Kenya MPs

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But that one is a storo for another day. Today I will focus on the drama around my house construction project high in the hills somewhere in Ukambani where my ancestors come from.

From my few travels here and there, I had been inspired to think out of the box when it came to construction. By some stroke of very good luck I got a fundi who was receptive to my “crazy ideas”.

Now usually where I come from, to construct a house you either need to make bricks (there is plenty of good material all over the place to make some really nice bricks) or you get stones from elsewhere. And yet there is plenty of stone everywhere you look. It is a great menace and if people had the means they would probably pay you to get it off their shambas. But nobody had ever thought of it as building material.

I was advised not to dare use “those funny stones” for the foundation of my small shack otherwise it would collapse for sure. But when I met up with my fundi and dug the foundation, that is exactly what we used. Somebody even asked me if I had ever constructed a house before. When I said “no”, they gave me some friendly advice. They suggested that I start with a small toilet on the outside first and then later I could come to my shack. That one stung me and made me even more determined.

Let me spare you the details and cut a long story short.

The house still stands today, 16 years later. It doesn’t even have a single crack anywhere on any wall. It is a small house that I hope to expand into a nice country cabin one day. I have this most spectacular view of the valley below and into the distance towards what must be Thika. Just breath-taking. Imagine sipping morning tea while taking in a view like that.

But the construction did not go without mishaps. My ideas worked great until we got to the roof. I wanted to use stone and cement on the roof in a way that I had seen done elsewhere. In fact my construction site became a local tourist attraction as people came to see me fail. Finally the roof did not work out and I was forced to use conventional roofing material. But I have not given up. These days we have the Internet and when I get back there some day, I will Google how to construct a roof with stones and cement.

So why am I telling you guys all this?

It is because our beloved country is in a deep hole country and sinking deeper by the day. And the only thing that can save us are some radical brand new ideas.

The only problem is that Kenyans are too conservative for them. Way too conservative. Most Kenyans can’t even think out of the box when writing a mere job application. Too risky, they will tell you. But wise people tell us, no risk no gain.

Personally I believe that only some very radical ideas can save us now. Pussy-footing will just have us going round and round in circles when the people are really suffering and I can assure you the boiling point for them is way too close.

Here are some of the radical ideas I believe can go a long way in helping us save our beloved country.

  1. Pass legislation to bar folks from standing for any political office in a constituency within their home province.
  2. Pass a law to rotate the presidency around different tribes in Kenya for the next 50 years. That means that once your tribe has seen the presidency, no candidate from that tribe can stand again for the next 50 years. The years can be reduced to a minimum of 30 years.
  3. Reduce the presidential and parliamentary term to 4 years from 5
  4. Making it law that the president and vice president are never the same gender. So if the president is a man the vice president MUST be a woman.
  5. Parliament should be at least 50% women.
  6. Punish the crime of rape with castration and enforce the law kabisa. Also enforce the law on wife-beaters and increase the jail term considerably for all men who are involved in any kind of violence against women.
  7. Move army headquarters from Nairobi to El-Wak and have strong military presence where it will help most—close to our porous borders where guns and all sorts of harmful things cross into the country at will.
  8. Build massive solar and wind powered electricity generation plants in the North Eastern province to help counter the major world energy crisis that is coming.
  9. Create massive programs to directly address the idle youth and unemployment. For example food-for-work and higher-education-for-work. This where people work on massive farms and the produce they grow is sold to finance their stay there as they learn how they can be able to sustain themselves as farmers or in small-scale business when they leave the camp and others come in for the same program. Same system can also be used to help the poor access higher education or those who did not make it through the conventional system to have another shot at a professional career.
  10. Shift government head offices for everything from Nairobi to Nakuru, Parliament to Kisumu, main State House where cabinet meetings will be held should be Mombasa. Prime Ministers official residence and office should be Nyeri (if we don’t have a PM that is where the VP should operate from.)
  11. Make it a criminal offense to discriminate against anybody along tribal or gender lines.
  12. Give major tax concessions to businesses that are most active in creating gainful employment.
Gym instructor has his way with attractive young Dubai-based man's girl friend

57 comments:

  1. good ideas, but need further discussion.

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  2. Probably your best post ever, Chris. This s what is called creative innovative thinking. What's tragic though is the lack of comments on this excellent post, yet when you put a tribal hating or political post, there are 40-50 comments within hours. It goes back to another excellent post you had last week or so, when you said the problem with Kenya is.....Kenyans!!!

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  3. It troubles me that the people involved in post election violence was poor kenyans. Did you see any middle class kenyans, regardless of tribe, hacking each other to death? Clearly the problem is poverty. Our politicians rouse the emotions of poor people time and time again. We need to eliminate (ok, minimise) poverty to ensure a better Kenya. To this end, we need to create businesses to employ people and also provide loans to enable people to start businesses. I guess that's where Equity's (and others) microfinance model could prove so crucial to this country's future.

    The biggest stumbling block, though, is that too much of Kenya's resources is concentrated in the hands of too few people. I don't know how to solve that, or if that will ever change, given that these filthy rich thugs will do everything to keep their ill gotten wealth.

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  4. Wow!!!! This is very interesting and very nice. I especially like number 6, 9 & 10. Can i also add no. 13?

    13.Since primary and secondary education is free, let it be a law that its criminal to go to primary and secondary education in the same province. That is to say if in primary you were in central, then secondary u shld go to nyanza, coast, RV or any other province but not central.

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  5. why don't we discuss people that sale water to poor kenyans??


    example Jane Kiano has build a water tank in her house where city council water department fills it directly to her tank in langata for free! then she turns round and sells the water for profit to the poor kenyans who have non idea she gets the same water for free at her Langata residence next to Boma's of Kenya- how dare we let this happen? charity Nguli should look into this seriously- we know of many more kikuyu's "prominent" who are doing the same in Karen!!

    enough is enough !!why should the umoja estate people line up for water when the water council is diverting the water to some individuals build in home water tanks -where by the same individuals like Mrs Jane Kiano turn round and sale the same water?? this is ridiculous!!

    this is a fact ask Wanja Kiano and i having been to their house and seen it!!! i think this breaks the camels back!! even water the loot?? when will this looting end??

    I will send a note to charity Ngulu and shame !!shame on mrs Kiano!! what maendeleo of wanawake former patron?? how dare she do this to kenyans?? sale water ?? that she has made deals with city water council thugs!!! someone has to answer to why the water is diverted to homes in langata and Karen where they have build big tanks-

    it is not that there is no enough water in Nairobi!!! the water department in cahoots with people like Mrs Kiano is reselling the water to Wanaichi's through third party!!!

    go check for yourselves Mrs kiano's langata home!!big tank and the trucks deliver at night!!!shame shame!! we must stop this broad day light robberies!

    by the way the bloggers must know I'm a kikuyu and i do not accept such looting!! water is a very sensitive commodity for people of Kenya and we should not allow this to happen even if it is a family members looting!!

    charity Ngilu back to you!!what are you going to do about it??

    first send out your new inspectors to the water reservoirs - determine where the water is being diverted to!! you will catch the thieves!!

    i'm really pissed off!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. If the president's powers are reduced, his salary based on success then the institution will be accountable and responsible.

    Power sharing should be taken to the provinces. There should be a Provincial Development Manager PDM (instead of the Home guard called PC).

    He should identify the developement areas of a Province, supervice the CDF expenditure and organize a smooth running of govt offices at provincial and District levels.

    The PDM should be elected by the people for a period of 4 years and can be re-elected once. He can be impeached in the Province by all Mayors of the province for whom he is in charge.

    One advantage: The tax payer will neither need a Local gov minister nor a PC as the PDM will be in charge of all the towns and regions in the Province.

    All the 7 PDM together will ratify a draft already passed in Bunge, signed by PM and President. If they refused to sign the paper, the draft will have to go back to parliament for amendment.

    Power to the people needs a strong design of where the power should rest. The current BOMAS Draft is weak and identify the district as the people's power center. The DC or DO is a gov officer and has little interest in the people. Just another Home Guard!

    We need an executive PDM=Provincial Development Manager.

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  7. Anon 1:06

    Good catch,

    CHris I agree first lets list all ideas radical or not,then after or simultaneously start to hammer them into practical actionable items

    (na iyo nyumba, it would have made sense to look for a big rock and curve a house out of it, ai bana, but kudos for pulling it thru')

    UrXlnc

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  8. I strongly agree with number 2. It must however be retrospective. Since the Kikuyus have had two presidents, they should never see the inside of state house for one hundred years going by your calculations.

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  9. You are right: it's a Kenyan problem. So stop looking for help from outside including money. Let's see how much or how less we can do ourselves and that includes the knowledge how to build a house (no offense, Chris).

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  10. How about making it illegal to have tribal/clan last names? Let us all be known by only one Christian/Muslin/Western name and one middle initial. What's the need in maintaining cultural practices that divide us.

    In the spirit of East African unity, Kenyan judges and lawyers should only practice in Uganda and Tanzania and vice versa, moving to the other country after every five or so years.

    Our current tribal provinces should be abolished. Going forward, provinces should follow atlas/globe latitudes…. after every ten degrees….thereby dissecting all communities. The way I see it, tribal unity bedevils our society.

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  11. Anon 1:06

    what?? a whole tank in a house??? stealing water from water council?? i have laughed my pants off:) what has become of Kenya?? if prominent kenyans can stoop this low?? how desperate can one be??

    By the way does someone know how much those water trucks go for in shillings?? madam Kiano must be making a killing:)ha!ha!!I can't stop laughing though it ain't funny!!!

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  12. Chris

    there is new material that most countries are using to build Prefab housing- half the coast of building houses today- and you don't have to cut trees anymore- in fact the houses now are for all weathers- especially for Africa and the islands- very beautiful i should add- and it takes less time to build- local material most needed is cement and water and of course roofing and few other details are optional-
    i visited an estate in Africa and i was amazed- so with the environmental problems this is the way to go instead of cutting our tree down- the estate agent told me that it took 6month to build 800 houses on two plots-
    i think we need this type of housing in Kenya- don't you??

    but the greed in Kenya is what is killing us?? look at the post on the water here??

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  13. I thought that this post was for the laugh - but it seems that some are taking it for serious like the one talking of prefabricated housing.

    Please take a break .... Chris was just joking - Kenya and Kumekucha are not yet ready to become serious.

    Not yet.....or are you, Chris? Are you really ??????????

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  14. Chris
    You have really run out of ideas , your blog used to be a must read but now you are hanging on the last straw , all these things you propose are good and have been proposed before be it in policy papers, commision reports bla bla bla ,they are called paper tiger or white elephants.This is africa and the only way out is for the citizens to revolt againist the powers to be , our leaders will never have our intrests at heart , if you dont believe me wait till you see the draft constitution that martha karua will prepare for debate.

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  15. anon4:05 PM

    that is why the likes of people like you will always remain boxed in with no ideas to share with kenyans!or are you one of those that steal water from wanaichi too??by the way of city council water and sell it?? since you don't seem to have a care in the world!!

    Kenyans need houses or haven't you noticed our slums and poor housing structures that we have in estates build by thieving landlords- that end up in turn crushing killing innocent kenyans!!
    you are an embarrassment to kenyans and how dare you suggest kumekucha blog is for laughing?? go stick your face in maybe the mashada blog or other slimy ones that KEEP ABUSES- PUSH OFF- let us who know the problems facing our beloved kenya discuss here on kumekucha and maybe find ways to help!!!you are disgusting and thick headed!!

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  16. anon4:25 PM

    if you have no ideas to share- go to mashada or other blogs that have negative attitudes like yours-

    Martha who?? she does not run kenya!! you are actually forgetting there is a coalition government in place and a vote has to be passed on all bills!! wake up! bunge does not belong to central Lesotho neither does Martha karua control the constitution - do try to read the accord or how the constitution is going to be drafted!! stop being daft!!

    by the way i remember kivaki commenting in Parliament that James Orengo can write the new constitution with eyes closed(guess what!! he hit the nail right on the head!! and this time he was right!!!
    so i ask again who what Martha Karua??

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  17. why are you people tell others to go to Mashada ? Is it because you run out of ideas yourself? What a shame.........

    And by the way, James Orengo could write the new constitution ....... and just to make sure ..... yes, he could, if he would.. .. but then he wouldn't because he would not dare.

    Complicated ?????????? Maybe ..........

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  18. anon5:23 PM

    You are still in kikuyu dream land and you still think Kenya is one party state!!look around you and sigh or else you deserve to stay in central Lesotho and for people being told to go to mashada!is because they have no ideas to share!! whining on here is becoming a bore ati Chris this Chris that!!if you do not like Chris's post then yes!! Mashada is waiting for the likes of you!!

    and as for Orengo writing the constitution go ask your daddy Kibaki !!he said it on National T.V and he knows Orengo can write on with his eyes closed!! that is someone who cares about Kenyans not the stinking bitch Martha Karua!! get my drift?? Karua's brains belong in that priest Wamangondo's bedroom not in public domain !!

    or she should go help Mrs Kiano to steal water from ordinary Kenyans !!if she can't even persecute her!!

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  19. If indeed Jane Kiano is stealing water and selling it to the poor then that is very very sad.

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  20. Good ideas you have there KK.

    Chris a single tomato is Mombasa is going for 10 bob. BPONE says in Kaloleni it's going for 15 bob. An onion is 5 bob. Your point number 9 would go a long way in sorting out this food prices problem. We dont have to wait around for oil prices to make us starve.

    Somehow the idle young have to be convinced to farm. These days in central for example, lots of young able bodied men don't till their farms any more even when they're available. Why should they while they can hang around in shopping centers and collect free money from business owners.

    Also on Number 10, shifting government away from Nairobi will will stop this rural migration to the city and encourage development of other areas.

    Sometimes it's so frustrating because after all these ideas, we come back to leaders leaders leaders. How do we get these points to them? How do we make them embrace good ideas and work on them? True there are lots of new MPs who I believe are willing for development but will the higher powers listen even to them?

    As for your roof, I suggest you roof with solar panels. The whole roof.

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  21. 1. Members of illegal gangs like Mungiki, Chinkororo, Kamjesh, Taliban and SLDF Should be lined up against the wall, blindfolded and executed by a firing squad.

    2. Employers who exploit or slap their workers should be stripped naked and fed to crocodiles in Mamba village.

    3. Asians and Wazungus who refuse to integrate should be given a one way ticket back to Bombay.

    4. Voting should be made compulsory.

    5. Matatus that flout traffic rules should be set ablaze.

    6. Prostitution should be legalized and taxed.

    7. Greedy politicians should be stripped naked and whipped thoroughly in a public baraza.

    8. No president should be over 60 yrs old.

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  22. uuuuuuui M-Pesa. We're going radical lakini lo! Hizi zako zimezidi Lol.

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  23. How about this one Chris;

    1. Extra marital affairs should be treated as sex crime and therefore should serve a jail term or a fine.

    2. Having more than two children should not be allowed and to those who which should pay a hefty fine.

    3. Domestic violence and wife beaters should all be prosecuted and carry maximum jail term.

    Kwale

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  24. M-PESA....You have some good points especially 4,5,7,8

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  25. 1 is a good idea. 2 is not: it would strengthen ethnic bloc-voting. It's much better to have a presidency that rotates by province, and to ensure that the provinces are seriously multi-ethnic. That way, you guarantee that. Also, you missed a trick - it'd be a great idea to require that the President, VP and PM all come from different provinces. 6 and 7 are bad ideas for obvious reasons. 8 is a brilliant idea. 9 is a good idea. 10 isn't - it's better to split the fucntions between, at most, two cities, else we become like Germany where nothing ever gets done because the government departments are all over the country. 11 is redundant - there's already an equal protection clause in the Constitution; what is needed is a judicial decision or two to emphasise that ethnic and gender discrimination will be taken seriously. 12 is obvious.

    At any rate, thanks for a thoughtful post.

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  26. Outlaw mixed marriages and inter-tribal relationships.
    People should stick to their own and promote their own cultural pride and identity.

    ReplyDelete
  27. This post was great.I have read Chris's suggestions, some are great, indeed very great. Some however, are a bit idealistic rather than realistic and they border on and are a cover for fascism-lite and potential authoritarianism.
    First thing we all have to remember is we all have personal choice and responsibility and we do not need to be shepherded by the government. We have the leaders we elected and unfortunately they represent our society.

    In my books the great points by Chris are: 3, 4, 6,9, 11 and 12.

    The idealistic points and my rebuttal are;

    1- Why should you have an alien MP who does not know the problems of a constituency. How could an MP from Nyanza ever understand the conditions in Wajir East and vice versa. MPs are local representatives it is just that our common garden variety of con artist are the ones in parliament now. Nothing wrong with the system, something wrong with implementation.
    2- Presidents need only to be qualified and democratically elected regardless of where they come from. All we need is to curb excesses is to reduce presidential powers, introduce majimbo and vet all presidential appointments and we will reduce the tribal madness of people like Kibaki.
    5- What happens if the best candidate is a man in a constituency slated for female representation or vice versa. All we need to enhance female representation is to empower our women and give them tools to slug it out with me in the political arena. Special dispensation will sully their achievements.
    7. Porous borders in my view are better handled by improved and smart policing rather than military action. Money spent on military is in my view very wasteful especially if we do not have an equivalent external threat.
    8. Power transmission from the said project to energy hungry parts of Kenya will be huge and might or will negate any cost effectiveness. Additionally, wind and solar are not as cheap as they seem. The last time I checked the price of one modern 10 MW windmill was are 30 M USD. We need hundreds for a wind farm. That is why wind power is still only in the west the cost per unit of power produced is still very high. It still cheaper to produce power by burning hydrocarbons.
    Finally Chris thanks for the revamp on the site. But, my comments window can not be resized, what happened?

    Finally someone has suggested that ethnically based names should be banned. Exactly, my fear about fascism and authoritarianism. Why should I drop my lovely name Fave for another just because it is ethnically tinged?

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  28. Bravo for the extreme makeover...
    I have read your post and i think it is beautiful apart from yes apart from the idea of my MP being from another part of the country that is a BIG NO.

    Fave i disagree with you on this "5- What happens if the best candidate is a man in a constituency slated for female representation or vice versa. All we need to enhance female representation is to empower our women and give them tools to slug it out with me in the political arena. Special dispensation will sully their achievements" ....Whatever a man can do, i can do it much better i dont think i need favors....IGive me education and let me sort myself out. Tosha and that is why i am against this thing of gender, what?

    Ivy

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  29. We the Great Kikuyus should stop intermarrying with other tribes so that we can remain pure and superior. Other tribes are short sighted and may infect us with lazyness and backwardness. I don't care what you feel but those are facts! Jinyonge!

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  30. Ivy, what about this one;
    Free sanitary towels for ALL women right across the country.

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  31. Ivy,
    Thanks! But if you read my post again, you will realize that I am advocating for the empowering of women rather than giving them freebies! I want their achievements to be what they can truly achieve rather than what they are given. For all I care women could form 100% of parliament as long as they qualified and elected. I understand the problems women face in our society. For example women have to will face morons like anon 4.35AM who does not realize that his mother was female. Using simple biological functions to put women down. Anon 4.35AM while we are at sanitary towels what do women have to do about all the men with poor hygiene, smelly feet, smelly mouths, do not shower? Just asking, may be free soap and toothpaste for all me across the country?

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  32. When you say free sanitary towels what do you mean? Anon 4:35. Kwani why do i work my butt out?

    Ivy

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  33. Anon 4:01 The other Kenyan tribes are saying similar things against the Kikuyus. Infact some say that marrying a Kikuyu is either sleeping with a thief or a daughter of a thief or a Munkiki for that matter. I think the best thing is to intermarry, you teach them how to be hard working and they teach you how to be honest and teach you not to steal . Then we shall build a better Kenya
    Ivy: Jambo…. just a reminder. I think you forgot to give us your ideas. I believe you have all the right to disagree with any other idea...but bring new ones, i believe you have many . May be Fave might agree with you. Who knows?

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  34. Fave, sorry i thought i had read s'thing like empowering women...what does that really mean? People take it badly like for example a male child goes to a national school with 450 and yet a female child goes to a national school with 410 marks that is not empowering us...ni kutudharau ati we girls can't fikisha 450. Halafu listen to what akina Beth Mugo are saying ati leave some constituencies for women...I refuse let me go out and fight it out with you and may the best person win...Kama ni mbaya ni mbaya ama? Revenge is best served hot, when i bruise you vibaya by defeating you then i am elated!!!

    Ivy

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  35. Fave: I still have a very big problem with men and women who pick their nose.
    It’s very crude, disgusting and very revolting. Don’t you think it should be made a criminal offence?
    What about those smelly armpits? A can of deodorant is well above many people means, so why don’t we have those cans and rollers distributed freely.

    Kwale

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  36. Anon 5:34, Jambo if you read my first comment i said i agreed with e'thing that Fave and Chris said and other like minded bloggers...Wacha wale wa matusi...You see i have nothing new to add so it is total waste of time to keep repeating stuffs already suggested

    Ivy

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  37. Heeheheehe Kwale!There you go again!

    This post was a good one.Infact one couldnt have an idea where it was headed unless read it to the very end!For once it put the usual war pickers off track for there wasnt anything that is worth to make any one of them pick a fight.

    The ideas are good but like someone else said,some sound idealist.If only we could get themput into play then it would make huge sense.

    But whenwe have some people suggesting free these and free that for ladies then th entire gist and sense of the post is brought into disrepute.Someone sits on his or her computer and does you a favour by giving you something to ponder about then you throw sanitary towelsat him,how unfair and retrogressive can we get?We miss to know what he/she thinks as regards the post!

    I hope we will considerate enough when posting comments!

    Ivy/Ciku can you run an advert for a lost person i.e Taabu!

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  38. Kwale
    Sincerely, there is nothing I can do about people mining for gems in their noses apart from saying it is disgusting. However, still your self for this, an Austrian doctor says it improves you immunity! but, there are better ways of improving immunity.

    Ivy dear,
    You have to know that young girls do more house work than boys. It is imperative that they be given special dispensation. I believe those people insulting women here are just a bunch loser guys afraid of working hard. I do not advocate for endless freebies for women but I do not mind young girls being given some head start given they live in an African society full of people line anon 5;32Am

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  39. Knoppix you see we might not just not take it kindly. Why me and Ciku, or is it because we are women?


    Ivy

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  40. But enyewe i am worried.....TAABU where are you ?


    Ivy

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  41. Mmh Ivy Lol, why should we be the ones to look for a lost Taabu? Kibarua hiyo. But we're yet to run one for our first lady.

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  42. yeah Ivy, who knew a pessimist can be missed so much!

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  43. Taabu, your prolonged absence is eerie to us all.

    “Days of absence, sad and dreary, Clothed in sorrow's dark array, Days of absence, we weary; He we love is far away”

    Kwale

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  44. The biggest problem is poverty. Deal with it and I doubt whether anyone will care about whether your surname ends with Onyango or Kamau.

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  45. anon at 4.49 you are so guillible do you really believe what you are saying , the coalition govt is just a grand corruption and yes martha has the responsibilty of working modalities of the draft , havent we been here before?.do you think the pnu loyalist will respect the pm the answer is hell no.call me a pessimist or whatever but the truth is this government is not any better than what we have had in the past, they only think with their stomachs,

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  46. Chris,
    Resize this bloody pop-up comment window!!!

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  47. Abass : Good point. Poverty might be the biggest problem, but, just let us ask ourselves what is the root cause of poverty , what is breeding it….. methinks it is INJUSTICE, the mother of all problems facing this country and the world at large.

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  48. To add to the list,

    1. we need to provide for a unique identification number to every child at birth rather than wait until someone is at the age of 18 without which nobody can benefit from any services (e.g. education, health etc). I believe birth certificate is still a good idea but is not theft proof because people wait until they are in need of a passport to get one.

    2. We need to have a policy that would make it mandatory that the govt invest or support investments in food processing as a way of providing insurance for future food needs. This will not only guarantee food security but provide more employment opportunities for the youth, provide a market to small scale farmers and stem rural-urban migration since most of these light industries will be located in raw material producing areas with a possibility of being owned by farmers themselves.

    3. There should be a law that compels the govt to provide details on how project-linked donor support have been used. This may sound like chasing the wind but everybody would agree with me that all donor funded projects never take off in the Kenya because the money is either pocketed by scoundrels in govt and their allies in the private sector or these funds are used to pay civil servants salary so that they can pocket tax payers money.

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  49. Anon 9:38

    very important your point no. 3.

    UrXlnc

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  50. forgot to add if you want to know the behind the scenes of how the honda cog ad was created take a look at this link and the second menu item "how the honda cog video was made"

    http://www.webcastgroup.com/client/start.asp?wid=0670811062646#

    my dream is to see a kenya with brilliant minds, disciplined and diligent workforce and creative genius that appreciate each other to produce mind boggling inventions and innovative products.

    UrXlnc

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  51. I also have this idea that the govt ministries be restricted to policy and oversight and be delinked from the actual implementation of those policies. The idea is not yet cooked up well in my mind because what I am looking for is how policy implementation can be decentralized away from the mother ministry so that we can have a different body responsible. My line of thought is to take the responsibility of policy implementation away from politicians so that we can have parliament hold decentralized govt bureaucrats responsible without politicizing the matter. To ensure accountability, Kenyans (direct beneficiaries of the project)themselves can be allowed to appraise the project implementation if grassroot-based systems for this purpose is put in place. This is a role that can be coordinated by local administrators, the equivalent of chief and their assistants since currently their role is not serving much of wananchi interests. I believe with a wider consultation a better mechanism for doing this can be enacted into law without making it expensive to tax payers.

    I believe that everyone would agree with me that our govt needs constant feedback from Kenyans so that it will begin to be responsive to our needs. We just need to separate policy formulation from implementation and incorporate beneficiary feedback mechanisms without having to wait for five years to deny politicians the vote.

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  52. UrXlnc
    "my dream is to see a kenya with brilliant minds, disciplined and diligent workforce and creative genius that appreciate each other to produce mind boggling inventions and innovative products."
    That is my Dream too. I wish and pray that dream comes true. I am sure it will come true if only we dream together united,
    think together united ,
    work together united and
    pray together united as one family.

    Who said we can’t? please tell us why not.

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  53. UrXlnc
    wake up and smell the cofee ,this is AFRICA , even you, know that your first loyalty is to your family then your tribe and finaly to kenya.

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  54. Anon 12:20

    that was your africa,

    in my africa, i find by looking at the recent contributions, there's probably 30 of you out there and at 60 like me and counting. of course we need to remember that the likes of you can severly hamper efforts, but am counting on the goodwill and fortitude of the 60.

    but as you can imagine and you correctly point out my loyalty is first to myself, then family, then community and finally kenya. in order to serve this loyalty well, i continue to enhance my skills and professionalism and strive to excel in my duties so that I, my family, community and country can benefit from my effort.

    Not sure whether this is the perspective you have yourself, but so far am doing well and working towards evne greater achievements.

    UrXlnc

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  55. uRX WHAREVER

    Let me give you a brief glimpse of what mama martha (read Gema) will propose , off course the first priority is to delay the new constitution until mzee finishes his term , close to the election you will see alot of gerymeandering along pnu friendly areas , thirdly they will agitate for an executive pm in the new constitution and a ceremonial president since they are certain its hard to get another Kyuk president this soon , the gerrymeandering will give them easy majority in parliament and through the back door they will still hold on to real power.Right now they are forcing idps down our throats but imagine what will happen in 2012 if the gema are totaly purged out of government , that is why you must understand that the battle of wits(and machetes) has just began.

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  56. For all those whining about the comment box , step out of the box , change is not only good but inevitable , even chris has to repackage his blog to attract those who left and newcomers as well.

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  57. what about using the many prisoners in our prisons to go and manually build roads in North Eastern, trust me it will make many would be criminals including mungiki have a serious allergy for going to jail. Today they just pass time there and those with cash can live the life of kings...

    Some hard work will temper them and make them appreciate other things in life...

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