News update
The 2009 census exercise has kicked off to a storm when enumerators incited President Kibaki's foul mood when they asked him about the actual size of his family. The head of state was not amused especially when asked to specify his spouse/s. Heads will definitely roll at the bureau of statistics.
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Working Nation Takes Holiday to Count Tensed Tribes
It is census time and Kenyan style a holiday has been declared for this historic exercise. But while knowledge of demographics and all its varianst are important for national planning, do we have to resort to many holidays for our working nation?
This will be the fifth census for Kenya since 1969. Just like all other institutions and activities we inherited from the colonialist, we have not KENYANIZED our census apart from counting native faces. The 10-yearly exercise has simplye been reduced to a national ritual.
Before apologists fall over themselves throwing epithets in defense of thoughtlessness they better try a honest reflection. We don't have to operate like robots to answer to the 10 year timetable in counting deeply divided tribes.
Typical Moi took it to extreme levels by creating non-existent subtribes for pure political expediency among perceived oppositionists. On the other hand he came up with mega-tribes to boost political supremacy. Just ask yourselves what is common among the Pokots or Turkans with the Nandis apart from being Nilotes.
The whole census exercie leaves you with the gut feeling that it is just another conduit for the politically correct to draw some more blood from prey Kenya. The country is so divided and tensed, counting tribes would be the last agenda on any leader worth his name.
But hey, this is Kenya owned and patented by political scoundrels. We are so unique we heal when tensed by being reminded that we are different.
It's against my culture to be counted! To hell with census!!
ReplyDeletehear hear.
ReplyDeletethe whole thing is a lot of bs.
ati to be able to make sure that resource are allocated fairly.....and all this nonsense counting at the cost of taxpayers money.kenya is a real farce.a real failed state waiting to explode again.
My friends tribes will always be key in Kenya
ReplyDeleteLook around you when anything comes out from the woodwork's
1. Ocampo
Mp's go on the tribal attack while the rest of Kenya looks at all those that were involved in the innocent deaths of kenyans must be punished..
You can see that the politicians are the ones that keep chanting on tribal lines
kenyans next elections should remove all the current MP's and vote in all new MP's that can actually bring change to Kenya.. out with the old tarnished fat checked MP's who haven't delivered to kenyans since independence of Kenyan.. period!!
I guess PATENT is the new word?
ReplyDeleteMan, these days I read the Kenyan papers and blogs when am bored and in need of a laugh. Pure comedy I tell you. And not the kind of cutting edge say like Seinfeld or even Chevy Chase as the Grizzwolds or even Benny Hill. No, Kenya is a full fledged circus that only mad men could conjure. It is only in Kenya where people will steal land in the only water catchment area and then blame the drought and hunger on climate change by pollution from Industrial nations. Call a spade a spade and a whole province has a meeting to shore up their old and useless retired president as a saint.
ReplyDeleteMoi is responsible for the land problem in Mau full stop.
It is a serious issue and people need to wake up and smell the coffee before they all perish under their own ignorance and stupidity.
I am beginning to think that Museveni had better annex parts of Kenya for Uganda's own sense of self preservation. For with the loss of forest cover in Mau, Uganda is also facing serious drought for the 1st time in a long time war and perennial dictators notwithstanding.
What a freakin banana republic.
The ruling elite must be smiling like a cat that has just swallowed it's cream with the distraction called census. Well, anything that can take our minds off the rampant corruption, famine and Mau madness is highly welcome.
ReplyDeleteYou can bet mega scams will be pulled fast between today and Wednesday by sly politicians as we look away while drinking ourselves silly tomorrow. Can someone explain to me why the Govt wants to know how much money we receive from relatives abroad and what exactly we do with that money?
The whole thing sounds like a load of ballooney to me considering some intrusive questions and the fact nothing tangible has been done from all the other census that have been conducted. Only tribal wars and political back stabbing.
Only one thing is certain, criminal thugs will have a field day aided and abetted by our bent coppers. Our sorry saga as a nation continues. Ksh 7 Billion flushed down the drain while masses starve and IDP's still in camps.
If you see an enumerator eyeing about your living room at the DVD. stereo and your flat screen, he may just pass that information to some thugs for future reference. Kibaki has assured us that all enumerators will be local, that explains it!
DOES THIS KUBAFU LIVE IN KENYA..PEOPLE WHO WRITE LIKE THIS ABOUTB THEIR COUNTRY ENCOURAGE TREASON AND DISINTEGRATION.
ReplyDeleteI GUESS TAABU IS ANOTHER KENYAN IN THE DIASPORA WHOSE ONLY KNOWLEDGE OF KENYA IS 50 KILOMETERS FROM WHERE HE WAS BORN AND BROUGHT UP!
AM VERY, VERY, ANGRY WITH YOU
John,
ReplyDeleteHow about you do the mature thing and put your anger into opposing view points from Taabu's in a manner that we may all learn something from your view point? Matusi is just juvenile,no?
And your problem with the diaspora is what?
These are the same folks who are your number 1 foreign exchange earner that goes directly into the Kenyan economy. Secondly, it is only ignorance and lack of an inquisitive mind that would make anyone proud of his immediate environment with no regard as to what was happening outside his/her boma. Ergo, we don't have a doppler type meteorological station across Africa and can not forecast the weather patterns and are now shocked that we have drought with only 6 million bags of maize in the year 2009!
But god forbid that anyone touch Moi. Where all these things emanated from. It is high time Moi realized that he is just a civilian. He should get some Chiluba type treatment just to put him in check.
Banana republic Banana republic.
bless you. Nice post
ReplyDeleteThis was a poor one by the state. Due to the nature of the excercise that George Saitoti cocked up in 1999, it is futile and was of space to declare a public holiday. It is a one-off thing and the migratory nature of people living in the country means that for business to continue, they cannot be at one place.
ReplyDeleteDoes it mean that nobody will be allowed to move from his house to the pub? Poor shot. Fluffed by an economist, a brain that should contain planning!
-Derek
Derek,
ReplyDeleteWhat it means is that some one was sitting having a beer after eating a kilo or two of nyama choma and while picking his teeth with a toothpick; he happened on the idea of a census. What a great idea to make money! How is it that the US knows it's population and I have never seen anyone at my door with a pen and clip board asking how many people live here?
It is yet another scheme to get some money fast. I remember when I was high school, we'd organize functions with visiting schools and then get money from the bursar for it. However, we'd turn around and get the cheapest sodas, potato chips, hot dogs and other snacks. We would then charge for these foods while eating for free. Ultimately, the bulk of the money would end up at AFCO and Florida 2000.
Same thing here. Folks are just still doing deals.
Anon 8:06
ReplyDeleteAnd folks still keep asking why corruption is so entrenched in Kenya.When guys like you start perfecting the art when still in high school,tell me what happens when they get higher education and land employment with the government?They start tinkering with the figures in less than 4 months.No wonder corruption is a way of life in Kenya where those who dont engage in it are viewed as not having brains.Thats Kenya for you!
The Pepo Mbaya Mafia from Kisumu are under deadly attack by the Rift Valley warlords. If you are lucky to have a ringside seat, it is a glorious time to witness tribal warmongers self-destruct in real time. Wapatiwe makofi ya kilo!!
ReplyDeleteWhat makes Raila think he owns the Kalenjins the way he owns the Luos? Honestly, this man must be delusional.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time a wind of ill omen blew from the lake, but a countervailing wind from the central highlands saved Kenya from a potential dictatorship. Lets be thankful for small mercies.
ReplyDeleteCensus Q:
ReplyDeleteWhat is Tribe/Nationality?
For Kenyans, enter tribal code
Others enter nationality
I think that pretty much sums it up.
ati Enumerators wame enda uganda kuomba census ya Mijinjo
ReplyDeleteMimi Kenya si rudi
ReplyDeleteDid the also ask Raila tough questions the same way they did to Kibaki?
ReplyDeletehttp://kenyauptodate.blogspot.com/2009/08/raila-counted.html
The tribe question also caused a brief confusion to the enumerators. While the PM was straight forward that he was Luo, his wife insisted that she was half Luo and half Luhya. “Fifty-fifty” she said.
ReplyDeleteBut with no such provision in the census questionnaire, Mrs Odinga was listed as a Luo, her father’s tribe
Your homework is lousy. Turkana are not Kalenjin, but Pokot are. Do your homework before posting.
ReplyDeletesomething is telling me that Kalenjins are unofficially the largest tribe. Cos why all the hulabaloo about them: The mau, embobut issue and census that has pulled the pokot from the kalenjin, and subdivided the tugen into three by elevating clans into tribes. There is something wrong.
ReplyDeleteIt's inhumane to count be like chikens!
ReplyDeleteClearly, we are counting tribes and not Kenyans. We have provinces but no one is asking for your primary residence. Instead, we want to know what tribe you are from/belong. OK, order x number of pangas, arrows and clubs? In Kenya nothing ever makes sense.
ReplyDeleteAll Kenyans should answer the tribal question by stating that they are KENYAN!
ReplyDeletequite interesting read. I would love to follow you on twitter. By the way, did you learn that some chinese hacker had hacked twitter yesterday again.
ReplyDelete