A few wealthy people are lording it on the majority

About 90 per cent of public expenditure on salaries and allied benefits is paid to just about 500 people. Among these are 222 Members of Parliament and just fewer than 300 other assorted fat cats.

Mr Aaron Ringera of the Kenya Anti-Corruption commission, for example, is paid Sh2.5 million a month, basically for doing next to nothing. The edifice he presides over is at best a dynastic witch-hunting outfit. But more realistically, it is a veritable white elephant that should never have been.

In this ornate white elephant edifice are another five gentlemen who "work" with Ringera. They are paid Sh1.5 million each a month for oscillating between petty political witch hunting and doing nothing. The hunters of fortune at Kacc cost Kenyans a minimum of Sh10 million a month.

In another part of Kenya, the lowest paid public university lecturer has a consolidated salary of about Sh80,000 a month. This is basically to say that the top six people in Ringera’s office earn the salary of a crying 125 lecturers, yes, 100 and 25. But that is not all.

It is common knowledge that our indolent and absentee MPs are the most pampered fellows on a public payroll anywhere in the world. It is perhaps not worth mentioning that this frivolous and gay-loving lot fixes its own pay package. To attempt to unbundle the package here will be to overwhelm my reader with a sense of nausea.

It is behind this background that the ongoing university lecturers’ strike, as well as other clamour for better terms in the public sector, ought to be looked at.

The question must be asked, What kind of society have we created? Do we seem to have created a plutocratic state in which 500 people are holding 30 million others hostage? Is the whole nation at the mercy of 222 MPs and a couple of dozen senior public officers?

At any rate, the parallels between the society today and pre-revolutionary Europe must continue disturbing those who have read history.

Just like France before the 1789 – 1792 Revolution, Parliament has become the enemy of the people, where it should be the people’s watchdog. Ours is easily the only National Assembly in the world that can give Government a blank cheque to spend billions even without interrogating the intended expenditure, as they did this week.

While the rest of the nation is evolving into a landscape of stormy discontent, people’s elected representatives have become self-pampering mascots with a keen addiction to pleasure-seeking.

When Parliament gives Government blank cheques amid brewing labour storms, then such a Parliament can no longer be counted upon to ventilate public grief.

The Cabinet, on its part, behaves like proud and exclusive nobility. It should surprise nobody that a Minister who had nothing three years ago now boasts of a fleet of 70 (yes, 70) sleek limousines and assorted real property in all the prime places you can think of in the country.

The bigger tragedy is that university lecturers seek not to redeem the nation from the decay, but to join the exclusive club of the eating chiefs. We are a people whose leadership has lost interest in the welfare of the people as well as the people’s respect, and they really do not give a damn.

Where our intellectuals should be trying to redeem Kenyans from the den of lions, they are instead jostling for space on the lions’ dining table.

Who can speak for ordinary Kenyans when Parliament, the Judiciary, the top notch of the Executive and our literati all think only of their wallets?

Who will speak for Kenyans when the grotesquely paid are also the ones with the opportunity to steal in Anglo Leasing and Goldenberg style?

Worse still, these less than 500 people are immune to the law. They can play about with Goldenberg and Anglo Leasing and ring circles around you for 16 years and beyond.

But if you thought that was the entire expanse of the tragedy, you are mistaken. For, we ordinary Kenyans are a big part of the problem.

We cannot believe it when our prophets tell us that the daily war of words between Narc-Kenya and ODM-Kenya is an exclusive members ’club dispute. ODM-Kenya and Narc-Kenya are identical twin brothers.

They are fighting over who has the right to loot Kenya and who hasn’t. They are bogus and fraudulent political outfits, whose members do not want to hear about their history.

They do not even pretend to speak for Kenya. The name of their game is power and personal wealth.

Kenya needs a new deal. Kenya needs fresh gallant men and women who can speak for her. We have no place for avaricious parliamentarians who cannot recognise a national powder keg, even when they sit on one. Nor do we have a place for university dons who crave to eat from the table of privilege amid debilitating poverty.

Kenyans should not be deceived. We are firmly in the grip of the eating chiefs.

The barking chiefs in Narc-Kenya and ODM-Kenya are eating you, alive.

They are able to gravitate across the country making all manner of political noise because you have placed food on their table; you have given them a home and security. You are educating their children in exclusive schools, and God knows what else you haven’t done for them!

University lecturers, a selfish and privileged lot in their own right, now want better sitting and eating space on the table of privilege, when they should be carrying the rest of the nation with them in the search for better things. Nobody cares about you. That is unless you can stand up for your rights and ask for a new deal from your leaders today, now.

Inappropriate Syllabus in Our Education.

Today, Thursday, 26th of October 2006, i wanna trash our education system (not only the 8-4-4 system but also the old system). As am writting this, form fours are doing their final year exams (i wish them the best wishes) while our good dons are on strike demanding salary increment. Here are the subjects and things that must be overhauled and reviewed to match with our current generation. These subjects subject us to full dilemma: Geography, History and CRE. I know majority of us here passed through this. They are conflicting in one way or the other.

History vs CRE: The first lesson in the morning is History. We were taught that man evolved through a series of stages: Homo sipilis, homo erectus, homo sapiens (the current man), there are even others called zinjathropus, kenyapithecus... historians should arrange them in order. In CRE: God created man and send him to the world (courtesy of eating the 'forbiden fruit'-- i dont know this fruit!) and told them to multiply and filled the world. It brings some confusion of which we dont know the origin of man (i believe in what the Bible tells us).

Still in History, now its about the discoveries. We were told that, the first European to set foot in Africa starting with the Portuguese voyager, Vasco Da Cama, then the missionaries like Dr. Livingstone, Dr. Krapf, Dr. Speke, the list is endles. Some of their discoveries are Cape of Good hope (now Cape Town), L. Rudolf (L. Turkana), L. Albert, Mt. Kenya, L. Victoria, etc. The issue here is: how can somebody discover a place where there were human beings? Things like this should not be taught in school. Its part and parcel of neo-colonialism.

Geography and CRE: In Geography; earth (planets) was formed when molten particles falling off from the sun gathered through gravitational force and solidify (i dont know the formation of the sun). But in CRE (Biblical point of view) , God created the earth.

My fellow bloggers, we are in 21st century (computer age, dot com generation). Relevant things (lemmie not say subjects) should be taught in our schools. Some of the relevant things are as follows:
1. In history, our children should learn how industrialised nation are where they are. How Stalin made Russia a super power? What was his policies in the 5 year development plans? How about the US. Why did it not participated in the first World War? What was the people like Wilberight and his brother thinking when they made the first aircraft? How about Bill Gates with his windows and micro-chips? And many other science discoveries.
2. In Geography, the core thing should be human geography. What is the need of studying physical geography? What is the benefit of knowing the formation of rocks, Rift Valley, volcanic mountains n so on. The thing that should be taught is the types of rocks, that there is Rift valley (it is beyond our knowledge how it was formed, only God knows).

By scrapping some unnecessary items, we will reduce the bulk in our studies. Core subjects should be highly emphasized. The subjects which are relevant to the economic growth (like science and information technology). I dont see the reason why professionalism should not be induced in our students right from the high school. Currently, the main challenges is the economy.

The "Arrogancy" and "Stupidity"

This is the earth, in my geography, as we were thought in high school, the definition or rather description of the earth is an oblate spheroid. Thats the scientific description. Sorry, i wasn't meaning to teach you geography. In global round up, i read and heard some of the most hurting things human beings does. Compiling all this reports and sums up with only two words 'arrogancy and stupidity'.

First, the father of the child Madonna adopted is crying fool over what he termed as the papers he signed for his 1 year old son's adoption. He said, "I had not realized i was signing away custody 'for good'. Our understanding was that they would educate and take care of our son just as they were doing at the orphanage, it was for the benefit of my fatherless son. When David grows up, he will returns back to his village". This is a real arrogancy and stupidity, selling your own son! Though this is a unique situation, this was 'masterminded' by poverty. But how can your child becomes an orphan when he has a father?

Secondly, The US specifically Bush administration on Iraq's attack. The Bush administration has admited the 'arrocancy and stupidity' on their Iraq invasion. Thousands of American soldiers have been killed since they invaded Iraq. Bush admitted, "Our goal in Iraq is clear and unchanging."

Locally, our own prezzo. He is so arrogant that he has no other respectful words to address the public apart from 'Ubumbavu'. He finds it so easy and simple to call his people 'wabumbavu'.

So judging 'arrogancy' and 'stupidity', it starts with leader. Whether the head of the house or the country, thus will be passed along the lifeline of their offsprings.

The Scientific Facts: The Penis Facts

You must excuse me for these. I dont like always writing shits like this, but the researchers of this forced me to do it. I am not a a scientist myself. World scientist have found in their research the following facts about the penis. I doubt its credibility esp. where it talks about masturbation. Could that be true here in Kenya, but i will leave this to my fellow bloggers.

* Penis Facts *

Actual amount of semen per ejaculation: 1-2 teaspoons

Average number of times a man will ejaculate in his lifetime: 7,200

Average # of times he will ejaculate from masturbation: 2,000

Average total amount of lifetime ejaculate: 14 gallons (53 Liters)

Average amount of water it takes to fill a bathtub: 35 gallons (132.5 liters)

Average speed of ejaculation: 28 miles per hour ( 45 Kms per hour)

Average speed of a city bus: 25 miles per hour (40 Kms per hour)

Average # of calories in a teaspoon of semen: 7

Average # of calories in a can of Dr. Pepper: 150

Average length of penis when not erect: 3.5 inches ( 9 cm)

Average length when erect: 5.1 inches ( 13 cm)

Smallest natural penis recorded: 5/8 of an inch ( 1.6 cm)

Largest natural penis recorded: 11 inches (28 cm)

Percent of men who say they masturbate: 60%

Percent of men who say they masturbate at least once a day: 54%

Percent of men who say they feel guilty masturbating that often: 41%

Amount of time needed for a man to regain erection: from 2 minutes to 2 weeks

Average # of erections per day for a man: 11

Average # of erections during the night: 9

Distance sperm travels to fertilize an egg: 3-4 inches ( 7.5-10 cm)

Time it takes the sperm to travel the distance: 2.5 seconds

Odors that increase blood flow to the penis: lavender,
licorice, chocolate, doughnuts, pumpkin pie.

Now people, do you believe in this?

Celebs and Radion Stations.

Talking of celebrities being Sexiest Kenyans by Stackofstiffys here is another field where they consider hiring music celebs as means to lure more listeners ( i mean radio and Television stations). I pull out this exerpt 4rm today's pulse magazine. Do you think a station can be more popular if they hire this group of Kenyans?

In the past it was fashionable to hire musicians to host shows on FM stations. However, the craze has since lost its following and celebrities currently on air are few and far between.

Collo

Tallia

A few years ago, it seemed as if all the local FM stations were competing to hire musicians as presenters on their shows. In fact, at one time leading stations such as Kiss FM had musical acts like Klepto’s Collo and Tattuu’s Debbie Asila. At Y-FM (now Hot FM), controversial genge rapper Nonini landed the prestigious position of breakfast show host, while Mwafrika was the evening ‘Da Joint’ presenter. Nazizi was at Easy FM (then Nation FM) with Tallia and Kris Darlin. Capital FM had former Coca-Cola popstar singer Sanaipei Tande. Even neo soul singer Didge was co-hosting a show on television — VIPI — with Mongolo. Some of these musicians have since moved on, for various reasons…

Nonini, one of the most controversial rappers, grew up in Calif Estate, where sheng is widely spoken. As most young people speak, and identify with, the colloquial language he was the perfect candidate as a presenter for Y-FM — a station targeting youth. Nonini even had a ‘sheng academy’ section incorporated into the show, where he analysed sheng words and sentences. However, the segment was later cut out after parents complained, saying that it would lead to students not performing well in Kiswahili examinations. Nonini says he quit because he felt unable to juggle his musical career and his job. After trying to compromise the two in vain, he eventually left the station. "I had to choose between my music career or radio." He adds that his music suffered during his stint as a presenter, because all his concentration was devoted to the radio show. "There is a lot of research work that’s needed when you are a host and that took almost all my free time," he says. Mwafrika (Makarius Ouma) was also another artiste on Y-FM hosting ‘Da Joint’ show, which was scrapped in July this year. It focused on underground music and musicians, so it made perfect sense to have one as their host. Kiss FM approached camera loving and the most outspoken of the Kleptomaniax, Collo, in October 2004 to work for them. He even ditched his trademark Bata bullets and switched to more formal attire. After three months of training, he became a co-host on the mid-morning show with Olivia Otieno. He was then transferred to the Saturday ‘Homeboyz Show’, but was fired when the station decided to downsize their staff. Collo, however, claims that leaving the station was his own decision as he felt he needed to concentrate on his music. "Having a show on Saturday was colliding with my gigs, as many are over the weekend and this meant I could not go for them."

Debbie Asila joined Kiss FM as a trainee and co-hosted the Saturday ‘Top 30 Charts’ programme with Maina Kageni. She had previously been doing voice overs at the station. Debbie says she only became an employee of Kiss in August this year and is now hosting the reggae show with Kajairo. Sanaipei Tande formerly of Sema, was slotted in to co-host the ‘Hits Not Homework’ show at Capital FM with Eve de Souza. However, she hardly got to say a word and left before her presence could be felt. However, she has just landed another job at the Kiss FM and has just concluded her training.

Nonini

Sanaipei

Soul child Didge has also joined radio "by default". He had gone for an interview at Easy FM during the East Africa Countdown — a show hosted by Tallia Oyando. After the interview he was asked if he would like to co-host the programme with her, an offer he took up. He is usually on air, unless otherwise occupied with gigs. Nazizi Hirji also had a short stint at Easy FM, co-hosting the reggae show with Kris Darlin and Tallia Oyando.

Tallia chose a career as a radio presenter over that as a musician. She joined Nation FM in 2003 hosting ‘Top Ten Till Ten’ and hosted other shows before settling on the reggae show. Sheila Mwanyigah is another musician who has stayed on in the radio business. She is now Easy FM’s Acting Head of Radio. Even top radio presenters Maina Kageni and Jimmi Gathu were once musicians. Maina was a member of Ebony Affair and released a single before joining Capital FM.

So what was the attraction of hiring celebrities as radio presenters?

Nonini says Y-FM’s Programmes Controller contacted him after watching him host a documentary that was based on Calif. "I think he liked the way I conducted myself and narrated the story," says Nonini. The rapper states that the influx of musicians at radio stations was as a result of their popularity. He explains that radio stations hire musicians in order to ride on their fame and use them as crowd pullers. "That’s definite, my status as a musician influenced me being taken up to host the show."

Citizen radio and TV’s Group’s Radio Programmes Director, Fred Afune, agrees that by hiring a recognised artiste they are bound to attract listeners, especially fans of the particular musician. However, he is quick to add that this was not the main consideration when they sought out Nonini to co-host the breakfast show. "He is street smart and his attitude suited the personality the station was looking for, for that position."

Mwafrika also feels he got the job because the producers wanted someone who was familiar with hip-hop and it had nothing to do with his music career, a statement Afune agrees with. "We felt Mwafrika was the right person for the job as he has a vast knowledge on hip-hop and is very passionate about it. He was also in college at the time we hired him and the then Y-FM was looking for this kind of person as he had the influence of his mates," says Afune.

The freestyle hip-hop king — who was recently honoured as one of the finest underground emcees internationally — has his music enjoying air time in Telesur, Venezuela, on one of Latin America’s newest broadcasting stations that is playing alternative music. The singer also features in the global remix album, The African Way that also includes rapper K’naan (a Canadian-based Somali rapper) and Godessa (from South Africa).

Didge

Nazizi

Collo is another celeb who does not think the station hired him because he was part of the Klepto trio. "In radio I was Collins Majale and not Collo. They took me on because of my creativity. I could connect with the listeners and could converse and not just anyone can do this. It’s got nothing to do with my music career." Kiss FM Programmes Controller, James Njoroge, echoes these sentiments, saying that the station does not take the fact that the person they hire is a musician or not into consideration, it’s how one performs that matters. "Everyone does add value when employed at the station," adds Njoroge. Collo recently got himself a job in the UK as a public relations officer and consultant for a non-governmental organization. However, he is still in Kenya amidst rumours that he is not liquid enough to fly back to the UK.

But Didge supports Nonini’s theory that their celebrity status influenced their being hired. "If an artiste is going to give you better ratings then why not hire them? The producer said I sound good, natural and made lots of jokes, and so was perfect for radio and Talia was also cool with the idea." However, Didge also confesses to have a love for the electronic media, as he considers himself a multi-talented artiste and this was a chance he would not have passed up.

Now it seems as though the stations have abandoned their penchant for musicians and switched to deejays. The Homeboyz are at Kiss FM; DJ Pinye is at Easy FM and NTV; Code Red and DJ Adrian are at Capital and Blackstar host a show dubbed ‘Extreme Videos’ on Citizen.

Is there a reason behind it?

Afune says that most of the musicians were disappointing as they did not deliver on radio. "They project a certain personality that did not transfer on radio. Most were not spontaneous and their presence did not raise ratings or increase listenership."

Kenya is not the only country in which popular showbiz personalities are taken on to add a touch of glamour to radio stations.

Debbie

Nikki

In Uganda, former Coca-Cola popstars Blu 3 members are presenters on various stations. Singing sensation Juliana Kanyomozi is also a presenter on the country’s Capital FM.

On an international level, hip-hop superstar Eminem has launched a satellite radio but does not necessarily host shows on it.

Former co-CEO of Roc-A-Fella, Damon Dash, also had his share of radio experience when he hosted a radio show called ROC radio, a Sunday show on New York radio station Power 105.1. However, it is the Snoop Doggy Dogg syndicated ‘The Big Snoop Radio Show’ that is perhaps the biggest show to be associated with an artiste. The show was first aired on Power 106 in Los Angeles in 2000 and became a huge success, noticeably increasing the station’s ratings. The four-hour programme plays a mix of new and old school tracks of R&B and hip-hop, as well as hosting in-studio interviews with artistes.

Love Juggling... Good Inspirations

The word 'tantra' means the capacity of expansion, that which goes expanding. Sex shrinks you, Tantra expands you. It is the same energy, but it takes a turn. It is no longer selfish, no longer self-centered. It starts spreading - it starts spreading to the whole existence. In sex, for a moment you can attain to the orgasm, and at a great cost. In Tantra you can live in the orgasm twenty-four hours a day, because your very energy becomes orgasmic. And your meeting is no longer with any individual person: your meeting is with the universe itself. You see a tree, you see a flower, you see a star, and there is something like orgasm happening.

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And about sex also people are very, very worried. That very worry and that very effort to do something is the problem. Sex happens; it is not a thing that you have to do. So you have to learn the eastern attitude toward sex, the Tantra attitude. The Tantra attitude is that you be loving to a person. There is no need to plan, there is no need to rehearse in the mind. There is no need to do anything in particular: just be loving and available. Go on playing with each other's energy. And when you start making love, there is no need to make it great. Otherwise you will be pretending and so will the other person. He will pretend that he is a great lover and you will pretend that you are a great lover ... and both are unsatisfied! There is no need to pose anything. It is a very silent prayer. Making love is meditation. It is sacred, it is the holiest of holies. So while you are making love to a man go very slowly ... with taste, taking in every flavor of it. And very slowly: there is no hurry, no need to hurry, enough time is there. THE OPEN SECRET

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If you can go on growing in this intimacy, which is no more excitement, then the joy will arise: first excitement, then love, then joy. Joy is the ultimate product, the fulfillment. Excitement is just a beginning, a triggering; it is not the end. And those who finish at excitement will never know what love is, will never know the mystery of love, will never know the joy of love. They will know sensations, excitement, passionate fever, but they will never know the grace that is love. They will never know how beautiful it is to úbe with a person with no excitement but with silence, with no words, with no effort to do anything. Just being together, sharing one space, one being, sharing each other, not thinking of what to do, what to say, where to go, how to enjoy; all those things are gone. The storm is over and there is silence. And it is not that you will not make love but it will not be a making really; it will be a love happening. It will happen out of grace, out of silence, out of rhythm; it will arise from your depths, it will not be bodily really. There is a sex which is spiritual, which has nothing to do with the body. Although the body partakes in it, participates in it, it is not the source of it. Then sex takes on the color of Tantra, only then. And this merger should not become unconscious, otherwise you miss the point. Then it is a beautiful sex act, but not transformation. It is beautiful, nothing is wrong in it , but it is not transformation. And if it is unconscious then you will always be moving in a rut. Again and again you will want to have this experience. The experience is beautiful as far as it goes, but it will become a routine. And each time you have it, again more desire is created. he more you have it, the more you desire it, and you move in a viscous circle. You don't grow, you just rotate. Rotation is bad, because then growth is not happening. Then energy is simply wasted. Even if the experience is good, the energy is wasted, because much more was possible. And it was just at the corner, just a turn, and much more was possible. With the same energy the divine could have been achieved. With the same energy the ultimate ecstasy is possible, and you are wasting that energy in momentary experiences. And by and by those experiences will become boring, because repeated again and again, everything becomes boring. When the newness is lost, boredom is created. If you remain alert you will see: first, changes of energy in the body, second, dropping of the thoughts from the mind; and third, dropping of the ego from the heart.

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