The War that Kenyans Must Fight

We must not visualize a future united Kenya if we don't come to the realization that the typical poor Kenyan, whether Luo, Kikuyu, Luhya or Mijikenda shares 99.9% of the day to day difficulties facing ordinary people.

You who live in a one room shanty in Mathare, Kibera, Kawangware, or even in areas that a bit well off. Don't you have neighbors who represent other ethnic groups in Kenya? Don't they come to ask for some help when things are really bad? And don't you borrow from them when things aren't good on your side? Why then should they take insults for things they just saw in the press, same way as you?

I Know that 99.9% of you  have never benefited because a member of your tribe was elected to head this or be part of this and that. Then why do you run to their defense when he or she errs?

You and I know that there is small clout of powerful Kenyans, who share resources among themselves, irrespective of their tribal affiliation. Just as you knock on your poor neighbor's house to borrow something without considering their tribe, so do the rich and powerful Kenyans interact.

If we have to defend our leaders then it must never be for the simple reason that we come from the same ethnic group. If they mean well for all of us and are doing all they can for the good of all Kenyans then what they deserve is praise, rather than condemnation, irrespective of their tribe. If they are doing the opposite then what they deserve is condemnation, irrespective of their tribe.

We must turn this war into a war that aims to achieve  fairness for all ordinary people, irrespective of tribal affiliations. Otherwise, hatred begets hatred, and everyone should go to their ancestral lands and build their own country there if the objective of our struggle is to defend our tribe and condemn other tribes.

Patriotic Kenyan

By: Sheriff Mako On Saturday, January 10, 2015

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The National Assembly: Once Again a Myopic Rubberstamp Authority

By Nyona Matende -- Opinionated 

There is no doubt that President Uhuru Kenyatta, and his deputy William Ruto, are admired for their charismatic style and expansive worldviews, which are indeed considered to be essential for good leadership. However, such admiration is fast fading as the government they head resorts to desperate measures in a bid to deal with insecurity and other challenges. 

  For the past couple of years, the actions of the Kenyan Government, whether in bad faith or not, have been interpreted by some as a deliberate attempt to limit the hard-earned freedoms and rights of Kenyans. The government is noticeably overwhelmed by its functions (provision of basic rights to Kenyans), and has resorted to measures that are akin to limiting the very rights and freedoms it’s required to protect.

As expected, the unorthodox methods the government is advancing to solve Kenyan problems have received overwhelming support from the pro-government National Assembly.

 Quite a number of legislative pieces have been advanced by or forwarded to the National Assembly, a supposed oversight body that is quickly morphing into the Moi-era rubberstamp authority it once was.

 These unfortunate grouping of Kenyans elected to represent KENYANS is finding it more reasonable to advance their own interests and interests of their political masters due to the selfish need to safeguard their political future. Who really elected you Mr MP?

The recent fist fights that were witnessed during the passing of the controversial security laws is a testament of how impetuous the house has become. The critical functions of the National Assembly have been reduced to mere rivalry between Jubilee and Cord, and the chest thumping pro-government majority is acting like a real government marionette in its rubberstamping duties. They are hell bend on approving anything opposed by the opposition, even in the face of legitimate concerns.

The opposition is not blemish free

The opposition group in the National Assembly is not however made of saints either. Who doesn’t recall when they joined hands with their pro-government majority to pass a bill that sought to raise their own salaries, sparking the #OccupyParliament protests?  They have also provided unwavering support in the fight for power against equally or even more important institutions like County Governments, The Judiciary, Salaries and Remunerations Commission (SRC), and The Senate, picking up teenage-like squabbles at the slightest overlap of powers and functions.

There is no time in history when leaders who are honest to the needs of their people have joined hands with contrasting leaders for a one time good-for-leaders opportunity. If the opposition has divergent views on what is right for Kenyans then this should be seen in all their undertakings in the house – not only when their interests are not taken care of.

What an excuse for a National Assembly  

What were are seeing is unprecedented levels of immaturity, and sycophancy motivated by the need for political survival and material success. Unfortunately, this was long predicted because many of the people Kenyans put in the National Assembly during the last elections were first timers and now they have tested power and are not sure on how to navigate the murky waters that is Kenyan politics. So, naturally, sycophancy is the easiest way out.  I think if we were to rate parliaments since independence, this one will clearly emerge as the most rowdy, clueless, and loathsome.

In 2013, the slapdash house legislated and rubberstamped a legislation in which media houses and journalists were to pay fines as high as 20 Million Shillings (about $200,000) for “irresponsible” reporting. The bill had no clear definition of what sort of reporting is considered ‘irresponsible reporting’ and, therefore, it was more intended to limit media freedoms – freedoms gained through blood and sweat.

It’s regrettable that the pro-government legion is the one on the forefront in undermining the constitution. Isn’t it myopic to make dangerous changes to the constitution just because you are on the right side of the present day government?  Anyone with a shred of intellect will tell you that such changes will last beyond the present day regime and, therefore, there are chances that the controversial pieces of legislation may be used against the excited Mps who think that the advantages they enjoy today will last for a lifetime.

As it has become a tradition, the controversial pieces sanctioned by the National Assembly are heavily donned in legal jargon to confuse the ignorant Mwananchi. As you may or may not be aware, many of our MPs are lawyers who have perfected the art of scheming but no real experience in honest and true representation.

Unqualified for the job

While Kenyans lament the incompetence of various government agencies, I think it’s about time they drew their attention to the most incompetent institution of governance– the National Assembly.

Why are they so incompetent?

Well, parliament is supposed to only play the roles of representation, oversight, and law making. The national assembly is simply an institution of governance in which the interests of the common mwananchi are to be advanced by the people they have elected to represent them.

The constitution outlines the agreement between the government and the citizens, and it’s the role of parliament to ensure that laws provide the best conditions for citizens and not vice versa. While previous parliaments have recognized this and advanced such courses, the present day parliament is increasing being held by the balls to advance courses that are endorsed through party affiliations, whether good for mwananchi or not. 

We wish to remind you that Kenyans can live with an ineffective and weak National Assembly but will not seat back and watch the same group play a leading role in reversing gains that were only made possible through blood and sweat.

There are many countries around the globe in which sycophancy as the only true road to political success. Go there please. Kenyans just want honest leadership, whether in parliament or the church.

Here is a challenge

 If you are a true leader do what is in the best interest of the people who elected you, even if that puts your political future at risk, and leave KARMA to avenge the injustices you face for being honest to your people. 

By: Sheriff Mako On Tuesday, January 06, 2015

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Top 10 New Year Resolutions for 2015

It’s not easy to rank New Year resolutions. Why?  Because individuals are unique to their habits, experiences and desires – which are then used to inform decisions, choices and resolutions taken. Consequently, any resolution is important as it reflects an individual’s circumstances and, most importantly, the desire to change things for the better.

 Nevertheless, there are habits and conditions in life which similarly affect millions or perhaps billions of people. For instance, most people desires to have a better job or more money. As Aristotle put it, it’s the nature of desire not to be satisfied and most people just live for the gratification of it. Simply put, it’s not strange that two people, one earning $100 a month and the other earning $100,000 a month, all want a better paying job in 2015. 

Without wasting much of your time KEKneejerk will rank the top 10 resolutions based on perceived importance or impact on humanity. If any of them reflects exactly what you feel you should do for yourself then go ahead and note it down in the first pages of your 2015 diary.

1. Volunteer personal time and effort to help others
2. Quit smoking, and other drug abuse
3. Quit drinking or drink less
4. Start investing for the future
5. Spend wisely
6. Be honest and true to others
7. Play active role in controlling stress, bad feelings, and reaction to negativity
8. Lose weight
9. Start exercising regularly
10. Start eating healthy foods

By: Sheriff Mako On Friday, January 02, 2015

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Doping Allegations Unlikely to Dim Kenya’s Long Distance Running Prowess

Rita Jeptoo

The Kenyan populace have been subjected to an upsetting Christmas treat, thanks to the revelation that some of the country’s priced, world-beating athletes, might be involved in doping.

This bad dream is first becoming a reality, particularly after the country’s cherished, three-time Boston Marathon and two-time Chicago Marathon winner, Rita Jeptoo failed her B sample. The Kenyan empress failed her first sample sometimes in September, during an out-of-competition test by the country’s very own athletics federation.

This prompted the sending of her B sample to the World Ant-Doping Agency Lab in Lausanne, Switzerland – and the sad “failed” results for that sample were announced on Friday 26^th  by none other than Isaiah Kiplagat himself.  She tested positive for the blood booster EPO and the hearing for the case is expected to take place sometimes in January.

There are fears that many more athletes might be involved and we are keeping our fingers crossed. The situation is as bad as it should get, otherwise it will be truly a bad thing for Kenya – a globally respected leader in long distance runnig– to be implicated in doping (something we can do without and still bring gold medals).

What is particularly annoying in the whole debacle is the emerging impression that majority of the previously implicated athletes were sweet-talked into using the banned substances. 

Though the local athletics body has suspended more than 32 athletes for doping in the past 5 years, Rita Jeptoo is the only high profile athlete who has failed the doping test. Jeptoo was due to be crowned as the winner of the World Marathon Majors when it was revealed that she had failed the initial test in September. The announcement cost her $500,000 which she was to pocket after the crowning.

Kenya has dominated long distance running for decades, however, cases of doping started to make news 2012 when Mathew Kisorio tested positive during Olympic trials and, allegedly told a German documentary that doping was widely practiced in Kenya. He is purported to have said that “everyone told me that I wasn’t the only one”, adding that “when you run, you run so smooth”.

Since then Athletics Kenya has done all within its powers to try and arrest doping among athletes in Kenya. The Kenyan government is also said to be working on laws to punish individuals who are supplying athletes with drugs.

Will this dampen Kenya’s unparalleled grip on long distance running?

The answer is a firm NO!

Whereas the number of implicated runners is still too small for anyone to use it in spewing widespread condemnation of the Kenyan running fraternity, there are signs that it could be used to put Kenya’s dominance into question.  Nonetheless, we are certain the dust will settle as fast as it has risen.

The confidence exuded here stems from the well-known fact that Kenya doesn’t rely on blood Booster EPO or other banned substances to produce champions.

Anyone with information on how Kenya gets most of its runners knows too well that our athletes are naturally superb and will still outrun the majority, if not all athletes from other countries even after doping is completely brought under control.

 Here is a small secret I thought you should know

Up to 99% of Kenya’s long distance world beaters come from a small village called Iten. Like you my friend, Kenyans can’t stop wondering what is so special with Iten.  However, what we are sure of is that Iten will continue doing its magic in producing the huge chunk of Kenya’s world beating runners for a long time to come.

By: Sheriff Mako On Saturday, December 27, 2014

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How Kenyans Misused Google in 2014

The report on how Kenyans faired on Google in 2014 is out and guess what, it’s the usual suspects who are topping google searches – Vera Sidika, English Premier League (EPL) and, “Panda Mbegu” mastermind, Pastor Kanyari.

Vera Sidika

Kenya News -- While Kenya has witnessed a tremendous growth in online activity, Kenyans haven’t figured out a better use of the World Wide Web other than for quenching and complementing their entertainment  wants—stalking local socialites to boost one’s gossip IQ; devouring all EPL content for the sole purpose of charming friends and strangers alike during debates on which team will do what, what changes should be made when and where, which player is the biggest letdown, how much they gained or lost by purchasing so and so, etc. etc.

EPL football evaluations, discussions and recommendations are held everywhere in Kenya – Barber shops, passenger pickup points, watchmen’s shade, in “chums” (narrow dangerous slum paths), Miraa (Khat) shades, and most importantly, while in the company of football-learned friends, probably imbibing a favorite drink at mama pima’s or sipping away Jebels and Moon Walkers in tiny Wines and Spirits shops in Nairobi West.

What did the report say?

The report was broken down in categories: in the “symptom search” category, terrified Kenyans gave first priority to Ebola, beating diabetes to the second spot and hypertension to third.

 In the “how to” category, Kenyans strangely searched for “how to survive” more than anything else (Will come back to this later in the article). “How to network” come in second, and “how to date” third.

in the “what is” category, top searches included what is transcoding and what is endometriosis, this seems to have been learning activities in some university, proving my point that the wider majority of Kenyans go online to look for opportunities to troll and to get entertained (you must have heard of the Twitter warfare wedged by KOT against Nigerians, South Africans, etc). Students basically use the free internet provided by universities to learn about EPL, celebrity gossip, download porn, Jicho pevu and watch Episodes of American and Mexican soaps.

 In the “trending people category”, Kenyans gave first priority to none other their very own light skin-toned and bootylicious Vera Sidika, followed by Otieno Kajwang, a former ODM senator who died recently and which dominated Kenya News. The third and fourth most searched people were Angel Di Maria (Manchester United Player) and Myles Munroe, respectively.

United "DAMU" = Manchester United Forever

Overall, the most searched was OLX at number one, English Premier League at second sport, followed by Higher Education Loans Board, the KRA. Pastor Kanyari was somewhere in top 10. 

How to survive?

It beats logic to think that the very Kenyans wasting time on gossip are at the same people looking for survival tricks. Or did they mean search for how to survive Al-Shabaab attack or Ebola attack? If it is “how to survive” hard economic realities then there is no better advice than asking my fellow Kenyans to dedicate a large proportion of their time to productive endeavors. 

By: Sheriff Mako On Friday, December 19, 2014

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Youth Should Demand positions held by 12,510 Ghost Workers

Youths demonstrating in Nairobi: www.africareview.com

The Kenyan government has been telling millions of Jobless youth that it cannot hire them because it has no vacancies and can’t afford to pay more people. But the youth have seen an opportunity.

Sometimes in September, the government ordered a biometric registration of staff both in the National Government and County Governments. The exercise unearthed a major scam as more than 12,500 workers failed to turn up for the biometric exercise.

According to a report released by the Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary, Anne Waiguru, of the 172,522 workers on the national government’s payroll, only 160,012 turned up for biometric registration.

This means that the government has been losing billions of shillings annually to non-existent workers, right? 

Following the revelation, President Uhuru Kenyatta gave an order to the Ethics and anti-corruption commission, the Anti-Banking Fraud United and the CID to investigate the matter.  This should be an easy job because the banks that process payments on behalf of the government should be having data on how the salaries were withdrawn and by who.

An opportunity for the Youth

Since the government had already budgeted for salaries of the 12,510 ghost workers who, presumably, were hired on a needs basis, it should not get rid of the positions, but rather employ some youth to fill them up.

Hopefully, more jobs will come up once colluding civil servants are identified, investigated, and sacked. In addition, most county governments are yet to submit their reports but we are hopeful that more ghost workers will be netted once those reports come in and this will translate to more vacancies for the youth.

Here the Youth Out

The Kenyan civil service is dominated by technology-shy and aged workers with very low academic qualifications. These mostly corrupt, Moi-era workers have personalized the civil service, systematically locking out the youth who are better trained, more transparent, and more tolerant to people from other tribes. But hiring ghost workers to fill genuine positions is just another thing.

Why should anyone hire ghost workers when the Country has millions of qualified but jobless youth? You may wonder.

President Uhuru Kenyatta rode on the change platform to sail to power and should do more to change the corrupt, Moi-era civil service and create more jobs for his friends – the youth.

By: Sheriff Mako On Monday, December 01, 2014

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Are Western Ideals Failing in Africa?

Al-shabaab Militia: photo from www.jihadwatch.org

 Policy makers in the West have for a long time concluded democracy, capitalism and expanded social freedoms are good and acceptable, not only for western societies, but for the world as a whole. While this might seem good on the surface, a deeper analysis shows that, in the face of other social dynamics, this might be creating more problems than benefits in other societies – this is especially true in most African societies, where true democracy, human rights, freedom and liberty for all remain unfeasible, and more so in economic sense.   

Many African societies are finding themselves in a tight spot by either being consumers or partners in western thought or western ways of doing business. Wars, terrorism, senseless murders and maiming, rapes, corruption, crime, sodomy, ethnic intolerance, just to mention a few, are increasing as a backlash or collaterals of adopting popular western ideals (social norms, capitalism, democracy, Liberalism, Freedoms, human rights, etc).

Liberty and Liberal

Liberty is defined as “the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior, or political views”.  It can also be defined as the “power or scope to act as one pleases”.

The term “liberty” is closely linked to another – liberal.  Which is generally defined as the state of “being open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values”.  A contextual combination of the two would mean that people should be left to act as they will, even if their actions are not morally, religiously or culturally right. Right?

Human Rights

Human rights is defined as “right that justifiably belongs to every person.” This partly includes what a government owes to its people such as security, access to clean water, food, healthcare, and other facilities. This is another area where the west has emphasized before doing business with other, mostly poverty stricken societies.

Without wasting any more time I will argue a few points here as to show why the western model, from democracy to liberalism are failing elsewhere. 

Freedom Vs socio-economic status

In advocating for social freedoms such as the freedom of expression and all, one must really take into account several dynamics, most importantly the socioeconomic status of the society. A case in point is when Kenyan’s voted out the oppressive KANU regime and ushered in a new government that rapidly expanded basic freedoms (under the West's guidance) to a level that Kenyans were unprepared for. Even the political leaders who spearheaded the process didn't understand the level of responsibility that comes with such expanded freedoms. The freedom of expression was abused leading to careless, tribal remarks from leaders across the political divide, and this massively contributed to the post-election violence that followed.

This implies that as much leaders can invoke their freedom of speech to say what they want, they should take caution when talking to a poverty-stricken audience that is suffering from a host of other social problems.

On a rather interesting note.  The United States has unemployment rate of 5.8% as of October 2014. The US with its tiny 5.8% unemployment is continually faced with threats to its social order and the government is always at pains to explain what it’s doing to create more jobs.  What if the figures rose to only 10%? Well, cognizant of the threat, the United States has invested hugely in security and intelligence to keep its liberty-enjoying population on the right side of the law. In contrast, a country like Kenya has unemployment rate of 40% and has a very small and not-so-well equipped police force. But expanding freedoms is always a precondition before the US and other Western nations can agree to do business. A society with 40% unemployment rate is fragile by any definition. When the tribal politicians (better known as war-lords) decide to take advantage of the expanded freedom and talk as they will, who will rescue us from tribal animosity? We have not invested in internal security and Intelligence like the US – we simply do not have the financial resources to maintain a police force that keeps a close eye on every free citizen, and more so on the rogue leader. There is sense in limiting what various leaders should say to a population devastated by poverty, disease, insecurity, crime, and ignorance. 

Liberalism, cultural and religious alienation – more chaos

The West has embraced liberalism or “broadmindedness” with both hands and have good experience with it. Therefore, Western policy makers feel that these should be emulated in other societies. For example, Not so long ago, several Western countries threatened to cut business links and aid to Uganda after the latter's parliament passed a controversial bill that was regarded by the west to be too harsh for homosexuals. In reference to human rights, liberal thought and other freedoms, the West feels that Homosexuals should be allowed to freely exist with others, irrespective of the dominant cultural and religious values in the society. In the African context, homosexual fiercely condemned from a moral perspective. Economic sanctions, cutting aid, and other threats have made many non-western countries to relax their laws and allow practices that are unacceptable from both religious and cultural positions. 

I want to argue here that forcing practices that are culturally unsound to a people creates cultural-alienation, resulting in a more chaotic society.  For instance, the liberal thought borrowed from western countries has made many Africans to look at their cultures as a backward thing. This means that lesser people have refer to cultural or religious values in reinforcing their behaviors.You tell a child its wrong to kill an innocent person because it's against the law, but you don't underpin that in culture or religion.
I know of two guys who were shot dead in Nairobi just because a criminal felt that their laptops were more important to him than the lives of these two fellows. We are now witnessing cases where young girls are raped and then murdered; women are stripped for wearing short skirts; and petty criminals are lynched by the public.  Many people no longer understand the difference between right and wrong, and this can be blamed on cultural and religious alienation, which can further be blamed on western push for liberalism, freedoms, and “human rights”.

When you engineer a process that gradually leads to alienation from basic belief systems that guide behavior in a society, what you are doing is creating a chaotic society.  It’s the society and its belief systems that differentiate humans from animals. Taking away the belief systems makes humans to act like animals.

Someone might say that, rather than religion, it is resistance to pressure from western norms and values that has given rise to terrorism.

To be continued…… Next section, Capitalism, poverty and corruption 

By: Sheriff Mako On Tuesday, November 25, 2014

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Affluent Parts of Nairobi breed Criminals and Drug Addicts Too

Wasted Youth

Those lucky enough to live in affluent parts of Nairobi must be aware of the rising number of criminals born and raised in those areas. In fact, a good percentage of the Gun-wielding criminals who subject hard working Kenyans to mindless carjacking are youths from wealthy backgrounds.  The most notorious criminal-breeding affluent estates are to be found bordering slums.

A case in point – Kijiji, Langata

There is this notorious “Kijiji”, a slum or informal settlement located right in the heart of Langata, and sandwiched between Southlands, Akiba, Onyonka, Park, among other estates. The Kijiji’s economy is sustained by these estates – Workshops, Car repairs, Bars, Cafes, Groceries, Jaba points, Busaa and Miti dens, cheap casual labor, touts, peddlers, pickpockets, etc. There are so many bars on Kitengela road (doesn’t lead to Kitengela), which separates most of these estates and the Kijiji. The area along the road stretching from Park Estate to Southlands has the highest concentration of Bars and drunkards in Langata, if not Nairobi.

 These bars are the meeting points for all youth (males and females), both from the affluent estates and the poor Kijiji. They both abuse alcohol and cigarettes like no one’s business – rarely drinking beer and always preferring to buy one bottle of spirit such as Jebel, Meakins, or Konyagi and sharing it among many friends who can number up to 10. They both smoke weed like nobody’s business, occasionally leaving the bars in groups to go a take a puff in the meandering paths of the Kijiji, away from any patrolling police. They all drink illicit brews in the morning when they are broke and hangovered or during Mututho hours when some of the cheap-liquor bars are closed. A good number of those from affluent estates abuse prescription drugs, and many other illegal substances commonly referred to as “Matembe” and “Maunga”. Many have made endless trips to Mathare and other rehabilitation centers in the city.  It’s always sad to see one relapsing after months of rehabilitation and some period of normal life.

The addicted ones have visible mental problems (very unkempt, red-eyed, many scars, sometimes talking to themselves). Some of the substance-addicted are from affluent families and are very well educated by the way. Yes, some have practiced for one or two years as lawyers, even medics. Others have even studied abroad. The most you see loitering here every now and then had become real problems to their parents, inevitably severing relations and being forced to relocate to the Kijiji.

Some are involved in petty criminal activities to keep alcohol and drugs flowing. For example, if you get too drunk here, you will be lucky to leave with your phone and wallet. All other crimes that are typical to this kind of settlement are present – occasional rapes, muggings, gang-fights.

 Some in their 30 or even 40s have been left to themselves after their parents sold or rented houses and relocated to their rural areas.  

Surprisingly, many of the drug and alcohol addicted fellows here are very kind to one another, always helping a friend (whether from slum or estate) – the reason why a glass passes from one mouth to another until its empty. Some are cry-babies and will shed tears at the slightest provocation.

When you go to these bars you will be shocked by the high number of visibly useless, drug-addicted non-job fit youth. The kind of people who just drop down like a sack and sleep where they are. You will think that most of these people have been born and raised in the Kijiji, until someone whispers to you “this guy was born and raised in Southlands, has studied abroad and is a qualified lawyer, the problem is he just can’t stay away from drugs and alcohol, and is now frustrated and hopeless.”

Sadly, some have got to the point of being killed in shootouts with the police, in most cases while trying to carjack motorists in Downtown Nairobi.

What has changed?

For a very longtime the society, both here and elsewhere, has almost always associated poverty with crime. The perception has been that you are many times likely to be robbed if you walked through a slum compared to affluent parts of the city – this is still true though.  While studies have repeatedly shown that children raised in poverty are generally at risk of developing social, emotional, stress, and behavioral problems, newer findings show that those from wealthy backgrounds are exposed to certain risks as well. Youth at the other end of the socioeconomic spectrum are being faced with a number of challenges that are driving them to crime and other social problems.

A study conducted in the UK revealed that children growing in wealthy backgrounds are twice likely to develop mental issues compared to less affluent ones. Scientists have found that major levels of neuroses that lead to criminal behavior, drug abuse, and eating disorders are common in children from well-off families.  This is apparently due to pushy parents who put so much pressure on their kids in a bid to ensure they succeed in life.  Children who find this to be unbearable are likely to experience mental problems and turn to drugs and violence. There are many other contributing factors.

Harsh reality

This is the harsh reality that Nairobi parents who have worked hard to give their children the best are waking up to. Most people will agree that there is so much alcohol, drugs, skimpy-dressing, and sex in popular events which are commonly attended by youth from wealthy backgrounds. Remember Masaku Sevens? Some of these kids end up being addicts, their parents give up on them, forcing them to turn to crime. It’s also very hard for a person who has lived a wealthy lifestyle as a child to later lead a humble kijiji life.  Most will tend to use any means possible to keep in touch with their childhood lifestyles.

Eradication of poverty will reduce crime and drug abuse?

Policy makers have concentrated on identifying means of eradicating poverty in order to improve living standards and, by extension, reduce crime rates and substance abuse. If the findings above are anything to go by, then more measures will be required to stop youths from frustrations, drug abuse, and even crime.

By: Sheriff Mako On Tuesday, November 18, 2014

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The Stripping of Women in Kenya Points to a Bigger Social Problem

Skimpy dressed women

Kenya News -- A Nairobi lady was stripped naked by touts for covering herself with little cloth (there is a video to that effect, it’s online, and a link should be somewhere on this page). She wasn't even dressed that skimpy -- she was wearing a miniskirt, exposing just a bit of her thighs. Other parts of her body were decently covered.

Pointer to a bigger social problem? 

The people who stripped her are the usual self-destructed, substance-abusing hopeless idlers. An ignorant lot who can't find an easier job than the unruly touting that has given the Matatu business its bad name. These people make up the majority of people in Bus Stations and other places and tend to act with a lot of impunity. They punished her with their frustrations I guess!

 Her ordeal was video-recorded by a bystander and the video sadly shows how the lady cried for mercy to no avail.

Time to make noise? 

It's not hard to sympathize with the lady and, as expected, the incident has attracted widespread condemnation from members of the public, the clergy, the political class, the media, and the self-appointed "human rights" activists, who, to be honest, are forever preoccupied with activities to push for their own economic rights. It’s God-sent that most categories of people in the above list made noise – what an opportunity to be seen to be working.

 On a rather serious note, the unfortunate event brought to the fore the harsh realities of a society that is experiencing unprecedented levels of moral decay: discussions revolving around the recent unmasking of the daring “seed” miracle conspiracy haven’t died out, neither have those relating to the self-confessed Naivasha human “vampire”, and many others.

 Action time 

The long arm of the law has inevitably swung into action. The criminals whose faces appeared in the video are now subject to a first class police manhunt. We have no doubt that they will be “brought to book” (an obviously overused phrase). The police on this side of the universe, for understandable reasons, partly use their time and efforts conducting small but illicit economic activities. They expect citizens to behave themselves like grown people who don't need to be watched all the time. The police really hate being reminded of their policing responsibilities. In fact, any incident that draws nationwide condemnation and which seems to suggest that the police are sleeping on the job is always received with a stern knee-jerk reaction from the force. Culprits must pay dearly, they always do. They can't hide, they can't run --Kenya is too small for an angered police force. How many agree?

Is it wrong to dress like that?

 First, indecency in dressing is not generally encouraged in Kenya but there is increasing tolerance. For example, when you are going about your business in the CBD and a rainstorm is approaching (picture this), you’ll likely be treated to a spectacular scene of a high-heeled lady bolting across the street with half of her blessings sticking out in the wind. Confronted with such scenes, most of us just pretend to be minding our own businesses or do we? I think that’s the most civilized way to go about it. The most a skimpy-dressed woman can get from the "civilized" city dwellers are whispers, giggles, and well-intended praises from saliva-swallowing young men with broad smiles. In fact, young ladies are very happy with the attention they get and are tempted to show even more on their next CBD visit. They get motivated to continue copying “fashionable trends” from their more insane counterparts in the US and elsewhere. After all it’s sensible to reduce the amount of flesh covered when you think of some valid 21st century reasons. With climate change and everything, temperatures are just unbearable these days. And who expects a trendy 21st century young woman to walk around covered like a sheep that is being bred for wool?

Maybe its no big deal but be cautious  

And you know what? No one is really supposed to care about the "annoying" habit.  Parents and siblings don't like their own exposing too much. This is liberal world. Even when so many people think how you dress is their business, you will always find a place for whatever level of nakedness you want to don. Do it there please if you have to because you don't know what may happen to you. For example, no one will or is supposed to ask you any questions if they caught you busting a Miley Cyrus move in your full birth suit but in the comfort of your private room. In such a scenerio you are the one to demand answers.

 Ladies should be careful with where they walk with their very partially covered bodies. Some busy parts of Nairobi like Muthurwa and Machakos Bus Terminus are clearly hostile. Places that are highly concentrated with non-job fit, shilling-seeking, frustrated young men should not be in the path of anyone who is overly attracting attention and curiosity. Any sane person walking in these areas have their sixth sense high on alert. With their mob-mentality, the idle, substance-abusing youth will pathologically tend to feel “irritated” and there is a high chance they won’t take such provocations lying down. Of course, in reality, a huge proportion of their anger and frustration is due to the apparent self-projected inability to have a "decent" woman (read the victim) in their lives. Is it true that no woman dares to seek happiness in the unkempt, substance-abusing early childhood-school dropouts? When they strip a woman, to me it appears like they just want to see more, but have a zero chance of achieving that through proper and civilized means and so they force it. It’s not like they don’t like what they seeing. Hell no! They like it very much.

Any Lessons from the incident? 

 From a concerned citizen’s perspective, the increased culture of lawlessness by thousands of idle youth in the city and elsewhere in the country is reason for law-makers and implementers to worry. These are the same people who seize any opportunity to cause mayhem, loot, and indulge in lots of other dark acts, causing untold suffering to people who actually work hard to make something for themselves and give this country a good name. The unruly bad youth really give us a bad name.
Here is the video

Note: I here another grown woman was stripped today (11/17/2014)

Another lady stripped

By: Sheriff Mako On Monday, November 17, 2014

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