The rude economic shock in the lives of hopeful Kenyans!~Peter Murathi

Nothing is so good in life like allowing truth to guide us without letting go of the chances of calculated optimism.The current seas that the jubilee government is sailing the country are not safe at all for the economy chorused with a double digits growth.

As the jubilee government took office, they had a lot of BIG promises to move the country to the mountaintop and finally to the promised land of a fair society, more job opportunities and lots more that have been erased from the Kenyan minds by the content of current hard economic times. It is this optimism that led Kenyans to vote for the Jubilee unreservedly. More than a year down the line, things are totally different. The economy is seemingly staggering and this is my biggest worry as the rest of this article will elaborate.Western countries have stepped up they silent economic battle to this country by issuing travelling advisories and tarnishing the Kenyan image through print media. Tourism sector has beenworse hit by the advisories. Most tourism sites and hotel have closed down in amid to avoid incurring unrecoverable costs. Many Kenyans have lost jobs both directly and indirectly. Theprogress of these adverse multiplier effects are very indefinite as no one knows how long the travel advisories will last. On this note, the jubilee has lost it so early on their promise to deliver more jobs to Kenyans. To counter the advisories, the government through relevant departmentshave come up with a model to revitalize tourism sector through promoting domestic tourism. Most likely the move will not to work and if it works, it will work out poorly for the prime reason that Kenyans are poor tourists, they know their country in and out and nothing they fancy to see beyond their neighborhood. Adding on the insecurity factor the sector is squarely doomed. The much foreign earning we get from the sector have started to shrink in worrying way.

The increased borrowing by the country is more likely to move the country to a debt trap, a situation in which the debt is more likely to benefit the lender other than the borrower. I have heard people chant that Kenya has found a new darling of the east. Yes she is avery good darling but like the past darlings, she has given us good loans that we are yet to understand the impact the will cause us in the long run, they are somehow tied like the others only that the terms are well structured to make them look better. It is good to borrow, but let the country borrow in an informed way and invest wisely. The Kenyan debt has risen to an estimate of Sh2.54 trillion as of today and with the budget of fiscal year 2014/ 2015 suffering a deficit of Sh342.6 billion, more borrowing is expected and the impact will definitely expand the debt bubble, let’s hope it will not burst!

Finally the inflation that is looming is definitely being moved by the government policy of taxing almost every activity, the amount of VATED activities and products has risen the cost of living to a level that is hurting many. For instance, the cost of production has gone high with the imposition of VAT on many inputs and energy, particularly electricity from a special VAT rate of 12% to 16%. This increased cost of production has translated to an increase in the price of the most basic needs Kenyans demand in their daily activities. The income that is ending up in the Kenyans pocket is day by day decreasing owing to the amount of deduction that are imposed and more that is coming such as raising NSSF pay slip deduction from Sh.200 to Sh.1,800 for those earning at least Sh.18,000 per month. The income will further decrease with the proposed pay cut that will be taking course sooner. It’s a time of little earnings more spending for so little…. this is the inflation that were are “enjoying” when we say life has really become hard in Kenya!

We support the Varsities Strike! Management Board, IC

A long-raging debate over the amount of money that students seeking higher education should pay has erupted once again. The Ministry of Education, which is in charge of the Higher education including the regulation and administration of fees, has hinted at increasing the fees for both the government and self sponsored students’ double-fold. As we all concur, education is the corner stone of development and any country that is serious about its future should invest heavily in education by ensuring unlimited access to education at all levels. About a half of Kenya’s population (45 per cent) live below poverty line and many more cannot afford education at the current rates. It’s a against this background that the charismatic President of the Students’ Organization of Nairobi University (SONU), Babu Owino and the energetic and no-nonsense Deputy President of SONU Irene Kendi, popularly known as Mama Yao who have teamed up with other students organizations in Kenya under the umbrella of KUSO to mobilize all university and college students against the intended increment. This came about after several fruitless attempts to seek audience with the Cabinet Secretary of Education, Prof. Jacob Kaimenyi, a former don at the University of Nairobi.

The two fiery leaders have succeeded to bring together students from all backgrounds for a common cause to hold a peaceful demonstration tomorrow, 20^th May, 2012 from 8.00am.  At Intellectus Consultancy, we fully support the students’ cause and will always strongly speak against the oppressors who are bent to make this nation a nation of illiteracy and ignorance

Management Board, Intellectus Consultancy

Voice of Comrades Not Voice of God!-Governor Joel Evans(GJE)

I must be goddamned if the voice of God! Irredeemably insane if it is! Woe be unto he or she who thought so, for behold even the existence of God Himself is relative. While to some he does exist, to others he is just a logical being, a creation of the mind. Call it a gonzo statement, call it a gorm-less notion, but one thing for sure is that, you cannot juxtapose a voice of a mortal being and level it up with a voice of a spirit! It is total absurdity; it does not add up, joke not! “Comrades power, Comrades riiaaaah, Comrades adjijin, Comrades akcheeew, Comrades akchyaah, Comrades ndialalaaah, Comrades tendeeeng, Comrades vruuuuum,” among other onomatopoeia, not forgetting the clichés as, “ We Will Not Allow, We Were Not Born

Yesterday, Admin Must Know People, It Has Come To Our Attention, Aluta Continua, For The Sake Of Peace, Peace-kende, A Comrade Is Always Right, Tell A Comrade To Tell Another Comrade,” among others, you cannot say, with a sober mind as yours, seriously, that such noise-making, such a cacophony of voices, such a vestige of heckling, a pang of nostalgia, is what encompasses the VOICE OF GOD! And if it is, then we must be the most jocular lot!

What has actually kidnapped my conscience is by the act that whenever comrades go for an election, they elect their student leaders with such a vigor unison agreement. They exalt their preferred candidates who emerge successful so profusely. However, just some few weeks down the road, they start crying foul, ululating, nagging, complaining of their never-ending misgivings and incapacities of their leaders to offer solutions to their every now and then challenges. They become bitter, so much such that they no longer recognize these leaders anymore; they even utter derogatory and demeaning statements to them.

The big question lingers, is this God, Our God, whose voice is implicated through the voice of comrades, such an erroneous God? Is He such a God full of mistakes? Why does He allow comrades to elect student leaders who on the real ranks are not able to fulfill their promises and policies? Who on the real caliber just peddle lies over their abilities to perform and dispense their duties? Or, on the other hand, is it comrades who are using the name of the Lord God, Our God, in vain? Or as a scape-goat? As one whom we can later on finger-point? It is so unfortunate. Campus politicians and leaders should halt misusing this phrase, “comrades have decided and the voice of comrades is the voice of God.” It misleads. It blinds. It fosters sycophancy. It inhibits liberated reasoning. It kills rational decision-making. Comrades decisions, comrades voices, at times, perhaps even many a times than not, may not necessarily be God’s decisions or God’s voice. It might as well be the DEVIL’s voice. BEWARE, BEWARNED! Have a strikeful day, wont you?

You are still my friends~Steve Biko

A friend is a gift you give to yourself. Friends are those people in your life with whom you do not have any blood relation. It’s a relation of love and affection towards other people.

Your friend is someone with whom you feel comfortable and can easily share your thoughts and feelings. You do not have to think twice when you are with your friends. A true friend loves you unconditionally, understands you, but never judges you and always tries to support you and give you good advice.

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” ― Elbert Hubbard

A true friend is one will always be there when you need someone. He will leave all his important works but will never leave you alone, especially in your difficult times. That is why it is said a friend in need is a friend indeed. Difficult times are the best time to realize who your true friends are. Blessed are the souls who have true friends. It does not matter how many friends you have, what matters is how many true friends you have.

Friends show us how to live a life in a different way; they are the ones who can change our viewpoints for good. There is no growth of the person without any friend. A friend is really very essential to understand life. Until now we have been looking at life the way our family wanted us to see, it is only when we see the world with the eyes of a friend that our view point changes.

The kind of friends you have determines the kind of person you are. That is why it is advised to be careful before making a friend. Choose someone with good thoughts and character, because our thoughts and feelings are affected by the place we live in and with the people we live with. Be friends with someone who makes you feel free, positive and alive.

A couple should be best of friends for a successful marriage. Husband and wife should understand each other the way true friends understand each other. They should have love and understanding, trust and respect for each other.

Thus, before getting married one should give importance to the degree of friendship a couple holds. As said by Nicolas Sparks in the novel “The Notebook”- “You are my best friend as well as my lover, and I do not know which side of you I enjoy the most. I treasure each side, just as I have treasured our life together.”

Many songs and stories have been written on the importance of friendship. It breaks the ice between two unknown people; if the other person is friendlier then a person feels more comfortable and easily opens up. Even a small drop of friendship can do wonders in any such relationship as the relationship of a couple, parents and their child, boss and employee, members of an organization etc. Heaven will fall on earth if we can eradicate ego, selfishness and hate and grow love and friendship for each other in the hearts of people.

Hail every Mary in your life this mother’s day- yusuf omete

There is no doubt that with every mention of the name Mary, our minds quickly wade to the piteous mother of Jesus, whether Christians, Muslims of atheists, the Mary figure is cross cutting, a symbol of enormous sincere love, care, gratitude and piety. Mary was not only a good mother to Christ, she was a dedicated wife to Joseph, in fact before Angel Gabriel spoke to her on Gods choice to carry Christ, she was a demonstration of an all round wife, not only was she industrious, Mary was respectful and very beautiful. It is from Christ’s demeanor that we see true Mary’s character,  from Jesus life one can easily tell that he was greatly brought up, full of character, life, discipline, determination, kindness and love, traits children mostly pick from their mothers. Mary’s exceptional traits are what we see in our mothers today, and as much as time has created huge gaps between Mary and our mothers; all remain to be Gods greatest and beautiful creation.

Hail Mary, from the time of conceiving to carrying us in their tummies for nine months, mothers show greatest patience with us, from the wails and pain they undergo when bringing us forth to this world , mothers show the great sacrifice they can do for us, other mothers had to lose their lives so that we live, they witnessed us take the first breath, saw our small , delicate and beautiful figures, mothers took care of us when we were most vulnerable, waking up in the middle of the night to change us when we got ourselves wet, when we soiled ourselves, the scene never disgusted them, they were quick to change us in fresh clothes and get us back to sleep. So many times mama was alone when Papa was at work or had traveled, for some they stayed and kept us company in hospital when disease threatened our small, fragile stay on earth. Others even had to donate blood and other vital organs for us to live. Mothers are a true pure manifestation of love compared to only Gods affection.

So we grew step by step and they were there to stand with us, when we struggled to utter the first word in learning to speak, mothers encouraged us and when we did it, they jumped with excitement and pleasure. Walking time came and we fell, fumbled and tumbled so many times in mastering the delicate art of walking, in this quest our mothers were there to cheer us on. Nothing disturbed her peace like when we were sick and hungry, most took jobs so demeaning so as we sleep bellies full, for others, mama took the mantle of raising us alone when we lost father figures, her spirit so indomitable that we are who we are because they put their  best foot forward for us. In the journey of life, mothers have prayed, shed tears and denied themselves for us. Be it  massaging our egos or  encouraging us to keep going even when we saw no light or ray of hope, their greatest happiness to see us excel, they are the ever strong pillar upon which our lives are anchored.

This mother’s day, take time and hail every Mary in your life, for those who still have their mothers around, treat it as the greatest gift and favor from God, enjoy every minute with them, make it momentous and worthwhile, celebrate, take them out or even surprise them with roses and do great effort to make them happy because some just wish for such a privilege. For those who their mothers left to the Lord, do not despair; be grateful for that short time they were around, pray for them because each day even in spirit they look after us. Let’s remember also to celebrate all other women in our lives; our wives, fiances, girlfriends, sisters and even our daughters, because in their own different ways they give us joy and pleasure. Let it not be forgotten to us that a girl child is equally as important as a male one and proper education is what they require most because an empowered woman is an empowered society. I pray for the safe rescue of all girls kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria. Hail Mary

Happy mother’s day.