Youth Radicalization at the Coast:Be informed-Anonymous

For the past few months, the Government of Kenya has been on high alert due to Al Shabaab, and MRC activities in the region.  In addition, they have been monitoring the activities of radicalized youth in Mosques where the radical youth have ejected and sometimes killed moderate clerics and assumed leadership positions in the running of these Mosques.

Once they take control of the Mosques, they have used them as launching pads to intimidate non Muslims and even kill and harass Muslims who do not subscribe to the radical messages.  These youthful radicals preach hatred for non Muslims urging their followers to kill those who don’t agree with them. Attacks such as the one witnessed recently of a Mombasa University Lecturer was perpetrated by the radicalized youth who now want to become a law unto themselves.  

They have become a danger to religious unity and to Kenya as a country.  These violent Muslim youths have been receiving financial and PR support from foreign funded very vocal groups and individuals based in the coastal region and who have themselves been propagating foreign ideas including turning Kenya into a caliphate.

For months now, the security forces claim that they received information about the presence of arms in Mosques that the radicalized youth have taken over from moderate Sheikhs to advance the establishment of a caliphate. This information led the security forces to carry out a raid in Sakina and Musa Mosques on November 17, 2014. 

The following are the results of that raid: Sakina Mosques: 6 persons arrested; and the following items were found: 1 pistol, 3 hand grenades, 2 machetes, 1 knife, 2 laptops with information on radicalization, and a CPU.  In Musa Mosque: 15 persons were arrested and the following items recovered: 2 hand grenades, substance that police suspect is for making IEDs and other items of security nature.

251 persons were arrested in general swoop outside of the two mosques. One radicalized youth was shot dead when he attempted to kill security officers by throwing a hand grenade at officers.

We are greatly concerned about the following: those dangerous weapons including hand grenades are being hidden in mosques that the radicalized youth have taken over. 

It is worth noting that one hand grenade can kill up to 20 persons and can injure even more people. A total of six grenades were hidden in the mosque and no one can tell Kenyans or the world that the dangerous weapons were meant to preach Islam or peace.

The other concerns relate to the culture now taking place in Kenya where the Security forces are castigated for not taking firm action and when they do they are still damned.

PLEASE NOTE:The views presented in this article do not in any way represents those of Intellectus Consultancy

What Applicants Say In Interviews That Get Them Hired

By
Naomi Seselja 

The most irresistible job applicants marry their emotional intelligence with competency based answers in their job interviews to impress on all levels. These applicants understand an interview isn't an interrogation but an interactive platform for interviewer and interviewee to arrive at the same station - and feel good about it.
While there are a range of processes to understand about behavioural interviews, I will focus here on three pointers compelling candidates understand about their job interview and what they say that highlights their emotional intelligence.
Successful applicants are incredibly passionate about the job at hand - and prove it.
You are a high quality candidate with a history of excellence in your chosen field, or as a newbie you showcase your potential and willingness to be great at your job. Passion, enthusiasm, zeal, cannot-wait-to-get-the-offer-and-get-started, or any way you want to put it - is undeniably magnetic.
Show off your fervour in a way that translates to "I will be on top of my game in this role". Anyone can say "I would love this opportunity." In fact, a user of this phrase probably uses it in every interview they're asked to, and interviewers remain untouched by this cliche. Why not suggest your enthusiasm by the questions you fire back with?
A sample of questions that impress upon your passion:

• "What would you expect me to have achieved in my first 3 months on the job?"
• "Can you tell me about the upcoming projects / campaigns in your company?"

Irresistible applicants come across as someone others would love to work with.
In focusing on facts and figures, don't forget the 'likeability' factor. Sometimes the person most qualified for the job misses out because the interviewer didn't warm to them and didn't feel the team would, either. The most skilled candidates practice empathy with their interviewer, understanding they are only human with their own social needs to fit in, to be understood and respected, and use this bias to their advantage.
Ways to be charming in an interview:

• Make the interviewer feel comfortable by being warm and even humorous if the occasion calls for it.
• Think of the interviewer as someone you know, talk to them as if you genuinely like and respect them. They will feel this warmth and be confident that the team will to.
• Speak about your greatest achievements, in a modest tone. Let your achievements speak for themselves.
• Be interactive and ask questions of your own. People often say they don't get the chance; but when you are answering a question, the floor is all yours to fire away with your own.
• Don't be combative, boastful, cold or disengaged - the most superhumanly intellectual of candidates can lose the opportunity just by being unlikeable.

The best candidates aren't reserved about complimenting the company at hand.
Stipulate your admiration for the companies initiatives, campaigns, projects, presentation, vibe, vision - anything you genuinely like about the company. Compliment the company.
When answering questions, feel welcome to talk about past relevant experiences and then inject what you like about the company's matching initiatives.
For example:
"I volunteer with an NGO that helps rescue victims of human trafficking, and was actively involved in my previous company's campaign to stop child trafficking. I'm so excited that you have projects now in Europe involved in this - it's such an important global initiative that attracted me to applying for this position. I'd love the opportunity to be on board with what you're doing there."
Just by using some emotional intelligence to target your answers and build rapport on a range of levels, you are able to get greater insight into the position and company and find out if it's right for you, as well as being able to sit in a very comfortable position.
Of course, there are exceptions in some cultural climates, but in general this is how the best of candidates do it. This is not enough in itself to get you hired, but by putting your best social foot forward and having that correlate with your suitability for the position, correctly answering competency based questions and highlighting your fit within the company culture, you are giving yourself the best chances of success.

About The Author
Naomi Seselja is the founder of Mode Recruitment & Career Services. An expert resume writer and interview coach, her clients include: CEO's, Biologists, Executives, Financiers, people in the beauty industry and everything in between all across the globe. If you'd like to make a booking, email naomi@moderecruitment.com.au

Reasons why I support Food Security Bill,2014-Ken Mwangi

The legislation on the right to food in Kenya, that is the Food Security Bill, 2014 [FSB],  is timely for following three reasons:

Firstly, it addresses directly a right provided to Kenyans in the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 [COK] at Article 43(1)(c) which states, “Every person has the right to be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable quality;” In addition, such legislation also responds to Article 53(1)(c) that states, “Every child has the right to basic nutrition, shelter and health care;”. The FSB is therefore purposed towards ensuring compliance with constitutional provisions regarding the right of Kenyans to food.

Secondly, the passing of the Food Security Bill, 2014 would enable the realization of the spirit of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, which can be gleaned from several provisions within it. These include Article 10 which articulates the National values and principles of governance among them social justice. It also includes Article 19 of the COK that states, “(1) The Bill of Rights is an integral part of Kenya’s democratic state and is the framework for social, economic and cultural policies. (2) The purpose of recognising and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms is to preserve the dignity of individuals and communities and to promote social justice and the realisation of the potential of all human beings.” Moreover, Article 20 indicates that, “(1) The Bill of Rights applies to all law and binds all State organs and all persons. (2) Every person shall enjoy the rights and fundamental freedoms in the Bill of Rights to the greatest extent consistent with the nature of the right or fundamental freedom.”

Finally, the Food Security Bill, 2014 enables the National and County Governments to fulfill their obligations to Kenyans through providing a solution to the stark realities emergent from recently concluded comprehensive research that was undertaken in 20 Counties by the African Women Studies Centre, University of Nairobi. The research was with respect to the issue of food security and the data from this research paints a grim picture. For instance, in response to the question whether the respondent or any member of their household had gone to sleep at night hungry because there was no food, it emerged that out of the 20 Counties Kirinyaga recorded the lowest number of households that slept hungry rated at 2.1% whilst Turkana had the highest at 48.1%. The overall findings of the research were that 18% of the population or 7.1 million Kenyans are often or always hungry. Clearly, this situation is untenable and the fact that one Kenyan lacks what to eat at all is reason enough for the state to take urgent action to remedy the situation.

It is important to note that although there exists a qualification in Article 21 of the Constitution with respect to the implementation of the socio-economic rights canvassed in Article 43 where the latter are pegged for progressive implementation, the findings from the above research clearly establish the need for the legislation of the Food Security Bill as immediate. Undeniably, if interventions such as those proposed in the FSB are not put in place now, the quality of the health and therefore output of the future generations will be compromised. In addition, the majority of persons will be anxious as they age because of the fact that in some cases elderly persons become vulnerable when they do not have a social support system that is able to ensure they have a meal daily and a meal that addresses their peculiar needs.

I will be offering the essentials of the bill in a later article.

Ken Mwangi, Courtesy of the African Women's Studies Centre, University of Nairobi

kenmwangi90@gmail.com

0711765028

Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied: Part II - Dennis Kabutha

                                                 Wawili wakipigana nyasi huumia!

In the past week the media was awash with furor over Uhuru Kenyatta’s appearance at the International Criminal Court and documentaries from the archives to show how he cases have been built to get this far. It was feared that having a president sit in court would have put the country’s sovereignty on trial, however the president pulled a stunt that made everyone marvel at the brilliance of his advisers. Whether unnecessary or necessary, I bet you have to agree with me the president scored nothing less than an A in winning the populace. 

Finally Ocampo made an example out of Kenya, a dream he held when starting the cases; I mean which other president would take himself to the court? The decision that the 3 judge bench is going to make in the next 14 days will be landmark. In my opinion it either hits had the accused (in this case the president) or boomerangs on the court, no way it is going to spare the two at the same time! If you follow international news keenly you must have noted there have been several interviews that sought to find out, or question if you like if the International Criminal Court is serving the ‘purpose it was established for,’ with the former prosecutor Moreno Ocampo featuring prominently in the interviews. The Kenyan cases seem to have put the court under tight scrutiny especially from Africa, where we seek to know if the court us serving the purpose for which it was established or it is simply a politicking tool for regime change or an instrument of post-colonial hegemony. Journalists have tried to measure the court’s success by the number of convictions (guilty verdicts) the court has been able to secure; only two from one country with the first one coming a decade after the court was established.

We all know it has been a bare knuckle fight as the prosecution struggles to keep the case alive, at the same time conceding that there’s no evidence to sustain the case. We’ve had so many sideshows and tantrums from the prosecutor even in the other case concerning the deputy president. In the pretrial chamber, the evidence was evaluated and found to be insufficient to sustain a case against Francis Muthaura yet it was the same evidence which was being relied on in the case against Uhuru Kenyatta. Where has this evidence suddenly disappeared to? I keep wondering. The case against Kenyatta has been like a tag of war with two equal forces. The court has to protect its reputation just like President Kenyatta has to.

Back to the 3 judge bench presided by Judge Kuniko Ozaki: it is in their disposal to adjourn the case indefinitely, terminate the case or invoke article 87(7) of the Rome statute and declare Kenya as non-cooperative referring it to the assembly of state parties.  The latter would be a decision that even we Kenyans should anticipate. This is where we may realize that the case is political just like the court. This decision may attract sanctions against Kenya as well as souring Kenya’s relationship with the international community. Termination of the case may finally give Uhuru a good night’s sleep since he’ll have been acquitted. It will also be a bitter consequence of the incompetence of the OTP, for pursuing other issues other than justice for the victims. The case comes at a time when the court seems to be under pressure to show its ability to deliver justice as well as prove it’s not a western political tool that only targets Africa with vested interests. Perhaps we all should blame the fix on Ocampo for doing a shoddy job, but who will hear the plight of the victims? The Kenyan cases are like a bullfight and like the Swahili say, “the grass will hurt”, unfortunately the grass here  refers to the victims. Who will serve them justice?

                            Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied- I

Why Power to Ruto is just but a PR gimmick- Yusuf Omete

I start this article with a quote from one of my most celebrated political fathers, Plato. Plato says ‘’ the people really do not know what is good for them, but the leaders do’’, quite satirical and that is what makes the basis of my today’s penning. From the events of the hyped handing over power to Ruto , frenzied hysterically and applauded by unyielding sycophancy, Kenyans are literally are a gullible population, cemented by a media that never scrutinizes events but helps the state to oil it’s propaganda machinery, aptly leading  me  to one of the greatest political theory I subscribe to, the theory of deprivation and deficiency, perpetrated and perfected by the ruling class to hoodwink the peasants and govern with ease, limit information flow, at times create insecurity, keep them poor and if you can instill fear and at the same time be a fortress of refuge then you can control them, that a side, let me concentrate on the purpose of my article, no power has been given to Ruto.

Uhuru’s decision is Solomonic, said one of the young Mp; the president can only be compared to Mandela for taking the unprecedented decision; indeed Mandela must have turned in his grave for the comparison, Kenya is a country that has been accustomed to failed leadership and when someone does what is required of them, it looks momentous, Salmond stepped down not so long ago when his bid for Scotland independence failed, the CIA chief followed after an intruder found his way

  into white house, not to mention the Japanese premier who stepped down for sleeping in a G8 meeting, individual culpability is my point, Kenyatta become a suspect before he become the president and dragging the country along as it had been suggested by his supporters would have been down trodden so carrying his own cross is no big news, in fact  the frenzy and the well orchestrated address of  the joint houses, shedding of presidential cap, traveling by KQ is just part of the smart strategy the government put in place to brainwash the public on the Kenyatta’s commitment to the trial, which judging by the talk has scored straight As,.

From the Political eye President Kenyatta has cemented his support in the Rift valley by trusting Ruto with temporary leadership which is but ceremonial, but regardless of what people perceive, the message is down to the peasant in Eldoret that Kenyatta is a good man and soon when time to support Ruto comes, there will be trouble, an issue that my political crystal ball balls disagrees with, I look at Ruto from a robot perspective, controlled, given direction and a captive of himself. Now let me take you back to the recent shake up in the security apparatus and make you understand why Kenyatta patronized those positions with men from the military, study of military civilian relations will tell that this was all strategic and if Ruto would try to do what Amin dada did to Obote while Kenyatta is away, it will be a legendary story of a frog knowing another world when it jumps in hot water.

Kenyatta’s cases have never been about Kenya and the populist, numerous, roadside and  self appointed  courts vindicating him is just but misleading and mob hysteria, this is the reason to why courts are created, and given formal mandate to offer insightful and unbiased judgments, whether guilty or not, let’s leave to the courts. Again, what do u say about the church, the once considered voice of reason is too dancing to the gallery, selective prayer for the elite, dining and winning as the populace is corrupted, the question being ,who will save Kenya.

Less has been spoken about  the fate of the victims of the post election violence , another scheme  of the elite to set up the peasants against the peasants, being a refugee in your country is not only humiliating but a violation of rights widely captured in our constitution, my plea to the great people of this nation , trusting whatever the government tells you is what Bob Marley calls mental slavery ,till today, we have never  had a memorial for the victims, lives were lost, families were broken, hands were chopped off while others are still homeless as we jump up and down hailing the leaders, we have fallen so low as a country that we ballyhoo thieves, murders, looters and elect mad men, aliening merit and goodness , that even elders go to consult the gods for vindication of their accused son, a classical rematch of when Unoka visited the Agbala for his barren land. When did a politicians misfortunes become his community burdens, when shall we open our eyes. Why don’t we lionize our great athletes who bring great honor like we cheer our failed leadership, we afforded to celebrate a  tyrants 90^th birthday but forgot that of the great Wangare Mathai, even  the so called women leaders never saw the need for it.

My final caution, there is danger in not reading history since chances of repeating mistakes are high, we forget so fast, and that is my worry. Treat every Kenyan like your brother and  never allow your ethnic politician to divide you, refuse to be drawn into hatred started by politicians and the ruling elite, let you be reminded of what you earn verses what the leaders earn, your hard struggles to make your leader comfortable, your unemployment status, that when they get sick they fly out using your taxes while you go to hospitals without doctors and medicine, that while you scramble for space in a matatu and traffic, they bully you on the road with long convoys, let your problems unite you and make a wise decision when you vote next.

Yusuf is the deputy CEO of Intellectus Consultancy, a human rights activist and a crusader of good governance and democracy,views expressed here are his and do not represent the position of Intellectus Consultancy

In the Mind of the President: Some reasons behind Uhuru’s Decision-Ken Mwangi

I am a realist and a great admirer of the International relations scholar Hans J Morgenthau. In his book ‘Politics among Nations’ (6^th revised edition) any international act by a state or the president as actor in the international system act should be both INTELLIGENT and PEACEFUL. He notes that in the process of executing any international objective there are four tasks that you have to undertake. The first one is the identification of your objective. This means that you have to identify and determine for what purpose you want to engage with another state, intergovernmental organization, execution of an international treaty or agreements and other instruments that are available.

The second one is analyzing the objectives of these other parties. In this instance you ask yourself, what do the other party want to achieve? In this case the major question was ‘what does International Criminal Court want to achieve by summoning the president to The Hague’ whiles as the prosecutor had publicly declared that she had no evidence against him?

The third task that you partake is the examination on compatibility of objectives. Your objectives and those of the other party, how different or compatible are they? Can they be achieved at the same time? Will the implementation of one lead to the neglection of the other. Can the objectives be implemented simultaneously? Will the execution of one objection lead to vacuumation of the other? This is another question that the president’s advisors asked themselves.

The last and the most vital task is the task of the identification of the right means (can also be called instruments) to execute the objective. Do you honour the summons or not and how? What are the tactics that you use to achieve your objectives? Do you shed off your presidential status or do you take Kenya to trial with you? Which one is INTELLIGENT AND PEACEFUL? The president’s advisors had to carefully read and analyzed the mood of Kenya and Africa. How will his appearance at The Hague be viewed by the African States (represented by head of governments and/or heads of states) who had passed a a resolution not to honour any prosecutorial inclinations executable by the ICC.

For any international engagement to be peaceful and intelligent it must be executed at the appropriate time and executed appropriately. Herbert Simons in his satisfycing theory notes that you have to look for appropriate means to achieve your objectives when faced by conflicting scenarios. It advocates for an ‘acceptable threshold’ rather than the ‘optimal decision making’. The government used the first option to arrive in the final resolution.

That is the small and rather theoretical piece that I shared with my friend, the implementation depended on the government.

Ken Mwangi is the CEO Intellectus Consultancy, a regional think tank on public and social policy. 

He is also a  Masters student in International Relations and graduate of Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Nairobi

Reasons Why I support Pesa Mashinani-Oyola D Oyola Political Analyst

Decentralizing financial resources to the grassroots is an idea which has been long overdue. Ever  since time in history,Kenya's financial management has been done through central administration. Due to the poverty in both political and moral cultures by the managers,the funds have not been living up to the expectations of the tax payers. Those in power have used their positions to play political gimmicks with it resulting into marginalization and deep-cutting economic corruptions. Government tendering processes which should be avenues of empowerment to the citizenry, has gone into the pockets of a few usual people both national and international who then invest these taxes abroad depriving the local population of the benefits accruing from their contributions.

More funds at the county will see the following happen:
1. Government tenders will be able to benefit the locals. This will be as a result of many people down at the counties getting access to the tender opportunities.These tenders have in the past been a preserve of the few businessmen seated in Nairobi,New York,Hong Kong and New Delhi. Nothing is purchased in govt if not through this process. The over 1.8Trillion budget by the govt during the financial years 2014/2015 will be consumed through tendering processes. Our local businessmen will be able to apply for these tenders and invest them in the empowerment of the locals.

2. 45% of funds to the counties will dilute the presidency and make it less lucrative as opposed to the current state. Many marginalized communities through their counties will not need the presidency since political favors emanating from the same will be washed away by 'Pesa Mashinani'. Self-sustainability by the people will be like the second independence.

3. Development of a particular place is determined by the money circulation in that area. For a long time,Nairobi has experienced a huge migration of young men and women coming to look for opportunities. Trust me,back in the rural, there is enough work to be done; what has been lacking is money. 

4. Businesses started at the counties will  grow due to the high purchasing power of the people.
The coming of 'pesa mashinani' will see financial institutions set up branches at the counties to tap into the currency. This will see many  get access to credit to start up businesses and grow the already existing institutions.
The circulation will also see institutions of higher learning and research firms set up campuses and stations as investments to empower the human capital due to the availability of funds to finance their enrollments.
When the above is done, the economies of our counties will see Kenya grow in its GDP in unimaginable folds.
 
5. The perennial land problems will be dealt with by the county officials in collaboration with the affected communities  who best have the history and facts. Destruction and and preservation of our natural resources like forests will be effectively checked by the county governments.

100% allocation to the national government has been tested and tried since independence. Instead of ensuring growth,employment and equity, it resulted into Anglo-leasing frauds,Goldenberg scandals, Cemetery scandals, deeper marginalization, crazy unemployment levels, political patronage,democracy and political assassinations; all evils both from hell and earth befell Kenya because of the 100% funds to the central government.
The reality of more funds at the counties will encourage political tolerance,national tranquility and peaceful coexistence between communities since much pressure for the scramble for resources will shift to the counties. Competition will be focused not on who become the president but how fast counties develop. If there could be a time young people would rise and make a statement, it is now since the salvation from the 50-year economic suffering and  captivity is within stone's throw.

Oyola D Oyola is a Political Analyst and the Public Relations and Communication Director, Intellectus Consultancy

South Sudan Conflict: How the ‘Diplomat’ Got It All Wrong!-Nyakiya Nyakiyaism

In the article titled “Things Fall Apart”, in the Diplomat of February 2014 (Volume 043), Mohammed Warsame, confirms his appalling ignorance of the political history of South Sudan, including her liberation struggles and the twists and turns of events that led to her independence in 2011 when he unapologetically “reports” to the magazine, a despicable combination of intellectually manufactured half-truths and blatant lies.

The second paragraph of his article reads in part; “Kiir was politically wounded, perhaps fatally, as his country heads for general elections next year. Indeed, his decision to force his way into a second term was at the heart of his dramatic fallout with his erstwhile deputy.” This statement as well as a later one – ““Just three years into his term, south Sudan imploded into a bitter and divisive ethnic rebellion pitting his majority Dinka tribe against the Nuer community of his former deputy, the charismatic Machar”, betrays the standards of cogency expected of a thoroughly researched paper. I find it fallacious and grossly dishonest for someone to make a judgment based on bases projections. Certainly, the general elections shall be in May 2015, does it therefore make any analytical sense to preempt without supportive facts, a possibility of a forceful retention of power by the incumbency? If this is not an inflammatory statement, then should we redefine incitement?

With all due respect to my brother Mohammed, I beg to point out that the premise of personal opinions and lopsided analysis on the strength of which he has repeatedly mocked and vilified President Kiir and his administration are completely limited, misplaced and unreliable and should therefore be treated with a well-deserved contempt.

Shall I explain?

While the English language in the vastness of its philological richness avails great expressive adjectives that can add value to discourse, my good brother has stuck in a diminutive cesspool of bigoted insults to derogatively define the President of the Republic of South Sudan. His statement “Garang held the SPLA together by his sheer personality and charisma; Kiir suffers a sharp deficit of both” as well as “…Kiir was never a leader in the mold of Garang or even Machar, he will therefore, avers Colonel Abdi Farah, have to adopt a more inclusive and balanced leadership.” Are not only misleading, but a complete expression of a partisan intellectual who has set out chiefly to confuse the masses of readers who lack expertise in sophistry with his superficial analysis of the politics of the State in question. 

The writer then proceeds with his innuendo and unleashes another plethora of pejorative adjectives when he states with a semblance of finality that Salvakiir is “taciturn” and “morose”. One can only wonder what kind of passion would turn the learned friend into such a fluent polemicist and pitifully fill his schooled head with that magnitude of invectives, but he soon unmasks his concealed orientation when he finally blabs about his very interesting admiration of the militancy embodied by Machar. To him, his ‘hero’ Machar is “ebullient” and “charismatic”. Let me be modest and consider him a rebel sympathizer at best and at worse, a hired goon who is under instructions to attract sympathies for the enemies of South Sudan and their illicit ideologies. As an interested observer I keep asking how the over-misrepresented idiosyncratic values of President Kiir, can be used to create reasons and excuses for Dr. Machar and his allies, to suspend the constitution of South Sudan which protects the institution of the Presidency and outlines lucidly the procedure of acceding to such an office. But lest I digress and begin to wade through the same mud of emotional expression, allow me to present the facts as they truly are.

First, the notion that the author seeks to create here that there is a situation of ethnic war between the Nuer and Dinka and that the government is supporting the latter against the former must be dismissed in the strongest words possible. A history into the interaction between the two communities reveals a truth that is very far from the earlier allegations.

The Dinka-Nuer political affiliations date back to as early as the 1924 armed conflict against the British colonial power. Ali Abdalatif and Abdalfadheel El Maz (Dinka and Nuer respectively) organized a rebellion against the British. The same collaboration existed between KerubinoKuanyin, a dinka and William Nyuon, a Nuer in the 1983 mutiny in Bor and Ayod which inspired the creation of SPLM/A. In 2005, John Garang, a Dinka and RiekMachar, a Nuer, reunited to sign the CPA which provided leadership for the transitional Government of the semi-autonomous territory until the abrupt demise of Dr. Garang later that year. Even after the death of Garang, the two communities still worked together with Kiir as the President and Machar as his vice until the end of the transitional government’s tenure in 2010. Kiir then chose Machar to be his running mate and together they won and led the country into voting for secession in 2011. The two communities have also joined for wrong reasons. For instance, after “the gang of two Doctors” led by Dr. Machar and DR. Lam Akol, attempted and failed to overthrow Garang from the leadership of SPLM/A in 1991, they were, joined by KerubinoKuanyin and Faustino AtemGualdit, who were both Dinkas in 1993. The team then turned against Garang and the SPLM/A. The trend was repeated in 2013, when a section of leaders rebelled against President Kiir, the group that is led by Pagan Amun and Rebecca Garang (mostly Dinka) have joined the Machar led rebel group (predominantly Nuer)

So honestly, how can we justify that the civil strife in South Sudan is ethnically motivated. Or maybe I should explain further!

How can it be possible that the “Dinka-dominated” government can be conducting state sponsored extermination campaign against the Nuer when there are Nuer People in very key government positions in the SalvaKiir administration? Governors John K. Nyuon (Jonglei State), Simon Kun Puoch (Upper Nile State) and Dr. Joseph NguenMonytuil (Unity state), James Hothmai, (Chief General Staff) and MagokRundial (Speaker of National Assembly) are all Nuers and they are in full support of the Government. The same, is true with several academics and Army officers from the Nuer ethnic group. Is the author therefore suggesting that these respectable leaders have conspired with the Government to kill their own people?

And now back to his ridiculous argument that Kiir lacks charisma, is morose and very taciturn. Who but an uninformed person can claim that a President, who campaigned and won elections in a democratic process is deficient of charisma? Of course, I have restrained the temptation to question the author’s judgment with vehemence and instead assume that it was a typing error. However, that doesn’t in anyway stop me from informing the author, especially now that I am convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that it will be an injustice on him to be left in the darkness. Lexically, the Term charisma is used to describe the ability to influence and inspire people by our own personal qualities. Now which other way would show a charismatic person better than winning a spiritedly contested presidential election with a landslide victory of 93% of the total votes cast? Is the author suggesting that Kiir won through guess work or some African black magic? I hope not.

Equally, I can’t stop laughing at the comparison that this author draws between the President (whom he bedevils) and Machar (who is seriously deified). Machar who has neither contested nor won any election, but has a mucky record of rebellion and betrayal against friends, has now turned an angel worthy of our glorification. Very funny!

In 1991, Machar betrayed Garang and even attempted to dethrone him. In 1994, he dismissed his fellow rebel Dr.LamAkol from SPLA-Uited.In2001, he walked out of Bashir with whom he had signed a peace agreement in 1997. Why then should it come as a surprise to anybody that in 2013, Machardid, what he has an addiction for? Anybody supporting Machar’s actions is actually a supporter of a bloody and manipulative tribalist who hides under the guise of nationalism to sow seeds of division and discord among South Sudanese Nationals. Or shall I remind the world again, that it is the same Machar who in 1991, perpetrated the Bor Massacre in which 2000 Dinkas were killed?

President Kiir might not be the darling of some of us, but let us be fair in the way we tackle the situation in South Sudan, lest we incite our brothers and sisters against one another through irresponsible journalism and simplistic approach to the already very delicate situation in the Country.

Nyakiya Nyakiyaism is a Senior Political Scientist and Member of Board of Directors, Intellectus Cosnultancy. He is also the the founder and author of the 'Nyakiyaism' school of thought

Maina Dubois: The Paradox That Is Government Loans in University Education

It is no doubt that the cost of a college degree in Kenya has continued to soar despite the mushrooming of new and new colleges. With each dawn, nations are striving to achieve the required capacity; be it an adequate pool of engineers, planners, doctors, economists; a prerequisite for attaining the envisioned macro-economic stabilities, that is, low unemployment levels, single digit inflation level, maximum production levels etc.

As such, you would expect education to be the most affordable item yet the reality on the ground tells of quite a different narrative altogether. Why then, has the cost of acquiring a university degree continued to rise day by day?

To start with, we have to realize that the education sector is affected by the basic forces of demand and supply. Take for example, admission applications received at a public university in Kenya per intake. Recent statistics shows that there for a 100 students admitted for a particular programme, more than double the admitted are locked out.

This simple scenario illustrates a situation whereby the market for university education is faced with an excess demand and since universities are not able to expand overnight i.e. the supply of education facilities is not perfectly elastic, the only reasonable thing for them to do, is to increase their pricing for a degree so as to be able to meet the demand without upsetting the market. In so doing, the cost of a college degree rises and has continued to do so exponentially.

Of interest to us here, however, is why the sharp rise in demand for a college education? Here, we look at two things:

(1)Government Subsidies and Loans/Grants

When governments subsidize the cost of university education, this has the effect of making it less costly (to the student) and thus affordable. Parents and students interpret this to mean that it is now cheaper and thus many parents rush to get their children admitted. What they do not realize is that this has the net overall effect of raising the cost of that degree. This is how: When many students rush to be enrolled, yet the universities cannot expand the classrooms, the universities ends up increasing the fee for that particular programme so as to be admit only those students the classrooms can accommodate.

(2)Job Prospects

It is assumed that acquiring a college degree raises the chances of securing a job and thus many students rush to secure one again raising the demand and consequently the cost.

In addition, since the demand   for a degree continue to rise, universities has opted to invest not in education utilities but rather invested heavily in modern eateries and luxurious facilities like the state of the art swimming pools, gymnasiums, etc which have had the ultimate effect of raising even further, the cost of a degree without necessarily adding the value of that degree.

In this light, don’t you think students loans, government subsidies  etc serves to make education out of reach for the majority ?Or are they the necessarily evils that works a for a common good?

What is your take?

Am Dubois Maina.

The University of Nairobi.

A Letter To My Abaluhyia Uncles-Onguso Ochengo

Greetings from the son of your daughter bukhocha. I always begin by thanking you for giving my father a wife and giving me a mother! Here in Gusiiland, daughter has found plenty and we, the children of your daughter will inherit the priceless Gusii culture. However, we must not forget where our mother came from just because we stay in the land of the man who married your daughter. I believe my uncles are capable. The best orator in Kenya’s rich political history was my uncle-but do I say. 

ImbolamsianiKijanaWamalwa. A formidable fighter and invincible like the lion of Ford-Kenya which he wrestled from RailaOdinga upon Jaramogi’s death. In 2002, my uncle founded a formidable anti-Moi Alliance, National Alliance of Kenya together with Kibaki the husband of Lucy and Ngilu. The alliance was too powerful that Raila had to join it to form NARC. Wamalwa’s force was the force of my uncle’s. Who ever gave developed a phrase against Moi so memorable than ‘The Nyayo era was a great Error’? Who but my Khocha? I was proud of my uncles then as I want to be now. The vice-presidency was just a breath away from leading the country and statistics show that since 2002 three out of five of vice/deputy presidents have been Luhyia-my uncles. 3 out of 5! Do you know why you dominated the vice-presidency, you were the lions of Kenya who had the potential to take anything political if organized. Look not at census my uncles, people will lie that you are second or even third because they don’t want you to have the knowledge of your numbers. Khocha, there have been post-election violence in this country but pin-point to me one tribe that has ever been anti-Luhyia? Just one! You will find none. 

Whether you look in the direction of the lake or mountain, you are always in harmony with the whole country-no wonder my mother taught me to greet my uncles…’Mulembe or Mulembemwesi’ depending on the number. Peace is our greetings. Thank you such a rich inheritance. Khocha, your daughter gave my father and his people just four kids and the numbers of my father’s people are still small though we are soon hitting 1million voters. I know you are brave. August of every even year-…2008,2010,2012,2014, coward men must run from your land. A knife scares them away when you face it without pain-relievers when ‘Mulongo’ you sing. That is bravery. Only when I visit my khochas do I beheld the miracle of bull-fighting, cock fighting and how we call and catch the termites-khulangachiswa from the ground. 

My uncles were authorities and institutions to reckons. They said riswa, riswa and Musambwa became a religion. They said Kanu is dead (Martin shikuku) they were supported by a son from the land of my paternal great grandmother Kalenjin land (Jean M. Seroney-‘you need not substantiate the obvious’) and later KANU died in 1992. They said, the Nyayo era was a great era and Kanu was buried. Those are the uncles I knew. Those were my uncles. This letter from the slopes of Gusii is to remind you, my uncles, we miss the times you roared ‘SIMBA’ and defeated Raila. When you roared Era and error and the power matrix shifted. Let your son be proud of you again. Let him be proud of his roots. You gave me Heroes to look up to. You gave us Masinde, Shikuku, Wamalwa just to mention a few. Now no one sounds a hero to me. Some of your leaders are busy climbing the mountain and others are busy swimming in the lake. Now am forced to climbe the mountain because I do not know how to swim. 

My mother told me my uncles are not mountain climbers or swimmers. Let us go back to bull-fighting-no one will match us around here; maybe in Spain, let us instill the bravery we have in our body politick and sing Mulongo to State House with my uncle being the torch bearer or at worst the deputy of the torch-bearer.  I have seen potential in Musa wefwe-Wetangula but after climbing the mountain for years, he has a new hobby of swimming in the lake. Tell him we want to bull-fight. Our bulls want to fight. Shichemero and Luvambo-the great bulls want to fight. We want to live true to the clarion call of Mulongo. We are tired of eating fish we want our own chiswa. We are tired of following the cult of swimming, we have forgotten we had our own Msambwa. What divides us is our loyalty to others than ourselves. 

Bakhofubefwebalolambweeshinyweneshienywe but while our leaders were swimming, we were told our ancestors lied. Bakhochabange. If we unite, after Uhuru goes, we will sing the national Anthem in state house followed by ‘Mulongo’. We will eat our chiswa along state house road. If the people of the lake ask us why did we leave swimming, we will sing for them..”mwanawamaiumborerasina’. We will sing to the mountain climbers..’LubwereNasaeakhurinde’….Libalarinorinabaeriefwe. Eriefwe because I am the son of your daughter. Finally, bakhocha, sichienoshiaMasindeshiakendere-the spirit of Masinde visited. It whispered its prophecy of ‘from the lake to Mulembe’ is long overdue and the fact that the lake has failed to bring it home, may Masinde’s people sing Mulongo all the way to state house then will I grow up, give it to the people of my father, we will have had the numbers!

From: MwichukhuluwaAnyesinendeOdungawaLukingili. Mukhayomwene…inyumbayabaguriambinendebakhone-NambalebweneBusia County

Ochengo Onguso is a Graduate of Political Science and Public Administration and Philosophy from The University of Nairobi. He is also a Law student from the same institution.

He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Intellectus Consultancy

melchym1@gmail.com

Ochengonguso@intellectusconsultancy.com

Whether Cord Or Jubilee Referendum On Devolution Is Not An Option-Onguso Ochengo

In politics, if you do not care about yourself then trust individuals and not laws or institutions. I come from an impoverished county called Nyamira. A county that has only two tarmac roads. When it rains, I never go out of our compound for you cannot differentiate a farm from the road. No matter the vehicle, you will stagnate. When you come for my burial, let it not shock you where I was born. We set eyes on electricity 3 months ago and the only source of news used to be the radio. Even soccer ni kwa radio.

We fetch drinking water from the spring-direct from an exposed source. Irrigation is not an option thanks to God for the heavy rainfalls. Our coffee sector is crippled and the tea sector has been affected because of poor roads and the KTDA vehicles cannot collect tea leaves promptly making my mother and other tea farmers to lose many kilos of tea because the more the delay, the more moisture leaves lose and the more loss my poor kinsmen encounter. Education is a luxury, the general rule is Form four and the exception is University. Markets are pathetic and infrastructure a nightmare. Now let me give you the picture of Meru County. Electricity is a basic. Tarmac roads as many as our ‘paths’. Almost every homestead is fixed with two pipes, inlets and outlets of water for irrigation among other purposes. When I visited Meru during the last general elections, I knew the importance of raw power and resources. I am a good student of history. I have always followed keenly the story of the Kikuyu community and I can tell you that by 1963, they had built 58 independent schools owned by the Kikuyu community and later the government took over running of the institutions.

The first Kikuyu graduate was sent to South Africa for a BA using community funds. Long before any Kikuyu became a president, they knew what to do. On the same note, I have been nurtured by Luos. Born and raised amongst my best friends. Luos were equally organized under Jaramogi. I remember social hall, Ofafa Hall among other projects Luos owned as a community courtesy of their organization. Since I knew myself to be a Kisii, I have never heard any property we own or have ever owned as a community except the inheritance of land. Through devolution, the dream to develop as a community is real. We never owned a school as a community, now as a county we can, we never owned a hospital, now as a county we will, we never beheld the miracle of tarmac roads, and with devolution we can. Prof. Nying’uro used to tell us how during the Moi era Kalenjins had disproportionately many tarmac roads that they used to dry maize on the roads. While on my way to Meru, Thika road is not the only wonder but compared to my home I saw paradise…roads, electricity, booming business centres, well-built markets etc. 

I will not object on whichever basis a referendum that increases the resources to my community. Let us also enjoy good roads, maybe one will be called ‘Ochengo Super Highway’. Let us have electricity to discover our IT gurus, let us have irrigation systems, we help solve food deficiency in Kenya. Let us build better schools, attract better teachers, have better education to compete with the rest in the civil service. We need more resources. However, my tribe is not the will never be more important than our collectiveness. When we will have problems we cannot solve as a county, the national government must come in hand to help us as citizens. 

We cannot be self-sufficient and we need a national government that is strong. I want resources to my people but resources to counties should not be weakening of the national government but complementary for we must accept that the aim of governments is to ensure, social and economic development despite who controls resources. We cannot settle on an arbitrary figure 405 or 45%. This is why we need selfless economists, public finance experts, political scientists and lawyers to guide us. I have read the Bomas Draft Constitution (section 239 and 240) and the current constitution,2010(Article 202 and 203). The amount arrived at should take into consideration:

  1)   National interest.

  2)      National debt and obligation.

  3)      Needs and interests of the National Government

  4)      Emergencies or temporary needs.

  5)      Amount required for performance of devolved functions.

  6)      Fiscal capacity of the devolved counties

Resources cannot be devolved without commensurate functions being devolved. My county must develop but my country must be stable and my national government must be strong enough to wade off external aggression and to suppress internal disintegration. He who loves this country must support devolution based on the above parameters not arbitrariness. If you tell me 45% without telling me my national government will survive with 55% I WILL NOT SUPPORT. If you tell me 70% to counties and show me how the national government will survive with 30%, I WILL support. The means used to arrive at the percentage and mutual survival of Counties and the Nation will justify the end. 

Without such a criteria or even a better one, the calls for the referendum will be a fight against the national government just because you think the president comes from a particular region and you need to frustrate him. I am young and will be around for a while. Uhuru will not be the President forever, he may give us more without a referendum, but who cometh as president after he? If enshrined in law, every man shall be bound regardless who rules. Now we depend on the goodwill of Uhuru to have more than 15% and on the law to have 15%. Tomorrow we may have a president without goodwill, we must enshrine it not because Uhuru has denied us, but because we do not know what the future holds.Jubilee or Cord, counties must survive and the national government must survive. Achebe said, let the eagle perch and the hawk perch, whosever says to the other ‘don’t perch’ may his wing break!!!!!

Ochengo Onguso is a Graduate of Political Science and Public Administration and Philosophy from The University of Nairobi. He is also a Law student from the same institution.

He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Intellectus Consultancy

melchym1@gmail.com

Ochengonguso@intellectusconsultancy.com