from Head on Corrishon by the talented and amazing KJ. 
Please KJ could you blog?
Update:For Xenon, the translation of the above toon. “Ole Ntimama, we know of, but this ole brosekui, whose child is he?”
note:Ole
Ntimama is a Kenyan Maasai member of parliament. In african culture,
most people are identified by their parentage. Thus ‘Child of’ = ‘Ole’
in Maasai tribe, ‘Wa’ in Kikuyu, ‘Arap’ in Kalenjin etc.
I bet you already gathered about the ‘nolle prosequi’, which is latin legalese for what AG wako did about LucySlap and CholmondeleyShot.
I am incensed to no end when I read about the AG Amos Wako saying
that the media is biased and intolerant. Really? Mr. Wako, biased and
intolerant? We are hearing this from you? Right now? After all the
nolle prosequi’s you’ve thrown about? Lucy Kibaki going on and on about
how she is being persecuted by the press, the WH blaming Newsweek for the deaths in the Arab world resulting from riots due to the now retracted
story about the Koran being flushed in Guantanamo bay. BTW, The Koran
may indeed have been flushed[I dont mean to sound insensitive to the
Koran here]. “Newsweek was wrong about its source, right about the story”
I admire journalists and consider their profession quite noble. They often put their lives on the line for us to be informed. Just a few names to think of… Mohammed Amin , Daniel Pearl,
David Bloom of NBC, Giuliana Sgrena, and many others around the world.
We blog about the stories they cover, yet I wonder if we really
appreciate what it takes for us to read the story.
Remember when
Journalists were arrested willy nilly in the Nyayo years, now that we
have a semblance of democracy, the importance of the press cannot be
underestimated. The press helps us hold the [Kenyan] govt’s feet to the
fire. (There are arguments for baking said govt at a decent temperature
till the resulting MP’s can be more pragmatic and do more than just
pass 1 bill in 1 year, and make exorbitant health provisions for
themselves + 2 wives and 8 bambinos.
It seems to me that when the
press reports on issues that rub the govt the wrong way, the government
reps start making statements like…first to VP Moody Awori [he made some
other statements here that kind of made sense lakini…]
“The
VP gave the example of the Kenyan constitutional debate and said that
although it dominated the news, journalists should also tell the story
that the government is functioning better than it did two years ago.” Hmm I think that may be debatable. Correct me if I am wrong.
Now to Scott McLennan
“”It’s
puzzling that while Newsweek now acknowledges that they got the facts
wrong, they refused to retract the story,” White House spokesman Scott
McClellan said. “I think there’s a certain journalistic standard that
should be met and in this instance it was not.”
“The report has had
serious consequences,” McClellan said. “People have lost their lives.
The image of the United States abroad has been damaged.”” Cough* Illegal Iraq*cough*War*cough*Abu Ghraib*. [Link to Kos’ Pot Meet Kettle]
That
is not to say that the media doesn’t have issues, we all know media
both in the US and Kenya have issues. Allow me to reiterate “M Vs Daily Nation” Result: They published an acknowledgement of their obvious error. Charles Onyango-Obbo (love his writing btw!) wrote that the Kenyan media is facing a credibility crisis.
That is self reflection in a reality based way. I think the media does
realize that their bread and butter depends on us readers being able to
trust them to report the story, uh and pay for it too. Like all
relationships you can’t expect it to be all rosy all the time. Now
about the Newsweek scandal check out Stephan Richter’s take on the REAL
Newsweek scandal. If you thought for one moment that PBS is a safe
place to chill out from the ranting of Bill Oreilly on fox, well ,tivo
the programs right now, coz apparently the conservatives want to
influence that too. Check out Media Matters for America “Hands off my PBS!” The interview
of the new CPB president. (He doesn’t listen to much public radio –
btw, Jason Beaubien of NPR covered the Kenyan elections so wonderfully
I could give him a Pulitzer!)
Before govt spokesmen get to pointing
fingers at the press, how about some self reflection and some reality
based analyses of what is REALLY going on? Something about removing
logs from one’s eyes and all that? Could Lucy at least replace Clifford
Derrick’s camera? Please?
Please click on the image to see it clearly.
To map out your blog, click here to go to touchgraph
Hat tip to JJR! check out this story: Run Lornah Run Amazing piece.
“Without courage you cannot stand and talk”
Lornah Kiplagat.
The criminal case against Lucy Kibaki has been thrown out. Link Check out Adrian’s great post on Justice made in kenya. Please comment there so we can track the diff contributions in one place…ama?
The magistrate said: “The court
feels the nolle prosequi goes against public expectations. It tramples
on the right of the vulnerable and the hopeless in society.
“Whichever way the court feels, it
could complain about the circumstances of presentation but can’t ever
reject a nolle prosequi. That is the law and I am bound by it.”
Mr Otieno objected to the nolle prosequi, saying it had not been signed
by the AG and that there were no proceedings before the court for the
AG to take over and purport to terminate.
“I am disappointed. All I can say is we need a new constitution. Mnyonge hana haki (The poor have no rights),” said Mr Otieno.
If
you are a kenyan lawyer or well versed in Kenyan law, is there a
provision somewhere that can buck this stifling rationale given by mr
murgor? ( I doubt, but who knows what can happen when you have bloggers
who can chambua (analyze and breakdown) things. They need to hurry and
put the laws of kenya online for free.Bankelele blogged about it. Link. You can click here for a link to a pay per use site (the link is via KenyanPundit whose comments on this are anticipated, albeit by many bloggers)
Head on corrision on Nationmedia. I hope KJ doesnt mind me posting it here.
There was a great article in Wired Magazine about hygrid.
(plugging into the energy grid and feeding your excess energy generated
from privately owned solar systems.) They finally have a link
to the story. The writer Daniel Pink is quite witty. “…hygrid is the
new prius”. He titles the piece “The new power generation” ala Prince’s
band (how cool). Anyway, now to the meat and potatoes of the
article…The main pieces of hygrid are the inverter which is tied to the
grid, solar panels, battery panel, storage tanks for solar heated water & geothermal heat pumps.
“Thanks to advances in technology and changes in public policy over the past 10 years, however the cost of solar has nearly halved again and continues to fall, according to the US National Renewable energy Lab” It can still be pricey to hygrid he points out, but some states subsidize homeowners who want to use solar and other renewable energy sources. “If hygridders produce more energy than they can use or store, local utilities are required to buy it from them and credit their electric bills”
This
is amazing to me. Imagine for a moment that the focus of Kenya’s energy
policy could include this idea into its current framework, and that of
solar in general. I bet we have several mechanical and electronic
engineers who can hook this up. I was glad to read from Bankelele that Barclays would provide loans for solar energy projects. Tax cuts
from the government would also help the already overtaxed populace.
Imagine setting up a solar system for your family, not getting a bill,
instead getting a check as credit for selling back your energy to Kenya power. Solarbuzz has some great information on solar energy, including conferences and fairs coming up. In Kenya, solagen, kenital etc.
Side note: Via Kenyan Embassy
Prof. Wangari Maathai’s Meeting with Kenyans
We
wish to kindly inform that Prof.Wangari Maathai’’s meeting with Kenyan
nationals this Friday, May 13, 2005, at the Embassy will run between
6.00-8.00 p.m. Kenya EmbassyWashington, D.C.
UPDATE: There were some great ideas in the comments section, just wanted to include them here..
Mental: “This would be espically useful for places where KP&L feel it is uneconomical to operate.”
Memoire:”I
was thinking about the excesses of vehicle use in Kenya and the gvt
ought also to be quick about developing a train/tram network in
Nbi/major towns otherwise Kenya will go down the US route of
over-contributing to pollution levels.”
MJY:”Setting
up a solar system is not just a good idea financially but also for our
environment. We are already placing a huge burden on mother earth yet
she so readily gives us safer, natural options.”
From Xinhua Link
Read the whole story, its not that long.I like museveni’s way of
thinking. This is the problem…ok how are we going to fix it…and get
on with it!
highlights:
[snip]Following
the end of political turmoil in 1986, Uganda embarked on major economic
reforms which are today responsible for the growth in economy, which is
mainly based on agriculture. The growth is now attracting many foreign
investors to the country. It is on this basis that the Ugandan
government is now looking at the possibilities of mobilizing resources
from within rather than depending on donor aid that has many strings
attached to achieve a self-sustained economy. [snip]
Observers said if measures are implemented cautiously, problems handled
properly, Uganda will certainly achieve the goal of a self-sustained
economy.[snip]
From Wired .Link
Zaba Search makes
available your name, address, phone number, age and satellite photo
(globe explorer) of where you live. I didnt believe it till i tried it
out. Two sides to the coin, though i am abit freaked out by it.
Solar Backpack: with a range of adapters for cellphone, cd, etc.Very cool
Video is available on the standard website. Link Lucy says that kenyans do not understand her role. link I am reminded of Githush’s piece on
first ladies. I think she has set the women’s movement back. Its bad
enough that kenyan women deal with chauvinism, this incident will come
up when a woman is on the cusp of real power. Sorely dissapointed.
Anyway, here are the highlights from the article in nation.
The
media, she said, “must start respecting the President by addressing him
through his rightful title… His Execellency the President or Mr
President”. [snip]
“I
told them to pack up the band and play normal music, but they refused.
They packed up the band and continued with loud music inside the house.
I sat outside by my swimming pool until 4am because I could not sleep.” [snip]
However,
she said, in storming the house, she was also doing so on behalf of
Muthaiga residents whose rights she has championed for 30 years, as a
senior citizen. “The residents come to me for assistance when they have
no water, power or such noise and I have always come to their rescue.
“I
was doing it out of instinct. I have done this before all my life. I
was doing it on behalf of Muthaiga residents especially those who live
on Tchui Road. They always plead with me for help.”
But she denied that her children – Judy and David – were at the party, saying they were “too dignified to go to nightclubs”. [snip]
Mrs
Kibaki also took issue with Press reports that she had recorded a
statement with the police. “I have never recorded a police statement
since I was born,” she said. [snip]
Mrs
Kibaki defended herself against accusations that she had directed
arrests of certain individuals such as Makadara MP Reuben Ndolo. “Those
who say that I directed the arrests of sijui who… Ndolo, or whoever,
are liars; of what benefit would that be to me?” she posed.
speaking of Ndolo, is he still in jail? He needs to be set free ASAP.
“But
you do not have to be so nasty to other people. You have been nasty and
unkind to us … English words to describe what you have done to us
fail me,” she said, suppressing tears. [snip]
On
her role as First Lady, she said the press had targeted her for
“condemnation and constant criticism” because they did not understand
what she was supposed to do and how she was supposed to behave. The
fact that Kenya has not had a First Lady for many years and one as
daring and as brave as her, made Mrs Kibaki the target of “a nasty
mainstream press”.
Noticed,
no apology yet to the KTN journalist she slapped. That should have been
the first thing she said before addressing any other of her concerns.
She wants us to feel sorry for her? Meanwhile, MP’s and religious
leaders are speaking out about this and taking Kibaki to task.
