Power Plays and Where the Buck Stops

‘The buck stops here’ an inscription on the walls at Harry Truman’s office, a self guided and instructed statement that described the character of a man in the person of the president and the acceptance, cognition of the huge responsibility that his office shouldered.

Not only that but harry Truman knew very well the need to shoulder that responsibility and the fact that he is accountable to the people of the former political and economic empire that was U.S.A.

That behooves me to call into silence the ‘o happy naïve’ rag dolls -citizens of Nairobi who have been directing their congratulation on war on graft to the wrong quarter- office of the DPP. The correct address should be guarded gates of statehouse.

There sitting is the son of the 1^st president of the republic ,and now president, whose father is credited with a nation plunder characterized by state-patronized corruption and wanton, unchecked looting of public resources.

The 1^st president orchestrated the stealing by servant thing that employment in public service was seen as reward for people for a dip into the public coffers-and of course with a regular handout(commission sort of)to the benefactor politicos that fixed one the employment.

The son of the deceased 1^st president being the beneficiary of his father’s looting lunacy is wealthy enough (in little need of material acquisition of property) and well poised to stop further damage by the rest of the wannabe mass looters. He therefore is not so much predisposed to stealing as his father had already done the dirty job for him. He is therefore in a better position to conduct the damage control and kill this corruption dragon clipping at the neck of a nation. This is where the buck stops now.

Now that he has taken a pugilist’s stance on lords of grafts and the yelling and yapping is all over the streets, the naïve natives, sons of  poor men are giving glory to the DPP.

A Thieving People's Governor and Kiambu’s Sick Healthcare

Recently the people of Kiambu county in total mockery of their intellect fronted an idiot for the post of governor of that great county.

Without coercion nor much prod the most esteemed citizens of Kiambu elected Waititu something as their best son,a man poised to deliver  them from chocking poverty  serenaded by jiggers and  the spirit of mundu wa nyumba.

And now in the most bizarre twist of events, the governor fire breathing  son of the soil with penchant for kicking walls down and appetite for maandamano,is accused by same voters of neglect, myopia and being brain dead-dead as wood.

But whilst fronting the man christened baba yao,(loosely translated as their father)the esteemed people of Kiambu said he is the best suited for the job brain dead or no brain dead.He was the njamba,a man of modest education but with a vision of the owl. And in the heat of the moment-degree kitu gani.

While others may be of ungracious opinion that the people of Kiambu should sit still and let the monster they created devour them in peace, me thinks that the devil you know can devour you completely-at least they eat your brain and leave the rest of you with a mouth to cry before the press, and call the world to see how bad a man our son of the soil has become-and how he has not furnished our hospitals with panadol to take care of our headaches.Headache? Haaa!

So when Kiamburians complain of shortage of medicine in their hospitals and inadequate bed capacity to the extent of citizens sharing ward beds, the good governor,  baba yao, son of a pauper and now governor, implores the citizens to be gracious about it and thank God that their hospital is so good that it attracts so many people to the extent that bed capacity is questioned. He even offers that the people complaining are Masaais complete with shukas from the neighboring Kajiado county, who having not been blessed by leaders like him have come for medical tourism in the county.

But we need not to draw too much lesson from this, Kiambu has been the backyard of two president,people with good education but they still ate their own people. So when the son of a peasant without education nor good moral  sense eats us, does  it matter much?

News Business in Kenya Today

This is story of diamonds and stones; and the apparent confusion that makes it almost impossible to differentiate which is which.

In the age where almost everyone is in business of conspiracy to defraud the public , self seeking  media houses and its employees  are too deep into self aggrandizement, nepotism, plain  favoritism -which have taken place of real mettle and talent.

Bogus professionals masquerade as know -it- all journalists shrouding their incompetence in cloud of noise and drama. Look at clowns like K24’s Teddy Kwalanda and Citizens TV's Jeff Koinange,surely who hires such people?

For K24 we can understand their history of dalliance with mediocrity, but for Citizen TV, an outlet known for its keen eye for spotting and shopping for exec quite talents,real gems, it defies logic that they have to spend a large sum of money retaining a voice box devoid of substance but a fool on high drama.

When we pin point at real gems, we are talking about people like Hussein Mohammed- firm, sober, resolute debate host and moderator as well as top news reader with deep insight for truth and excellent delivery. No show boating, no fake accents, no disruptive dramas to cover for inadequacies.

Media house administrators are apparently also lost in the smoke and noise of these mediocre busy bodies that they easily ignore the touch of silent gems like the discarded Salim Swaleh –for the Swahili audience and James Smart for the English ones.

Let’s for a bit look at the finest talents that walk corridors of these media houses and not waste much breathe about the noisy fillers.

Let’s look at how they rate and rank:

English Segment

1.Hussein Mohammed(the original, formerly of Citizen TV)

Worthy his audience time, but not sure it reflects on his paycheck .Be it prime time news, debates or event coverage, Hussein portrays an aura of control, knowledge and is not easily distracted from his line of thoughts by clever show guests.

Presidential debate moderations has been the reserve of certain undeserved fellas but all I have been saying all along is –give this thing to Hussein Mohammed.

Yes, Producers formulate debate questionnaires for debate at the background, but Hussein delivers them in a distinctive style- incise, stingy yet respectful that has been the bane of many corrupt politicians and evasive bureaucrats alike.

2.Trevor Ombija

Give it to the guy. May be not everybody’s cup of tea but this deep baritone was the only man standing at NTV Kenya, before mismanagement and political patronage laid siege on East Africa’s largest media firm.

Witty in commentary and sublime debate moderator, this guy comes around as a professional and on his way to be the master of the game.

NMG administrators may have favoured other coconut heads but this one should have had bigger boots.

When BBC came calling after the events of 2017 elections, they picked the wrong baritone and left this one behind. But that does not undercut the fact that Trevor Ombija is destined for great thing ahead.

3.James Smart

He might have found media business a reserve for dafts or his no-nonsense demeanor did not auger well with the guys with the money. So he quit KTN in a hurry but has since not surfaced anywhere. Spotted somewhere in corporate communication offensive, this is a man any media house should be chasing for.

In his time as debate moderator,the calm and collected presenter did not only bring knowledge into the surface but handled debates with the touch of a real pro. The only match to his outstanding style would be now defunct Lois Otieno.

4. Ann Kiguta

It is common knowledge most female presenters in Kenya are on this trade because they are deemed hot or they are not so selfish with the cookie.

But this one looks different,hot,yes she is by any standards. But she also has most of the colourful elements that good presenters should have-grasp of subject matter, good delivery ,proper demeanor and show control .

Although she might appear blunt on some fronts, she is quick to pick up trail and recover control.

The rest of the presenters not covered here are either barely hanging in there just good for nothing.

The good news is however that most Kenyans are not aware of their mediocrity and will applaud them for their beauty accent and drama. So all is fair in this love and war.

Swahili Segment

1.Rashid Abdalla

For his good eyesight in choice of a wife and his right sense in choice of Swahili words and phrases-proper diction. He stands out ways above the bunch of Swahili copy and paste oracles.

Nobody dead or living has delivered Swahili bulletin like this guy.

His style is original and distinctively his own.

A poet ,entertainer ,anchor , a master.

Listen to his word plays,look at the ease at which he deliver Swahili into our living rooms. He is simply pure diamond since his elevation into the TV news desk,no match has been found. No NTV cannot afford such talent,that is why he needed to cross over. And sure as hell,he is not done yet rising.

2. Nimrod Taabu

Cool and authoritative. Exellent engagement with on field reporters. Good vibe emanates around him

3.Salim Swaleh

An underrated yet one of the finest Swahili anchor walking today.

Other notable females are Mwanaisha Hamadi  and Jamila Mohammed.

Reporting Business

Since out growing of conventional reporting job by Alex Chamwada and John-Allan Namu,the only  person still doing the reporting as it should be done is Mercy Kandie Tanui.

Upholds basic rudiments of proper journalism –deep research, counterchecking of facts, highlighting both sides of the story.

But reporting to a common man is all about a fancied elongated dragging of a reporters name at the end of the ‘reporting' ,ala Hasaan Jumaaaaaa and such nonsense! 

Why France's 'Les bleus' -is still world power

France surface from beneath Nazi bombardment to snatch a win in the on going Europa nation's league.

The french side fell to a 9' minute Toni Kroos penalty after a controversial Pogba hand ball.

Outplayed but not entirely outclassed the french team ressurrected from the shocker after Hernandez power cross was poled into the net by a spearing Griezman.

Griezman later pumped in a second half penalty after Blaise Matuidi was allegedly infringed.

The Bavarian machine defence had  a breathless evening trying to keep at bay PSG speedster Kieran Mbappe. A blistering force of nature that is the bane of any defence.

The 19 year old kept Joshua Kimmich to a back pedal easing steam from a forward who is always happy to hit it from the front.

German suffered another defeat on the road after a 3- 0 walloping by the high flying Dutch's contingent in previous encounter.

Two more games awaits  die manschafts if they still have to salvage their Nations' cup ambitions.

Who dare wins 2018 edition FIFA Word Cup

 Well, here is the clue  https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2699204-ranking-the-teams-most-likely-to-win-the-2018-fifa-world-cup#slide0

K’ogalo are super cup champions again

                                           

East Africa footballing powerhouse Gor Mahia FC rips apart Tanzanian Champions Simba  SC to book a spot to Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, England  to play against English premier league side Everton FC.

This is second time in a row Gor Mahia is winning the tourney, after beating long time nemesis  AFC Leopards  3-0 in the maiden edition in Tanzania.

The week long  Sportpesa financed tourney at Afraha Stadium, Nakuru  reached its denouement this weekend.

Gor Mahia cements reputation as the finest side to emerge from this side of the black continent.

Sleek passing, clever build ups is a deviation from  the usual, stretching of muscles and throwing of feet that has characterized Kenyan football for ages.

As, their coach Dylan Kerr, rightly puts it,Gor has been the single most faithful ambassador of Kenyan football since the death of national team  Harambee stars and subsequent absence  from international scene.

As opposed to long time rivals AFC Leopards that struggles from poor leadership Gor Mahia under the stewardship of city Lawyer Ambrose Rachier has exhibited stellar performance in recent past, clinching local league championship for four seasons back to back.

Gor benefited from an early goal from seasoned predator Meddy Kagere  and  eventual 54th minute slide in from marauding  jersey no.9 ,Jacques Tusiyenge. Tusiyenge however missed a 74^th minute open goal that would have sealed Simba’s fate once and for all.

 Local NTV viewers were treated to flawless ,replenished Swahili commentary from the legendary Jack Oyoo Silvester and sensational  Michael ‘BongaBoli’  Were.

Notables

-Captain Haron Shakava’s bad temper following Simba’s persistent foul plays earned him a yellow.

-Kahata's 44th minute scare > a left foot volley causes an uncomfortable stir at  Simba's bench.

 Just a Couch and Coffee Observation by

Amugasha Kalengeka

Opposition Politics on Its Death Bed

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Opposition Politics on Its Death Bed

The ruling elite is running a well choreographed scheme to discredit the opposition as just another bunch of losers. And it has worked well. 

Contrary to popular hype of opposition being a government in waiting, opposition of the day looks like a distraught dance band with no rhythm nor key. Each member is trying an instrument here and another there.

Odinga’s charisma is waning, Kalonzo  has a reputation that only he can beat, Wetangula is just as good as another politician from the crowd, he has nothing phenomenon to offer. Opposition seems not to have any agenda.Or rather their agenda is to discredit anything the government does.

‘IEBC must go’ was supposed to be their baby. A ploy to put them back into relevance and steal them headlines and valuable airtime. But President Uhuru(or rather his think-tank)  is smart, he had nothing to gain by keeping the current clout of IEBC employed-he gave the opposition what they wanted and the opposition agenda crumbled under their own weight. They now have no agenda but a desperate attempt to hang on.

Jubilee  and company have their wallet full and loose; an irresistible temptation for a hungry opposition politicians to ignore. They have assembled formidable propaganda machinery never witnessed before. The military well-remunerated and content .Most recently, the president has assented to a bill to reduce interest rate charged on bank loans.

Opposition is fighting against a government with everything at its disposal. The president has initiated a strong foreign policy framework that has positioned an otherwise ordinary nation into a major player in geopolitics. He has foreseen construction of major infrastructural projects albeit with a lot of criticism from the economic fronts.

On the other side of the divide, a once fiery politician that was Raila Odinga  is now reduced into a burning shell,he has lost the thunder that endeared  him to the nation and he is just another tribal leader with presidential ambitions. He lacks in facts and tact. He is not the orator with the golden tongue of the 2003-2007 onslaught.

Odinga should have been a nationalist who history could have judged favourably,but his stint in the post 2007 government as the prime minister exposed him as a frivolous politician just like any other and a cry baby who could not be trusted to run a government.

He rewarded his friends and relatives with plum government position and forgot the cries of his lieutenants. He listened to sycophants and kicked out his key allies in the  Mudavadis  ,Balalas and Rutos of those days-and recently  his  ardent advocate Ababu Namwamba. He became good at creating powerful enemies.

The aging politician surrounded himself with his clansmen who were kin to have him retired from active politics through alienating himself from levelheaded politicians and key strategists like Miguna Miguna.The result is that his statehouse ambition that looked like a grab away is now a fancy dream.

Odinga of the day has established himself as the proverbial mud happy pig who would pick fights with lesser ,non-starters in the model of  Duale and Kuria. He has degenerated to a level of no return and it would be hard to market his brand.

For a man who has been synonymous with opposition politics for close to a decade,2016 must be the new low.The next general election is nigh. Time to redeem baba or time to let go?

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