By ndolo asasa Esq.
In 1996 at the Rahimtulla Library, the evergreen Oby Obyerrodhiambo and Odera Aghan superbly presented a narrative, the canoe racers! In the narrative, oarsmen summon and apply all their skills and tactics to win this regular but once in a while competition. They need team work to surmount the massive challenges that include violent sea waves, marauding floating islands and energy sapping sea waters. So as not to re-tell this story, and re-tell it badly as I hardly command the talent and skill of the duo … the winner is always a canoe racer!
Is 2012 going to be our equivalent? A KANU race?
KANU is the party on which Kenya rode to independence. Kenya was under its watch, or is it stare, for a whooping 39 years uninterrupted! During which our own rising political stars were systematically murdered, the economy was put on test as if to establish if it could really ground, many more Kenyans were detained without trial as if to hoist a novel oppression culture to international acclaim!
In anticipation of old age change or worse demise; the KANU system regenerated itself by creating fresh high achievers in subservience, economic ruin and tribal jingoism. And not to be sitting ducks, the KANUlets were dispersed to go and establish safety havens. It is with the benefit of this hindsight that former President Daniel Toroitich arap Kimoi proclaimed that KANU will rule Kenya for 100 years while being cheered on by Sharrif Nassir to the effect that this will be ‘wapende wasipende’!
The KANUlets.
Emilio Mwai Kibaki, Raila Amollo Odinga, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, Willaim Samoie arap Ruto, Uhuru Muigei Kenyatta, Musalia Mudavadi, Henry Kosgey, Dalmas Otieno, Simeon Nyachae, Gedion Moi have all learnt and sharpened their political skills from the KANU academy. They done it so well that they have driven psyche on leadership to literally start and end with them or their proteges’. So much such that averagely if you convincingly challenge their credentials to lead as a group or individually, you will most probably be asked by many Kenyan ‘so who is the alternative’ or a claimant to reformism or progressiveness will inform you that ‘at least he is better’ and premise that being in KANU was a necessity or a tactic!
It is in this context that the political motions (there is no movement from KANU) we are subjected should be viewed. We are quickly being offered the choices of either KANU or KANU for 2012.
I predict that in the buildup 2012;
1. Raila, Kalonzo, Ruto or Uhuru will only choose a verified KANUlet to be their running-mate should they contest for the Presidency or any other senior political position
2. The many committees that are to be formed to actualize the constitution before 2012 will be populate and or led by scions, associates and brotherhoods of KANUlets
3. Strategic de-campaigns and political harassments are going to intensify against KANUlet outsiders
4. There is going to be a lot of feel-good public make-ups between and amongst KANUlets.
5. The middle class is going to dig in to sustain the status quo through the rebranded KANUlets
My take?
Kenyan must remain vigilant against cheering on the KANU Racers. KANU took away from the people political authority and legal authority, but failed to take moral authority. Over the last 20 or so years, as evidenced in last year’s referendum, Kenyans have reclaimed legal authority.
Now we must reclaim our political authority. This must be done quickly, sharply and clinically, all else the KANUlets will use it (as they still have it) to roll back the legal authority we just secured a few months ago. The arena of this take-over is the political field. Persistently demand political accountability in media, in churches, in funerals, in the morning, evening and night. Thoroughly organise politically. Join political parties. Hold political rallies. Contest elections. Create and mobilize votes. Vote
This is their last bastion. Expect a hell of a fight!
Who is with me?
Friday 21 January 2011
Thursday 6 January 2011
A CASE FOR KISWAHILI
By ndolo asasa Esq.
In the year that Kiswahili got recognized at the highest legal level, constitutionally, for the first time in Kenya, it also got the poorest performance trend not only measured versus itself but also versus the other subjects at basic education examination level! This is both a big shame and a sharp wake up call to the nation Kenya.
My take is that the pupils performed poorly. It is not the marking that was poor.
This conclusion is premised on the reality that;
1. Teachers are pumping the pupils with kiswahili terminologies (istilahi) in the name of teaching msamiati.
2. Time allocated to teaching and use Kiswahili language both in class and outside class been kept to below bare minimum.
3. No extra-curricula activity is conducted in Kiswahili in addition to the expectation that only Kiswahili teachers should be speaking the language and only during Kiswahili classes.
4. The instructional and teaching books are almost exclusively developed by graduates and post-graduates – who do not and may never have taught pupils in their career development.
In addition, the larger population has urged on Kiswahili to mediocrity by;
a. Lowering the threshold of speaking Kiswahili. When someone, be it a child or adult, speaks in poor Kiswahili it is considered comedy; but if the same person does so in English or French, we frown, reprimand and effortlessly correct them!
b. Poor Kiswahili is accepted as being social, ya kuomba maji, and Kiswahili sanifu (good Kiswahili) is considered ya insha (for exams)!
c. The myriad radio stations, including, KBC-Idhaa ya taifa, churn out taarifa scripted in bad Kiswahili (news reports); conduct interviews in bad Kiswahili and take pride in playing and replaying songs and political statements made in bad Kiswahili. ACTUALLY, they seem to have a policy not to showcase good Kiswahili speeches and oratory!
d. The biggest barbs go to our political and administrative leadership.
I propose;
1) The starting point be that the new constitution be applied to the letter.
That Kiswahili being constitutionally THE ONLY NATIONAL language and the FIRST official language, all national occasions including holidays, state of the nation address, national communications by the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly, Constitutional Offices and Ministers be addressed in Kiswahili and the off-cuff remarks made in English!
2) All instructional materials for pupils be re-evaluated and revised accordingly.
3) The basic education curriculum be revised anon to take into cognizant and reflect the status of Kiswahili as envisioned and recognized in the new constitution.
4) Set-up and fund a Kiswahili Institute as a national responsibility. This has successfully been done by France, Saudi Arabia, China, Italy among others for the promotion of French, Arabic, Chinese and Italiano respectively.
I will be listening for the first state-of-the-nation address parliament by President Kibaki when it reconvenes for the first time under the New Constitution that puts Kiswahili on an unprecedented high national and official pedestal
Kiswahili Kitukuzwe, au sio? Tujivunie lugha yetu ya pekee ya Kitaifa na awali katika urasmi nchini Kenya!
http://ndoloasasa.blogspot.com/
6th January 2011.
In the year that Kiswahili got recognized at the highest legal level, constitutionally, for the first time in Kenya, it also got the poorest performance trend not only measured versus itself but also versus the other subjects at basic education examination level! This is both a big shame and a sharp wake up call to the nation Kenya.
My take is that the pupils performed poorly. It is not the marking that was poor.
This conclusion is premised on the reality that;
1. Teachers are pumping the pupils with kiswahili terminologies (istilahi) in the name of teaching msamiati.
2. Time allocated to teaching and use Kiswahili language both in class and outside class been kept to below bare minimum.
3. No extra-curricula activity is conducted in Kiswahili in addition to the expectation that only Kiswahili teachers should be speaking the language and only during Kiswahili classes.
4. The instructional and teaching books are almost exclusively developed by graduates and post-graduates – who do not and may never have taught pupils in their career development.
In addition, the larger population has urged on Kiswahili to mediocrity by;
a. Lowering the threshold of speaking Kiswahili. When someone, be it a child or adult, speaks in poor Kiswahili it is considered comedy; but if the same person does so in English or French, we frown, reprimand and effortlessly correct them!
b. Poor Kiswahili is accepted as being social, ya kuomba maji, and Kiswahili sanifu (good Kiswahili) is considered ya insha (for exams)!
c. The myriad radio stations, including, KBC-Idhaa ya taifa, churn out taarifa scripted in bad Kiswahili (news reports); conduct interviews in bad Kiswahili and take pride in playing and replaying songs and political statements made in bad Kiswahili. ACTUALLY, they seem to have a policy not to showcase good Kiswahili speeches and oratory!
d. The biggest barbs go to our political and administrative leadership.
I propose;
1) The starting point be that the new constitution be applied to the letter.
That Kiswahili being constitutionally THE ONLY NATIONAL language and the FIRST official language, all national occasions including holidays, state of the nation address, national communications by the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly, Constitutional Offices and Ministers be addressed in Kiswahili and the off-cuff remarks made in English!
2) All instructional materials for pupils be re-evaluated and revised accordingly.
3) The basic education curriculum be revised anon to take into cognizant and reflect the status of Kiswahili as envisioned and recognized in the new constitution.
4) Set-up and fund a Kiswahili Institute as a national responsibility. This has successfully been done by France, Saudi Arabia, China, Italy among others for the promotion of French, Arabic, Chinese and Italiano respectively.
I will be listening for the first state-of-the-nation address parliament by President Kibaki when it reconvenes for the first time under the New Constitution that puts Kiswahili on an unprecedented high national and official pedestal
Kiswahili Kitukuzwe, au sio? Tujivunie lugha yetu ya pekee ya Kitaifa na awali katika urasmi nchini Kenya!
http://ndoloasasa.blogspot.com/
6th January 2011.
Sunday 2 January 2011
IN 2011, LOOKOUT FOR …
By ndolo asasa Esq.
Adage has it that ‘the new is always conceived in the womb of the old’, consequently by their actions or inactions and positioning or strategizing in the build up to 2011; I submit that the following institutions and or persons will play pivotal roles either in value or nuisance in shaping leadership and governance in Kenya in 2011.
• Judiciary
My take is that Judiciary is the single institution outside the people’s power that can and will either make the efforts of recreating Kenya as facilitated by the new constitution a complete nonsense or an actual realization of a true democracy as wished for by Kenyans.
The success of the Judiciary right from winning public trust, disputes resolutions to developing constitutionalism in Kenya, will be dependent on the interpretation availed by the Judiciary.
As such the Chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), whoever it will be, is a person to watch. How the person will conduct and manage the vetting and subsequent supervision of the Judges, Magistrates and other judicial staff is the focus.
The Chief Justice is the other person whose skills, character and style will greatly shape the nation, Kenya.
• Parliament
Parliament has the sole responsibility of placing the constitution on proper footing as provided for in the fifth and sixth schedule. Parliament has so far been successful to pull wool over people’s eyes that they really are keen to implement the new constitution and will go to all extents to realize it including sacrificing their time! Whilst the truth is that, Parliament in collusion with the Executive and its protégés , has used time as a dictatorship tool. Illustration: when given a timeline of doing something in say 90 days, they start doing the said thing with so much gusto and zeal on the 88th day!
At such moments then what Parliament is involved in is DEALERSHIP and not LEADERSHIP! The pressure of time then is used to intimidate, coarse and secure cherries for themselves.
We thus are at a real risk of transiting from a Presidential and individualized dictatorship to a parliamentary and institutionalized dictatorship! Take note that because some Parliamentarians are being investigated by Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) there is has been a muted call for disbandment of KACC. Because the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC) has been vocal on use of state resources by Parliamentarians, there are calls for its disbandment. Because the International Criminal Court (ICC) has identified some Parliamentarians as suspects in organizing the 2007/8 post Election Violence, parliament voted almost unanimously for Kenya to pull out of ICC!
Our Parliament has a such a high affinity for self preservation and being parochial that the leadership of Kenneth Marende, Abdikadir Muhammed, Ababu Namwamba, and Kalonzo Musyoka will be an interesting watch. I throw in Martha Karua and Rachel Shebesh as a wild cards.
• The Grand Coalition Government
We have an Executive led by lame duck convenience arrangement of two Principals who either have no command of their troops or do not enjoy support of the same. Sometimes I suspect both! This is why they a myriad of times failed to rally their brigades at crucial moments and instead resorted weak-kneed-publicity-attracting strategies like ‘parliamentary kamukunjis’ and cheap public sympathy seeking stints like personally appearing in parliament at the flimsiest of public sympathy opportunities when their inability would be most evident.
Raila Odinga is the personality to watch in 2011. He has the unenviable capacity of by his words, actions or luck of them create un assailable lead in view of 2012 elections for himself or more easily, make it a dogfight with other contenders.
• Executive Commissions
Kenyans will, hope and aspirations will greatly be shaped by the leadership provided by Dr. PLO Lumumba at KACC, Mr. Charles Nyachae at The Constitution Implementation Commission (CIC), Mutakha Kangu of the Devolution Taskforce and Dr. Mzalendo Kibunjia at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
• The Civil Society.
I am not expecting any tectonic movements in this sector. A few players though will either consolidate their niches or become irritants to the powers that be! My wish would rather that they gave hope to the masses, but they will not!
Key in the civil society will be Mwalimu Mati of Mars Group; he will expose more sleaze- what with his partnership with Assange of Wikileaks? Morris Odhiambo of the National Civil Society Congress (NCSC) will be the face of efforts of a united civil society assault on the government juggernaut! But Francis Atwoli of COTU will steal the limelight with unprecedented and overtly political activities of the trade movement during the year.
Anne Njogu of CREAW and Sophie Ngugi of Young Women Leadership Institute (YWLI) will provide the much needed breather from a mainly patriarchal civil society.
• The Clergy
The 2 referendums on the constitution (2005 and 2010) seems to have unwoven the fabric of the clergy amongst themselves and with the public in a manner they do not yet have a sufficient mechanism to undo! Their role in the 2011 governance discourse will mainly be uncoordinated articulate lamentations and as such might not shape the year a lot.
Still Sheikh Dor, Sheikh Juma Ngao, Cardinal Njue and Cannon Peter Karanja will be lone voices for sporadic governance matters from the Clergy.
• Diplomatic Missions
The diplomatic corps in Kenya in 2008 said that Kenya is too important to Kenyans, and in 2011 it will not be left to Kenyans either!
The African Union, United States of America Embassy and German Embassy will greatly influence the real politik of Kenya during this year.
• International Community
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of Uganda; President Barrack Hussein of United States of America; and from the ICC - Prosecutor Luis Moreno - Ocampo, Presiding Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova, Judge Hans-Peter Kaul and Judge Cuno Tarfusser are the personalities whose words and actions will most influence Kenya governance from the international community.
Dated this 2nd Day of January 2011.
Adage has it that ‘the new is always conceived in the womb of the old’, consequently by their actions or inactions and positioning or strategizing in the build up to 2011; I submit that the following institutions and or persons will play pivotal roles either in value or nuisance in shaping leadership and governance in Kenya in 2011.
• Judiciary
My take is that Judiciary is the single institution outside the people’s power that can and will either make the efforts of recreating Kenya as facilitated by the new constitution a complete nonsense or an actual realization of a true democracy as wished for by Kenyans.
The success of the Judiciary right from winning public trust, disputes resolutions to developing constitutionalism in Kenya, will be dependent on the interpretation availed by the Judiciary.
As such the Chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), whoever it will be, is a person to watch. How the person will conduct and manage the vetting and subsequent supervision of the Judges, Magistrates and other judicial staff is the focus.
The Chief Justice is the other person whose skills, character and style will greatly shape the nation, Kenya.
• Parliament
Parliament has the sole responsibility of placing the constitution on proper footing as provided for in the fifth and sixth schedule. Parliament has so far been successful to pull wool over people’s eyes that they really are keen to implement the new constitution and will go to all extents to realize it including sacrificing their time! Whilst the truth is that, Parliament in collusion with the Executive and its protégés , has used time as a dictatorship tool. Illustration: when given a timeline of doing something in say 90 days, they start doing the said thing with so much gusto and zeal on the 88th day!
At such moments then what Parliament is involved in is DEALERSHIP and not LEADERSHIP! The pressure of time then is used to intimidate, coarse and secure cherries for themselves.
We thus are at a real risk of transiting from a Presidential and individualized dictatorship to a parliamentary and institutionalized dictatorship! Take note that because some Parliamentarians are being investigated by Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) there is has been a muted call for disbandment of KACC. Because the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC) has been vocal on use of state resources by Parliamentarians, there are calls for its disbandment. Because the International Criminal Court (ICC) has identified some Parliamentarians as suspects in organizing the 2007/8 post Election Violence, parliament voted almost unanimously for Kenya to pull out of ICC!
Our Parliament has a such a high affinity for self preservation and being parochial that the leadership of Kenneth Marende, Abdikadir Muhammed, Ababu Namwamba, and Kalonzo Musyoka will be an interesting watch. I throw in Martha Karua and Rachel Shebesh as a wild cards.
• The Grand Coalition Government
We have an Executive led by lame duck convenience arrangement of two Principals who either have no command of their troops or do not enjoy support of the same. Sometimes I suspect both! This is why they a myriad of times failed to rally their brigades at crucial moments and instead resorted weak-kneed-publicity-attracting strategies like ‘parliamentary kamukunjis’ and cheap public sympathy seeking stints like personally appearing in parliament at the flimsiest of public sympathy opportunities when their inability would be most evident.
Raila Odinga is the personality to watch in 2011. He has the unenviable capacity of by his words, actions or luck of them create un assailable lead in view of 2012 elections for himself or more easily, make it a dogfight with other contenders.
• Executive Commissions
Kenyans will, hope and aspirations will greatly be shaped by the leadership provided by Dr. PLO Lumumba at KACC, Mr. Charles Nyachae at The Constitution Implementation Commission (CIC), Mutakha Kangu of the Devolution Taskforce and Dr. Mzalendo Kibunjia at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
• The Civil Society.
I am not expecting any tectonic movements in this sector. A few players though will either consolidate their niches or become irritants to the powers that be! My wish would rather that they gave hope to the masses, but they will not!
Key in the civil society will be Mwalimu Mati of Mars Group; he will expose more sleaze- what with his partnership with Assange of Wikileaks? Morris Odhiambo of the National Civil Society Congress (NCSC) will be the face of efforts of a united civil society assault on the government juggernaut! But Francis Atwoli of COTU will steal the limelight with unprecedented and overtly political activities of the trade movement during the year.
Anne Njogu of CREAW and Sophie Ngugi of Young Women Leadership Institute (YWLI) will provide the much needed breather from a mainly patriarchal civil society.
• The Clergy
The 2 referendums on the constitution (2005 and 2010) seems to have unwoven the fabric of the clergy amongst themselves and with the public in a manner they do not yet have a sufficient mechanism to undo! Their role in the 2011 governance discourse will mainly be uncoordinated articulate lamentations and as such might not shape the year a lot.
Still Sheikh Dor, Sheikh Juma Ngao, Cardinal Njue and Cannon Peter Karanja will be lone voices for sporadic governance matters from the Clergy.
• Diplomatic Missions
The diplomatic corps in Kenya in 2008 said that Kenya is too important to Kenyans, and in 2011 it will not be left to Kenyans either!
The African Union, United States of America Embassy and German Embassy will greatly influence the real politik of Kenya during this year.
• International Community
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of Uganda; President Barrack Hussein of United States of America; and from the ICC - Prosecutor Luis Moreno - Ocampo, Presiding Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova, Judge Hans-Peter Kaul and Judge Cuno Tarfusser are the personalities whose words and actions will most influence Kenya governance from the international community.
Dated this 2nd Day of January 2011.
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