www.nation.co.keIt has been a tradition that people world over usher in new year in style. Every year as December comes to a close, people gather in groups at various public place like churches, clubs and restaurants to usher in new year. This year was not different as folks thronged different venues to do the obvious, social media was not left behind as congratulations and best wishes for year 2014 were the writings painting face book profiles as well as tweeter accounts with people competing in sending such messages to their friends and loved ones.
Well we have been celebrating year in style each time and again, but what makes people think that 1st January of every year is so special than any other day in the year. Methinks that it is so because of being alive for a whole year and being able to start a new year alive. Try to ask or carry a simple survey on the streets and folks will tell you the same.
I have a different opinion on this, first because this day is just a day like any other day of the year. Secondly all the hype and celebrations about this day based on being able to be alive the whole year are misplaced, why? each and every day we are alive is important irrespective of when it falls in the calender year, so if we are to celebrate then it should be that every morning you wake alive and in good health we should celebrate in a special way by offering special thank you to almighty God for our lives.
Lastly we celebrate this day in wrong ways world over. Instead of people being remorseful to God, many end up doing things which only show that they do not understand themselves and why they are celebrating. Some even do things which endanger their lives in the name of celebrations.
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Tuesday 31 December 2013
EPL FOOTBALL PUNDITS ARE BIASED
When English premier league kicked off this season in August, a lot was said by football analysts especially those who work with sky sports news. Many of these pundits on their own determination even before the action began had decided to rate some teams in EPL as title contenders.
To them Manchester city, Chelsea, Manchester united, Liverpool and Spurs were the real EPL contenders. The parameters they advanced as the indicators for title contention was mere squad depth. Arsenal team which for the last 16 years had never finished outside number is this 20 teams strong league to these pundits were not contenders for EPL 2013/2014 season.
www.skysportsnews.com
Then came the unfortunate lose by Arsenal at home to Aston villa on match day one. These experts due to their skewed analysis based on hate for Arsenal did not only completely ruled them from title contention but also suggested that Arsenal will this current season struggle to remain in top 4.
On match day two Arsenal bounced back with a win (3 to 1) against Full-ham, a result which became their stepping stone to topping the till January 2014. What is funny though, much as Arsenal have stayed at the summit of EPL for over 4 months from September to date, these pundits keeps on shifting from one reason to another on why Arsenal are not contenders. The very teams which these experts rate as title contenders have been at the top of league shortly only before Arsenal plays and yet these so called experts ignores that in their analysis.
What wins competitions is not just squad depth defeating just the so called big teams which Arsenal is said not being able to beat but a combination of factors such as: team spirit, consistency and desire to win matches irrespective of whether they are small or big teams. For a fact on squad depth, Arsenal managed to win EPL 2003/2004 unbeaten with only 11 regular players plus 5 substitutes. These pundits must now realize that their hate for Arsenal only motivate the team to perform better in each match and to continue proving them wrong on each match day. https://www.likeplum.com/affiliate
To them Manchester city, Chelsea, Manchester united, Liverpool and Spurs were the real EPL contenders. The parameters they advanced as the indicators for title contention was mere squad depth. Arsenal team which for the last 16 years had never finished outside number is this 20 teams strong league to these pundits were not contenders for EPL 2013/2014 season.
www.skysportsnews.com
Then came the unfortunate lose by Arsenal at home to Aston villa on match day one. These experts due to their skewed analysis based on hate for Arsenal did not only completely ruled them from title contention but also suggested that Arsenal will this current season struggle to remain in top 4.
On match day two Arsenal bounced back with a win (3 to 1) against Full-ham, a result which became their stepping stone to topping the till January 2014. What is funny though, much as Arsenal have stayed at the summit of EPL for over 4 months from September to date, these pundits keeps on shifting from one reason to another on why Arsenal are not contenders. The very teams which these experts rate as title contenders have been at the top of league shortly only before Arsenal plays and yet these so called experts ignores that in their analysis.
What wins competitions is not just squad depth defeating just the so called big teams which Arsenal is said not being able to beat but a combination of factors such as: team spirit, consistency and desire to win matches irrespective of whether they are small or big teams. For a fact on squad depth, Arsenal managed to win EPL 2003/2004 unbeaten with only 11 regular players plus 5 substitutes. These pundits must now realize that their hate for Arsenal only motivate the team to perform better in each match and to continue proving them wrong on each match day. https://www.likeplum.com/affiliate
Monday 30 December 2013
hy there is no Kenya to Celebrate at 50
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There was much hype and celebratory mood in a boundary called Kenya as she commemorated her 50th birthday. Lots of activities have been going on in Kenya as we moved towards the climax day of 12 December. Let me pose, what exactly were we celebrating? Just a few weeks ago, some citizens of this country in the northern region were butchering one another, a war which was largely clan and ethnic based. Are these the benchmarks of Kenya at 50? Ethnicity and tribal considerations 50 years after independence is the sole parameter if not ideology which continues to define Kenya’s politics and governance structures.
I was not around when Kenya attained self-rule and thereafter independence, but literature materials then puts it clear in black and white that Kenya was one indivisible nation whose citizens were united to defeat colonialists. A few years after independence founding fathers removed nationalism lenses and replaced them with ethnic lenses. From here onwards Kenya has never been the same, tribalism in Kenya became a strong political ideology which the ruling elite uses to cocoon poor Kenyan masses into their narrow, parochial and selfish campaigns for power. It is so painful that in Kenya one would steal and commit serious crimes but when faced head on to answer for his/her crimes, the same criminal would turn to his/her poor tribal masses for defense against justice.
Kenya’s founding president failed miserably on this front, why? He had all the time and people’s will to rally this country to become a nation just like his peer in neighborhood, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere did for Tanzania. However, Jomo suddenly realized that he was a kikuyu first before being a Kenyan and so did the leaders with him at that time. Funny though, the tribal politics then focused on enriching a few members club of the ruling class while their fellow tribal masses remained spectators of grubbing competition from public coffers. Those considered unfriendly to the ruling elite club were eliminated through political assassinations or dismissal from public service.
When president Moi took over in1978 a year before I was born, true to his Swahili slogan “Nyayo”, he followed every bit of evil committed by his predecessor’s government to greater heights. Tribal considerations, political assassinations, corruption and mediocrity in management of public affairs were common occurrences.
In 2002 general election, Kenya had another best opportunity to galvanize her citizens as one indivisible nation. This was never to be, a gain the Kenyan cancer (tribalism) brought out its ugly head. President Kibaki and a few ruling club members around him decided to wear tribal lenses and the Kenya nation which was born a few months on December 2002 died. The events that followed onwards to 2007 elections and after the elections were painful and clear in every Kenyan’s mind.
In March 4th 2013, Kenya held an election the first one after promulgation of the new and most progressive constitution in comparison to many constitutions around the world. Instead of Kenya and her citizens taking the chances presented by the new supreme law, to put herself on the path of playing alongside a few countries in the league of great nations. We a gain buried our heads on the sand of ethnic affiliations. It was sad that everyone including journalists and media houses were swallowed by tribal ghost that they decided not to be objective and professional but to report news based on ethnic group and affiliation one favored, as facts were camouflaged and lies elevated loud in the national arena. When a government is put in place not by its entire citizenry but by a few tribes, no matter what they do, the other tribes who voted for the opposing side will never consider such government their own. This is exactly the merry go round Kenya will be repeating in every election, until and unless Kenyans style up and say no to barbaric and uncivilized tribal politics cherished by their tribal barons masquerading as leaders.
As I conclude, I dare say Kenya is not a nation but a boundary occupied by more than 42 ethnicities each competing for space and resources, which each ethic group considers safe in their hands, only when their tribal kingpins if not their small tribal god is the president.
https://www.likeplum.com/affiliateSOUTH SUDAN CRISIS SHOWS THAT EVEN EDUCATION HAS NOT HELPED MOST AFRICAN LEADERS
What is going on in South Sudan is a typical case of exclusion and uncultured ethnic considerations by Africans in leadership positions. It has not sunk in the brains of many African leaders that leadership is not about one's tribe or ethnicity but service to the citizens irrespective of; race, color, ethnicity or even religion.
www.standardmedia.co.ke
South Sudanese people having attained there independence in 2011, after so many years of conflicts and fighting against their North counterparts, had all the experiences and examples arising from various African countries, which had gone through conflicts and civil wars including their neighbours in Rwanda to learn from. This however was not the case, instead the leadership choose to follow the same scripts which are common syndromes in Africa. Let me pose why would some leaders feel so much threatened when their leadership qualities are challenged.
This is exactly the catalyst to all the madness in the streets of towns in South Sudan. It started when President Salva Kir suddenly felt that his presidency was threatened by one Dr. Machar, then his second in command. He did cabinet reshuffle which left out Dr. Machar and his allies out of government. What followed was another scheme to ensure Dr. Machar and his allies are locked out completely from leadership positions in their SPLM party's to decision making organ.
It is also alleged that most government appointments have been biased towards the dinka tribe where President Kir comes from. This may be or may not be true, but why would President Salva Kir want to lock out Dr. Machar from leadership of the party. It is the case of President wanting to turn the young nation into a dictatorial and autocratic state, where the presidency is everything. In this 21st century, it absurd for one to imagine that he or she cannot be challenged for leadership.President Kir was lucky to be first among the equals to ascend to presidency when the young nation was born, but he must now realise that others from his SPLM party have the democratic right to compete with him for the same presidency within or without the same party, he cannot assume that to mean disloyalty but it is the democratic reality of today's world.
https://www.likeplum.com/affiliateTrying to contain dissent from his people either by removals from government, arrests or by the bullets will not help anything but will only inflict more deaths or injuries to his people. President Kir must therefore allow dissenting views in his government as well as his SPLM party. Exclusion especially in Africa where tribalism is ripe only aids in conflicts as people who feel targeted retreat and regroup into tribal war militants, as the only way of protecting tribal interests. This is exactly the case in South Sudan as has been with the majorly of
African Countries.
www.standardmedia.co.ke
South Sudanese people having attained there independence in 2011, after so many years of conflicts and fighting against their North counterparts, had all the experiences and examples arising from various African countries, which had gone through conflicts and civil wars including their neighbours in Rwanda to learn from. This however was not the case, instead the leadership choose to follow the same scripts which are common syndromes in Africa. Let me pose why would some leaders feel so much threatened when their leadership qualities are challenged.
This is exactly the catalyst to all the madness in the streets of towns in South Sudan. It started when President Salva Kir suddenly felt that his presidency was threatened by one Dr. Machar, then his second in command. He did cabinet reshuffle which left out Dr. Machar and his allies out of government. What followed was another scheme to ensure Dr. Machar and his allies are locked out completely from leadership positions in their SPLM party's to decision making organ.
It is also alleged that most government appointments have been biased towards the dinka tribe where President Kir comes from. This may be or may not be true, but why would President Salva Kir want to lock out Dr. Machar from leadership of the party. It is the case of President wanting to turn the young nation into a dictatorial and autocratic state, where the presidency is everything. In this 21st century, it absurd for one to imagine that he or she cannot be challenged for leadership.President Kir was lucky to be first among the equals to ascend to presidency when the young nation was born, but he must now realise that others from his SPLM party have the democratic right to compete with him for the same presidency within or without the same party, he cannot assume that to mean disloyalty but it is the democratic reality of today's world.
https://www.likeplum.com/affiliateTrying to contain dissent from his people either by removals from government, arrests or by the bullets will not help anything but will only inflict more deaths or injuries to his people. President Kir must therefore allow dissenting views in his government as well as his SPLM party. Exclusion especially in Africa where tribalism is ripe only aids in conflicts as people who feel targeted retreat and regroup into tribal war militants, as the only way of protecting tribal interests. This is exactly the case in South Sudan as has been with the majorly of
African Countries.
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