BEAUTY OF MY COUNTRY,KENYA

In as much as i rant and rave about the sense of doom and gloom in Kenya,i still believe its the most beautiful place on earth.That's why its worth exploring it and discovering the abundance of scenic beauty.

I know its possible to enjoy an early morning quiet beach jog or walk on the beach in Mombasa

A contrast of nature and modernity in the Maasai Mara

 Or a sundowner overlooking Nairobi National Park at the Ole Sereni, Waterhole spot.

 

Or a Coastal Sunset like no other.

 

Thats just a few of the good moments in Kenya.

FASHION POLICE #EMBAKASI STYLE!!!!

 I don't really know where to start.In the recent past I have observed my beloved Kenyan people struggle with myriad problems that have increased my insomnia and made me realize we are surely living in precarious times.

Like a woven sweater we are becoming undone at the seams,one strand at a time.My latest 
cry is to question our decency,or lack of in the way a young lady was undressed by an unruly mob of glue-sniffing,mirra-chewing nincompoops lounging at the jobless corner all in the name of instituting their sense of decency on the lady.I cant reconcile the fact that among all those men,not one stood up to protect the lady and to stop the demeaning way she was handled.Furthermore,and as if on cue,some degenerate pervert decides to take a video of the event maybe to use it later to jerk-off and engradise himself.Such is the social fabric of our society that we should not wonder why we seem not to progress forward and always stumble from one crisis to another.

When grown men cannot believe in the rule of the law and decide to inflict physical and psychological torture on a young lady in broad daylight and with videos and cameras clicking away,then you realize we are a society facing doom.The events of #Embasava cannot be viewed in isolation but are a mirror of our society and where we are headed.I would not be at all suprised if our young children currently on holiday imitate the same events and mete out similar punishment on other young unsuspecting girls in copycat attacks.The cascade of events will continue and upon reaching a tipping point could result in greater social problems.The time to reclaim our national decency and respect of individual freedoms is now.
Behavioral psychologists can attest to the fact that societal norms and ethics are viewed and replicated in the civic interactions of the citizens. Any sense of complacency in dealing with the situation will be a tacit approve of the demeaning way the goons of #Embasava descended on the young lady.

The individuals involved in the attack on the lady should be identified,arrested and dealt with, with the cliche "full force of the law". I wonder how difficult it could be to identify the clowns bearing in mind there are video evidence of the barbaric acts of #Embasava.The person who took the video should also be arrested and dealt with.For those who think the video individual is not guilt,I wish to refer you to a phenomenon in USA called "bum-bashing" where young men beat up poor homeless people all for a round of laughs.It should be unacceptable to act like animals in a civilised society and we need to reclaim Kenya back from the dogs.Although the dogs will bark and hide behind vague,cultural inappropriateness of dress-code of the lady and other such things.We may not agree with others dress code but we have no right to force them to wear what we want them.Personally I don't like people who wear watches on their right arm,but I don't go around town enforcing my desires.

A society that does not believe in individual freedom and does not treat its womenfolk with respect is not one that should be encouraged.Its time that the government handled issues of individual freedom and liberties with the seriousness it deserves and restored  pride in our constitution and way of life.Failure to this,lets expect a greater slide into anarchy and mob justice attitude.But the greater the slide,the higher the likelihood social problems will increase to an uncontrollable level.
The time to act against mob justice is now and the time to #BringbackKenya is now.

WARIA AT A CROSSROADS

Currently I fear for my country's future prospects in the wake of the increased anti-Somali sentiments both by the leadership, from the very top to the lay public. I wonder whether am the one who is misreading the script and being overly sensitive and to an extent paranoid? With due apologies to the security forces, my feeling is that they are witch-hunting and victimizing Somalis both so-called Kenyan-Somalis and aliens in the country either legally or otherwise. Enforcement of law and order requires a certain dose of common sense which has been in short supply on many levels since the Operation against Somalis started. First as a war on terror groups and then  Operation to flush out illegal aliens  from the country and into refugee camps and even deportation to God knows where. When it started out in Eastleigh, not many were concerned and even a number of middle-class Somalis thought they would be immune from its consequences. Woe unto them for the naivety, for South C was the next stop and the swoops were preceded by and followed up with enough propaganda in the media that there was no way any well-meaning non-Somali would stand up and challenge the leadership lest they be termed as aiding and abetting the commission of a crime. Only a handful of strong characters have dared to question the establishment and I appreciate your efforts. When the situation is as dire as it is today for Somalis in Kenya I wonder what next?

There are three options left for the Somalis in Kenya.One,is to stay put,realize we are a subjugated minority with no worth, economically strong but faced with the great limitation of being different from the majority of the nation and accept the dictates of the majority. Any one us who questions the official line, should be hounded and whisked away not to be heard from again. A nuisance that has to be gotten rid off.

Another option is to evaluate our position in the dilemma we are faced with and come with workable solution to overcome the challenges. This would involve formation of strong lobbies led by the brightest and most intelligent visionaries in the community, if we can find any. The aim of any lobby is to ensure the government of the day is engaged on matters that affect our interests and they get to see our point of view. In all this a singular voice would be heard at all times. Where needed the elite of the community can see how to put their oversized egos in check and work together with others with divergent views so as to save this community facing dire straits. This way, any misunderstanding occasioned by implementation of any government directive can be solved amicably without creating the feeling of the overt opposition to state orders. This is partially dependent on a government willing to listen to a significant proportion of its citizens, feeling alienated and profiled for extermination. The government has to be seen to be responsive and with the best interest of all people including the Somalis at heart.

The third rather controversial option is one of migration. The Somalis are free to invest and live in anypart of the nation, but chose to heavily put their eggs in the Eastleigh basket. Maybe its time to reconsider this and instead invest in their home counties or even spread their businesses to other countries where they feel welcome, appreciated and not victimized. Any migration will be beset with losses occasioned by the disposal of assets and setting up base in new areas, but if this will save the community from the current problems, I find it to be the best option. The smart ones know, it better to quit before the lynch-mob assembles. 

We don’t have to wait for a News show Big Question on,” DO YOU THINK SOMALIS DESERVE TO BE TREATED AS HUMANS? before packing the bags.

 Maybe the elephant in the room will also be confronted while we are at it.

LIVING IN PLATO'S CAVE

In the allegory of Plato's Cave is narrated a story too bold to be told that it’s hidden from the view of the common man in the hope he doesn't find it out. In it, Socrates narrates the allegory of people trapped in a cave in order to explain the soul's journey from darkness (ignorance) into light.

  A group of prisoners are chained in a dark cave. Chained from birth, they are unable to move their bodies and can only stare straight ahead at the wall of the cave. On this wall flash objects, like images on a movie theatre screen. The prisoners believe what they see is reality, but these objects are merely shadows thrown against the wall by puppets behind the prisoners. The puppets are controlled by puppeteers who walk in front of the fire, some of them speak, and the prisoners hear the echo of their voices and believe that these faint echoes are real words/sounds of the puppets as well. Along the side of the cave is a rocky and steep path leading to the mouth of the cave. At the mouth, there is a faint glimpse of the sun.

  A prisoner somehow gets free. Since the prisoner has been chained since birth, even moving about is painful. He stumbles and is unsteady. Something compels him up the steep path to the mouth of the cave. This trip is difficult, and once the prisoner reaches the mouth of the cave and is in the light of the sun, he tries to return to the darkness because he is in such pain. But the force that compels him won't let him return. Once outside, the prisoner is be blinded by the sun and at first cannot see. Eventually, he begins seeing shadows and outlines of objects. Next, he begins growing accustomed to the light and can distinguish one object from another. He can see the reflection of the brightest objects in water (sun and moon). Last, he can look at the sun itself. The sun represents good, which for Socrates is truth/knowledge. 

Basking in the sun, the prisoner sees truth. He realizes that life in the cave was an illusion, and that the honors bestowed there are meaningless. Though the ex-prisoner wants to stay in the sun, meditating on truth, he cannot. His duty is to return to the cave and let others know truth. When he enters the cave again, though, his eyes are not able to see in the dark any longer. He stumbles and looks foolish. His words do not make sense. Some of the prisoners mock him, others fear him. Some  try to kill him because he is trying to bring change. On returning at first he is not even be able to compete with prisoners because the darkness is so foreign to him. He learns how to see in the dark again in order to communicate to the prisoners.

 My Conclusion of the Allegory

In this shortened version of the allegory I do deduce that we need to seek enlightenment that is governed by reason and logic. We should aspire to be better and to help society unshackle from the yoke of imprisonment. Trying to find that enlightenment is difficult and beset with challenges. It is not easy to do the right thing and there are puppeteers who seek to shackle humanity from discovering true knowledge. As a prisoner who seeks to escape from the cave, you shall be the target of a hunt to ensure you do not reach the mouth of the cave and if you do, not to return to inspire the prisoners left behind. The worst thing is that the prisoners chained to the cave become so accustomed to their fate that the images on the wall are real and if you manage to bring them the truth they may laugh you off and even think you are one possessed can only hope that we are not deterred by puppeteers or prisoners in shackles but we go forth and seek our truth.

 In the current world there is so much hoodwinking and dishonesty that to accomplish anything close to seeking the truth will require sacrifice. Do the right thing and believe in the power of goodness. All over the world the clamour for freedom, justice and good governance continues and cannot be silenced. There may be temporary challenges but in the end we should unshackle ourselves from the cave and go forth to the light.

KENYA IS A CAVE THAT HAS ITS PUPPETEERS, PUPPETS AND PRISONERS. But we have to do the best to change all that. But do we have the energy?

TEST-TUBE REPLY TO THE SENIOR COUNSEL-(Reply to Ahmed Nassir's Tweet)

Senior Counsel AhmedNassir Abdullahi

Senior counsel,

I just couldn't sleep without answering you.I had other more important things to do but decided to put them aside to reply to your bitter statement on twitter about the doctors in Kenya.I respect that you are entitled to your opinion and that you may decide to lament on lack of quality care in our hospitals.(Its a right enshrined in the constitution) .The only problem is that,had it been said by a lesser person in the form of a unschooled simpleton in the village herding camels I would accept.But coming from a "learned" foe I just have to respond.

In the field of medicine (unlike law),human life is very precious and any action or inaction is based on a set of well-rehearsed and tutored guidelines with the aim to ensure we "Do no harm".To be a doctor requires a strong,capable mind able to put aside personal opinions and even affiliation of any kind to serve the people irrespective of their colour,creed or class in society.As I jot this,at midnight,many doctors are busy on night-duty and others called from their sleep to attend to critically ill patients.I do hope there are law firms open at this hour busy saving lives of individuals and not charging by the hour.Since that is not the case,I would think you owe the Kenyan doctors an apology for insinuating they are less than adequate,not-good or simply incompetent.

I however cannot dismiss your concern on what you perceive as "Not good" about the Kenyan doctor.The doctor has never claimed to cure but rather treats,only God cures.It is evident your tweet was ignorantly and hurried sent.The statement that followed on your tweet clearly highlights your concern.One of cost of care and quality.The crux of the matter is that you may be implying  a totally different thing to competency of the doctors but rather a concern on the state of healthcare in the country.

This in fact forms the core matter of health systems and that's where you have shot yourself in the foot senior counsel.The current health system is and always has lagged behind other countries like India because the laws to regulate healthcare were made by lawyers or had the greatest input from them.So,when you claim there are are no neurosurgeons,you are claiming lawyers messed up not to insist on a certain requirement in law that would force the government to have the necessary structures in place.Of course there are different facets of Health Systems namely

• Governance and Leadership
• Healthcare workforce staffing
• Healthcare Financing
• Infrastructure and service delivery
• Commodities management including medicines and surgical supplies
• Effective Information systems to coordinate all the above

Not to bore you with details on the different issues involved,I wish to inform you that the workforce available is capable and competent as much as competence can be measured.In order to address issues of technical trainings,doctors and all healthcare workers undergo a compulsory Continous Professional Development sessions for licensing and they keep upto date with their profession through various forums.The only issue you should be concerned about in healthcare staffing is whether your relatives in Ramu and El-Wak are able to access service from a competent,qualified doctor when they need to.The answer in most instances is No.This is where your concern is justified and you need to lobby your governor to ensure recruitment and deployment of adequate personnel in facilities in their jurisdiction. You also need to note that not everyone with a white coat is a doctor,even my local butcher has a whitecoat.

Senior counsel,I beg that you do the honorable thing and calmly find a way to get the foot out of the mouth and have piece of humble pie,on me.Once you've had your fill maybe we can "radicalize" you to champion for a better Health System for our country.We need people like you to champion the cause of the mwananchi and to ensure better funding for healthcare for us to attain not just Millenium Development Goals but be able to handle all emergencies within the counties.We would not need to ferry all critical cases to Kenyatta National Hospital ever again.There are many things to be done such as the small mater of the Health Bill awaiting to be acted on.It has the potential to address a number of the concerns above and I challenge you to make it see the light of day in the shortest possible time.

Also the government needs to review expenditure of health as a percentage of GDP to enable attainment of better health for all.

With that said,I beg to sleep.