Its the 21st day of January and we have a "new leader of the free world". Yes the mantle has been passed on and one the younger generation has the baton. Congratulations are in order to America in its achievement, to the civil rights movement and to Barack Obama himself. It is a truly honorable moment even for us who are not Americans, as the sense of pride spreads wide.
As we salute Obama, it is worthy and especially Africa and us as Africans to take a moment and peek into the history and legacy of George W. Bush and his policies for Africa. Controversial as he may have been, unpopular in America and around the world as he may be, hated as he may be, Africa should be very grateful to him. Under his policies, we can say Africa was always on top of the list especially when help was needed. Africa was given the attention it deserved and especially when it came to the issue of HIV/AIDS and Malaria. We as Africans benefited greatly under his policies, more than what Bill Clinton managed to spend on Africa, though Bill Clinton is considered the most Africa friendly President. Figures and number I may not quote but when Bush was in power, the funding for the HIV/AIDS epidemic was increased, the AGOA initiative was relaunched, the US markets were opened a little to us Africans and specific goods given priority. Bush's government encouraged Africa to embrace democracy, and especially he was fond of the young presidents of Africa, especially presidents of Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia and Liberia who are proving to be more accountable.
This is one direction that we hope that the 44th President of the US, Barack Obama, will continue this direction.
Thank you George Walker Bush and enjoy your retirement.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Ubashiri: The Kenya of 2009-2012
Many at time I have been called a pessimist and so many the times I have felt as if I am a blind optimist. This is the battle of direction that at times I find myself in, but today my pessimist bone is much more active than the optimist one especially when the issue of where our beloved country is headed to is raised.
Let me state this clearly, I am a patriot who loves my country deeply and I would do anything to defend it, but unlike my optimism my patriotism is not blind and when I see thing that piss me off, the Idea of fleeing at times sounds a very good option. The grand coalition when it was formed sounded as a very good idea at the time when over 1200 people had lost their lives, ODM calling for trade sanction against the government, the western and European powers were spelling their terms and our beloved Kenya was going to the dogs while we were watching helplessly as the GSU and the police were making their presence felt. At that time, the grand coalition seemed like a very good idea, but that was the easier choice for us as a country. Had we searched keenly, took a hard look at ourselves and a more harder choice but better for the long run could have been realised. So why do I say that was an easy but bad choice??
The current crisis in the country is a very clear manifestation of this. One thing the politicians forgot, or they didnt and have never acknowledged is that Kenya is a corrupt country. Corruption runs in the blood and lives in the bone marrow of kenyans and the sooner do we acknowledge this the better. So PNU and ODM forgot that Kenyans are corrupt, and they went ahead and formed the grand Coalition, a bunch of thieves, corrupt mps and no one worthy of leadership. The results, the scandals we are seeing now, maize scandals, oil crisis, Wetangula and his team going to the states for Obama inaguration yet they will see it on TV just like you and me who we cant make it to DC but will have CNN, Nation and KTN at our services, Ong'ong'o and his team, the Mv Faina saga, of which we dont know who to believe; the ever lying government, the somali pirates, the sudan government or the marines who were guarding it, the IDPs saga where someone would rather pocket the 10,000Kshs for an IDP rather than help him/her get back to life and as sure as heaven and hell are the list will grow bigger and more scandalous.
How best can you explain this, 10 million are facing starvation yet some people can afford to siphon the food meant for them and export it so a neighboring country just to make an extra shilling, or the foreign ministry going for a visit where they are not invited ie gate crashing and are bound to spend millions where back at home people are dying of hunger, while teachers strike because the government cant give them a good deal and yet its the same government that is spending money as if it is in line for the US bailout now that a brother is in white house???
These are some of the stories that we will be hearing of for the next four years, just because two gangs of thieves made peace and now they can eat together with no shame and no fierce dog in the name of opposition on their backs. The PNU side is busy eating because this is their last chance to eat while ODM have unfinished business since the era of KANU. This is not hard to see unless your patriotism at times is as blind as my optimism at times. The maize scandal was a time bomb, and now it has exploded. Last year, crops were burnt in the field, and in the granaries, people and especially Kikuyu who are the largest farmers were displaced from their farms and some have never gone back, the rains failed and the national granaries were running below capacity. Do you need to go to school to learn that in these conditions the country will face starvation the following year????? But our politicians and government with the brain of a **** did not see it coming and if it did, it thought by mere not thinking about it the issue would solve itself!!!
This is just the tip of the iceberg and by the time the next four years are over we will be crying hard. So the next four years brace yourself for a tough landing as we will cry our eyes out.
all the best.
Let me state this clearly, I am a patriot who loves my country deeply and I would do anything to defend it, but unlike my optimism my patriotism is not blind and when I see thing that piss me off, the Idea of fleeing at times sounds a very good option. The grand coalition when it was formed sounded as a very good idea at the time when over 1200 people had lost their lives, ODM calling for trade sanction against the government, the western and European powers were spelling their terms and our beloved Kenya was going to the dogs while we were watching helplessly as the GSU and the police were making their presence felt. At that time, the grand coalition seemed like a very good idea, but that was the easier choice for us as a country. Had we searched keenly, took a hard look at ourselves and a more harder choice but better for the long run could have been realised. So why do I say that was an easy but bad choice??
The current crisis in the country is a very clear manifestation of this. One thing the politicians forgot, or they didnt and have never acknowledged is that Kenya is a corrupt country. Corruption runs in the blood and lives in the bone marrow of kenyans and the sooner do we acknowledge this the better. So PNU and ODM forgot that Kenyans are corrupt, and they went ahead and formed the grand Coalition, a bunch of thieves, corrupt mps and no one worthy of leadership. The results, the scandals we are seeing now, maize scandals, oil crisis, Wetangula and his team going to the states for Obama inaguration yet they will see it on TV just like you and me who we cant make it to DC but will have CNN, Nation and KTN at our services, Ong'ong'o and his team, the Mv Faina saga, of which we dont know who to believe; the ever lying government, the somali pirates, the sudan government or the marines who were guarding it, the IDPs saga where someone would rather pocket the 10,000Kshs for an IDP rather than help him/her get back to life and as sure as heaven and hell are the list will grow bigger and more scandalous.
How best can you explain this, 10 million are facing starvation yet some people can afford to siphon the food meant for them and export it so a neighboring country just to make an extra shilling, or the foreign ministry going for a visit where they are not invited ie gate crashing and are bound to spend millions where back at home people are dying of hunger, while teachers strike because the government cant give them a good deal and yet its the same government that is spending money as if it is in line for the US bailout now that a brother is in white house???
These are some of the stories that we will be hearing of for the next four years, just because two gangs of thieves made peace and now they can eat together with no shame and no fierce dog in the name of opposition on their backs. The PNU side is busy eating because this is their last chance to eat while ODM have unfinished business since the era of KANU. This is not hard to see unless your patriotism at times is as blind as my optimism at times. The maize scandal was a time bomb, and now it has exploded. Last year, crops were burnt in the field, and in the granaries, people and especially Kikuyu who are the largest farmers were displaced from their farms and some have never gone back, the rains failed and the national granaries were running below capacity. Do you need to go to school to learn that in these conditions the country will face starvation the following year????? But our politicians and government with the brain of a **** did not see it coming and if it did, it thought by mere not thinking about it the issue would solve itself!!!
This is just the tip of the iceberg and by the time the next four years are over we will be crying hard. So the next four years brace yourself for a tough landing as we will cry our eyes out.
all the best.
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