A LETTER TO KENYANS

Dear Kenyans,

Yesterday I wrote a letter of concern to ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and with it I was slapped with a backlash from a section of furious Kenyans who, in their wisdom, thought that I was driven by selfish ambitions and that my intentions were shenanigan in nature. Abuses were hurled at me by others who thought that I was paid to write the letter. Well, I am a Kenyan, apart from exercising my freedom of speech, I am also concerned. Am concerned about my tomorrow.

A LETTER TO FATOU BENSOUDA

Dear Bensouda, 
May i congratulate you upon your appointment to take the reigns of Louis Moreno Ocampo as the ICC Chief Prosecutor. Indeed it is a rare privilege that was conferred to a woman. Understandably, as you entered to your office, the diary was dominated with Kenya's PEV cases. Ocampo, after doing shoddy investigations left you a lot of work load. Madam Prosecutor, every dream of a lawyer and prosecutor is to see that their cases win. I know you are determined. You are determined to see that those indicted are nailed. 
On the flip side, may i brief you on what has taken place here since 2007. We have healed. We have forgiven and reconciled. The once grave enemies are sharing a roof. Our Government has ensured that Kenya is a haven of peaceful coexistence. We no longer hate each other,, we no longer spit to each other. We are 42 tribes under the umbrella Kenya. That is why, you are hearing of political alliances. They are ingredients of a peaceful Kenya. Can you imagine A Kikuyu voting a Kalenjin and vice versa? Yes, the scars are healed, we are determined to see our nation prosper.
Your presence however, is sending chills down our spines. Before we reconciled, hatred dominated. You have come to open a pandora box which we were willing to throw into the ocean. I believe, the witnesses at the ICC are from the warring tribes. Their submissions are likely to hurt our coexistence. Infact, instead of solving the problem, it might trigger more problems. Why do we use fire to quench fire? Most of the fighting took place in the Rift Valley. And am not shy to say that it was between the Kalenjis and the Agikuyus. The two tribes under the auspices of their leaders have reconciled. The hatred is no more. That is why Ruto and Uhuru are ready to work together. That is why Ann Njeri easily dropped sexual charges against Ezekiel Kemboi. We, are doing something to heal ourselves.
Yes, we all are happy to see justice rendered to the victims. But at what cost. Madam Prosecutor, your timing is bad. The ICC cannot send you to Kenya when campaigns are heating up. When we are about to elect a new President. When two of the suspects are criss-crossing the country winning the hearts of many. As you know, the opinion polls are favouring the joint candidature of the two. One of them is likely to be President. They are famous! That is undisputed. Do you think their fans will sit back and watch their masters taken away? No! They will fight back. We need a peaceful nation, we do not want unnecessary anxiety. 
Our judiciary has undergone major changes. Even the might are being locked behind bars. That is why i think Kenya is ready to handle her domestic problems. ICC, is only meant for the nations that lack proper judicial systems. It is preposterous that the ICC does not appreciate the progress we have made as a country in transforming the Judiciary.
May i finally ask you to urge the ICC to distance itself from Kenya, at least for now. Allow Kenya to form a local tribunal, if it fails, then you will have all the justification of returning. But Eastern Africa still needs you. Sudan to be specific. Concentrate on Bashir before coming to a democratic Kenya. I am writing this letter becasue i mind of my future here. I want to prosper. I want to have a happy family. That can be achieved if we remain in peace, like now. Not after you take the four. My university lecturer taught me that, one can smell a crisis. She taught me that a crisis can be curbed at an early stage. We are lucky because we are at an early stage. Leave Kenya to determine her own destiny. We can even go for a referendum if need be. 
Thank you and safe journer to Netherlands. Say hello to Ekatrina Trendafilova. Tell her we named our kids after her when she was busy confirming Ruto, Uhuru, Sang and Muthaura.

YOURS SINCERELY,
SAMWEL BORN MAINA.
A KENYAN FROM THE ABAGUSII TRIBE.

President Obama’s full speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention

 Here is the speech transcript presented by USA President Barrack Obama while accepting nomination to run for presidency for the second term.......................

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you. (Sustained cheers, applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.
AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you.
AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you very much, everybody. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you.
Michelle, I love you so much. (Cheers, applause.)
A few nights ago, everybody was reminded just what a lucky man I am. (Cheers, applause.)
Malia and Sasha, we are so proud of you. (Cheers, applause.) And yes, you do have to go to school in the morning. (Chuckles.) (Laughter, applause.)
And Joe Biden, thank you for being the very best vice president I could have ever hoped for — (cheers, applause) — and being a strong and loyal friend.
Madam Chairwoman, delegates, I accept your nomination for president of the United States. (Cheers, applause.)........

SURVIVING BY THE SAND

 Robert Kodingo and Samwel born Maina

Brian Otieno, a 15 year old orphan, wades into the water of lake victoria, his hands oars away as he advances toward a dinghy. Carelessly docked, it is relatively big and heavy for his lean body but he manages to pull the half of it out of the hyacinth-plagued shore into the water. A total orphan, he never learnt this from his dad who was a fisherman as he died while he was very young. He tells us that he got the skill as a result of frequent exposure of the lake. He steadly hops inside the yacht holding onto its sides giving you the impression of the small boat capsizing but his light body is no match for the weighty hard wood. He then authoritatively invites us in to take us through the waters of Korando in Lake Victoria. We hesitate for a moment but one ,an from the next boat shouts, ‘do not take his tininess for weakness. He is strong to take you through.” We hop in.

The lack of oars for steering the boat has improvised the use of a pole thrice his height. He uses it with ease despite the toll of its weight on his arms. Brian knows the lake, maybe too well to ignore the dangers associated with it.

THE KIKUYUS SHOULD RETURN A HAND

FACTSABOUT POLITICS IN KENYA

Kenya was in a brink of collapse during the 2007/2008 post election violence. The electoral body that had been mandated to deliver a free and fair election process became the villain. A cold war erupted at the KICC where the results were expected to be announced, the then defunct electoral commission of Kenya chairman Samuel Kiviutu beacame overwhelmed by the persistence of the politicians who had thronged at the KICC to hear the presidential results. Then Kivuitu Surprised everybody in the building. “I cannot reach the returning officers via the phone!” He exclaimed. That is when the smell of a rat spread throughout the building and the country at large. This are presidential results we are talking about! Not some game play! Then when the pressure seemed not to abate, Kivuitu under GSU guard went to the 13^th floor of KICC where he announced incubent president Kibaki had won beating Raila Odinga by 231,738 votes. While releasing the statement, only KBC was allowed to stream the event live. After the announcement, everything seemed to be happening quickly. Tension started building up throughout the country, Kibaki was sworn as president in the wee hours of the same day propmpting both local and international outcry from people who sensed a foul play.

Then hell broke loose. Neighbor turned against neighbor. The genesis of the violence was in Nairobi's Mathare and Kibera slums. The media was quick to report on the same without considering the repercussions that were awaiting. Indeed, due to the media, the violence spread like wildfire throughout the country. Those who fought did so because they were either defending themselves or fighting for a robbed presidency. In the Rift Valley, the Agikuyu were chased away by the Kalenjins. The Agikuyu had largely voted for Kibaki, whereas the Kalenjin had voted for Raila. Other small communities like the Abagusii found themselves in the pandemonium. They were too ejected. The Abagusii never voted as a bloc. They voted for bothe Raila and Kibaki. No one took charge of the region. Media reports indicate that 1300 people lost their lives whereas thousands rendered homeless. The number could be higher as there are families that have never traced their loved ones to date.

With the election period looming once again, tension is deeply hidden inside our hearts. Many are fearing for the 2008 scenario with the Kenya red cross already raising the alarm. During the previous elections, Kenyans witnessed horrific images that still haunt them to date. Kenya is a country of 42 tribes out of which only two tribes have ruled Kenya

FORMER L.S.K BOSS OUT TO TAKE OBWOCHA AS SENATORIAL CAMPIGNS GAIN MOMENTUM

A fierce battle is slowly unfolding in Nyamira County as the race for the senatorial position heats up with six months remaining before the general election. Former law society of Kenya chairman Okong’o Omogeni has thrown his weight in the race for the senatorial position and is expected to fight it out with former West Mugirango member of parliament Henry Obwocha who declared his interest for the position immediately after the promulgation of the new constitution, advocate Kennedy Mong’are and businessman Robert Kombo, with each contestant banking on the past record to woo voters.   Nyamira County lies in a squared area of 899km and has more than 750,000 inhabitants with agriculture being the major economic activity for the people here. Ironically, although the county has fertile and has regular rainfall, the poverty rate is 46.60% with illiteracy levels continuing to rise. This is evidenced by the fact that Nyamira County produces the worst performing schools in the national examinations. Experts are saying that the poverty rate in the county is as a result of imbalance in what the residents export to other counties and what they receive and this brings about a negative current account balance.

WOMEN BLEEDING IN SILENCE

In the 21^st century, it may sound preposterous hearing stories that the culture of wife battering still exists in our societies. If it does, we assume, it happens to the illiterate back in the rural areas. But I was recently crestfallen upon realizing that the vice is still amidst us. If it is not your neighbor, then it is you. And the sad part is, those facing both psychological and physical torture live in denial, refusing to seek help even when the issue is serious. A small quarrel may soon swell into a slap, later on into a belt and finally into donkey whipping. At that point, a woman starts to loose her sense of living, allows stress to eat her up, and eventually succumbs to it. The happy couple we see walking past us,portraying an admirable picture may have a meandering life that is more than meets the eye. Their husbands might appear to be a sheep wool on the outside, but a wolf in the inside. I recently sought to dig into the matter and upon resurfacing, I came with me disturbing stories from women, women who suffer in the hands of their pastor husbands and working elite men who are the epitome of our society.