Dear political leaders,

This is an open letter to the leaders of Kenya. I may sound mad but its my right to be. On the 27th December 2007 we had hope in our hearts and we knew whoever was to take over the country will take it to greater heights and change the whole lives of the natives, we were promised heaven and all it contains. It's a bad show what happened on 30th December 2007 when the announcement of the election was declared, the country went to a stand still, businesses closed the streets were taken over by the police and the rioting crowds. All that could be heard was "fraud" and it was a scene not to be re-lived. It killed every aspect of good neighborhood. Over 1200 persons died and over 350,000 persons displaced and most of them are in camps. We experienced what all these other countries at war experience. The insecurity was getting to a level that it could not be stopped. Our hope was on the mediators and the international community to help stop the stalemate that was. And successfully a deal was reached after over 40 days of trying hard with the hardliners pressing on their interests. In a good way we saw the hope and it felt like a new day and era for Kenya. In happened the main presidential candidates who promised heaven to us are in a government. With the bill passed and made to a law we praised the parties involved and we knew the work is in progress and Kenya will restore the glory it lost in the two months of unrest. People have lost lives, lost jobs and lost homes. All we want is a peaceful country and things to get back to normal. So far we know we will never benefit from politics but instead suffer. There are people in camps and they need help and assistance to get back on their feet and do something worthwhile. The long rains are coming and God has mercy on us He is giving us a chance to make it better by giving the rains, so that we can plant and enjoy the wonderful rain and climate. Let's think for a second for I know you leaders never think about us. We elected you so show some concern, give us hope to see tomorrow and work better for this nation. We will one day depart and leave this land we don't want to leave it on its knees. Its time for true statesmanship, and true leadership, we want to proceed with life with no more mass action, no more unrests but with love and all it takes to reach that level we all want, make Kenya a dreamland. The deal was reached please work as per it and save us the stress, we dint elect you to give us stress so save us that. I know am a common man and my words may not be so influential, but this is the truth and find it in your heart to help this nation with love.

Yours truly,
George Rambo

Club 99

Some time ago, there lived a King. This King should have been contented with his life, given all the riches and luxuries he had. However, this was not the case! The King always found himself wondering why he just never seemed content with his life.

Sure, he had the attention of everyone wherever he went, attended fancy dinners and parties, but somehow, he still felt something was lacking and he couldn't put his finger on it.
One day, the King had woken up earlier than usual to stroll around his palace. He entered his huge living room and came to a stop when he heard someone happily singing away... following this singing...he saw that one of the servants was singing and had a very contented look on his face.
This fascinated the King and he summoned this man to his chambers. The man entered the King's chambers as ordered. The King asked why he was so happy?
To this the man replied: "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but I make enough of a living to keep my wife and children happy. We don't need too much, a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummy. My wife and children are my inspiration, they are content with whatever little I bring home. I am happy because my family is happy."

Hearing this, the King dismissed the servant and summoned his Personal Assistant to his chambers. The King related his personal anguish about his feelings and then related the story of the servant to his Personal Assistant, hoping that somehow, he will be able to come up with some reasoning that here was a King who could have anything he wished for at a snap of his fingers and yet was not contented, whereas, his servant, having so little was extremely contented.

The Personal Assistant listened attentively and came to a conclusion. He said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club." "The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the King inquired. To which the Assistant replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, you will have to do the following... place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep, you will then understand what The 99 Club is." That very same evening, the King arranged for 99 Gold coins to be placed in a bag at the servant's doorstep. Although he was slightly hesitant and he thought he should have put 100 Gold coins into the bag, but since his assistant had advised him to put 99 that is what he did.

The servant was just stepping out of his house when he saw a bag at his doorstep. Wondering about its contents, he took it into his house and opened the bag. When he opened the bag, he let out a great big shout of joy...Gold Coins... so many of them. He could hardly believe it. He called his wife to show her the coins.
He then took the bag to a table and emptied it out and began to count the coins. Doing so, he realized that there were 99 coins and he thought it was an odd number so he counted again, and again and again only to come to the same conclusion... 99 Gold Coins.

He began to wonder, what could have happened to that last 1 coin? For no one would leave 99 coins. He began to search his entire house, looked around his backyard for hours, not wanting to lose out on that one coin. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to make up for that 1 Gold coin to make his entire collection an even 100 Gold Coins. He got up the next morning, in an extremely horrible mood, shouting at the children and his wife for his delay, not realizing that he had spent most of the night conjuring ways of working hard so that he had enough money to buy himself that gold coin. He went to work as usual but not in his usual best mood, singing happily - as he grumpily did his daily errands.

Seeing the man's attitude change so drastically, the King was puzzled. He promptly summoned his assistant to his chambers. The King related his thoughts about the servant and once again, his assistant listened. The King could not believe that the servant who until yesterday had been singing away and was happy and content with his life had taken a sudden change of attitude, even though he should have been happier after receiving the gold coins.

To this the assistant replied "Ah! But your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club." He explained: "The 99 Club is just a name given to those people who have everything but yet are never contented, therefore they are always working hard and striving for that extra 1 to round it out to 100! We have so much to be thankful for and we can live with very little in our lives, but the minute we are given something bigger and better, we want even more!

"We are not the same happy contented person we used to be, we want more and more and by wanting more and more we don't realize the price we pay for it. We lose our sleep, our happiness; we hurt the people around us just as a price to pay for our growing needs and desires. That is what joining The 99 Club is all about." Hearing this the King decided that from that day onwards, he was going to start appreciating all the little things in life.

Striving for more is always good, but let's not strive so hard and for so much that we lose all those near and dear to our hearts, we shouldn't compromise our happiness for moments of luxuries! Ask yourself:

ARE YOU A MEMBER OF CLUB 99?

Computers for Zimbabwe’s poor

President Mugabe’s new campaign tactics reek of nothing short of clutching at straws. The Iron Man of one of Africa’s most impoverished nations, has resorted to donating computers to supporters in each of the provinces where he’s campaigning in.

I must say that in a country where the inflation rate has reached dire proportions, the last thing these people need are computers.

Well, lets admit that this whole charade stinks. Vote-buying has been the order of the day in the country; indeed this isn’t a strange phenomenon in most African nations. And his opposers are up in arms - the war drums have been sounded.

Simba Makoni and Morgan Tsvangirai are proving to be a thorn in the veteran’s flesh, but the scales are not tipping yet. Despite the fact that Makoni, a fornmer ZANU PF loyalist is now the incumbent's biggest threat, Mugabe still seems to have his cards intact. He is ready to play - and play thick and fast.

Indeed, having ruled the state for 5 consecutive terms, one can imagine how formidable Monsieur Mugabe will be yet again in the upcoming elections.

But back to the issue at hand: if Mugabe wants to extend a “helping” hand to his comrades, I suggest that he start with restoring Zimbabwe’s former status of being “Africa’s bread basket.” Because computers will not work in a country that is being harangued by shortages of food, fuel, water and a strong currency.

Mugabe needs to remember that his policies and hardline tactics have driven his country deep in the bogging mire, and a lot needs to be done to pull it out of this cess hole it finds itself in.

So please, quit the shenanigans and give the people something more valuable – a chance at a better life.

Zimbabweans deserve that.

Mungiki Menace

The sights and sounds of the Capital will never cease to amaze. And the latest events that unfolded yesterday are nothing short of amazing – and stupefying.

In their hundreds, they came, brandishing their signature flag and wielding posters of their leader, Maina Njenga.

They moved in what could only be termed as a well-orchestrated move, from street to street. From Moi Avenue, past Kenyatta Avenue, all the way to Harambee Avenue.

By God, they even had the audacity to stampede right in front of Vigilance House and Parliament!

And the police were quick to utter yet another feeble explanation; they were not aware of such a move. So Kenyans, we are faced with a glaring situation here; the police cannot and will not contain the Mungiki.

Because, never have I witnessed such a demonstration (more appropriately, a riot) that the police were incapable of quelling in the nick of time. For half an hour, they ran amok in the city streets, causing mayhem and bringing business to a grinding halt. They were even kind enough o leave behing leaflets.

The police acted after half an hour. How convenient! Surely, what was so different or so special about this demonstration, that they couldn’t be contained as fast as possible? Isnt this simply put, the biggest case of irony ever? I mean, when civil society takes to the streets, in peaceful and civilised fashion, to air their grievances, the police are quick to punce upon the demonstrators like lions hunting for game. But let the ragged, ill-mannered thugs take control of the streets and we witness a show never aired before.

Are we going to be held hostage by a bunch of ruffians?

Are we never going to know peace, simpy because a group of rag-tag hoodlums want their leader to be freed? A leader who happens to be at the helm of an illegal militia band?

Maina Njenga has been in jail since 2005, charged with mere possession of an illegal firearm.

Such idiocy! Such unfathomable leniency!

What about being the leader of an outlawed sect? What about being in charge of a group that has allegedly commited all manner of heinous crimes? Or don’t these count?

And while the gang ran about town, shouting into the TV cameras with all the audacity they could muster what were the police doing? What will the police do?

Those faces were captured by TV cameras. I bet any cameraman can easily identify the rioters in a police line-up. But will the police do a thorough investigation and arrest the felons? Or will they just sit back, after throwing a bunch of teargas cannisters, and let this one fly, just as usual?

I’ll bet you ten bucks, this one will find a comfortable position under the carpet once more.

Because the Mungiki Menace is never going to die away. Simply because they have proven to be quicker, meaner and more intelligent than the team charged with ensuring law and order in this nation.

A moment of gratitude.

Phew! Such gratitude I owe to the most reverred individual in history – Kofi Annan. Backed by his team of Emminent Persons, Mr. Annan has given Kenya a new lease in life.

With His Excellency, President Jakaya Kikwete, stepping in to remind the two leaders, Hon,. Raila Odinga and president Kibaki, that this country is much greater than either of them, the outcome was really what Kenyans had been anticipating for all this time. It was time for the ultimate sacrifice to be made. Egoes were swept aside, pride swallowed and arms extended to each other in a national show of companionship, patriotism and teamwork.

Where would we be now if Kofi Annan would have succumbed to the hardline tactics of the two negotiation teams? What would have happened if Raila had refused to step down from his erstwhile “impossible” demands? And what would have transpired had the President decided to turn away from the desperate pleas of Kenyans; pleas for a coalition Government?

I heave a huge sigh of relief; for all the mothers who were separated from their children, for all the men who lost their limbs and property in senseless violence, for all the children who couldn’t go to school for fear of meeting marauding gangs in the lonely highways…

Thank you Kofi Annan for your resilience and strength; for your belief in a better Kenya. Thank you Raila Odinga for shoing us that a nation is more important than an individual. Thank you President Kibaki for ignoring the twisted and hardline tactics of your Government, and listening to us.

Thank you Benjamin Mkapa, for your honesty and faith in Kenya.

Thank you Graca Machel; a force to be reckoned with indeed; a voice of reason and a shimmer of hope for all Kenyan women and children.

We owe you our deepest gratitude and our prayers will always remain with you.

God bless you. God bless Kenya.

A moment of gratitude.

Phew! Such gratitude I owe to the most reverred individual in history – Kofi Annan. Backed by his team of Emminent Persons, Mr. Annan has given Kenya a new lease in life.

With His Excellency, President Jakaya Kikwete, stepping in to remind the two leaders, Hon,. Raila Odinga and president Kibaki, that this country is much greater than either of them, the outcome was really what Kenyans had been anticipating for all this time. It was time for the ultimate sacrifice to be made. Egoes were swept aside, pride swallowed and arms extended to each other in a national show of companionship, patriotism and teamwork.

Where would we be now if Kofi Annan would have succumbed to the hardline tactics of the two negotiation teams? What would have happened if Raila had refused to step down from his erstwhile “impossible” demands? And what would have transpired had the President decided to turn away from the desperate pleas of Kenyans; pleas for a coalition Government?

I heave a huge sigh of relief; for all the mothers who were separated from their children, for all the men who lost their limbs and property in senseless violence, for all the children who couldn’t go to school for fear of meeting marauding gangs in the lonely highways…

Thank you Kofi Annan for your resilience and strength; for your belief in a better Kenya. Thank you Raila Odinga for shoing us that a nation is more important than an individual. Thank you President Kibaki for ignoring the twisted and hardline tactics of your Government, and listening to us.

Thank you Benjamin Mkapa, for your honesty and faith in Kenya.

Thank you Graca Machel; a force to be reckoned with indeed; a voice of reason and a shimmer of hope for all Kenyan women and children.

We owe you our deepest gratitude and our prayers will always remain with you.

God bless you. God bless Kenya.