Let’s awaken the tribe debate without fear of being gagged. (The truth sets free)

Let’s awaken the tribe debate without fear of being gagged. (The truth sets free)

One of the definitions for peace is an end of war, Kenya media is awash with peace messages and this leads me to beg the question,…When did the war begin? What war are we talking about? Who are the people at war? What message are the warring factions trying to put out? Honestly I think that the Mzalendo Kibunjia led commission is a big waste of tax payers’ money. I challenge them to give Kenyans an audit of what they have achieved in uniting Kenyans. The most annoying thing is when he tries to act as though he is a certain societal prefect; I let this to be a debate for another day.

Kenya stands deeply divided nations, the wounds inflicted by the disputed election are still sore. Consecutive elections have been conducted and the citizens feel cheated. The Supreme Court has allowed Uhuru Kenyatta to be sworn in as the 4^th president of the nation, his main challenger Raila Odinga has accepted the court’s ruling though grudgingly, everybody is asking the nation to forge ahead as a unit but is this wishful thinking?Yes,that I agree. Many people have questions to be answered. This debate should not be censored, it should be awoken and the citizens must be candid.

1) How is it that mainly two communities can come together and produce a president against 40 other communities?

2) Evidence of election malpractice has been televised and the losers trust that the elections were not free and fair.

3) How is it that the presidency is just rotating between two communities?

4)Should Kenyans waste their time again to register as voters, queue for 5-7hrs waiting to vote, and then some people ‘manipulate the results?

It is easy to ask people to move forward but in such a highly hypocritical society like ours, where even church leaders sing to the tune of their highest paying offering congregants no one is to be trusted. A nation that hypocritically bans a condom advert but turns a blind eye when rights of the citizens are trampled on by the high and mighty. A nation where the religious leaders keep mum when politicians live wantonly because they want to be seen to be politically correct with the political masters.

The Kenyan moral fabric is dirty and it needs to be washed, when a 60 year old man rapes a 6 month old baby, yet the same man has religious affiliations who is to blame? Do not get me wrong but I believe that the church has failed in her mandate in bringing up a moral society. Religious leaders are themselves symbols of opulence, moving in fuel guzzlers and ranting about sowing seeds yet the sowers have no morals themselves. They accept seeds from drug traffickers, robbers, conmen and even child traffickers. The emergence of charismatic church leaders is at an all time high. Success is measured in terms of the residential areas an individual resides, the car he drives, where he eats and the designer clothes he wears. We are a nation that craves success but are not keen on the virtues of true success like honesty and patience; it is either my way or the corrupt way. I know that the church should welcome sinners, but also they must openly and energetically condemn evil without fear.

Our children steal in national examinations yet we keep mum, sportsmen cheat their ages and we see this as normal for what we care about is the medal not the honesty. You get a tender not because you qualified but because the awardee was your tribesman or you had lined their pocket.

The media themselves glorify athletes, musicians, politicians and even religious leaders who succeed without giving thought to the values these lads further. We pretend to further patriotism yet retire to our tribal cocoons whenever we are offended. An individual guilty of a crime persuades and makes their tribe to believe that indeed it is the community that is being persecuted.

I am not casting the first stone because I am clean, but I do believe that this debate should be awoken without fear or gagging. Let people be allowed to discuss tribalism without being given a template to guide the discussion. Silence does not mean that peace has been achieved; when you have a wound covering it is no remedy for soon it will smell. We need people to openly talk about this ghost of tribalism we inherited as a society if we ever need to forge ahead as one people. In the meantime people will treat each=h other with suspicion as long as they harbor these wounds.

I look forward to a new leadership, not necessarily with titles that will steer the nation without regards to their race, tribe or religion and a society where elections will be and will also be seen to be free and fair and where Kenyans from the smallest tribe have equal chances of making it to any position because merit will be the yardstick. Indeed we are a lovely nation on paper let the citizens experience that beauty starting from the ballot. I know we will get there someday and that leads me to a song…”I’m looking at the man in the mirror, for I know he’s great and any meaningful change must start with him…”

Statistical Analysis: Is Arsenal target Victor Wanyama ready for the big stage?

March 26, 2013

By David Onjili

Signed from Belgium outfit Beerschoft by Neil Lennon’s Celtic, Victor Wanyama Mugube has gone on to develop into an integral part of Celtic FC as they look to march onto another Scottish title. He has established himself as one of the only East African footballers to play in a top European league, a feat his elder brother Robert Mariga achieved with Inter Milan when he became the 1st East African to win the champions league with Jose Mourinho’s side.
I am talking about a young man who debuted for the Kenyan national team Harambee Stars at the age of 15 in a friendly against Nigeria, and later signed for Celtic at the tender age of 19 years old and chose to wear the number 67 jersey which he said was inspired after reading the club’s history. After scoring against Barcelona, Wanyama made history by becoming the first Kenyan to score a goal in the UEFA Champions League.
Let us first take a peek at the 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 seasons and compare his progress.
2012-2013 season

Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC
UCL	7	0	1	0	8	3	15	10	3
LC	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SPL	26	1	6	3	47	14	40	34	6
SFAC	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
TOTALS	38	2	7	3	55	17	55	44	10

2011-2012 season

Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC
SFAC	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SPL	24	5	4	4	16	6	40	36	2
LC	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
EUROPA	5	0	0	0	1	0	9	4	1
TOTALS	33	9	4	4	17	6	49	40	3

(GS-games played,SB-substitutions,G-goals,SH-shots,SG-shots on goal,FC-fouls committed,FS-fouls suffered,YC-yellow cards)
From the above tables we can note that Wanyama has been able to score more goals this season (7) as opposed to last season (4) although his accuracy at hitting the target has dropped from 35% to 31%, but he is a defensive midfielder who sits a little deeper in Neill Lennon’s side, Having received 1 red card last season in all competitions this year after 8 matches he has been able to avoid this. This shows some tactical discipline too.
As a defensive midfielder and having been played once as a centre back he has committed an increased number of fouls this season, but also worth noting he’s love for ball possession has made him vulnerable to being fouled many times, another positive is that he has a good number of assists for his team, from the 38 games played this season, he has 3 assists in all competitions.
Allow me to look at one of the most impressive performances and funnily it was in Europe and against arguably Europe’s best team, Barcelona. On that night he was charged with neutralizing Leo Messi. We all know how tough this is for any player; he however did try and was able to neutralize the Barca midfield together with his teammates. That not being enough he also rose to head in one of his teams goals from a corner as Celtic went ahead to beat the Catalans 3-1. The table below illustrates his performance in the Champions league.

appearance	goals	Aerials won	aggression	assists	ratings	Pass accuracy %	Shots per game
7	1	2.1	3.0	0	7.12	80.7	1.1

From the above data, his ratings were second to Charlie Mulgrew, interesting to note is his good passing accuracy and the number of aerial duels won. This last statistic accompanied with his burly stature would come in handy were he to make the switch to the premier league.
Conclusion
I must admit the fact that the Scottish Premier League may not rank the same as the Spanish, German, Italian or English leagues but it is worth noting that he is among the best Central midfielders and his good showing in the Champions League show he is a player who can make it in the big leagues.
That said there are aspects of his game that need to be sharpened, he needs to improve on his passing to follow in the steps of other deep sitting players like Arteta and Xabi Alonso. It is understandable with the role he plays at Celtic but I think he also commits many fouls as we have seen from the earlier tables comparing his two seasons in Scotland.
I am confident that wherever he plays next season he can only be better, if he moves on to a top league which I strongly recommend he should be patient enough to keep developing especially surrounded by top class talents and managers and this is not to take away anything from the Scottish league.

TO WHOM AND WHY I WILL VOTE

The honorable Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta is a distinguished Kenyan, a family man and a successful businessman. He is the son of our late founding father and candidate for the 4^th president of Kenya under the Jubilee Coalition. He was introduced to politics as many have it by the 2^nd president of Kenya Daniel Arap Moi,he has proven his mettle as one fine politician and on his way to the presidency lies on man;Raila Amollo Odinga.Going by the latest opinion polls the two are the early front runners to succeed the incumbent president. On March 4^th 2013, every progressive and well meaning Kenyan will go and vote in one of the most complex elections under the new constitutional dispensation.

Every generation has an important duty with destiny, either to write it or go into oblivion; our children and their children will either enjoy or suffer from the political choices that we all make come March. I chose to write my own history not out of blind loyalty to tribe, party or religion but for the sake of my 43 or more children, I have a short story to illustrate this. A certain father had 43 children from 43 different wives, family tradition allowed him to reward them after every 5years with the opportunity to take care of his wealth. For 49years he had rotated the baton between his two wives’ sons, at first the other wives remained quiet but in recent years they had also developed a desire to see what their children were capable of doing with the opportunity. Today it lay solely in the hands of the man a golden opportunity to see and let the other wives’ children also have a chance. This is at a time when the other wives had started to whisper about favoritism from the man, he knew that this time round his choice was crucial as not only was it going bring peace but it would help one of his sons to remember that before the father’s eyes they were all equal and none was entitled to the reward.

This he had to do, not because the children from the 2 wives were bad, No, but so that these other children could also dream. Growing up children have wishes/dreams, and it is only fair if we show them that in a just and democratic Kenya, a boy in Madera and a girl in Marakwet have an equal chance just like a boy in Othaya or Baringo does, all they need is to work hard in a Kenya that does not discriminate against one because if we are equal before God, then we must as human beings also treat each other equally.

It is on this basis that from the two top presidential contenders I chose to settle on Raila Odinga, I pray that his ascending to the presidency will spur a belief that in the new Kenya, all is possible, my prayer is that we may stop the usual politics as a nation and look at the real issues that every Kenyan wants addressed, affordable housing and medical care, jobs and no Kenyan should ever die of hunger or miss a meal. My prayer is that on the 5^th of March the nation may wake up to a new dawn and that all the politicians may be leaders and fight for the very needs of the citizenry and my challenge is that all of us may get out and vote for it is our constitutional right to vote, let us exercise it and the politicians should after the elections work with the interest of the nation at heart.

Signed
N/B-This blog was posted late

WILL THE EGYPTIAN DUCK BE BROKEN BY KENYAN TEAMS?

Kenya’s representatives in continental soccer Tusker F.C and Gor Mahia F.C both started their campaigns on the wrong foot as both teams were humbled in their fixtures home and away respectively. First was Gor Mahia who travelled to Egypt to meet ENNPI of Egypt in the Confederations cup first round, their outing ended up uneventfully as they were walloped by their opponents 3 goals to nil. This match was played behind closed doors.

Their coach however sounded that the ‘Green Army’ as they are popularly known would turnaround that score line in their return fixture at the Nyayo National Stadium. This however seems a tall order as most Kenyan teams have fared poorly against their Egyptian opponents at the continental stage. He also lamented on poor finishing, which had cost them the vital away goal, since his marksmen were not able to convert the numerous chances they created in Egypt.

Gor coach, Zradvco Logarucic attributed the poor performance to poor preparations, claiming that his team were not sure of making the trip due to lack of funds, he reiterated that his team would be ready for the 2^nd round fixture in a fortnight. This was however not convincing bearing in mind that the same team was mauled by APR of Rwanda in 2009 when they represented the country at the continental arena.

Hope is not however lost for the Green army, being a community club with unrivalled following, they promise to give a fight of their life before their ever demanding fans in the return fixture. So as to break this Egyptian duck by Kenyan teams.

The 2012 KPL champions Tusker hosted African power house Al Ahly of Egypt at the Nyayo national stadium, in a match graced by the country’s Prime Minister and a sizeable crowd. The home team got off to a bright start which was however characterized by poor finishing and were made to pay earlier in the 2^nd half. Two goals by substitute, Ahmed Shokry gave the visitors a 2-0 lead before Jesse Were pulled 1 goal for the hosts.

This was a match of clear wasted chance by the home team and head coach Robert Matano later admitted it would be a tall order to score 2 clear goals to overturn the result in Egypt. However, their captain Shikokoti was optimistic, saying that they had 90 minutes to redeem themselves.

The nation will be keen on the return fixtures, especially bearing in mind how starved they are of continental fixtures, bearing in mind that the national team too..The Harambee Stars have continued to underperform due to poor preparations and too much politicking in the football administration.

Focus now shifts to the KPL,as the two teams prepare for the return fixture in a fortnights time.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE GIRL CHILD

If there was a day when the girl child needed inspiration, if anyone doubted the strength of a Kenyan woman, if any prejudiced individual ever needed an opportunity to change his mind then Monday 11^th 2013 was the day and Brookhouse International school was the venue. Politics aside the presence of the only female presidential candidate amidst seven men, her eloquence and her determination to be the best was inspiring. It was not just inspiring the minority but it was a turning point that in a just Kenya sex was not a hindrance. All one had to do is be competent, be at their best and they would have an equal shot at the top prize, The Presidency of Kenya.

The way she confidently walked and fiercely debated her male opponents was inspiring, as the facilitators prodded her with questions she answered without the slightest hint of intimidation. She had her facts and was ready to sell her vision to the Kenyan electorate.

It comes at a time when the girl child in Marakwet is being forced to undergo female genital mutilation, at a time when some prefer to educate the boy child at the expense of the girl child who is seen as more suited for domestic chores. Yes there have been noted attempts to correct some of these but her appearance on the Presidential Debate was an inspiration.

The politics during the debate and whoever wins the presidency aside, it is my prayer that every parent, teacher, servant of God may continue to guide our daughters to be the best that they can be. I agree that the same zeal should be afforded to the boy child. Let us cultivate and fight to live in a society that believes that all men are created equal, and if so they should be treated equal irrespective of their race, sexual orientation and sex.

LEGACY

There is a gold rush to classes; everyone wants to be better than they already are. Self improvement is all over the place, from television, newspaper to the internet. We all want to drive that big car, live in a specific address, our children to attend particular schools. We want membership to golf clubs, dream holidays to destinations with exotic names. Do not get me wrong I also want good things but the big Q is…have we prioritized?

On that tombstone, it is only your name that will feature, a big car, huge bank accounts are not legacies but the betterment of humanity is. As my good mentor put it, we do not remember the watch that Wangari Maathai wore, neither the car that Mother Theresa rode in, we simply do remember what they did while present on earth. It is therefore crucial that we take a breath from all this razzmatazz and carefully explore our motive for self improvement. A story is told of a man who was able to take his children to the best schools around; the wife had all she wanted but him. He got promotion after promotion and thus making him busier, pleas by family members for his time were met by his request that he wanted to be president of the company and that is when he would rest and have time for them.

Funny he got his wish but at a price, when he finally became one it is when he realized that he had lost his wife to his former loyal driver, who had filled the position of man in the house and they were already expecting a young one. On the other hand his only daughter was a total stranger to him; she was deep in drugs and had even been expelled from college after being found in possession of bhang. Yes he had made it in his career but at the expense of family, all he could do was weep over spilled milk, it was late. As his wife sat there expectant with the driver’s child he wished to turn back the clock but could not, he contemplated divorce but soul searching made him realize it was his fault to neglect his wife. I hope that you do not get caught up in such a situation. Prioritize your life and I hope family comes first no matter what. Have a blessed month.

A COMPASS (TRUE NORTH)

Given a compass,it will correctly point towards True North, and with that any navigator will be able to move to their destination. On your way North there will be swamps,valleys,streams,storms and many more impediments but remember the compass does not include them.

Your ultimate goal is your destination no matter the obstacles,it is with this in mind that I challenge you to pursue your heart's desires.Most of us know exactly where we want to be but somehow cower due to the obstacles we face.I am inexperienced,I lack the resources,I am not a good salesperson, I do not have the personality but I challenge you to marshal all your courage and head 'North' remember a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

It is by courage and defying of obstacles that empires were conquered,successful businesses were built,great leaders rose in times of difficulty to lead their nations,I hope you have the courage to rise against your obstacles.

So what is it that you want to achieve, it is time to start moving no matter the obstacles.

DREAMS

I have a dream, Dreams from My Father, do blind people dream, there is a lot out there with regards to dreams. I keenly want us to take a peek as to whether dreams come true or people rise up to make dreams come true.

When Barrack Obama rose to be president had a dream come true or someone had worked hard and realized the dream, when you achieve something you have dreamt of, has the dream come true or did you work hard to make that dream come true? Our forefathers dreamt of an independent Kenya free from the colonial masters, did it just come or did they lose lives just to get that long dream of a free Kenya? More often than not people wait for dreams to come true but as we all know we have to take baby steps to our dreams. If we know this then why do we often remain inactive and continue making graves to become the riches place that bury dreams?

Fear, the day we overcome this is the day we start our journey. We all have to trust that the road gets straight ahead of that bend; we have to shun what the spectators say and pursue our dreams just like football players do their thing whether the crowd cheers or jeers. We have to value highly our own approval and not rely on others and we have to be ready to fail and try again knowing that when you fall you can only come back better than you started.

Resilience; along this journey you will meet obstacles, keep in mind that a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, soldier on and when the going gets tougher assemble friends that will bring you up when down.

Legacy; the most inspiring dreams are selfless; them that pursue them seek the betterment of humanity. They package the dream in a manner that makes those around them want a piece of the pie. When Cecilia Mwangi fights jiggers, it is so that others and not her may be free from it, The Gates’ fight Malaria not because they are victims but they draw satisfaction in lending a hand to humanity. Is your dream selfless or selfish?

Commitment; In the face of obstacles and great odds, they push, they may never get their reward in their lifetime; but they dream all the way and also ensure that despite the opposition they meet the reward of their dream is so great to humanity that they are ready to pay even with their lives to see it come to pass.

Lastly, I hope that like I did, you realized that monentary reward was not in the picture. If it comes it is just the garnishing on the cake but not a priority or fuel for any dream. The reward for dreams is so great that it lives from generation to another. I hope that you soul search your dream and align it to the betterment of humanity. Then let it unfold