BY H.N. REPORTER
Residents of Kasuku IDP camp in Nyandarua West district have been rendered homeless after a heavy downpour wrecked havoc on their makeshift tents.
At least 100 families were affected by the torrential rainfall which has been hitting the area for the last three weeks.
Reports reaching the Home News say that the IDPs at the camp have been suffering for two days mid this week after the rains, and resultant floods washed away their dilapidated tents.
Speaking to the Press, the camp’s chairlady, Joyce Wangari, said the IDPs in the camp had since the onset of the heavy rains been forced to move to higher grounds, where they are sharing tents. Wangari added that the rains had been
going on for the last three weeks but the situation worsened this week when a hailstorm hit the area. She said the hailstorm completely destroyed most of the tattered tents rendering the tenants homeless. Wangari added that most of the IDPs spent the night out in the cold as they did not have anywhere to shelter themselves from the rains. She lamented that most of the remaining tents were now at risk of being destroyed since there was no sign of the rains abating soon.
The few remaining tents, she said, were all flooded, adding “ we fear that they might be destroyed anytime if the rains persist and the makeshift shelters on higher grounds are also flooded.”
The IDPs are appealing to the Government and other well-wishers to rescue them since they fear their children and elderly may contact water-borne diseases.They are also calling on the Government to provide medical supplies and food to the over 400 families living ion the camp.
Monday, 29 August 2011
Support Your Wife Through Menopause
BY SPECIAL MARRIAGE COUNSELOR
Marriage relationships can suffer when a wife goes through menopause. Knowing the symptons, understanding the physiological and emotional psychological changes, and supporting your wife’s treatment decisions are a few of the ways to support your wife as she experiences menopause.
Know the Symptoms
Menopausal symptoms include hot flashes, decreased libido, moodiness, weight gain, forgetfulness, hostility, and depression.
Understand the Changes
Along with the symptons and heightened emotions, a woman going through menopause may experience alarming physical changes such as a fast heart beat, thinning hair, vaginal dryness, loss of pleasurable sensations during sex, skin flushing, irregular menstrual periods, and osteoporosis concerns.
Support Her Treatment Decisions
Exercise with her. Educate yourselves about the pros and cons of more vegetables and soy in your diet, along with the advantages and disadvanages of alcohol, white sugar, caffeine and milk. Give her massages. Learn together how to meditate or do relaxation exercises.
Encourage Her to See a Physician
With the recent findings that HRT may increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke, and estrogen alone may increase risk of ovarian cancer, it is important that your wife consults a physician for help in making treatment decisions that are right for her.
5. Communicate
Don’t ignore her feelings. Don’t make fun of her hot flashes or put her down. Let her know she can express her feelings, both positive and negative, with you. Listen to her as she expresses her fears about growing old and as she re-examines her life.
Make Time for the Two of You
Look for ways to nurture your marriage including finding time to spend together having fun.
Look for the Positive
Don’t believe all the old wives’ tales. Remember that a difficult menopause is not the woman’s fault. Menopause can be different for every woman. Support the idea that this can be a wonderful time of change for your wife. She can become personally empowered and learn more about her own strengths and talents. Make this a time of healthy growth for you both and for your marriage.
Supporting Your Partner During Menopause
This article is not for menopausal women, but for the people who love them. If you are a menopausal woman struggling with mood swings, hot flashes, insomnia, or midlife existential angst, and you think this might help your partner, make sure your partner reads this article.
What’s a Partner to Do?
If your wife or partner is entering menopause and you are clueless about how to help her, join the crowd. Many husbands/spouses/partners want to be supportive, but aren’t sure where to start. A common complaint is, “I just feel wrong no matter what I do.” When a woman is going through a difficult menopause, the decreasing hormone levels may leave her feeling many ways, including any of the following:
·Old ·Unattractive · Forgetful · Dispensable
· Sad · Angry · Uncomfortable · Weak
Or, she may be looking forward to this transition, and feel like she is: · Healthy · Free · Wise · Just getting her second wind · Competent · Indispensable · Strong · Happy ·Hopeful Or, she may feel any/all of these things in the course of a single day.
Marriage relationships can suffer when a wife goes through menopause. Knowing the symptons, understanding the physiological and emotional psychological changes, and supporting your wife’s treatment decisions are a few of the ways to support your wife as she experiences menopause.
Know the Symptoms
Menopausal symptoms include hot flashes, decreased libido, moodiness, weight gain, forgetfulness, hostility, and depression.
Understand the Changes
Along with the symptons and heightened emotions, a woman going through menopause may experience alarming physical changes such as a fast heart beat, thinning hair, vaginal dryness, loss of pleasurable sensations during sex, skin flushing, irregular menstrual periods, and osteoporosis concerns.
Support Her Treatment Decisions
Exercise with her. Educate yourselves about the pros and cons of more vegetables and soy in your diet, along with the advantages and disadvanages of alcohol, white sugar, caffeine and milk. Give her massages. Learn together how to meditate or do relaxation exercises.
Encourage Her to See a Physician
With the recent findings that HRT may increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke, and estrogen alone may increase risk of ovarian cancer, it is important that your wife consults a physician for help in making treatment decisions that are right for her.
5. Communicate
Don’t ignore her feelings. Don’t make fun of her hot flashes or put her down. Let her know she can express her feelings, both positive and negative, with you. Listen to her as she expresses her fears about growing old and as she re-examines her life.
Make Time for the Two of You
Look for ways to nurture your marriage including finding time to spend together having fun.
Look for the Positive
Don’t believe all the old wives’ tales. Remember that a difficult menopause is not the woman’s fault. Menopause can be different for every woman. Support the idea that this can be a wonderful time of change for your wife. She can become personally empowered and learn more about her own strengths and talents. Make this a time of healthy growth for you both and for your marriage.
Supporting Your Partner During Menopause
This article is not for menopausal women, but for the people who love them. If you are a menopausal woman struggling with mood swings, hot flashes, insomnia, or midlife existential angst, and you think this might help your partner, make sure your partner reads this article.
What’s a Partner to Do?
If your wife or partner is entering menopause and you are clueless about how to help her, join the crowd. Many husbands/spouses/partners want to be supportive, but aren’t sure where to start. A common complaint is, “I just feel wrong no matter what I do.” When a woman is going through a difficult menopause, the decreasing hormone levels may leave her feeling many ways, including any of the following:
·Old ·Unattractive · Forgetful · Dispensable
· Sad · Angry · Uncomfortable · Weak
Or, she may be looking forward to this transition, and feel like she is: · Healthy · Free · Wise · Just getting her second wind · Competent · Indispensable · Strong · Happy ·Hopeful Or, she may feel any/all of these things in the course of a single day.
Plans to establish a second Catholic University welcome
EDITORIAL
The Home News has received reports that plans to establish a second Catholic University in Kenya are underway as two leading Catholic institutions: Tangaza College and the Consolata Institute of Philosophy will merge.
According to Fr Patrick Roe, the Principal of Tangaza College, the merger between the two institutions will be officially formalised on October 24, 2011.
At present Tangaza College is a constituent college of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) while the Consolata Institute of Philosophy is run by the Consolata Missionaries.
Fr Roe spoke during the official opening of the first semester of Tangaza College this year, where he co-celebrated mass with his counterpart from the Consolata Institute of Philosophy, Fr Luciano Zucchetti. The merger was approved in April 2011 by the Board of Trustees of the two institutions.
In a recent phone interview with a Catholic media organisation, the Rector of Consolata Institute of Philosophy, Fr Luciano Zucchetti, described the merger as ” good because it is going to fill up a vacuum in education concerning preparation for priesthood.”
Once the merger is complete, the new institution is expected to seek full university status from the Kenya government, becoming the second Catholic University in Kenya after the Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA).
According to Fr Roe the proposed ‘Tangaza-Consolata University’ would be a boon for both institutions as many students at Tangaza College went through the Consolata Institute of Philosophy. The university would introduce a number of faculties to serve both the religious congregations and the wider church in Kenya.
The theology lecturer said, “We are two institutions that have grown side by side. It is fitting and proper to bring them together”.
Currently Tangaza College has 1,250 students while Consolata Institute of Philosophy has 300 students.
We find the plans mentioned above welcome. Kenya has now emerged, not only in Eastern region of Africa, but in the whole continent of Africa, as the hub of quantitative and qualitative higher and advance education.
Incidentally, in June this year, this paper reported that there were plans to upgrade Nyandarua Institute of Science and Technology into a university constituent college. This was announced by the institute’s BOG chairman, Prof. Ndirangu Kioni during a graduation ceremony, and his announcement was received with jubilation.
We are hoping something is being done about it.
WANJOHI NDERITU: Managing Editor/CEO - 0722 68 99 68
PENNINAH WARUGURU: General Manager - 0722 55 77 71
WARUI SIMON MWANGI: Editor - 0710 86 25 20
KELVIN WANJOHI: Assistant Editor - 0710 13 74 63
The Home News has received reports that plans to establish a second Catholic University in Kenya are underway as two leading Catholic institutions: Tangaza College and the Consolata Institute of Philosophy will merge.
According to Fr Patrick Roe, the Principal of Tangaza College, the merger between the two institutions will be officially formalised on October 24, 2011.
At present Tangaza College is a constituent college of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) while the Consolata Institute of Philosophy is run by the Consolata Missionaries.
Fr Roe spoke during the official opening of the first semester of Tangaza College this year, where he co-celebrated mass with his counterpart from the Consolata Institute of Philosophy, Fr Luciano Zucchetti. The merger was approved in April 2011 by the Board of Trustees of the two institutions.
In a recent phone interview with a Catholic media organisation, the Rector of Consolata Institute of Philosophy, Fr Luciano Zucchetti, described the merger as ” good because it is going to fill up a vacuum in education concerning preparation for priesthood.”
Once the merger is complete, the new institution is expected to seek full university status from the Kenya government, becoming the second Catholic University in Kenya after the Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA).
According to Fr Roe the proposed ‘Tangaza-Consolata University’ would be a boon for both institutions as many students at Tangaza College went through the Consolata Institute of Philosophy. The university would introduce a number of faculties to serve both the religious congregations and the wider church in Kenya.
The theology lecturer said, “We are two institutions that have grown side by side. It is fitting and proper to bring them together”.
Currently Tangaza College has 1,250 students while Consolata Institute of Philosophy has 300 students.
We find the plans mentioned above welcome. Kenya has now emerged, not only in Eastern region of Africa, but in the whole continent of Africa, as the hub of quantitative and qualitative higher and advance education.
Incidentally, in June this year, this paper reported that there were plans to upgrade Nyandarua Institute of Science and Technology into a university constituent college. This was announced by the institute’s BOG chairman, Prof. Ndirangu Kioni during a graduation ceremony, and his announcement was received with jubilation.
We are hoping something is being done about it.
WANJOHI NDERITU: Managing Editor/CEO - 0722 68 99 68
PENNINAH WARUGURU: General Manager - 0722 55 77 71
WARUI SIMON MWANGI: Editor - 0710 86 25 20
KELVIN WANJOHI: Assistant Editor - 0710 13 74 63
Nyahururu : A divided, mismanaged M. council
EXCLUSIVE REPORT BY WANJOHI NDERITU
Nyahururu councillors have “sat” on the Town Clerk to the extent that they have been allocating duties to the staff and employing casuals, answerable to them, to even collect revenue, The Home News can authoritatively report.With the staff divided into groupings that owe their royalty to different councillors instead of assisting their chief officers to implement service delivery, and the council divided among competing procurement interests of the councillors, workers - who have no clear job descriptions and reporting chain of command - and the officers, the situation at the Town Hall is, sadly, no better than that in the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel.
As a result, constant head-on collisions of policy formulation - which is the work of the councillors - and implementation of the policies, which is supposed to be in the docket of the chief officers, and lack of working governance structure including lack of specified duties and responsibilities for staff, and general indiscipline and insubordination by the staff and the councillors, may bring the council on its knees any time unless interventions are done immediately.
The identities of the more than 100 casuals, including their personal data could not be obtained, neither was it clear to who they surrender their daily collections from parking charges and market fees.
The damning revelations come amid confirmed reports that the council workers had not been paid last month’s salaries by Friday, August 19. They also emerge as a section of prominent business people and stakeholders wrote to the Ministers of Local Government and Lands and Settlement, calling for investigations into what they termed as unplanned or poorly planned, illegal permanent structures that have turned some parts of the fast growing cosmopolitan into a ‘concrete jungle’. The matter was exclusively reported by The Home News in the previous issue.
Impeccable sources close to a team sent to audit the council by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministry of Local Government, Nairobi, confided with The Home News that the team’s findings had been communicated to the Town Clerk, Misheck Kimani, who, it is believed, must have briefed the Finance, Staff and General Purposes committee of the council. The Town Clerk was also instructed to ensure a smooth running of the council.
The Home News was not immediately able to establish whether Kimani had complied with the directives. When The Home News sought to get a comment from him, he was said to have travelled to Nairobi to organize for travel documents for himself, his deputy Mercy Wahome, former powerful mayor Muritu Karumba - who is said to exert immense influence in the running of the council in addition to playing god-father to some councillors, especially after the recent mayoral elections where Timothy Nduhiu replaced Peter Thiari, during whose tenure performance contract at the council was said to have been high - for a trip to Finland. They will also be accompanied by another staffer, Mr. Kihanda.
Whereas the return air ticket and expenses for the educational trip are fully paid by the Finnish government, the council is obliged to give the travelling group per diem for all the 10 or so days they will be out of the country.
Our sources also said that the construction of permanent stalls at the main bus park was among the issues touched by the auditors.
The auditors were said to have wondered why the council had altered the original plan of the stalls project as designed by the engineer. They also wanted an explanation whether the additional kiosks were part of the initial project costing, and why the civic leaders had changed the cause of the project from one being implemented by the council to one of their own.
According to the sources, the procurement of the building materials for the kiosks had not been competitively sourced. The records of contributions by the stakeholders (said to have been Sh 36,000 each) were suspicious The money was supposed to be “rent in advance”
An officer (name withheld by The Home News) was said to have cancelled a valid and running contract of constructing the stalls without involvement of the Town Clerk, leading to the council being sued. The auditors were said to have queried on whose authority the officer had cancelled the contract.
The Home News reliably learned that the controversial project had been started in 2009 in a bid to upgrade the bus park, with a nice plan by the Town Engineer. The traders who were occupying the temporary structures were to be given first priority in occupying the permanent ones. However, the original plan was secretly altered by a junior under the surveillance of some councillors who allegedly allocated themselves the additional ones.
Nyahururu councillors have “sat” on the Town Clerk to the extent that they have been allocating duties to the staff and employing casuals, answerable to them, to even collect revenue, The Home News can authoritatively report.With the staff divided into groupings that owe their royalty to different councillors instead of assisting their chief officers to implement service delivery, and the council divided among competing procurement interests of the councillors, workers - who have no clear job descriptions and reporting chain of command - and the officers, the situation at the Town Hall is, sadly, no better than that in the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel.
As a result, constant head-on collisions of policy formulation - which is the work of the councillors - and implementation of the policies, which is supposed to be in the docket of the chief officers, and lack of working governance structure including lack of specified duties and responsibilities for staff, and general indiscipline and insubordination by the staff and the councillors, may bring the council on its knees any time unless interventions are done immediately.
The identities of the more than 100 casuals, including their personal data could not be obtained, neither was it clear to who they surrender their daily collections from parking charges and market fees.
The damning revelations come amid confirmed reports that the council workers had not been paid last month’s salaries by Friday, August 19. They also emerge as a section of prominent business people and stakeholders wrote to the Ministers of Local Government and Lands and Settlement, calling for investigations into what they termed as unplanned or poorly planned, illegal permanent structures that have turned some parts of the fast growing cosmopolitan into a ‘concrete jungle’. The matter was exclusively reported by The Home News in the previous issue.
Impeccable sources close to a team sent to audit the council by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministry of Local Government, Nairobi, confided with The Home News that the team’s findings had been communicated to the Town Clerk, Misheck Kimani, who, it is believed, must have briefed the Finance, Staff and General Purposes committee of the council. The Town Clerk was also instructed to ensure a smooth running of the council.
The Home News was not immediately able to establish whether Kimani had complied with the directives. When The Home News sought to get a comment from him, he was said to have travelled to Nairobi to organize for travel documents for himself, his deputy Mercy Wahome, former powerful mayor Muritu Karumba - who is said to exert immense influence in the running of the council in addition to playing god-father to some councillors, especially after the recent mayoral elections where Timothy Nduhiu replaced Peter Thiari, during whose tenure performance contract at the council was said to have been high - for a trip to Finland. They will also be accompanied by another staffer, Mr. Kihanda.
Whereas the return air ticket and expenses for the educational trip are fully paid by the Finnish government, the council is obliged to give the travelling group per diem for all the 10 or so days they will be out of the country.
Our sources also said that the construction of permanent stalls at the main bus park was among the issues touched by the auditors.
The auditors were said to have wondered why the council had altered the original plan of the stalls project as designed by the engineer. They also wanted an explanation whether the additional kiosks were part of the initial project costing, and why the civic leaders had changed the cause of the project from one being implemented by the council to one of their own.
According to the sources, the procurement of the building materials for the kiosks had not been competitively sourced. The records of contributions by the stakeholders (said to have been Sh 36,000 each) were suspicious The money was supposed to be “rent in advance”
An officer (name withheld by The Home News) was said to have cancelled a valid and running contract of constructing the stalls without involvement of the Town Clerk, leading to the council being sued. The auditors were said to have queried on whose authority the officer had cancelled the contract.
The Home News reliably learned that the controversial project had been started in 2009 in a bid to upgrade the bus park, with a nice plan by the Town Engineer. The traders who were occupying the temporary structures were to be given first priority in occupying the permanent ones. However, the original plan was secretly altered by a junior under the surveillance of some councillors who allegedly allocated themselves the additional ones.
Friday, 12 August 2011
Resettlement: Mau Forest evictees told to be patient
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| Reverend Ibrahim Mutai with Mau victims calling on the government to settle the evicts before the next election.Deaths has been reported caused by poor diet and cold ailment. PHOTO/BERNARD WAWERU. |
BY BERNARD WAWERU
A parliamentary committee on resettlement of internally displaced persons has urged South West Mau forest evictees to wait patiently until a motion for their settlement is tabled in Parliament for debate.
Ol Kalau MP Erustus Mureithi told the more than three thousand camp residents in Mau that after the fact finding entourage, the result will be discussed in parliament followed by settlement and closure of all satellite camps country wide.
The legislator accompanied by Kuresoi MP Zakayo Cheruiyot and his Mosop counterpart David Koech expressed optimism that MPs were on good will towards the settlement of all displaced persons languishing in dire want in cold camps before the next election.
Speaking at Kipkongor camp in Kiptagich extension, the MP called for speedy settlement of camp residents adding that cold ailment and malnutrition had caused death in congested camps. Mureithi called on political leaders to campaigns and political debate on the new constitution in order to pass crucial bills ahead of the next general election.
Zakayo Cheruiyot told the residents that their request to be given money to buy land raised by their camp leaders will also be inconsideration once the final report to be tabled in parliament is drafted.
He said plans to provide basic need were on going adding that the food being channeled to different camps should be utilized with transparency to ration all camps.
The evictee affirmed that they would only like to be settled within Kuresoi constituency to engage in mixed farming and tree planting on the Mau water catchments.
They thanked area DC Silas Gatobu and DO 1 Puis Wafula for distribution of food rations and medical facilities calling on the increase of basic needs to avert disaster.
Kenya versus US count-down to 2012
By Njagi Nderitu
Former President Moi used to scuttle and scare Kenyans by implying that opposition to his monolithic rule was “siasa mbaya”. He went on to categorically state that if the “siasa” was “mbaya” then “maisha” was bound to be “mbaya” too.
While those who read between the lines clearly saw and understood the cynicism and hypocrisy in Moi’s reasoning, there is an indisputable truth in the assertion. When politicians, as they have always done in Kenya, refuse and or fail to use their heads and start using their mouths instead (to “over-eat” and to talk nonsense) the going gets ugly.
Kenyatta, Kibaki
We all know that Moi did not mean well in making the forgoing argument as corruption and tribalism thrived very well under his watch. Things were not any different under Kenyatta, and now under Kibaki. The truth is that in Kenya “siasa ni mbaya” and consequently “maisha ni mbaya”. Obamaland is not doing any better.
Now, 2012 will be a very important year to my country of birth of Kenya and my adopted homeland of USA. Both countries will be holding elections to determine their various representatives and most importantly to elect their respective presidents.
In Kenya, thanks to masters of confusion, we are still discussing if the elections will be held in 2012. The parliament wants to serve “a full term” and most importantly to enjoy their hefty untaxed benefits.
Our ever silent and calculating president remains obscure not to offend his political allies who are uncertain about their future without him. While the debate on the date of the elections may be healthy and democratic, Kenya does not have the luxury of unlimited time in this matter. Thanks to Mwau the matter is now in court for determination. We do not want to build unnecessary hype, anxiety, and tension that will benefit the usual political thugs who put the country on fire in 1992, 1997, and 2007/08.
In the build up to the elections, in the two countries, I wish to serialize the events leading up to the elections. I will start with the basics and progress towards the pinnacle. To begin, I wish to look into some basic political terms and some basic facts.
But lets start with some basic definitions. Politics is all about who gets what, when, how, and why. In other words, politics is the process through which we negotiate, agree, disagree, compromise, and determine who gets what resources, when, how, and why.
The world is endowed with resources that are rarely adequate for each and every human need, especially when we have some greedy people around. Just like we do with our individual incomes, governments have to determine what to prioritize in their budgets.
In other words, just like individuals cannot meet all their needs and wants all at the same time, governments cannot meet all the needs and wants of their citizens all at the same time. Needs are those “things” that we deserve for say some basic human survival.
Food, clothing, shelter, basic security, medication, and may be now education are in this category.
In a more sophisticated society like the one I live in in Obamaland, roads, internet, recreation parks, and many others may pop up in this same list. On the other hand, wants are some “things” that we may consider luxurious. A Mercedes Benz is a want as we can comfortably do without it, or is it? Atwoli, the representative of the poor workers, has a chameleon one that changes color depending on the weather and the environment.
A huge house, four course meals, fancy clothes, etc are certainly not basic needs for human survival and as such may be classified as wants. By now you note that what may be a want in Kenya may be a need in Obamaland. Please keep this context of needs and wants as you read along.
Ndunyu Road in Nyahururu
The other question that I wish to answer is this: why do we form governments? I addressed this question in an article that I wrote after the fire that destroyed property worth millions on Ndunyu Road in Nyahururu town. However, it does no harm to repeat it here to lay a good foundation for my arguments that will follow. Governments are formed so that citizens may pool resources together to provide for public goods for common good. You can imagine what would happen if each of us was to have private army, police, power lines, roads, rail lines, power stations, etc.
The situation would be confusing if not out-rightly crazy. That is one major reason why we enter into a social contract with the government, we surrender some of our rights and pool resources together so that those essential public goods may be provided for. That is why those who fail or refuse to pay taxes should not enjoy public goods!
Democracy is so far the most popular style of government.
The biggest weakness of democracy
Of course democracy is not perfect, it has its flaws. The biggest weakness of democracy is that the will of the majority is imposed on the minority. Mind you, the majority is not always right. However, since both Kenya and USA proclaim democratic principles I will use the democratic model as the basis of my series. Generally, democracy empowers the people to elect their representatives to elective posts.
The people are supposed to have a say in the manner in which public affairs are conducted with a guarantee on some basic rights like “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness”. The executive, legislature, and the judiciary are supposed to be governed and guided by democratic principles in execution of the will of the people.
I certainly do not wish to engage you in a basic civics class but these issues are paramount in understanding why Kenya and USA are in a such a delicate situation as they prepare for their respective elections in 2012.
We cannot all be our representatives
It is those elected representatives, since we cannot all be our representatives, who are supposed to come up with policies on how the national cake (pooled resources) should be shared. Those policies come in form of laws, regulations, guidelines, advisories, memoranda, directives, etc.
Remember, those policies must be based on some law or some democratic authority. I hope you by now begin to appreciate why we need informed, dedicated, committed, and knowledgeable individuals as our leaders. It is not an easy thing to lead a country and it cannot be performed by every Dick, Tom, and Harry.
Lack of leadership
As we shall note later on in this series, USA is what she is today to a large extent due to the efforts of some very dedicated leaders in the past. Lack of leadership may be what is now ailing USA just like Kenya. This is why 2012 is such an important year to both nations. Politics then is the process through which we negotiate those sharp turns, twists, and corners to come up with policies that are appropriate for the needs of the people.
Public barazas
The process involves all that you may think of as politics: political parties, civil society groups and organizations, campaigns, public barazas, town hall meetings, electioneering, voting, debating (in and out of parliament), writing of opinions and views (like I am doing here) etc. Democracy is not a straight curve; it is full of bumps, turns, twists, and surprises. It can be nasty and brutish!
It is the decorum and civility with which we negotiate the twists and turns that determine the value of our democracy. When we descend to chaos and mayhem we cease to be democratic.
Leaders, elected and self-declared, have a very high moral and constitutional role to play in ensuring that our politics are conducted in a civil manner. After all that is what human life is about, variety, negotiation, sharing, and compromise.
Now that we have the basics on politics, policies, democracy, and human needs and wants, I will begin to investigate the basic historical facts and political parties in my next article. I will also begin to identify the “forces” at play in the build-up to the elections in both countries. Please keep on reading in the run-up to 2012.
Njagi Nderitu.
Top 10 causes of marital discord
BY SPECIAL MARRIAGE COUNSELOR
Below is a list of common sources of marital stress and conflict; consider how you are currently dealing with these issues, and how you could better deal with these issues:
· Money problems. Most couples argue over bills, debt, spending, and other financial issues. How you decide to deal with money problems in your marriage will determine whether those problems has a negative or positive effect on your marriage.
· Children. Discipline, diet, and other parenting issues can be sources of disagreement between couples. A child is the number one stressor in a marriage and can accentuate differences in beliefs on issues like how to discipline, who is responsible for most of the child care or what educational options to choose.
· Sex. Frequency, quantity, quality, and infidelity are all common sources of stress and disharmony in a marriage.
· Time apart. Time apart and a lack of quality time together serves to get people out of sync with each other.
· Household Responsibilities. - Many couples argue over equitable distribution of household work, and how to do it. Instead of sitting down and dividing household chores fairly they quibble over who did or didn’t do what.
· Friends. - Not all friends are helpful to relationships some of them are toxic. Be sure you know the difference between a friend who will enhance your relationship and one who will break it down.
· Irritating habits. Many people are married to someone who has one or more habits they find undesirable. My ex never got angry with me. I ask him once why and told him there had to be things I did that irritated him. He responded by telling me he “loved everything about me.” This was shortly before he decided he no longer loved me! So, don’t be afraid to point out habits that irritate you, just be sure you do it in a non-defensive way.
· Family. In-laws, siblings, children and step-children can all create stress within a marriage. When coping with negative issues because of family step gently. Our spouse should come first but there are times you have to be willing to take a backseat and bite your tongue.
· Expectations. We all go into marriage with certain expectations. Most of the time, marriage is the opposite of what we expected. We romanticize marriage and become disillusioned once those romantic expectations aren’t met. Unmet expectations are a major source of conflict in marriages.
· Personality conflicts. Is your personality ruining your marriage? There are personality traits that can doom a marriage to failure. Are you a conflict avoider? Do you like to “one-up your spouse? Do you bend over backwards to please your spouse, neglecting your needs in the process? If you answered yes to any of these, your need to work on changes these negative personality traits. Each of the above is a very common problem dealt with in a marriage. Although they are problems, they can also be opportunities for growth, learning and accord. Whether these issues remain problems causing stress in your marriage or become an opportunity for growth is up to you.
Below is a list of common sources of marital stress and conflict; consider how you are currently dealing with these issues, and how you could better deal with these issues:
· Money problems. Most couples argue over bills, debt, spending, and other financial issues. How you decide to deal with money problems in your marriage will determine whether those problems has a negative or positive effect on your marriage.
· Children. Discipline, diet, and other parenting issues can be sources of disagreement between couples. A child is the number one stressor in a marriage and can accentuate differences in beliefs on issues like how to discipline, who is responsible for most of the child care or what educational options to choose.
· Sex. Frequency, quantity, quality, and infidelity are all common sources of stress and disharmony in a marriage.
· Time apart. Time apart and a lack of quality time together serves to get people out of sync with each other.
· Household Responsibilities. - Many couples argue over equitable distribution of household work, and how to do it. Instead of sitting down and dividing household chores fairly they quibble over who did or didn’t do what.
· Friends. - Not all friends are helpful to relationships some of them are toxic. Be sure you know the difference between a friend who will enhance your relationship and one who will break it down.
· Irritating habits. Many people are married to someone who has one or more habits they find undesirable. My ex never got angry with me. I ask him once why and told him there had to be things I did that irritated him. He responded by telling me he “loved everything about me.” This was shortly before he decided he no longer loved me! So, don’t be afraid to point out habits that irritate you, just be sure you do it in a non-defensive way.
· Family. In-laws, siblings, children and step-children can all create stress within a marriage. When coping with negative issues because of family step gently. Our spouse should come first but there are times you have to be willing to take a backseat and bite your tongue.
· Expectations. We all go into marriage with certain expectations. Most of the time, marriage is the opposite of what we expected. We romanticize marriage and become disillusioned once those romantic expectations aren’t met. Unmet expectations are a major source of conflict in marriages.
· Personality conflicts. Is your personality ruining your marriage? There are personality traits that can doom a marriage to failure. Are you a conflict avoider? Do you like to “one-up your spouse? Do you bend over backwards to please your spouse, neglecting your needs in the process? If you answered yes to any of these, your need to work on changes these negative personality traits. Each of the above is a very common problem dealt with in a marriage. Although they are problems, they can also be opportunities for growth, learning and accord. Whether these issues remain problems causing stress in your marriage or become an opportunity for growth is up to you.
Famine: The govt. must do everything possible to avert a disaster
EDITORIAL
News of starving Kenyans, particularly in the Northern and North-Eastern areas of the country have dominated the news. Currently, 4 million Kenyans are facing starvation in the country as drought experts are terming it as the worst since 1950 continue to bite in the Horn of Africa.
As hunger threatens hundred of families in northern Kenya, a recent forensic audit linked the grim situation to corruption. Kenyans have also expressed shock over reports that ready crops, particularly in Nyandarua County, are rotting in farms as hundreds of families starve in parts of North-Eastern Province.
The Government was taken to task as tonnes of potatoes, cabbages, kales (sukuma) and carrots went to waste in Nyandarua County due to lack of markets.
At the same time, land experts also blamed the Government for allegedly failing to support farmers through co-operative societies to market their produce so that the country can be food secure.
Meanwhile, the Government says it will do all it can to ensure it tackles the problem, especially in Northern Kenya and parts of the Rift Valley. The same Government has in the past been faulted for not seeking long-term measurers against perennial drought.
Reports say that the Kenyan situation has been made worse by the influx of 1,500 Somali refugees daily. The Government has also called upon the private sector to help in the distribution of food to drought-hit area.
And it is in this last bit that Kenyans have shone. Latest reports disclosed that more than a quarter of a million Kenyans have sent contributions to the Kenyans for Kenya Relief Kitty.
Early this week, more than Sh 82 million had been raised through Safaricom’s PayBill line 111111, Airtel Money, KCB Account 1133333338 and Nakumatt tills.
The Kenya Red Cross boss in Kenya, Abbas Gullet, said “the response by Kenyans has been overwhelming. Out of every ten shoppers at Nakumatt, seven donate. Kenyans are showing compassion for their brothers and sisters facing famine. In just six days, more than Sh 80 million has been raised.”
But some schools of thought has it that Kenyans have responded only after concluding that Kenyans are starving, not because of natural failures, but the failure by Government to avert disasters such as famine. It would be prudent for the same Government to come in and prove it can do something, No matter what.
WANJOHI NDERITU: Managing Editor
News of starving Kenyans, particularly in the Northern and North-Eastern areas of the country have dominated the news. Currently, 4 million Kenyans are facing starvation in the country as drought experts are terming it as the worst since 1950 continue to bite in the Horn of Africa.
As hunger threatens hundred of families in northern Kenya, a recent forensic audit linked the grim situation to corruption. Kenyans have also expressed shock over reports that ready crops, particularly in Nyandarua County, are rotting in farms as hundreds of families starve in parts of North-Eastern Province.
The Government was taken to task as tonnes of potatoes, cabbages, kales (sukuma) and carrots went to waste in Nyandarua County due to lack of markets.
At the same time, land experts also blamed the Government for allegedly failing to support farmers through co-operative societies to market their produce so that the country can be food secure.
Meanwhile, the Government says it will do all it can to ensure it tackles the problem, especially in Northern Kenya and parts of the Rift Valley. The same Government has in the past been faulted for not seeking long-term measurers against perennial drought.
Reports say that the Kenyan situation has been made worse by the influx of 1,500 Somali refugees daily. The Government has also called upon the private sector to help in the distribution of food to drought-hit area.
And it is in this last bit that Kenyans have shone. Latest reports disclosed that more than a quarter of a million Kenyans have sent contributions to the Kenyans for Kenya Relief Kitty.
Early this week, more than Sh 82 million had been raised through Safaricom’s PayBill line 111111, Airtel Money, KCB Account 1133333338 and Nakumatt tills.
The Kenya Red Cross boss in Kenya, Abbas Gullet, said “the response by Kenyans has been overwhelming. Out of every ten shoppers at Nakumatt, seven donate. Kenyans are showing compassion for their brothers and sisters facing famine. In just six days, more than Sh 80 million has been raised.”
But some schools of thought has it that Kenyans have responded only after concluding that Kenyans are starving, not because of natural failures, but the failure by Government to avert disasters such as famine. It would be prudent for the same Government to come in and prove it can do something, No matter what.
WANJOHI NDERITU: Managing Editor
3 Charged With Violent robbery & Death Of Ol Kalou Police Officer
BY CECILIA MAINA
Three people have appeared in Nyahururu court charged with robbery with violence and death of a policeman based in Ol Kalou.
The first two John Maina Nyamu and Stephen Njie Maina pleaded guilty before Senior Resident Magistrate Alice Mongare on Thursday, August 2 that on the nights of 28 and 29th July this year at Ol Kalou township, Nyandarua county, jointly with others not before court, while armed with dangerous weapons namely pangas and stones, robbed Patrick Kiptoo Kiprotich his mobile phone Nokia 1280 worth Sh 2,000. The robbed man later died.
Maina also faced an alternative charge of handling stolen property, that on the July 31at Museveni village within Nyandarua County, otherwise in the course of stealing , dishonestly retained one phone Nokia 1280, knowing or having reasons to believe it to be stolen good.
They were each released on a bond of Sh 3 million with a surety of similar amount and the case will be heard on September 19. The court allowed the two to be released on a Sh 3 million bond.
A third man, Richard Musyoka Muinde, a police constable and a colleague of the dead man denied the charges before the same court. The court heard that on the nights of 28 and 29July this year at Ol Kalou township within Nyandarua county,jointly with others not before court and while armed with dangerous weapons namely pangas and stones robbed Patrick Kiptoo Kiprotich of his phone make nokia 1280 valued Sh 2,000. The matter was reported at Ol Kalou police station and hearing continues.
On July 28, Kiprotich, who was also a costable based in Ol Kalou Police Station, was severely attacked outside a popular Ol Kalou bar and restaurant and his head was severely crushed with a boulder. He later died from the injuries.
Three people have appeared in Nyahururu court charged with robbery with violence and death of a policeman based in Ol Kalou.
The first two John Maina Nyamu and Stephen Njie Maina pleaded guilty before Senior Resident Magistrate Alice Mongare on Thursday, August 2 that on the nights of 28 and 29th July this year at Ol Kalou township, Nyandarua county, jointly with others not before court, while armed with dangerous weapons namely pangas and stones, robbed Patrick Kiptoo Kiprotich his mobile phone Nokia 1280 worth Sh 2,000. The robbed man later died.
Maina also faced an alternative charge of handling stolen property, that on the July 31at Museveni village within Nyandarua County, otherwise in the course of stealing , dishonestly retained one phone Nokia 1280, knowing or having reasons to believe it to be stolen good.
They were each released on a bond of Sh 3 million with a surety of similar amount and the case will be heard on September 19. The court allowed the two to be released on a Sh 3 million bond.
A third man, Richard Musyoka Muinde, a police constable and a colleague of the dead man denied the charges before the same court. The court heard that on the nights of 28 and 29July this year at Ol Kalou township within Nyandarua county,jointly with others not before court and while armed with dangerous weapons namely pangas and stones robbed Patrick Kiptoo Kiprotich of his phone make nokia 1280 valued Sh 2,000. The matter was reported at Ol Kalou police station and hearing continues.
On July 28, Kiprotich, who was also a costable based in Ol Kalou Police Station, was severely attacked outside a popular Ol Kalou bar and restaurant and his head was severely crushed with a boulder. He later died from the injuries.
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