Unearth

The state of things in our beloved country Kenya has left many to wonder if really we have a leadership concerned about the welfare of the people they serve and represent. Tragedies befalling us would have been avoided if only the leadership was sincere in their call to serve. The leadership approach exercised is one that seems to have failed and which is achieving so little. It has been witnessed in the past and even now that our leaders have time and again perfected in lies when making their comments in regard to an incidence that has happened. This has made little to be achieved in terms of rebuilding the lives of the victims and their families. It has been false hope after another that we shall do this, implement that, pursue it among other comments. What amazes me is that their minds are so narrowed forgetting that they have been recorded and an archive of their comments is available only later to disown whatever they said. Lying is when a person makes a statement that he knows ...

Politics is a science and also an art. All the people involved in it are to understand the fundamentals within it. In Kenya, former President Moi used to say “Siasa mbaya, maisha mbaya” whereby bad politics leads to bad life. Unlike in business where what matters most is the bottom line that is are you making profits or loss; politics is about service that is the aspect of human contact. Business you make decisions in politics you make the right decisions but have to bring people along to believe in your decisions that you are proposing. Quoting Simon Thompson, Lastminute.com Chief Marketing Officer, he says “Leadership is about people. Management is about output. You will be respected based on successful leadership, you will be promoted based on successful management.” Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell says about leadership as the art of accomplishing more than what the science of management says is possible. In leadership what needs to be understood is that there are goi...

Ever found yourself between a rock and a hard place in regard to telling the truth? Have you ever been compelled to lie to rescue yourself from a situation? In parenting, have you ever told your child one thing yet knowingly you know you meant the opposite and different thing? Did you, will searching for a job make some lies in your cv? Well this and many more other questions that we may ask ourselves puts us in a place where one’s personal integrity is tested. Communication is said to be that activity that we engage in consciously or subconsciously. Truth on its part needs to be communicated at all times by all. Many are the times that both believers and non-believers had to lie in one way or the other in order to accomplish a certain mission that they set out to do. Easton’s Bible dictionary defines lie as an intentional violation of the truth which is emphatically condemned in Scriptures (John 8:44, 1st Timothy 1:9-10, Rev. 21:27). Mention is made of the lies told by good men in...

As you think back over your life, who has had the greatest impact on your life? Was it your father, or about your mother, maybe someone you are working with, was it your pastor or your teacher? But somebody has impacted your life infact a lot of people have impacted your life. Your character, your conversation, your conduct have all been somehow and someway been impacted by the people around you or somebody who has contributed something over your life. When you think about that, who are you impacting by your life? There is a difference between an impression and an impact. Many people love to be impressed and many people love to impress others. They spent a lot of money doing that for example by the way they dress, and what they drive, where they live and where they work and their education; all these things some people do use to impress other people and they love to talk about it and those of us who hear them do not love to listen very long because of simple reason we know they are tr...

Kenyan market has been invaded by an influx of counterfeit goods which is killing the manufacturers business. Counterfeit products have dominated most of our stores making it difficult to distinguish between them. The influx of counterfeit goods has been supported by gullible and corrupt business people who do not care about their consumers. Government’s commitment in fighting this war is cold making it possible for these so called business people to continue thriving at the expense of the others. This is pure exploitation of naïve consumers who have continually been victims. Weak anti-counterfeit market regulation has continued to bedevil the country impacting negatively on the manufacturers. The move by Nokia to establish a mechanism whereby buyers can validate if they are buying original product is welcomed and one which will go a long way saving many from fraudsters.

The just concluded 1st Annual National Constitutional Implementation Conference offered a platform to take stock of the progress of the new constitution implementation process. It was proven that the implementation process is attainable and possible to dispose the several Bills and issues within the stipulated time lines if only we move and work as a team. The Parliament, AG’s office, the Executive, relevant Ministries, CIC, the Non-State Actors and any other department responsible all have to do their roles and fast track the process. The unnecessary delay at any one stage of the process, throws the whole process aback which will impact on the implementation time line. Instead of bashing and bickering on what has not been done or who has not done what, we should at individual levels ask ourselves what have I done in regard to this journey. The why element for the Commission and other key departments that need to ensure the wheel of implementation keeps running is important. The ...

The reforms momentum in Kenya has continued to gather pace. With the recent vetting of potential office holders to key positions in the Judiciary then the reform atmosphere is positive. Negative ethnicity has been a factor that undermines democracy in Kenya which we shouldn’t let it happen again come 2012. I would like to propose that just like the new Judicial appointees had to go through a tough and rigorous vetting, let our next leadership especially for key offices go through the same. Let them rise to the occasion and be confident enough to face the Kenyans and put out rightly there plan and strategy for this nation. By having a clearance from the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC), this would help in ensuring that the interested candidate is ready and committed to lead from the front in fight against corruption. Corruption as a vice has continued to bedeviled us as a nation for many years and with the better mechanism put in place in its fight, an end to it should start ...

When Hamish McLennan former CEO of Young & Rubicam an advertising firm in the US announced early this year that he will be stepping down, the news was received with mixed reactions. An accomplished executive who was at the top of his game had to make a choice between fatherhood and career. Just like many executives in the job market today, the choice is usually among the hardest to make. “I’m ambitious: I’ve spent 25 years being a race-horse. You strive to get to the top of your game, and you enjoy it – but it can become all-consuming. The reality is that you can’t have a global role and spend much time with your kids,” says Hamish. He continues to say “It’s hard for anyone in an executive role to strike a balance because one has a constant tension between wanting to excel at work and wanting to bring up a great family.” My daughter is 13 and my son is 11, I don’t want them to leave home and say, ”well, you had a great career, but we don’t know you.” At 44, Hamish says that he wo...

Democracy in Kenya has been undermined by weak institutions in the past. This shall be a thing of the past if the renewed energy and zeal that most Kenyans have developed is maintained even beyond 2012. The newly appointed team to the Judiciary an arm of the government has promised to bring about the necessary reforms that Kenyans have been yearning for. The level of trust and confidence that majority of Kenyans have placed in this team is enormous and that the opportunity is here for them to prove that they can surely deliver. By working on game plan that shall see reforms in our judicial service in phases is most welcomed especially now that the past has so many unsettled scores. The voices of the people and the Civil societies are now given an audience before any public appointment is made unlike in the past. This move has in a broader sense restored the trust once again in our government institutions. The tune and culture of work is going to definitely change for a number of offi...

The Kenyan dream of achieving Vision 2030 will be realised as long as Kenyans keep selfish interests aside and allow for mutual participation and acceptance of everyone’s ideas or opinion. The implementation of the new Constitution is met by unnecessary opposition by people who think while it was written, they were the only ones kept in mind. The emergence of tribal chiefs and political failures to now think they are the best candidates for senators and governors is saddening. Kenya has a potential to be a super power in Africa, and this can be achieved with better systems and policies. But in the transport sector, for instance, no better policies and measures are in place to help transform it by embracing new technologies and practices. The railway transport has been marred with corruption scandals and nothing new has been done since its construction. Kenyans want no more lip service. If we allow leaders who failed in their opportune time to serve us again, nothing will change an...

The ongoing debate whether the nominated CJ Dr. Willy Mutunga should be allowed to take over or not will clearly divide the nation apart. During the referendum vote on the proposed new constitution, the nation was once again put in this scenario of one group supporting it and the other rejecting it. Like any other man on earth, we as beings are not perfect and we all have our shortcomings. There is great suspicion that Dr. Mutunga will not be able to deliver because of the morality issues that is attached to his studs and that the clergy are not comfortable with him as the chair of Judiciary an arm of the government. A leader has to be one who can change the mood of their team or organization. With the credentials that Dr. Mutunga posses no doubt he merited for that office and a change is worth important than just maintaining status quo. The hiring process has to be borne in mind of how transparent manner it was, hence it was a credible decision and choice made by the Judicial Serv...

One of the most significant, and difficult, tasks that the implementation of the new constitution faces is to change the mood of Kenyans who we were so used to the old constitution. Now that we have the new constitution with us and that several reforms are to take place, we as a people need a leader who will inspire us to that direction. No doubt there exists a leadership vacuum in regard to who is driving the implementation train. Divisions and wrangling has been experienced in the recent past leaving the implementation schedule fall way behind intended time schedule. In a couple of months we will usher in 2012 a year that Kenya goes back to elections and if real reforms are not in place then there is a growing fear that what happened in 2007 will be experienced again. Unless one stands up and shows the commitment towards driving the reform agenda then responsible leadership would have been lost. It will be morally wrong for our leaders to be in the offices yet they do not want to p...

It has been said that one is what he sees, watches and feeds on but also one can be what his buying habit and culture is. Most often will always find our supermarkets floors highly occupied by shoppers be it on good or harsh economic times. Human beings thirst for satisfaction never ends and the cycle affects everyone of us irrespective of our ages. The youth in our society form a potential market target for manufacturers of various products in our stores. Majority of product advertisers try to lure the youth into buying their products which is done with an effort to win acceptability by these group. A kind of youth group aged between 18 – 25 years do have a peculiar shopping habit. Their peculiarity is observed in the general trend among them of their more willingness to spend than save. This is brought about by them making impulse purchases or simply spending beyond their means. The difficulty of balancing wants versus needs is a problem experienced by nearly all but the most adver...

With clock ticking and the countdown to the big day for Prince William and Kate Middleton, world over there has been a media frenzy in regard to their wedding. People from many parts of the world will be treated to a live broadcast of the wedding as it goes down in London at Westminster Abbey. The event is set to attract the biggest news focus with over 6,000 journalists in London to capture and report on the big day. For some countries it will be a welcome relief from the obvious bad reports like the Japan’s earthquake disaster and violence in Ivory Coast with the wedding bringing a new item to the news on their silver screens. A number of lessons are learnt from the days running to the wedding in regard to the importance the monarch has been given cognition. By attention being drawn to the family and the two to be couples with people waiting anxiously that the gown could be revealed and if the designer could be mention then this is being royally...

News about the death of Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden spread so fast across the world with millions of people getting it within the shortest time possible. This truly attests to the assertion that in our modern technological age information travels at the speed of light around the world. Being religious, I asked myself a question in regard to who should take credit for his death or was the US right to claim that they were responsible for his death. After his death, US President Barack Obama went ahead and gave a press conference in confirmation of Osama’s death after being America’s number one enemy for years now and the fight to kill him was now over. Osama’s death was met with a sigh of relief by many hurting victims of his terrorists attacks especially the 9/11. Immediately after the news went out, thousands of Americans flocked to Ground Zero to celebrate his death. Should we rejoice at the fall and death of our enemies? Depending on which side of the divide you are, to rejoice...

The war against corruption in Kenya championed by KACC is welcomed. The momentum and pace it has taken is positive now that according to KACC Director neither the “big’ nor “small” fish are spared. Yes there is prosecution case built but one thing that I’m yet to see is that the stolen properties and embezzled monies are returned. The individuals found guilty are left to continue enjoying their plunder which some amount to billions of shillings. Tarda saga is now at the public domain, something needs to be done because the money was meant for community development project towards self sustenance and in general benefit the Kenyan economy. If truly the government is committed to this war then without compromise under their various and respective arms and authorities, these people should be forced to return in full what they stole. This will not only show a sign of its commitment but also their goal towards zero tolerance against corruption.

In every game, the players do matter most than any other thing. The players are always chosen by their respective managers who give them a game plan and they are to implement the plan in the field. The quest by the Kenyan government to push for a deferral in the ICC case of the Ocampo 6, is not all genuine but there are some vested interests served in it. The game plan for this mission raises a lot of questions in regard to the players pushing it.  The move yes it is a noble idea in terms of proving that Kenya has the capacity to establish a strong judicial mechanism to try the suspects locally but the worrying and fundamental thing is the players (people) who are trying to substantiate this.    At this time in our history we cannot risk and believe that the Local trial for Ocampo 6 suspects pushed by a section of political class shall be fair and justice be fully determined. It is ironical because the same class which was then given the opportunity for establishing a Loc...

The call by the political elite that Kenyan case at the Hague be deferred is motivated by selfish interests amongst themselves. For justice to be done for both the victims of PEV and perpetrators, then to my opinion Hague way will give that desired quest. When the political elite had the chance to vote in parliament whether to try the perpetrators locally or at the Hague? Majority overwhelmingly voted for the Hague option saying “don’t be vague, vote Hague.” Now that this reality is so near than the first thought, a certain section of leaders are up in arms fighting to oppose the decision they had made earlier. This is a clear contradiction of the position they took earlier characterizing a Kenyan politician who has a shifting principle and lacking a firm principle in the decision they make. It was all over in the news and media outlets that the VP was on around the continent tour trying to persuade countries with seats at the UN Security Council to vote in favour of the Kenyan positio...

It is the desire of everyone to visit any offices and buildings and be served in a manner that they would appreciate. In Kenya, many buildings are manned by security officers of various firms who add up as also customer care executives.  Even though the move is welcomed but this practice does not auger well with everyone. In some instances, these very same officers tend to be too "bossy" and arrogant to the public hence not being able to serve the people as they would wish.  As a measure to control and cut-down on organization's expenses, the view to having these officers at their entrances does much harm than good and it will be more better if their role and duties are spelt out clearly.