Its time to restore stability in Somalia

There is every sign that the Al Shabaab will finally be defeated.  Kenya’s Linda nchi operation team has already made inroads in Somalia. Its core agenda may be to protect Kenyans but with enough support from AMISOM and other groups of interest, the move may go a long way in restoring order in Somalia as well.

 

What Somalia needs now more than ever is stability. In this century when nations are seeking progress for their citizens, Somalia should not be left behind. The hunt for Al Shabaab therefore wouldn’t have come at a better time.

 

The country almost entirely relies on aid and has for long been made ungovernable by constant reprisals from militias. Its time that the international community directed its efforts towards helping Somalia get back on its feet.

 

Several states have pronounced support for Kenya’s efforts albeit from the peripheries. Well that’s encouraging but if Somalia has to be delivered from anarchy, developed states have to take lead not just to defeat the militia but also to eradicate poverty.

 

Plans should be underway to help Somalia establish an economically empowered and democratic government by 2013. Its refugees in Dadaab should then go back home and develop their country from scratch just like Southern Sudan is doing.

 

This is achievable if the international community stays away from the game of wait and see. After all stability in Somalia should be in the interest of every nation if the war against terrorism and piracy has to be worn.

Kosprin

Let’s honor all our heroes

 Its Mashujaa day again a day we honor our living and fallen heroes and heroines. This country indeed has many national heroes, men and women who have stood out in doing exceptional things for our beloved nation.

 Some have highly been recognized yet some rarely get any spotlight. This year has seen the demise of Prof Wangari Mathai and Wambui Otieno, two great women of courage who defied many odds. They will forever be rembered as our national heroines.

Our athletes, sportsmen, farmers, diplomats and professionals in various fields are all heroes. Who can forget Mau Mau veterans and our great champions of democracy? All our scientists, environmentalists and humanitarians deserve our honors too.

People that were genuinely involved in feeding hungry Kenyans this year are heroes. One of them that particularly stood out is Rose Nasimiyu. Despite her struggle with cancer, she has continually inspired people in a way that is beyond imagination for a girl of her age. With her courage, there is no doubt that Nasimiyu is a victor and a great heroine of our time.

The spirit of our fallen heroes lives on even as we celebrate this day. We should make it our culture to honor our heroes not just when they get recognized by the international community.

Kosprin

Somali refugees need not be victimized

Kenyan security apparatus seem to be pretty determined to keep off the al Shabaab out of the Kenyan territory. This follows a series of provocations by the terror group in the past few months. The group must have found their easy way into Kenya after being trounced in Mogadishu by the federal government of Somalia.

Dadaab refugee camp is said to be the militia’s hunting ground. Already two aid workers have been abducted from the camp. Well this is not shocking because the camp is not far from the Somalia boarder. What is shocking is that the whole camp is manned by only 255 police officers.

It just beats logic how an overpopulated camp hosting over a half a million refugees can be made secure by 255 police officers. The government recently facilitated the reopening of IFO II camp for an influx of Somali refugees. One wonders why no measures were taken to increase the presence of police officers.

The government has announced a major manhunt of the militia within the camps. Security has now been beefed up and all refugees will be screened. This is really desperate but necessary at this critical time even though the government is responsible for their entry at Liboi boarder point.

The screening of refugees however should not be dramatized. It should be professionally done until the al Shabaab is completely wiped out of camps. The police should be careful not to commit atrocities against innocent refugees. It should be remembered that most refugees are women and children who walked long distances seeking tranquility.

Kosprin

Embrace our military move with caution

Most of us are excited that Kenya has finally made a bold move to protect our territorial boundaries. Our military is now flexing its muscle deep into Somalia pursuing the Alshabaab militants. The prudent move is said to have been instigated by the kidnapping of two Spanish aid workers in Dadaab refugee camp and a French woman from the coastal town of Lamu.

Security has of course been beefed up all across the country perhaps to show the world that Kenya is indeed in control of its internal security. This happens a mid reports that some governments have already asked their citizens living in Kenya to be cautious. In fact some hotels at the coast may have closed down already as tourists embark on moving elsewhere.

Questions may however arise as to why the government did not react with the same vigor to other attacks allegedly by the same terror group. Indeed, we recently had grenade attacks in our capital city Nairobi. Petrol bombs that killed people and injured several others remain mysterious.  

Fishermen along the Kenyan coast have repeatedly been captured by unknown assailants.

Our security apparatus were still in complacency even when it became apparent that Kenyan youth were being recruited by the terror group.

Alshabaab may be targeting foreigners for ransom but for heaven sake, it has been luring our young people for human resource! Did the government have to wait until foreign citizens are kidnapped to do the right thing? This is not to suggest that only Kenyan citizens should be provided with sufficient security.

Never the less, it is encouraging that the government is finally doing something. Now that the military is in control, we may feel a little safer but we must keep asking ourselves how we got here. Our military is not used to respond to external aggression especially against a terror group. Does it have a strategic plan and what really do we intend to achieve.

Alshabaab is closely related to Al-Qaeda which has hit us quite a few times in the past. Do we intend to permanently keep its militants away from our boundaries or do we just want to deter them? These are critical concerns that need to be addressed because it will be useless to declare war on Alshabaab only to invite merciless retaliation against innocent Kenyans in future. We should be reminded that quite frequently, fire begets ashes but occasionally it spawns more fires.

Kosprin

FROM KOSPRIN'S DIARIES-2

The witty Chris Hart wakes me up every morning. His show brightens up my day even though his yuppy counterpart doesn’t quite hit my nerves. In the thrill of things, my lousy neighbor likes cutting me to the quick with his disturbing Maina Kageni's mambo jambo. I am then left with no choice but to go perusing the latest from the likes of Clay Muganda.

If I am not audience to the poetically licensed, you will find me seeking my own license. I recognize how far I am from obtaining one but I am not a worried man because social media will soon get me there. It has rendered us with unprecedented platforms upon which writers (pros and wannabes) often expose their minds. I like tweeting clever staff but digging into my friends’ facebook notes is my specialty. Some of my friends have a way of boggling my mind with their stuff.

Let me begin with Tom Munira  munira Jalio, this guy was clearly born to write. From his Journalista days to his current excitement in sports and sporting events, he really takes his writing seriously. I am yet to understand his love for Spain when most of us care less about it (I am talking about Rafael Nadal and La Liga’s Real Madrid).

His easy to read pieces coupled with attention to detail will leave you with no doubt that he is indeed a descriptive writer. One outstanding thing about him is how he inspires passion in all he does. As long as a writer of his caliber exists, the Sammy kitula's of this world will always be insecure with their jobs. I wait  to meet him at the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, for I know he will be there.

Godfrey Kimega is a passionate writer too, all be it seldom. The guy stretches my imagination with his insightful vigor for international affairs. His well researched pieces are loaded with maturity and a sense of awareness.  You will notice his outright lambasting of western democracies’ unfortunate role in Africa. This will tempt you to contradict him but the weight in his arguments will knock you down.

I have read Obed Mutua’s articles since his days in Journalista. The guy can write about anything. Be it what it may, he will still make it very interesting. I am particularly excited about his recent entry into poetry and I can only hope he will do it more often. Even as I wait upon his humanitarian articles, there is no doubt that his writing is worth its weight in gold.

Did you ever wonder whose novels we shall be reading in the near future? Julia Wanjeri may want to raise her hand. She can comfortably write perfect scripts for ABC TV drama series if you ask me. I like how she depicts a great sense of humor in her writing. What title will she give her first novel? It’s a game of wait and see.

I don’t know what kind of books Njeri Justin reads but the man knows his English, he often baffles me with the way he plays with words. Justin is simply a goose soon to lay a golden egg in the media industry. His style is so uniquely insightful; Jeff Koinange would call it waxing lyrical. Anybody who reads his articles will agree that Clay had better up his game. Even better, CNN had better come and get him.

Kosprin

The generation factor

Guys born in the 50’s and 60’s must have been boom babies, a generation of our fathers who had twelve siblings or thereabouts all from one mother. Unlike their folks, many boom babies opted to beget only up to five or six; forget about the mad ones who went beyond six.

Even though raised in tough colonial times, boom babies are the most brilliant breed of a generation as prevalent in society today. Some of them though turned themselves into educated idiots who came back from the likes of India with nothing more than what they took there.

Interestingly, we are sons and daughters of boom babies. I am told they call us generation Y, guys born after 1975 and before 1986. Our collective IQ is deeply rooted in the 8.4.4 system of education.

The 70’s and 80’s were dead years technologically across the world but full of political drama, perhaps the reason Y bears marks of rampant street activism. You don’t need a mention of recent UK riots to dig this.  

We certainly had it easier than boom babies but 8.4.4 really never stopped whipping our damn asses only to cool us down with maziwa ya Nyayo.  

Generation X or dot com as double villagers will loosely refer to them is a generation raised on a silver platter. These kids grew on bread smeared with butter and rode on buses to their private schools.

Substance has however remained insignificant to the spoiled brats; after all they are the cut and paste wizards with extra ordinary affinity for quick success.

From play stations to ipods and iphones, their sense of entertainment cannot be over-emphasized and social media has been a talisman of sorts to X. With 'face-tweet' and You-Tube on the bargain, Y stands no chance against X in the 21st century, let alone boom babies with their tantrums.

That my friend is the end of this lesson. Now answer the following question;

Which generation does/did your grandmother belong to?


Kosprin

Gratitude to the Kenyans for Kenya crew

The Kenyans for Kenya campaign has remarkably been heart touching and successful. Although this is not the first time it was happening, this year’s campaign was all inclusive and more strategic that before. It is encouraging to hear that the targeted donation of KSH 1 billion will not just be used for immediate relief but also for more sustainable ways of curbing hunger.

The most exciting thing about this whole campaign was that every Kenyan had and still has a chance of making a difference in somebody’s life. One thing though that should be admired by all is how corporate organizations put aside their competition to raise funds for hunger stricken Kenyans. In fact this time they only competed to save lives albeit in camera.

Kenya Red Cross however deserves the biggest applause for effective coordination of the campaign and distribution of food stuffs. The vigor with which it has continually dedicated itself is something to be emulated by the Kenyan government. It may seem like it’s their duty to do what they do but its not easy considering the difficult circumstances under which they operate.

The government was deservedly put to shame by the private sector but this does not give anybody bragging rights. The blame game does not therefore help, otherwise you don’t give and blame. Instead, everybody should keep urging our government to be awake and more accountable to its people. It should already be harvesting water from the ongoing rains for instance.

Our media should also keep up its good job of spreading the word especially about Kenyans for Kenya. Kenyans may also need to consider people in their immediate neighborhoods who may be suffering from hunger even as they empathize with those hard stricken in arid areas.

Kosprin

The CBK governor should cut the jargon

The Central Bank of Kenya governor Professor Njuguna Ndungu has continually failed to communicate to Kenyans. It is hard for any ordinary Kenyan to follow his press briefings because they are just so full of financial jargon.

It was difficult to understand what he meant when he went public explaining why the Kenyan shilling has been depreciating against major world currencies. If his communique was only supposed to be understood by a selective few other than the general public, then he had no point of addressing a press conference. He could easily have sent press statements to media houses and save us the trouble of having to listen to his jargon.

Its time he understood that CBK’s target audience is not just the media and financial institutions. Any communication to the general public ought to be easy and comprehensive. It may be expected that the media will always unpack his jargon but more often than not, it only replicates what he says.

Financial information is not a reserve of a few. Ordinary Kenyans are major stakeholders in the economy too and they deserve to get the whole picture of what is happening to the economy. Professor Ndungu will therefore need to find an effective way of communicating to all stakeholders. CBK might just have to consider hiring communication specialists as well. 

Kosprin

PR practitioners gone rogue

Despite Public Relations (PR) being a popular course taught in Kenyan colleges today, it may soon not be a career of choice for many students. PR is ordinarily communication and activities designed to promote good-will and understanding among the publics and the media. The practice of PR by most companies and institutions is however not portraying well our PR practitioners.

In most cases PR practitioners are the spokesmen and faces of their organizations. They also take charge of customer relations and public information activities. It doesn’t seize to amaze though how worse customer service can get in some companies despite having fully equipped PR departments.

The way KPLC handled its power rationing communication for instance was not the best way whatsoever. There surely had to be a way of preparing customers for the bad news. Dropping the bomb-shell as they did especially on the backdrop of re-branding and committing to enhanced customer service was a raw deal to its customers.

Dr. Alfred Mutual is another example of bad PR practice. No offense to the government spokesman but it is hard to admire his professional skills; especially because he is the senior most PR practitioner in Kenya. He has deliberately perfected himself as a cunning sophist who only understands PR as spin.

PR can only add value when it’s not reduced to just a mare self defense and clean up affair as eminently done in Kenya. A few companies take PR seriously though, but more needs to be done. Practitioners need to carry themselves professionally; otherwise PR students will have no one to look up to.

-kosprin-

Index Insurance key to the agricultural sector

The effects of global warming are now on their worst following the severe drought that is being experienced in parts of Kenya and the horn of Africa. Droughts have consistently destroyed our crops and killed livestock which are the mainstay of our economy. We haven’t quite found a reliable solution to this annual calamity but index insurance may soon be the sustainable way to mitigate its effects.

Index insurance is a brilliant idea which if effected will be a significant risk management tool especially in our agricultural sector. The policy which was recently launched in Geneva will compensate financial loss for properties exposed to climate related risks such as drought.

This is obviously good news to farmers who suffer losses every year due to outcomes beyond their influence. Livestock holders in north eastern Kenya where drought is eminent should brace themselves for this insurance policy which may just be a solution to their perennial problem. Rural smallholder farmers too should not suffer unnecessary losses any more when they can easily be compensated.

More insurance companies need to come out and float this product to Kenyans. This, coupled with large scale farming projects as pronounced by government in Turkana last week will go a long way in eradicating famine in Kenya.

We need more sustainable ways of curbing hunger

Kenyans continue to experience food shortage and skyrocketing food prices. Learning at schools has already been adversely affected with the government being forced to supplement food budgets. Even regions traditionally known for food sufficiency like Central Kenya are facing hunger this time.

This is not going to be easy since the national strategic reserves are reportedly below capacity. While the expected harvests may mitigate the current hunger, they will surely not guarantee our food security next year. It therefore can’t be said enough that we need to employ more sustainable ways of curbing hunger now.

Our food situation will not change if we keep relying on harvests from our small scale farmers. Importing maize is not sustainable either. Government officials and scholars have made numerous trips to food secure nations like Israel. They surely must have learned enough lessons to apply here at home.

Instead of waiting for another famine next year, the government needs to invest in large scale farming projects across the country. This will not only guarantee our food security but also provide jobs for the youth. At a time like this, early campaigns for 2012 elections are unpalatable. Politicians should rather engage themselves in campaigns to save Kenyans from another famine next year.

Kosprin