Elect persons with drive to develop prosperity policies

By Mghanga Malasi  

As the election near so is the whispering along the corridors who should and shouldn’t be our leader among many Kenyans. One of the challenges Kenya faces today is deeply entrenched ethnicity and short-sightedness nature of our politics. The next election will certainly be interesting though frightening to many given the heightening of political temperature along tribal lines by the current leadership. The election will be unique in that there are several levels of the legislature that have to be filled through the ballot. It is for sure that occupants of the august house will have a hard time convincing the public.

Kenya desperately needs political stability, but the leaders do not seem to have learnt anything from the 2007-2008 predicaments. One day they are talking of the need to revamp the economy to realize the vision twenty thirty targets and the next thing politicians are fueling the ethnic emotions or they are engaging in their usual practice and games of ethnic divisiveness through propaganda and other lies. There is no doubt that the same resilience shown during the voting and ushering in the new constitution shall certainly be repeated next year. Kenyans have matured in democracy. However, more civic education is required to sensitise the electorate on the implementation of the new laws especially on devolution. The registration of voters should begin in earnest to recruit more voters for the elections next year. 

This year has been a tough one for majority of Kenyans. The next man or woman of the house on the hill has a difficult task convincing the electorate what he or she will offer. The country is still facing same myriad challenges of disease, poverty, unemployment and hunger despite the economic gains reported in the media now and then. 

Kenyans are still suffering and disillusioned; the youth graduating from universities every year have no hope of being employed any more in the saturated and highly competitive labour market. The disenfranchised youth have tried the ballot several times and failed to win emancipation. When they tried violence to claim their freedom last time, they were stopped in their tracks by a political settlement. One would wonder what will take to stop them after the next national crisis. 

There are various tents that drive the economy that the next president must promise to work on if the economy is to grow. It taunted that a healthy nation translates to a healthy economy. The health sector is needs facelift. This means more budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Health to improve on infrastructure and modernization of the hospital critical utilities.

S/he should seek to lower the cost of living affected heavily by high inflation, which is also undermining financial borrowing. Energy and fuel costs must go down. This president should ensure that we cushioned from the volatility of the international prices by may be developing strategic oil reserves. 

The education sector, apart from free education the government should increase and set aside fund for capacity and facility improvement and development in both primary and secondary schools. Many of the schools in the rural areas are ill equipped and therefore priority should be to establish an educational infrastructure development fund to oversee building of more schools and classrooms, libraries and science laboratories if we are to develop a skilled workforce for the future Kenya. 

If only our politics motive were that we keep politics pure and the motive is doing good to one’s country and its people then will all prosper. The qualification the candidates taking up important seats such as the governor, senator and presidency will matter if this country were to change for the good of all Kenyans not a few cartels. The economy should be knowledge driven those elected must be persons who have the drive and passion to develop policies that will bring prosperity.

CCM has reached Political Menopause, the signs are clear!

Nicodemus Minde

It is said that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. The grand old party of Tanzania Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has been 'rebranding' itself. The party was in Dodoma in its National Executive Committee meetings where they 'elected new' members to serve as the party secretary, deputy party secretary and secretary for foreign relations. The quest for rebranding the now out of touch political outfit has been met with mixed reactions. The party and its top officials have been marred with graft and corrupt allegations, something that has really undermined it otherwise dwindling fortunes. The party has been on a roll of blaming its adversaries on witch-hunt. Its national chairman, President Jakaya Kikwete has failed miserably to provide leadership and sound judgement on methods of making the party regain former glories.

My thesis is that the party has reached its political menopause and it is finding hard to grapple with the reality of life. A story is told of the old lion and sly fox. In the hey days, the fox enjoyed abundant fortunes that came with the lion's grit and prowess in hunting. The fox could just wait for the spoils after the lion had hunted. Life was good! When the lion grew old and lost its mane and great hunting techniques, the fox knew that it had to invent a new way to survive. The sly fox one day persuaded a donkey to come vist the lion so that the lion could prey on it and the two could have a meal. This is what has become of CCM, it has now resulted to going back to the old guards who have lost their tegritude. The party elected with absolute majority former secretary Philip Mangula to the post of party vice chairperson of the mainland and another old guard Abdulrahman Kinana as the new Secretary General replacing 'the out-of-touch' Mukama. The other new members are former Finance Minister Zakia Menghji and Dr. Asha Rose Migiro. 

CCM has lost vision. It is a clear indication that it lacks visionary leadership. A clear indication that its days are numbered and as Jenerali Ulimwengu puts it, the party is showing its age and its creaking under the weight of long incumbency and just like the titanic, the iceberg lurks unseen and its a matter of when that the great party shall sink.        

Iranians to hold nationwide anti-Israeli demo

Via Press TV

Iran's Islamic Publicity Coordination Council has called on the Iranian people to take part in nationwide demonstrations to condemn Israeli aggression against the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. The demonstrations are set to be held across the country after Friday Prayers.

 

In a statement issued on Thursday, the council condemned the latest wave of Israeli attacks on the coastal enclave, calling on the Iranians to take to the streets to vent their anger at the fake Zionist regime of Israel and to express their sympathy with the oppressed people of the Gaza Strip.  At least 21 people have been killed and over 160 others injured in the new wave of attacks on the costal sliver, which started on Wednesday.

 

Sababu Tano za Gor Mahia kuukosa ubingwa

Nicodemus Minde, Nairobi

Kiu ya ukata wa ligi kuu Kenya kwa timu ya Gor Mahia inaendelea. Ni miaka 18 tangu wautwae ubingwa wa Kenya. Kiu hii ilikua ikatwe kwa Gor kuifunga Thika United kwani walikua wanaongoza ligi kwa pointi moja. Licha ya hilo, Gor walikua walikuwa wanakamilisha ratiba ya mechi kwenye uwanja wao wakihistoria wa City Stadium na kwa maoni ya mashabiki wengi walikua wanakutana na timu ambayo isingewaumiza kichwa hata kidogo. Timu ya Thika United sio timu ambayo Gor Mahia wangeihofia sana. Isitoshe walikuwa washaifunga AFC Leopards na Tusker ambazo nazo zilikua zinawania ubingwa. Kibarua cha kuifunga Thika United kilikuwa kidogo sana ukilinganisha na mtihani wao dhdi ya AFC Leopards na Tusker. Mashabiki wa Gor walitamba kwamba kiu ya ubingwa ingeisha kwa kuifunga Thika United kiulaini kwenye uga wa City. Lakini wapi! Gor walilazimisha sare na timu ‘dhaifu’ ya Thika United na Tusker wakashinda hivyo kutetea ubingwa. Zipate sababu tano za Gor Mahia kukosa ubingwa.

1.       1. Presha ya Mechi

Licha ya kuongoza ligi na kuingia katika mechi ya mwisho ya ligi dhidi ya Thika United na mmoja wa mastraika hatari, Danny Ssserukuma, Gor Mahia walikuwa na presha kubwa sana. Ni miaka kumi na saba tangu Gor watwae ubingwa wa ligi kuu Kenya. Licha ya matokeo mazuri mwishoni mwa ligi, Gor Mahia walijikuta na presha nyingi. Kulikua na presha ya mashabiki, presha ya kuleta ubingwa baada ya miaka mingi ya ukata, presha yakurudisha hadhi ya timu ya Gor Mahia n.k. Ilikuwa ni wazi kwamba mambo haya yalicheza kwenye saikolojia ya wachezaji wa Gor hivyo lukosa ubingwa.

2.      2.Kupanick kwa Logarusic

Kocha wa Gor Mahia alikuwa na presha nyingi kwenye mechi ya mwisho dhidi ya Thika United. Alikua hajatulia hata kidogo. Alikua anamhemko na hakutulia kwenye benchi. Alifanya mambo kwa pupa sana. Dhihirisho tosha ni pale alipofanya mabadiliko mapema alipoona mabo hayaendi sawa kwenye kipindi cha kwanza. Licha ya mabadiliko hayo kuleta uhai na afueni kidogo, kipindi cha pili pia alifanya mabadiko ya pupa mno. Mechi kama hizi, kocha anapaswa kutulia kwenye benchi akitoa mawaidha kidogo kwani wachezaji wanajua fika shughuli pevu inayowakabili.

3.      3. Matano kucheza “Mind-games”

Kocha wa Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson ndio mtaalamu wa kuwachezea makocha wa timu pinzani mchezo wa akili (mind-games). Mchezo huu unasaidia sana kuvuruga mipango ya kocha wa timu pinzani. Kocha wa Tusker Robert Matano aliulizwa baada ya kufungwa na Gor Mahia mstakabali wa ligi. Alijibu kwa maneno machache na kusema ligi bado haijaisha. Hizo zilikuwa wiki mbili zilizopita. Aliendelea kusisitiza kauli hii lich ya kuwa Gor Mahia kuwa kwenye nafasi nzuri ya kushinda ligi zaidi ya timu yake. Alipohojiwa tena kwenye runinga ya Super Sports, Matano aliendelea kusisitiza kwamba bado ligi ni mbichi na timu yake itapambana hadi mwisho. Msimamo huu uliiweka Gor Mahia kwenye presha kubwa, wakijua wakiteleza tu, ligi inawaponyoka. Gor walipoteleza kwa kulazimishwa sare na Tusker walihifadhi taji lao kwa kuibamiza City Stars.

4.      4. Mashabiki kujiamini mno

Mashabiki wa Gor Mahia wanatambulika kwa tambo zao. Wanambwebwe nyingi sana. Wanaipenda timu yao sana. Ni jambo zuri sana kwa timu kuwa na mashabiki wa namna hii. Wachezaji wanapata motisha kubwa kutokana na ushabiki huu. Kabla ya mechi yao na Thika United, mashabiki wa Gor walionekana jijini Nairobi wakiwa wameandika jezi zao “Mabingwa 2012”. Wengi wao waliweka nembo ya kombe la ligi kwenye mashati yao huku wengine wakibeba kombe bandia la ligi. Sio vibaya kujiamini. Inaeleweka kwenye soka, lakini kujiamini huku kuliwatia wachezaji presha kubwa sana. Ndio hivo, baada ya mechi wengi walijawa na majonzi na simanzi kubwa baada ya Gor kuukosa ubingwa.

5.      5. Soka safi la Thika United

Wengi wanachambua udhaifu wa Gor kwenye mechi yao ya mwisho na wanaisahau Thika United. Thika United walicheza bila presha yoyote. Walitandaza soka safi na la kuburudisha. Walipiga pasi nyingi na kuwanyima Gor mpira kwa muda mrefu. Hawakupaki basi kama timu nyingi hufanya zinavyocheza na Barcelona. Walionana vema sana. Walipotangulia kufunga goli ndipo mpira wa ukahimarika zaidi. Walipiga pasi fupi fupi huku mastraika wao wakiisumbua ngome ya Gor Mahia mara kwa mara. Walipiga mashambulizi mengi ya kushtukizia pia. Kwa mpira huu, Gor walishindwa kuivunja ngome ya Thika.

Israel aborted 2010 war plan against Iran out of fear: Report

Via Press TV

A new report reveals that a planned Israeli strike against Iran in 2010 was thwarted due to Tel Aviv’s qualms about its own military capabilities as well as top-echelon internal opposition against the measure.

According to a Sunday report by prominent investigative journalist Ilana Dayan on an Israeli news channel, at a 2010 meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister for Military Affairs Ehud Barak and a small circle of top ministers, the premier asked the Israeli military to prepare for an imminent strike on Iran’s nuclear energy facilities, Ynetnews reports.

The report which was a promotional preview for an hour-long documentary on a decade of Israel’s decision-making process with regard to Iran is scheduled to be broadcast on Israeli TV’s Channel 2 on Monday night.

During the meeting Netanyahu called on former Chairman of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Gabi Ashkenazi to “set the systems for P-plus,” meaning an operation will start soon, the report said.

“Eventually, at the moment of truth, the answer that was given was that, in fact, the ability did not exist,” Barak said in the clip shown in the preview report.

Ashkenazi along with Meir Dagan, former head of Mossad, who stepped down after the meeting, slammed Netanyahu’s order as an attempt aimed at “stealing a war,” and argued that such a decision required the confirmation of all the Israeli ministers, not a small group of officials.

Ashkenazi had reportedly declared that adopting a military measure against Iran would be a “strategic mistake.”

Dayan, who made the documentary, said the Israeli censors prevented her from mentioning the exact date of the 2010 meeting.

Tel Aviv has repeatedly threatened Iran with a military strike, saying that Tehran is seeking to produce a nuclear bomb, a claim Iran has vehemently rejected.

Syrian tanks enter Golan Heights DMZ

Three Syrian tanks enter demilitarized zone in Golan Heights (Interesting article from Haaretz.com)

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