What's Next For Raila

After the death of Kenya's first president, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the country witnessed the birth of a new era in politics. The then president Daniel Moi had not expected such heavy demonstrations from university students.
The likes of James Orengo emerged as a source of headache for the regime of that time.

It wasn’t long before Moi witnessed the entrance of a new hard player; Raila Amolo Odinga. Born in the house of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Raila dived in to the murky water of politics while teaching in the university. He was arrested for attempting to overthrow the government of the day. This landed him a cool prison sentence that saw him come out after 6 years.

It was not until Raila went to exile that the government let him off the hook. However he came back to some ruthless and hostile reception as the Nyayo torture chambers served as his home for sometime. The learned Engineer had come to the brink of it all when he decided to play some safe politics. After vieying for presidency in 1997 and failing, Raila decided to tone down to strategise on building his own dynasty.

With this thought, Odinga organised a merger between his party NDP and KANU. The merger was a success and from there Raila started lobbying the KANU die-hards like the late Saitoti, Kalonzo, Ntimama and many others including the UDF party flag bearer, Musalia Mudavadi.

This mass exodus left Moi with no support base in close to two thirds of the country. Uhuru Kenyatta was the only card Moi had and he had to play it whatever the outcome. The whole country was experiencing a tide and Raila had marshaled all his stolen soldiers in Kibaki’s camp. It was humiliating for Moi.

Raila led the troops against Uhuru and this led to Kibaki garnering a over 60% of cast votes. No one would dare interfere with the polls at that time because the whole country was in a movement kind of environment thanks to Raila Odinga.

The government that was formed after the 2002 General Election had promised so much but what was at the heart of it all was a new constitution. When Kibaki took over the reigns of power, he formed a government and quickly embarked on developing and implementing the pledge of a new constitution. Raila was in the cabinet where he was regarded as a key player in the government; however, this did not seem to calm his critics.

After a long journey by the Bomas delegates to arrive at a constitution that was worth adopting, it is alleged that some powerful players in government did not like some tiny bits of it and therefore went with the draft to Naivasha and then Mombasa in a bid to alter the few clauses. This did not go down well with Raila and some of his like-minded fellows. During the referendum, Raila was very vibrant in urging Kenyans to reject the document and with him was a contingent of ministers, assistant ministers and government side MPs. They went to the extent of dining with Uhuru Kenyatta who by then was the opposition leader.

A humiliating defeat was handed to the government. No doubt, Kibaki had had enough. He wanted nothing to do with the traitors. Raila’s move had cost the entire cabinet ministers their jobs. The president reshuffled the caibnet and threw out Raila and his troops. Two years later and Raila would be facing it off with Kibaki in the most contentious election ever since independence. It was to an extent of causing violence. This time, Raila was handed a seat closer to State House than any other. He was regarded as co-principal in government where he coordinated all government’s activities from his Office of the Prime Minister.

Recently, Raila vieyed for the top seat for a record third time.After a defeat by Uhuru’ Jubilee, the prime minister filed a petition at the Supreme Court to dispute Kenyatta's victory. However the verdict upheld Kenyatta’s victory and will therefore be sworn in on 9th April 2013.

What's next for Raila? One would ask.

He is a farmer and a multimillionaire in terms of business entities. The son of Jaramogi has so much on his plate domestically. Internationally he might also play some key roles in the ranks of peace ambassador, eminent personality or UN chief observer. He has risen to very senior ranks in government business and political engineering that he can be of use in very many sectors of this world. Nonetheless, he has his brother in the Senate and his sister as governor for Kisumu. He still has some cards to play in terms of power plays and policy formulation.

The ODM gurus will also consider him for advice in terms of political navigation and his insights will be of great impact.

He might even vie for a fourth time but that is highly unlikely considering his age and the lengthy stay away from politics.

Whichever way he decides to go, Raila has and will remain to be one of Kenya’s most influential politicians of our times. He has rocked powerful presidents and dismantled their ships in search for democracy and equality.

Kenya will miss his antics and theatrics on the political arena.  LONG LIVE RAILA    ….........................

The Powerful Men Behind RAILA

By Henry .N.M. Dieto

The term ‘Kitchen Cabinet’ was coined some 200 years ago by opponents of US President Andrew Jackson to describe an informal coterie of trusted friends, associates and advisers on whom the leader relied upon to govern.

Members of kitchen cabinets enjoy inordinate access to the leader and are often in a position to influence – formally and informally – the leader’s thinking, policies and decisions on critical issues of the moment.
Raila Odinga has been a central player in Kenya’s politics for over three decades now and during this period he has built, discarded, re-built or freshened up his kitchen cabinet many times over.
So, who are the members of Raila’s kitchen cabinet today? Who are the people he has relied upon in moments of crisis and moments of good tidings to help him think through and move forward? Here we go.

Mohamed Jaffer: Most probably few Kenyans would recognize him even if he appeared on their doorstep with a briefcase full of cash. But the 65-year old Jaffer, the proprietor of the multi-million dollar investment that is the Grain Bulk Handlers Limited is a businessman extraordinaire. He is one of the wealthiest and best-networked tycoons in Coast region and beyond.
Jaffer enjoys a close friendship with Raila Odinga, which dates several years back.

Those in the know say Jaffer is perhaps the only living person, besides President Kibaki or retired President Moi, who can call the Prime Minister and request him to go to his home and the PM will invariably and obligingly honour the request. That is the ultimate definition of a powerbroker in any political lexicon.
Besides being politically suave, Jaffer draws significant influence from the fact that he has also been one of the largest – if not the largest – financial benefactor to political courses associated with the PM for years.
“Some ODM politicians often go to Jaffer to have him convince the PM on an issue they fear facing Raila directly on,” confides an insider, adding “the general public thinks Hassan Joho is the main guy at the Coast but nothing could be further from the truth.”
Caroli Omondi: He is regarded as one of the smoothest operators in the Prime Minister’s office. As the PM’s Chief of Staff, Caroli is not just the gatekeeper but also holds the keys to sources of political fundraising.
Omondi has something of a fairly chequered history though. After graduating from the law school in 1991, Caroli worked at the State Law Office – Treaties and Agreements Department –  for eight years where he established a very close relationship with the then Attorney General (now ODM senator) Amos Wako. While at the Treaties and agreements Department, Omondi, then working with Nicholas Biwott’s daughter, was trusted by Wako to craft and draft the law that created independent power producers, something that introduced Caroli to the world of big money. And from that point he never looked back.

Omondi’s initial influence around the PM emanated from the fact that he was one of the earlier ‘investors’ in Raila at a time when the PM did not have much money. Besides contributing significant amounts of money to fund Raila’s campaigns, Omondi also donated premises to house ODM and other political outfits associated with the PM. These acts of  carefully planned ‘generosity’ gave Caroli inordinate hold on the political machinery around the PM.
Omondi was the man entrusted with resource mobilisation during the presidential campaign as well the man who was in charge of distributing money to party agents countrywide during the elections.
At the PM’s office, Caroli has been feared, loathed and loved by some in equal measures. Nevertheless, he appears to have grown umbilical-cord-like kind of links with the PM such that the two are almost permanently intertwined and none may survive without the other.
George Opondo: Everyone in Raila’s inner circle refers to him simply as the ‘Kulei’ of the PM – in reference to Joshua Kulei, then powerful Personal Assistant to retired President Moi during his days in power.  To be mentioned in the same breath with or be compared to the former PA to retired President Moi is in itself a good pointer one’s discreet power and influence behind the scenes.
Opondo, who hails from Uyoma in Rarieda, has been with the Odinga family for many years and initially served as PA to Raila’s father.
He is one of the very few people Raila trusts to collect, handle and disburse funds for political operations. He is fiercely loyal to Raila while at the same time studiously avoiding the limelight preferring to operate from the shadows and never speaking unless spoken to.
However, the very fact that the PM trusts him with crucial matters of finances has given Opondo much clout in Raila’s inner circle and anyone who does business – political or otherwise – with the PM on a regular basis is bound to have to deal with Opondo at some point.
Eliud Owalo: He is the man Raila trusted to run his presidential campaign. Owalo, a management consultant, initially served as founder member of Friends of Raila (Fora) lobby group before he was tapped by the PM to be his Chief Campaign Manager. Not being an original member of Team Raila, Owalo had several run-ins with politicians who wanted to influence decisions to serve their own selfish ends while sacrificing the PM’s larger interests. This did not endear Owalo to a political clique from Nyanza but he soldiered on leading the campaigns, thanks thumbs up from the PM.
Owalo’s strength around the PM has often been his independence of mind and apparent lack of political ambitions, something that meant Raila could count on his (Owalo’s) dispassionate judgment on crucial issues.
Perhaps a good measure of Owalo’s credentials as a member of the trusted inner circle is the fact that Candidate Raila Odinga trusted him enough to designate him as the person to spearhead the presidential election petition. The PM later amended the petition to become the direct petitioner.
By virtue of his position as Chief Campaign Manager, Owalo has enjoyed unlimited access to the PM.
Sarah Elderkin: She is a former journalist with the defunct Weekly Review magazine. Like some other members of Raila’s inner circle, Sarah’s relationship with the Odingas dates back to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s days.
She enjoys direct access to the PM. Sarah is Raila’s personal speech writer who cheerfully adopts the role of political attack-dog penning sharp articles in the media when the PM’s integrity is question or is at stake.
As the PM’s trusted communications advisor, Sarah wields significant influence on what Raila says. She is regarded as one of the few people in the inner circle who will not shy away from telling the PM he is wrong and firmly stand her ground on a matter of principle. For this reason, Raila values her judgment. Former journalist Salim Lone also happens to be a close confidant of the PM but his influence is mainly focused on maintaining international links for the PM. Those close to the PM describe Salim Lone as someone who approaches politics “too officially” to fit in well in the murky world of politics.
James Orengo: A lawyer by training, Orengo’s relationship dates back to late 1980s when the two led the struggle for the country’s second liberation. At some point in the 90s, Orengo and Raila were political rivals competing for supremacy in Nyanza. Raila emerged tops in that contest while Orengo lost his parliamentary seat.
To make a comeback Orengo had to eat humble pie and concede that he was not Raila’s equal. Since then, the two have become something of political Siamese twins. Today Orengo is one of the PM’s most trusted political operatives.
Raila relies on him not just for legal advice but also on a wide range of political and business issues. This has made Orengo one of the most powerful players around the PM today.
Those in the know say Orengo completely eclipsed other political players previously close to the PM such as Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o and Dalmas Otieno whose influence these days is determined on an issue by issue basis or the prevailing politics of the moment.
Ida Odinga: Besides being the PM’s wife, Ida is a powerful political player in her own right. She often influences key decisions including party issues.
Ida is someone few politicians around Raila would dare to cross because she doesn’t take prisoners.
There are other peripheral players around the PM such as the chairman of Royal Media Services SK Macharia and Charles Njonjo whom Raila has occasionally used to try and reach out to business elites in Central Kenya.
Johnston Muthama is another player who has gained access to the inner sanctums of Raila’s power network.
Muthama’s clout grew tremendously when he delivered Kalonzo Musyoka and his Wiper Party to team up with Raila and form the CORD team.
Business tycoon Peter Muthoka of Andy Forwarders is also another player with an inside track within Raila’s circle.
His influence grew during the elections by virtue of the resources he managed to contribute towards the Raila Odinga-Kalonzo Musyoka presidential bid.
Standard Media

 By Henry .N.M. Dieto

The term ‘Kitchen Cabinet’ was coined some 200 years ago by opponents of US President Andrew Jackson to describe an informal coterie of trusted friends, associates and advisers on whom the leader relied upon to govern.

Members of kitchen cabinets enjoy inordinate access to the leader and are often in a position to influence – formally and informally – the leader’s thinking, policies and decisions on critical issues of the moment.
Raila Odinga has been a central player in Kenya’s politics for over three decades now and during this period he has built, discarded, re-built or freshened up his kitchen cabinet many times over.
So, who are the members of Raila’s kitchen cabinet today? Who are the people he has relied upon in moments of crisis and moments of good tidings to help him think through and move forward? Here we go.

Mohamed Jaffer: Most probably few Kenyans would recognize him even if he appeared on their doorstep with a briefcase full of cash. But the 65-year old Jaffer, the proprietor of the multi-million dollar investment that is the Grain Bulk Handlers Limited is a businessman extraordinaire. He is one of the wealthiest and best-networked tycoons in Coast region and beyond.
Jaffer enjoys a close friendship with Raila Odinga, which dates several years back.

Those in the know say Jaffer is perhaps the only living person, besides President Kibaki or retired President Moi, who can call the Prime Minister and request him to go to his home and the PM will invariably and obligingly honour the request. That is the ultimate definition of a powerbroker in any political lexicon.
Besides being politically suave, Jaffer draws significant influence from the fact that he has also been one of the largest – if not the largest – financial benefactor to political courses associated with the PM for years.
“Some ODM politicians often go to Jaffer to have him convince the PM on an issue they fear facing Raila directly on,” confides an insider, adding “the general public thinks Hassan Joho is the main guy at the Coast but nothing could be further from the truth.”
Caroli Omondi: He is regarded as one of the smoothest operators in the Prime Minister’s office. As the PM’s Chief of Staff, Caroli is not just the gatekeeper but also holds the keys to sources of political fundraising.
Omondi has something of a fairly chequered history though. After graduating from the law school in 1991, Caroli worked at the State Law Office – Treaties and Agreements Department –  for eight years where he established a very close relationship with the then Attorney General (now ODM senator) Amos Wako. While at the Treaties and agreements Department, Omondi, then working with Nicholas Biwott’s daughter, was trusted by Wako to craft and draft the law that created independent power producers, something that introduced Caroli to the world of big money. And from that point he never looked back.

Omondi’s initial influence around the PM emanated from the fact that he was one of the earlier ‘investors’ in Raila at a time when the PM did not have much money. Besides contributing significant amounts of money to fund Raila’s campaigns, Omondi also donated premises to house ODM and other political outfits associated with the PM. These acts of  carefully planned ‘generosity’ gave Caroli inordinate hold on the political machinery around the PM.
Omondi was the man entrusted with resource mobilisation during the presidential campaign as well the man who was in charge of distributing money to party agents countrywide during the elections.
At the PM’s office, Caroli has been feared, loathed and loved by some in equal measures. Nevertheless, he appears to have grown umbilical-cord-like kind of links with the PM such that the two are almost permanently intertwined and none may survive without the other.
George Opondo: Everyone in Raila’s inner circle refers to him simply as the ‘Kulei’ of the PM – in reference to Joshua Kulei, then powerful Personal Assistant to retired President Moi during his days in power.  To be mentioned in the same breath with or be compared to the former PA to retired President Moi is in itself a good pointer one’s discreet power and influence behind the scenes.
Opondo, who hails from Uyoma in Rarieda, has been with the Odinga family for many years and initially served as PA to Raila’s father.
He is one of the very few people Raila trusts to collect, handle and disburse funds for political operations. He is fiercely loyal to Raila while at the same time studiously avoiding the limelight preferring to operate from the shadows and never speaking unless spoken to.
However, the very fact that the PM trusts him with crucial matters of finances has given Opondo much clout in Raila’s inner circle and anyone who does business – political or otherwise – with the PM on a regular basis is bound to have to deal with Opondo at some point.
Eliud Owalo: He is the man Raila trusted to run his presidential campaign. Owalo, a management consultant, initially served as founder member of Friends of Raila (Fora) lobby group before he was tapped by the PM to be his Chief Campaign Manager. Not being an original member of Team Raila, Owalo had several run-ins with politicians who wanted to influence decisions to serve their own selfish ends while sacrificing the PM’s larger interests. This did not endear Owalo to a political clique from Nyanza but he soldiered on leading the campaigns, thanks thumbs up from the PM.
Owalo’s strength around the PM has often been his independence of mind and apparent lack of political ambitions, something that meant Raila could count on his (Owalo’s) dispassionate judgment on crucial issues.
Perhaps a good measure of Owalo’s credentials as a member of the trusted inner circle is the fact that Candidate Raila Odinga trusted him enough to designate him as the person to spearhead the presidential election petition. The PM later amended the petition to become the direct petitioner.
By virtue of his position as Chief Campaign Manager, Owalo has enjoyed unlimited access to the PM.
Sarah Elderkin: She is a former journalist with the defunct Weekly Review magazine. Like some other members of Raila’s inner circle, Sarah’s relationship with the Odingas dates back to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s days.
She enjoys direct access to the PM. Sarah is Raila’s personal speech writer who cheerfully adopts the role of political attack-dog penning sharp articles in the media when the PM’s integrity is question or is at stake.
As the PM’s trusted communications advisor, Sarah wields significant influence on what Raila says. She is regarded as one of the few people in the inner circle who will not shy away from telling the PM he is wrong and firmly stand her ground on a matter of principle. For this reason, Raila values her judgment. Former journalist Salim Lone also happens to be a close confidant of the PM but his influence is mainly focused on maintaining international links for the PM. Those close to the PM describe Salim Lone as someone who approaches politics “too officially” to fit in well in the murky world of politics.
James Orengo: A lawyer by training, Orengo’s relationship dates back to late 1980s when the two led the struggle for the country’s second liberation. At some point in the 90s, Orengo and Raila were political rivals competing for supremacy in Nyanza. Raila emerged tops in that contest while Orengo lost his parliamentary seat.
To make a comeback Orengo had to eat humble pie and concede that he was not Raila’s equal. Since then, the two have become something of political Siamese twins. Today Orengo is one of the PM’s most trusted political operatives.
Raila relies on him not just for legal advice but also on a wide range of political and business issues. This has made Orengo one of the most powerful players around the PM today.
Those in the know say Orengo completely eclipsed other political players previously close to the PM such as Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o and Dalmas Otieno whose influence these days is determined on an issue by issue basis or the prevailing politics of the moment.
Ida Odinga: Besides being the PM’s wife, Ida is a powerful political player in her own right. She often influences key decisions including party issues.
Ida is someone few politicians around Raila would dare to cross because she doesn’t take prisoners.
There are other peripheral players around the PM such as the chairman of Royal Media Services SK Macharia and Charles Njonjo whom Raila has occasionally used to try and reach out to business elites in Central Kenya.
Johnston Muthama is another player who has gained access to the inner sanctums of Raila’s power network.
Muthama’s clout grew tremendously when he delivered Kalonzo Musyoka and his Wiper Party to team up with Raila and form the CORD team.
Business tycoon Peter Muthoka of Andy Forwarders is also another player with an inside track within Raila’s circle.
His influence grew during the elections by virtue of the resources he managed to contribute towards the Raila Odinga-Kalonzo Musyoka presidential bid.

Letter To Kethi Kilonzo

Madam Kilonzo,forgive those little angry people who are judging you by “your forehead” ,they simply forget that ITS NOT ABOUT HOW YOU LOOK that matters,But WHAT YOU OFFER!

Madam Kilonzo,Forgive those little ,bitter people who are judging You by your weave…insulting You for your hairstyle…they forget that ITS NOT ABOUT what is ON your HEAD but what is IN your HEAD that matters! Forgive them,Baby Girl!
My dear,Forgive those little cheap people who are dismissing You JUST because You were born into a rich and “connected” family…they forget that many,many children from wealthy and famous parents have let their parents down by being drug addicts,hardcore criminals,school drop-outs and internet pornography superstars!
Baby Girl,Forgive those little brainless fellows who believe that ONE MUST be born in a wealthy and powerful family to be where You are…they forget that women like Martha Karua and Wangari Maathai were born by dirt-poor parents ,who sold potatoes in the villages AND YET they rose to the pinnacles of their careers WITHOUT any family wealth or connection!
Forgive them,Darling! Forgive them for dismissing You JUST BECAUSE You are representing a political opinion/stand that is different from theirs….forgetting THAT BRAINS ARE BRAINS whether they are applied in Hell,Heaven,In the Air,Earth or Jupitar!
My Dear,
DO WHAT YOU WERE CALLED TO DO.
MAKE Your Daddy Proud.
Inspire the Ladies.
Show off Your skills.
Apply what You Learnt in School.
Do what You DO BEST!
While they are busy judging You by your ‘forehead’ and hairstyle,OTHERS are BUSY finding inspiration from You,learning from You,believing in You and finding PRIDE IN YOU.
Go,Keith,GO!
WE GOT YOUR BACK,Baibe!!!

The Nairobian Chic

I must admit, Nairobi is blessed with some pretty ladies. Some are good, while some others… Well. In this exclusive post, you will be guided on how to date a lady from Nairobi.

1. Do not take her for walks next to shoe shops or shoe vendors. Nairobi chics are shoe junkies. Just look at them, they all have huge hand-bags. Besides using these bags as ‘baby stealing accesories’ (Yes, they do this in hospitals), Nairobi chics also carry shoes in there.

I was once surprised to witness a lady get gumboots, a shower cap and an umbrella(apparently this one was 10,000 bob) a parachute and protection goggles when it was raining heavily. Okay, that’s besides the point.

Don’t walk past people who sell shoes unless you want to be asked “Just wait for a minute as I try these on…. Do they look good?” Then proceeding to buy none of them after she wasted an hour trying all of them out.

2. When you go for a date with a Nairobi chic, be prepared for two extremes.
A) she either eats too much Or B) she either eats too little
On a date, be prepared to judge her habits within the first five minutes so that you can know how to behave. If she eats too much, suddenly become full and offer her your food.

If she eats too little, celebrate deep inside but do not look excited on the outside. Proceed to help her to finish her meal using the excuse “Some Kenyans are dying of hunger”. If it is a classy resturant, ask them to pack for you the food.

3. Nairobi women all claim to be independent but can’t fix a bulb. Nairobi chics are obsessed with the ‘strong’ or ‘I am an African woman’ image… Deal with it. Funny enough, after projecting this image they seem to be very emotionally vulnerable.

4. The average Nairobi chic will do second-hand shopping when she is single but when she hooks up with you she only shops at Nakumatt Junction or The Village Market. Okay, I said most. There are those high status chics that actually shop for new clothes without breaking a sweat, but they are not the majority. She used to go to ‘e-NGARA-sha’ but is now obsessed with flaunting an Enkarasha bag.

5. Nairobi women have a false perception of foreign men. Whether its Europeans, West Africans or Americans. I happen to have many friends from all over the world and the only major difference is the accent or just the cultures. But at the end of the day they are just men.

It still blows my mind when I hang out with one of my American friends who is just a broke college student coming for a visit and Nairobi chics will assume that he is some rich prince whose dad owns America. The chics proceed to ignore me because ‘I am a broke Kenyan dude’ while they take advantage of my broke friends body. This is a timeless story that will probably happen again this weekend.

6. The Nairobi woman also has an emergency food supply and a bottle of water in her hand bag. To think of it, the only thing you can’t find in there is a mobile toilet. Entrepreneurs, you now have a new idea. I will demand 30% of your profits after you make money from this idea.

You always see a Nairobi chic chewing gum, crisps, tic-tac… Ground nuts, githeri…. To think of it, few of them ever eat chapatis… Lol. So guys, when you take her for a picnic, don’t worry. You will be sorted by her hand bag supply. You can survive a drought with a Nairobi chic.

7. A Nairobi chick will proudly say that she can’t get in to a Vitz yet she takes a matatu to work. Yep, you guessed it… She is rich but she won’t spend her money to get a car because the matatu conductor is ‘enter’taining… If you know what I mean.

8. The Nairobi chic is not the same one on her avi or photos. Thank photoshop for this. Those pictures of her doing the ‘Duck face’ at skylux have been altered by those booty underwears, tights and some excessive make up.

9. The average Nairobi chic has 3 pairs of ‘Condom shoes’. To think of it, the Nairobi chic also wears a pair of heels when she knows that she will be walking around the city the whole day then comes complaining “oh my feet hurt” while leaning on your shoulder for support.

10. The average Nairobi chic has poor fashion sense. Yes, a Nairobi chic thinks that tights are trousers, wears winter boots when its sunny and may even go as far as re-cycling her friends weave which is smelly.

Okay ladies, I am sorry. I just wrote this to entertain.  Nairobi women are beautiful.

Hundreds of Household Affected By Floods Countrywide

Several parts of the country especially the Coast and Western Kenya regions have been affected by flooding following an increased heavy downpour countrywide. In the Western Region, at least 330 Households (HH) with a population of 1650 people have been affected by heavy rains as revealed by a Kenya Red Cross Society’s (KRCS) detailed assessment with houses destroyed and livestock lost. 

Over the Easter period, River Auji and Nyamasaria in Kisumu broke their banks causing unprecedented damage. The affected HH were mainly in Nyaori, Kassagam and Manyatta B in Kisumu East, Gem Rae and Wangaya, Nyando, Nyakach and Rachuonyo Districts.  

Further, several learning institutions including Kassagam Primary and Secondary School, St. Alloys Primary School and St. Joseph Secondary School in Kisumu East District were also affected, thus disrupting learning. In Nyando District, Miruka Primary was hardest hit. Several businesses as well as transport flow along the main Nairobi-Kisumu Highway were also affected after a section of the Nyamasaria Bridge was swept away. River Nyando as well as Ayweyo, Nyamasaria and Ombeyi, which are seasonal rivers, are currently flowing at high speeds and in case of any more rains, the rivers are likely to break their banks and further disrupt human and animal livelihoods.

Meanwhile, the Coast Region has also been experiencing heavy rains from Wednesday 20th March 2013. Heavy rains were received in Voi on 20th March; 2013 evening in areas of Sofia, Mabomani and Sikujua villages affecting 22 HH. Most of the affected HHs were integrated into the community. St. Kelvin Primary School was one of the hardest hit institutions with two classrooms being destroyed, hence affecting the learning process. There were also reports of loss of livestock.

On Tuesday 19th March; 2013, Tsangatsini in Kilifi County experienced strong winds coupled with heavy downpour resulting to the falling of four electric poles in Ndatani Area; one house also fell in the same incident. On the same day, in Mulanjo, Madogo Area of Tana River, one village was also affected by

In Taita Taveta County, an elderly woman drowned and her body was found at Mabomani village in the outskirts of Voi town on Wednesday evening.

In Lower Eastern Region, flash floods were reported on Wednesday 20th March 2013 in Kiboko area along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway after River Kiboko burst its banks. The KRCS Kibwezi team rescued five people who had been trapped by the floods. In Rongai, three people died after a matatu they were travelling in was washed away by floods. 

In another incident, a man was swept away by floods in Thika after heavy rains experienced in during the night hours of 20th March 2013 and his body recovered early the following morning. 

Meanwhile in Ole Polos Ngong, floods swept away a vehicle trapping one person who sought refuge on the roof of his vehicle while another person swam to safety. The KRCS Emergency Operation Centre informed the Kenya police and the National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC) who responded and rescued the trapped person.

In Central Region, 10 HH were affected by floods in Kiambu and Riara areas. The KRCS Kiambu Sub – Branch carried out a rapid assessment. On 1st April 2013, a Church also collapsed in Ngurubani town in Kirinyagi, leaving two people injured.

In the Rift Valley heavy rains in Kalokol Area, Turkana, rendered at least 33 HH homeless. 

Heavy rains have also hit the entire Region of Dadaab Refugee Camps since 20th March; 2013, damaging tents and flooding roads. At least 14,280 people were affected by the floods.

Dangerous Millipedes

Farmers in Laikipia are decrying foul over increased number of millipedes which have been wrecking havoc in their farms.

The pests which have invaded myriads of farms in Laikipia East and Laikipia Central Districts have been feeding on all types of crops during germination.

Speaking to the media in her office on Wednesday, Laikipia County Director of Agriculture Anne Kimaita said that the Ministry of Agriculture is aware of the menace caused by the millipedes, saying that they are conducting a research.

However, Kimaita said that some farmers use blood, sugar and pesticide concentrations to wipe away the pests from their crops.

“As a ministry, we don’t know the exact concentration they mix, but they usually spray their crops in the evenings. When they visit their farms in the morning, they find the millipedes dead and wipe them away,” Kimaita explained.

The director also said that the millipedes have always been adding value to the soil, adding that they have not been eating the crops.

“We think the reason as to why these pests have started feeding on the crops is because of climate change,” added  Kimaita.

She said that a researcher has already visited the farms around the region so as to establish a solution.

Kimaita further said that the farmers are demanding for the subsidised fertilizers which have not yet arrived the county.

“Currently, the fertilizers from the retail shops go for about KES 3 600 to KES 4 000 and some of the farmers are even planting without fertilizers," she added.

Kimaita urged all farmers in Laikipia to make use of the current downpours to prepare their farms by applying other cheap and available fertilizers as they wait for the subsidised ones from the Government.

Milipedes

 

 

PR Vs Social Media

Today, businesses of every size are realizing the importance of having qualified, capable, full-time staff engaging and elevating their social media presence. However, because this role is still relatively new, some people think the job is best suited for a young intern or their tech-savvy granddaughter.
But let me tell you from experience, social media is a tough gig. It’s a vital role that’s demanding, constantly changing, and often a career that has many misconceptions.
Lets discuss some of them, shall we?

1. It can be done by anyone.

Theres a specific skillset and dramatic learning curve. Techniques are key when it comes to managing your online reputation and to be frank, not everyone has the natural knack for communicating your messaging appropriately. The Social Media manager is responding to customer service questions, setting the tone and personality for your brand and curating content that your followers will resonate with. If the person you hired is not immersed in the industry you’re targeting, chances are you’re going to get a whole lot of inspirational quotes and internet memes for content.

2. All we do is “play” on social media all day.

There’s always “that person” who will ask you what you do for a living and if you reply that you work in social media, they sometimes will say (or think), “So are you just playing on facebook and twitter all day?” And after I imagine myself pouring hot grease on them, I calmly tell them about how social media management requires a tremendous amount of strategy in order to yield a positive ROI. A Social Media Manager’s performance should be measured with inbound marketing analytics from campaigns, content and engagement.
Integration with the company’s overall marketing strategy should be an intricate part of the goals and objectives. Identifying and nurturing leads should be among the primary goals of a social media strategy, and the sharpest brands are working to find ways to identify and reward their brand evangelists.

3. That our job stops at the end of the workday.

Wouldn’t that be nice! Alas, there is no 9 to 5 in the social mediasphere. A Social Media Manager is expected to be “always on.” There are constant notifications popping up on my iphone. Between customer service questions on Twitter, thoughtful comments that need responses on Facebook, and notifications on Linkedin, there really is no down time. And don’t even get me started on Instagram. It’s a common theme among my family and friends that I instagram, like, everything. The perfect shot, the right angle, the perfect crop, the artistic photo filter, the compelling caption and just the right hashtag. I probably put more thought into my instagram account than I do what I’m making for dinner.

4. It’s a job with no pressure.

Social media managers are tasked with building out the personality and reach of the brand, yet some professionals still don’t value the role. It’s our responsibility to stay up to date on social topics, trends, changes and tools. Our strategies and platforms are always changing, being added to and growing in influence. We’re putting out fires where there’s a fire and even shaping perceptions about brands that need to repair their online reputation.

5. Our mistakes are the biggest mistakes.

Forget the pen, the send button is mightier than the sword. Every email you send goes right to the recipient. Every tweet I send goes to tens of thousands of people. It’s critiqued, talked about, torn apart, praised or shared. For most of you, your completed tasks go straight to your boss – whereas mine go to several different clients across hundreds of networks. Just about every day you hear about a Social Media Manager that gets fired for posting the wrong post or tweeting the wrong tweet.
Don’t think for a second that this article is all about a “woe is me” attitude when it comes to my job. I do this because I love it. I love the pressure, I love the pace, and I love the reward of engaging people online.
So for my fellow social media mavens, twitterholics and facestalkers –  I salute you.