THANK YOU, READER!

It’s time to give thanks. Thanks be to GOD for making this year a successful one to us!

I want to thank YOU for your readership. It's been a great moment for me to interact with you through the numerous writings I have undertaken this year. I'm obliged to point out that your appetite to read and share my insights has contributed immensely to the success of this #BLOG.

Your questions, responses, commentaries, criticisms and intellectual exchanges have always played a pivotal role in enriching my writings. I don't take credit for this. It's your credit! My work has just been to put your thoughts and contributions in writing. KUDOS!

Festive season.

The year is ending. I know our minds are preoccupied with new-year plans - correcting and perfecting the imperfections of yesteryears. Goats, sheep, cows, camels, chicken etc must be in mourning mood now. Their days are numbered, you know. You must be salivating whenever you spot that goat being led to your local market. Hold on! I want to wish you the best of luck in all your life-plans (not just those goat-eating plans). May the Almighty God shower you with His blessings. Merry Christ-mass and Happy & Blessed New Year 2014!

Resuming writing in January 2014.

By God's grace, I will resume writing in January 2014. Meanwhile, your inquiries and/or contributions are welcome. I get tremendous satisfaction as I write. It gives me time to interact with the invisible world - the world of thoughts and meditation.

 I believe God has great things in store  for us. I have come to understand that writing is another form of self-examination. Through this, I have navigated in the deep waters of life. It has shaped my perception of the world and its occupants. 

Again, I say thanks to God, to you and to everybody who has participated, materially or otherwise, in enriching the content of this #blog. God's blessings be upon you!

Twitter: @mlemukol

TURKANA LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO RETHINK

I know to be a leader in places like Turkana isn't an easy task. It's challenging and calls for brains. I also believe that to be crowned a representative of the masses in this part of the planet explains a lot. That one is up-to-task, courageous, wise and focused.

But wait. I have a feeling that the current crop of leaders in Turkana has a problem. This is evidenced by the recent siege of Lorokon sub-location. Absence of a clear voice to condemn this criminal act is a clear indication that the sons and daughters of Turkana County should be ready to stand on their own. 

I'm no propagandist. But let truth be said. My leaders don't fit the bill to talk for the hoi polloi in this forgotten world. They must be reminded of their sworn duty.  We must ask hard questions. People must think. Solutions must be provided. And these are some thoughts...

The Lorokon - Kainuk- Loyapat - Nakwamoru- Juluk - Kapelbok - Kaptir - Lomelo - Lokori killings aren't pushed by thirst for cattle. It's a manifestation of an expansionist campaign by our enemies of development. They are in the process of effecting this. And Lorokon siege was just but the first sign of this satanic scheme. So what? They must be stopped. They must be shown where they belong, period!

Secondly, we must stop crying to the national government even for those things we can do. And this is it. The Turkana County Government MUST construct the Kaptir - Nakwamoru bridge.  The blocking of Lorokon gate should open our eyes. We must have alternatives. And this bridge is the alternative.

Thirdly, it's time we stop lying to the people. We are not one! Don't expect support from Nairobi. Nairobi's support is destined for 'real Kenyans'. And people of Turkana County don't fall in this category. They must fend for themselves. They must protect themselves.

And lastly, arming locals with World War I rifles is a mockery of the real problem on the ground. Those long, old, wooden, bullet-thirsty Mack-4 rifles are defective. They must be replaced by modern rifles and be provided with bullets. MAY PEACE AND LOVE REIGN IN KENYA! 

JUBILEE: YEAR OF RECONCILIATION AND BRIDGING BROKEN RELATIONS

It's undoubtedly clear that prisons and correctional facilities have played a great role in shaping societies. Millions of men and women have gained skills to lead meaningful lives from prisons. Souls have been saved, brains enlightened and families reconciled thanks to progressive prison philosophy.

The efforts of all, the goodwill of societies, the love of God, the humility of prisoners and the care of governments have made concrete gains out of this prison philosophy. It's a commendable act. 

Albeit all these fruits, a lot need to be done to squeeze all the juice out of prisons. Prisons aren't condemnation centers. They are factories of upright citizens. Pause a bit and look at the following:

Poverty is the greatest catalyst of crime. The urge to get the basics - food, shelter and clothing is enough to push Man into breaking the law. To deny this fact is counterproductive. It's escapist and leads to no good. Hence the question: should governments jail all law breakers? 

I believe not in jailing. I believe in separation of the wrong spirit from the body. This entails digging dip into the force driving citizens to commit crimes. This isn't to say that all bad guys should be left off the hook.  There are those who engage in crime for other reasons. They must be punished for their transgressions. 

But payment for 'sins' must go beyond the mere act of locking them in those massive prison walls.  Re-education of the spirit and body must accompany these 'lock-downs.' Imparting skills on and eventual absorption of prisoners into the general life of the nation is what fosters development and peace.

Jailing persons for the sake of doing so leads to desperation and revenge. It destroys relations and friendships.

                                      * * * * * * *  * * * * * * * *  * * *

I look forward to living in a society that segregates NOT persons based on their prison record. Reformed prisoners have a lot of goodies to offer to humanity.  It's by accommodating them that we get a portion of these goodies.

As we mark fifty years of self-rule, may we strive to make Kenya greater and more accommodative.  This is the year of Jubilee for Kenya. It's the golden moment to reconcile and bridge broken relations. Happy Jubilee year to all Kenyans.

 

 

MAY THE WINDS OF SUCCESS LEAVE YOU REFRESHED....

           There must be refuge to Men
            Perished in winter winds till one smote fire
            From flint stones coldly hiding what they held,
           The red spark treasured from the kindling sun;
           They gorged on flesh like wolves,till one sowed corn,
            Which grew a weed, yet makes the life of man;
            They mowed and babbled till some tongue struck speech
             And patient fingers framed the lettered sound.
             What good gift have my brothers, but it came
             From search and strife and loving sacrifice?
                                                              -Edwin Arnold

I have sweet words for you my friend - success is real, it is a fruit of our works. It's sparked by the challenges we encounter. It's housed in Men - the sons and daughters of God. Thinkers call it 'the motivational force in Men' - the invisible hand that guides the mind of Men.

Which begs the question; why is sufferance part and parcel of the world? The answer is found in the words of Edwin Arnold. He posits that Man possesses a refuge. And that refuge is within him.

It revolves around Man's understanding of life - the place of challenges in the making of the world. He asserts that these challenges are good - for without them  Man loses creativity and the driving force to move things. They are here with us. We live to conquer them. 

As you plan to conclude your year, may you find time to explore your refuge. May you swim in the cool waters of this land. I pray that the winds of success will leave you refreshed and motivated to dig deep into your goldmine. You are  destined for great things. GOD BLESS!

MEGA URBAN PROJECTS NO PANACEA TO POVERTY

There are two widely-held schools of thought on urbanisation and poverty. The first is premised on the belief that mega projects attract investments and hence a sure way to fight poverty. The second is grounded on the philosophy of curing social ailments and therefore, creating an ideal environment for all to better their lives.

The former gravitates on the creation of new cities equipped with modern facilities such as malls, education centers, water lines e.t.c while the latter seeks to provide solutions to the needs of the man and woman in the slum and villages. It pushes for the provision of clean drinking water and sewerage services .

Both of them seek to cut down the human suffering by creating an independent citizen. I agree and disagree with this. I'm of the second school of thought. This is why.

There exists a notion that slums are a nuisance to any city development. Governments and individual citizens have often sited this to justify their actions when dealing with slums vis-à-vis mega urban projects. They have demolished shanties  to pave way for what they term as 'engines of economy'. 

They visualize cities without tin structures and streets devoid of beggars. There is nothing wrong with this. But my fear is that this is impossible to achieve. 

Slums form an integral part of the urban landscape. They give life to cities. It's said if you want to get the latest 'discoveries' you need to take a walk to those rundown settlements. Chaps there are so sharp and have solutions for everything.

They are a source of cheap and affordable labour highly needed in industries and homes. They symbolize the urbanized-rural setting - the countryside in the city. 

Which takes me to where I began. How can we breath life into these neglected settlements? The answer is simple. Provide them with the basics: water, electricity, schools, health facilities, security and more importantly sewerage services. With these in place, governments will rest assured that their 'engines of economy' will run without any hitches.

WHO SHALL CONDOLE WITH THE POOR, THE NEGLECTED, THE POWERLESS...?

I find it hard to understand man - the Adams and Eves of today. They claim to be sons and daughters of one Supreme Power but fail to grasp the fact that humans live because others live. That man becomes "complete" when those around him become "complete". 

Our wellbeing is grounded on the philosophy of coexistence and of mutual respect. It's premised on the collective thought of people - that of rejoicing together and grieving together. To claim to be apart from others is a fallacy of the highest degree. We are linked. We were cut from the same cloth - whether poor or rich, literate or illiterate, powerful or powerless, etc.

Which begs the question - why do we amplify our cries when the upper class grieves and be muted when the poorest of the poor are killed like rats? 

It's so paradoxical that even the poor, the powerless, the neglected...have joined this choir. They sing the song of the powerful. That of recognizing the death of the powerful and forgetting the challenges of the weak. They scold and pull down fellow poor men. They don't believe in themselves and keep on casting aspersions on the successful ones amongst them.

No amount of misdoings shall give peace to man's conscience - and to the world. Such acts will trigger tsunamis and tremors that will crush humanity. It's just a matter of time. 

We mourn as nation when death knocks at the doors of the who-is-who in town. We plant trees in memory of their souls. We contribute the little we have to support their families. We do all (that) we are told to do to express our greatest love for the departed. Then we retreat to our cocoons to wait for another "big guy" to die for us to rise up in "solidarity".

A society that believes this is the right thing to do is a society courting disasters. It's a society that promotes oppression. It thrives on segregation and sloganization. These double-standards will kill us.

The lives of the slum dwellers are as precious as those of upmarket chaps. If planting trees and erecting statues in memory of the souls of tragedy-hit rich and powerful is the way to go, the poor and powerless killed daily by preventable diseases also must be accorded these last respects - at least in death for we have failed to respect them while still alive.

UNMASKING THE KENYAN SCHOLARSHIP CARTEL

It pays nothing fruitful to steal what will haunt one's conscience for eternity. All theft is bad. But some surpass the degree of tolerance any right-thinking society can accord.

I'm disturbed by the kind of trajectory we've taken to satisfy ourselves. Perhaps this is informed by my belief that the opposite of poverty is justice, not wealth. And justice is grounded on how we think and act. 

Let me break the ice for you: foreign scholarships to Kenya are a preserve of thieves - "official thieves" masquerading as your servants in the high places of the Kenyan nation. They have raped the Kenyan soul and (they) continue doing so. Literally, they have perfected the art of stealing.

You hear them talking of representing the national face and brandishing "official documents" in support of this. But follow them and get the shock of your life. Those government boardrooms up there are "a den of scholarship schemers". 

They auction these golden opportunities advanced to the Kenyan people by friendly nations/organizations to the highest bidder - or their village-mates' sons and daughters. For them, this is the best way to "represent Kenya". They abhor the competitive spirit. They fear it because they have never tried it.

Integrity is a foreign ideology to them - to adopt this ideology is akin to killing the goose that gives forth life-giving eggs. Their conscience is soiled. It's corrupted beyond repair. Their right place is hell - not even the Kamiti gaol. 

It pains alot welcoming innocent minds year-in year-out with funny stories of how their fathers/mothers/uncles/aunties got the places (scholarship) for them. It's depressing. This is indicative of our transformation of virtues into vices and vices into virtues. This is how "developed" we've become.

But we can slay this monster. Now is the time. A central authority in-charge of scholarships can help dismantle this cartel. Staying vigilant is what is demanded of us if we aspire to win this fight. May we restore the Kenyan soul to its former self.

GOVERNOR NANOK - THE RISING STAR FROM THE NORTH

There is time for everything under the sun. There is time to cry and time to smile. Time to till the land and time to harvest the fruits of our labour. These aren't my words. The Bible tells us so. But wait. I have some good news for you: it's time for Turkana to smile and to harvest the fruit of its labour.

 But before we reach there, let’s look up North and see the rising Star. A Star is shining. It's lighting up the dark paths for the sons and daughters of God to walk unhindered. The people are dancing and rejoicing for they have seen the God of the rising Star speak with authority. They are singing praise songs to the Almighty for sending this golden Star unto them.

This Star is personified in Governor Josphat Koli Nanok - a.k.a Nokia. This son of the land is proving the prophecy: He walks with the people. He feels for them. He is disturbed by their suffering. He isn't a settled man. He loves his people to the core. His words and thoughts are indicative of this love.

 His opponents know this. They understand very well that this man isn't the hot-air type - those who shout but rarely talk meaningful and progressive words. They have confused his silence to cowardliness. For them, bravery is shouting so as to be seen by the masses. 

But Governor Nanok is proving them wrong. He has mastered the art of attack and counter-attack. He isn't a hot-headed chap wandering around shouting empty words. He engages brains to bring forth solutions - long-lasting ones. It's this character that has endeared him to the masses. 

He demonstrates a figure of a guy who knows he isn't a depository of all knowledge. That knowledge is "dispersed" to all people irrespective of their sizes, character, gender or ethnic extraction. He easily gets this knowledge with a mastery never seen (before) in Turkana - and probably in Kenya. This warrior is truly the messiah that my people have been longing for.

The shortest time it has taken him to climb the leadership ladder in Turkana is in itself an evidence of a son loved by the people. They say good people are rare - and Turkana County is lucky to get this rarest creature. 

There are those who may attribute his rise to some magic power or power-of-money. To them I say - shut up and join the Walk to Canaan. The train has already left the station. Soon we shall reach that Promised Land.  The land flowing with milk and honey!                

OF ILLEGAL KISSES AND ANTI-ROMANCE LAWS

The last thing mankind can do is to forget policing himself. Man - has elevated his place among the living creatures - as a character that is capable of crafting laws and designing the social landscape of all living creatures. It's a role we all believe is rightly placed unto him.

But something interesting happened some few days ago. The matter rotated around - LOVE. Yes, love. A Far East nation passed a law restricting male-female interactions "so as to tame their romance". Closer to where I reside, two under-18s were arrested for kissing in a "manner that suggests romance."

What captured my imaginations was the justification propagated to warrant the restrictions imposed. Which led me to ask these questions: Is there any measure of romance? Can romance be tamed through laws and arrests? Can physical contacts be the only proof of romance?

 I understand and accept the reasoning behind these restrictions. It's grounded on the need to save mankind from the unforgiving jaws of HIV/AIDS. Its philosophy is sound and clean.  It seeks to advance the thinking that lack of decency is the cause of destruction we witness. 

Despite the sweetness of this reasoning, I find it useful to scratch it further to unearth the fallacy in its application. This is why. There is no way we can treat actions and thoughts differently. Actions demonstrate the thoughts we harbor within us. Thoughts on the other hand are enriched by the content we consume.

It's a proven truth that bad content begets bad thoughts and bad thoughts beget bad actions. To punish persons for their actions without questioning the content they consume is akin to jumping the queue. It's valueless. It advances hypocrisy.

War against HIV/AIDS can only be won through cleansing of our thoughts. We must refine what we pump into our brains if we aspire to live in a safe and clean world. To jail persons for kissing is farcical and negates the very objectives that we purport to advance. 

IT'S TIME TO FIGHT HIV/AIDS WITH OPEN HEARTS

               Recently I had a talk with a doctor friend of mine. The talk was generally about how Mother Nature is tormenting humanity.  My friend was disturbed by the suffering man is undergoing due to what he called, "the highhandedness of Mother Nature". He singled out HIV/AIDS, earthquakes and such kind of things. For him, Mother Nature is "over-reacting and hitting hard" on its children. 

              He continued stating that it disturbs a man's conscience seeing sons and daughters of Adam dying daily of HIV/AIDS. You could read his frustration from his choice of words. 

              But then I countered by asking to know if Mother Nature is acting unprovoked. I wanted to know if it was logical to blame Nature. I was/am of the opinion that man remains the biggest player in shaping his destiny. Hence should shoulder the blame. 

              I based my thinking on  recent research findings released by the Ministry of Health - Kenya. This research beamed a red light to the educated. It moved on to state that this group is heavily hit by HIV/AIDS. That there is high HIV prevalence among the educated than is among the "unschooled".

              For me, this sounded like, no these guys aren't serious. But I later swallowed my ego and accepted the bitter truth. I recalled the words of icon Nelson Mandela that the fight against HIV/AIDS can't be won if we hide truths and treat bitter truths as untruths. 

              Which begs the questions - is lack of education a possible solution to HIV/AIDS? What is the essence of educating minds if education shapes not their ways of life? If the educated succumb to this monster, who will guide humanity?

              Methinks man is to blame for all the woos  he is facing. He holds the key to his destiny. The educated have allowed ego to fill their heads. They have vomited all the fruits of education.  

              But this isn't the end of the game. It's not time for us to fold our hands and cry. Let's interrogate our past actions so as to correct the present and perfect the future. Time is now!

WESTGATE TRAGEDY; KENYAN SPIRIT IN ACTION

                    I have always wondered how as Kenyans we've scaled the heights of success despite our quarrels. I got the answer this week when some agents of terror thought their provocation would shake the conscience of Kenyans. They thought their satanic acts would play to their advantage.  To their (terrorists) surprise, Kenyans dropped their differences and forged a united front.

                     They rallied behind the government in responding to the distress calls of the injured and hostages. They prayed for the hospitalized and condoled with the bereaved. Some risked their lives in order to save the lives of their compatriots. 

                      Above all is the role played by our gallant security personnel. Theirs can only be described as an act of courage and of brotherly love. Even in the face of danger these fearless sons and daughters of Kenya are ready to lay their lives so as to keep Kenya safe and secure. 

 

                     It is a segment of society that all right thinking humans should hold dear and treat with respect. They confronted the enemy with gusto to prove that theirs isn't just a service but a duty they love most - defending Kenyans and keeping them safe.

                     Also of interest is the general public that donated the little they had to support the families of the bereaved and the victims. I find no other word to describe this rather than just terming it a family response. We sacrificed our pleasures to donate foods, money, blood and all the necessary support to prove to the world that despite the works of Satan, we shall always remain a family.

                     With our actions we've taught the enemy a lesson he will never forget. That we are one! That we are indivisible. That we are a family. That touching us only serves to cement the brotherly love we already enjoy.

                     That no true religion advances its teachings through killings and terror. We shall triumph. We shall win. And we shall crush all the plans of the devil and powers of darkness.

                      Kenya belongs to children of God. A people whose values revolve around peace, love and unity. Individuals whose objective is to dismantle these values have no place in Kenya. They are children of Satan and should be treated as such. May we remain united and fight a common fight of eliminating these elements of Hell.