Kenya Democracy Project

Open Letter to Prime Minister Odinga

2011-12-31T15:21:00.000+03:00

By Onyango Oloo To the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister: Mzalendo Mwenzangu,Nikitangulia: Heri na fanaka za mwaka mpya. I hope and trust you are well. We all received your New Year message in our living rooms via satellite hook up to India where you are currently on a 10-day official visit. As we linger at the door step, about to enter next year which is already this year; as I write these lines

Kenya Can Still Correct Its Mistakes in Somalia

2011-12-09T21:30:00.015+03:00

A Digital Essay by Onyango OlooThis is a follow up to my earlier my earlier digital essay on the quixotic invasion by Kenya into the territory of her north eastern neighbour.The first big casualty of the Kenyan military foray into southern Somalia has been the truth.Kenyan print and electronic journalists, female and male, are tumbling over each other in an insane quest to be on the

The Quixotic Invasion of Somalia Will Devastate Kenya

2011-10-22T23:55:00.011+03:00

A Digital Essay by Onyango Oloo in NairobiLet me start with a WARNING:The link below contains very graphic, gory and disturbing images:http://radioalfurqaan.com/4006501058%20Daawo%20Sawirada.htmlThose forlorn, bloated young corpses roasting in the scorching Somali sun could very well be the remains of recently expired Kenyan combat troops.There has been a lot of fervent flag waving, agitated

Why Was Miguna Thrown Out of the Window?

2011-08-07T19:03:00.011+03:00

A Digital Essay by Onyango Oloo For a country which is the economic hub of East Africa; a country envied by its neighbours for its relative peace, security and stability; a country lauded internationally for its fairly progressive constitution-Kenya continues to depict stubborn primitive tendencies when it comes to hiring and firing people, especially those positions that swirl around

ODM Dies as Moi’s Offspring Relaunch KANU

2011-04-13T11:40:00.009+03:00

A Digital Essay by Onyango Oloo in Mombasa, Wednesday, April 13, 2011The recent traffic snarl up in Nairobi triggered by the Ocampo Six so called “home coming" for the first half of April 11th was so severe that I was able to compose half of this digital essay while trapped in a Double M bus along Jogoo Road. I had left my Eastlands abode just beyond the Buru Buru neighbourhood two hours

3 Years of National Discord

2011-02-26T09:50:00.011+03:00

Prophetic Ruminations by Onyango OlooOn February 28, 2008 I was flying into Kenya from Manzini, Swaziland where I had participated in a public forum the previous day at that city’s George Tum's Hotel. I had been invited by the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organizations (SCCCO) to speak to our Swazi sisters and brothers about the tense, violent situation back at home. Manzini had been

Usonko: Drug Trafficking & The Emergence of the Kenyan Lumpen Bourgeoisie

2011-01-11T12:20:00.008+03:00

Onyango Oloo Explores the Danger of Kenya Becoming a Narco-NeocolonyIn Zambia it is Kinyanja. In South Africa it is Tsotsitaal. In West Africa it is Pidgin. In the Seychelles and Mauritius it is Creole. In Congo it is Lingala.In Kenya, our patois is called Sheng- a portmanteau appellation created by splicing together “Swahili” and “English”. Sheng is of course more than that-borrowing from these

Voting for ODM in the Makadara By-Election

2010-09-20T15:29:00.006+03:00

A Work In Progress by Onyango Oloo (meaning it will be updated after the winner has been announced later in the day)NB:This posting is lifted from my response to the following discussion thread on the Jukwaa platform:http://jukwaa.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=4478At around 10:30 am, Monday, September 20, 2010, I walked into the Bidii Primary polling station and

It Was NOT Obvious That I Would Live This Long....

2010-08-22T02:51:00.009+03:00

Onyango Oloo Looks Back on an Improbable Half CenturyI celebrated my fiftieth birthday on the 19th of August 2010.This was a special occasion for me in many ways.First of all, it was never a given that I would live to see this day.My generation-I am talking of Kenyans born in the late fifties to the mid sixties- have had a rather bumpy roller coaster ride throughout our brief existence on

No More Referenda on the Referendum!

2010-08-10T18:02:00.032+03:00

A digital essay by Onyango OlooIt is amazing isn’t it?Hours after more than six million Kenyans had overwhelmingly endorsed the new constitution; the NO throwbacks that vehemently fought tooth and nail to block a major milestone of democratic progress in this country were already baying for claw backs.Part of their fight back is disguised in an insidious idea disguised in a deceptively “innocent”

Bigging Up Green Fashion, Nairobi Style...

2010-08-07T18:40:00.011+03:00

A whimsical look at colour by Onyango OlooIn the aftermath of the massive, delirious and decisive YES victory following the August 4th Referendum that endorsed the new constitution for Kenya, the colour GREEN has shot up the local fashion/fabric popularity charts. And I am not talking about die hard politicos with their YES t-shirts and yes baseball caps. I am talking about young men and young

Kenyans on the Threshold of a New Constitutional Democratic Order

2010-08-02T09:46:00.012+03:00

By Onyango Oloo in NairobiJudging by the images, the sounds and the spectacle at the YES rally in Nairobi on Sunday, August 1, 2010, one can deduce that a big section of Kenyans are very fired up about the Proposed Constitution.One just hopes that they also remember to wake up on August 4th to actually vote:The exuberance of Sunday's monster rally was merely amplifying the electricity I felt on

Young Kenyan Women Push the YES Agenda

2010-07-30T15:44:00.013+03:00

An Eye Witness Account by Onyango OlooWoke up this morning (Friday, July 30th) commuting all the way to Freedom Corner of Uhuru Park in downtown Nairobi to attend the Warembo Ni Yes! rally organized by a cross section of women's groups across the country.The momentum built up gradually throughout the morning.From a few green clad women lolling around the park at around 9 am, by an hour later,

Veterans of Kenyan Struggle Meet Raila Odinga

2010-07-27T15:20:00.002+03:00

An Attempt at Instant Recall by Onyango OlooJuly 26th is a public holiday in Cuba, celebrating the day, almost sixty years ago that Fidel Castro and his comrades made a valiant attempt to remove a fascist dictatorship in their island republic.July 26, 2010 was a special day for Kenyan former political prisoners, ex-detainees, survivors and victims of police brutality, special branch torture,

A Riposte to the Muungano wa Katiba Kombozi Septet

2010-07-24T15:00:00.015+03:00

A Digital Essay by Onyango OlooTwo weeks to the August 4th Referendum, three separate polls- Strategic Research, Synovate and Info Trak Harris- have put the YES side firmly in the lead with projections of 62%, 58% and 65% of the vote respectively.This could be an indicator of looming defeat for the NO side.Psst.Don’t tell that to one William Samoei Ruto, the de facto head honcho of the forces

The Evil Nexus Betwixt Moi & The Kenyan Evangelical Right

2010-07-14T12:23:00.010+03:00

A Digital Essay by Onyango Oloo in NairobiI am definitely voting YES come the August 4th Referendum on the Proposed Constitution for Kenya.But we may very well lose to the NO side, perhaps by a significant margin, which may shock those Yessers among us who have been snoring soundly because of the positive opinion polls by Synovate, Info Trak et al.Why?First of all, the YES side does NOT have its

Who Stands to Gain from Uhuru Park Bombing?

2010-06-15T09:33:00.014+03:00

A Digital Essay from Onyango Oloo in Nairobi At the very outset, my heart felt mkono wa tanzia (condolences) to the families, friends, lovers, neighbours, associates and work-mates of all those innocent people whose lives were brutally cut short by callous, spineless and politically well connected assassins over the weekend at the tragic Uhuru Park NO rally. The planners and

A Kenyan Socialist Reflects on the August 4th Referendum

2010-06-09T17:08:00.011+03:00

A Digital Essay by Onyango OlooI met a young Kenyan-Canadian in Nairobi a few days ago.He has been serving as an intern for a charity organization which runs an orphanage located in a Luo village which is about one hour’s drive from Kisii town in the western part of the country.The young man himself is originally a Mswahili from Mombasa who relocated with his family to North America in the early

A Yes from Apathetic Facebook 20 Something Twitterers?

2010-04-16T08:56:00.012+03:00

A Non-Fictional Short Story by Onyango OlooClaire M is a beautiful, ebony complexioned, twenty-something petit-bourgeois British accented Kenyan employee of a certain tech firm who commutes daily between her middle class neighbourhood in Nairobi’s east end and her posh upscale office in the capital city’s west end.She is also a very good friend of mine.Vivacious should be her middle name, so

Crisis Intensifies at the TJRC

2010-04-14T14:22:00.011+03:00

Some Observations from Onyango OlooThe afternoon of Tuesday, April 13, 2010 is one that the commissioners and staff at the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission are not about to forget in a hurry.This was the afternoon when a scheduled press conference had been convened at the 3rd floor, Delta House offices, located off Waiyaki Way in the Westlands suburbs of Nairobi.I was there, along

The Killers of Our Dreams

2010-04-10T15:27:00.006+03:00

By Onyango OlooAn interesting thing happened to me the other day. On Thursday April 8, 2010, I was walking along Kijabe Street-on the other side of Norfolk Hotel and the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation- trying to get into Longonot Place to meet up with my pals Douglas Okwatch and Alberto Leny who recently invited me to be part of News Xtra- Nairobi's new and free daily evening newspaper- when I

On the Mob Justice Mentality of Progressive Kenyans

2010-02-27T15:32:00.006+03:00

Some Reflections on Witch- Hunting by Onyango Oloo in NairobiThere are several things I want to ponder in this posting, but let me kick things off with a real story from the mid-1990s.It is early December 1994 and a young man- actually he is thirty years old-is loitering around the Bus Stand in the western Kenyan town of Kisumu.He is having a furious conversation-with himself.Amidst the usual

A Candid Interview with Ambassador Kiplagat

2010-02-26T10:29:00.008+03:00

Onyango Oloo talks to the embattled Chair of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission[This interview has been carried in full in the Friday, February 26, 2010 edition of the Nairobi-based Star newspaper.]Were you involved in the meeting where the Wagalla massacre was planned?I did not attend any meeting related to organising the Wagalla massacre. I had just arrived from London and, as the

The Case Against Kiplagat

2010-02-19T19:57:00.009+03:00

Part Two of a Series of Digital Essays on the TJRC by Onyango OlooBefore I say anything about Kiplagat and the TJRC, let me pay homage to a very good comrade and friend of mine who I have known for the last thirty years, John “Gupta” Ng’ang’a Thiong’o who died on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 08:56 am East African Time at the Aga Khan Hospital here in Nairobi after being sick for some

In Defence of Ambassador Kiplagat

2010-02-10T16:34:00.006+03:00

A Digital Essay by Onyango Oloo in NairobiMy fellow Kenyans, this is going to be a particularly difficult piece for me to write.I can already see hundreds of my comrades in the human rights community immediately, impatiently champing at the bit, frantically training their rungus, pangas, bazookas, Kalashnikovs and hand grenades on me even before getting past the title.But I sincerely hope that in

Rekndling the Prospects for a New National Democratic Constitution in Kenya

2010-01-28T15:52:00.006+03:00

A Digital Essay from Onyango Oloo in BrazilLike most of my compatriots, I have been following the meandering shenanigans of the Parliament's Select Committee on the constitutional review process with mounting despair and seeping cynicism.Having watched, for almost twenty years now, the half-hearted measures by the Kenyan political elite to cobble a version of a national constitution that moves

The WSF Is 10 Years Old and Counting...

2010-01-26T02:34:00.036+03:00

A Dispatch from Porto Alegre, BrazilText by Onyango Oloo; Photos by Hilde Stephansen (Norwegian volunteer with Ciranda)I arrived in Brazil on January 24th via Johannesburg aboard a South Africa Airways flight which deposited us- we are here with at least two Kenyan colleagues, Catherine Wanjiku of Radio Koch, a community based radio station serving the informal settlement of Korogocho in Nairobi

Brutal Crackdown of Peaceful Muslim Demo Turns Ugly

2010-01-15T16:55:00.004+03:00

Brutal Crackdown of Peaceful Muslim Demo Turns UglyA Commentary by Onyango OlooI am writing this piece at around a quarter to five in the afternoon today, Friday, January 15, 2010, here in downtown Nairobi.About three hours ago I finished a meeting with my friend Zahid Rajan, editor of the Awaaz magazine at the Steers cafe (formerly Afro-Unity for old University of Nairobi hands) opposite the

Celebrating Njeri Kabeberi

2009-11-18T14:22:00.013+03:00

A Tribute by Onyango Oloo in NairobiIt must be a long time since Kenya’s largest airport witnessed such a phenomenon.We were thereat the arrivals lounge the other day, singing and dancing for her emergence from customs and immigration.Our celebratory chants and stomping, with our militant fists pumping the air may have startled one or two people waiting to welcome back their loved ones.This

Why Are We So Obsessed With Reforms in Kenya?

2009-10-10T10:53:00.005+03:00

A Digital Essay by Onyango Oloo in NairobiThank you.I am glad I caught your eye.First off, kudos are in order.Shangwe na vigelegele to Baraka Husseini Obama for being crowned this year’sNobel Peace Prize laureate.Contrary to the digital noise pollution by a host of right wing wing nuts all over cyberspace, those folks in Oslo who made the surprising announcement recognized what the

Miguna Wants Mutula Kilonzo to Shut Up

2009-09-07T14:54:00.003+03:00

By Miguna Miguna (The writer is a Barrister & Solicitor in Canada & Advocate of the High Court of Kenya. He is also the Advisor of the Prime Minister on Coalition Affairs).The Kenyan media have reported that the Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs, Mr. Mutula Kilonzo, yesterday (September 3, 2009) told the American Ambassador, Michael Ranneberger, to shut up. Mutula

Moi Torture Chambers Revisted

2009-08-22T16:27:00.013+03:00

By Adongo Ogony (Kenyan ex political prisoner, former Secretary General of the Students Organization of Nairobi University and Toronto-based social justice activist).I was a little bit startled when I saw this story in the August 22, 2009 edition of the Saturday Nation, reviewing the publicationWe Lived to Tell.The heading "The Dark Legacy" was quite appropriate.But what was even more dark was

Post-Election Violence in Nyanza: Killer Cops Must Be Punished

2009-08-21T15:55:00.008+03:00

By Joshua Odhiambo Nyamori, Nyanza Youth CoalitionIn the wake of the post election violence, the Waki Commission reported that 107 people were confirmed dead in Nyanza province, 79.9% of them having been victims of gun-shot wounds inflicted by the police.More than 747 are still nursing bullet wounds or other serious injuries. The Waki report confirmed that majority of the victims of police

On My 49th...

2009-08-19T15:51:00.010+03:00

Onyango Oloo Muses on the Day He Turned 49 Years Old1.0. A Tale of Two WomenShe was glad that school was out and the kids were enjoying their second term holidays. The municipal kindergarten where she taught kept her busy all year round punctuated with the breaks in April, August and December. Nakuru was still the organized, smartly dressed, clean and beautiful, younger sibling envied by her

Is a Fake "Revolution" Being Courted in Kenya?

2009-08-15T12:50:00.005+03:00

[The following piece is from the Jukwaa Kenyan Discussion forum. The author is a Washington-based Kenyan commentator].By Dr. Job ObonyoI have great respect for whistle-blowing corruption watchdogs and various human rights organizations that have recently sprung up in Kenya.Some have recently burst into the mainstream with impressive zeal and vigor, questioning budgets, irregular procurements,

Could This South African Document Inspire Kenyan Women?

2009-08-08T19:21:00.003+03:00

August 9th is celebrated as South Africa Women's Day and actually kicks off an entire month celebrating the achievements and highlighting the aspirations of women in South Africa. Kenyans have some ways to go before they scale the heights that South African and Rwandan women have reached. Instead of unleashing a polemic, I want to reproduce this document that I gleaned from the ANC website:The

How to Fake Your Very Own Obama Birth Certificate!

2009-08-06T18:28:00.011+03:00

A Photo-Essay by Onyango OlooEver wondered how those right wing wing nuts do it?I mean manufacture birth certificates claiming thatan American child who was born in Hawaii....was actually delivered in Mombasa three years BEFORE Kenya came into legal existence as a Republic?Well, wonder no more, dear browser.Due to the wonders of modern technology, and particularly the convenience of the internet,

A Peace Poem from August 6, 2004

2009-08-06T15:26:00.004+03:00

It was written in commemoration of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki:six decades shortby one yearhave elapsedsince a terrible surrenderwas bombed out of the japaneseenola gayobliteratingmore thantwo hundredand fifty thousandchildren, men and womenwho had no quarrelwith their american peoplefifty nine yearshave gone bysince that terriblecrime against humanityyetthe criminalsstill walk

We Endorse Cyprian Nyamwamu for Bomachoge!

2009-08-06T11:35:00.007+03:00

Cyprian Orina Nyamwamu is a comrade, friend and my immediate predecessor as the Secretary General of the Social Democratic Party of Kenya.He has thrown his hat in the ring to be the next Member of Parliament for the Bomachoge constituency in Nyanza Province. The by-election is taking place on August 27, 2009.Even though he is running on a different party ticket, I am convinced that he is the

Poor Kenyan Women Detained in Hospital

2009-08-05T14:33:00.005+03:00

[The following is a verbatim reproduction from a message I got off one of the social justice listservs that I subscribe to.]By Wangui Mbatia, Kenya Network of Grass Roots Organizations (KENGO)Comrades,Women, guilty only of committing the singular offence of being too poor to afford the fee charged for delivering children are still being detained indefinitely at hospitals. Pumwani Maternity

Deepening the National Democratic Project in Kenya

2009-08-03T10:28:00.009+03:00

PART THREE of a trilogy of essays by Onyango Oloo1.0. By Way of SummaryIn my last two essays I have argued that the ruling clique and the present neo-colonial state in Kenya pose the gravest threats to the security of the east African country and her diverse people.I have located this threat in the historical evolution of the state from its colonial roots and demonstrated that elite pacting and

Emerging Security Threats in Kenya

2009-07-28T17:39:00.011+03:00

Analysis and Comment by Onyango Oloo1.0. A Grim Picture Emerges…A few days ago when I was strolling through the web, trawling for breaking news about Kenya, I was hit between the eyes by the following cyberbrick:With reports of foreign jihadists streaming into Somalia, western security services are frightened Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network could get a grip on the failed Horn of Africa state,"

Retrieving Kenya From the Power Vampires

2009-07-22T13:50:00.008+03:00

A Digital Essay By Onyango Oloo1.0. It is Not Enough to Shake an Angry FistKenyans are a very angry lot these days.You can hear the intense hissing and apoplectic muttering in the matatus; cannot fail to notice the banging of tables in the cafes, restaurants, pubs and night clubs. You read the angry letters in the newspapers, listen to the fired up callers on the radio talk shows, watch the

ORENGO: Interview with Leader

2007-08-21T14:43:00.000+03:00

Carried in the Leader (August 17-23, 2007 Issue, p.4)Q: Has the water finally settled with the official split of the ODM?A: As we approach October and thereafter, we are going to witness a frenzied campaign period with the country going into an election fever.Q: So you see more alliances taking shape in the coming weeks?A: Actually, this election will be about

Demystifying Steadman's April Fool Prank

2007-04-03T08:47:00.000+03:00

Digital Essay by Onyango Oloo in NairobiA few days after the opposition/civil society constitutional reform lobby group Muungano wa Katiba Mpya included the demand for a 50% + 1 presidential victory threshold as one of the non-negotiables in the upcoming minimum reforms vuta ni kuvute, Kenyans woke up one morning to discover that President Mwai Kibaki is soaring high on the opinion polls,

Mkono Wa Tanzia, Rispah Adala!

2007-03-30T02:53:00.000+03:00

Report from the Toronto Star:911 Call Ends In Murder ChargeMar 29, 2007 04:30 AMIsabel TeotonioTracy HuffmanStaff ReportersThe Toronto police homicide unit was called yesterday to a condominium high-rise in the city's north end after a man called 911 to say his wife was not breathing.Officers arrived at 35 Finch Ave. E., just east of Yonge St., around 3 p.m. and

ODM-K's UK Trek Not OK?!?

2007-03-12T01:27:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Revisits A Message He Sent to ODM in November 2005I have been following the events surrounding the ill-fated trip by ODM members to London. There is no need to recycle what is in the Kenyan media and public domain- the conflicting statements and finger pointing from the luminaries and presidential hopefuls; the scathing editorial interventions; the conspiracy theories; the rumours

Kenya's Social Darwinist Academic Champs

2007-03-03T17:34:00.000+03:00

By Onyango Oloo in the Kenyan Capital Absolute Delirium are the two words that best describe the pandemonium of self and collective congratulation that has been raging across Kenya throughout this week as principals and head teachers jostle to preen, prattle and prance beating their puffed up chests as they outline how their schools battled to make it to the top 100 schools during last year’s

Who Will Emerge Kenya's Prezzo in '07?

2007-02-27T12:11:00.000+03:00

By Onyango Oloo in Nairobi It is about nine minutes to nine on this Tuesday morning, this second last day of a warm tropical February 2007 and I have just finished listening to the BEST live radio interview in Kenya that I have encountered since I relocated back to my pays natal at the tail end of October 2005. I am referring to the fifty minutes of absolutely wonderful, unedited,

Matheri's Demise & Crime's Further Rise.....

2007-02-21T22:10:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Offers a Commentary on Crime and Punishment in KenyaThere has been a catharsis of near epileptic proportions throughout Nairobi and its environs since the news broke on Tuesday, February 20th 2007, that the notorious Simon Matheri Ikere, alleged to be linked to several murders and violent robberies across the country, had been shot dead by over one hundred police officers. In

A Kenyan Blogger Reports from WSF 2007 Secretariat

2007-01-13T20:58:00.000+03:00

7 Days.That is exactly how many days remain between now, when I am keyboarding these lines, and next Saturday when a Peace March segues into the opening ceremony of the 2007 world Social Forum at Nairobi’s historic Uhuru (Freedom) Park.All three offices of the WSF 2007 Secretariat located at Lavington, Yaya Centre and Kasarani respectively in the Kenyan capital are teeming with activity.Phones

A Kenyan Blogger Reports from WSF 2007 Secretariat

2007-01-13T20:38:00.000+03:00

The Indian Social Forum 2006 In Words & Pics

2006-11-17T12:00:00.000+03:00

Reveries of a Social Justice Carnival in Feisty AsiaBy Onyango Oloo in NairobiI have been catching my breath for the last few days, soaked in a bubble bath of vivid memories from New Delhi where the Indian Social Forum took place from November 9th to the 13th.Over several venues dotted around the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium grounds over 50,000 people converged to rail against imperialist

Mkono wa Tanzia to Bradley, Levert & Palance

2006-11-11T10:31:00.000+03:00

From Onyango Oloo at the India Social Forum in New Delhi, IndiaRest in Peace Ed Bradley.Shukrani for your incisive, sardonic pieces for 60 Minutes over the years.Rest in peace Gerald Levert.Your sizzling, melodious love lyrics and vocals acted as powerful catalysts for myriad couples seeking musically assisted nocturnal conceptions.Rest in peace Jack Palance.Growing up in Mombasa in the mid-70s,

Transit UAE: On Rumsfeld, Ortega, Mathare and Kuresoi

2006-11-08T23:53:00.000+03:00

A Dispatch by Onyango Oloo from the Dubai International AirportKeyboarding from a standing position, I string verbs, adjectives, nouns, conjunctions et cetera along in the nifty glass and steel cyber booth brought to transit passengers courtesy of Samsung. In the background a droning voice over in Emirati Arabic and South Asian English tells people from which gate they can catch their next flight

Open Appeal to President Kibaki on the UASU Strike

2006-10-25T20:43:00.000+03:00

From: Onyango OlooSent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 8:29 AMTo: 'president@statehousekenya.go.ke'Cc: 'editorial@eastandard.net'; 'editor@people.co.ke'; 'newsdesk@nation.co.uk'; 'ntv@nation.co.ke'; 'news@ktnkenya.com'; 'news@royalmedia.co.ke'; 'news@kissfm.co'; 'news@kamemefm.com'; 'news@classicfm.com'; 'news@kissfm.co.ke'; 'sabc@swiftkenya.com'; 'kbcnews@swiftkenya.com'; 'mmumo@capital.co.ke'; '

The Adverserial Kenyan State: What To Do?

2006-10-24T15:40:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Suggests A Way Out of Perennial Kenyan Conflicts1.0. An Injury to One is an Injury to All First of all let me say quite firmly that I am in FULL SOLIDARITY with the striking Kenyan university lecturers led by the University Academic Staff Union. Having followed on a daily basis the protracted wrangles over pay and other working conditions, I am amazed at their patience and wonder

Celebrating the Life of Shujaa Mzalendo Wanjiru Kihoro

2006-10-20T15:34:00.000+03:00

It has been quite an exhilarating week here in Nairobi- especially given the otherwise dirge-like circumstances. Now, I am NOT talking about the headline grabbing Ringera vs. Wako turf wars regarding corruption-linked prosecutions; nor am I referring to Baghdad like confrontations in the city streets of Nairobi starring plains clothes, uniformed and often uninformed cops trying to storm the

Mourning Comrade Wanjiru

2006-10-15T13:32:00.000+03:00

Onyango OIoo Remembers an Ideological MentorAt 10:21 am, Sunday, January 26th, 2003 sitting on a chair in my “home-office” in what is now, from my present Nairobi vantage point, far, far, far off Montreal, Quebec, my restless fingers keyboarded the following lines:i am not religious so i will not pray for you but, now, as you lie precariously in a worrying coma all my thoughts are with you and

Tavis Smiley Interviews Chávez

2006-10-05T11:47:00.000+03:00

Tavis Smiley:Interview with Hugo Chavez Tavis Smiley: Good evening from Los Angeles. I'm Tavis Smiley. Tonight, an exclusive conversation with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. I sat down with the outspoken and controversial leader in New York this week. Among the topics discussed, his continued war of words with the Bush

Sean Penn on The Arrogant, The Misguided & The Cowards

2006-10-05T11:13:00.000+03:00

Out of Iraq, Out with BushThe Arrogant, the Misguided and the CowardsBy SEAN PENNThe arrogant, the misguided, the cowards would argue that an immediate pull-out of our troops from Iraq would inspire lack of confidence and the lost credibility of the United States. President Bush and his functionaries indeed have lost enormous credibility for the perception of our country internationally. Perhaps

We Need MORE Donkeys!!

2006-09-24T13:14:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Interrogates the Eerie Assumptions of a 2 Party State in Kenya1.0. How The Other Kenyan Half Subsists First of all I wish to extend a hearty Ramadhan Karim na Saum Makbul to all our Muslim sisters and brothers as they embark on this, the holiest of months in the Islamic calendar. Like many of my politically addicted compatriots, I have been following avidly the gyrations,

Chavez at the 2006 UN Session

2006-09-21T12:22:00.000+03:00

Rise Up Against the EmpireBy Hugo Chavez Representatives of the governments of the world, good morning to all of you. First of all, I would like to invite you, very respectfully, to those who have not read this book, to read it. Noam Chomsky, one of the most prestigious American and world intellectuals, Noam Chomsky, and this is one of his most recent books, 'Hegemony or Survival: The

The Resurrection of a Kenyan Blogger

2006-09-21T09:13:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Returns to a Passionate Pursuit Aaahh…. It is with a sigh of relief, sense of accomplishment and feeling of contentment that I joyfully revert to the spicy world of political blogging after a twelve month hiatus punctuated by a transcontinental hop, skip and jump from a frigid, sprawling Northern metropolis (Montreal) to a sweltering overgrown Southern urban village (

Memo to Postponent Proponents- Postpone Your Duplicity!

2005-09-24T18:46:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Exposes the Shadiness of those Yelping "Tuihairishe! Let Us Postpone!!"Yesterday (Friday, September 23, 2005) there was a remarkable coincidence in unanimity of opinion as the leader of the YES pack, President Mwai Kibaki emphatically ruled out any postponement of the November 21st referendum poll- sentiments echoed and reiterated by one of the main spokespersons of the NO

Flying Oranges, Flashing Pangas, Rising Anger & Unfinished Political Homework

2005-09-22T21:48:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Delves Into the Phenomenon of Political Violence in KenyaAs Kenyans draw closer to the November 21st rendezvous with democratic destiny- when a referendum decides whether Kenyans build on the dejure proclamation of 1982 with the endorsement of an imperial presidency, or build on the gains of December 1991 and December 2002 with another step forwards to a democratic Katiba- as we draw

A Preliminary Assessment of Tuju's New Chama

2005-09-21T01:29:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Takes A Glance at RT's Brand New Political Katoi....First, I would like to extend a mkono wa heko to Raphael Tuju with the following words:"Kudos for your new PPP"!I think it is wonderful that Raph Tuju has formed a new political party.Like my friend Oduor Ongwen in Nairobi, I was hoping that it would be a NATIONAL party rather than a narrowly focused, ethnic party geared towards

What Can Kenyans Learn from Uganda's FDC?

2005-09-17T04:37:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Goes "Hodi! Hodi!" on our Jirani's Mlango...In a shocking development, one of Kenya's top diplomats in the United States has been sent back to Nairobi after a reported incident of rape. Press reports indicate that the man raped the Kenyan woman who is also part of Kenya's diplomatic mission in that country.My own sources in the United States are more specific:I have a name, and let

Of Oranges, Banana Republics and Revolutions....

2005-09-14T12:08:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Calls for a Cooling of the Histrionic Rhetorics...CanOranges be used to make alcholic beverages?I know thatBananas have been long known as secret ingredients of some traditional mvinyo.In Tanzania the brew is called style mbege(although you have to throw in some millet as wellHere is a detailed description of how to transform bananas into mbege:Basic information:Fermentation can be

Seven Stars!

2005-09-10T23:09:00.000+03:00

A Film Review from Onyango OlooI saw the Constant Gardener last night.It is a wonderful movie.You should see it.You should encourage everyone you know to buy a ticket to see it as well.Why?Let me do this backwards.There I was at the end, as always, glued to my chair waiting for the last line in the credits to stroll by (yes, stroll not scroll) before I dared to leave Theatre # 5 at the AMC

A Gay Kenyan Dies in Toronto...

2005-09-09T16:03:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Goes After a Trash-Talking Homophobe in Southern Ontario...A very well known member of the Kenyan community in the Greater Toronto Area passed on recently. Peter Curtis Kamau was a fixture at Madaraka and Jamhuri Day celebrations; he was an avid patron of any Kenyan business- for example the legendary Wham's Cafe( run by the much adored Sandra Wanjiku) that was the Kenyan hangout

Six Months After the NO Victory...

2005-09-07T20:27:00.000+03:00

CLiCk here for the September 7th DUNIA Show:Special coverage on Katrina; Tribute to Dr. Fulbert Namwamba; Critiques of the Race and Class dynamics behind the devastation in New Orleans; A poem from yours truly; music by New Orleans family of Jazz, the Marsalis family; the Triumph of Publicly Funded Collective Research- the International Rice Genome Mapping ;Suzzana Owiyo complaining about the

Katrina, Kasupuu & Conjestina...

2005-09-03T14:31:00.000+03:00

0.0 Baada ya Dhiki Faraja....katrina is sweeping away a terrible summer of hurricanes and deathlabour day monday is taking a sneak preview at the soon to be dead seasonsomeone's grandma is rotting away in an anonymous watery gravea crying child is yet to find out that daddy is not coming backthousands have lost even the little that they did not haveseven months after the asian tsunami, the

Kwani, Adui wa Hasidi ni Rafiki?

2005-08-30T21:01:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Explains Why The Christian Right are NOT Allies of the NO Campaign...I: Rest in Peace, Dr. Katini-OmbakaThe following message was posted on the Kenya Talk site one minute before 8 am EST, From: Anonymous - Tue, Aug 30, 7:59 AM My fellow Kenyans, My sister in law Dr. Katini-Ombaka wife of the late Hon. Oki Ooko Ombaka of Gem (Ulumbi) passed away last Tuesday after an

Time TO EXPOSE The Dangerous Islamophobic Christian Demagogues of Kenya

2005-08-27T06:47:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Calls on Mirugi Kariuki To ARREST Anti-Muslim Far Right Christian Bigots.... "Une Seule Nuit" ("One Single Night") is the national anthem ofBurkina Faso written by Thomas Sankara- adopted in 1984. French lyrics Contre la férule humiliante il y a déjà mille ans,La rapacité venue de loin les asservir il y a cent ans.Contre la cynique malice métamorphoséeEn néocolonialisme et ses

Just Say NO.

2005-08-25T21:41:00.000+03:00

Oh-Oh is NOT Confused About How to Jibu the Kura ya Maoni Katiba Swali... Cast a Vote for Your Favourite Black Blog! Listen to the August 24, 2005 DUNIA Show1.0. Katiba Championship Bout: Round 11 Goes to...This just in:A court in Nairobi earlier today (Thursday, August 25, 2005) declined to throw out the LDP-KANU court challenge to the Wako-Kiraitu-Kibaki-NAK constitutional con trick. By a

Some Suggestions from Oloo on How to Clean Up the NGOC Mess...

2005-08-24T05:04:00.000+03:00

Gem, for those who do not know, is both a sub-region in western Kenya as well as a sub-group of the Luo ethnic group in that western part of the same eastern African nation.I have more than a passing knowledge of Gem because I am after all, a "ja-Gem"(member of the Gem community) or a "wuod Gem"( son of the Gem people). My folks are from the northern tip, geographically speaking, and from Kagola,

Who Is Tom Morello's Kenyan Dad?

2005-08-22T17:59:00.000+03:00

Exactly twenty seven years ago today, a very rich African man died in the mansion belowAnd was later buried in the crypt above.That man is of course, none other than,A certain Kenyan political activist who lived abroad for 18 years writing about democracy, human rights violations and the atrocities committed by an unpopular regime in his native Kenya. For many years, intelligence agents who

Should the Kenyan Government Be Dissolving NGOs?

2005-08-19T01:48:00.000+03:00

Wonders Onyango OlooEmbattled NGOC Chair, the Maverick Ms. Orie Rogo-ManduliJust glanced at the breaking news from the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation about the decision of Heritage and Social Services minister Najib Balala to dissolve the NGO Council of Kenya and appoint a caretaker committee headed by my good friend (and former NGOC Chair)Oduor Ong'wen to look into its internal wrangles with a

NCEC Ni Samaki ama Kuku?

2005-08-17T20:07:00.000+03:00

A Contribution by Oloo to An Ongoing Online Critique of the Kenyan Constitutional Review Process.Click Here to Listen to August 17th edition of DUNIA: A tribute to Congolese Dance Maestro, Awilo Longomba; an extended conversation with Colombo based Sri Lankan activist poet Krisantha Sri Bhagiyadatta; additional music by Nairobi City Ensemble...Initially, I was going to build my latest digital

Free Father Dolan and His 23 Fellow Land Rights Activists Now!

2005-08-15T10:08:00.000+03:00

BREAKING NEWS: Father Dolan Released on Bond; Vows to Continue Protest:"The arrest has strengthened my faith in the war on grabbers and we will continue until the Ndungu Land report is implemented.""As a church, justice is a must for us. If we don't work for change, people's participation, human rights, democratic government our charity work will go on forever.The system here is oppressive.

NAK Recently Purchased Their Own Casket

2005-08-13T22:33:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Previews Round 7 of the Katiba Championship Bout1.0.Kenya Democracy Project Calls for The Immediate Release of Father Gabriel Dolan:One of Kenya's most resolute and high profile human rights campaigners was arrested on Friday, August 12, 2004 at a land rights demonstration in Kitale. Here is how an online Irish newspaper is reporting it: Father Dolan is one of the most high profile

Finally Koigi Got it Right On Katiba

2005-08-12T08:22:00.000+03:00

By Adongo OgonyKoigi wa Wamwere, the Subukia MP finally put his fingers on the futility of the fraudulent Katiba Amos Wako is busy minting in some undisclosed location. I can guarantee you it is in some posh hotel with full services at the taxpayers expense of course.In an article published in Kenya Times (August 8, 2005) Koigi complains of having nightmares after he voted on July 21 2005 to

Is The Pharmacist Determined To Sink With the Economist?

2005-08-11T14:53:00.000+03:00

Vote for Your Favourite Black Blog! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------( Click here to listen to August 10th edition of the DUNIA SHOW featuring a tribute to the late great Sonero and Bolero singer from Cuba-Ibrahim Ferrer, a member of the celebrated Buena Vista Social Club who passed away on August 6, 2005 and a conversation with Dr

Blogging, Kenyan Women & Opening of Democratic Spaces...

2005-08-10T02:07:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Conducts a Grand Tour Into the Kenyan Women's BlogosphereFIRST DRAFT-Excuse the TYPOS galore....South Africans have been celebrating one of their main national holidays today- South Africa National Women's Day.The date was chosen to commemorate one of the highlights of the very storied and layered struggle of one of the world's most significant freedom movements. August 9 is

Mwakwere Is an Embarassing Zebra

2005-08-07T20:01:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Offers His Thoughts on The Latest Diplomatic SNAFU By Kenya's Foreign Affairs Minister...0.0.This Just In: Hamba Kahle Ibrahim Ferrer!Just found out a few moments ago on this Sunday afternoon that one of the world's best crooners and most beloved entertainers, Cuba's Ibrahim Ferrer has passed on at the age of 78. Mzee Ferrer was a virtuoso of the son and the bolero. Two other members

The LDP Should Adopt the Chameleon As Their New Symbol

2005-08-05T22:04:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Wants to Share Something with the Liberal Democratic Party of Kenya...-First Draft-1.0. An Introduction to Ethnic Cartography 101Scores and scores of very polite, very mature, very serious and totally objective online Kenyan braniacs, geniuses and other internet-based life members of the Mensa High IQ Society never cease to remind me how uneducated I am. By the way, something really

Why Is NARC Not Levelling With Wananchi About Kenya's Oil Wealth?

2005-08-02T23:37:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Blows a Firimbi Very Loudly1.1. An Inscrutable Prologue Tinged With a Death From The Night Before...You know, I was thinking that one of the things which may ultimately turn out to have sealed the fate of the late Dr. John Garang may be linked to a controversial business decision. Without veering too much off topic, perhaps it may be rewarding to the readers of this blog to browse

Who Killed John Garang?

2005-08-01T19:07:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Pretends to be a Detective...A few hours ago, I set myself the task of writing a digital essay with the mada (Kiswahili for "theme") of:"Does the Sudanese peace accord have any development implications for neighbouring states like Kenya?"Guess what?I have just scooped up those sixteen or seventeen paragraphs I had typed, treating the textual chunk as if was so much kelb poop and

Kudos to Nd. Pheroze and Other Progressive Kenyans of South Asian Heritage

2005-07-31T15:09:00.000+03:00

Debunking the Myths, Clichés and Stereotypes About The Kenyans Some of Us Insist on Calling "Indians"...."...The Government is breaking a promise and trying to muzzle those who are protesting at its conduct.During the December 2002 General Election, the Government, then in opposition, promised that it would bring in a new constitution with two key components: to make the Executive significantly

An Open Letter to the President Kibaki

2005-07-30T02:37:00.000+03:00

Dear President Mwai Kibaki:SUMMARY:My name is Onyango Oloo and I am writing to you from Montreal to offer some concrete suggestions of how, YOU, as the HEAD of STATE can lead your cabinet and your coalition government out of two apparent quagmires: 1.an external diplomatic stand off with the UK over the question of travel bans affecting Dr. Chris Murungaru, and up to five other cabinet ministers

What a Bummer...Our Waziri Cannot Travel Yawa!

2005-07-28T20:46:00.000+03:00

A Digital Essay by Onyango OlooJust to let you know, this particular digital essay is aboutInternational travel regulations.So, please, try not to wander off too much from the topic in the next few minutes, ok?Still I thought I should commence by sharing three stories that may or not be otherwise noticed...Let's kick off things witha SPLASH!! As we talk about swimming- of the global competitive

Who Will Win the November Referendum?

2005-07-26T23:10:00.000+03:00

Wonders Onyango OlooTHIRD DRAFT (the beauty of digital essays is that they are like rivers;you never read the same digital essay twice! there is always something to improve, change and modify)-I-”We will defeat it at the referendum. We are able to mobilize the Kenyan people through running a massive parallel civic education programme beginning August. Once we educate the people on the shortfalls

Műtongoria wa Othaya: Heads, You Lose, Tails, We Win!

2005-07-25T00:45:00.000+03:00

"One more such victory and I am lost!"King Pyrrhus of Epirus(318 BC - 272 BC)What is the "Winner's Curse"?The Winner's curse is a phenomenon akin to a Pyrrhic victory that occurs in common value auctions with incomplete information. In such an auction, the goods being sold have a similar value for all bidders, but players are uncertain of this value when they bid. Each player independently

ADONGO Says: Kibaki Must Go.

2005-07-23T17:08:00.000+03:00

By Adongo OgonyAny fool should have seen the political turmoil in our country today coming except the man we elected as our president and his cabal of incompetent and corrupt loyalists in State House. Rarely in history does a clique of power maniacs determine the fate of a people, however long that clique may stay in power. In Kibaki’s case it has taken less than three years for his regime to

Did Someone Bribe Kaparo, Kombo, Muite and Obwocha?

2005-07-23T15:41:00.000+03:00

Reflections...1.0. Bigging Up Maddo, Gado, Terry & Other Kenyan Political Cartoonistsfrom the Standard of Saturday, July 23, 2005"Ours is to caricature people, politicians especially. But this doesn't mean that government officers should come after us with big sticks. Nor should newspapers editors manipulate us.."- Kenyan cartoonist Maddo (Paul Kelemba)Sometimes the most brilliant, the most

Karibu Kwetu Rais Clinton!

2005-07-22T12:49:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Writes to Former President Bill Clinton...Former President Bill Clinton:Welcome to Kenya. When I learned that you would be visiting our beautiful but tortured (of which more later) country I thought I should join with the rest of my fellow Kenyans to extend a warm Karibu Kwetu!Before I started on this message, I visited your Foundation's website and I saw the press release which

Will The Kilifi Draft Survive Parliamentary Scrutiny?

2005-07-21T10:17:00.000+03:00

Wonders Onyango Oloo A Kenyan policeman charges towards rock-throwing protesters in Nairobi during the second day of demonstrations against moves to protect the president's powers, July 20, 2005. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya "We did not fire even a single live bullet."- Nairobi Police Chief Kingori Mwangi"The common citizen wants the Bomas draft and a small clique of MPs want the Kilifi Draft," said

TUTASHINDA! Mpende Msipende!!

2005-07-20T07:36:00.000+03:00

A Message of Hope and Solidarity from Onyango OlooLiberal Democratic Party councillor Aslam Khan addresses residents who turned up at Jomo Kenyatta Grounds, Kisumu, to press for the implementation of the Bomas draft."Why are the police on the streets? Why are innocent people being arrested merely for wishing to stage their right of expression? I want the Minister to tell us what police are doing

The Kenya Police Should Not Break the Law on July 19th

2005-07-19T06:44:00.000+03:00

Onyango Oloo Is Worried About a Crime Spree From the Utumishi Kwa Wote Crew..."...The Cuban Revolution hadn't triumphed yet. My idol was Sandino, and also Christ. I was brought up a Christian, but I regarded Christ as a rebel, a revolutionary, someone who had committed himself to the poor and the humble and never sided with the powerful. I had a Christian upbringing, so I would say that my main