My Random Stories

(all photos taken from google.co.ke) (twentyinparis.net) You know I am still in shock and amazement. Would you like to know the reason why? Scandals are becoming more important for our media to thrive. It is not enough we have other scandalous materials, websites and ‘news agencies’ but now traditional media are vouching for more scandals to make news. I was reading a local daily a few days back and I stopped at the headline. My media studies teacher had taught me that it is important to make a headline catchy so as to attract an audience to read. I did not need to read the story though because I would need to visit a shrink afterwards. The story; well it was applauding a recent stunt where a local celebrity misbehaved in a media station where he was called to co-host the show. How did he misbehave? He was recklessly making advances at the presenter who was a dignified married woman and ruining the reputation of the media house. I have not watched the video mind you. I...

(photo taken from google.co.ke) (www.irinnews.org) Life is always unpredictable, you never know what will happen next. A storm, a breeze, sunshine, rain, blizzard or hailstones. We are all a part of the unknown. You never know what tomorrow will have and reaching tomorrow is never a guarantee. Jaymo walked down the rundown neighborhood whistling. He jumped over muddy potholes and sewage furrows, until he came up the murram road leading home. Today was a good day. He had just successfully finished registering for his graduation from the local college and he was excited that he was now going to the world educated, empowered and ready for the next stage. He passed through Washy estate as a short cut. He had never done this before. He had heard rumors that this was the murder capital city of the county and a lot happened in these streets. Every single crime imaginable you could always find it at Washy Estate. His gut told him to stop, turn back and use the long way around,...

(all photos taken from google.co.ke) (apa.org) It is time to accept the facts; we are all dealing with depression. It has become the number one chronic illness that seems to be killing people each and every day. This depression comes from the truth that we are all trying to be perfect. Let us start here in Africa. We are trying as much as we can to be like other developed nations. We hate the color of our skin. We hate that we live in Africa (how many people want to move out of Africa? Let us ask the unfortunate people dying in the Mediterranean Sea crossing to Europe). We hate the color of our skin (it would seem it is no longer the blacker the berry, it is more the whiter the juice). We want to be rich; money is our new ‘god’. We want to be slim, just like the celebrities, or have flashy biceps and triceps. We cannot achieve all these without working hard, but with the amount of corruption and negative images of Africa, we all fall into depression. The ’dark continent’...

(all photos taken from google.co.ke) I feel sorry. I feel ashamed. The reason is the fact that our ladies never see that they are queens. They allow themselves to be insulted and abused, saying that it’s normal. They accept names which do not define them because it is what everyone is talking about as universally accepted. Why am I so obsessed with this topic you may ask? I have a sister, cousins, nieces, aunties and ladies who are my friends. I at times ask myself what I would do if I caught anybody talking ill about them. I would protect them as much as I can, but what if the person I am trying to protect is the culprit saying she has already accepted it and I should mind my own business? (deviantart.net) One of my friends on Face book shocked me one day. When we were in school she was very strict and upheld her moral standards. She did not allow anybody including me to mess with her. I liked that and supported her. I knew that in this world where morality is n...

(All pictures taken from google.co.ke) (letstalkcambridge.org) It would seem that the best answer for having ideas has become violence. If someone does not agree with what you hold as your own they see it fit to kill you or kill your ideas. However, ideas seem to be having a long shelf life. Look at terrorism. The individuals involved are performing a holy function of removing people against their ideals. I do not know why it has not hit people that reacting violently to such groups is not working. They seem to be growing stronger daily. Look at Boko Haram; they started in Northern Nigeria, now they are spreading across West Africa. Of course we all know of ISIL; started in Iraq, spread to Syria and now it has a home base in Libya with affiliates and diehard fans across the world. As for Kenya, we went to Somalia to try and curb the menace of Al-Shabaab, but we seem to be more vulnerable than before. I appreciate what the Kenya Defence Forces are doing, and I stand with th...

(all photos taken from google.co.ke) (demosphere.com) There is nothing like competition. I think that is as clear as it can get. Look at people who have always been in competition. Competition to be the best; competition to be the world’s greatest; competition to be supreme. Nobody can be the best, but we can be better than we are. Being competitive means having an edge over another person’s weakness. In school the major competition, especially in Kenya, is who comes out at the top of the class. As long as you are number one, everything in your life is said to be going the right direction. It is unfortunate nobody looks at other things like arts and sports. It is as if once you fail in education you fail in life. However, one harsh reality people have found out, those who work hard in education only become programmed to be hired by people who ‘failed’. Competition involves doing whatever one can to be better than the other. Instead of trying to better our individua...

(all photos taken from google.co.ke) (saharareporters.tumblr.com) Dear politician, It has been what, three years? 2013 to 2016 right? How time flies. I know next year is election time. Campaigns have gone in full swing. Development projects are arising. Roads are being built. The ‘trash’ situation is being handled finally. Children are receiving books and bursaries, finally. Politicians are camping at the enemies’ strongholds to gain an advantage in the next elections. New political parties are forming. Promises are coming up. Money is being thrown around. Youths are preparing to get paid to campaign or execute violent acts should ‘rigging’ occur because their favorite candidate lost the elections People are crying we don’t want what happened in 2007-2008 after the results were announced. I do not want it either. I am waiting for you though. I want to listen to you ‘powerful manifesto’ and ‘miraculous promises’ that will be executed a year before the next elections. Th...

(all photos are taken from google.co.ke) (imgc.artprintimages.com) Dear Cousin, Halo, How are you? I guess it’s been a long time since we last spoke, ignore the fact that we only started knowing about our relationship last year. It should matter and I am not ignoring that fact, but there is something more important I want clarification on. I know you are studying at a good tertiary institution and you are about to graduate. Good for you. I am glad you will have the power to read, to make a difference in this country and get the chance to be empowered to give men the challenge to do the same. No man with a good enough ego, will sit and watch an intelligent mind such as yours go to school and surpass him. However, I am questioning why after all these years of school you are ready to throw that away? What was the point of paying all that school fees to reach that level for you to make such a decision? You have every right to do so. I cannot hold your hand or force you...

(all photos uploaded from google.co.ke) (bestchristmaswishes.com) Happy New Year 2016! It looks like it will be a great year and I pray that it will be for you my readers as well. This year I will start with something that has been plaguing my mind for awhile. The fact that as a continent, we Africans are trying so hard to copy and emulate what we see from other continents in the hopes that if it worked elsewhere, it will work for us. We are so ready to be fed ideas about development and technologies that seem to be taking us nowhere. I will lay special emphasis on art in Africa. Most of the songs in Kenya today sound like the producer was trying hard to make a similar version of an international hit song. The same beats, the same tone, the same rap style and almost the same video. The problem is we do not have the same resources that were used in the previous version. I have seen some videos of people making rap songs, which is not their niche at all. They wear the ...