HEADPHONES CRAZE

You have definitely seen  them in all shades, colours and sizes. Everybody now owns a pair. Thing is, well it is not everybody, it is more like a certain age group of people and this is perfectly fine, it is the trend anyway and if you do not agree with the trend you will be trending in a way that you will not like.

So, I am going on and on about headphones. Yes, you are right, like yours. They have revolutionized the what, when and how we listen to whatever it is we are usually listening to. I cannot even begin to speculate what people hear in the secrecy of those little (or not) things in their ears. Headphones, earphones are cool. My industry is what it is because of some little things such as these and I cannot fail to give my respect. You are probably wondering where the but of all this is. Well let me not keep you waiting any longer.

In true Kenyan fashion, we cannot let anything shine so much, we have to take some shine from it by doing something so crazy weird with it that others will be left swearing never to use the damning thing ever again. To whose benefit, you may ask. I do not know either.

WE WANT OUR KENYA BACK

So, the other day, well not really the other day but a few days ago there was an explosion in Eastleigh, which for those of you who have just landed from the diaspora (Uganda too) is a residential area near Nairobi.

It’s funny how someone who left Kenya in 2008 asks you who Eastleigh is, really? Are you seriously asking who? Story for a different day.

I use residential loosely here because that area is the hood of all hoods. It is where you can buy anything, think of something, yes you can buy it in Eastleigh. So, there was a blast in an eatery that claimed six lives. My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones or got injured in the incident.

When I heard about it, all I could think was ooh okay. Yes, just an ‘ooh okay’. And before you go all judgmental on me, let me tell you why. Blasts and explosions and gun maniacs spraying people with bullets has become such recurrent occurrences that you almost don’t flinch on the news of one. The reason is this has stopped being news anymore.

The irony of this specific attack was that it happened in the middle and at the heart of a ruthless police crackdown on suspected terrorists. I cannot believe this country and the government today. If the police had sat in their barracks over a card of games, they would have saved face.

I have always doubted that our security forces do much except listening to their leaders bickering but now, I am positive. I do not blame them; a demotivated worker is a none-productive worker. Those tins police officers live in cannot motivate anyone to wake up in the morning and go to work. The Kenyan governments, previous and current have failed this country in different ways but security can never and should never be a matter of ‘ooh okay’. No, we refuse to be afraid of our shadows and wary of our own selves. We refuse to lose appetites and run thin sweats in July weather due to compromised security, it is immoral for a government to let people cow under bullet riddling suicidal maniacs.

SOMEONE TELL PHILIP

I am an ardent reader, and like most readers, I have my own list of favorite books, newspapers and columns. I write too, albeit occasionally.

  My parents and brothers and others slightly older than I am brag about being the Whispers generation. They got to enjoy their weekly column written by the son of the soil, of the stories of Pajero and the Investment. He was and still is one of the most celebrated writers this country had. I was not old enough to enjoy his work but at that time, all I needed was Goat Matata tales.

    I want to pay tribute, in no particular order, to the men and women who complete my week, and make me pick up the newspaper first thing whenever I get home. They might never get to even read this but I will take my chances.

I CAUGHT A SUNSET

The sun setting over Machakos County

It is not everyday that you are at the right place at the right time...

At the top of the Menengai Crater, Rift Valley Kenya, there is a sign of bee-line distances to various cities in the world. There it is,what's the distance to your city?

CAPTION THIS

Mine is a beautiful and wonderful country, when you are not relaxing on the plush green grass near some cool water at Uhuru Park, you are watching the sun set over the city, casting a wonderful glow. Feel free to delight in this awesomeness.