The size of the dog matters not
The fight in the dog matters a lot
In fighting the underdog proves to be inept not
To claim victory the bruised raptor cannot
Who would have thought?
Dollars, weapons, prayers, and more
Are the prey’s from the world that adore
The prey’s courage in the brawl
Poverty, curses, condemnation, and detraction galore
Follow the raptor who the world now abhor
One must wonder – what is Uhuru’s “nipe” in this obviously “nipe nikupe” game? Whatever it is, I’m afraid Kenya might be headed into really dark times. I don’t think Raila has insured his end of the bargain. He’s too focused on the end game. But his deal partner has proven to be so cunning especially in his presidential years that you can be sure it will be next to impossible to thwart him. Yet if elected, it is only in thwarting the president that Raila will rescue this country from the jaws of the hungry salivating crocodile that now ogles at Kenya.
The man whose picture simultaneously stared into my eyes and into the distance past me has now rested. The hero pilot who steered the plane that was definitely headed for a devastating crush back to safety and laid a basis for safer flights has bid us goodbye. I celebrate his life even as I mourn his demise.
For restoring hope to the hopeless, for rekindling the dying flames of a Kenya where dreams and aspirations are possible and realizable, for a life of service well lived in service, for setting an example and being a yardstick in an impossible environment, for doing more and talking less, may Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki find a special place with the saints and the angels. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
The Supreme Court’s verdict nullifying the BBI process is another landmark ruling, hot on the heels of others that have spoken to power in the past decade. The judgement and its near consistence with rulings on the issue at the High Court of Kenya and the Court of Appeal of Kenya bolsters Kenyans’ confidence in the country’s judiciary. Ever since the reforms that came with the constitution of Kenya 2010, the judiciary has set itself apart as a fair player among the three arms of government. Nowhere has the separation of powers been more potent and meaningful than in the interaction between the judiciary and the executive. Even against the odds of reduced budgetary allocations and threats from the president himself, the judiciary has stood tall and rebuffed every attempt at encroaching on its constitutional mandate.
It’s a girl the physician announces
Shrieks of ululation break through the silent halls
Three, four, five, the audience counts
Six? It’s a wonder
She’s a wonder
A lioness, and a dove
Russia’s possession of nuclear weaponry no doubt makes Putin akin to a suicide bomber. Approaching him can mean death. Poking him may bring about woe and anguish. But isn’t tiptoeing around a terrorist akin to massaging a crocodile’s tail?
It would not have been impossible for the US to go it alone with the sanctions. But wouldn’t that have minimized the impact to the Kremlin? Alternatively, the US could have somehow forced Europe to comply. What kind of leadership would that have been for a nation priding itself in the principles of democracy though? And what kind of a relationship would the White House be crafting between the US and its allies?
Now, Uhuru and Ruto are the greatest of antagonists. Their former common foe is Ruto’s adversary but Uhuru’s best friend. All this with nothing having changed: the corruption issues that Raila used to castigate Uhuru’s government for have not been resolved and Ruto is still Uhuru’s deputy having been his treasured running mate twice! But Raila’s current opinion is that Ruto is corrupt, and Uhuru a good president. Uhuru now echoes Raila with the claim that Ruto is a thief.
Like a blank page,
Untampered with,
Unwritten on,
Clear as crystal,
Yet hazy as a psychic’s prediction,
Like a gift waiting to be unwrapped,
But peeling itself away each second,
Heavy in the chest a heart races
Disobeying the force of will a pair of eyes pursue
Bend after hairpin bend a hunt ensues
The one loses the other before either ever belongs
The Caged Bird Sings 