Uncalled for delays in announcing election results

The Electoral Commission has suspended announcing the results of Kenya’s presidential elections in order to verify claims of rigging "to avoid chaos". This was because it was late in the evening, therefore dark. Darkness or daylight, whatever the case may be, do not deter any violence as was evident with the nascent lawlessness and destruction yesterday in the few places it was reported around the country. If the results are ready and reasonably non-contestable, then it is the duty of the ECK to duly announce them. I am of the school of thought that any further delay results in greater anxiety, therefore the propensity for even more violence. Being away from Kenya, I see alarmist reporting in the media, whether CNN or whatever other media houses there are giving news coverage. In fact, were it not for afew Kenyan bloggers at home posting information on the web, I would be a deeply worried man by now. This situation is worsened by conflicting information from local news rooms. Despite the ECK’s efforts, it is unfortunate that there is strong evidence of widespread tampering with ballots. The fact that results from just afew constituencies will be re-evaluated does not validate the rest of them all. Should we resign ourselves to being led by a government elected through a seriously flawed electoral process? I don't think so! The commish had better start finding ways to clean up this mess.

Electoral commission ineptitude

The conduct of the electoral commission of Kenya and their handling of the election process leaves alot to be desired. With elections concluded 3 days ago, its a wonder that a simple tally of the same can take so long. The ECK seems to have lost control of the process and is not taking any decisive action to quell fears of ballot tampering and reports of vote rigging which have been documented by the media unequivocally. Such things are making the electorate impatient, leading to a breakdown in law and order. Already there are reports of violence, destruction of property and looting as a direct result of the delay for no apparent reason to announce results. Areas that are right in the heart of the city are yet to submit their returns, despite having had ample time, the benefit of infrastructure to support expedited counting and reporting and of course proximity to the nerve center of ECK operations. The commission chairman also seems to be trivializing the overall effect of his ineptitude and lack of foresight which are responsible for the whole mess. Reports are coming in trickles and to quote the chairman verbatim, "they are cooked" to mean tampered with. Now, this is a very disturbing thing, especially coming from the man whose responsibility it is to facilitate free and fair elections, with no resources having been spared. The frustrating wait for the release of official results continues, hoping that there will not be a complete breakdown of the law before then.

New dawn in the horizon?

Votes have been cast for the 2007 Kenyan elections and the counting process is underway. I do sincerely hope that my beloved country gets a new president with a fresh vision and alot more energy...not to mention a sound mind and the political acumen and versatility that would awaken the country to realize its untapped potential. Leadership is what has been lacking and I hope that all Kenyans with a vote will exercise their democratic right and cast a vote for change. Incumbency always allows unfair advantage, but the power of the ballot if made use of can overwhelm even the most stubborn tyrant with every advantage at his disposal. Being far from home has disqualified me from participating in the 3rd liberation, but I am confident that the educated and those objective enough to judge the candidates by their merits will give the best candidate the opportunity to offer leadership and give the country what she begs for. May accountability, transparency and good governance win. Long live Kenya!

Peace and goodwill to all mankind

The season is here! When the whole neighborhood is so well lit and decorated, complete with Christmas trees, lights of all colors, model reindeer drawing sleighs with Santa, portly as ever, clasping the reins. I have even seen near-life size models of the three wise men bearing their best to the baby in a manger surrounded by lambs and cherubs with harps ...quite a sight to behold! All these things stir in me nostalgia of my childhood. Nothing refreshes like an evening walk after dusk to appreciate these joy eliciting sights. Stores have all manner of sales, carols are playing everywhere and goodwill abounds. I wish humanity could embrace and live in this magic all year round!This is my most favorite time of the year and it would be just perfect if it was as warm as summer. But perfection being so elusive, I'll take this with everything that comes along with it, anytime! After all , such are the things that ought to remind us to be thankful for going through another year unscathed. I've been through challenges which I overcame...thank God! Its been a bittersweet year in many respects, and I want to reflect on the journey that has brought me to this place. I am grateful for everything, the good and the bad.

Who will tell whether one happy moment of love or the joy of breathing or walking on a bright morning and smelling the fresh air, is not worth all the suffering and effort which life implies. ~Erich Fromm

January - Found out that my wife was expecting our first baby.
February - End of marital counseling sessions.
March - An extremely tiring period of continuous altercations with my wife.
April - Admitted to Ph.D candidacy after fulfilling all the partial obligations.
May - Celebrated another birthday!
June - Overcame a major hurdle in the way of my research.
July - My wife's birthday.
August - Received an award for excellence in teaching.
September - A submitted manuscript of my research accepted for publication in a major scientific journal.
October - Highlight of the year!!! Birth of my beautiful baby girl! I Thank you God!
November - I successfully get my work back on track after a brief period of disillusionment.
December - My brother regains his feet and re-establishes his business.


O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalm 107:1

Binge Drinking

I just had what I'd call a reality check. Apparently, sometime back...while I was not looking, someone went ahead and redefined excessive drinking. My perception of binge drinking has always been, that of drinking oneself to a stupor. Just a few days ago, I came across a website that actually asserts that binge drinking starts after the 5th drink per occasional session. Now, that does not sound right...at least not to me! I would describe myself as a social drinker, one who catches a pint occasionally with friends. Occasionally here being about once in 2 months especially while watching football. If I happen to watch football without company, it is unlikely that I'd drink, unless I am watching the game from a pub. Football games last about 4 hours on average, meaning that the likelihood of having more than 5 drinks per game cannot be ruled out. At a rate of 1 drink every 45 min for the first 3 hours and then 1 drink per hour after that, the threshold is realized in a hurry and anything beyond drink # 5 would qualify as a binge. Am I trying to justify my bad drinking habits per chance (if they are bad at all)? I don't know...but I guess most people happen to fall in my bracket and are at a risk of slumping into alcoholism. That actually sounds far fetched to me, but is directly off the website that is designed to help alcoholics, therefore being authorities in that area, I believe those who post stuff there know what they are on about. Some scary statistics they share too...that is, if you fear addiction in any form, color or shape. Anyway, it seems like most people go beyond the safe limit of drink every time they go out for a drink. There is an alternative way of looking at binge drinking and that seems to be...drinking to get drunk. Drinking is supposed to be a leisurely activity and if the intention is to get a high, then that borders on the dangerous (regardless of whether you actually succeed in drinking to get drunk!). On critical analysis, it all appears to be a quibbling with semantics, though bottom line, excessive liquor has never done anyone any good. I think I may have to check myself out and make sure that whenever I drink, I keep to a maximum of 5 drinks, or at least "keep my intentions pure". One thing that seems not clear though is the exact definition of "a drink". For women, the limit is one less than for men, though in my opinion, body to mass ratio should be a more sensible criterion for setting limits rather than setting blanket limits.

Where are they now?

As I was doing some net surfing the other day, I decided to visit my alma mater's web page, just to catch up with news and perhaps an old friend online for a chat. Yes...I happened to be that idle! In the process, i started reminiscing on the good old carefree days of yore, when life seemed simple and when I had very few responsibilities, if any. That is when it hit me that I had lost contact with quite a few friends whom I had thought would somehow always be a part of my life. I can actually count on one hand the few classmates and friends whose whereabouts am aware, let alone those that I am in contact with. Everyone moved on with life, some doing exceptionally well in life from what I hear and afew no longer residents of earth having gone to be with the Maker. I wonder where I fall as far as these categories we bundle each other in are concerned. Am I among those considered to be doing well or the ones just getting by...those merely surviving. Whatever everyone else may think, I count myself among those that are happy and content. I opted to pursue education to very lofty levels, and this being after advancing myself in a career which was very rewarding financially and mentally challenging. I could do with the tonnes of money i used to make then, but as far as challenging my academic acumen goes, nothing I ever did beats my current situation. But I digress. I wonder anyway, where my classmates, friends and colleagues are at this moment. Are they ok? Is life treating them right? How are they aging? There is alot to wonder about. Only God knows the answers to these questions. Its been decades since I last saw or heard of some people, years since others. I hope everyone is holding up ok and that everyone I ever knew can say that it has been well with them.