Ghana & Bernsoft Music Radio

No relation between the two besides that i stumbled upon them moments ago.


I came across this article while checking my Latest Headlines RSS feed and was quite startled. I had noticed the absence of Ghana's coach after half time (is that what its called) but i didn't jua he'd been banished. Interesting the reason why he was sent away. That aside, as i watched the match, which i thought was quite spectacular, Ghana's attempts at scoring kept on reminding me of my efforts (in primo) to bring two similar poles of a magnet to touch. You recall how the repelling forces wouldn't let that happen? Those kicks just wouldn't get near the three edges of Brazil's goal post. All the same, am terribly proud bout the effort of the Ghanian boys!


Bernsoft have this dj mixing some Kenyan music and you can get a taste of that on my music radio . You can also download some kenyan stuff huku.(note the absence of free in this last remark).

Kenya and Buffet's fortune

I woke up this morning to SKY News' highlight of Buffet's generous charity donation that has been dubbed the largest donation ever. The news brought a smile to my face as i thought about the efforts that the Melinda & Bill Gates Foundation (beneficiaries of the generous donation) in Africa and Kenya in particular. If you'll remember Melissa's last hushed up visit to our Lake Side Visit, we can atleast hope that we shall benefit from the vast wealth that Buffet has amassed with the aid of America's thriving capitalism.

To date, the Gates foundation has committed millions of dollars towards famine relief in North Eastern through and is looking to fund Kenya's micro finance initiatives.

Things are looking up.

A Kenyan Gem

Once in a while i come across a Kenyan who stands out from the crowd for the quality of their service to this Nation and their dedication to spur positive development in whichever sector they find themselves in.

Well, this morning, while on an errand for my good employer, and of course on prior appointment, i walked into the office of one gentleman who works in the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly called Arap Kirui. (ok... perish the thought... i don't know from which village he hails!) The purpose for my visit was to gather information on Legislative Procedure and the current status of a proposed amendment to some Act. To reach this guy, i called up Parliament last week and stated my needs, whereupon the receptionist transferred me to his office and after a 1 min (or even shorter) introduction, he invited me to pass by his office anytime.


So on my visit leo, Arap Kirui gave me the info i'd sought plus alot of vibe on how important it is for the public to take part in the legislative process and took me through some ways that the public can contribute to the legislative process at the executive level and after the bill is presented to Parliament.

Interestingly, and quite humbling for me, was the stream of calls coming to his phone extension and the nature of visitors attending his office. Several waziris and MPS call this guy to ask several questions on inter alia legislative procedure/ status of bills ; yet in the midst of the hustle and bustle of activity in his hub of an office, he spent quite some time whetting my interest in legislative procedure.

What capped the mountain of my respect for this guy, was his closing remarks as i profusely thanked him for his time. With a wide smile and palpable pleasure in the remark, he uttered words: Its my duty

Truly a gem!

Picturesque- St Francis Integrated

Framed on a wall in the toddlers room, was this beautiful crayon drawing of a girl walking in the woods. 'Beautiful' hardly captures my sentiments on the drawing, which you should really get to see close up. The texture of the drawing and the choice of colour give it such vivid life! The first thought i had in my mind, upon seeing the drawing, was that this should have a tidy price tag right below it. But a second later, as the drawing drew me deeper into the woods (.... can u just see the blue behind the trees, amazing i say! Reminds me of the lost battle in Tom Cruise's Last Samurai) i realised that this drawing is more significant in this room than anywhere else at whatever price. Even, at the price of a new piece of land to host a bigger manificent school or at the cost of new dormitories, classrooms and a dining hall, or hundreds of mattresses and meals for a decade, i think i'd rather have the picture remain right where it is.

So that 10 years from today, when one of the small babies of St Francis is a Corporate Lawyer in New Y... sorry Nairobi or the President of the Republic, they can go back and see a picture that inspired many a heart to recognise and appreciate the potential that lay in each of these destitute children. Inherent qualities that don't need the frilly luxuries of our ordinary lives to shine.

Lets make a difference.

A handsome culture

Boys... fond memory ama? Anyone wanna guess where this pic was taken? (province will do)

Need a bible verse

I once in a while need to get a bible verse chap chap especially while in the office. Consequently, i subscribed to Christnotes who hook me up with Weekly Wisdom, Daily Bible Verse and a Bible Search Engine.

For ease of reference to my visitors, i've added the above features to my sidebar.

Baraka!

From the desk of the Chairman

Despite all the criticism, Constituency Development Fund is a noble idea

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By Karue Muriuki

(Courtesy of The Standard)

Over the past couple of weeks, the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) has attracted comments from several quarters with commentators posing various questions. Reading through the questions that have been raised, one realises that the main concerns are about the likelihood of abuse of the fund by various players, more so Members of Parliament.

While it is healthy for Kenyans to express views about a fund that draws from public coffers, it would appear that most of the critics of CDF have not bothered to read the Constituencies Development Fund Act or to familiarize themselves with the way it operates.

For instance allegations have been flying around to the effect that the MPs and their accomplices are likely to misappropriate the funds.

While one cannot entirely legislate against crime, it would be unfortunate for Kenyans to shy away from forward-looking policies just because the funds thereof may be stolen. A thief is a thief, full stop.

It has nothing to do with CDF money or who is stealing. Government must be ready to deal with thieves of public funds, be they MPs or whoever.

All the same, the mechanisms put in place to guard against diversion of CDF funds meant for specific objectives are so elaborate that even the most creative person who may scheme to siphon the funds would have an extremely uphill task. There are no less than four layers through which the funds are channelled; including, the National CDF Management Committee, the District Projects Committee and, the Constituency Development Committee.

The actual disbursement to projects through cheques has to go through the District Account and the District Development Officer both of whom are trained professionals.

All these levels have a vetting and verifying role such that it would be very difficult for misappropriation of funds at any one level to go unnoticed at another level.

If for instance an MP or his or her accomplices thought of compromising everybody at all these levels, the purpose for misappropriating the money would not be worthwhile as there are too many people they would have to involve or bribe.

And, they would be caught anyway before very long.

Apart from the CDF management organs, there is the parliamentary select committee that moves back and forth across the organizational structure of the fund to oversee implementation.

The criticism levelled against MPs is that they are charged with the responsibility of appointing members of the Constituency Development Committee. This arrangement is based on very sound thinking; that since the MP is popularly elected and is legally recognised as the leader in the constituency, he or she is the official representative of the constituency. Who else should be in charge of people’s affairs at the grassroots level?

We also need to demystify the erroneous notion that the Constituency Development Committees are the sole authorities charged with the responsibility of implementation projects once they are approved. It is clearly stated in the Act that Government departments, especially at the district level, will be involved in the roll out of the projects.

As such, if a location in a constituency prioritises the construction of a borehole and a proposal to this end is approved, the district water engineer would be involved in the implementation, and likewise in other areas.

In essence, the CDF is akin to the District Focus for Rural Development only this time you focus on the constituency and you provide the money.

The concern about MPs using development projects to enhance their political stature in the constituency should be looked at from a positive rather than a negative perspective. In this era of accountability and transparency, a record of the use to which the fund was put in every constituency should be part of the questions and issues the MP would need to answer to at the end of his or her term.

Everyone must understand that CDF is a home-grown concept unlike all the other World Bank and donor-tailored programmes, which have not taken us anywhere for four decades. Some people who cannot accept new ideas would like to present an image of CDF as a chaotic arrangement in which MPs have conspired to either make money or to perpetuate their political position for eternity.

By the way, CDF is only 2.5 per cent of the Government revenue and it has generated actual development projects all over the place.

Can we now start thinking where the other 97.5 per cent is going and where it has gone for over 40 years if we still need dispensaries and culverts at local levels!

The Writer is chairman of the Constituencies Fund Committee and MP for OI’Kalou