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Friday, May 16, 2014

BuyMore Kenya Set To Launch A Student Discount Card At Daystar University

#TECHONOLOGY



p
icture this: a discount card built for students and one that can give students particular discounts in stores around the institution. Sounds like a dream right? No, wrong. And the shock, the discounts are unlimited for a card that costs KES 300 a year; renewable at the same subscription.
Well, this is what BuyMore Kenya wants to bring on the table for Daystar students. The start-up company at Strathmore University is a discount system built for students in various universities, colleges and high schools.

Led by Tony Kuchio, John Adams Opiyo and James Bukusi; the pilot is currently running at Strathmore University b using an electronic card; linked to an NFC chip that can give students particular discounts in stores.


And it is not just at restaurants; the card can be used for discounts at electronic stores; movie theatres, social events, photography and the list goes on and on. These businesses are in partnership with BuyMore.
Given that it’s an electronic card; it is able to create a breakdown trail allowing the user (student) to see how much money they have saved over a period of time, and in extension, enables merchants and anyone looking to break into the student market to see where the students spend most of their money.

With the start-up already scaling their discount card to various other universities in Kenya and later on East Africa; the estimated market pool of college and university students in the country stands at an estimated 1,200,000; and that potentially triples when scaled to the EA community.


Rumor already has it that BuyMore plans to roll the pilot launch at Daystar Nairobi Campus Valley Road; before heading to Athi-River campus. But you know those are just unconfirmed rumors and speculations and who knows what will happen. But this card will be a great relief saving platform for students.

BuyMore makes money on the sale of the card to students via a subscription model. They also sell the NFC enabled phones to the storeowners and sometimes make a fee off that.

To Tony, John and James- Daystar awaits the BuyMore cards.

-Nairobi’s UP Magazine named BuyMore as a tech-startup to watch in 2014. Find them on Facebook and twitter @BuyMoreKenya.

By Embukane Vincent Libosso.



Avoiding Road-Trips & Long Journey Blues

#TRAVEL

I love travelling a lot and experiencing new places- the new sights and sounds just blow me away. But also, when travelling a lot over long distances, long journey blues are inevitable and are always bound to happen. When they do; the journey becomes boring and, both treacherous and torturous.

Company will always be fun to travel with. Travelling with a company gives you a great avenue to share stories, make jokes and have fun along the way. If you are travelling with one, be open and share your stories and travelling experiences with the rest of the people.


Take snacks with you. Snacks and drinks for the road take your mind away. They are staple of long car journeys. You will not just pass time but also avoid hunger since when you hungry; the journey tends to become long and a nightmare.

Another best way to pass time is to listen to music. Carry your favorite music gadget and ensure it is well charged and that you have the best genres of music- that you love and enjoy and can groove to. Music videos are also entertaining; so make sure you update your iPod; mp3 and the memory card on your phone and that you have the best ear/head phones with you.


Videos too are a good pass time especially if you have an iPad, galaxy tab, latest iPod or laptop. Stock up the latest series you love or those classic movies you’d love to watch once again or those you enjoy watching over and over again.

Carrying books and magazines for the long trips is always advisable. Be it by air, or road, novels and magazines take you to a fantasy world and make you forget you are travelling.

When doing self-drive; it is important to take relaxing short breaks so that you are able to allow your body to relax before continuing with the journey. Nature calls; stopping to stretch or even just lunch breaks are important and help you psychologically.

Finally, take pictures and lots of them. Carry along a camera and snap away everything that you feel is attractive ad you’d want to remember. Latest phones today have great camera apps and editing apps too; this will keep you busy.

Now, time to hit the road! Remember feel free to share with us your travelling experiences and what helps you to avoid long journey blues.

By Embukane Vincent Libosso.












The Rise & Rise Of Xenophobia In Kenya

Walking down 1st Avenue and 14th street, in the heart of Eastleigh, one senses fear in the air. People hurriedly walk down the untarmaced road. It is sunset and the muaddhins’ call to prayer from nearby mosques echo each other. I stop a young lady to talk, but she has no time, I could see the nervousness in her face. This road has suffered more than a dozen terror attacks in one year and is now undergoing a police crackdown which begun as a hunt for terrorists but has morphed into a harassment of Somalis in their own homes.
The heightened tension has spread to Somalis in South B and C where the crackdown has been tinged with outrageous demands for bribes, regardless of citizenship. Khadija Malik, a single mother of three retells of a loud banging at her gate. “They came in at about 12:00 am reeking of alcohol. There were five who walked in and demanded to see our papers. We showed them. Then I asked if they wanted to see my house-help’s documents and they replied, ‘That one is ok’. My house-help is not Somali. They made us pay KES. 5,000 before they left.” The frustration wells up her eyes as she rummages in her bag and hands me her Kenyan Identification. “I was born in Kenya. This is my country and this is how they treat us,” she says.
The next morning, I visit the South C neighborhood where the eerie silence of the streets is an ominous sign of the nightly police visits. At a kiosk near Five-Star Estate, Mama Njeri, the shopkeeper tells of stories she has heard from residents in the vicinity. “People are not happy. The Police treat them like ATMs. It must be hard being a Somali. They are my customers and they are just innocent. We don’t have problems with them here and they are being punished for nothing,” she says. Swaleh Abdi who pops in to buy a loaf of bread and a pint of milk retorts, when asked about the nocturnal police visits: “We are suffering walahi. My grandparents suffered like this in Somalia. There is nowhere safe for Somalis, even if you are born here.” Swaleh is distraught when he tells me that he is a student at the University of Nairobi and has ambitions like everyone else. It is clear that the acute marginalization of Kenyan Somalis feel will do little but foster resentment.
Amongst the unfortunate Somalis who have been rounded up and held at the Kasarani Stadium is the son of Ismail Osman, a 63 year old Kenyan citizen who is an ethnic Somali. He says that police officers in his neighborhood had arrested his 32-year-old son who has a mental illness and was not carrying identification. “We don’t know where he is,” Mr. Osman said tearfully, showing his son’s Kenyan citizenship papers. “The process is confusing.” The camp internment of Somalis at the Kasarani Stadium is carried out without any form of trial or hearing for the Kenyans, refugees, asylum seekers or illegal immigrants. In April, Tana River Senator Ali Abdi Bule was close to spending his night at the ‘camp’ when was arrested as he was driving on Juja Road with his two children and a bodyguard on board. He was charged with being in the country illegally. The humiliation dragged on for hours at the police station after his identification was at first dismissed as being fake. He was eventually released when the police acceded to its validity.
Since the invasion of Somalia by the Kenya Defence Forces, there have been 84 bombs and grenade attacks around the country, not to mention the Westgate tragedy. Although there have been few convictions of any suspects and Al-Shabaab itself has not taken any credit for many of the attacks, the onus is on the police to prove that it is a Somali problem. Even though many of the suspects are non-Somalis, the entire Somali community in Kenya has been tried and found guilty by a growing number of the Kenyan public. Former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga released a statement on April 9 regarding the misdirected and ill-informed nature of the crackdown, “We have seen in the past that it was not just Somalis who are involved in acts of terrorism. We saw some young people from the Luo, Luhya, Kikuyu and other communities arraigned in court on suspicion of engaging in acts of terrorism,” he said.
Finding people with strong anti- Somali opinions is not a hard task on social media where anonymous bravado fuelled hate speech is the norm. We caught up with people working in various places in town to hear their views face-to-face. Karen Thimba, a store owner says, “I think the government is doing a good job. These outsiders are destroying our country. If you are not guilty, why are you afraid of being searched? It was Otieno Kajwang who created this Somali terrorist problem by opening Kenyan citizenship to illegal Somali terrorists. They should go back and build their motherland instead of buying fake papers and bringing us bombs and terrorists.” When we ask of the human rights violations against the Somalis, she tells us, “What about the thousands of lives lost and hundreds of hostages held by Somalis in Somalia? Why don’t you talk about that? Who are doing all those nasty things in Somalia and making the country unbearable for anyone to live in including Somalis! Somalis! And now they are bringing it to us.”
Willis Omondi, a matatu conductor at the Odeon stage tells us the solution to the Somali ‘issue’. “If you Somalis could save your energies to resolve the issues in your country all your problems will be 75 percent solved. Kenyan Somalis have failed us in allowing terrorist to thrive and flourish amidst them and we are paying for it. It is time to bring back peace and security back to the country by all means necessary.” On the question of whether human violations against Somalis is justified, he answers: “That is the only language they understand.”
A by-stander who was listening to the conversation, later just identified as Mwaura piped in emphatically: “Kenyans are only fed up and it’s high time for the government did something before it’s too late. Even people in South Africa are fed up with them.” Sensing rising temperatures, I quickly moved away and walked on to Moi Avenue where I met Phyllis Makau an attendant at a perfume shop. We speak of the Police operations. “You know many of these people send money back to al-Shabaab”, she said hesitantly, “and then the al-Shabaab hide amongst them when they are here. I don’t trust any of them.” When asked about if she had any proof, she was adamant, “people know these things. Where else does this terrorism problem come from?” When asked why there wasn’t a terrorist problem in Kenya’s history before, she admits, “I don’t know. But it’s here now and it came from Somalis. Look at their country, now they are bringing war here.”
The blind prejudice against an entire community reminds one of the run up to the 1984 Wagalla massacre which is yet to be fully addressed by the previous Kenyatta government and subsequent regimes.
After enduring dreadful conditions at the unsanitary Kasarani caged stadium area, a woman died while in custody from what the police reported as a ‘common cold’ as she awaite deportation. Her ailment was agitated by the lack of blankets, adequate food and medication. Al-Amin Kimathi, social justice activist and human rights defender together with officials from the Kenya Human Rights Commission, were the first to be let into the Kasarani Police Station where those rounded up were being held before they were taken to the Kasarani Stadium. The footage of their visit showed Somali men, women and children, many of whom had their Identification Cards At hand. Al-Amin tells us that it was a question of money. “We spoke to people in the cells who told us that the Police were demanding KES 20,000. Later on, the bribe was reduced to KES. 5,000 but there were still people who could not afford that.”
Despite the laws protecting all immigrants, security officials seem to be going about their business of deportation with a hand of impunity. While human rights are clearly being abused, many Kenyans we spoke to are okay with this, so long as security is restored. Probably the worst outcome of the whole affair is an escalation of violence on both sides; police on the one hand continuing a ‘shock and awe’ approach to crackdowns and terrorists on the other, hell-bent on revenge.

The legality of police operations
• The forced entry into the homes of any person requires a warrant under the penal code, which has not been issued to the Police conducting the operations.
• There is no system of monitoring how many people in total have been arrested and their specific charges, how many have been released and how many are still at the Stadium.
• Detention for more than 24 hours is unlawful as per Kenyan and international law. The Terrorism Act does permit the Police to apply for an extension of the 24 hours but none have been applied for. There are people who have been detained since April 5.
• Persons detained are in an open stadium with no protection from the elements, they are not allowed to use the facilities such as the toilets and they are all mixed together, children, men and women. This goes against a wide array of domestic and international laws against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
• On 10 November 2013, a tripartite agreement was signed between the governments of Somalia and Kenya and the UNHCR, following months of negotiations. The agreement establishes the framework governing the voluntary repatriation of Somali refugees over the next three years. A pilot phase will take place from January to June 2014. The current forced repatriations go against Kenya’s pledge.
• The repatriations are also a contravention of the non-refoulement principle enshrined in the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of which Kenya is a signatory. The principle ensures that a refugee cannot be returned to the dangerous place from where they fled. This includes all illegal immigrants because they have 40 days to apply for refugee status as soon as they are detected by authorities.

By Amal Mohamed
http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/the-rise-and-rise-of-xenophobia-in-kenya/

The Man Behind #KenyaImNotATerrorist

#KenyaImNotATerrorist is the controversial campaign and brainchild of Hamza Egal and Muna Ismail. We had a brief chat with Hamza Egal ,a lawyer, father and Kenyan Somali, about the deeper issues that face not just our nation but the continent at large.
Where are you from and where were you born?
I was born in Saudi Arabia to Kenyan Somali parents but raised in the United Kingdom from age 1. Kenya has always been home as we spent every vacation here up until mother’s passing in 1996, when we decided to move back to the country permanently.
Were you personally affected either by the Eastleigh attacks or the Mass detention of Somali’s at Kasarani Stadium?
I was not directly affected by either. But in the aftermath, I did have an unfortunate encounter with the police who knocked on my door late one night when my family was asleep. They very forcefully demanded to conduct a search. I did not protest, for the sake of my family’s safety, but told them they were welcome to enter as guests. They conducted their search and, naturally, found nothing suspicious. Speaking in Swahili, I mentioned to them that we are all brothers here, regardless of ethnicity, and that whatever we do impacts the nation. I asked them to be deeply conscious and not cause harm or pain to innocent people.
Who was your target audience with the campaign and why?
The campaign was aimed at all Kenyans as well as the greater international community. I tend to see myself as an upstanding citizen who will speak out on behalf of those in our nation who are being unfairly treated. I was severely disturbed at all the stories and instances of ill treatment against innocent Kenyan Somali’s and also felt that the Somali community was being poorly represented in international media. This is just the start. It’s going to take many more thorough and open discussions about our differences and complexities before we can learn to respect one another as Kenyans and as Africans.
For more from Hamza Egal, visit his personal blog at: www.365insightafrica.blogspot.com
by Liz Maelane
http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/q-a-with-the-man-behind-kenyaimnotaterrorist/

Diary Of A Kenyan Taxi Driver

have been swerving potholes and drunkards on these roads for the last ten years and witnessed scenes etched forever in my memory. Last night a girl fell flat on her face and managed to laugh as she picked herself up and left her dignity in the puddles. She straightened her muddied dress and tried to balance on unbelievably high heels. She looked like those newborn giraffe calves learning to walk and you had to admire her ambition.  I’m sitting in traffic, drumming to Ken wa Maria and chuckle when I get flashbacks of these funny incidents. Many customers using the EasyTaxi app means that I get jobs regularly and nearby my parking spot. It’s a win-win situation. It hasn’t stopped the strange happenings on these streets though.
Considering the glimpses of alcohol induced insanity I have seen, you can imagine my delight when I was called to pick up my ultimate hero, none other than Honorable Mututho. I felt the tears well up as I tried to conjure a greeting as he entered the vehicle, but all that came out was a quivering “H-h-a-a-bar-i,” I coughed and tried to get a hold of myself. I immediately commended him on his superb work and spent most of the ride listing to him the incidents of alcohol abuse I had witnessed. I can remember trying to count the furrows on his forehead from the rear-view mirror as he spoke with so much zeal against alcohol that I thought he partook in something else. We immediately bonded.  “We won’t stop. I am here to implement the law.” This was a man after my own heart. “Keep it up Afande” I told him when he stepped out. I should have taken a photograph!
This series is sponsored by EasyTaxi and gives an insight on the quandaries, adventures and encounters experienced by taxi drivers on a daily basis.
Started in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2012, EasyTaxi is the world’s largest taxi booking app and is now available in Nairobi, Kenya! EasyTaxi redefines the taxi experience by helping passengers find a ride in a safe, convenient, and fast manner with just a touch of your smartphone! Find a taxi the easy way with EasyTaxi. 
The EasyTaxi app is available for FREE on all android, iphone, and windows phone devices – just search for “EasyTaxi”.  Download today! For more information, please visit facebook.com/EasyTaxi254
http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/diary-of-a-kenyan-taxi-driver/

FASHION FRENZY-THE EAFW

On the ninth and tenth of May, fifteen of the top designers from across East Africa captivated an enthralled audience for an evening of non-stop runway action. As an increasingly large consumer of world culture, Nairobi was the perfect place to host the first ever East Africa Fashion Week (EAFW).
Fashion has never been so funky, so hip, so diverse and so accessible. The empty runway was transformed into a rich canvas of colour, texture, poise and style from which it was impossible to look away. 
Speaking to Nick O Junior, the main organiser behind EAFW, one thing that was clear was that this is  just the beginning. “EAFW is going to be one of the largest fashion platforms,” Junior effused, adding: “it’s rare to see such a good crowd at such a new fashion show”.
Junior managed to identify and get in touch with the impressive group of designers showcased at the show, largely by scouring social media. The strategy paid off for him in the end, with designers coming from as far as Zambia to present their work.
And a great success it was. Never before has diversity, ethnicity, culture and style, been shown with such glamour in Nairobi. From flowing evening gowns, hip street fashion, daring bikini outfits and smart casual chic, EAFW featured East Africa in all its colourful glory.
“We get to show what we’ve got and to broadcast our vision of what we think fashion should be,” commented Ian Muigai, designer of the male catalogue of the Zaliko Fashion House Streetwise Collection. Zaliko was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the evening and the up and coming fashion house proudly showed-off edgy street fashion laced with eye-catching African prints.
“Our designs come from our everyday life,” Muigai continues. “We’re living out our youth, working with what we like to wear and what we’d like to see out there”
The same could be said of all the work on display. Whether it’s street fashion or smart suits for men, each designer expressed themselves in a unique, captivating and specific way. The future of fashion in Kenya, if it follows this path, is bright, textured and exciting.





 By Ondi Madete
http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/fashion-frenzy/

TOP 6 BEST PLACES IN NAIROBI TO BUY GUY SHOES

So, you have spotted some Jordans or Adidas sneakers on a music video or better yet, in your latest issue of The Source magazine and you are just wondering where you can get such in Nairobi. As it happens, there are very many shoe shops in Nairobi and more so within the city center. From basketball shoes, to casual wear shoes, to something for your night out, the selection is wide and you are spoiled for choice. Better still, if you look hard enough you can find shoes in Nairobi at amazingly affordable prices… Still unsure?
Well here are a few the UP investigative team’s top leads:
  1. World Business Centre (Downtown) – World Business Centre in Nairobi is a very common shoe shopping center even for most Kenyan celebrities. Located along Tom Mboya Street, opposite the famous Odeon Cinema, the World Business Centre in Nairobi houses over 40 stalls half of which deal in shoes. Being strategically placed along a busy Tom Mboya Street in the Nairobi city centre, potential buyers are wooed into the building by the awesome array of displayed shoes on the windows.The World Business Centre in Kenya also houses stalls that sell mean wear too. It is most definitely worth checking out.
  2. Jamia Mall (CBD) – There are over 30 boutiques selling clothes and shoes in Jamia Mall in Nairobi. Some of the best sneaker stalls in Nairobi are found along Kigali Road but for the rest, you have to actually get into the mall to do your shoe shopping.
  3. “Loud Speaker shoe shops” (CBD) – Well, these have no names. You read right! There is a chain of exclusive shoe shops in Nairobi that have sprouted within the City`s Central Business District with characteristic loud music and speakers at their doorstep. One of the shoe shops in Nairobi is located along Accra Road towards Tearoom in Nairobi. Another shoe shop in Nairobi is located along Ronald Ngala Avenue just off Tom Mboya Street, while the third one is located near Afya Center along Tom Mboya Street too. These shoe shops in Nairobi are always having amazing offers on all types of sneaker shoes. These shops trade in trendy men wear. Shoes here go for as little as KSH 5000.
  4. Ngara Stalls – Although these Ngara shops are located a little further from the Nairobi CBD than the other shops named above, they too have some epic and trendy shoes. The shoes are usually displayed for all passersby to see on the Ngara stalls located on Murang`a Road in Nairobi.
  5. The Converse Stall at Toi Market (Ngong Road) – As with the above mentioned outlets, the Converse stall in Toi Market does not sell new shoes. Nevertheless if you’ve ever seen how expensive a new pair of Converse is here in Nairobi you might be quite attracted by the idea of a large selection of affordable, almost-new Converse All Stars. To find the stall you have to go right into the middle of the covered market… probably best to ask as you come in!
  6. Mr. Price in Nairobi (CBD): Last but not least is Mr. Price. Don’t be confused by the name, Mr Price is not cheap! However Mr Price is one of the best high street shoe and clothes shops in Nairobi and it is located right on City Square.
Again, for those who are a tad too strained on budgets, there are many shoe vendors in Nairobi selling
second hand shoes. Most of these guys usually surface in the after hours on the streets of the CBD, for
fear of being harassed by the Kanjo (city council askaris). You can, however, also get second hand shoes
at the Khoja Roundabout towards Ngara at any time of the day.

By Michael Nzambu
http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/top-6-best-places-to-buy-guy-shoes/

Java's Milkshake Just Got Better

As far back as 1922, a man named Pop pimped out the already famous milkshake recipe by taking a traditional malted milk and adding a couple of scoops of ice cream. Since then, technological advancement has led to the perfection of the milkshake recipe. Or so we thought. Java have taken the next step in the evolution of milkshakes, and produced something life changing. The much-loved Java Milkshake has evolved and customers are crazy about them.
The new introduction to the time honoured Java Milkshake recipe is their very own home made all natural ice cream. This addition “ensures the shake has less fat content, the texture is thicker and denser due to the fewer air bubbles in the milkshake and best of all – the milkshake is richer and has more flavor,” says General Manager for Java, Naima Hassan.
The ultimate remedy to a hot, sticky and exhausting day, few things are as rewarding as Java Milkshakes. The cool, thick, natural flavours course smoothly down the throat after a long day, taking this summer delight and making it even better with the special recipe that amplifies all the things we love about milkshakes. “And you can have it with anything, anytime; lunch, supper, people love coming in and having a Java milkshake for breakfast,” Naima continues. “The great thing about the Java milkshake is it leaves you satisfied without filling you up too much.”
The new Java ice cream is based on classic Italian Gelato, but is made a bit thicker in the North American Style. Using only fresh and natural ingredients, Java offers their celebrated milkshake in a range of flavours including banana, strawberry, chocolate, espresso, mocha, vanilla, pineapple and mango.
http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/javas-milkshake-just-got-better/

Are You Ready For Up Live Part 3


An explosion of rhythm, colour, and creativity, this year’s UP Live III, marks UP’s 3rd-Year Anniversary. Taking place in the antiquated train yards of the Railway Museum, UP Live is a unique blend of art, music, film and great food, providing an aesthetically stimulating setting for the latest in arts and culture in Nairobi.
Rand Pearson, editorial and creative director at UP, describes the annual event as “a convergence and confluence of all the content of UP magazine. We have music, art, literature as well as a street faire.” The musical performance, a big part of the magic that is UP Live, is guarantied to be unique. “There are collaborations between different artists. We’ll get The Old Cambrians Band to back an artist for example – it’s not just band after band, instead it is a production. UP Live is the artistically the best live show in Kenya,” says Rand. Last year The Old Cambrians Band, and the Slum Drummers collaborated with the diverse line-up of headliners including Ayub Ogada, Blinky Bill, Mumala, and Miss Karun resulting in a night in danger of spontaneous combustion. This year’s musical collaboration will bring back a prominent brass section, a choir, and some of the best musicians on the scene today.
Speaking to Zelalem, the executive producer of this years event (and the previous UP Live event), it becomes obvious that we are in for music an aesthetical explosion. “The first UP live at Kenyan National Theatre had a mabati thing going on, UP Live II had the UP fabric collage made of pages from the magazine representing everyone in Nairobi and the urban cultural movement taking place. UP Live III promises the same innovation, ingenuity and creativity,” he says enthusiastically and continues. “We thought about different venues, because initially the idea for UP Live was to keep changing venues, but we all fell in love with Railways Museum so much, we agreed it would be very difficult to beat it as a venue.”
The railway museum is prime location situated at the north-west end of Nairobi station and can be seen from the Uhuru Highway where it crosses the main line. The museum is a perfect symbol of Kenya’s history and past. It was established in 1971 by the then East African Railways and Harbours Corporation to preserve and display relics and records of the railways of East Africa from their inception to the present day. UP Live thus functions as a symbol of the progress that Kenya has undergone since then showcasing the rich diversity and expansive creativity of Kenya’s present. Prepare yourself for a day and night filled with the sounds, lights, and culture of Nairobi’s alternative urban culture.
UP Live III takes place on the 7th of June. It kicks off at 12.00 pm and tickets are KES 1000.

By Ondi Madete
http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/up-live-part-iii/

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

THE COUNTRYMAN (LIQUOR) THAT KILLED MANY COUNTRY MEN

#ILLICIT BREWS



T
his past week; Kenya’s drunken decadence was put on the spotlight for the world to see. How mind- boggling it was to see some 70 adults killed within 24 hours and each day the number rose. They voluntarily administered upon themselves a lethal intoxicant-the Countryman Liquor as it was dubbed; that ended up sending to the graves the many countrymen.

What a disgusting heavy blanket of de ja vu it was.  Scenes of many wallowing and writhing in pain in battered hospital beds, some gone permanently blind and families left in a suffocating disaster. It is simply pathetic and disgusting.

But was this a new incidence secluded on its own? No, and a big no for that matter. Not at all. We have seen it before. It happened six years ago- so it is nothing new. They say we are a peculiar people who are so fast to forget. But I say we do not forget. The graves stand in the witness stand boldly to deny us and argument and for everyone to see. So, too are those who went blind in the previous orgy.


I laughed at the Senior Government people who came out breathing fire and brimstones. They were angry and made sure their press conferences captured that. They stood to ask what their juniors were doing when these adults freely introduced killer substances into their bodies. I laughed because such is the tragedy of a nation in the grip of clueless leaders who address symptoms when they should be getting to the heart of the matter.

We have become a country that fails to ask the right questions. What drives a mature family and country men and women to the extremes of voluntarily rolling in lethal drinks; knowing very well they are lethal?
Watching the TV; one thing you could not fail to notice from the footage was the victims’ tumble down environment. We saw of their subhuman living conditions in the slum- villages.

They exist in the extremes of poverty and social exclusion; on the fringes of society. With nothing to live for; or even die for- these people gave up on life ages ago.
Let me tell you the harsh truth- when a country man has nothing to live for let alone die for; he is a zombie- a waking walking dead.


By Embukane Vincent Libosso-as inspired by Mr. Barrack Muluka.

M.O.G RELEASE TOSHEKA MUSIC VIDEO

#MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW

Finally after the success of the audio- “Tosheka”; Men Of God (M.O.G) finally released the video this past week and it has been trending and on heavy rotation on local stations. The video is simple but well scripted. Shot at Kaloleni estate; the video scenes are well balanced and transitioned week.

The artiste’s choice of attire worked well and another interesting aspect is the use of the live “Rasta” band which made the video catchy.
The director’s use of black and white images also redeems the video’s high quality. Well it is hit for me! Check out the behind the scenes.

By Embukane Vincent Libosso. 







           




CHRIS ADWAR & NONINI RELEASE MUCH ANTICIPATED VIDEO

#MUSIC VIDEO

After their success last year on a tune to mark Kenya’s 50-year Jubilee celebration-Kenya At 50; Kenya’s genge hit-maker Nonini and Afro-pop star Chris Adwar are back with a new tune dubbed “Lonely At The Top (L.A.T.T.).


A Genge meets Afro-pop tune; the video was shot and produced down south in South Africa; as has been the latest trend with many artists going down south to get that professional touch. Chris Adwar’s music video “Best friend” has also been enjoying massive airplay on local stations. The L.A.T.T video sees Nick Mutuma make a cameo appearance towards the end.

Have a listen and share with us your views on the video.

By Embukane Vincent Libosso.