SAFARICOM BOB COLLYMORE GOOFED BIG TO SNUB OBAMA

By Joseph Lister Nyaringo
Atlanta, Georgia
As a CEO of a public company whose majority shareholders are Kenyans and mostly admirers or the USA President, his decision does not help Safaricom as the market leader in the telephone mobile industry.

He has made the biggest blunder to the company. In fact, many Safaricom subscribers will see him as stooping too low to please a small clique in the Country critical to Obama’s failure to feature Kenya in his Africa itinerary.

Mr. Collymore should remember that more than 50% of Safaricom subscribers are Obama admirers. What will prevent them from switching or porting their phone numbers to different mobile providers in protest of his move in the competitive mobile industry?

Failing to feature Kenya in his itinerary of the African tour does not make the USA President, an enemy of corporate Kenya or the general public. We have to remember that Obama avoided Kenya because of the USA’s strict diplomatic standards especially on how she interacts with global nations.

The Safaricom CEO has goofed big by blindly following Mr. Chris Kirubi; who was the first to decline the Obama invitee to Dare- Salaam. Kirubi’s move may be justified because is a Private entrepreneur unlike Collymore who heads a public company.

In my opinion, public Companies are delicate entities and when a CEO makes a decision, he or she must consider the implications such decision will create to the company. It therefore remains to be seen what positive impact the Obama snub will bring to Safaricom subscribers and shareholders.

When the CEO of a public company takes a political path, it does not reflect well on his leadership and the expansion plans of a company.

Mr. Collymore, is neither a politician nor a private entrepreneur like Chris Kirubi, to go public and create unnecessary controversy about a courteous invitation to meet the President of a neigbouring Country.

What message is he sending to other CEOs who will congregate in Tanzania to boost their company’s expansion?

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Dr.Myles Munroe - The Holy Spirit

SHARING IDEAS BY JOSEPH LISTER NYARINGO: Will the President thaw anger from Senators and G...

SHARING IDEAS BY JOSEPH LISTER NYARINGO: Will the President thaw anger from Senators and G...: By Joseph Lister Nyaringo Senators from Cord and Jubilee demonstrated a great spirit which majority of Kenyans have been yearning for from...

Will the President thaw anger from Senators and Governors over the revenue bill?

By Joseph Lister Nyaringo
Senators from Cord and Jubilee demonstrated a great spirit which majority of Kenyans have been yearning for from elected leaders. At last, there is a shy of relief for the common man since we now have representatives who share our hurt and tribulations.

It was commendable to see our Senators walk hand-in-hand with their Speaker Ekwe Ethuro, to challenge the President for assenting into law the revenue allocation bill, which will drastically reduce funds allocated for development in the Counties; therefore derailing devolution as provided in the current constitution.

The bi-partisanship show in the Senate is commendable as it puts to rest the controversy on seniority between the Senate and Parliament. Our Senators have conducted themselves with maturity, dignity and decorum which clearly reflect their patriotism and commitment to serve the Kenya people hence, a big contrast with Parliamentarians.

There is no doubt, our Senators can boast of seniority. The Senate is the upper house and therefore senior than Parliament.

Forging a working partnership with County Governors on devolution has made Senators score high marks. Indeed, we can bank on them to protect the common interests of Kenyans if they continue with the current spirit unwaveringly.

Holding rallies throughout the Country by Senators is likely to send shivers to the infantile Jubilee government. This is because; nobody knows how the rallies will impact upon the national psyche.

Secondly, Senators are in one accord as pertains to the petition they lodged at the Supreme Court challenging President Kenyatta’s assent to the Revenue Bill. This may not augur well for the President who seems to give more credence to parliament which, is in a supremacy battle with the Senate, besides being dominated by mistrust and partisanship.

Even though the Senate Majority leader, Kithuri Kindiki, clarified that the petition was merely seeking interpretation and clarity on the law, the fact of the matter is, it’s the President who is being sued for violating the constitution.

Critically, this is not a good start for President Uhuru when Senators and governors from his ruling coalition are against him on the Revenue Bill. Things are likely to get murky especially now that Senators and County governors are in the same page on revenue allocation.

Holding rallies around the Country with the likes of the fiery chairman of the Council of Governors Isaac Ruto is likely to be a big hiccup for the President.

Indeed, devolution was the clarion of Cord during and after the campaigns and it remains the most admirable subject to the Kenyan majority. In fact, the Cord leader, Raila Odinga and the Senate majority leader did appeal to the President not to assent to the contentious bill.

I don’t see how Raila; an opposition leader, with all senators and governors will avoid an opportunity to tell Kenyans about a subject which is closer to his heart.

People-power can be lethal even to powerful governments. The most recent example is the Arab Spring which culminated to the ouster of Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak of Tunisia and Egypt respectively. Secondly, what happened to Nicolae Ceauşescu of Romania in 1989 and Ferdinand Marcos of Philippines in 1986 can happen any global leader.

No government is immune from popular uprising. The challenges of poverty, the wide gap between the haves and have not, youth unemployment, skyrocketing of prices of essential good now that 16% VAT has been introduced on essential commodities will force citizens to go to the extreme.

The Chief executive need to take a neutral line when dealing with legislators. Since he took office, he has appeared to gravitate towards MPs more than Senators and yet MPs have become a disgrace to the nation for their unrealistic demands for salary hikes.

The Senators are angry, Governors are angry; majority of the Kenyan especially the poor are angry and hungry.
The political opposition- Cord is literally angry and will not falter to utilize any available chance to score political points when senators and governors will converge in rallies to tell the public about how the President is trying jeopardize devolution. They will be trigger happy at the rallies to and this is something that must worry the President.

The President should rescind his assent to the bill in order to save his skin. If not, majority of Kenyans will see him as an enemy of devolution and therefore against the implementation of the constitution.

Giving a deaf ear to the Senators who have demonstrated their willingness and passion for equitable distribution of national resources to benefit the Kenyan majority will not help the President.

Humility will be a defense for Raila’s airport humiliations

By Joseph Lister Nyaringo My advice to the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, is to use the regular citizens’ lounges at the airports. This will serve him well as a man of the people. After all, according to the late Mother Theresa of Calcutta, we learn humility through accepting humiliations cheerfully. Im sure Raila understands the genesis of his current humiliations and the worst is yet to come. He ain't seen anything yet; even worse than what he went through as a co- principal to Kibaki! Losing the Presidency twice does not change one's valiant spirit. If truly, there is a scheme from the Jubilee government to humiliate the former Prime Minister; those responsible will suffer the same fate at the right point in time. If its Uhuru or Ruto or Kimemia behind the humiliations, they will not stay in their current positions forever. Wembe ni ule ule. We had Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Moi and the most recent, Mwai Kibaki, where are they? Uhuru will retire one day, and if he thinks of how he will want to be treated, he should stop his attack dogs from humiliating Raila Odinga. By and large, Uhuru and Ruto’s CV or resume cannot be matched to that of Raila. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, reminds us the Holy Bible. Bwana Raila, God calls us to be humble… Humility is a great defense against humiliation. Remain mute, and let the Kenyan citizens watch the drama and judge. As Kenyans, it’s not prudent to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliations at our watch. We must always take sides to stand with the oppressed because; neutrality will spur the ego of the oppressor, and never the victim. Our Silence will encourage the tormentor- Jubilee govt not the tormented-Raila Odinga.

Kudos TJRC, But Can a Cow Walk Freely to the Slaughter?

Kudos TJRC, But Can a Cow Walk Freely to the Slaughter?

Kudos TJRC but, can we see actions?

By Joseph Lister Nyaringo USA How can one be trusted to dispense or build avenues for justice in a society when they are accused of violating the same justice? This critical question lingers in the minds of many Kenyans following last week’s release of the Truth and Justice Reconciliation Commission’s Report (TJRC), led by former Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat. Redressing old wounds require collective and individual sacrifices. It entails forgiveness, acknowledging wrongs, and payment of reparations to victims, surrendering of ill-gotten assets to victims or state, confessions by perpetrators or serving in jail. It remains to be seen how President Uhuru Kenyatta will handle the TJRC findings, which implicates him and his deputy for the Post election violence of 2008. Secondly, majority of Kenyans sees the report as authentic and a true reflection of the gross human rights violations and other historical injustices in the Country since independence. We can’t ignore a report which implicates its own chairman. TJRC report is the surest hope for Kenya for a good beginning to a better future. We expect President Uhuru to reverse the negative cycle started by his father as first President; perpetuated by former President Moi and perfected by his predecessor, Mwai Kibaki. The really task has begun for the Attorney general, Director of Public Prosecution, the legislature, Judiciary and the Executive to help heal the nation through the TJRC report. It’s perturbing to see a report implicating 400 Kenyans; including the mighty, who have contributed to various violations in our nation since independence. Going through the nitty gritty of the report, one will cringe in disgust; seeing the names of people mentioned. Whom can we trust, if those whose litany we recite are the same people who work to destroy the nation either as elected representatives or appointees? Many of them are either in the Senate, legislature or executive. Others are marked for various public appointments even when they don’t meet the integrity threshold. Tragically, others are dead while some are enjoying their loot in retirement when the really hustlers and sufferers- Kenyan tax payers are living from hand-to-mouth. What a man-eat-man society? The TJRC findings have exposed the nakedness of our nation. Since it was formed to provide Kenyans with a footage on past ills for purposes of nurturing accountability to enhance national peace and justice, it’s of cardinal importance for the government not to white-wash the commission’s recommendations if it cares about the future of Kenya. This is the biggest test for our justice and legal systems to ensure that recommendations arrived at by the TJRC are followed conclusively. Despite the fact that Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy are mentioned, they need to focus on the larger picture and apply the current wave of our democratic transformation to work on a “paradigm shift” which will address our nation’s violent past through the TJRC recommendations. Kenya is larger than their tittles. Justice is a universal right to all in any society. If our Prison jails are dominated by petty offenders like chicken thieves, Kenyans will not be comfortable to see the ‘big fish’; the really law breakers, who steal, rape, murder, incite, maim and kill being on the loose. We are perhaps the only Country in the World where people with dubious backgrounds are revered and offered public responsibilities. Our shaky justice system, propaganda, and a low grasp by citizens on civic matters like voting, has continued to dwarf our success as a nation. These vices must be critically addressed and a long lasting remedy sorted. The Kiplagat report must help us to salvage Kenya by curbing the monster of impunity, corruption, injustice, and respect for the rule of law based on the current constitution. It will be extremely tragic to let the TJRC report go down the drain. Those who have gone ballistic after their names featured in the report like former Chief Whip Norman Nyaga, and former Minister Franklin Bett should remember that the report is not intended to demonize any individual or community but act as a healing recipe for lasting justice, peace and security in our County. We can’t afford to dim the pursuit of Kenya’s prosperity. The realization of the Millennium Development Goals as well as Vision 2030, are all pegged on our capacity as a nation to curb social evils. On whether President Uhuru will act upon the TJRC recommendations to heal the nation, is a mystery since a cow cannot lead itself to a slaughter house. Its worthy for him to remember that an infected wound if not treated can be fatal.

CAN UHURU KENYATTA HELP RECONCILE THE NATION AND ADDRESS PAST INJUSTICES

Joseph Lister Nyaringo I shudder seeing all these greed mooted to innocent Kenyans. The best healer and equalizer in a situation of this nature is our almighty God. It’s clear that from the Kenyatta, Moi and Kibaki Presidencies, our Country has been on the hands on “VULTURES,” in fact hyenas. Will the son of the first President; Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta reverse the negative cycle started by his father, perpetuated by Moi and perfected by the man he recently succeeded Mwai Kibaki? Time will tell but… I shudder seeing all these greed milking dry innocent Kenyans by people they call their leaders. Can we be wrong to say that the best healer and equalizer in a situation of this nature is our almighty God? It’s clear that from the Kenyatta, Moi and Kibaki Presidencies, our Country has been on the hands of “VULTURES,” in fact hyenas. Will the son of the first President; Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta reverse the negative cycle started by his father, perpetuated by Moi and perfected by the man he recently succeeded- Mwai Kibaki, if he does, how can he pursue it when he is a victim? Its not easy because a goat cannot slaughter itself. Time will tell but following the TJRC findings, if we were an integral nation, almost 50% of people in the current government do not deserve to be in office. They belong to jail or should be undergoing court battles to exonerate themselves and not leading the nation. But, Kenya na pesa, you can kill today and can’t spend a single day in remand.

LAPTOPS FOR KIDS IS A MISPLACED VENTURE

By Joseph Lister Nyaringo-USA The laptop project for standard one kids by the Jubilee govt is a misplaced priority which has received a barrage of condemnations from majority of Kenyans at home and abroad. If the government cares about developing Kenya into a modern ICT nation, let them offer the gadgets to needy University students or construct modern ICT facilities in every constituency where locals can access information and training facilities for free. Why can’t the government under the Ministry of education first formulate a curriculum for computer training in every school in Kenya, as well as equipping existing teachers with computer skills? Many teachers in rural areas cannot even hold a computer mouse! Improving education performance or preparing Kenya as an ICT hub does not necessarily mean that we waste tax payers’ money on projects which will die before takeoff. The government should first build better class rooms, hire more teachers, re-train existing ones, feed starving kids especially in Northern Kenya, and provide free medical checkups and immunization drives in all Primary schools in the Country especially in rural areas. Even in the developed world, children are not necessarily provided with laptops. If I were President Uhuru Kenyatta, I will put aside the campaign promises which to me were mere gimmicks to win an election and embark on prioritizing governance issues. First of all, let them feed the children, provide them with clean water, better classrooms, and ensure that there is at least one Registered Nurse in schools which are prone to communicable diseases. You cannot divorce the health and nutrition of a child with better learning. I hope President Uhuru and his deputy will listen and work on priorities to help build a healthy, wealthy and informed nation.