As the government focuses its attention on major issues such as development projects for a better Kenya, it must also remain conscious about a population that is apparently like a tree being eaten from the ground.
Some of the things going on in the rural side of Kilifi County where I reside can never be considered as signs of national development, at least according to me.
Old is gold, they say. However, this means nothing to people from this area, particularly the youth. Old men and women of Kilifi have a narrow chance of celebrating their old age because according to most of our youths, they are all witches. They live a life full of fear due to the brutal punishment predetermined for whoever is found, or even suspected, to practice witchcraft. The criteria for detecting witches is one that is only known to the ‘anti-witch campaigners’ themselves, but the reward for such victims of circumstance is very straight forward – death by swords, axes or fire.
Somebody once said, "not all murder cases associated with witchcraft are due to witchcraft. Most of them are as a result of scramble for family property..." Does the government allow this or is it too busy?
Robbery is another enemy of development in Kilifi, especially to business people. The final two or three months of last year were not very friendly even to religious institutions. Apart from the video kiosk near Cassava market of Sokoke ward that was broken into and valuables stolen from in October, at least three churches also suffered from the same crime. Some lost musical instruments while others chairs, none of which was recovered. Now which investor will be ready to start a business around such an insecure area? Who knows, may be the government allows this or is too busy.
Education is the key to success, as a certain school badge reads. If this is true, then success is already out of bounds for many families in Kilifi because the number of students who drop out of school is always on the rise. As if only half-serious, lack of school fees is still being attributed to this phenomenon, at a time when am told bursary funds can be accessed ‘easier’ than ever. I was not convinced until they mentioned the other reason – early pregnancies. Girls from Kilifi no longer see this as a taboo, but just an accident. Such ‘accidents’ have unfortunately become something normal, like the order of the day.
The ‘enlightened’ ones try abortion as a cover-up, as opposed to the rest who simply leave school and get married as soon as they suspect themselves to be expectant. Education is therefore being paralyzed at a shockingly high rate in this area. If the government does not allow this, then it must be very busy.
More about me...
- James Kombe
- Kilifi, Coast, Kenya
- Informing is not only my profession but also passion
Welcome
Saturday, 19 July 2014
Comrades furious over 'noisy' couple
Residents of Hostel H forfeited part of their sleep in the early morning of Tuesday 8th July 2014, in a bid to protest against sexual noises from a neighbouring room.
The comrades from one of the floors in one of the wings of the famous males’ hostel woke up at around 4 AM, to the alarm of some sounds produced by a couple in one of the rooms, which suggested them to be in the 18+ act.
The victims of the situation had to come out of their rooms and put off the noise through a collective effort. While shouting in discontent, they continuously knocked the door believed to have hid the noisy love birds without any response from inside.
According to one of them, the situation was becoming habitual and perpetual. It was allegedly being experienced regularly, almost on a daily basis. "Hao watu wamekuwa wakitufanyia kelele tangu hii sem ianze. Hata hatulali bwana..." [Those people have been making such noises since the beginning of this semester. We rarely sleep...], claimed an angry boy.
It did not take long before the complainants finally succeeded in muting the disturbing sounds, which probably forced the husband and wife to go it the silent way if they had to continue. However, the crowd stayed in the corridor for about half an hour longer, just to confirm that the noise would not resume.
Ironically, a few ladies in night dresses were also spotted amongst the crowd. They were thought to have come from the nearby ladies' Hostel J, who may have been attracted by the protesting voices. However, this is less likely, considering the fact that the protest was not too loud – some residents within the host hostel did not even notice the incident.
The comrades from one of the floors in one of the wings of the famous males’ hostel woke up at around 4 AM, to the alarm of some sounds produced by a couple in one of the rooms, which suggested them to be in the 18+ act.
The victims of the situation had to come out of their rooms and put off the noise through a collective effort. While shouting in discontent, they continuously knocked the door believed to have hid the noisy love birds without any response from inside.
According to one of them, the situation was becoming habitual and perpetual. It was allegedly being experienced regularly, almost on a daily basis. "Hao watu wamekuwa wakitufanyia kelele tangu hii sem ianze. Hata hatulali bwana..." [Those people have been making such noises since the beginning of this semester. We rarely sleep...], claimed an angry boy.
It did not take long before the complainants finally succeeded in muting the disturbing sounds, which probably forced the husband and wife to go it the silent way if they had to continue. However, the crowd stayed in the corridor for about half an hour longer, just to confirm that the noise would not resume.
Ironically, a few ladies in night dresses were also spotted amongst the crowd. They were thought to have come from the nearby ladies' Hostel J, who may have been attracted by the protesting voices. However, this is less likely, considering the fact that the protest was not too loud – some residents within the host hostel did not even notice the incident.
The Ganze Ward Office
Friday 20th June, 2014. “Yes what about it?” One may ask. Well, that’s what this article is all about. It is the day I paid my first visit to the Ganze Ward office.
You may be surprised why I had never been there before, considering the fact that the occupant of that office has been in power for quite some time, following the March 4th 2013 general elections. Although still under training, as a journalist, I have tried as much as possible not to be friends with any of my leaders. This, according to my thinking, will pose no dilemma when one day I have to report issues concerning them, both good and evil.
I come from Kilifi, a county that is headed by Governor Hon. Amason Kingi, together with Senetor Hon. Stewart Madzayo and Hon. Peter Safari Shehe, the Member of Parliament representing Ganze constituency where I live in. All these are people I have never met. Then there is Hon. Japhet Nzaro, the Member of County Assembly (MCA), Ganze Ward Representative, whose office I at least visited the other day.
The aim of my visit was quite simple. I had submitted my scholarship bursary application form a couple of months ago and had just gone to collect my cheque. To my surprise, there was no cheque for me. I only found my name on a piece of paper, plus the amount awarded. It was in a list of beneficiaries both in secondary schools and higher learning institutions such as universities, colleges and polytechnics. The allocation had already been done but no single cheque had been written.
Mr. Jackson Mangi, the scholarship manager was the one answerable on behalf of the MCA who was absent by then. According to him, the Ganze Ward scholarship account was out of funds. Some money amounting to Ksh. 4.2 million from the county had not yet been released but had already been budgeted for. This was the reason for the unavailability of cheques corresponding to application forms submitted as early as February. Please do not get confused. Ganze ward does not have a separate bursary office; the MCA’s office serves perfectly.
That was the last Friday of my holiday. I was supposed to report back to campus the following Monday, 23rd June, but not without the cheque. I explained this to Jackson and he agreed to write an official letter of commitment to my campus, explaining that I had been allocated a few thousands but due to the delay, the cheque shall arrive at a later date. It worked. I am now in school and was allowed to attend all lectures until July 11th when the payment must have been done. Whatever will happen afterwards in case the payment delays further is still unknown to me.
Now, the letter was handwritten because the office of the honourable does not have typing facilities. The scholarship manager lacks a computer and so does his secretary. In fact from their appearance, I tend to think that none of them has the skills to operate computers. Everything is done manually and this, I believe, has been the cause of all unnecessary delays that my fellow citizens have always complained about. Whenever the committee encounters a task that cannot be done manually, there is a cyber café close to the office where services like typing, photocopying, scanning, etc are offered at a fee. Is it not surprising how that office operates without such basic facilities in this digital era?
As I was going through the list of beneficiaries for the ward bursary funds, I came across some funny trends. Schools around Ganze shopping center where the office is located got the lion’s share. Ganze Boys Secondary had a total of 38 students allocated Ksh. 7000 each while their female counterparts, Ganze Girls had 34. There were 40 names from Godoma Secondary, while Magogoni had 33. On the other hand, it was pathetic for schools slightly away from the office though still within Ganze Ward. Sokoke Boys had 18 beneficiaries while Ngerenya Mixed Jilore and Dungicha could only contribute one student each. Why the huge difference? Is it due to unawareness, favour or just by chance? I really don’t know.
The road connecting my home and the office is tar-marked. Unfortunately, its condition is no longer pleasant. On my return journey, the vehicle I bordered was almost involved in a serious accident. After a little rain, the road became excessively slippery, causing our vehicle to slide towards one side where pedestrians were. It was just due to the grace of the lord that the driver regained control without hurting anyone. Surprisingly, my leaders have never realized that and if they have, then they are either pleased with its condition or still busy with other theoretical ghost projects.
You may be surprised why I had never been there before, considering the fact that the occupant of that office has been in power for quite some time, following the March 4th 2013 general elections. Although still under training, as a journalist, I have tried as much as possible not to be friends with any of my leaders. This, according to my thinking, will pose no dilemma when one day I have to report issues concerning them, both good and evil.
I come from Kilifi, a county that is headed by Governor Hon. Amason Kingi, together with Senetor Hon. Stewart Madzayo and Hon. Peter Safari Shehe, the Member of Parliament representing Ganze constituency where I live in. All these are people I have never met. Then there is Hon. Japhet Nzaro, the Member of County Assembly (MCA), Ganze Ward Representative, whose office I at least visited the other day.
The aim of my visit was quite simple. I had submitted my scholarship bursary application form a couple of months ago and had just gone to collect my cheque. To my surprise, there was no cheque for me. I only found my name on a piece of paper, plus the amount awarded. It was in a list of beneficiaries both in secondary schools and higher learning institutions such as universities, colleges and polytechnics. The allocation had already been done but no single cheque had been written.
Mr. Jackson Mangi, the scholarship manager was the one answerable on behalf of the MCA who was absent by then. According to him, the Ganze Ward scholarship account was out of funds. Some money amounting to Ksh. 4.2 million from the county had not yet been released but had already been budgeted for. This was the reason for the unavailability of cheques corresponding to application forms submitted as early as February. Please do not get confused. Ganze ward does not have a separate bursary office; the MCA’s office serves perfectly.
That was the last Friday of my holiday. I was supposed to report back to campus the following Monday, 23rd June, but not without the cheque. I explained this to Jackson and he agreed to write an official letter of commitment to my campus, explaining that I had been allocated a few thousands but due to the delay, the cheque shall arrive at a later date. It worked. I am now in school and was allowed to attend all lectures until July 11th when the payment must have been done. Whatever will happen afterwards in case the payment delays further is still unknown to me.
Now, the letter was handwritten because the office of the honourable does not have typing facilities. The scholarship manager lacks a computer and so does his secretary. In fact from their appearance, I tend to think that none of them has the skills to operate computers. Everything is done manually and this, I believe, has been the cause of all unnecessary delays that my fellow citizens have always complained about. Whenever the committee encounters a task that cannot be done manually, there is a cyber café close to the office where services like typing, photocopying, scanning, etc are offered at a fee. Is it not surprising how that office operates without such basic facilities in this digital era?
As I was going through the list of beneficiaries for the ward bursary funds, I came across some funny trends. Schools around Ganze shopping center where the office is located got the lion’s share. Ganze Boys Secondary had a total of 38 students allocated Ksh. 7000 each while their female counterparts, Ganze Girls had 34. There were 40 names from Godoma Secondary, while Magogoni had 33. On the other hand, it was pathetic for schools slightly away from the office though still within Ganze Ward. Sokoke Boys had 18 beneficiaries while Ngerenya Mixed Jilore and Dungicha could only contribute one student each. Why the huge difference? Is it due to unawareness, favour or just by chance? I really don’t know.
The road connecting my home and the office is tar-marked. Unfortunately, its condition is no longer pleasant. On my return journey, the vehicle I bordered was almost involved in a serious accident. After a little rain, the road became excessively slippery, causing our vehicle to slide towards one side where pedestrians were. It was just due to the grace of the lord that the driver regained control without hurting anyone. Surprisingly, my leaders have never realized that and if they have, then they are either pleased with its condition or still busy with other theoretical ghost projects.
Bye My Pastor
My dear pastor, Raphael Kenga Sokota to be precise, and the entire Calvary Baptist church family;
I am going back to school today. In fact I am on my way now. The holiday was abnormally long, that you may possibly have forgotten where I school, or even the fact that I am still a student. Worry not, I will remind you.
In Rift Valley, a few kilometers past Eldoret town, there is a public university. It is called Moi. You may be surprised why I mentioned the name of a former president. Cool. This is not a person, it is an institution named after him- I dont even know why. The main campus of that university is where I am heading to.
In 2011, the institution sent me a letter through my former high school. It was called 'calling letter'. I was told if I go there, I would spend some four years then come back home with a degree. I agreed and went.
Unfortunately, my university did not keep its promise. It kept on sending me home, calling me back, until I got bored. Four years are not over and I have had six breaks so far. They call them holidays. I wonder how holy those days are.
The most recent one began in mid October last year. Moi told me to come back home briefly then when I left, it forgot that I had not completed my studies yet. I have stayed at home for over eight months now. I forgot everything that I learnt for the past three academic years, but that does not concern you pastor, I will sort myself.
Concerning our church, It is definite that you, in my absence, must look for a replacement. A guitarist that will fit into my shoes, do his/her magic to produce the lowest musical sound, "Duuu! Tu-du-duuu.. Tu-duuu!"
I know the pianists are available in plenty. In fact I retired from playing the piano because so many other youths had already trained to near perfection, though not to my level. As for the bass guitar, I dont know, but I have left a void. I spent a lot of time convincing brothers and sisters-in-Christ to learn how to play the guitar but they all refused, claiming that it is tiresome and painful to the fingers, which is very true.
Have you now understood why you may be forced to hire a skilled guitarist every Sunday and especially when the band wins a contract of performing in a ceremony? If you think I am joking, wait and compare the quality of yesterday's music to that which you will hear next Sunday.
For the past two weeks, I have been showing Kitsao how to switch on the laptop, play music, type documents and shut it down. You wont have much trouble on that. As for the newly acquired mixer, Alfred is quite conversant with its operation- he always watched every time I touched a button. He will be responsible as the operator and in case he encounters a problem, he has my phone numbers.
The bride-to-be, Miss Peris Katana, whose wedding ceremony is scheduled to take place on 20th December, is also aware of my departure and she is not happy. If you get time, cool her down. Yesterday I appointed Walter Kazungu to take over my responsibilities. He will be the patron. I trust in his abilities so the petboys will not complain.
Mathias Randu will act as the youth choir master untill I come back. His voice is almost like mine. He is also aware that for a song to sound melodious, he must categorize the singers' voices into atleast four- soprano, alto, tenor and bass.
What else have I forgotten? Oooh... Yes! In the second Sunday of every month, I am usually the first preacher and program facilitator in third Sundays. You will forgive me because I forgot to hand over these roles to someone else. But dont blame me much, I am also a human being. Maybe I give you a suggestion. Just appoint Pendo (Gye Peshy).
All the announcements have always been made by myself because you, the church, gave me that duty. Thank you. Now that I am going, my assistants, Peterson and Alfred will take over. Even the chairman Mr. Bundi can do it.
Let me just stop there, but not without appreciating you. Thank you for the farewell you organized in my absence and implemented in my presence. I received a couple of presents from brethren that day, especially coins and notes. Let me just say it- the total amount was slightly above Ksh. 1,700. You are great people, God bless you abundantly!
Once I get to campus tomorrow morning, I shall always remember the many memorable moments we shared during my holiday. I will always pray to God that all of us stay alive and well until our next reunion- I dont know when!
Byeeeee....!!!
I am going back to school today. In fact I am on my way now. The holiday was abnormally long, that you may possibly have forgotten where I school, or even the fact that I am still a student. Worry not, I will remind you.
In Rift Valley, a few kilometers past Eldoret town, there is a public university. It is called Moi. You may be surprised why I mentioned the name of a former president. Cool. This is not a person, it is an institution named after him- I dont even know why. The main campus of that university is where I am heading to.
In 2011, the institution sent me a letter through my former high school. It was called 'calling letter'. I was told if I go there, I would spend some four years then come back home with a degree. I agreed and went.
Unfortunately, my university did not keep its promise. It kept on sending me home, calling me back, until I got bored. Four years are not over and I have had six breaks so far. They call them holidays. I wonder how holy those days are.
The most recent one began in mid October last year. Moi told me to come back home briefly then when I left, it forgot that I had not completed my studies yet. I have stayed at home for over eight months now. I forgot everything that I learnt for the past three academic years, but that does not concern you pastor, I will sort myself.
Concerning our church, It is definite that you, in my absence, must look for a replacement. A guitarist that will fit into my shoes, do his/her magic to produce the lowest musical sound, "Duuu! Tu-du-duuu.. Tu-duuu!"
I know the pianists are available in plenty. In fact I retired from playing the piano because so many other youths had already trained to near perfection, though not to my level. As for the bass guitar, I dont know, but I have left a void. I spent a lot of time convincing brothers and sisters-in-Christ to learn how to play the guitar but they all refused, claiming that it is tiresome and painful to the fingers, which is very true.
Have you now understood why you may be forced to hire a skilled guitarist every Sunday and especially when the band wins a contract of performing in a ceremony? If you think I am joking, wait and compare the quality of yesterday's music to that which you will hear next Sunday.
For the past two weeks, I have been showing Kitsao how to switch on the laptop, play music, type documents and shut it down. You wont have much trouble on that. As for the newly acquired mixer, Alfred is quite conversant with its operation- he always watched every time I touched a button. He will be responsible as the operator and in case he encounters a problem, he has my phone numbers.
The bride-to-be, Miss Peris Katana, whose wedding ceremony is scheduled to take place on 20th December, is also aware of my departure and she is not happy. If you get time, cool her down. Yesterday I appointed Walter Kazungu to take over my responsibilities. He will be the patron. I trust in his abilities so the petboys will not complain.
Mathias Randu will act as the youth choir master untill I come back. His voice is almost like mine. He is also aware that for a song to sound melodious, he must categorize the singers' voices into atleast four- soprano, alto, tenor and bass.
What else have I forgotten? Oooh... Yes! In the second Sunday of every month, I am usually the first preacher and program facilitator in third Sundays. You will forgive me because I forgot to hand over these roles to someone else. But dont blame me much, I am also a human being. Maybe I give you a suggestion. Just appoint Pendo (Gye Peshy).
All the announcements have always been made by myself because you, the church, gave me that duty. Thank you. Now that I am going, my assistants, Peterson and Alfred will take over. Even the chairman Mr. Bundi can do it.
Let me just stop there, but not without appreciating you. Thank you for the farewell you organized in my absence and implemented in my presence. I received a couple of presents from brethren that day, especially coins and notes. Let me just say it- the total amount was slightly above Ksh. 1,700. You are great people, God bless you abundantly!
Once I get to campus tomorrow morning, I shall always remember the many memorable moments we shared during my holiday. I will always pray to God that all of us stay alive and well until our next reunion- I dont know when!
Byeeeee....!!!
Exactly what brings success?
This boy comes from a poor background in my village. He thanks the free primary education, a certain previous government initiative, otherwise he would not have known what 3+2 equals to.
Charo, 18, is a bright boy who speaks my native language. He is counting days before sitting for his KCSE examination this year, beginning October- thanks to the scholarship bursaries and support from relatives that have pushed him through in his local high school.
However, this aspiring nurse admits to undergo a little psychological unrest and this is where my interest was baited.
Charo believes in his abilities. His aim is to get a mean grade of 'A' plain if his dream of becoming a medic has to come true. This, according to him, would not disturb him if he were 'somewhere else'.
He thinks his school might betray him. According to statistics, the highest grade the institution has ever produced is B plain and that was 2007. Should history repeat itself, then he will be forced to give up on nursing and probably opt for another degree programme.
Charo blames no one for this but the situation. As he struggles in his small school, others are 'relaxed' in larger institutions such as Starehe, Mangu, Alliance, among others, where an 'A' is almost guaranteed for each candidate registered under their names. At one point in life, I also found myself in such fears.
When I was in form four in 2009, at St. Georges High School, the top ten students based on merit from the first term's examination results in each form were given a motivational present by the then principal, Mr. Vitallis Majeni. It was called 'achievers' trip'. The 40 of us were taken for an academic tour to Starehe Boys Center and School in Nairobi, in order to learn what makes its students always perform better than us.
According to me, the objective of the tour was never met. The only lesson I learnt from it was that I was inferior to them. I reaped an element of cowardice and complete eradication of my prior confidence. I kept wondering if, with just a few months remaining, I was going to be ready enough to compete with the boys I had just interacted with in a common national examination.
Starehe is among many schools in Kenya whose major aim is to manufacture more grade A's than any other school so as to be ranked the best in the country. Principals and subject teachers will do anything in their powers to achieve this. For this reason, Charo considers students in such schools as almost guaranteed the highest possible grades, unlike him, and he is not happy about it.
The result of this is an education system that drifts from the expected purpose of imparting competitive knowledge to students. They are now taught how to pass exams. At the end, they become 'bright on paper'. Holders of glittering certificates but bearers of empty brains. People who cannot relate the education they have with common logic and realities of life. They know the correct answers to Physics or Geography questions but no not understand why those answers are correct.
The real effect will be felt in future, especially if this scenario diffuses into universities and colleges. With the emergence of numerous institutions of higher learning, both private and public, negative competition may start to show up. The country may therefore be preparing for an era of professionals with less competence than expected.
Back to the high school thing, the question that one may easily ask is, "Are schools up to providing quality education to students or generating maximum grade A's in order to attain supremacy?" However, my question is different, with reference to Charo' imaginations. Should a student's success be determined by his/her effort or the institution?
Charo, 18, is a bright boy who speaks my native language. He is counting days before sitting for his KCSE examination this year, beginning October- thanks to the scholarship bursaries and support from relatives that have pushed him through in his local high school.
However, this aspiring nurse admits to undergo a little psychological unrest and this is where my interest was baited.
Charo believes in his abilities. His aim is to get a mean grade of 'A' plain if his dream of becoming a medic has to come true. This, according to him, would not disturb him if he were 'somewhere else'.
He thinks his school might betray him. According to statistics, the highest grade the institution has ever produced is B plain and that was 2007. Should history repeat itself, then he will be forced to give up on nursing and probably opt for another degree programme.
Charo blames no one for this but the situation. As he struggles in his small school, others are 'relaxed' in larger institutions such as Starehe, Mangu, Alliance, among others, where an 'A' is almost guaranteed for each candidate registered under their names. At one point in life, I also found myself in such fears.
When I was in form four in 2009, at St. Georges High School, the top ten students based on merit from the first term's examination results in each form were given a motivational present by the then principal, Mr. Vitallis Majeni. It was called 'achievers' trip'. The 40 of us were taken for an academic tour to Starehe Boys Center and School in Nairobi, in order to learn what makes its students always perform better than us.
According to me, the objective of the tour was never met. The only lesson I learnt from it was that I was inferior to them. I reaped an element of cowardice and complete eradication of my prior confidence. I kept wondering if, with just a few months remaining, I was going to be ready enough to compete with the boys I had just interacted with in a common national examination.
Starehe is among many schools in Kenya whose major aim is to manufacture more grade A's than any other school so as to be ranked the best in the country. Principals and subject teachers will do anything in their powers to achieve this. For this reason, Charo considers students in such schools as almost guaranteed the highest possible grades, unlike him, and he is not happy about it.
The result of this is an education system that drifts from the expected purpose of imparting competitive knowledge to students. They are now taught how to pass exams. At the end, they become 'bright on paper'. Holders of glittering certificates but bearers of empty brains. People who cannot relate the education they have with common logic and realities of life. They know the correct answers to Physics or Geography questions but no not understand why those answers are correct.
The real effect will be felt in future, especially if this scenario diffuses into universities and colleges. With the emergence of numerous institutions of higher learning, both private and public, negative competition may start to show up. The country may therefore be preparing for an era of professionals with less competence than expected.
Back to the high school thing, the question that one may easily ask is, "Are schools up to providing quality education to students or generating maximum grade A's in order to attain supremacy?" However, my question is different, with reference to Charo' imaginations. Should a student's success be determined by his/her effort or the institution?
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