 Credit: Patrick Gathara | Tribute to the poem "Let the lions roar no more" by Shamit Patel There are two stories that my father tells in his upcoming autobiography that always make me sentimental. One is the story of his mother, Wandia, whom I’ve been trying to emulate through his stories, since I never got to meet her. I never got to meet Wandia because she died when Baba was a child. She was sick, and she was taken away by relatives and never came back. My father’s family did not get a chance to mourn her or bury her. |
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 Source: Destination Magazine A few days after I wrote that the impact of alcoholism on masculinity is a Central Province problem, State House has finally acknowledged the same. However, I don't think there's a philosophical conviction about curbing the problem for the sake of the dignity of Kenyan men. I think this is more about power and fertility that are at the heart of the tyranny of numbers. Even Waititu, who led a superman crusade (with all its implicated masculinity issues) against alcohol, is quoted as saying that "Most young people in this area cannot sire children as a result of this trend."
But does the reason for fighting alcoholism matter, as long as the war against alcoholism is fought?
For months, I’ve debated here whether I should reveal who received my presidential vote during the 2013 elections.
But today, I’ve decided to go ahead and just do it, because I felt I need to respond to this passionate plea by Boniface Mwangi, certainly one of my heroes.
Post by Boniface Mwangi.
Boni’s argument is based on this premise, which many well-meaning progressive Kenyans make: there are only two reasons to vote in Kenya – tribe and development. The argument therefore goes that tribe is the most important consideration for Kenyan voters, and that its antidote is to think of development.
 AFP photo by Tony Karumba There is something cheap, and dangerous, about believing in the power of the almighty title deed to solve our problems. Yet this administration thinks that issuing them is what will pacify the Kenyan people’s thirst for distributive justice.
So after the embarrassment of teargassing children at Langata Road primary school, pupils who just wanted to play, the government issues a directive to the lands ministry that all public schools should be given their title deeds, supposedly to stop encroachment on their land by “investors.” Anyone who has been to a decent history class knows that there has never been a time when title deeds have stopped injustice.
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