AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR DEAR YOUTH.

Dear Youth,

 "You are the leaders of tomorrow." I am sure we have heard this phrase countless number of times and somehow it always sounds right. Today I want to challenge this rather popular belief and infer to the Swahili saying "msema kesho ni mwongo." Truly, truly tomorrow never comes, we should act NOW! 

Now is the time to be those leaders, not today evening or tomorrow, next month or next year but NOW! For how long will we take shelter in our cocoons being too afraid to speak our mind? How long will we sit back and agree to be manipulated causing chaos? It is a crying shame that we always satisfy those who stereotype us as "rowdy" and "irresponsible". Allow me take you back to the post election violence that rocked our nation between Dec 2007 and Jan 2008. The perils that came along with it can fill a whole book. It was gorry and quite frankly brought the nation to its knees. The worst case scenario is that it is the youth who were hired and used to perpetrate it.

  Recently we have witnessed the Tana River Delta clashes between the Pokomo and Oromo primarily because of water. The youth sorry to say are the ones who propagated the violence. This was a crisis that could have been mitigated calmly and peacefully to satisfy both parties using mediation by their leaders. However it was not and the consequences were tragic leaving hundreds of families displaced and the young ones deeply traumatised. Let's take a closer look at the political figures surrounding the whole issue. The chief for one is currently being held responsible of inciting the violence. The area member of parliament on the other hand is busy shifting blame to the minister of internal security. This leaves me asking if we, the young people in this nation, don't take a stand against the ethnic clashes and violence, who will? Lord knows if we wait upon our politicians, it will be a long, long and painful wait and the lossses will be tremendous. 

 Another recent incident is the Mombasa riots protesting against the assassination ofthe alleged Al-Shabab sympathizer, Sheikh Rogo. Within just a period of just 2 days Mombasa has been turned upside down. It has drastically regressed from being an elite tourist hub to being a city in turmoil. Shops and businesses being closed down, banks being broken into and chrches being burnt down. The once peaceful city now has the sound of gunshots replacing the chirping birds in the air. The incident is threatening to further spark a war between Christians and Muslims. This is the last thing our already struggling economy and the nation as a whole need. We should find peaceful ways of expressing our woes and not taking to the streets protesting violently. One group that am sure is very much pleased by the turn of events is the MRC movement of the"pwani si kenya" philosophy. This is yet another disappointing develoment when I look at the contribution of the youth. 

Touching lightly on the Miguna public humiliation, he found himself jumping into hot soup soon after his public address trying to market his book in Mombasa. He was harassed and stripped of one shoe and his sgnature hat. To add salt to injury, he was forced to stay hidden in one of the rooms in the building till the mayhem cooled down. Once again the main perpetrators were young people. We need to find respectable channels of expressing different opinions. A channel that takes into account the fundamental constitutional rights of a Kenyan citizen. For those who have a bone to pick with Miguna in regards to his book;keep in mind that he indeed has the freedom of expression.

 Kenya has a population of 38 million and more than 70% comprises the youth, shocking but also true. So honestly i believe if we embraced the "umoja ni nguvu" philosophy we can truly be the change we want to see in Kenya. The minute we stop shifting blame to politicians and giving them the keys to our destiny,then will we get the much needed revolutinary change. 

One thing we should keep in mind is that we have the power to bring about change. We have the powero vote in the right leaders to propel us to greatness and give the boot to those who have failed us time and again. Lastly i would like to urge the educated population who am sure are a good number of people to take some time and mentor the rest. In most cases the majority of youth being manipulated to do these chaotic acts are those who feel they have nothing to live for. It may be that they have no proper education thus no proper jobs. Therefore, they wait upon and maximize on such opportunities as mentioned above to make a coin or two from those more than willing to pay for their" services". My last call, young Kenyans rise above the "ushenzi" in our beloved country, say no to violence and tribalism and take an active stand in propagating change starting with yourself!

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LASTING RELATIONSHIPS :8 SIMPLE RULES.

So much has been said on relationships. Lord knows there have been millions of books sold and hundreds of tv talk shows. Don't even get me started on the multiple radio talks shows and the “Dr. Loves “ out there daily giving advice on relationships. Now, I do not claim to be the best but through experience and observation, I came up with 8 golden rules for relationships built to last. 

 RULE NO.1: KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. 

 This is the most basic rule you should observe if you want to have any type of successful relationship. Knowing what you want from someone and letting them know is key. This usually saves a lot of time and effort from both parties. This tremendously reduces the frustration of always ending up with the wrong person

RULE NO.2: DEFINE THE RELATIONSHIP(D TR) 

This is really essential when it comes to any type of relationship. Lord knows there are many types out there: friends,lovers, friends with benefits just to mention but a few. By defining the relationship, both parties seats know what is expected of them,making life easier for everybody. 

RULE NO.3: LAYING DOWN GROUND RULES. 

The fact that humans have a natural tendency to break rules is one I can't deny. But then again rules are the guidelines that direct actions and by laying them down relationships can always be set straight when they stray. An example;no meeting the parents until after the fifth date. 
 RULE NO.4: FORGIVENESS “Forgive and forget.“ A phrase we've heard countless number if times but do we really practice it? In order to stay in a relationship you need to forgive and let go. People will always make mistakes and we should accept that. If you can't forgive, you will be a constant reminder to people on when they failed and let's face it,who wants that in their life? Many will claim that there are unforgivable deeds and maybe so but that's a topic of another day. 

 RULE NO.5: KNOWING WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE.

 Arguments are a natural part of a relationship. That's all because we are different thus we will always have a difference of opinion. At the end if the day, for a relationship to last, one has to draw the line somewhere. Somewhere close enough to avoid seriously denting the mutual respect for each other.

 RULE NO. 6: STANDING FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE.

 Sometimes in a relationship, we find ourselves so taken by our partner that we completely forget to establish a stand. I have fallen victim to this once or twice. Lesson learnt i in order to earn respect from your partner you need ti stand your ground. In as much as you may want to avoid friction, picking a stand and holding it down is important. To establish mutual respect, one should stand for what they believe. The only catch is to know when you're wrong and accepting to change. 

 RULE NO.7:GOING THE EXTRA MILE.

 Yeah I said it! The extra mile! Quite frankly relationships involve sacrifice. That starts by putting another person‘s needs/wishes into consideration. Going the extra mile gives your relationship that luster that never fades. It makes the other person feel appreciated and more often than not willing to do the same.(Unless of course you are with the wrong person). Relationships built to last are hehe self serving

 RULE NO.8: BEING PROUD OF YOUR MATE. 

This is the last but not least of my 8 simple rules. Be proud of who you are with! This boosts their esteem and puts that glow in their heart and smile. When you are four of someone, you like to show them off and never want to lose them. You'll defend and always stand up for them. So ladies and gentlemen, always be proud of who you are dating, it could do wonders for you both. So thus concludes my 8 simple rules of lasting relationships.

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THE MYSTERY OF LOVE.

LOVE

 So much has been said about you

 So many movies have been acted 

 So many books have been written

 All trying to explain to mankind 

Who you are Or is it what you are ?

 Many seek you earnestly 

 They travel far and wide 

Just so they can have you 

Are you an elusive dream?

 Are you even real ?

 How is the best way to find out 

 Are you hiding from us all?

 Personally am yet to answer such questions as these

 If love is good, why do people do bad things

 And give you as the excuse ?

 Why does it make people jealous 

Or what strong feeling is that ? 

The good book tells us that love is enduring

 All bearing, patient ,not selfish..... 

So should a wife bear battering in the name of love?

 Is that really true love or a life line we cling on to help us get by?

 Does one fall out of love just as they fell in ? 

Can you love more that one person at a time? 

Does love dwindle like the flame of a burning candle? 

O should it grow and spread like a bush fire?

 So so many questions about you love 

If there's anyone out there with all the answers 

 They must truly be wise Love oh love..... 

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LESSONS FROM THE EQUITY LEADERSHIP CONGRESS

“Developing a global edge .” That was the theme of this year’s congress and indeed it was depicted through out. There were various speakers, all prominent in their various fields and professions. Each delivered their message in the best yet easily comprehensible way. 

I particularly was rather challenged by a message by Kenneth Njiru of the “Uungwana Vs Ushenzi “campaign. His major highlights were on how everything rises and falls on leadership. That in order to truly be great leaders we should start by leading our very own selves.

He spoke very passionately on how our country has given in to ‘ushenzi’ to be the order of the day. Even before pointing fingers at politicians and rogue business people, we should start with ourselves. Time and again we have heard about the famous Mahatma Gandhi quote, “Be the change you want to see.” But honestly very few of us have actually sat down and thought about where to start.

How many times have you actually broken a promise you meant to keep? How many times have you arrived late only because you decided to sleep a little longer? How many times have you performed poorly in a test all because you were too lazy to study? How many times have you lied simply because it was the easier way out?

The sad answer if we were totally honest is, many times, and those are just a few case scenarios. We keep waiting for this big revolutionary change to rock us and that is where we go completely wrong.  It is the small things we do on a day to day basis that help us grow and become great.

If you had one bad trait, say always being late, it is by changing that weakness that will make you gradually transform it into a good habit. In the long run it becomes a way of life, thus eliminating the problem with punctuality. The same principle can be applied in all other varing situations and overall create a positive culture.

The most important thing in stopping the “ushenzi-like” practices is starting NOW! Not in the next 5 minutes, the next hour or even tomorrow but now. Only then can we kill this terminal illness known as procrastination. Only then we can we actually map out the way ahead for evolving into a more reliant and self sufficient people.

So in a nutshell all we do, how we do it and when we do it, we should seek to curb any “ushenzi-like” habits and grow into “wangwana”. Let’s stop being mediocre and only then can we reach our full potential and take our nation, continent and globe as a whole to greater heights. Let us live and breathe the philosophy-“Muungwana ni Kitendo.”

WORDS AND WHAT THEY CAN DO

Words that captivate my attention
Words that dictate most of my actions
Words that catch my eye
Words I will love till I die

It‘s these words that get me going
Words that keep my mind guessing
Words that bring me to say much
Words that sometimes make me bold

Millions of words out there
So much to learn about them
Emancipation of thoughts they bring
Even sweet melodies they help sing

Words so simple yet so complex
Funny how those two are mutually inclusive
Words that let me express sentiments
That too often go unspoken

It feels so good to use words
To express what I feel
I can always keep it real
With words I feel somewhat free

Words let me express what I see
With words like admire I say to thee
Just so that with a chance you know
That I easily notice the little things

Using words you captivated me
Yet amazingly also challenged me
I might even add they inspired me
With words you got me writing
That I haven‘t done in a while

With words you captivated my attention
And with words am letting you know