Kenyan Pundit

- My local cybercafe has Mozilla installed on it’s computers. I almost hugged them seeing that my internet surfing habits are ADD-ish and having seven Explorer windows open at one time just doesn’t cut it.

- Before I get some negative comments from someone who’s affliated with the KCCT, turns out that they do have a broadband connection but it would have cost more for the conference organizers. Problem is no one bothered to give the conference organizers this option. A Kenyan attending the conference told me that this was typical of the way ICT/Technology is handled by some folks in Kenya…like it’s something to be hoarded.

- Was listening to the radio the other day when a “customer service” ad by the Kenya Police came on. The ad was requesting people who’ve had “customer service” issues with any member of the police force or any police station to report their “issues” to a special police unit that deals with such problems. The ad was very well done and it made me think of how things have changed in Kenya…I couldn’t help but be skeptical about whether this was more than just a PR campaign so I asked my favorite cab driver, Sam, who was in the car with me, what he thought and he said that the police are really trying to improve their image and doing a good job at it in his opinion.. Sam said that he would definitely feel comfortable complaining about a “customer service” issue and had positive things to say about the new community policing initiative, which he says has made a big difference where he lives in Rongai.

- Pedicure that has my feet feeling like a baby’s (I was suguliwad kabisa) and looking cute - Kshs 400; getting my eyebrows threaded well - Kshs 100; getting my very short hair expertly braided - Kshs 1200, including the hairpiece. It’s good to be back! Edit: gotta plug stall number 71 in Kenyatta Market.

Main road from airport

Originally uploaded by ateka.

This is the main road from the airport into city. And our economy is supposed to be growing how exactly? If only the Minister in charge of Roads spent more time trying to get his job done and less time making orange-sellers happy.

Listen to how people around the world speak English at the International Dialects of English Archives.

So I’ve been attending a conference all week at the Kenya Communications of Technology. There are four computers available for use by conference participants who want to check their email, surf, etc…what’s very disturbing to me is that this has to be the slowest connection I’ve experienced in Kenya in years and this is supposed to be a college on communication and technology (they have great ndaos though) !!!

How bad is it? Checking my email at the local cybercafe in our estate this morning felt like using broadband for the first time. Wonder whether this speaks to the general neglected state of tertiary institutions in Kenya.

Other random thoughts:

- I can’t figure out what’s worse…the Cabinet Ministers campaigning against their own government from the luxury of their Cabinet posts, or a President who can’t manage his Cabinet and doesn’t have the cajones to fire them.

- Is it just me or is the Kenyan music scene a little tired?

- Where did Yash Pal Ghai disappear to…would be interesting to hear his views on the Wako version?

- Found out today that there are only 40 computers available in for high school (maybe primary too) use in Nakuru.

- Had a conversation with a guy from Zimbabwe and Ethiopia and they were envious about the freedom of expression we have in Kenya. The guy from Ethiopia pointed out that the only good thing that’s come out of the recent elections in Ethiopia is that Ethiopians, particularly in the diaspora, have become united in their commitment to change things in their country and are no longer separating themselves based on tribe as far as the future of their country. He also said that the African Union election monitors were a disgrace and made him ashamed to be an African, because they basically toed the government line and provided only about 40 monitors for an election that had 35,000 polling stations.

Back to conferencing…