Watu wa Mungu. I know this are hard times, but, let us not be slaves of money. I fear I have to say this from the outset otherwise my whole post is in danger of being irrelevant.

Having just returned to mtaa after a long absence, I went to visit my old friend Gullit to check on how he was doing. I visited his house but he wasn’t there, I checked his mums but she hadnt seen Gullit since the previous night. While exiting, I met Gullit outside the door on his way in. We exchanged our Hi’s and umepotea sana before we dived straight into the kutoanishwa where he bluntly sought to hustle money from me. I told him I was going through a rough period myself but I could buy him lunch as we discuss who just got shot or who got lynched by the mob in Dandora and so on. En route to the Halima’s kibanda for some pilau, I asked him how life was. He told me he had just come back from a construction site where he was seeking employment as a casual labourer but it hadn’t gone so well, he explained that getting a job, even as a casual labourer had become more difficult than climbing Mt Kenya since there were so many people in need of jobs. In his words “Sasa Marto mi ntaduu nini? Ule msee alikua mbele yangu kwa line ya Mjengo alikua size yangu kimuili lakini ako fluent in French and Korean” Which translated to English “What am I supposed to do Martin? The guy infront of me at the qeue for the construction job was just well built like me but he was also fluent in French and Korean.” I didn’d quite understand how that was an advantage in a construction job. “Maybe they hired him so that when the building collapses like they all are doing nowadays, the guy can scream for help in 3 languages.” We laughed heartily as we entered Halima’s Pilau den.

I was a frequent customer at Halima’s back in the day so when she saw me she approached me to say hi with a smile that could fit 2 migingo islands inside. I couldn’t embrace her since I was unsure of how that would play in muslim law but I slapped my hand against hers hard enough to show that she had been missed. Before I could even say a word, she hastily explained that I was the only person who deserved a free meal that day but I wasn’t that lucky because of skyrocketing maize flour prices and what not.. I joked about it a little bit trying to reverse her stand but her smile disappeared, her tone changed and she made it clear that if I wasn’t a paying customer I should be on my way. Seeing this, I asked Gullit to sit down and order whatever he wanted! It was on me. After sensing that I was loaded, Halima’s bright smile re-appeared and she ordered one of her waiters to wash our hands. The ghetto being the ghetto, the menu is a black board on the wall and not a fancy booklet on every table. I discussed that with Gullit and AGAIN he attributed it to the high cost of living, skyrocketing prices, bei ya unga. I was getting a bit irritated by this excuse so I let the discussion stretch a little as I asked Gullit to explain how the menu style in the ghetto had to do with anything?? “Marto, sku izi ata mse wa noa kisu analia mafuta ya petroli imepanda.” in English “Martin, nowadays even the local knife sharpener complains that fuel prices have risen.” Again, I asked him what that had to do with anything. He looked at me straight in the eye, almost about to speak his heart out, when the waiter interrupted by requesting to wash our hands. Gullit spread out his arms to have his hands washed and while doing that, he said “Ebu oga mikono wewe, osha uzungu ikutoke.” English “just wash your hands man, wash your western mindset away.” We enjoyed pilau and all along I kept asking myself “why would the knife sharpener complain of rise in fuel prices??” I dont get it, but, if it was in Kiambu where I live, I would understand anyone complaining of rise in fuel prices since people there drink, get drunk and go blind on many fuel products, but hey, maybe I am westernized! OR! Maybe Kenyans should keep complaining instead of thinking of a way forward!! I know that life is difficult in Nairobi and yes, the prices are ridiculously high. But, that shouldn’t alter our respect, discipline and focus in life. I don’t believe proper mannerisms are western ways. I believe they are “ways” just like all other evil ways that we can choose to uphold or ignore. Tuwacheni siasa ya ganji kila saa! English: Let us stop money politics all the time!

When I was a young boy, my mum urged me to study very hard so that I could be a somebody when I grow up. I had a fairly small body, she used to warn that if I didn’t study hard, I would spend my adult life pushing\pulling  a mkokoteni (cart) just like all the other pupils who wouldn’t pay attention in class. Nowadays, a mkokoteni costs 10,000. It’s sort of a luxury. Mothers urging they’re sons to study have edited they’re speeches. Nowadays their sentences are a little bit open ended. “My son, study real hard or else…!!!!” But even so, I am sure your mothers want sons and daughters with insight and direction, even if it’s a heavy loaded mkokoteni they are “driving”

Written by http://dedane.blogspot.com/

Its one week remaining to East Africa Cup 2011 kick off this year, young people all over East and Central Africa are energized about the “road to Moshi”. Participants from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Southern Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Host Tanzania are excited about participating in Africa largest youth sport and development event. From the 16th of June all roads will be leading to Moshi in Tanzania, not to climb striking Mt Kilimanjaro but to celebrate people who use sport in their community throughout the year. 

To stress that East Africa cup is more than just sports, before the tournaments kicks off on the 22nd of June, leaders will be taking part in different trainings ranging from Kicking Aids Out from 17th to 20st focusing on potential leader level II, leader level II, and master trainers, 18th to 20th referees, 18th and 19th EACCES meeting (East Africa Cup Community Coach Education Systems), BBC world service trust will be delivering trainings on Journalism and media skills from 20th to 25th. Other training focusing on the participants will run concurrently with the tournament i.e. leadership, first aid and sports injuries, cartoon seminars, conflict resolution, HIV/AIDS, culture and coaching. Is this not unique approach!

Another milestone in this year’s event is the introduction of volley ball and sitting volley ball which will be additional to football and reflects EAC desire to connect more with many young people all over East Africa and the whole world.

On the 23rd ICES (International Community Coach Education Standards) webinar will be hosted by East Africa Cup aimed at exploring the role that competition plays in effective sport and development programmes and the implications for coach education in this field. The speakers on this webinar will address the question of whether promoting competitiveness and competition either supports of detracts from development goals. 

This is just a tip of the ice berg, we have a lot happening in this year’s event, you just can’t afford to miss, but if you happen to, we shall be live on twitter, facebook, blog, and also different journalist from different media houses will be broadcasting live news. 

We just cant wait….

Follow us on http://www.facebook.com/eastafricacup, http://twitter.com/#!/eastafricacup and http://www.eacup.org for more updates.

Street boys also called chokoras are good people, but, after sniffing glue they are insane. Infact, I think that chokora’s can be classified into two; Glue sniffing chokoras and legit homeless chokoras.

Legit homeless chokoras carry big sacks and walk around collecting plastic cans to sell for a few shillings, they also run petty errands like taking out trash for some rich folks. Every once in a while, life confuses them and they do something stupid like steal some shoes from some door step and they get lynched for that.

Glue sniffing chokoras are the bad breed! We should be ashamed of ourselves for lynching the hardworking kind. Because of our actions, the number of the glue sniffing chokoras has increased and the decent ones has gone down. Glue must also be the worst drug out there! I say, glue is more dangerous than cocaine, more dangerous than heroine and marijuana and all the others. Infact, the only drug at par with glue or maybe close to glue is a cigarette. But that’s discussion for another day… Back to the glue sniffing chokoras…

Glue sniffing chokoras are the kind that would sneak up on you from behind with a pile of shit on one hand and a bottle of glue on the other. They then try extorting money from you threatening to throw the pile of poop on you should you attempt anything stupid. A typical chokora hold up would go down like this..

Chokora: Niajeeeeee budaaaaaaa  retaaaa doh yooooote ama ukureeeeee ii maviiiii reoooo  HAIYAEEEEEEE! (No commas or fullstop)

the Buda: What is this madness?

Chokora: HAIYAEEEEEE….. weeee unacheza na mimiiiiiiiii? hujui mi ukura mavi arafu nacelebrate!

At this point the buda pays up or else he ends up walking home since no matatu would allow him in smelling like shit! Chokora’s shit at that! But, not all chokoras are bad, not at all. While growing up, most of my friends were chokoras. They taught me things I couldn’t learn from ordinary raia. e.g kudandia lorry za mchanga. But, that’s not hard, it’s not even a cool thing. Nowadays, even rich folks kids can alight from a matatu without breaking a sweat. But, only chokoras can do a “tap-tap” hanging behind a lorry on Thika rd. And me of course . Anyone else try that. You’re dead!

Disclaimer: I won’t translate any of this words, if you didn’t understand some or most of them, it would take ages for you to get the fun out of them.