STORIES FROM MY HEART

I imagine the number of eyeballs transfixed on Julie Gichuru’s Sunday Live show on Citizen TV was in the millions. Peter Kenneth had been scheduled to be on the show, and had tweeted about it earlier. I was looking forward to that interview. At the beginning of the bulletin however, Ms. Gichuru announced that Nairobi’s Biggest boys (for now) Ferdinand Clifford Waititu and Evans Kidero, both running for Nairobi’s Governor Seat were on the popular show. Together. (P.S I refuse to use the word gubernatorial in my blog, as well as the word shambolic- the title of this blog doesn't count :-) . I was too tired and didn't catch the interview, but next day I managed to catch it online. It was quite the show. On one hand you had Baba Yao talking about his plan for Nairobi in his regular street smart way, and the other hand, Kidero, the man famed for Mumias Sugar’s turnaround, who I would like to call Nairobi’s middle class choice. This blog however, isn't about that deba...

In many ways that friend could be Ronald Osumba. When I first heard the news about him taking up a position as running mate in Peter Kenneth's Eagle Alliance on Monday, just 46 days to elections, what went through my mind was “perfect, but is this is a perfect Johnny come lately moment! “ Ronald Osumba is an admirable man, at 33 years of age. Here’s how part of resume looks like: Chairman at Old Stareheian Society Senior Manager - Public Sector Sales at Safaricom Limited Managing Committee Member at Starehe Boys Centre and School Board Chairman at Youth Employment Systems Honorary Patron at Gem Youth Network Television Talk show Host at Hatua Show Many 33 year old Kenyans will not have similar Curriculum Vitae. It strongly mirrors a man who is passionate about his society, strategically or not; a man who’s got his hands deep in the issues facing young Kenyans. But, why was he so late to the party? “Who is Ronnie Osumba” could as well have been a tren...

It's been a few tight lipped days on my blog, so let's have a laugh shall we? This weekend, the amazing Liquid Deep band was in town, and, my daughter and I were among the thousands of Nairobians (and Summer Bunnies) who turned up. It was full to the rafters, it just felt hot and musky, even though the weather wasn’t that warm; like someone dropped me right in the middle of buzzy market place somewhere in Nigeria. Ok, I digress, but you get the point? Thanks. When Imani, my daughter asked “Mummy, what’s a summer bunny?” We had quite a laugh trying to explain it to her. December is official Summer Bunny month, and my diaspora holiday started off at Sankara, a friend had pals come over for the holidays, and I went with her to have a night cap by the rooftop. I sat next to a gentleman with rather big hair, “(we no longer wear our hair long, dear diaspora boys, especially if you’re over 19.) Let’s call him Alan. I’m not good at making friends, but I managed to start a...

All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level. --William Bernbach, DDB Needham Worldwide, 1989. Saturday afternoon was perhaps the best beginning of the new year for me. I spent it at what was to be a cozy meet up of minds at the Serena, called by IMG PR’s Charles Gacheru. (Charles, Thank you for an amazing meet up). It was great catching up with journalists and media players who I have worked with in different capacities over the last few years, and as over time we have changed employers, we have all become each other’s competition, it was amazing just to listen to stories of how and what makes us journalists, but what made my evening was a discussion on Thought leadership (or lack of thereof) in our media circles today. Jebet Amdany brought the challenge to the slab, and asked us, if we as journalists are really interested in shaping the perceptions...