Essays, Politics, Security, Socio-cultural

The Security Laws (Amendment) Bill 2014

Brenda Wambui

In Kenya, we have a knack for knee jerk reactions to our problems and over reliance on legislation whenever things go wrong, especially with regards to our security. We have experienced several terror attacks from Al-Shabaab in the past four years, since our entry into Somalia, which have culminated in terror attacks in Mandera, Wajir, Lamu, among many other areas. The antidote to this, we have been made to believe, is a security amendment bill that has been proposed to parliament.

On December 11, 2014, the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Administration (PCNSA) sent the Security Laws (Amendment) Bill, … Read More

Economy, Essays, Politics, Security

Let’s Talk About Uhuru

Brenda Wambui

I like to think that I learn something from all the reading I choose to indulge in – and in the past five years, I have read/learnt a bit about microexpressions. These are brief facial expressions that occur when a person conceals an emotion, either consciously or unconsciously. Seven of these facial expressions are universal, one of which is contempt.

Contempt is an attitude of disrespect, accompanied by intense dislike. It is quite easy to spot – it shows itself through a unilateral lip corner raise and tighten. Here are some examples:

Contempt Collage

Below is a video of Uhuru Kenyatta … Read More

Africa, Essays, Politics, Security

The Militarization Of Kenya

Brenda Wambui

On September 5th 2014, Uhuru Kenyatta caused a social media (and traditional media) standstill when he wore army fatigues for the first time in his presidency. All kinds of things were said: he looked “devilishly handsome”, “presidential”, “they fit him much better than his usual suits, he should get this tailor to make his suits”, “look at how cool my president is”, “oh my God you guys see how much swag he has”, and many others. He has done so at least once again since. This is a first for a Kenyan president: his predecessors have only worn their … Read More

Economy, Essays, Politics, Security, Socio-cultural

My Land Is Not Kenya: The Folly Of Patriotism

Brenda Wambui

You only got one mama

You only got one pa

You only got one life to live

No matter who you are

You can go the whole world over

Every city has its dawn

But everybody liveth has one place where he was born

And mine is Kenya, so warm and wild and free

You’ll always stay with me here in my heart

My land is Kenya, right from your highlands to the sea

You’ll always stay with me here in my heart, here in my heart.

Good for Roger Whittaker, who sang this song. It is normally used to … Read More

Africa, Essays, Politics, Security, Socio-cultural

Kenya: A State Of Perpetual Fear And Chaos

Brenda Wambui

From Wednesday 18th June to Friday 20th June 2014, I got to experience life in Kakuma, at the refugee camp. A couple of bloggers and I went there courtesy of UNHCR to commemorate World Refugee Day, and each day, we had opportunities to interact with the host community, the Turkana, and the refugees, who are of more than 13 nationalities, and are about 150,000 at the moment.

Every morning, between 8 – 9 am, a lorry would arrive full of people displaced from their home countries, and they would head to the UNHCR offices to register themselves. Many of … Read More

Africa, Economy, Essays, Politics, Socio-cultural

Architects Of Our Own Despair: Thoughts On Poverty

Brenda Wambui

“Once poverty is gone, we’ll need to build museums to display its horrors to future generations. They’ll wonder why poverty continued so long in human society – how a few people could live in luxury while billions dwelt in misery, deprivation and despair.”

Mohammed Yunus

It is easy to think of poverty as a thing that once solved, will lead to unending human prosperity. We just need to find its source and cut it off. Only that poverty has several causes, and once you begin to think about it, it begins to seem like a hydra: when you cut off … Read More

Economy, Essays, Politics

Sharing The Spoils: The Division Of Revenue Bill 2014

Brenda Wambui

The Division of Revenue Bill (DoRB), 2014 is at the top of the agenda for parliament in their next couple of sittings, and as such, it is in form to explore its implications.

This bill is the first step in our annual budgeting cycle, and is particularly important as it should work to ensure the success of devolution through adequate allocations to county governments. The revenue is based on the government’s 2011/12 audited revenue, which comes to KES 682.1 billion.

This debate, as with many others, has become overtaken by debates fuelled by supremacy battles between national and county governments. … Read More

Essays, Politics, Security, Socio-cultural

Footnotes On Death

Brenda Wambui

In our sometimes unfortunate journey through this planet, we must experience death. We experience the death of loved ones, unloved ones, and ultimately, our own deaths.

I rarely meditate on the meaning of many of life’s phenomena – I like to joke that I have the emotional depth of a banana – but this week, death has really been with me. Michael Onsando has written extensively on killing (here, here and here), more than I ever will. Still, we have barely touched on death here, and with what has happened this week, it is necessary.

*

I … Read More

Arts, Essays, Politics, Religion, Socio-cultural

I Have Seen The Devil

Brenda Wambui

This is what he looks like.

At least that is what some people in Kisumu think he looks like. The Sikh community in the area put up the monument, depicting a praying person (I fail to understand art many times, but this time the meaning of this piece failed to escape me), to commemorate 100 years since they built their temple in Kisumu.

Instead of the warmth and harmony the Sikhs may have imagined the monument would bring in the area, it brought about a three-day protest in which it was vandalized. Residents called it satanic, and said it portrayed … Read More

Africa, Essays, Internet, Politics, Security

Dear Africa: Don’t Let Them Take The Internet

Brenda Wambui

By July 2014 or January 2015, the African Union (AU) is expected to ratify the African Union Convention on Confidence and Security in Cyberspace (AUCC). The AU is having its 22nd assembly in Addis Ababa currently, running until 1st February, and the ratification was to take place at this meeting until it was postponed.

Such legislation is necessitated by the rapid globalization of crime, largely made possible by the internet. Africa lags behind and is an easy target due to poor understanding of the security risks it faces, the lack of tools to ensure cyber security and lack of … Read More