...And Kenya’s 2011 Top Highs were

This year has not been that bleak as the last blog might have painted. There were several good occurrences worth giving a mention especially as the dusk draws nearer.

First, let’s offer the two top principals a hearty hand-clap. Clap clap! The two: President Kibaki and his Prime Minister Raila Odinga. You know, a whole year has gone without any of them spewing a single serious tantrum. The PM-the more vulnerable of the two has miraculously been so sober and humble-a scenario that should surprise even his closest friends. How he has managed this, only God knows. Psychologists may underscore his leadership growth and maturity. Apart from the small matter of CONSULTATION which threatened to -rear tantrum’s ugly head in January, things have holistically been good as far as cordial relationship between the two heads is concerned.

The old-man’s magic was revealed. And with a herbal cup his profile rose significantly. Every young, teen, adult, sick, healthy, rich, pauper, civilian or government official were (are) on the way to get a quick herbal dose from one Ambilikile Mwasapile, 70, a retired Tanzanian pastor who claimed to heal all sorts of diseases with a concoction made from among others a local indigenous herb. The sensation swept through the country in a blink of an eye and many were reported heading to the pastor’s home in Loliondo-a village in northern Tanzania.

May 1. History read: Osama Bin Laden dead. The world-at least a huge part of the globe rejoiceth at the news of the sought after terrorist’s demise. US President Barack Obama announced on national television that a special force, named Navy SEALs, had killed the runaway villain in some hideout not so far from Pakistan capital Islamabad. That death and subsequent burial at the sea rid the world of a lead terrorist commanding a worldwide terrorism network-Al Qaeda. Other than members of this group or sympathisers, it was a joyful moment for all who love peace and people’s co-existence.

July 9. History read a different thing altogether. A new nation was born. A new people received a new identity. Sudan gave birth and Africa received the infant. The baby, Republic of South Sudan, was welcomed with pomp and colour in the fledgling town of Juba-the new nation’s capital. After years of war South Sudanese got what they had fought for-self governance under first leader President Salva Kiir.  The Kenya media in perfect show of their lead face of character were all over in the new country trying to outdo one another. A thoughtful Kenyan said the media behaved as if the new country was Kenya’s 48th county.  

This month, July, captured Kenyans’ generosity in a way never seen in the recent past. With a rampaging hunger threatening to consume their fellow citizens in the northern parts, Kenyans of goodwill led by the corporate society-media, banks, telecommunication companies and others-joined hands with the mwananchi in contributing towards food purchase for the fast emaciating hunger-struck northerners. The drive, Kenyans for Kenya, is reported to have collected over Ksh677 million and remains one of the top moments for the country.

The clock clocked 1:41.01 end of August 2011. And you know what? David Rudisha was again adorned with the world’s 800 metres WR (world record) not some nondescript Kiwi shoes seemingly ‘forced’ to advertise, luckily . A week earlier he had buried Wilson Kipketer’s long lasting record of 1:41.11. The Kenyan and his countrymen/women were basking in glory. That glory shone further at the Deagu World Championships when Kenyan’s, inspired by Vivian Cheruiyot’s double victory, produced a good show. WRs were not home and rested yet as one Patrick Makau broke the world men’s marathon record during the Berlin race held later that month. He brought back the record held by Ethiopia’s great Haile Gebrselassie. He beat the tape at 2:03.38, twenty one seconds better than the former’s.

You may want to add more...like President Kibaki's political re-ignition,  Kenya currency waking up after long slumber etc..

Kenya’s Top Lows in 2011

This year began slowly after Ocampo chose to open the secret letter hiding names of some Kenyans suspected to have played prominent roles in the 2007 post election mayhem in the last month of 2010-December if you like.

When a year is closed that way, any new one is never going to take off brightly. That’s why this year has been a terrifying year.

April 2011 and some cool 6 Kenyans boarded flights to the Netherlands for the mention of their alleged crimes against humanity plus other atrocities. They had been summoned the previous month. It was dark-cum-sobering-and-fearful moment for most who had thought the ICC was everything but a serious court. The prominent human beings, mostly locally, appeared before three judges led by one Ekaterina Trendafilova, a Bulgarian national. Shaken or awed by the eminence oozed by the global court, some of the suspects uttered such unforgettable quotes such as “these claims brought against me can only happen in a movie,” while others stammered to the amusement, empathy or both from their keen viewers.

Still in the same month April, ooh the good month especially for Christians, but not for some like one Laurent Gbagbo, the defiant Ivory Coast president who was squeezed out of power and fortunately or unfortunately-depends on which eye you look at it-squeezed out of his temporary home-the bunker. He was ousted out of power after refusing to hand over the presidency to his erstwhile rival Alassane Ouatarra who had been declared the winner of an earlier poll. Kenyans related soberly with the violence in the country in remembrance of theirs in 2007.

It was in May. That month the global athletics fraternity, the Kenyan community and everyone would like to forget fast. Not so because it would remain etched in their minds that prolific Kenyan marathoner Samuel Wanjiru died and not running anymore. That last part shouldn’t grammatically be there but the big wish was that even the dead Wanjiru would be able to run considering the suaveness of this Kenyan runner, then reigning Olympic champion at only 24-the youngest to have ever achieved that. He died, and controversies arose around his death and vast property stole heroism from him there and then.  A bleak month indeed.

A bleaker month lay ahead though. Fast forward. September remains that month, that month when everything seems to go wrong, that period when every sunrise seems to bring more pain and every sunset coats that excruciating pain. The real thing at The Hague began-no movies, no chest thumping, no finger-pointing no nothing, Wangari Maathai died, petrol fire roasted more than one hundred slum dwellers etc etc. The Hague and the cool 6 heads went head-to-head with a string of accusations, defended themselves and came back home with shorter tails. Most were humbled by the experience, the media reported, while others are yet to be seen by the public since then. And Mother Environment passed on-may her soul rest in peace. She succumbed to cancer. She was Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, awarded her in 2004, the first African woman to be crowned so.  That Sinai slum fire you may want to scrap from your medulla oblongata soon happened in this month and will refuse to go either. It’s there to remain especially considering the hurt and shock it brought to many. Those charred bodies, the pandemonium, the gory, the media competition and the latter’s failure to pose a prime time opinion poll question like: Do you think the burned bodies were actually dead?

Not playing with your mind with the next month of October when death robbed the world of another icon. Steve Jobs died from a rare pancreatic cancer. His legacy remains considering his revolutionary inventions which began with I-pod, I-phone, and I-pad are now consumed ferociously by the whole world.  Another man died but after spending some smelly time in a sewer. Though he was from a far land, many Kenyans knew him and might have come in contact with one or two of his properties. That man was General President Muammar Gadhafi, the Libyan dictator who had been in power since, mmm, forever. 

You may want to add more like Gideon Mbuvi aka Mike Sonko’s escalated waywardness, Charity Ngilu’s VP Kalonzo handshake snap, Syokimau demolitions and many, many more won’t you?