Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Obama Mania

A public holiday, OK, that's pushing it really.

In the US, the election day was not even a public holiday, yet in Kenya, Thursday Nov 6 has been declared a public holiday. Bana, I know quite a few people in the diaspora who are feeling somewhat embarrassed because of that.

A lost opportunity for more commerce to take place, wealth to be created. (except for the local pubs where the frothy stuff will be in full flow).

One of the reasons the US is such a powerful economy is because of work ethic. A good number of public holidays celebrated in Kenya are ordinary working days in the US.

This vision 2030 business requires more working hard and smart, less bumming celebrating. If you must celebrate.. celebrate and work at the same time.

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There are still IDPs in camps by the way.

There's still the Waki and Kriegler reports that cannot be wished away.

There are still HUGE GAPING POTHOLES on a good number of our roads.

Poverty is still a major issue
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Change? In Kenya? Nah? Just business as usual - with the usual over-indulgence of all things political. Boring!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

WHAT IS KENYAS GIFT TO OBAMA???

Even as we celebrate Obama’s success story, even as we with fingers closed wait for his inauguration as the 1st half black President of the USA. We need as Kenyans to ask ourselves this fundamental question. What has been our contribution to Obama Success?

His BIOLOGICAL father was a Kenyan, who however abandoned his son and escaped any responsibilities of child support. Infact Obama confesses that he learnt more form his Kenyan ‘father’ absence than from his presence. This is kenya’s EMBARASSMENT NO. 1. So his real father was the parents who took Obama in and saw him through his childhood and teenage years giving him the values that he now holds. That’s the reality Kenyans.

His ‘Cousin’ Raila has all along been a source of discredit to his good reputation. Raila with his VIOLENT NATURE, COMMUNIST ORIENTATIONS, MUSLIM ASSOCIATIONS have all been used against Obama. Infact, Raila in himself has cost Obama some support and Obama campaign team had to work hard to show how distant in thinking and association these two men are. This is Kenya’s EMBARASSMENT 2. It has not gone unnoticed to the Mc Cain campaign team that Raila call for mass protest in Kenya led to over 1500 deaths. This explains why Obama banished Raila from any visits to his campaign or why Obama campaign team has consistently turned down on 4 occassions RAILA’S MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS totaling 40,000 USD.

Obama’s Aunt who also happen to be Kenyan has been an illegal immigrant in US for a while. This was also ANOTHER EMBARRASSMENT from yet another Kenyan.
Infact, we OWE OBAMA AN APOLOGY AS A COUNTRY. With all these bad publicity from Kenya’s heritage, Obama has been understanding enough not to talk ill of us. For that we should be grateful.

Looking on the other side, Obama’s real family in the US has been a SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND GOOD PUBLICITY. Yet, they have been quite about it as we in Kenya tell the whole world how Kenyan Obama is.

So the reality is that KENYA HAS BEEN AN EMBARASSMENT TO OBAMA.