In Kenya there is this common saying that goes ‘every market has its mad person’. In this western part of the country though, the number per market might be above that by a considerable margin. Let’s just say that every town here has several mad people bracing its streets and corridors.
The brain is the most complex of the organs in the human body. Ever wondered what causes people’s brain to snap? Why people lose their nerves and start doing insane things like obscene sexual offences, indecent exposure, tearing of clothing and other stuff you wouldn’t do I f you are sane enough to read and understand this article?
Madness can be classified in layman’s language into two simple categories; insane beliefs and insane acts. In insane acts the victim starts having illusions, talking to people no one else sees them but the victim believes they are there. He may even charge a spotlessly clean place of smelling obnoxious.
The victim might also attempt suicide severally, tear their own clothes; pick up stuff they don’t really need at random.
Mental illness or disorder is a psychological or behavioral pattern associated with distress or disability that occurs in a person which is not part of development or culture. its mostly seen as adisorder of the brain circuit likely caused by a complex interplay of genetics and experience.
Although a sudden shock may cause an attack of insanity, mental disorder development is usually a slow process which takes time. The causes of mental disorders cannot be pointed out specifically due to the many categories of mental illnesses.
The most convincing cause of mental disorders is often argued to be genetic vulnerabilities exposed by environmental factors
It is also evident that there is an established link between the various forms of the most severe cases of mental disorders and abuse (physical, sexual or mental) and neglect during childhood or the development years.
Studies have revealed that genes often play a big role in the development of mental disorders; athough identification of reliable connections between specific genes and specific categories of disorder has proven more difficult.
Environmental events surrounding pregnancy and birth have also been implicated. Traumatic brain injury may increase the risk of developing certain mental disorders.
There have been some tentative inconsistent links found to certain viral infections to substance misuse (e.g. bhang), and to general physical health.
Psychological mechanisms have also been implicated, such as cognitive (e.g. reason), emotional processes, personality, temperament and coping style.
Gender-specific indicators of mental illness incorporate physical or sexual abuse, stress, loss of social network -like friends and relatives, rape and domestic violence, high progesterone oral contraceptives, and mood disorders during early reproductive years.
It is important to note that a compination of biological, social, and behavioral health problems may result in intensified mental health issues. The disproportionate effects of these issues on women’s lives limit their coping skills, leading to negative behaviors such as substance abuse. Finally, these circumstances improve the risk of poor physical health, anxiety, and depression.
Back to our western people and most of them would tell you that there are supernatural or evil spirits involved with madness. Witchcraft is being blamed widely for most of the cases here and in many other regions in Kenya.
Some friends of mine from Luanda market tell me that if you murder a person and you are not cleaned properly, his or her blood will come hunting you. Or your wife might bewitch you, so be careful who you marry.
Friday, October 29, 2010
TRIBAL COUNCILS SHOULD NOT DEFEND MINISTERS IN CORRUPTION SCANDALS
I would like to commend the PIC for the good efforts put into bringing to book the ministers responsible for corruption scams. This is a very good move that goes a long way in showing us Kenyan that it’s the dawn of a new era, that the ages of graft and impunity, the ages that the leaders could mismanage funds in their dockets and get away with it scotch free are coming to an end.
The pressure put on Wetangula to exit office and pave way for investigation shows that there is a light at the end of the tunnel in the fight against corruption and impunity in Kenya.
The plan to investigate cases dating back to 1990 like the one involving the justice minister Mutula Kilonzo is going to make a number of ministers sweat in their sleep. And this is the justice that Kenyans need after a dark long era.
However it is surprising to always hear that after a minister is suspended, a council of elders from his/her tribe come out with guns blazing calling the act a plot against their tribe. Kenyans should understand that justice is justice and it cuts across tribes, races and any other cocoon that we have decided to cluster ourselves in.
There is no justice that is meant to discriminate against a tribe. The suspension of Mr. Ruto until his court case is decided is just that, as stipulated in the constitution which we so eagerly voted for, the resignation of Wetangula to pave way for investigation is a parliamentary process not an anti Luhya plot.
It’s a pity that we strive so eagerly to protect the same people who cannot protect public finance in our interest. So much that the rift valley MPs can threaten the PM over the votes in rift valley because they believe in our will to protect our tribal idols and we would vote against the PM just because we have been told that he is plotting against our tribes.
Any Kenyan would realize that the suspension of Ruto was a joint decision by the two principles. Can’t we remember what happened during the maize scandal?
The PM suspended Ruto but the president revoked the suspension and he stayed on. So how is it that right now it’s the PM who suspended him? And besides, political motives or not, a court case is yet to decide whether he is guilty of selling the over 1,745 hectares of Ngong forest land, should all Kenyans know about that? Even if your in the council of elders?
I believe that as long as we are fighting the war against corruption and impunity, as long as the perpetrators of these theft scams against the public are being brought to justice, as long as the ministers who let our hard earned tax money be embezzled under their noses in the dockets they are responsible for are being held responsible for their action, or lack of action. We are in the right track.
The war against corruption is not tribal unless you are from a tribe called ‘corrupt’ and therefore we should cease to tribalize all these issues and let justice take its course
The pressure put on Wetangula to exit office and pave way for investigation shows that there is a light at the end of the tunnel in the fight against corruption and impunity in Kenya.
The plan to investigate cases dating back to 1990 like the one involving the justice minister Mutula Kilonzo is going to make a number of ministers sweat in their sleep. And this is the justice that Kenyans need after a dark long era.
However it is surprising to always hear that after a minister is suspended, a council of elders from his/her tribe come out with guns blazing calling the act a plot against their tribe. Kenyans should understand that justice is justice and it cuts across tribes, races and any other cocoon that we have decided to cluster ourselves in.
There is no justice that is meant to discriminate against a tribe. The suspension of Mr. Ruto until his court case is decided is just that, as stipulated in the constitution which we so eagerly voted for, the resignation of Wetangula to pave way for investigation is a parliamentary process not an anti Luhya plot.
It’s a pity that we strive so eagerly to protect the same people who cannot protect public finance in our interest. So much that the rift valley MPs can threaten the PM over the votes in rift valley because they believe in our will to protect our tribal idols and we would vote against the PM just because we have been told that he is plotting against our tribes.
Any Kenyan would realize that the suspension of Ruto was a joint decision by the two principles. Can’t we remember what happened during the maize scandal?
The PM suspended Ruto but the president revoked the suspension and he stayed on. So how is it that right now it’s the PM who suspended him? And besides, political motives or not, a court case is yet to decide whether he is guilty of selling the over 1,745 hectares of Ngong forest land, should all Kenyans know about that? Even if your in the council of elders?
I believe that as long as we are fighting the war against corruption and impunity, as long as the perpetrators of these theft scams against the public are being brought to justice, as long as the ministers who let our hard earned tax money be embezzled under their noses in the dockets they are responsible for are being held responsible for their action, or lack of action. We are in the right track.
The war against corruption is not tribal unless you are from a tribe called ‘corrupt’ and therefore we should cease to tribalize all these issues and let justice take its course
Thursday, October 21, 2010
THIS BLOOD(Y) TRIBAL POLITICS
Just recently the ministry of planning received a lot of heat for releasing tribal numbers in the census. The reason being, tribal numbers will fuel ethnic politics and regional political alignments. This brings into question our individual and collective dedication in the fight towards eradication of tribalism in our beloved country.
With the memories of the post election violence still vivid in our minds and us crossing our fingers waiting for the incrimination of the perpetrators and the still to come compensation of some IDPs, remarks or actions that might cause tribal friction must be avoided atall costs.
But it’s very worrying to note that the ethnic politicsused by our national representatives spread hatred and propaganda is streaming down to institution politics, especially those of higher learning. The new development in the ongoing Maseno University SOMU campaigns goes a long way toshow that tribalism is still a real problem in this country.
Why would a group vying to represent a very culturally diverse people like the Maseno community decide to form alliances based on tribal affiliations and spread hate propaganda against each others tribe beats my understanding? I can think of mainly two reasons for that. One because it is very influential and Kenyans can never get over their ethnic voting patterns, and two they are learning innocently from their ‘role models’in national politics.
Let’s say it’s the first reason. As students in one of the highest learning institutions in the country, we should take the frontline in the fight against this but unfortunately we take the political correct path instead of the morally correct one. Talking about morals, hearing the noise andthe response given by ‘comrades’ to suggestive tribalistic remarks made at thestudent Kamukunji makes you realisethat the disease runs deeper in our brains, hearts, souls and blood. The scene looked like a village baraza where people make noise to every word whether they understood it or not. It doesn’t matter how many fancy and complicated words one uses, people can always read between the lines and get the message you are trying to pass across so discreetly.
And about the role models reason, could there be a better lesson than what happened after the 2007 elections? With the knowledge and information the various competitors have, can we truly convince ourselves that our Maseno politicians are not familiar with the problems their selfish actions might cause to the institution especially among the students?
As Kenyans we have gotten used to this habit of being nice to other tribes when doing the contrary will bring issues with friends family or workmates while thereal situation is that we play modest and ‘just Kenyan’ when it suits us and weare comfortable to run back and hide in our tribal cocoons when there is some individual interests like employment at stake.
We can turn a blind eye to it, we can act like its not here, we can even embrace it and use it when it favours us but the real situation is that ethnicity is still alive and with us every day. Reforms or no reforms the problem still remains.
With the memories of the post election violence still vivid in our minds and us crossing our fingers waiting for the incrimination of the perpetrators and the still to come compensation of some IDPs, remarks or actions that might cause tribal friction must be avoided atall costs.
But it’s very worrying to note that the ethnic politicsused by our national representatives spread hatred and propaganda is streaming down to institution politics, especially those of higher learning. The new development in the ongoing Maseno University SOMU campaigns goes a long way toshow that tribalism is still a real problem in this country.
Why would a group vying to represent a very culturally diverse people like the Maseno community decide to form alliances based on tribal affiliations and spread hate propaganda against each others tribe beats my understanding? I can think of mainly two reasons for that. One because it is very influential and Kenyans can never get over their ethnic voting patterns, and two they are learning innocently from their ‘role models’in national politics.
Let’s say it’s the first reason. As students in one of the highest learning institutions in the country, we should take the frontline in the fight against this but unfortunately we take the political correct path instead of the morally correct one. Talking about morals, hearing the noise andthe response given by ‘comrades’ to suggestive tribalistic remarks made at thestudent Kamukunji makes you realisethat the disease runs deeper in our brains, hearts, souls and blood. The scene looked like a village baraza where people make noise to every word whether they understood it or not. It doesn’t matter how many fancy and complicated words one uses, people can always read between the lines and get the message you are trying to pass across so discreetly.
And about the role models reason, could there be a better lesson than what happened after the 2007 elections? With the knowledge and information the various competitors have, can we truly convince ourselves that our Maseno politicians are not familiar with the problems their selfish actions might cause to the institution especially among the students?
As Kenyans we have gotten used to this habit of being nice to other tribes when doing the contrary will bring issues with friends family or workmates while thereal situation is that we play modest and ‘just Kenyan’ when it suits us and weare comfortable to run back and hide in our tribal cocoons when there is some individual interests like employment at stake.
We can turn a blind eye to it, we can act like its not here, we can even embrace it and use it when it favours us but the real situation is that ethnicity is still alive and with us every day. Reforms or no reforms the problem still remains.
WHY SAMBILI?
The suspension of Ruto from the cabinet comes as a good move after all the scandals that have been following him from the maize scandal, and the human rights list of perpetrators of the 2007 post election violence.
With the ICC around, Ruto should be given time to concentrate on clearing his name and reviving the trust Kenyans have lost in him. That was a commendable move by the president and PM.
But the appointment of Hellen Sambili the minister of East Africa community to double up as the minister for higher education questions our dedication to move ahead and beyond tribal politics.
Is there a code that stipulates that some ministerial posts belong to some tribes? Is it a must that if a Lou or a Kikuyu is suspended from a ministerial positions it should be filled by another person from the same tribe? Is there no other MP, no matter what tribe who could have stepped in to hold the ministerial position? When will Kenyans ever move away from tribal alliances if our leaders are still dividing us and appointing people along those lines?
The appointment might justified by saying that the leaders are avoiding an uproar from the Kalenjin community. That might be true, but has there been any time that Kenyans have risen against each other without the hatred and violence being fuelled by our political leaders? No
Instead of facing our tribalism problems and attitudes, we are sweeping them under the carpet and expecting the new constitution will solve all the problems for us while we keep appointing leaders along tribal lines just so that a community will be satisfied if a leader from its tribe who is accused of several scandals is suspended from a post.
Say an MP from a different tribe was appointed to that post. People will complain, mainly political leaders since that is their job- representing the people in least important issues, but in the end they will give up on it and that would set an example to all the other Kenyans and political leaders who think some political post is their tribal share of the national cake.
Kenyans have been led to think that tribal politics is MPs delivering hate speech, forcing your neighbor to vote for a person of your tribe, or fighting your neighbor. They have not been keen on read between the lines in the actions of our leaders. But these also fuel our attitudes and prejudices against each other.
With the ICC around, Ruto should be given time to concentrate on clearing his name and reviving the trust Kenyans have lost in him. That was a commendable move by the president and PM.
But the appointment of Hellen Sambili the minister of East Africa community to double up as the minister for higher education questions our dedication to move ahead and beyond tribal politics.
Is there a code that stipulates that some ministerial posts belong to some tribes? Is it a must that if a Lou or a Kikuyu is suspended from a ministerial positions it should be filled by another person from the same tribe? Is there no other MP, no matter what tribe who could have stepped in to hold the ministerial position? When will Kenyans ever move away from tribal alliances if our leaders are still dividing us and appointing people along those lines?
The appointment might justified by saying that the leaders are avoiding an uproar from the Kalenjin community. That might be true, but has there been any time that Kenyans have risen against each other without the hatred and violence being fuelled by our political leaders? No
Instead of facing our tribalism problems and attitudes, we are sweeping them under the carpet and expecting the new constitution will solve all the problems for us while we keep appointing leaders along tribal lines just so that a community will be satisfied if a leader from its tribe who is accused of several scandals is suspended from a post.
Say an MP from a different tribe was appointed to that post. People will complain, mainly political leaders since that is their job- representing the people in least important issues, but in the end they will give up on it and that would set an example to all the other Kenyans and political leaders who think some political post is their tribal share of the national cake.
Kenyans have been led to think that tribal politics is MPs delivering hate speech, forcing your neighbor to vote for a person of your tribe, or fighting your neighbor. They have not been keen on read between the lines in the actions of our leaders. But these also fuel our attitudes and prejudices against each other.
THE FORGOTTEN MASSES, THE CHOSEN FEW
As the Kenya certificate of secondary education kicks off, students, parents and all the Kenyans cannot help but worry about the fate of the candidates. It has always been a clear trend that in Kenya that the individual outcome of the exams determine the student’s future. Therefore parents and students will go to life threatening heights to ensure that they secure a better future.
There have been numerous cases of irregularities reported in previous exams with the peak being in 2007. These irregularities made Kenyans lose faith in KNEC and our examination system. Therefore KNEC has stepped up the hunt for the students that cheat and those that aid them with the involvement of the criminal investigation department.
But now the question comes; why would a student decide to risk his/her entire future just to cheat in an exam? Why would parents spend a lot of money buying leaked exam papers for their children knowing that this will give them an unfair advantage over the others, and that the grades that the candidate will get are not genuine?
The answer to these two questions is because our systems do not give them much of a choice. Let me explain
First, the pass mark for university intake ensures that averagely bright children are cut out of the higher learning institutions. This year there was a record high intake of students in the public universities, about 24,000 students, up from our traditional 10,000. These numbers are set to go higher with the reforms initiated by the suspended minister of higher education Hon William Ruto. Still, what is a mere 24,000, opposed to the over 300,000 candidates sitting for the examination this year?
This level of competition drive chills down the spines of the parents who have nurtured ambitions for their children. One cannot imagine losing all the investments they have made in educating the candidates
Instead of investing in finding and catching the exam cheats, the government and examination bodies should concentrate on creating opportunities to pursue higher education for the candidates. The increase in intakes this year caused allot of hustle with many students in different public universities failing to secure accommodation.
There should be a system that doesn’t only give opportunities to the As and B pluses but will also tell the Cs and the Ds where to develop skills that will help them secure a better future.
The universities need upgrading in order to be able to offer effective professional training to more students and therefore increasing the opportunities and reducing the competition.
The government should not only subsidize education for the high grades but should also offer affordable and quality solutions to those who cannot manage As.
This way parents and students can accept their potential knowing truthfully well that there are options and opportunities for them. And then we are justified to prosecute those who still cheat.
There have been numerous cases of irregularities reported in previous exams with the peak being in 2007. These irregularities made Kenyans lose faith in KNEC and our examination system. Therefore KNEC has stepped up the hunt for the students that cheat and those that aid them with the involvement of the criminal investigation department.
But now the question comes; why would a student decide to risk his/her entire future just to cheat in an exam? Why would parents spend a lot of money buying leaked exam papers for their children knowing that this will give them an unfair advantage over the others, and that the grades that the candidate will get are not genuine?
The answer to these two questions is because our systems do not give them much of a choice. Let me explain
First, the pass mark for university intake ensures that averagely bright children are cut out of the higher learning institutions. This year there was a record high intake of students in the public universities, about 24,000 students, up from our traditional 10,000. These numbers are set to go higher with the reforms initiated by the suspended minister of higher education Hon William Ruto. Still, what is a mere 24,000, opposed to the over 300,000 candidates sitting for the examination this year?
This level of competition drive chills down the spines of the parents who have nurtured ambitions for their children. One cannot imagine losing all the investments they have made in educating the candidates
Instead of investing in finding and catching the exam cheats, the government and examination bodies should concentrate on creating opportunities to pursue higher education for the candidates. The increase in intakes this year caused allot of hustle with many students in different public universities failing to secure accommodation.
There should be a system that doesn’t only give opportunities to the As and B pluses but will also tell the Cs and the Ds where to develop skills that will help them secure a better future.
The universities need upgrading in order to be able to offer effective professional training to more students and therefore increasing the opportunities and reducing the competition.
The government should not only subsidize education for the high grades but should also offer affordable and quality solutions to those who cannot manage As.
This way parents and students can accept their potential knowing truthfully well that there are options and opportunities for them. And then we are justified to prosecute those who still cheat.
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