The onset (and aftermath) of Friday (27th March) night's curfew is a classic example of how the world is made up of competing narratives/spectacles. Almost everyone who spoke up on social media sites had a valid point (from their vantage point): It is illegal for citizens to disobey curfew orders.It is illegal for police to … Continue reading A Call to Sanity During #COVID-19 Curfew in Kenya
The questions asked during the census exercise have been quite revealing -- but not in a way many of us have thought of. Depending on where you live, you probably found some questions odd or unnecessary. We even joked about it on social media. Someone wondered out loud on Twitter why the enumerator found the … Continue reading What the 2019 census reveals about Kenyans
Did you know that the Kenyan constitution gives every child the right to a name? The Bill of Rights in the Kenyan Constitution (Article 53) clearly outlines the rights of children, including the right of every child to free and compulsory basic education, the right to basic nutrition, and the right to shelter and health … Continue reading The Shocking Names Kenyan Parents Give Their Children
What will you do when the politicians come knocking this Sunday? Dear Pastor, He will be visiting your church this Sunday, but he won’t be a stranger. You have seen him on television and read about him in the newspaper countless times. You have never met him, but you probably know him better than some of … Continue reading A Letter to Kenyan Pastors
[Written on March 15, 2013] There's a celebratory mood in Kenya. Other than those celebrating the wins of their preferred candidates in various electoral positions, there's another, more subtle celebration. Despite many fears of a recurrence of the 2007/08 post-election violence, the 2013 elections were predominantly peaceful. The few incidences prior to the elections, were, … Continue reading Kenya’s 2013 Post Election Violence
It is a small room. There's probably about 30 to 40 people inside. All the people in the room are praying. Fervently. Faithfully. Resolutely. Unceasingly. You see, one of their own has been thrown into prison. And they are praying for, if not his release, at least his well being. That he won't be killed … Continue reading Okay Kenyans, You Can Stop Praying Now
Three reads to enrich your week. The first one is lengthy but timely. The second is brief and to the point. And the third one is, well, just read and find out: THE IDOL OF 'OPEN' OPTIONS: "We worship the god of open options. And he is killing us. He kills our relationships, because he … Continue reading Blog Break (25 Feb 13)
When we look at other African countries plagued by wars similar to those in Kenya (such as tribal conflicts), those who have attained peace (albeit an imperfect peace) had to pay a great price for that peace. Come to think of it, the fight for peace is really a fight for freedom, and it is only … Continue reading The Violence of Peace
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his … Continue reading The Truth About Peace in Kenya
Here are three links to spruce up your weekend reading: In THE COMING ELECTIONS, Pastor Murungi of Trinity Baptist Church, Nairobi, appeals to Kenyan Christians (and Kenyans in general) to acknowledge the sovereignty of God in government, to assume responsibility for that government and to vote wisely. "Our great hope must not be in a … Continue reading Blog Break (15 Feb 13)
I deeply appreciate Peter Oduor's effort towards bringing to light the various problems plaguing the Kenyan church and 21st Century evangelicalism in general. On 13th February, he wrote an article on Daily Nation's DN2 magazine, addressing the premise: "The Kenyan Church is on a roll, but what’s the inspiration behind its colossal growth over the … Continue reading The Kenyan Church and Prosperity Gospel
The number of deaths from Sunday’s bomb attack on a matatu in Eastleigh has risen to 9. Those injured are in their dozens. Chaos has erupted in the affected neighborhoods as accusatory fingers are pointed by members of one neighborhood across the fence from another neighborhood. I have now lost count of the number of … Continue reading Why Are You Afraid? Insecurity in Kenya
Alien Citizen 