A hero’s dossier…

Kenya is one amazing country and in the last few weeks it has not disappointed, not one bit. Those who’ve got their hands on John Githongo’s dossier are not doubt amazed by how rotten the corridors of power are. If you believe all that John tells us (and I haven’t any reason not to), then you’ll know that, like a fish, the rot starts at the head. Apparently, on several occasions, the president was told about the fishy goings on in some of his ministers’ dockets. He didn’t do a thing, despite clear evidence that his Ethics PS insisted he had on the matter.

Personally, I don’t believe this was just part of Kibaki’s laid back style of leadership, but in fact a personal effort at defrauding the country he swore to protect. Many times in the dossier, Kiraitu Murungi talks about the funds being needed to fund Narc activities. Dr. Murungaru is on record saying that the President himself personally sanctioned the 4.1Billion shilling (57M dollars) deal to buy naval ships from Spain. A deal that was part of the many struck with the non-existent entity, Anglo-Leasing. All those Githongo’s dossier points at are what the press refer to as Kibaki’s political pillars.


It was his Vice President that made a statement in parliament claiming that Anglo-Leasing was a clean and reputable company. Only to later claim that he read was a statement written by technocrats in his ministry. It had been revealed that the cost of the project had been inflated almost 3 and a half times, and awarded to a company that did not in fact exist. Just showing how little respect politicians have for Kenyans’ intellect. The same man, according to John’s dossier, who set up a meeting at his residence to ask John, why he was investigating the issue yet the monies paid out had been returned to the Treasury.

That said, perhaps the understatement of the century must have been from one Minister for Justice, Kiraitu Murungi. At the height of the revelations about the dubious companies making deals with the govt., he chose to refer to the whole saga as a ‘scandal that never was !’ questioning the reasons for the press giving the issue such extensive coverage. It is the same ‘scandal that never was’ that led to his dismissal from the cabinet, albeit belated.

Another crack head must be one David Mwiraria. Questioned on why he signed a document that would have seen Kenya lose billions of shillings to the ghost company, he proceeded to blame it on his Permanent Secretary, who had handed the said document to him to sign and he went ahead and did just that, without reading it! Yeah, he expects us to swallow that pile of utter garbage. And since he’d explained away the problem so eloquently, he didn’t see any reason to resign !! He must think we are a mob of illiterate, naïve idiots, if we are to believe a word he said. He’s no longer the Minister for Finance, but I’ll not smile until I see his short, thieving self behind bars.


Back to the Head of State. Now that things have come full circle, I don’t believe there is an ounce of sincerity in anything he does. It was only after lots of sustained pressure that he got rid of 3 ministers, although his VP is still in place, probably hoping to read another statement in parliament whose accuracy he’d careless about.

I can’t wait for 2007. Certainly a red card for this govt.

Next time, more on the tapes that John Githongo made of Cabinet ministers behaving badly.

Peace,
The WebDoc.

Hungry? Have some dog-food.

Only in Kenya, will a drought occur every 7 or so years, without the govt. putting in place any measures to make sure that it's citizens do not succumb to the eventual famine. And so as it has happened again this year. The President sent out appeals for food donations to sort out another of our problems, that we never seem to be able to solve.

So the other day, a New Zealand lady, Ms Christine Drummond, offered Kenya's starving masses 42 tonnes of dog food. Yep, Dog Food. At first glance, it sounds like a vicious joke...

"You look very hungry, here, have this. I'd made for my doggy, but u seem to need it more."

Ok, so maybe i'm being a bit colorful with my illustrations, but disgust was a common first reaction. It did not look good on the surface by any means. It was all over the FM station talk shows and letters to the editor. What many might not have been obvious, was that this food is actually very nutritious and loaded with proteins and vitamins, especially critical for children who are at highest risk of malnutrition.

Many questioned whether being hungry and poor is reason enough to eat what is fit for dogs. On the other hand, what is in a name? Ok, so it's "dog food". Should that stop us from accepting the offer and save thousands lives? The food is hygienically packaged, highly nutritious and has been generously offered to our famine-stricken victims. The lady owns the company donating the food, and i trust, she had the best of intentions when she made the offer.

Hmm? I don't know, what do you think? Drop a comment.
Is this another case of ignorant ideas about how to help 3rd world countries out of their problems, or a genuine and considerate offer of help from a kind lady, who tried to help in the best way she could?
I'll let it go at that.

Next time, i tell you about the resignation of our Minister for Finance. Easily the most powerful portfolio in government after the Presidency. No one resigns here, even against the most damning of evidence. Certainly a first for Kenya, as we continue the fight against official corruption.

Laterz,
The WebDoc,
seeking dog-food recipes.

Back in Nairobi..

Yes, yes, i know that i've been a bit slow and lazy on my blog, lakini it's with reason.You know internet is not as freely available here as many like myself would like. So it's not often that i get online.
Anyway, now that i've done away with a chunk of guilt, i've to say how lovely the weather here is. Everybody's saying that it's got too hot, but i disagree. I would have been saying the same thing had i not spent a couple of months of fall and winter in America. At least i dont need three layers of warm clothes... (lol). I'd even almost forgotten that the sun doesn't have to set by 4pm.
Nairobi is not doin too bad, other than the half constructed building that collapsed somewhere in "3rd world" parts of town, where less financially abled people frequent. Blame is going all round. Most of it to the City Council of Nairobi, that approved and failed to oversee the construction. Such a pity that we end up learning from our mistakes.
Speaking of mistakes, the weekend papers had been awash with stories linking very senior ministers in Kibaki's government to graft. Payment of billions of shillings to a company that did not exist!! The media have baptised it the Anglo-Leasing scandal. Only in Kenya, will a whole Minister of Justice, say that a crime was not committed since the stolen money was promptly wired back when the story first broke last year! Yep, Hon. Kiraitu is famously quoted for calling it "The scandal that never happened."!But now those ghost are coming back to haunt them, as the former anti-corruption 'czar'releases dossier documenting how his investigations were hampered and obstructed by the very people we put into power. Sadly, he has to do it from exile in Britain, after alleged threats to his life were made. Now, who would want this man dead? I certainly have a few names in mind.
Let me let off on the politics issue. I get heated sometimes! Med school is off to slow start. Just finished a rotation in Anaesthesia and i've just started another one in Dermatology, for another 2 weeks.

Keep it posted. I'll definitely be updating the blog more often from now on. A lot more stories, corruption, med school, weather updates... the usual.

The WebDoc ,blogged out, somewhere in the hot sun.

thank you people...

This blog is dedicated to all the people, i met, wrote to, talked to, laughed with, groaned about.. etc, durin my sojourn in Stato. It's been quite an experience, now that i'm on my way home. (sob..)

And i packed this post with pics, being my last from this side of the world.

First up, my bro David.. who sorted out my ticket. I probably wouldn't have come here otherwise. Thanks a tonne.

Thanks Brigid and Carole, my sis's, dropped me at the airport and helped to perk up my financial 'short-comings'.

The Germans we lived with at International house, you guyz are awesome. Martin, Sandra and Christian, aside from the PhD's etc(myself not even having a degree to talk of yet!), u really helped me out in those first cold, blurry days.

Thanks Martin, for wakin me at 5 in the morn and not gettin mad when, against my better judgement, it took me another hour to get out of bed and into the hospital. Oh' those early mornings.. biting cold, driving wind, drowsy mind..
Remember the annoying little green notices, on the wall and on top of the toilet. "make sure you flush all the way!" - coz we don't flash in our home countries? haha...



<--- A section of the KU Med. Center.







Thanks Dr. Jones, for the patience you had with me when i new not what to do, or where to go. And Dr. Hermreck, Selim and Delcore, for the opportunity to assist in your theatres. "..Retract!!" haha..

Thanks to Natt. For paging me one hundred and forty five times, when i was late or lost, and explaining things when the abbreviations sounded like an alien dialect of English.

Thanks Thad. A very good friend indeed. Always ready to help out a confused international student. The Guessture's game at Jeremy's, that was somethin' else!! haha.. Didn't think i'd meet an American who knew so much about Kenya. Hope you'll visit one day. It's a beautiful place this.

Thanks Clemo', small world, isn't it? The barbeque was deadly, the book as well, no doubt. I might finally decide what to do after med school... I'm waiting to read the headline, "Computers Save Humanity - The HIV breakthrough" hmm.. That angle of science unasoma, iz noma. Holla, when you check into Nai.

Last but certainly not least, thanks to my sis Di and her hubby John. They kept me in the basement away from the neighbours.. haha.. no, just kiddin. They fed and kept me warm for the whole time i was in stato. I couldn't thank you enough. Did i mention the free internet?

And thanks to anyone else i might not have mentioned here, but who made my experience a worthwhile one.

..and i'm expectin' yo'all to write a comment, just unload a thought or 2 that you might have. That's what a blog's all about. The comments link is just after the pics i put below.

Peace,
The WebDoc,
somewhere over the Atlantic.

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... here are a few more my Kansas experiences. Enjoy


International Hse.
The posh diggz where we were accomodated.

..what it looks like inside.

And this is me, trying to look intelligent :-), in the Dyke's Library.
Pretty sleek joint!!

me again, on the www. Ever browsed @ speeds of 3mbps+ ? I have!

This is part of the hospital. Didn't take too many pics, long story..

ahh.. the game! Off the wire kabisa. TV does no justice, i'm telling you..

The mascot, like the team, is a 'JayHawk'

The Crowd.. and no, they were not in worship.

.. and of course the ballers. The KU JayHawks are in white.
they did win the game btw!

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I guess that's it from me. More blogs will be coming but from Nairobi this time. Yeah, i'll be waiting 4 your comments..

The Biggest Loser..

There's a new danger in the states. No, not Bin Laden and his suicidal fanatics, it's morbid obesity. U've probably heard about it in Kenya, lakini this you have to see to believe! Guyz are big!

There's this show on NBC, which has been quite a hit over here in the States, "The Biggest Loser" "hmm?.." you wonder, "whatever do u mean?" Well, it's really simple. A bunch of 14 larger than life Americans (literally) are tracked in a kind of 'Big Brother without the drama' arrangement. (well there's a tear here and sneer there, the usual.)

They live together at this joint where they are put thru' the paces, weight training, jogging, endurance missions, u know, the full 'i'm training for the Olympics' energy.

Each week one of them is fire.. oops, kicked off the show, shown the door etc. They work in 2 different teams and the team that has lost the least % in weight gets to vote out one of their own (soundz familiar). At the end of the show, the person that has lost the greatest percentage in weight is declared the winner and walks away with 250,000 US!

How about this. It's the only one of it's kind in the world, a boarding high school for obese and overweight teenagers. you have to be above a certain weight,i'm not sure what, to have any chance to get in. The school has recorded great success with its students, so much so that, it's opening a new school in New York. It will cost you however. About 5,000 dollars a month!! If u kenyans can quickly convert that 2 vernacular,(ok i'll do it for you..) 380,000 KShs/month! Oh.. but they'll be giving some scholarships soon as well.. to cater for everyone.

Once while i was at KUMC someone told me, "..sometimez they can't even fit in the CT scan machine.."

"hmm...", i wonder, "what happens then? they do without a scan?"

"oh no.", he replies, "we have to take them to the zoo, to use the animal one that's bigger!"

Yeah, i was also laughin my head off. But it wasn't funny. He was dead serious. Such is the agony some people have to go thru'. Fast food, many times is cheaper than kawaida food, and since it tastes so good, and it's alwayz available just around the corner..

For many people the only solution has come in the form of stomach stapling. Slowly developing into a subspeciality field known as bariatric surgery. They even have an association, etc http://www.asbs.org/.
They say 2/3's of American adults are overweight or obese! That's more than half. And needless to say, some doctors are making a killing, cardiologists, endocrinologists, the staplers (bariatric surgeons). It costs upwards of 25,000USD for a single operation!

Blame has been thrown all around, from farmers - whose methods of improving yields though not illegal, is raising eyebrows - to coperate fast food businesses like MacDonald's, who were actually sued by 2 teenagers, but won.
In my humble opinion, however, it mostly has to do with the way life goes on here.. move around in a car, get into a lift, sit in your office for hours, drive back home, sit infront of the tv and that's it. I even see people using shoppin carts that you can sit in to shop!

I don't know where this thread was headed, but i thot' i should bring out the stark contrast between America and Kenya.. kids could be dying of malnutrition in Makueni, but here, guyz are dying because of having too much to eat. Makes you wonder..

Keep it blogged,
The WebDoc.