How kenyan can benefit from Obama. Auma Obama!

Now, those ( Luos ) and other Kenayans, who imagine that Kenya will be an extension of the US, think again. I have good news and bad news.

Bad news first. Foremost, Obama is an American, elected to serve American interests. Period. Secondly, American made him who he is, Kenya did not significantly influence him. But even that asides, why on earth would he over-burden himself with a family/homestead/country that generally abandoned him when he needed them most? Would you? Even more convincing, Obama thinks as an American, and that is why the Americans selected him. Now, if you doubt that, consider the abode occupied by Obama’s paternal grandma.

( They say that Luo men take care of their women. Is that really so? So what happened here? Obama sr. was a strange man. How does a true  (Luo)  man do  what he did to his wife and kids?  )

Ok, the good news.

How can Kenya benefit from the Obama administration. Two suggestions:

1. Fire Oginga Ogego.
2. Appoint Auma Obama as ambassador!

1. Fire Oginga Ogego.

Not that he is not effective as an ambassador, but given the history he has with Obama. Ogego had castigated Obama over his interference with Kenyan Affairs.

Hear ye:

“If Kenya is to meet the challenges of the 21st Century and satisfy aspirations of its great people, substantially more progress must be made on the issues of tribalism and corruption,” Senator Obama

And,

While you seem to believe the Government is doing all it can, a number of Kenyan politicians, members of civil society, the media, and many ordinary Kenyans have told me the exact opposite. Many have welcomed my statement as a much-needed call to action,” Senator Obama.

This is the wrong man Kenya should be sending to talk to Obama on her behalf.

2. Appoint Dr. Auma Obama

Once you have fired him, replace Him with ( if you are as smart as i am, you guessed it).  Auma Obama! Stroke of genius.

Why her? Well, they seem to have chemistry when they met for the first time in Chicago.

“There was a lot of apprehension, I had a plan B in case it didn’t work out, but it worked out. We just didn’t stop talking when we met — it was absolutely as if we’d lived together all our lives.” Auma Obama

Still doubting the closeness? He mentioned her by name in his acceptance speech! Who could be better than her?

Bottom line, she will not need to have an appointment to talk to Him. She is family.

Is President Kibaki and PM Raila listening? Now let us see how big a man Kibaki is, and whether Kenyan interest matter more to him or his personal survival interests. ( It really should not be difficult for  him, since he and Obama know each other somewhat. Hopefully he is not afraid of such a choice. )

This is the way to get President Obama’s ear. If not, tell me how best to do this.

A pivotal moment for America

Oh, he is so cool?-thinks woman in yellow

There is no doubt that Obama represents a freshness that America is in dire need of, after all the blunders the GOP administration got them into. Like him or hate him, you can not fail to see the promise of a new America in him. But is America ready to embrace Him?

The woman in yellow represents a vast majority of Americans, not so?

Obama, is this not too close? (kikulacho ki nguoni mwako)

Too close for comfort?

Ah, those priceless moments

Nytimes reporting on the Mugabe/Morgan saga ( Nytimes.com, July 22, 2008). Accordign to the paper:

“Zimbabwe’s feuding political leaders appeared jointly for the first time in years on Monday to sign a preliminary agreement laying out terms for negotiations to wrest their land out of political chaos.

The two men did not shake hands, according to news reports.”

Yet, that picture shows them shaking something (or this is caressing each others hands..)

Science, technology and medicine is “underdeveloping” africa

Think about it:

We talk about the wonders of science, technology and medicine, but fail to mention that the majority of the developing world ( especially in Africa ) have actually been regressing since these wonders began to occur.

Someone will respond with the usual arguments and say,

• “Before modern medicine came to Africa, child mortality rate was very high
• Before modern medicine came to Africa, people died of simple preventable diseases”

Science has worked wonders in the west, no doubt. The opposite has occurred in Africa. Consider the facts:

• Life expectancy continues to drop in Africa while it is rising in the west

I believe the usual culprit ( HIV/AIDS ) is an exemption ( excuse? symptom? ) rather than the reason. For example, Ethiopia and Somalia do not have high rates of infection.

In America, scientist and policy makers are now discussing possibilities using technology to slow the aging process, promising life expectancy of 150+

• Food shortage is increasing in Africa while there is over supply of food in the west

According to APPMA , the 2008 USA expenditure on pets is $43.4B. This includes food, medical care and general well being. There are 71m homes with pets.

In fact, most African children would live better lives if they were to be adopted as pets in the west!

Perhaps this “petting” of African kids will occur “naturally”, and we will be okay with it, the same way we have no problem with Madonna, BraNgelina, others adopting kids from distressed families in Africa

• More Africans die of preventable diseases and newer “western” diseases than before
• More Africans die from unnatural causes ( wars, environmental pollution, etc ) than they did before the introduction of modern technology to Africa
• Generally, affluence increases in the west, while it generally decreases in Africa

Again, consider that:

As life expectancy rises in the west, newer challenges are coming up. Newer resources would be needed to support this “new” population. The world has a fixed supply of resources, so resources have to be moved around somehow. For example, there is need for more medical support personnel to assist the longer living non-working population in the USA, UK, CA and Australia. So far, it seems, the answer has been to draw these well trained people from developing nations to meet this need.

So, science has greatly benefited people in the developed world. The benefits of science, technology and medicine is very minimal for the vast majority of Africans.

Given that A1=Advancement in science, technology and medicine, L1=Better Lifestyle in the West, L2=Better lifestyle in the Africa, H1=Good Health in the west, H2=Good Health in Africa, G1=Increased longevity in the west, G2=Increased longevity in the Africa

I posit that:

A1 (L1)(H1)(G1),

A1 1/(L2)(H2)(G2)

The Constant of proportionality includes such things as negative impacts of ethnicity in Africa, uneven playing field for scramble for limited resources, race and politics and human to human relations between the west and Africa.

It is also quite obvious, that while the practice of science helped reduced poverty in the west, it’s application is increasingly becoming expensive and out of reach for poor people. Science has become very expensive. How then do you buy it, and use it to drive youself out of poverty?

Perhaps it is time Africa stopped believing that the current practice of science is beneficial to her, and found newer ways to practice science, technology and medicine. Ways that worked for her.

But will anyone listen? No, we shall continue to drum and shout about the wonders of science, technology and medicine.