| Whispers from the Dead may save Kenya from imminent disaster |
 | Whispers from the Dead may save Kenya from imminent disaster
Lately l have been having conversations with the dead. More specifically the Post-election victims, just yesterday they whispered, “Don’t forget about us, if you do and sweep us under the carpet what occurred in 2008, the fate that befell us awaits you.” They seem keen that the children, mothers, fathers, parents they left behind do not face the same fate. Lately, the whispers have taken on an urgent tone.
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| World Women's Day |
 | International Women's Day
Copenhagen
earlier this year played host to a global conference on Climate Change. 100
years ago, it was host to a much smaller, more humble meeting, a meeting which
we remember and celebrate today.
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| 100 Kenyan women and their contribution to the world |
| 100 prominent Kenyan women and their contribution to the world
Roll call. We'll start the list by declaring it open to women from all walks of life, and from all sectors of production. So please put in here the names of business leaders, politicians, writers, artists, civil rights activists.
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| Progress Report; Tales on how much remains to be done |
| A progress report: Tales on how much remains to be done
This is the third of our three Open Threads for this year's International Women's Day. In this one we ask that you reflect on your assessment of areas where a lot needs to be done to achieve greater equality and justice for women. This will tie in well with the theme of this year's International Women's Day, Equal Rights, equal opportunity: Progress for All. We prefer that you use actual anecdotes to illustrate your points.
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| Let us all Stand for Equality |
 | Let us all Stand for Equality
On Monday, 1st March, a group of activists and civil society organisations in Uganda presented a petition signed by 450,000 people from across the world opposing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The petition was presented to Edward Sekandi, the Ugandan Speaker of Parliament and called for Parliament to “enact laws that will protect people and not humiliate or kill them”. It pointed out that the said bill is unconstitutional because it encourages discrimination against Ugandan LGBTI peo...
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| Stalking and eavesdropping made easier |
 | Stalking and eavesdropping made easier
I read this article here from the Guardian a few years ago. It is a good thing it is still up on the internet. It shows how technology a good slave can also be turned against you as a very stealthy and powerful foe.
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| Finding my Identity |
 | Finding my Identity
I am usually excited at the start of a new semester – I generally love new beginnings. When I was younger I hated introducing myself because the question that always followed was, “Oh that’s a pretty name. Is it Igbo? What does it mean?” I did not like the meaning but now I love it. I secretly,not much of a secret anymore, love hearing "ooh that’s a pretty name" whenever I say, 'Hi my name is Edia and I'm from Nigeria. I'm an International Affairs major and a Journa...
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| My Coming Out |
 | My Coming Out
It hasn't always been this easy. It always made me nervous and uncomfortable. As though there was something wrong with me loving this way. When I look back I am not really sure how and when I accepted my fate and let it be. All I remember is that at some point in my life I was ashamed and scared to love a woman. As far as I can remember, I did not have much of a coming out experience for I was outed. I am not even sure what I was scared of. Moreover, allowing myself to live openly and honestly,...
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| Tampon Taboos |
 | Tampon Taboos
Yes, this piece might be about tampons, but as has been pointed out to me several times, a taboo is something that has been known for a time, and then classified as a no-no for a specific community. Since we are in Africa, a taboo would have to be known for several generations and quarantined as a taboo through those generations likely backed up by some oral tradition about why-not. There, so we really cannot have tampon taboos, since tampons are fairly new phenomena around these parts.
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| Whistleblowers, lonely hearts |
 | Whistleblowers, lonely hearts
I have recently been
thinking of starting a Whistleblowers Club, sort of like Alcoholics Anonymous,
complete with a 12-step recovery programme.
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| Curbing Corruption is our Collective Responsibilty |
 | Why Curbing Corruption is our Collective Responsibilty
Every morning after my early morning devotion I perform a ritual that but for the single occupancy status of my living quarters would irk any possible roommate, however tolerant. I turn to the large imposition of my country's colors , its flag, that dominates a wall in my room, and sing the national anthem and then say our national pledge. No drug of choice, not even Red Bull, gives me a natural high as the sound of the closing drum rolls that sixteen years of this ritual has imprinted in ...
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| The Culture War Comes to Africa |
 | The Culture War Comes to Africa
Over the past week there has seen a string of blog posts and news articles criticising the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Below is a roundup of some of the more interesting and useful ones including a video from the October protest outside the London High Commission for Uganda.
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| Wycliff's Story |
 | Wycliff's story
Like so many others who were never given a chance in life, Wycliff’s story is just one of many of poverty-ridden Kenyans. Attaching no value in their lives, we see them as one: these glue-sniffing, dirt-ridden street children. I hate what my country has done to Wycliff and thousands of others just like him.
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| Freedom for the thought that we hate |
| Freedom for the thought that we hate
In common with many of my country men, I found the recent wedding in London between two homosexual Kenyans quite disturbing, albeit for very different reasons.
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| Homosexuality and the Myth of Choice |
| Homosexuality and the Myth of Choice
Arguments that homosexuals do not deserve equal rights to heterosexuals are both misguided and wrong.
Kenyan society's discomfort with homosexuals and the recent attention they have been receiving is no justification for codifying discrimination against them into the constitution.
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| The unafrican African |
 | The unafrican African
I have a Kenyan passport. All my ancestors are Bukusu, most of my friends are from Africa, but I am not an African.
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| Uganda is 'under attack' |
 | Uganda is “under attack”
Uganda is under attack and, as always, it’s the mothers of the nation who are to blame. An anti-homosexuality bill has been tabled before the Parliament of Uganda. Many have risen to denounce and oppose it, both within the country and from across the globe. Many others have risen to support it. Some in the Church have argued in favor of the capital punishment in the Bill, others have argued for life imprisonment. The ones arguing for life imprisonment are actually considere...
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| The Institution of Marriage: Thou shalt not admit gays? |
 | The Institution of Marriage: Thou shalt not admit gays?
On Tuesday there were elections in some parts of the United States. Of course, being an alien, Our Man in America couldn’t vote. But he does have the democratic right to express himself, so he’s going to comment on them anyway.What struck me about those elections was not the Obama-report-cardangle mainstream media has been focusing on. Rather, it was an issue near and dear to many of my friends: gay marriage. You might have seen headlines like, “Maine rejects same-sex marriage ...
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| The Standard: The newspaper for unfairness and injustice |
| The Standard: The newspaper for unfairness and injustice
Self Editor’s Note: If you have been following Our Man in America – as you should – you’ve probably been wondering when he is going write something favorable of his surrogate country. Here it is.
Three words sparked my desire to give America kudos: shoddy Kenyan journalism.
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