Phew! It’s been so long! I mean since I last posted a blog on this page- on my own page! What were u thinking, uh?
Well, it’s because I have been kind of busy...busy reading and doing many other useful things! At least they have been useful things- like reading...unlike some of you who have been occupied with the thoughts of how you can take your share in the greedy scramble for the little available! Even if it means causing bodily or otherwise emotional harm to the other parts of humanity! You have been planning it all carefully-sort of subtle planning that makes a soon to be chess champion jealous! Now, you know whom I am talking about, don’t you?
Alright, aright...thanks! I acknowledge that welcome back” toast! Did u miss me that much? Is that the right spelling of toast? I was just pulling your leg...I am not even sure i will get the right answer...there are not very many Englsih speakers these days...if you doubt, you should listen to some the BBC broadcasters themselves! I hope the Queen is too busy taking care of her monarchy to even listen to some gibberism!
Well, I was saying (before someone distracted me with that patronising-welcome-back-thing) that I have made a new resolution that I will keep you posted every now and then, especially on what I have been thinking and/or reading. Now when I say “new resolution”, it doesn’t mean that I have already broken my old resolutions, it means something else. I will not get into that now, that will be fodder for another article! Am smiling because I have finally got something to write about next time!
For the second time, what did I want to say in this post? It’s amazing, you are still reading my post, and you think I have said something, and yet I think haven’t said anything! Somehow, two people with different perspective, but the objective is still being fulfilled- that u read as I write- or is it vice versa!
Did I just want to just fill in the missing spaces? The come-back-kid sort of thing! On second thoughts, this phrase Come-back kid has been overused used! From Hillary Clinton to John McCain to many others that you remember! Question is, who really is a come back kid! You know, kind of like show up and sign the attendance sheet...and yet i was actually dozing off (former students or errant workers know what am talking about-not al those who went to school qualify to be former students! Don’t ask me how; this is fodder for my next-next article. PHEW!)
Yes, I will keep you posted on what I have read! Post you have missed! If by now, you are wondering which of my non-existent posts you missed, and then it means that either you have been looking in the wrong places/blogs OR you plain have never attempted to look at all, which means that you have not been reading! Finally, it could also mean that you have been reading rubbish! You need a doctor to check what your brain has been storing! Goodness, I wish I were some literal doctor, I would cash in on this one!
It’s really amazing what some people feed their minds on! But then some people have decided hat we live in an era of relativism, so I will live you to your opinion on what is interesting! After all everyone is unique- like everyone else, isn’t it?! It’s more a soccer referee awarding a dubious goal, so 3 points wrongly or rightly lost or won, and then again this depends on which side you are!
What did I want to say in this post? I don’t know! Maybe you are right; I just wanted to fill in the spaces!
Friday, February 8, 2008
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
OneNote
Its been a very period...2 moths of doing assignments, course works..that you have little time to develop yoursefl as a person! I have not been reading widely as much as i should! Somehow the book "Dutch Courage" that i picked up from the Spencers has not shifted as much! Then i just to read my flatmates' blog http://annabelseashore.spaces.live.com/ and go quite challenged by how consistent she is in updating her blog.
And then just as fate would have it, i was reading online news and i came across such articles as "Vacation checklist: prepare your PC" which led me to"7 ways to organize your e-mail".
before i realised it, i was looking through OneNote, the applications software i have in my Office2007.
I then realised that there is such a trememdous opportunity to learn and improve myself and yet i seem to be so busy! OneNote is something that can totally change the way i work! Efficiency is key in a world where there is a look out for only the best brains out there! The issue is what can i do that others cant? How different am i from the thousands of process engineers that are rolled out of the grad schools all over the world!
Only a few get to the top! There is less more space there for these few!
And then just as fate would have it, i was reading online news and i came across such articles as "Vacation checklist: prepare your PC" which led me to"7 ways to organize your e-mail".
before i realised it, i was looking through OneNote, the applications software i have in my Office2007.
I then realised that there is such a trememdous opportunity to learn and improve myself and yet i seem to be so busy! OneNote is something that can totally change the way i work! Efficiency is key in a world where there is a look out for only the best brains out there! The issue is what can i do that others cant? How different am i from the thousands of process engineers that are rolled out of the grad schools all over the world!
Only a few get to the top! There is less more space there for these few!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Queen's Speech to Ugandan Parliament
Your Excellency President Museveni and Mrs Museveni, Right Honourable Speaker, Honourable Members of Parliament, Ladies and GentlemenPrince Philip and I have many fond memories of our last visit together to Uganda. In the years since, your country has made considerable advances in spite of periods of adversity.
I expect that what has helped sustain modern Uganda is the attribute that was so evident in 1954, and again today, in the generous manner we have been welcomed: the great warmth and friendliness of its people. We are delighted to be here once more.
It gives me great pleasure to address this House today in recognition of the importance of parliamentary democracy to the Commonwealth as a whole. For Uganda, the deliberations and decisions of this House, together with your respect for the rule of law, have had and will continue to have an essential bearing on the country's success in addressing many serious challenges. The United Kingdom is actively committed to supporting Uganda's efforts to deepen its democracy.
Many in the United Kingdom have been moved by the plight of the people of northern Uganda who have been suffering from the devastating conflict there. The Ugandan Government's efforts to resolve this conflict peacefully are therefore especially welcome. Uganda's regional role is also widely appreciated.
In particular, the contribution made to peacekeeping operations in Somalia has been a tribute to the courage and professionalism of Uganda's armed forces.
I am also pleased that the educational and cultural ties between our two countries are now stronger than ever before. Through its collaborative school projects, the British Council is bringing together more than one million children across Africa and the United Kingdom.
Indeed, I very much look forward to visiting later this week one of the Ugandan schools participating in the 'Connecting Classrooms' programme which does so much to increase our knowledge and understanding of each other's societies among young people.
In the years since Prince Philip and I were last here, one change in particular has come to scar Uganda and, indeed, much of Africa. The scourge of HIV infection and AIDS has touched the lives of so many of Uganda's people. It is difficult sometimes, when the sorrow associated with this disease is so profound, to avoid a sense of despair.
And yet there are growing numbers of people and organisations whose work gives cause for real hope. Today I visited the Mildmay Centre which sets a remarkable example in the provision of care and relief for those who are ill as well as in educating people about how to protect themselves and their families.
The role of centres such as this, which the Government of Uganda has done so much to encourage, will be central to achieving our common aim of controlling this cruel disease.
The continued and enlightened support of all those in authority, including this House, will play an essential part in supporting these efforts.One hundred years ago, Sir Winston Churchill, who much later became my first Prime Minister, made a celebrated visit to Uganda which he was moved to describe as 'the Pearl of Africa'.
In common with other visitors to this country over the years, he had been struck by how Uganda has been truly gifted by nature. Sir Winston had visited Munyonyo, then just 'a jetty and a few sheds', where, most fittingly, the present British Prime Minister will join his fellow Commonwealth Heads of Government this weekend.
Whether the individual links are long-standing or more recent, the United Kingdom remains a committed friend of Uganda.
Prince Philip and I have reason to recall our own associations over the years with the greatest affection and extend to you all our good wishes for the years to come.
I expect that what has helped sustain modern Uganda is the attribute that was so evident in 1954, and again today, in the generous manner we have been welcomed: the great warmth and friendliness of its people. We are delighted to be here once more.
It gives me great pleasure to address this House today in recognition of the importance of parliamentary democracy to the Commonwealth as a whole. For Uganda, the deliberations and decisions of this House, together with your respect for the rule of law, have had and will continue to have an essential bearing on the country's success in addressing many serious challenges. The United Kingdom is actively committed to supporting Uganda's efforts to deepen its democracy.
Many in the United Kingdom have been moved by the plight of the people of northern Uganda who have been suffering from the devastating conflict there. The Ugandan Government's efforts to resolve this conflict peacefully are therefore especially welcome. Uganda's regional role is also widely appreciated.
In particular, the contribution made to peacekeeping operations in Somalia has been a tribute to the courage and professionalism of Uganda's armed forces.
I am also pleased that the educational and cultural ties between our two countries are now stronger than ever before. Through its collaborative school projects, the British Council is bringing together more than one million children across Africa and the United Kingdom.
Indeed, I very much look forward to visiting later this week one of the Ugandan schools participating in the 'Connecting Classrooms' programme which does so much to increase our knowledge and understanding of each other's societies among young people.
In the years since Prince Philip and I were last here, one change in particular has come to scar Uganda and, indeed, much of Africa. The scourge of HIV infection and AIDS has touched the lives of so many of Uganda's people. It is difficult sometimes, when the sorrow associated with this disease is so profound, to avoid a sense of despair.
And yet there are growing numbers of people and organisations whose work gives cause for real hope. Today I visited the Mildmay Centre which sets a remarkable example in the provision of care and relief for those who are ill as well as in educating people about how to protect themselves and their families.
The role of centres such as this, which the Government of Uganda has done so much to encourage, will be central to achieving our common aim of controlling this cruel disease.
The continued and enlightened support of all those in authority, including this House, will play an essential part in supporting these efforts.One hundred years ago, Sir Winston Churchill, who much later became my first Prime Minister, made a celebrated visit to Uganda which he was moved to describe as 'the Pearl of Africa'.
In common with other visitors to this country over the years, he had been struck by how Uganda has been truly gifted by nature. Sir Winston had visited Munyonyo, then just 'a jetty and a few sheds', where, most fittingly, the present British Prime Minister will join his fellow Commonwealth Heads of Government this weekend.
Whether the individual links are long-standing or more recent, the United Kingdom remains a committed friend of Uganda.
Prince Philip and I have reason to recall our own associations over the years with the greatest affection and extend to you all our good wishes for the years to come.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The idiot’s guide to winning an election in Africa
The followng articel written by Nicholas Ssengoba appeared in the Daily Monitor, November 13, 2007
Pumbavu” the Kiswahili word for “foolish” could easily pass as Kenyan President, Emilio Mwai Kibaki’s favourite pejorative which causes laughter whenever he liberally uses it at rallies to ridicule and put down his opponents. Trouble is that, what the opinion polls are saying about Kibaki’s chances at the presidential election slated for December 27, 2007 is no laughing matter.
Kibaki risks falling into the enigmatic category of the great African wa pumbabavu; i.e the rare species of incumbent African leaders, who while in office organise elections, stand and lose to a (mere) challenger.
With the countless number of times The idiot’s guide to winning an African election, has been updated, a president would have to be irredeemably foolish to come second at the polls. Like the typical African man who has the daunting task of tasting the meat (and picking out the choicest pieces) before any member of the family, the president in Africa has the unenviable burden of hand-picking the Electoral Commission (EC) to “his satisfaction”.
The affluently facilitated EC quickly studies the complex theory regarding the relationship between the payer, the piper plus the tune, then goes about organising “a free and fair election” with gusto.
Miracles start to happen when cleaning the voters register. The dead come to life, while the living, especially where the incumbent is unpopular becomes the “living dead”.
Coming after this fashion later at the polls, the EC sends the wrong register to the right polling station or the ballot papers without the voters register or better still the ballot boxes without the ballot papers rendering the whole process a shambles.
Meanwhile, the president uses the massive funds he has amassed over the years (the ones that make the Mo Ibrahim prize unnecessary) to bait elements into defecting from his opponents camps. Several political parties thereafter emerge under the pretext that this reflects the “pluralism and maturity of a democracy”. In effect the president’s rival’s votes are scattered.
The campaign period is the best time to implement some “sensitive” aspects of the manifesto (remember it?) The incumbent breaks the bank and starts distributing “seed money” towards “self-help groups” on the eve of the election as his relentless effort towards “poverty alleviation” with the promise of better things to come if they vote for “continuity”.
Also he creates districts out of as many counties as possible purportedly to take services closer to the people, in fact creating jobs for hangers on.
Since leaders are chosen by God, the incumbent creates an alliance with churches, and “facilitates” them to preach a gospel that promotes his cause. The gullible flock is made to understand that their pastor had a vision whereby the Almighty promised miracles to those who vote the incumbent and curses to those who “waste” their votes.
In the background, the police and the army expeditiously “enforce law and order” to ensure the polls take place in a “peaceful environment” devoid of “intimidated voters”. They devotedly disperse the opponent’s crowd, jailing and canning “troublesome” fellows. The press is made to “visit” the police from time to time for “consultations” on stories that are considered “biased” against the incumbent.
Elsewhere, the incumbent exploits his position and uses all state facilities for his campaign. He freely gets all the time on state radio and television which have the widest coverage, under the guise of a countrywide tour to sensitise citizen on “developmental matters”. The opponents with their meager finances are left to buy expensive airtime from private radio and television stations.
Since in Africa we are not so good at counting, as it is abominable to count our children, wives and cows, the EC understandably finds trouble adding up the votes even with the help of computers and signed tally sheets.
Added, some subversive election officials who “hate” the sitting president credit him with some of his opponents’ votes to “punish” him with the “unpleasant” task of running “his” backward country and taking all the insults by the press.
By this time, the cadre judges appointed before hand, will be ready to deliver those “it was theft, but not theft enough” judgments in case any misguided opponent goes to the courts seeking justice.
And because the African State is perennially a “young democracy” stuck at the “learning stage”, the result will be accepted and life will go on. And if all this works out well Kibaki, lift those term limits. Politics isn’t a school nor are politicians school boys to be limited by “terms”. Then you may rule for life, thereafter.
It is never too late in Africa. Kibaki, look at the happy neighbour on the western side of your house; you could learn a trick or two.
Leave State House Nairobi unceremoniously like a chicken thief, after only five years is not an option. It is very uncomfortable for an elder to sit among the wa pumbavu!
nicholassengoba@yahoo.com
Pumbavu” the Kiswahili word for “foolish” could easily pass as Kenyan President, Emilio Mwai Kibaki’s favourite pejorative which causes laughter whenever he liberally uses it at rallies to ridicule and put down his opponents. Trouble is that, what the opinion polls are saying about Kibaki’s chances at the presidential election slated for December 27, 2007 is no laughing matter.
Kibaki risks falling into the enigmatic category of the great African wa pumbabavu; i.e the rare species of incumbent African leaders, who while in office organise elections, stand and lose to a (mere) challenger.
With the countless number of times The idiot’s guide to winning an African election, has been updated, a president would have to be irredeemably foolish to come second at the polls. Like the typical African man who has the daunting task of tasting the meat (and picking out the choicest pieces) before any member of the family, the president in Africa has the unenviable burden of hand-picking the Electoral Commission (EC) to “his satisfaction”.
The affluently facilitated EC quickly studies the complex theory regarding the relationship between the payer, the piper plus the tune, then goes about organising “a free and fair election” with gusto.
Miracles start to happen when cleaning the voters register. The dead come to life, while the living, especially where the incumbent is unpopular becomes the “living dead”.
Coming after this fashion later at the polls, the EC sends the wrong register to the right polling station or the ballot papers without the voters register or better still the ballot boxes without the ballot papers rendering the whole process a shambles.
Meanwhile, the president uses the massive funds he has amassed over the years (the ones that make the Mo Ibrahim prize unnecessary) to bait elements into defecting from his opponents camps. Several political parties thereafter emerge under the pretext that this reflects the “pluralism and maturity of a democracy”. In effect the president’s rival’s votes are scattered.
The campaign period is the best time to implement some “sensitive” aspects of the manifesto (remember it?) The incumbent breaks the bank and starts distributing “seed money” towards “self-help groups” on the eve of the election as his relentless effort towards “poverty alleviation” with the promise of better things to come if they vote for “continuity”.
Also he creates districts out of as many counties as possible purportedly to take services closer to the people, in fact creating jobs for hangers on.
Since leaders are chosen by God, the incumbent creates an alliance with churches, and “facilitates” them to preach a gospel that promotes his cause. The gullible flock is made to understand that their pastor had a vision whereby the Almighty promised miracles to those who vote the incumbent and curses to those who “waste” their votes.
In the background, the police and the army expeditiously “enforce law and order” to ensure the polls take place in a “peaceful environment” devoid of “intimidated voters”. They devotedly disperse the opponent’s crowd, jailing and canning “troublesome” fellows. The press is made to “visit” the police from time to time for “consultations” on stories that are considered “biased” against the incumbent.
Elsewhere, the incumbent exploits his position and uses all state facilities for his campaign. He freely gets all the time on state radio and television which have the widest coverage, under the guise of a countrywide tour to sensitise citizen on “developmental matters”. The opponents with their meager finances are left to buy expensive airtime from private radio and television stations.
Since in Africa we are not so good at counting, as it is abominable to count our children, wives and cows, the EC understandably finds trouble adding up the votes even with the help of computers and signed tally sheets.
Added, some subversive election officials who “hate” the sitting president credit him with some of his opponents’ votes to “punish” him with the “unpleasant” task of running “his” backward country and taking all the insults by the press.
By this time, the cadre judges appointed before hand, will be ready to deliver those “it was theft, but not theft enough” judgments in case any misguided opponent goes to the courts seeking justice.
And because the African State is perennially a “young democracy” stuck at the “learning stage”, the result will be accepted and life will go on. And if all this works out well Kibaki, lift those term limits. Politics isn’t a school nor are politicians school boys to be limited by “terms”. Then you may rule for life, thereafter.
It is never too late in Africa. Kibaki, look at the happy neighbour on the western side of your house; you could learn a trick or two.
Leave State House Nairobi unceremoniously like a chicken thief, after only five years is not an option. It is very uncomfortable for an elder to sit among the wa pumbavu!
nicholassengoba@yahoo.com
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Back again!!
Here i am,its been a whie since i last blogged! Work and a chnage to a student again has made me very bus of late...the last few months!
I realsie that i need to blog more often to keep track of what God is doing in my life...
I realsie that i need to blog more often to keep track of what God is doing in my life...
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Yawning with Circumcision!!
I now believe yawning is very contagious. I have always yawned just by seeing someone yawn!! But I have just developed another theory. I have found out that even by just reading the about yawning….or seeing that word alone...u can actually end up yawning. Amazing, is it?
Picture, here I am…sitting at my desk, perfectly fine, that means that I don’t have need to replenish any oxygen. My office is well aerated. My city is not yet too polluted. I can actually see the lush green meadows from my windows. I had a very good nights’ sleep. There is even no sign of getting tired. And by the way, I enjoy my work tremendously.
It’s about 11:00 hours, and I had a very good breakfast about an hour or so ago. And there is therefore no sign that I am hungry. All is well. I know you are beginning to feel like you should exchange places with me.
So I open my yahoo news, and the first thing I see is that this statement “New research challenges the common theory that yawns are triggered by a need to replenish oxygen…..” under a very captivating heading (they always are!!) Why we yawn
You now what happened? immediately yawned! Can you imagine??
Now I know, that just by reading this, someone has yawned already. If not, my theory may not necessarily be disproved; it just needs further fine tuning. I anyone has ideas Please send it to me, I need to make a write up, and send it to the American Journal of Science for publishing or to the State Department for few a few of Big Sam’s bucks. I seriously need to do more research on this subject!
I mean if some good people can fund a crazy research project such as looking at how circumcision can go along way into curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Even BBC devotes an entire article on how Circumcision can dramatically cut the rate of HIV infection in heterosexual relationships, and suggesting that it might actually offer hope to Africa. Goodness, are we insane, look at Ethiopia, Uganda (Mbale and Kasese),.
And by the way, a whole conference, 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment ,and Prevention took place in the beautiful city of Sydney Australia from 22- 25 July 2007. It was even billed as “The world's biggest scientific HIV/AIDS conference” and what did they come out with.. ….brace for this …”... new findings which suggest male circumcision can reduce infection by 60 percent” it was the
And oh, by the way..they organize a whole conference on this subject! May God jus bless our souls!! Guys, why are we wasting money, lets go back to the basics…. ABC…..yeah.....ABC.....Abstainance, Be Faithful and then if all else fails…..the use Condoms!! Say it again…ABC!
This is the strategy that worked in Uganda; it put us on the world stage as a testimony to the whole world! It gave Ugandans a sense of pride and accomplishment. It’s the first letters of the alphabet! I suspect their is an evil hand at play somewhere!! Somebody tell me something I don’t know!!
Picture, here I am…sitting at my desk, perfectly fine, that means that I don’t have need to replenish any oxygen. My office is well aerated. My city is not yet too polluted. I can actually see the lush green meadows from my windows. I had a very good nights’ sleep. There is even no sign of getting tired. And by the way, I enjoy my work tremendously.
It’s about 11:00 hours, and I had a very good breakfast about an hour or so ago. And there is therefore no sign that I am hungry. All is well. I know you are beginning to feel like you should exchange places with me.
So I open my yahoo news, and the first thing I see is that this statement “New research challenges the common theory that yawns are triggered by a need to replenish oxygen…..” under a very captivating heading (they always are!!) Why we yawn
You now what happened? immediately yawned! Can you imagine??
Now I know, that just by reading this, someone has yawned already. If not, my theory may not necessarily be disproved; it just needs further fine tuning. I anyone has ideas Please send it to me, I need to make a write up, and send it to the American Journal of Science for publishing or to the State Department for few a few of Big Sam’s bucks. I seriously need to do more research on this subject!
I mean if some good people can fund a crazy research project such as looking at how circumcision can go along way into curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Even BBC devotes an entire article on how Circumcision can dramatically cut the rate of HIV infection in heterosexual relationships, and suggesting that it might actually offer hope to Africa. Goodness, are we insane, look at Ethiopia, Uganda (Mbale and Kasese),.
And by the way, a whole conference, 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment ,and Prevention took place in the beautiful city of Sydney Australia from 22- 25 July 2007. It was even billed as “The world's biggest scientific HIV/AIDS conference” and what did they come out with.. ….brace for this …”... new findings which suggest male circumcision can reduce infection by 60 percent” it was the
And oh, by the way..they organize a whole conference on this subject! May God jus bless our souls!! Guys, why are we wasting money, lets go back to the basics…. ABC…..yeah.....ABC.....Abstainance, Be Faithful and then if all else fails…..the use Condoms!! Say it again…ABC!
This is the strategy that worked in Uganda; it put us on the world stage as a testimony to the whole world! It gave Ugandans a sense of pride and accomplishment. It’s the first letters of the alphabet! I suspect their is an evil hand at play somewhere!! Somebody tell me something I don’t know!!
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