PRESENT KENYA

PORNOGRAPHY ON DISPLAY
What kind of Environment are we creating for our children?
Yesterday I was shocked on watching an episode in the 7.00 o’oclock news on pornography Compact Disk (CD) being sold on the streets of Nairobi City. They were impounded by the City Council Askaris and the owners arrested.
I was totally scandalized. Can the authorities concerned urgently address the issue and take stern action or else our society will become of filth minds.
TUSAMEHEANE NA TUPENDANE “LET US FORGIVE AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER”
Tusameheane Na Tupendane, dubbed the new Kenya message declared by President Kibaki while on a tour with the Prime Minister Raila and Vice-President Kalonzo. The leaders urged communities to live in harmony during their three-day visit in the IDPs camps. Conditions at the camps have been worsened by the rains.
SHOCKING REVELATION
A new report has revealed that major political parties in Kenya spent approximately Kshs 5.6 billion in campaigns for last year's elections.
A local lobby group, Coalition for Accountable Political Campaign Financing, report indicates that some of the money came from: multi-million shilling pyramid schemes rip-off, inflated cost for services to public institutions, donations from parastatals and extortion targeting wealthy businessmen. Can you believe it?
The money was Kshs 800 million more than the cash raised by PNU, ODM, ODM-K and smaller political partiesduring the 30 day official campaign period.
LOCAL SCIENTISTS SAY HIV REASEARCH HAS HIT DEAD END
Local reaserchers like many others in the world, have stopped work on HIV vaccines. The Kenya trials and many others around the world, were based on a similar concept as the failed candidate which was stopped late last year by its sponsor. Merck & Co after some volunteers became infected with HIV the experiemtn called STEP began December 2004 and had enrolled 3,000 volunteers around the world.
Kenya AIDs Vaccine Initiative (KAVI) reaserchers had registered major successes in the phase one trial, however they say they cannot continue in phase two using a concept that might not work.
Ray of Hope
Nevertheless, what is keeping hopes of many vaccine scientists alive are new observations on how certain individuals are able to control the virus wihtout using drugs. There are high expectations that research within this area is likely to lead to the development of an effective vaccine.
MERGING CARDS
Merging Voters Card with ID
Merging the voters card with national identity card is it really a n urgent issue to be addressed? Are there not far more urgent issues to put in place like the dilapidated roads in Nairobi city? The issue of cards will be a mammoth task and a very expensive undertaking. Besides owning a voters card is by choice not a mandate like an ID.
ANSWER TO FOOD CRISIS
Re-settle the IDPs.
Most IDPs are farmers in the Rift Valley Province, that holds the country's grain basket.
According to the Minstry of Agriculture preliminary report on the impact of post-election violence, 98,900 farming families were displaced.
CENTRAL REGION COULD FACE PANGS OF HUNGER
Depsite Mt Kenya region being a higly productive area, it is staring at a looming food shortage. It being the major suplier of agricultural products to several towns, the riogions failure to produce enough food during the short rains season could worsen the matter.

EXPERTS CONCERNED ABOUT FOOD INSECURITY
Agriculture experts in Kenya worried
Agruculture expeters are concerned about the unfolding food insecurity and are warning Kenyans to brace up for harder times ahead.THey are saying the main staple food, maize is running out of stock. Dr Romano Kiome PS in the Ministry of Agriculture has raised concerns that only 15 to 50 percent of land in the Rift Valley has been prepared compared to 50 to 80 percent of land that is usually prepared by the end of February in readiness for planting. According Kinyua M'Mbijiwe of a leading seed marchant company, Monsanto Commercial Acceptance Lead, Africa painted a grim picture that the sales made are only 50 percent of what was sold last year. He attributes the low sales to post-election violence that made it impossible to access to seed markets.
NGO SAYS 14 MILLION FACE FOOD SHORTAGE IN THE HORN OF AFRICA
Care International has said that an estimated 14 million people in the Horn of Africa face an impending food shortage. Steve Wallace, Care International's Regional Director for East and Central Africa, said increases in global food prices and recent escalation of conflict in Somalia and Kenya have contributed to the vulnability. He said however, the aid system has also contributed in failing to tackle the underlying causes of food emergencies.

UN WARNS OF FOOD SHORTAGE
The UN agency, World Food Programme (WFP) has said that more than 100 million people world face hunger.
High global food prices have increased poverty and vulnability, WFP has said.
WFP Executive Director, Josette Sheeran said more people in every continent were faced with hunger and nutrition losses which will hurt children for a lifetime.
In Kenya Post-election Crisis cause of poor production
In Kenya, poverty, low economic growth, arid lands, drought and high population growth are factors affecting food insecurity not to mention the post-election crisis which has displaced most farmers from their farms.
Prices have shot up
Since the post-election crisis food prices have shot up. MAize and beans have become scarce. The fuel prices have also doubled. The World Bank also estimates that about 100 million people have been pushed deeper into poverty by the high food prices have been supported by the WFP.
Sheeran called for a comprehensive approach where all parties from governmetns to UN agencies and NGOs worked together.
KENYA COULD FACE FOOD SHORTAGES THIS YEAR
Food Crisis
The agruiculture minister, William R uto has warned of a looming food shortages in the next few months. Ruto has said that the food reserves could only last for the next four months up to August this year. Speaking at a hotel in Nairobi to launch this yerar's 'Freedom from Hunger Walk' schedudled for May 17, the minister said, "Unless we move with speed, we will experience a situation where more people will depend on releif food."

MOTHER TERESA OF KAWANGWARE
She has little to her name, but she’s given it all, by Jayne Rose Gacheri
This story touched my heart. It made me understand that there is noone who is so poor that they have nothing to give. Martha Njeri Macharia has lived in Kawangwere for over 25. years.
A dingy one-roomed mabati hut in the sprawling Kawangware slums is the home that Martha shares with six infants, two young children and five adults. The astounding story is that the children are not hers biologically, nor her relatives. They have either been abandoned or homeless. Most of them physically or mentally challenged.
She says, “There are several such people in the slums and my own challenges growing up pointed me in this direction to serve the less fortunate in my own small way.”
Martha has helped tens of destitute children and adults offering shelter, food and love until they can fend for themselves or find a home or a good samaritan to take them in. She has also helped many elderly and physically challenged people.
This humble woman says, “For most of these people and children, it is not only a matter of financial help but also love. Everyone wants to be showered with love irrespective of their environment or who they are,” she adds.
More than two decades ago Martha lived in Kangema, Murang’a with her 16-member family. Her family hardly had enough land to till and she and her siblings lived in abject poverty. She dropped out of school in standard two and had to look for work as a domestic worker. “Unfortunatley at the age of 15 I got pregnant and had to go back to my poverty-ridden home,” she says. After delivering my daughter, things got worse. I was forced into early marriage by my father.”
If her fathers home was misery, her marital home was hell. Five years and three sons later, just when she thought the poverty and suffering could not get any worse, her husband and his family did the unbelievable-they threw her and her children out saying she was a curse for bearing children with disabilitites. She found herself back home. Martha has courageously raised her five children three of whom have diverse special needs the best way she could. In unforgiving society Martha tried her best to give her children the best.
MATTERS AFFECTING US
Kenya is getting back on its toes after the violence and insecurity that griped the country following the post-elections violence that left more than 1000 dead and more than 350,000 displaced.
Currently there are 170,000 IDPs still living in camps in different parts of the country.
Now just when the violence was calming, the illegal 'Mungiki' sect is threatening the security of the citizens. The dreaded sect is on the rampage and is thirsty for blood. Just when Kenyans thought that few! Peace at last The so called Mungiki, a group of terrorist that is keeping every Kenyan away from enjoying their freedom of socializing in clubs and theatres at night comes to destroy their comfort. Who will stop the Mungiki? Is the government ready for dialogue with Mungiki? What does the group demand? This are among many other issues affecting this fascinating and nation that has been the shelter for many neighboring countries like Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan.
Another major issue is the Food Crisis. Of late the prices of food have exceedingly shot up. According to reports it is believed that food crisis is going to affect even the super powers in the world. What is going to happen to the already poor who cannot even place a plate on the table? Who survive below a dollar?