Two killed in grisly early morning accident near Konza City

Onlookers mill around the cabin wreck of a Nairobi-bound canter truck that was involved in a head-on collision with a Mombasa-bound truck at Konza, Makueni County on Saturday, November 15, 2014. In the 5 am incident, two people were killed and three, including a woman passenger on the Mombasa-bound truck, sustained serious injuries and were rushed for medication. Photo. Pius Maundu/ Daily Nation (Sunday, 16 November, 2014)

A man walks past an overturned truck at Konza, a heartbeat away from the spot where on Saturday, Novermber 15, 2014, a Nairobi-bound canter truck was involved in a head-on collision with a Mombasa-bound truck causing four hours traffic jam on both lanes of Mombasa Road. In the 5 am incident, two people were killed and three, including a woman passenger on the Mombasa-bound truck, sustained serious injuries and were rushed for medication. Photo. Pius Maundu

Lessons from the fall of Berlin Wall

Perhaps you know that on November 9, 1989, the communist regime of East Germany allowed its citizens, for the first time since 1961, to cross over to West Germany.
On this day, jubilation reigned in the world as Germany ushered in the demise of Europe’s communist regimes when millions of ordinary Germans brought down the Berlin Wall, a literal 12-feet high concrete slab installation separating the East from West Germany through the heart of Berlin.
It must have fallen with a deafening thud.
To a postmodern especiallly one enscapsulated in democracy rhetoric, the end of the Cold War narrative easily passes as quaint. But there is alot in anthropology, politics, diplomacy, and economics that the world can learn from the fall of the Berlin Wall.
And every indication points at a world at different levels of learning from the fall of the Wall.
25 years later, aljazeera.com reported that Palestinian youths hammered down parts of ‘arphatheid wall,’ a barrier separating Palestine from Israel.  In the same year, Julian Assange, an Australian hackitivist famed for accessing and publishing confidential information on states, corporations and individuals, and the founder of Wikileaks is on the run Ecuador.
What a small world!
In The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman links globalization to the end of extremism in Germany. That East Germans could easily interact with West Germans and indeed the rest of the world was an important milestone in the turning the world into a global village, in the words of Marshall McLuhan.
Thanks to globalization such ideals as democracy have permeated the world. With the 2010 Constitution, Kenyans are empowered to play an active role in government through voting, as well as participating in deliberating on national and county governments’ development initiatives.
It is unfathonable that some leaders are hestitant to rollout civic education programs, or at least invite their electorates to deliberate on development projects. Those who attempt opt for miniscule adverts on dailies whose circulation among the people is wanting.
Communication is an important cog in globalization. Until the world comes together, its inhabitants will remain underdeveloped. This is what a section of Italians hurling racially derogatory remarks on black minister Cecile Kyenge, and those placing embargoes on others, for instance, fail to aknowledge.
With embargoes, what easily comes to mind is the barrage of conditions that an applicant must brave meet to acquire a visa to, say, the United Kingdom. Or the kneejerk travel advisories Kenya places on Whites perhaps to retaliate on the embarrassment that is Western governments advising their citizens on their safety in the country in the wake of terrorism. This is not all.
Protectionism is rife at the counties. Despite clear provisions in the law that counties should have the face of the nation in their workforces, they have become tribal turfs. Not so long ago, a politician was reported in the mainstream media intimating of a plan to impose heavier levies to ‘outsiders’ who seek healthcare services in his county. That Kenyans could troop to social media the other day and chastise South Sudan for announcing an intention to evict foreigners from plum positions in the newest state in Africa is the height of mendacity.
It should be noted that the Berlin Wall came up as a way to contain brain drain. Just like most Third World countries, East Germany should have known that to mitigate against brain drain, creating opportunities at home is inevitable. Globalization serves this truism with utter notoriety.
Counties are linking up to the world to benefit from business process outsourcing. India would not have been an industrial giant today had it had not found a way of working with the West, and empowering its populace.
Similarly, county governments should find ways of creating opportunities at home. But this does not mean competing on who acquires more ambulances and bribing MCAs by paying for their benchmarking trips in far-flung lands.
While at it, effective communication should characterize the interaction between leaders, their subjects, and the causes they are pursuing. The reason United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) extols communication is that it’s a precursor to freedom, and an ingredient to sustainable development.
Attempts by governments to distance themselves from accountability by embracing opaque and propadandist top-down approaches to communication fly in the face of the new world order. Gobbling county resources by installing county radio stations in the wake of social media is not only unfortunate but also laughable.
Youths who used hammers and bare hands to bring down Berlin Wall had no idea that in 2011 their counterparts in the Middle East would turn to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to topple despots.
Leaders shunning use of interactive media must be students of the communist regime in China. When in this year authorities in Hong Kong added Instagram to the list of social media tools the masses could not access, the expectation was that marauding youths were to be cowed. Instead the “Umbrella Revolution” went on and on.
What distills from the recent development in China is plain; leaders and subjects cannot continue staying on different sides of information and ideological walls.
By communicating at the same level as Wanjiku, county and national governments can effectively tame tribal and religious bigotry among the masses. If this happens, Kenyan Somalis would stop referring to the area beyond what was until recently North Eastern Province as “the other Kenya”.
Do we now understand why community policing in Turkana, Pokot, Tana River, and Lamu has failed to bear fruit 25 years later after the fall of the Berlin Wall?
- See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/lessons-fall-berlin-wall#sthash.9tAzDIdv.dpuf

Perhaps you know that on November 9, 1989, the communist regime of East Germany allowed its citizens, for the first time since 1961, to cross over to West Germany. 

On this day, jubilation reined the world as Germany ushered in the demise of Europe’s communist regimes when millions of ordinary Germans brought down the Berlin Wall, a literal 12-feet high concrete slab installation separating East from West Germany through the heart of Berlin.

It must have fallen with a deafening thud.

To a postmodern especially one encapsulated in democracy rhetoric, the end of Cold War narrative easily passes as quaint. But there is a lot in anthropology, politics, diplomacy, and economics that the world can learn from the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

And every indication points at a world at different levels of learning from the fall of the Wall. 

Today, 25 years later, aljazeera.com reported that Palestinian youths hammered down parts of ‘apartheid wall,’ a barrier separating Palestine from Israel.  In the same year, Julian Assange, an Australian hackitivist famed for accessing and publishing confidential information on states, corporations and individuals, and the founder of Wikileaks is on the run Ecuador. 

What a small world!

In The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman links globalization to the end of extremism in Germany. That East Germans could easily interact with West Germans and indeed the rest of the world was an important milestone in the turning the world into a global village, in the words of Marshall McLuhan.

Thanks to globalization such ideals as democracy have permeated the world. With the 2010 Constitution, Kenyans are empowered to play an active role in government through voting, as well as participating in deliberating on national and county government development initiatives. 

It is unfathomable that some leaders are hesitant to roll out civic education programs, or at least invite their electorates to deliberate on development projects. Those who attempt opt for miniscule adverts on dailies whose circulation among the people is wanting. 

Communication is an important cog in globalization. Until the world comes together, its inhabitants will remain underdeveloped. This is what a section of Italians hurling racially derogatory remarks on black minister Cecile Kyenge, and those placing embargoes on others, for instance, fail to acknowledge. 

With embargoes, what easily comes to mind is the barrage of conditions that an applicant must brave to acquire visa to, say, the United Kingdom. Or the knee jerk travel advisories Kenya places on Whites perhaps to retaliate on the embarrassment that is Western governments advising their citizens on their safety in the country in the wake of terrorism. This is not all. 

Protectionism is rife at the counties. Despite clear provisions in the law that counties should have the face of the nation in their workforces, they have become tribal turfs. Not so long ago, a politician was reported in the mainstream media intimating of a plan to impose heavier levies to ‘outsiders’ who seek healthcare services in his county. 

That Kenyans could troop to social media the other day and chastise South Sudan for announcing an intention to evict foreigners from plum positions in the newest state in Africa is the height of mendacity. 

It should be noted that the Berlin Wall came up as a way to contain brain drain. Just like most Third World countries, East Germany should have known that to go round brain drain creating opportunities at home is inevitable. Globalization serves this truism with utter notoriety. 

Countries are linking up to the world to benefit from business process outsourcing. India would not have been an industrial giant today were it had not found a way of working with the West, and empowering its populace. 

Similarly, county governments should find ways of creating opportunities at home. But this does not mean competing on who acquires more ambulances and bribing MCAs by paying for their benchmarking trips in far-flung lands. 

While at it, effective communication should characterize the interaction between leaders, their subjects, and the causes they are pursuing. The reason United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) extols communication is that it’s a precursor to freedom, and an ingredient to sustainable development. 

Attempts by governments to distance themselves from accountability by embracing opaque and propagandist top-down approaches to communication fly in the face of the new world order. Gobbling county resources by installing county radio stations in the wake of social media is not only unfortunate but also laughable. 

Youths who used hammers and bear hands to bring down Berlin Wall had no idea that in 2011 their counterparts in the Middle East would turn to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to topple despots. 

Leaders shunning to use interactive media must be students of the communist regime in China. When in this year authorities in Hong Kong added Instagram to the list of social media tools the masses could not access, the expectation was that marauding youths were to be cowed. Instead the “Umbrella Revolution” went on and on. 

What distills from the recent development in China is plain:

Leaders and subjects cannot continue staying on different sides of information and ideological walls.

By communicating at the same level as Wanjiku, county and national governments can effectively tame tribal and religious bigotry among the masses. 

If this happens, Kenyan Somalis would stop referring to the area beyond what was until recently NorthEastern Province as the other Kenya. 

Do we now understand why community policing in Turkana, Pokot, Tana River, and Lamu has failed to bear fruit 25 years later after the fall of the Berlin Wall?    

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/lessons-fall-berlin-wall

Perhaps you know that on November 9, 1989, the communist regime of East Germany allowed its citizens, for the first time since 1961, to cross over to West Germany.
On this day, jubilation reigned in the world as Germany ushered in the demise of Europe’s communist regimes when millions of ordinary Germans brought down the Berlin Wall, a literal 12-feet high concrete slab installation separating the East from West Germany through the heart of Berlin.
It must have fallen with a deafening thud.
To a postmodern especiallly one enscapsulated in democracy rhetoric, the end of the Cold War narrative easily passes as quaint. But there is alot in anthropology, politics, diplomacy, and economics that the world can learn from the fall of the Berlin Wall.
And every indication points at a world at different levels of learning from the fall of the Wall.
25 years later, aljazeera.com reported that Palestinian youths hammered down parts of ‘arphatheid wall,’ a barrier separating Palestine from Israel.  In the same year, Julian Assange, an Australian hackitivist famed for accessing and publishing confidential information on states, corporations and individuals, and the founder of Wikileaks is on the run Ecuador.
What a small world!
In The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman links globalization to the end of extremism in Germany. That East Germans could easily interact with West Germans and indeed the rest of the world was an important milestone in the turning the world into a global village, in the words of Marshall McLuhan.
Thanks to globalization such ideals as democracy have permeated the world. With the 2010 Constitution, Kenyans are empowered to play an active role in government through voting, as well as participating in deliberating on national and county governments’ development initiatives.
It is unfathonable that some leaders are hestitant to rollout civic education programs, or at least invite their electorates to deliberate on development projects. Those who attempt opt for miniscule adverts on dailies whose circulation among the people is wanting.
Communication is an important cog in globalization. Until the world comes together, its inhabitants will remain underdeveloped. This is what a section of Italians hurling racially derogatory remarks on black minister Cecile Kyenge, and those placing embargoes on others, for instance, fail to aknowledge.
With embargoes, what easily comes to mind is the barrage of conditions that an applicant must brave meet to acquire a visa to, say, the United Kingdom. Or the kneejerk travel advisories Kenya places on Whites perhaps to retaliate on the embarrassment that is Western governments advising their citizens on their safety in the country in the wake of terrorism. This is not all.
Protectionism is rife at the counties. Despite clear provisions in the law that counties should have the face of the nation in their workforces, they have become tribal turfs. Not so long ago, a politician was reported in the mainstream media intimating of a plan to impose heavier levies to ‘outsiders’ who seek healthcare services in his county. That Kenyans could troop to social media the other day and chastise South Sudan for announcing an intention to evict foreigners from plum positions in the newest state in Africa is the height of mendacity.
It should be noted that the Berlin Wall came up as a way to contain brain drain. Just like most Third World countries, East Germany should have known that to mitigate against brain drain, creating opportunities at home is inevitable. Globalization serves this truism with utter notoriety.
Counties are linking up to the world to benefit from business process outsourcing. India would not have been an industrial giant today had it had not found a way of working with the West, and empowering its populace.
Similarly, county governments should find ways of creating opportunities at home. But this does not mean competing on who acquires more ambulances and bribing MCAs by paying for their benchmarking trips in far-flung lands.
While at it, effective communication should characterize the interaction between leaders, their subjects, and the causes they are pursuing. The reason United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) extols communication is that it’s a precursor to freedom, and an ingredient to sustainable development.
Attempts by governments to distance themselves from accountability by embracing opaque and propadandist top-down approaches to communication fly in the face of the new world order. Gobbling county resources by installing county radio stations in the wake of social media is not only unfortunate but also laughable.
Youths who used hammers and bare hands to bring down Berlin Wall had no idea that in 2011 their counterparts in the Middle East would turn to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to topple despots.
Leaders shunning use of interactive media must be students of the communist regime in China. When in this year authorities in Hong Kong added Instagram to the list of social media tools the masses could not access, the expectation was that marauding youths were to be cowed. Instead the “Umbrella Revolution” went on and on.
What distills from the recent development in China is plain; leaders and subjects cannot continue staying on different sides of information and ideological walls.
By communicating at the same level as Wanjiku, county and national governments can effectively tame tribal and religious bigotry among the masses. If this happens, Kenyan Somalis would stop referring to the area beyond what was until recently North Eastern Province as “the other Kenya”.
Do we now understand why community policing in Turkana, Pokot, Tana River, and Lamu has failed to bear fruit 25 years later after the fall of the Berlin Wall?
- See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/lessons-fall-berlin-wall#sthash.9tAzDIdv.dpuf

Perhaps you know that on November 9, 1989, the communist regime of East Germany allowed its citizens, for the first time since 1961, to cross over to West Germany.
On this day, jubilation reigned in the world as Germany ushered in the demise of Europe’s communist regimes when millions of ordinary Germans brought down the Berlin Wall, a literal 12-feet high concrete slab installation separating the East from West Germany through the heart of Berlin.
It must have fallen with a deafening thud.
To a postmodern especiallly one enscapsulated in democracy rhetoric, the end of the Cold War narrative easily passes as quaint. But there is alot in anthropology, politics, diplomacy, and economics that the world can learn from the fall of the Berlin Wall.
And every indication points at a world at different levels of learning from the fall of the Wall.
25 years later, aljazeera.com reported that Palestinian youths hammered down parts of ‘arphatheid wall,’ a barrier separating Palestine from Israel.  In the same year, Julian Assange, an Australian hackitivist famed for accessing and publishing confidential information on states, corporations and individuals, and the founder of Wikileaks is on the run Ecuador.
What a small world!
In The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman links globalization to the end of extremism in Germany. That East Germans could easily interact with West Germans and indeed the rest of the world was an important milestone in the turning the world into a global village, in the words of Marshall McLuhan.
Thanks to globalization such ideals as democracy have permeated the world. With the 2010 Constitution, Kenyans are empowered to play an active role in government through voting, as well as participating in deliberating on national and county governments’ development initiatives.
It is unfathonable that some leaders are hestitant to rollout civic education programs, or at least invite their electorates to deliberate on development projects. Those who attempt opt for miniscule adverts on dailies whose circulation among the people is wanting.
Communication is an important cog in globalization. Until the world comes together, its inhabitants will remain underdeveloped. This is what a section of Italians hurling racially derogatory remarks on black minister Cecile Kyenge, and those placing embargoes on others, for instance, fail to aknowledge.
With embargoes, what easily comes to mind is the barrage of conditions that an applicant must brave meet to acquire a visa to, say, the United Kingdom. Or the kneejerk travel advisories Kenya places on Whites perhaps to retaliate on the embarrassment that is Western governments advising their citizens on their safety in the country in the wake of terrorism. This is not all.
Protectionism is rife at the counties. Despite clear provisions in the law that counties should have the face of the nation in their workforces, they have become tribal turfs. Not so long ago, a politician was reported in the mainstream media intimating of a plan to impose heavier levies to ‘outsiders’ who seek healthcare services in his county. That Kenyans could troop to social media the other day and chastise South Sudan for announcing an intention to evict foreigners from plum positions in the newest state in Africa is the height of mendacity.
It should be noted that the Berlin Wall came up as a way to contain brain drain. Just like most Third World countries, East Germany should have known that to mitigate against brain drain, creating opportunities at home is inevitable. Globalization serves this truism with utter notoriety.
Counties are linking up to the world to benefit from business process outsourcing. India would not have been an industrial giant today had it had not found a way of working with the West, and empowering its populace.
Similarly, county governments should find ways of creating opportunities at home. But this does not mean competing on who acquires more ambulances and bribing MCAs by paying for their benchmarking trips in far-flung lands.
While at it, effective communication should characterize the interaction between leaders, their subjects, and the causes they are pursuing. The reason United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) extols communication is that it’s a precursor to freedom, and an ingredient to sustainable development.
Attempts by governments to distance themselves from accountability by embracing opaque and propadandist top-down approaches to communication fly in the face of the new world order. Gobbling county resources by installing county radio stations in the wake of social media is not only unfortunate but also laughable.
Youths who used hammers and bare hands to bring down Berlin Wall had no idea that in 2011 their counterparts in the Middle East would turn to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to topple despots.
Leaders shunning use of interactive media must be students of the communist regime in China. When in this year authorities in Hong Kong added Instagram to the list of social media tools the masses could not access, the expectation was that marauding youths were to be cowed. Instead the “Umbrella Revolution” went on and on.
What distills from the recent development in China is plain; leaders and subjects cannot continue staying on different sides of information and ideological walls.
By communicating at the same level as Wanjiku, county and national governments can effectively tame tribal and religious bigotry among the masses. If this happens, Kenyan Somalis would stop referring to the area beyond what was until recently North Eastern Province as “the other Kenya”.
Do we now understand why community policing in Turkana, Pokot, Tana River, and Lamu has failed to bear fruit 25 years later after the fall of the Berlin Wall?
- See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/lessons-fall-berlin-wall#sthash.9tAzDIdv.dpuf