Athletes can still shine in Moscow without ‘stars’

Athletes can still shine in Moscow without ‘stars’

Even with the absence of title holders, in the IAAF Athletics in Moscow, Kenyans should still prepare themselves to celebrate impressive results.

The participation of Jeremiah Mutai and Fergusson Rotich in the 800 metre race, on behalf of David Rudisha, should  not kill our hopes. The times and standards they set during the national trials is enough proof that they are made of great stuff and they can impress.

As long as the athletes work together as a team, they will perform even better than they did in the 2011 Daegu World Championships. Meanwhile, their fans have to play their key role and support them.

The Government on its side should intervene to revive other declining sporting activities to avoid over-reliance on athletics and show Kenyans are a diverse lot with numerous talents.

Ngeny Onesmus, Masinde Muliro University

Emergency preparedness is fatally lacking

A half-century of independence should have made a difference in Kenya’s emergency response capability but the fire at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya’s largest airport proves otherwise.

For a country that spares no effort in chest-thumping, this is a horrible humiliation. It is clear from this incident that a minor calamity can easily take our country back to the Stone Age.

And it is time we gave the police and soldiers hands-on firefighting skills. What is the use of having 200 gun-totting servicemen swarming all over the place and hindering the work of two dozen firefighters? And do we need the civilian and military top brass joining the melee?

The JKIA scenario can be replicated all over the country: hospitals, schools, universities, factories, name it, have no emergency preparedness whatsoever. Government functionaries will do the usual honours (of the we-will-leave-no-stone-upturned variety) but we know it shall be business-as-usual in next to no time.

The year 2030 when we hope to have achieved the millennium goals is only 16 years away and at the pace we are going, Vision 2030 is fast turning from a collective fantasy to a disjointed meaningless phantasm!

Cosmas Ronno, University of Eldoret

Melodrama will undermine devolution

When Kenyans promulgated the new Constitution in 2010, the journey to political Canaan commenced in earnest and optimism. The devil is in the details, if implementing the new Constitution is anything to go by.

The current brouhaha between the central and county governments is as a result of unintended consequences and if this tug of war is not properly managed it could snowball into something bigger and greatly mar the devolution process.

It is fallacious to think devolution is only about spending funds from the central Government at the county level. 

Though the central Government is obligated to support devolution, this should go beyond receiving cash transfers. Devolution must be about self-determination, and this can only be achieved by using both tangible and intangible assets to ensure counties are endowed with resources to facilitate productivity.

Transition to fully fledged county governments is akin to the Israelite’s journey from Egypt to Canaan; in several instances when Moses was unable to provide leadership the people ranted, and reminisced about the life they had left behind in Egypt a country that had held them captive.

In the same vein, when county governors fail to provide leadership Kenyans will yearn to go back to central command system of Government. Meanwhile, it is incumbent county governors cease acting like beggars and instead be innovative for the devolved government to see the light of the day.

Simon Maina, South Dakota State University (USA)

Michuki rules should be ‘exhumed’ urgently

In the month of July, more than 50 Kenyans lost their lives in horrific road accidents. This is due to the ignorance of passengers who do not wear their seat belts (if at all they are fitted).

Most Kenyans still don’t care whether a bus is full or not – they still board an overloaded vehicle. Some do not have the guts to stop the driver from speeding, not realising it is their life they are risking.

Traffic police don’t help matters, since they are readily compromised and take bribes, allowing unroadworthy drivers and vehicles on the road. The famous Michuki rules should be dusted and adopted immediately.

Endere Ali, Moi University

This is why war in Somalia will take long to resolve

The Somali Government has had its headquarters in Mogadishu for quite some time now, yet the airport and seaport in this capital city are controlled by the UN/AMISOM.

I feel that there are credibility and training issues in the Somalia army that is why the places it is controlling are being attacked frequently.

We may have some Somalia Government officers at the airport and seaport in Kismayu, but as long as our troops are there, their personal safety and logistical lines shall be greatly compromised. 

The airport and seaport are handling equipment and lives of Kenya that amount to billions of shillings.  There is also sophisticated equipment that should not be accessed by unauthorised persons. For as long as this state of affairs stays the same, the war shall take not less than 30years before it completely ceases.

Dr Nyagudi Musandu, Security Analyst

Every person needs State protection

I commend the government’s move to withdraw bodyguards from former politicians. The Government cannot be deploying up to 40,000 police and paramilitary personnel to protect a few hundreds of VIPs, while it leaves millions of Kenyans unprotected. May be if it ensured that the level of security in all corners of the country is high then VIPs would not need so many bodyguards.

The House Committee on National Security and Administration should set up a policy to provide guidelines on the specific number of people a VIP should have at their disposal. Lest the Government forgets, every Kenyan deserves a certain level of State protection.

Justin  Nkaranga, Mombasa