In the past, in this country, we have had a parliament that at least, in perception, had a functioning parliament. Many times they wouldn’t be successful in challenging the government position but they did attempt to. In those days, we had an official opposition party and a back bench. Then Kibaki came, stole elections and that was the end of active check of government in Kenya by parliament.
When Uhuru got elected by 93% and Raila got sworn in as the people’s president and shortly after, was bought by Uhuru, the government has been free to do as it pleases. And recall, most of the sitting MPs are what we call vifaranga vya komputa– computer generated MPs- for those who don’t understand my French. These crop of legislators owe only computers their allegiance and no one else. The country has in the mean time gotten worse as a bandit state.
in the days of yore, people would disappear but mostly at night and be accused of subversion by the Moi government or they would be involved in some gruesome accident with a tractor or some other such contraption. Not anymore. The current government lays siege to your house without shame and no one representative of this poor constituent raises a voice.
Then there are the cases of people who are found in sacks floating around rivers or in forests. And many other such banditry. It’s crazy when you think about it, really. The question one want to ask, is, how sick is this society that we live in? And how callous are the people who do these things?
And these same people want our votes.
Random thoughts 
And here in the UK we have a government being propped up by the opposition. Stunning. If you’re not a goverment supporter you are effectively disenfranchised. Should push come to vote, and there’s an election, who can you vote for. Democracy, what democracy? Yet we’re so proud to have apparently exported it around the globe. But as for Kenya, so sorry to hear of how bad things are. I thought things were hair-raising enough under Moi.
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The joke doing the rounds here is that the vice president leads the opposition while the leader of opposition is in government. Strange world. As to democracy, we have it at the lowest level- we can vote and nothing more besides that.
I think as to extrajudicial killings, it might have got worse since Moi left the helm.
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That is very depressing to hear. I’m wondering if national systems of government actually serve anyone very well, other than those in power.
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They do work for some but especially those in power
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Sorry to hear of this most unfortunate turn.
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crazy my friend.
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Well, we have Lula here who thinks he can sweep in and rescue Brasil from the idiot Bolsonaro like some loved hero. Lula is forgetting just how much he was (and still is) hated… and the idiot might just hand Bolsonaro a second term.
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I thought Lula was loved by the people? This is interesting
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Loved in the northeast, utterly loathed from Rio down. His problem right now is his ego. He WANTS to get back into power because he wants revenge. (and on some matters he is justified to be angry about what happened to him in Brasilia). His ego, though, is what might get Bolsonaro re-elected. Such a shame, because we actually have a great candidate (current Governor of SP) who would actually be a constructive president. We’ll have to wait and see who runs officially… but I have a very bad feeling.
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That would be another 4 or is it 5 years of Bolsonaro. You know, unlike our situation, your economy can survive an asshole president because you have a manufacturing and business class that can operate almost independently. Here, the fools in power are also the leading businessmen. And are in business with the state. The economy is ever fragile. Election cycle increases the fragility
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You’re right about the manufacturing/financial base here. It means Brazil can stumble forward just on the weight of its economy. With a senate (and supreme court) who has some sanity, Bolsonaro can be kept in check. It’d terrify me if, like you there, lose that line of defence.
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Our supreme Court is as good as useless. The courts have no way of forcing the government to follow its orders. The senate just as the national assembly is equally useless. Basically, people are at the mercy of the state. The police, from.the colonial times are under the office of the president- part of the executive arm and will obey orders no matter how ridiculous.
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Fuck.
A constitutional convention is in order.
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10 years ago we passed a robust constitution. The politicians and the courts have done their best to kill it and are now angling to change it.
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You know an idea I’m particularly fond of is a country being “taken over” by a team of technocrats from countries like Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, who clean house, get the economy back on track, strengthen institutions with good, deep hires… then leave after 7 years.
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This kind of solution, my favourite philosopher- Michel Onfray, would disagree with. It is in line with Plato’s Republic.
This is how the state was created and it must only clean itself from within or collapse.
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True.
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You know, Noel, it’s going to take someone like you (ie. you) to save your country.
If you need a campaign manager, I’m in.
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Naah. This country doesn’t need saving.
The best thing is to let it collapse. The hubris will end and then a better thing will rise. Before internal collapse, patchwork will help it move along.
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We in our nice comfortable westerners, still somewhat functioning democracies getting so little real insight information about black Africa. We hear about corruption here and there, shaking our heads as if nothing else was to be expected and rarely thinking that our rich governments are partly to blame to keep those stooges in place. You have my sympathies (not that makes any difference).
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oh yes. the western governments props up these regimes to allow them exploit resources for cheap.
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I have a feeling China is ‘outbidding’ the West in some areas in Africa to ensure special privileges. However, if the claim / belief in some quarters that China is already in mid-downward spiral and on the way down the path to economic turmoil we may have to look elsewhere for our cheap goods and tarmac roadways.
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China has many Africa countries by the balls if not the noose. It will be a while before they close their shops for cheap low quality products.
How is it down south?
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You know me … peering out from under my rock!
These days we try to avoid buying Chinese wherever possible.
Apparently the Chinese property market is going to Hell in a Hand Basket, The video I watched suggested the collapse is inevitable , has already begun and will be worse than what happened back in 2007?
In other news … I went clothes shopping the other day and bought some trousers and a few shirts.
I was pleasantly surprised to read on the labels of the trousers: Made in Madagascar and the shirts: Made in Swaziland.
And they fit perfectly, which has been a rarity for me over the past few years.
Otherwise, business is okay, no fireworks but clients keep coming. Managed a pretty good potato and squash harvest this season.
Still avoiding politics and the News(sic) like the plague!
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You and me avoiding the news.
I think it is really hard to find not made in China here. I saw something on the news a while back of an investment firm going burst. The regulators think the market will survive but we wait and see.
Good to hear business is good.
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Found some cycling clothes, even shoes, actually made in Italy.
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These one can find from second hand shops. Most new stuff is made in 🇨🇳 .
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This was thought-provoking!As this is an electioneering year,there is so much we need to work on as a nation.The impunity witnessed across the country is worrying.
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Nothing is going to change in the near term, that’s for certain. A lot has to be done though.
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