ARSENAL FANS HOUNDED ADEBAYOR OUT

Emmanuel Adebayor is a good player and a sharp forward. No matter how much vitriol is directed at the Togolese international, the fact is that many coaches would love to see the player turn up for their first eleven. Packed with power height and pace, Adebayor is any and every defender’s nightmare. He may not be a perfect marksman in front of goal but Adebayor still scores goals and plenty of them. So it surprised me beyond belief to read that there are some commentators (largely in the UK and including former Arsenal player Ray Parlour) who dismissed his planned and apparently imminent departure from Arsenal as inconsequential and joined a band of fans (and a growing one at that) that called the Arsenal forward ‘lazy’. Many have termed his departure as some sort of good riddance.

I am an Arsenal fan and a true one at that. I don’t live in North London and do not have a season ticket. To the contrary I am an Arsenal fan in Kenya. I know there are fans who are more passionate about the club because of their historical association with the club, hence their intolerance of players who display a lack of serious commitment to the Gunners. I was won over by the club's beautiful football. But I believe that Adebayor worked hard and gave Arsenal some fantastic goals (and moments) during his stay at the Emirates. He may have had an attitude problem but that was largely down to the fact that the fans are the ones who made him ill-at-ease, uncomfortable and unwelcome for the better part of the last season. They wrote unsavoury comments on the man who played a pivotal role in Arsenal’s title assault one season ago. They were condescending to a player who had a bad season because of an injury. Yet you and me know that all Arsenal players who had injuries last season including the fans favourite Cesc Fabregas had a below par spell on the pitch. Yes, there were times when the fans sang his name but these were few moments... at best interspersed.

At least Adebayor scored over a dozen goals (including a crucial away goal against Spanish side Villareal in the last UEFA Champion’s League- and what a beautiful goal that was). The fans were hungry for more... forgetting that they had made nasty comments the moment Adebayor wanted to make a move to AC Milan. They were thirsty for goals and rightly believed that Adebayor was the man to deliver them: a goal-minting machine. Yet Adebayor was a bit unsettled and had some serious injuries to deal with. He also knew that no matter how many goals he sent and shipped through the posts, there would always be some Arsenal fans who believed he wasn’t their man... he was a man on the move. Those thoughts, it now appears, weighed down Adebayor.

Adebayor demanded a £80,000 a week contract after his super 30-goal season because he deserved it. Pure and simple... there is no such thing as philanthropy in football. Players rise through the ranks, they work their socks off... they learn from master coaches like Arsene Wenger and in the end they move higher up the income ladder and demand a transfer and strike for riches when the iron is still hot. To expect Adebayor to remain at the lower levels of the income echelons in the name of loyalty is expecting that the Togolese was a descendant of North London. He is a professional and must exhibit loyalty... but at the end of the day it is all about him and his family; him and his earnings.

There is no gainsaying the fact that Adebayor owes a lot of his success to his coach and current mentor, Arsene Wenger. The Togolese knows that and he has never ever shown disrespect to Wenger. The Frenchman on his part also respects and admires Adebayor and privately believes that the Emirates fans have hounded out a good player. He told them so to their faces at an AGM during which a section of the fans and shareholders loudly asked him to sell Adebayor (in a not so healthy package of abuses and claims). The height of that ignominious campaign to kick Ade in the teeth was when a section of fans produced a Michael Owen type of sale brochure advertising the services of Adebayor. How thankless from the fans... how cold and calculating!!! Adebayor scored thirty goals in one flawless season... about 16 goals in the last season despite an injury. He had never spoken of a second transfer this time round and wanted to work hard to come back to form. He needed some time and understanding but the fans were not willing to offer him that.

Yet the likes of Cesc Fabregas struggled, huffed and puffed in front of goal last season (after his injury)... Bendtner blew away many golden chances with just the goalkeeper to beat... Van Persie was at times lost on the pitch. The fans were understanding and gave the players much needed warm applause and support. But they picked on Emmanuel Adebayor... they booed Emmanuel Eboue ... why the double standards?

I wish Arsenal the best this coming season. But fans will have to exercise patience and care when dealing with players coming through a difficult patch. Methinks that Adebayor’s lackluster performance against Manchester United (during the Champion’s League semi-final) was a direct retaliation by the striker against fans who had given him the flak unrelentingly and sometimes unfairly. That was an inexcusable shoddy performance on the pitch by the Togolese international. But Adebayor is human after all. He broke down long before he was benched in subsequent matches (following that game) thanks to a huge, marauding pack of fans that deliberately hounded him out of the Emirates. He knew that the coming season was not going to be different. Even coach Arsene Wenger knew that the fans would continue hitting Adebayor below the belt. The English press had found a perfect punching bag and released heated articles bashing Adebayor and built a run of stories suggesting that the club wanted a replacement for the player. They painted a picture of an inevitable transfer. Even if he worked hard in training and placed his heart and mind at the Emirates... the fans would still bash him. Now Adebayor is seeking a new start at Manchester City even as the accusations of disloyalty and hate articles continue popping up on the Internet. But Arsenal fans will have to rally behind the remaining players if a repeat of such a departure is to be avoided.

Nakumatt Fire Tragedy : The Lessons and Questions

As the Kenyan nation mourns the loss of lives following the Nakumatt fire tragedy, questions about the events surrounding that fire continue to increase.

Just what happened? Why were the doors shut if a mobile phone video clip (shot by a passer-by when the fire started) aired on KTN is anything to go by? Is it true that when emergency workers tried breaking the emergency exit they found a concrete barrier, a wall instead of a path through which humans could exit and save their lives? And if there was such a wall, does that mean that safety inspectors (from the council/government etc) have continued to turn a blind eye to such malpractices?

It is still too early to tell just what happened at Nakumatt Downtown but as the remains of the fire victims are removed and families continue mourning the loss of their loved ones, Kenyans will have to stock-take on a few matters regarding fire and safety. We need to be more assertive and ensure that no one takes issues touching on life and death lightly. We must be serious with development, security and the economy.

Many institutions including businesses, government agencies, private facilities, schools and even recreational facilities just don’t have the proper fire fighting capacity and rarely have fire drills to help people escape when there is a fire.

Are there any government agencies and officials who are supposed to ensure that these issues are taken seriously and the laws respected? Or is that there are some unscrupulous officials who just collect some bribes and turn a blind eye and later recline in shock and shame when they hear that a factory or institution has burnt down and that people got trapped and there was no exit through which they could save lives? I remember an incident when a glue factory along Mombasa Road caught fire and the employees died a dreadful death because there was no exit and their employers, if my memory serves me right, locked all doors fearing theft. I have a feeling that labour inspectors have never really taken that case seriously and that government should have locked up some people then to serve as a good example.

Nakumatt probably never imagined that such a fire could happen at its 24-hour store. But if the reports in the Daily Nation and the Standard are anything to go by, then there is the possibility that human error (of judgement) greatly contributed to the fire that took a huge toll on lives and property. It looks that there was no plan on how to handle customers during a fire. No one knew where to direct customers and what to do if there was a blackout. When the lights went off after an explosion and customers could only fumble in the dark while breathing in toxic fumes, a disaster was already quickly taking shape.

Kenyans should stand firm and demand proper investigations. They must be proactive and ask supervisors and managers at gyms, supermarkets, office buildings, schools etc to point out the nearest fire exit, fire extinguisher, assembly point etc. That way we will identify those in society who care less about us and care more about other material things,

I hope that there will be no repeat of fire incidents and the way they have been handled in the recent past. We need to move on and work hard and pray to God for success and safety.

HOW TO IDENTIFY A PICKPOCKET

HOW TO IDENTIFY A PICKPOCKET

Fighting pickpockets should be our priority this year. I mean it is time to really, really fight this evil with punch and power. These never-do-wells have become a threat to society. They mercilessly steal from people in society and never mind the sorry troubles they leave their victims immersed in. They relieve people of money meant for school fees, hospital bills or even just everyday shopping. Some have been left without bus-fare on long distance buses and have literally had to beg after some pickpocket niftily stole their cash.

The sleazy men and women steal from anyone and everyone. They pickpocket nurses, mothers, millionaires, paupers, religious leaders, schoolchildren and even fellow criminals. They steal in buses and crowded hospital lifts. They steal at funerals and birthday parties. But just how can an ordinary Kenyan play his part in ridding society of this vice and protect his/her hard-earned earnings?

Pickpockets steal using their hands. And because human beings use their two hands, the best way of identifying whether the person next to you in the bus or lifts is actually a pickpocket is by quickly (and I mean quickly) studying the movements of their hands. If for whatever reason, the hands keep disappearing from view suspiciously, step up your guard. If the guy has shifty eyes, watch out even more.

WHATEVER THE SITUATION, YOU MUST BE ABLE TO SEE BOTH HANDS OF THOSE STANDING/SITTING BY YOU. THERE ARE NO TWO WAYS ABOUT THIS. SEE, WATCH AND MONITOR BOTH HANDS AND BE SAFE.

Any attempt by your neighbour in the bus, lift or supermarket queue to cover one or both hands with some newspapers, paper bags, that odd-looking jacket, some conference bag etc could mean that a covert theft is about to take place. Of course there are those who cover their hands in such things innocently but for those who want to pickpocket you, they will snuggle the covered hand uncomfortably close to you. Before long, that hand will be so close to your pocket, purse or any other receptacle of valuables that you are carrying and if your alarm bells don’t go ringing, chances are high that you will be easily pick-pocketed.

Another common tactic of Nairobi’s street-savvy pickpockets is to cover the area around your pocket with something like a newspaper or magazine. Woe unto you if you start focusing on the newspaper article and engaging in a conversation with your soon-to-be tormentor in chief. “Ati Arsenal wako tops tena, kwani Premiership imeenda vipi?” you ask as your smiling pickpocket answers back. Of course, he’s also stealing from you as he engages in your cheap talk with expensive consequences.

CONCENTRATION

Of course, you will be foolhardy to think that all pickpockets carry old or new magazines or some bulky stuff, keen to disguise or cover one or both of their hands. The truth is that there are many pickpockets keenly aware that such telltale signs will do them no good. They take precautions not to look like the typical pickpocket. They board the matatu decently dressed and with freshly pressed clothes. They sport the look of a smart, young, successful bank clerk or sales executive. These are the most dangerous pickpockets. They usually place their arm across their stomach and directly lying on their groin such that their hand is nestled very close to your pocket. The other hand usually displays signs of confidence such as sticking a toothpick into their mouth. If not carefully monitored, that hand hidden from view gets to your pockets and quickly relieves you of your hard-earned cash and valuables. ALWAYS CONCENTRATE HARD EVEN AFTER IDENTIFYING WHERE BOTH HANDS HAVE GONE. Monitoring movements is the key to success.

Nairobi pickpockets have become a smart lot. While there are still some who come with that smell of a brewery, looking half-drunk with dirty long nails, there are many more who know that to survive they have to look groomed. You will have little or no reason to suspect them.

The other day I was aboard a Double M matatu from Community to the City Centre. There was a guy who walked into the matatu at about midday and had with him a newspaper. He sat next to a lady but immediately started concentrating on a middle-aged man sitting opposite him. He closed the gap separating them (the bus aisle) by sticking his knee uncomfortably close to the other guy’s pocket. He then proceeded to cover his knee with the newspaper knowing fully well that the hand holding part of the paper could hide underneath the headlines and strike with ease. Unfortunately, every time he got close to strike (I would have stopped him anyway), he was forced to cut short his evil mission because some passenger boarded the bus and had to pass through the aisle and he had to give way. Relaying his trap wasn’t easy and the would-be victim seemed to have noticed. Then a traffic cop boarded the Double M and the pickpocket seemed to smell the ‘dangerous’ long arm of the law and cooled down. THE PICKPOCKET WAS DRESSED IN A NICE, IMPORTED SUIT. POINT: CITY SLICKERS (PICKPOCKETS INCLUDED) HAVE INVESTED IN LOOKS. CONCENTRATE OR YOU’LL FALL VICTIM.

Pickpockets make you lose concentration. That way they’ll strike with ease. They flash funky phones (largely stolen or bought from stolen money) and start making calls (even in a matatu playing loud music) or sending SMSs. This allows them to move their hands from left to right and make you lose track of their many movements without necessarily becoming suspicious. The phones also help them fight back with rage if you try labelling them as pickpockets. “How dare you call me that?” You could easily be forced to swallow your words, claims etc and apologize. They also like pretending to be tracing from the pocket nearest to your pocket. They then accidentally touch your pocket to see if you’re alert enough and strike if you are still absent minded.

HUSTLERS

Then there are the usual pickpockets who hustle, push shove and manage to wriggle into your pockets as you struggle for a matatu, bus or into a lift at KNH. Some have been captured on TV at Kencom Bus Stage stealing (particularly from people heading to see relatives/or seeking treatment at KNH –using route 7- coz they are usually thinking about the KNH visiting hours deadline).

One notorious pickpocket at the Tom Mboya route 9 stage usually has a small paperbag and walks with two accomplices. He pushes and shoves with the crowd and the moment he succeeds his colleagues assist him ‘leave the crime scene’ with a tight ‘VIP’ security detail. We tried a citizen’s arrest one day but the guy escaped with ease after his colleagues aided his ‘disappearance’ into a large Nairobi evening crowd.

Some pickpockets move in armed groups and confront any person who decides to alert a victim. Some have been known to stab ‘heroes’ out to stop their crime. But many are cowardly, easily terrified solo operators. The pickpockets also have SACCO-like groups and raise funds to help release arrested colleagues and buy protection from some sleazy cops.

This is definitely a problem Kenyans have to fight. Come on, let’s do it.

Let us not forget...

The year is slowly coming to a close and Kenyans will take time to reflect on the challenges and successes they experienced. But for many Kenyans still languishing in camps for the internally displaced, this will be a time to remind Kenyans that there is little to celebrate even after the formation of the Grand Coalition government.

The poverty in the camps is telling. Yet some of the families forced to endure it had strong incomes and well-run businesses. They have been forced to live a life of abject poverty and acute suffering. They cannot predict when their next meal will come and have to hustle to earn any shillings to purchase items not catered for in the camps. These include basic toiletries.

I saw a story on a local TV channel about women in a camp for IDPs in Othaya in Nyeri. Officially, the camp is closed but some families still stay there. Some of the women interviewed said they have been forced to sell their bodies to cater for their young ones. Worse still, they engage in unprotected sexual liaisons. I do not agree that they have no other choice other than to stoop that low. However, they do have genuine grievances and need some assistance.

This is not the only camp still running in the country. The government has worked hard, pumping millions for the upkeep of the internally displaced for months now and even gave many of them cash handouts to help them resettle in their former homes and elsewhere. The government has only so much extra cash to spare. Tax revenues have been falling while ministerial needs and budgets have been growing year after year. Therefore, the private sector and ordinary wananchi should also try as much as they can to help the IDPs. Some have.

But did we have to be in this quagmire? Did Kenya have to go through such bloodletting like that witnessed earlier this year and which filled TV screens worldwide? Just where and when did the rain start beating us? Kenyans need to engage in a lot of soul searching as we prepare for the New Year.

My hope is that tribalism and its tendency to infiltrate national politics is fought hard and really hard. A country of nearly forty million should be a mature beacon of democracy not an island of troubles generated by internecine strife and hate.

Long live the Kenyan nation and down with tribalism.

Wisdom is built carefully and smartly

Wisdom is not an item found in shops and on supermarket aisles. It is gained through observation and careful analysis. It is also sharpened and perfected through deep thinking and by the innate mental faculties one has.

Kenyans will need to be wiser if they are to choose the right leaders at grassroots level. Some of the people who have made it to parliament are not of the required calibre and we can certainly improve in our selection and election process.

Wisdom will also help Kenyans understand and deal with the challenges of the current financial meltdown that is slowly seeping through the chinks in our financial armour. We will better manage the little resources we have at this crucial time.

And we will certainly have a good time running our businesses, our life and our families.

Go for it: Success is All Yours

Success does not come the easy way. Ask those who have made it to the top and they will tell you that this is indeed the case. From the charcoal-burner turned millionaire to the poor schoolboy who ended up as the CEO of a blue chip company, the story of success follows one simple established track. You will have to work hard and cudgel your brains for solutions to your life’s problems and grab opportunities that come your way.

There are no two ways about it. You will have to be an early riser (punctual, organized and effective) and work through the difficult phases in life as if they don’t exist. Tolerance of all problems as you seek their individual solutions vigorously is the difference between capitulating to pressure or fighting back and overcoming the challenges posed by circumstances and events in your life. Focus is everything and the focus has to be on all the positives and negatives with a view to seeking strength from the good and learning from the bad. There is no such word as failure in the vocabulary of the successful… what you usually call failure should be seen as nothing more than

If you let the problems, obstacles and challenges get in your way… then failure is going to be your lifelong companion. You have a choice and with prayer you can pursue success with ease and graceful movement. There will also have to be resilience on your part and you will need to be thorough in your approach to schedules. Time management has often been the failure between the successful individual and the lacklustre, mediocre fellow next door. But key to all these success moves will be your ability to fight procrastination, which remains the biggest enemy to success. Procrastination has often been identified as the biggest culprit in messing the lives of many.

Many people have failed to pursue their lifelong dreams because of procrastination. You will need to be smarter in setting out your priorities. In fact, you will have to be ruthless deciding what is to be done and when it is to be done. And then you will need to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. That is easy once you adopt the ‘Do It Now” slogan. Don’t be soiled by your inability to handle pressure and deadlines. Don’t mess up just because you want the easy way out… the lazier of the laziest options: inaction. Just as inaction on the part of a doctor can kill a patient… your inaction will be your final undoing.

You also need to stop whining and griping about everything that is happening around you. If you only opt to look at the very positive things that are happening around you, then you will start appreciating that there is more to life than just yapping about daily challenges and chores. Not everyone around you is gritty and focused… chances are high that you will also be demoralizing quite a number of fellows around you. Be responsible and stop crying yourself hoarse about problems and challenges that you can easily overcome. Stop developing a culture of ineptitude around you and help others feel good about life too. Help society develop.

There will have to be more appreciation on your part of all the positive things that are happening in your life. There are many things that you consider small and which are indeed big things happening to you; epoch-making events that could see you change your lifestyle. Improve your communication skills and speak out more often…telling friends and colleagues a word or two of appreciation. Show body language that reflects your newfound confidence. You should not look like a sulking bitter fellow who just seems to be waiting for the earth to open up and swallow him. Make good use of your time on planet earth; after all, you won’t be around forever.

Look around you. Perhaps what you see are the very obvious things, things like the furniture and interior décor of your room or office. What you seem to prefer to notice are things and people that you identify with that immediate environment of yours. But in the real sense what is happening is that you have opted to ignore the very obvious things that exist around you and which if properly excavated are indeed gold mines in the form of opportunities. Don’t be blind to the myriad of opportunities for success… tunnels to the land of success that are so obviously visible for all. It could be that vacancy posted on that notice board and which you have opted to ignore, assuming that the job is meant for others. It could be that talk in the office that could easily trigger a brainwave, which in essence could you one-way ticket to everlasting success. It could be that forty-five minute break which if well utilised could be your private thinking session, a session that will see you sort out your life in less than an hour. Unfortunately some of us never seem to realise that there are boundless opportunities around us and we opt to gripe and sulk all the time or at least a quarter of the time.

You may seem oblivious to happenings around you and that is where you are stabbing yourself in the back… puncturing the lungs of your ambition and snuffing out the life left inside your career growth. You need to sharpen your observation skills and sniff out opportunities for success.

But there is hope. You can turn around your fortunes with as little as a dose of self-discipline. You just need to manage your time well… identify the opportunities that fall your way…and strike when the earth is still fresh. Cast the model that your life will take.

So, wake up and be a go-getter. Be smart and sharp and manage your finances well. A huge chunk of the problems we face are self-made and money related. Haven’t you seen some of the happiest souls on earth are far from having even a basic bank account? How comes those with access to credit cards and loans are some of the unhappiest people around; constantly crying out loud about how unfair life is. Prioritise. That is the beginning of success.

Stay Motivated!!! It Helps

It is the start of yet another day and another chain of routine tasks. Most of us dread the difficult duties that face us and keep postponing them. That is procrastination and it is not a nice thing. It prevents us from achieving some of our lifelong dreams. We have to fight it and be smart. We need to kick out the languor and ineptitude from our lives. The simple cure to procrastination as given by some of the top authors of motivational books is simple: DO IT NOW!!!! Simply repeat that slogan and do as it asks you. But woe unto you if you just say it like some magic slogan and expect it to work.

You need to act immediately an idea or plan comes to mind. That way you will make it big and complete your tasks on time. If for instance everytime your alarm bell rings in the morning you are tempted to switch it off and continue with your sleep, change that by adopting the 'do-it-now' slogan. That means that you force yourself out of bed when the alarm bell rings by just reminding yourself that you have to sit up then and not wait a little longer... that you have to walk out of your bed and prepare for a long day ahead.

So, if you have an assignment that you have been postponing for long or a task that you would rather not do... think again; you can do it and you can do it now. There will always be tasks that sound or feel unpleasant... but they are surmountable and easy to do once you focus on them wholeheartedly.

Another factor that aids procrastination has been the large size of some of the tasks. Break your tasks into small chunks and handle them one at a time. You will be amazed at how smooth your work path will be.

Jenga Kenya Yetu!! Work hard and fight procrastination.

Power Blackouts and Soccer

Sorry ...after a long (and wrong break)... I have finally returned and the first thing I noted is that some weeds have grown in my blog-shamba and that some crook has been putting unsavoury and immoral links under the guise of comments on my old postings. Asiyekuwepo na lake halipo!! But I am now back and in charge. Comments will be regularly vetted and will no longer be solicited from unknown (and unregistered) quarters/users.

BACK TO MY TOPIC:

It is the season of soccer and the season of fun... but it seems it is also the season of power blackouts. That means only one thing for those who want to watch soccer from the comfort of their homes. They will be damned ...humiliated and left to sulk in the darkness as power is unceremonously cut off by the supposed lighting experts.
KPLC has been inefficient and now needs to be whipped out of its deep and inexcusable slumber. Regular power blackouts in most city estates (on an on&off basis) are now interrupting our schedules with ease. The power blackouts have returned with a vengeance and seem to hit during the post-10 pm soccer-viewing period. That means you might have started watching the Adebayors, Denilsons, Sahas, Decos and Ronaldinhos in action and then wham!!! darkness visits.

Just what does the Kenya Power and Lighting Company think it is doing to hardworking Kenyans? Regardless of whether they are watching soccer or not... Kenyans deserve better.