Kigumo Basket Weavers to get International Market for their Basketry Products

By Gĩtaũ wa Kũng'ũ (profgitauwakungu@gmail.com).

Yesterday was a great day for Murang'a Basket Weavers and the Kenyan families at large. Nominated Senator Hon. Veronica Maina hosted a victorious Kigumo Basket Weavers Expo and Fundraiser event in Kigumo, Murang'a County. 

As interesting as it is weaving a basket wholely, the success was not without a tough, victorious fight!

Hon Veronica Maina, popular with her branding slogan ‘Vero ni tiki,’ invited the international guests. 

They included Hon Anne Mutavati, UN Women Empowerment, Kenya; Deputy Ambassador, Chinese Embassy Mr. Zhang Zhizhong; representative from the Embassy of Switzerland and other distinguished guests.

The guests gave hope to the basket weavers that they will facilitate the marketing of their works of art to markets in their countries.

“We thank the China and Switzerland governments for not only honouring our call but also promising to create market for our basketry products,” Hon Veronica Maina.

She passed the mic to Maragua constituency MP Hon Mary Wamaua to run the event as temporary MC, representing Kigumo MP Hon Joseph Munyoro. All went smoothly until the hysterical late entrance of Women Rep Hon Betty Maina into Kigumo Bendera High School grounds.

Sooner than later, Wamaua called Betty Maina to the dais. 

Betty refused to acknowledge Wamaua’s invitation to the dais, wondering aloud where the area MP was.

An unwelcome over shadowing heavily pregnant cloud of tension and violence almost broke its waters.

The County Commissioner’s security team responded aptly and the rabble rousers were neutralised.

Eventually, everything returned to normalcy. After Murang'a deputy governor Hon Stephen Munania addressed the audience. He promised that Dr. Irungu Kang'ata's county government will continue women empowerment programs like basketry.

CS Lands Hon Alice Wahome took over the program.

She admonished the day's political shenanigan. “Young leaders especially women should avoid disrespectful public speeches against others if they want to go far,” CS Wahome continued, “You don't go ordering your in-laws in her own backyard.” 

“Sisters of the mountain, respect your elders. Respect each other. It's time for women to unite not engage in self-destructive, little fights. Women are the pillars of the community, we cannot be weak!” CS Alice Wahome advised.

Then Jubilee nominated MP, the former women rep Hon Sabina Chege registered in a cerebrated arrival.

Sabina Chege went to the podium amidst jubilant welcoming as the Wanjiru wa Waya’s hit song

 “Kuuma waathiĩ,

 ‘maitũ,’ kuuma waathiĩ, 

nĩkwanyitaniire guothe.”

The atmosphere was loud with a spirited pitiful song by the audience as they cried of being left in unreliable hands after Sabina's leaving office. 

“I’m saddened by hearing of today's commotion and I humbly request that this doesn't happen again. Respect is priceless,” Hon Sabina said.

CS Wahome then invited CS Gender, Arts, Culture and Heritage Hon Aisha Jumwa.

Hon Jumwa vowed to support women enterprises using Women Empowerment Fund. 

“My ministry has developed a Sanaa App where women, including the basket weavers can gain international market exposure to sell their beautiful works of art like these colourful ciondos,” CS Jumwa said. 

She also encouraged women to form cooperatives and her ministry will cooperate with the CS Cooperatives and MSMES to bring their ideas and dreams to fulfilment. She encouraged women groups to also liaise with Women Enterprises Fund (WEF), Hustler Fund, Uwezo Fund and other relevant Women Empowerment kitties. 

She also repremanded against gender based violence (GBV) and called for unity of women.

The chief guest of the day, Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprices EGH Hon Simon Kiprono Chelugui took to the dais. 

CS Chelugui encouraged the anticipating basket weavers that his office will indeed cooperate with CS Gender’s office to empower the women’s artisan cooperatives. 

“HE president Ruto has mandated my office to support the women who come knocking into the office. Form a cooperative and we'll walk together,” He said.

The co-ops and MSMES CS promised to cooperate with Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) to ensure more women are subscribed into training in economical artistry. 

 Ksh. 5,090,000 was the amount raised during Kigumo Basket Weavers Expo and Fundraiser.

Reflections of a Controversial Kenyan Palm Sunday.

By the pen of Gítaú wa Kúng'ú (profgitauwakungu@gmail.com).

The day is the twelveth Sunday of the year 2024, the sixth in Lent. It's the last Sunday before Easter to the Western Christianity (Catholic and Protestant faiths). Fascinatingly, to the Eastern Christianity followers (Western Europe-NE Africa-Far East churches), it's the last Sunday to their Palm Sunday. So, Happy first Palm Sunday!

By the way, did You Know?

This year Christian Religion will oversee two Palm Sundays: the 24th March (Western Christianity) and; 28th April (Eastern Christianity) Palm Sundays. The world will enjoy two Palm Sundays, two holy weeks eating Easter Bunnies courtesy of the Christian Religion’s fraternal twin faiths! 

Well, whatever the case, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week in the Christian calendar, commemorating Jesus Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, riding on a colt (a young donkey).

About this spiritually important, historic day to the Christian Religion, the Bible tells the story. The women of Jerusalem are lined up the road to ‘The Holy City’ with Palm leaves shaking in the air amidst jubilant “Hosanna! Hosanna” Praise songs. Moments later, they are green-carpeting the road in reverence for the Christ’s carrying colt to walk on. 

It must have been a joyous day to embrace! 

Well, today was just a honey-drop splendour of the celebrated Biblical day. Catholics in most parts of Africa, America and Europe were all green and ‘palmy’ on their way home from mass. 

Public and private motors had at least a palm fixed on the windscreen wipers or anywhere at the front of the vehicles/motorbikes. 

Vivacious Climate Change Christian activists must be grudgingly engaged in the day's activity. How many palms were slaughtered today, and how many replacement palms were planted? Oh God of order! 

Well, being part of the Western Christianity subdivision, Kenyans asked in to Palm Sunday a lively lot!

But something in our Palm Sunday looks skew-whiff to me, suspicious even.

Tell me, isn't this day starting the Holy Week by celebrating the triumphant entry of Jesus into ‘The Holy City-Jerusalem?’

No wonder many Kenyan Churches burst into the open fields with Christian faithfuls fanning themselves with palms as they bake in the hot afternoon sun. They're waiting for a high profile chief guests to land from the skies from the belly of a chopper. Meanwhile, their contingents are arriving in their fuel swilling, spectacular motorcades.

Immediately they land, the air bursts with ululations and commotion as excitement rocket jumps beyond comprehensible levels. The church instrumentalists hype the air rhythmically with irresistible beats of drum sets, clicking of keyboards and cluckings of tight guitar strings. 

Church Choirs if not Praise and Worship teams, break into praise melodies in record sonority with energies spirited beyond human comprehension. 

The home-church members gives such a magnificent responsorial it breaks the ice cold ‘unholiness’ complex among the unsaved attendants, who just came to see some helicopter, big cars, big people.

 In attendance too are Media reporters, political sycophants and petty political ‘broggers’ hoping to overdose the internet with photos of and fabricated truths about their particular political idols’ speeches. 

The Chief Guest are here at last. You see, they've come to lay their political palms in humility and money-carpet the way before their political future in dramatic Church Fundraiser's short speeches.

From now on, the church programme MC passes the mic over to the political MC, ie the host heavyweight elected leader.

Drama starts. It's time to shine and outshine by fire by force. Behold a critical day to recap! 

Every politician and their sycophants counts this as an important card for the relevance of their political game in the next elections.

Political missiles are fired. Political shields are raised. But that's not all. To gain special political mileage, vulgar lines boom from the gargantuan hired sound systems to the salivating ears of the saved and unsaved audience. 

“From the time the war on poisonous brews started, men are now sleeping on t*p of women!” The holy church’s compound breaks into shades of laughter. Hundreds of children steal lowly glances at each other.

Oh… elsewhere, a prayer strategy team is being built to armour our 1000 Unfortuitous Police with spiritual weapons, body armours and rings of fire impenetrable by the lawless gangs of Haiti. It's a complex Haiti peace building mission to prepare for. I bet Benny Hinn shall lead the Prayers Platoon.

Welcome to the Holy Week.

A delicious Episode 2 loading....

It's Time For The Church to Bolster The Society's Socioeconomic Parameters.

Gîtau wa Kûng'û Prof writes ✍️

It's a bright, melodious, promising 8AM of Sunday, 21st May. My little brother Johnte finds me finishing up doing laundry. Oh geez! I think I'll finally succumb to mami's pressure to find her a byurifu daughter-in-law in the Chafusoko streets. Do good, marriageable ladies exist ama shida ni mimi? 
Well, Johnte has a piece of gacuru sugarcane for me. But this junior secondary, pioneer CBC general is cunning I tel yah! He waits until I savour the 1st squeeze of natural sugar out of the cane and spits out the "bone" when he lures me charismatically with the beautiful PEFA (Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa) Junior Youth biblical stories of how God is faithful to the kind and compassionate. So he tells me how he prays to be blessed like Tabitha and Hezekiah. He rounds up in a very solemn tone  splattering the story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. "Wee no wende kûninwo nî Ngai ta Anania na Sabiira?" (Would you like to end up like Anania and his wife)? He asks.
Before I ponder the answer, my mami's lastborn, the brownest and cheekiest sibling, Sami aka Kasamidoh arrives with his usual humourous gusto as he munches on "mandazi ya Kwa Zidane's Sunrise Cafe."
"Wooiye... Rîu ciana ciao ciarerirwo nûû ma?" Just like his role model Samidoh the current benga star, I guess this kid "does not have a good head!" The kind of questions his little cerebrum contorts! 

✊👯✊

He sympathizes with the Ananias's kids and wonders what became of them! Were they dumped into a children's home or did they become glue-sniffing chokora like the little kids with bruised faces he saw at Kanairo? Sami's face is now a sullen mask.
At this point, Johnte fumbles at his denim 'n produces some paper.
It's a fundraiser contributions print out for Murang'a Catholic Diocese. He wants me to sum up his contributions with something small. In return, I'm promised very many blessings and an everlasting life in paradise if I contribute.
Sami doesn't disappoint in whipping my emotions to progress Johnte's agenda. He quickly reminds Johnte that Auntie Muthoni taught them that the amount of blessings correspond to the amount of offerings and sacrifices we make. 
He takes the paper and reads two names in the list and their respective contributions. Sami argues that dad will receive the most blessings because he contributed the highest. He sympathizes with a Sharon who only contributed 10 Ksh. Johnte argues that Sharon is a grade 6 pupil n will be greatly rewarded for sacrificing to eat Zidane's Cafe mandazis to contribute.
Sami takes the talk downtown with an unchallengeable comeback that Johnte only defends Sharon because she's his girlfriend! Oh Lord come! He disappears immediately.
Well, I refuse to contribute a dime. They want to build a storey church. I have no problem, even Solomon overtaxed Israelites and made them to build the golden Temple at Jerusalem. But what happened when Babylon attacked n conquered Israel?
Look at our villages. We have beautiful stone churches whose neighbourhoods, live alone the lifelong church members' houses are made of rusted mabati, moth-n-ant-terrorised timber and toilets with old gunia sacks for walls! 
Every other day, the local masterminds of oppression, eaters of other husband's pleasure departments, snatchers of other wives' husbands, strikers in the fornicators FC and bewitchers of successful neighbour's children congregate together to be washed by the blood of the lamb of that week's scourge and scum. Meanwhile, gatina FC priests, bishops, apostles, reverends n Deacons with vast estates n posh cars (bought for by the faithful sheep in the flock of the lamb) take to the dias preaching water and condemning karûbû and mûratina before holding high the wine cup that signifies the blood of the lamb.
No! I'm not contributing any more to build any more fancy churches! But if the churches come up with a genuinely proactive agenda, like setting up a mall whose profits will help the needy, orphans and widows. I will gladly contribute. If the church wants to build a new house for a collapsing family's, I'm in! 
If the church fundraiser is about building a church library, or a theatre, or a publishing press for Christian literature, I'm in.
I'm tired of listening to priests and prophets promise and prophesy mansions to the faithful sheep now living in collapsing houses if they pray... And contribute generously the same way they contributed to build a millions worth parish n Bishop's residence.
Anyway, I offer something to cater for the usual church offerings. 

Looking For Love?

Poet: Gîtaû wa Kûng'û ©️2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣3️⃣✍️

A handsome Nyagathanga bird, 

Flies all the way from the hilly, green-carpeted land of the largest sycamore,

To linger while Flapping. Singing melodiously while Speaking. 

Speaking sonorously while Singing.

On the land named after many little colobuses, atop the beehive holding flattering, fig tree,

Just to filter and drain the pain of caned, Chained up dawns,

With lousing lyrical, quizzical, winter-solstice, arousing sunrises,

Singing sonorous melodies singing,

Love is true. People are not, truly!

Love is life. Life is a master mystery.

Love blooms from and in the springs within.

But they line up in the banks

Waiting to, and Diving into the passing currents that sparkle

So drown chasing seductive phantoms

All the time thinking,

I'm looking for love'

Looking for love?

Looking for love elsewhere,

While what they search,

Sparkles inside them!

Poet, ©️Gîtaû wa Kûng'û ✍🏾 2023

FLAWLESS LOVE!

 Hello, do you take some time to meditate on the development of life in this 21st century? Well, I do! Here's one of the vibes.

The world is thirsty of water, yet 75% of the planet is water. The nations are hungry of justice, yet the school discipline masters, security guards, the police and military, courts of law and security bodies are spread into almost ¾ of a population density.

And the suffocation for lack of oxygen in the air! The world is strangled in falsehood and lies whilst a single village has 10 churches, the wachunganji pray for the tithe n offerings after promising and prophesying paradisical health n wealth everywhere. They flock on the flocks of the Lamb with Paybills and spirited dramiracles on Radio and TV stations the bus stations, matatus, market places, streets, political rallies. 

Everyone desires better living conditions, better healthcare, less cost of living, and happiness but most importantly! Most importantly... We want deeply connected, more meaningful relationships with family, relatives, friends and colleagues. That's our true human nature. 

To change the course of tomorrow, is not upon a prophesied saviour. To make the world better is not solely upon the governments and religions. To enjoy the reality of the future that humanity dreams of but works against will only be realized if you take responsibility and take charge to make positive personal change. To influence the people around you positively to influence others positively and so the society and societies, community and communities, districts, regions, nations, trade blocks, continents and the world around you positively.

Exude humility when many ride high and mighty in pride and arrogance.

Exude flawless love when the world drinks blood and eats hearts of broken people. Everything you have: that life, that beauty, that high IQ, that money you were not freely graced with! It's cost is love, truth and justice. It's cost is freedom. Many will say otherwise. But if you won't love in truth, but lie to deceive and exploit others, even with 10 layers of makeup or on latest expensive fashion, you are as ugly as the devil to your own mirror reflection!

Watch how your high flying fashionista, luxurious celebrities fall so low and down so fast from a fast up high! 

Give the best of your best to the world and to nature and you will receive the same in mysterious ways. There are barely miracles. You create them inside the rolling wheel of time.

To The African Church and States; Preach, Enact Pro-African Doctrines and Administration Systems, Heal the Land.

Written by Gitau wa Kung’u (profgitauwakungu@gmail.com)

For long, the Kenyan communities and media has been awash with news reporting gender-based violence and related crimes. These include men murdering cheating wives/fiancés, or married women murdering or paying assassins to murder their wealthy husbands, or men killing their whole nuclear families and committing suicide. 

The jail cells are acrid with masses of productive young men sentenced over defilement convictions. Meanwhile, they leave escalating rates of teenage pregnancies and many children become mothers and mothers of aborted/miscarriage babies. Prostitution, rapes and sexual assaults among other grave immoral crimes are the order of the day.

I think many of these ethical degradations are a result of foreign, western socio-cultural influence over the African socio-cultural traditions. Amongst the influential factors, include systems of monogamy and permissive sex education protocols; over the traditional polygamy marriage system and stringent sex education and responsible sex behaviour protocols (like nguiko and kuhanda itimu in Agikuyu community).

According to 2019 Kenyan Population and Housing Census, the number of males was 23, 548.1’ (000). Females were 24,014.7’ (000). The sex ratio (number of males per 100 females) stood at 98.1.

Supposing that all the population are likely to get married in monogamous marriage, many women will be unmarried. There are many monogamous marriages in Kenya than polygamous marriages. 

Still, a considerable male population is either in jail, direly affected by alcohol, drug and substance abuse or suffering mental issues compared to the population of women in similar cases. Thus, the ratio of males potential of marrying is less than the number of viable women fit for marriage. More men than women die earlier into marriage thus, there are more widows than widowers.

The largest population in Kenya subscribes to the Christianity. The church insisting on the doctrine of monogamy (marriage between two individuals)is hence, contributing to increased chances of the population engaging in sexual immorality even as the preachers preach against sexual sins like adultery, fornication etc. How is this so?

The population of sexually viable individuals is behemoth. Sex is also a very important need in the growth and mature physiological development of the humans. In the presumption that every Christian member marries, excluding the celibates and the church continues to insist on monogamy, will it not be creating more chances of even the married faithfuls engaging in adultery with the women left unmarried?

Some jealous Christian wives and husbands often murder or pay assassins to kill their cheating partners. Others cheat to revenge. Others still resort to acquire potions from Daktari Kutoka Kitui, Tanzania and other waganga to control their spouses. Others taunt hakuna bwana ya mtu etc.

The traditional Agikuyu community for example, was well conversant with human sexuality. The community therefore had three institutions that guarded the community against such insanity as killing over love and sex matters, premarital pregnancies causing single motherhood, sexual defilement of minors and generally irresponsible sexual behaviour like prostitution. 

These included nguiko and kuhanda itimu. The institution of nguiko was what the English calls romance. In nguiko, the young people (from adolescents to young adults)were allowed to engage in romantic relationships with nguiko partners of own choice but well known to the parents. The young ladies and gentlemen were allowed to have a night together where they would engage in touching e.g. by rubbing the breasts and chests and talking about sex until they drifted off to sleep without having sex. 

If a girl lost herself and gave in to sex, the grandmother would know since she would check if the girl’s inner garment protecting her sex had been untied the next morning after a night out in nguiko. Virginity was highly valued. A girl who lost her virginity before marriage would become the village’s laughing stock. She would be stigmatised.

Thus, through nguiko, the community was able to contain the young people’s sexual tension, prevent teenage pregnancies illegitimate children, maintain virginity until marriage and thus maintain sexual purity while enhancing full social, and physiological development.

Today, adolescents are hiding and engaging in fornication and are introduced to parenthood while immature. 

There are more unsafe than safe abortions undertaken and miscarriages happen. Many healthy young men are in jail over defilement convictions. Few maintain virginity to marriage. Many, especially those in institutions of higher learning are getting entangled into love-triangle violence including suicides due to amongst the reasons, inefficient and perverted knowledge in sex education.

Among married individuals, a man was allowed to marry more than one wife on condition that he could love, provide for and take care of both families equitably.

Still, the kuhanda itimu institution existed amongst the married people. 

This involved a man and so a woman being allowed to sleep with another person’s wife or husband. However, the man had to pierce the ground outside the hut of the homeowner’s wife. That signified that the man would protect the family and spend the night with the wife. The husband would then walk away and probably do the same at the other man’s home or elsewhere. Then, there was no dangerous diseases like HIV/AIDs.

The institution was abolished together with nguiko and ruled primitive after Christianity started getting roots and the imperialist advanced colonial government.

But now that many are so civilised and Christianised, why is there more immorality than before imperialism? 

 The African church needs to read, interpret and preach the word in the light of the African not European context if indeed the gospel is to save Africa. 

Even Paul allowed gentiles not to be forced to be circumcised in order for them to be baptised and admitted into the church. 

How does the African church accept European doctrines that destroy the African rather than strengthen African cultures and traditions, or the governments thrive imperialist administration ideologies and we expect to grow socioeconomically to first world that depend on our continent for most of their industries’ raw materials?          

The role Of Nyagathanga Bird in marking the Agĩkũyũ country‘s Boundary.

Nyagathanga