Mr. Okoth Osewe to Launch His Book On The 31 Jan 2009 In Tensta.

Mr. Okoth Osewe, a well known Kenya writer is going to launch his new book “Raila Odinga’s Stolen Presidency” on the 31st Jan 2008 in Tensta. The book which has been in circulation since last year has been the talk of the town.

The first-ever self-written political book by the Kenyan Journalist was published last year and will be formally launched here in Sweden. The Organizing committee of the launch announced yesterday that all plans to launch the book were ready and they welcomed all Kenyans and friends on that special day.

The book is the final product of years of hard and consistent political work and struggle by Mr. Okoth Osewe. The book is considered to be an important contribution towards democracy in our country. According to the author, the book will be available to buyers on that day. However, the book can be ordered on line.

Due to the unique creativity of the writer, it is a must read book. It is believed that the book will make a crucial difference among its readers in particular those who hate Raila Odinga.

Munala wa Munala.

The Kenyan Wife Beater Is Free Now!

A Stockholm-area self-proclaimed Kenyan politician has been freed from Swedish custody after being arrested on Friday for beating his wife. The Kenyan man who resides in Sweden is popular in many ways among Kenyans in this region. The man is a very decent Kenyan in character and it is surprising to many people why he sunk that low.

The “Politician” has been a front runner in crusade against women beating and has supported many people in different ways. It is not clear what triggered him to turn his aggression to his wife after struggling for many years to bring her here. Many Kenyans are left in suspense of what happened to the man many admired before the beating.

The suspect was arrested on Friday in connection with blowing and practicing physical fitness on his wife for several times. It is believed that the woman was injured seriously in the attack by the husband. The Swedish police were called to the scene at their home in the Stockholm area where they found the alleged aggressor with his seriously injured wife. He was taken to the police custody and released on Sunday.

A source told Jamii that this is not the first time the aggressor has beaten the innocent woman. The source said that the victim has frequently been beaten in the past, but top advisers to the family manipulated her not to press charges against the self-made politician. Some good Samaritans who knew the story for a period of time were banned to advice the wife, causing continuous beating in the darkness. On Friday last week it was a D-day for the victim forcing her to call for help from the Swedish police.

This follows a recent incident where another young Kenyan man who used to be a blogger punched his ex-partner forcing the young victim to call the police to take care of the situation. In most cases, it is when trying to end a violent relationship that women are most likely to be seriously injured or even murdered. Most victims are regularly murdered because no one spoke out in time. Jamii is appealing to Pastor Beartice Kamau and her VOW organization to step up and save this innocent people. Kenyans too can help by condemning the aggressors and helping both the victims and the family in general.

What is new in wife beating among Kenyans in Sweden is that it is no longer widely accepted as an inevitable and private matter. Kenyan men who are still in the game are being warned that their time is up. In this country, you can face serious problems if you beat women. A good thing is that many Kenyans have changed their attitudes towards women and this has come about as part of the profound transformation of ideas about the roles and rights of women in our society.

Grass-roots women’s organizations like Voice Of Women (VOM) led by Pastor Beatrice Kamau have begun to redefine spouse abuse as a violation of the victim’s civil rights and a criminal act of assault subject to the same punishments as other acts of violence. Bringing it out into the open by talking about it is the first step toward a solution. All progressive Kenyans and friends must condemn the women beaters in the strongest terms. The suspected politician must know that fighting is the lowest level of management and if you cannot manage the smallest unit of leadership which is a family, don’t make unnecessary noise about changing Kenya when you cannot manage you home.

The man has a long way to go now since he has shown to the whole world his barbaric nature. However, he still has time to reform and I hope Kenyans and friends can lend a hand to restore peace and love in the mentioned family.

Munala wa Munala.

Lydiah Mukasa CD Album launch In Stockholm.

It is with great pleasure that I bring you Christmas greetings in that wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is the very reason for the season.  I believe that all is well with you and your family as we approach the close of the year.  It is our prayer that we shall all graciously crossover safely in Jesus name.

I write to you with overwhelming joy to invite you to the official launch of a music CD album that God enabled me to put together after a long time. The Cd is entitled “The Alabastar Jar” (see enclosed cover).  The launch of this achievement, for which I desire you to be a part of as an African, will take place here in Stockholm at the African Ministry Immanuel International (Kungstensgatan 17/Tulegatan) on the 20th of December 2008 from 5pm to 8pm, during our Christmas Carol Celebration Service.

I believe that your prayers, presence and participation will not only be monumental and of great help, but a major milestone to this work and vision as we together build the entire Body of Christ. 

In case you would like your support to be a direct CD-dispatch on your behalf as a Christmas gift from you to anyone, kindly send me a list of recipients and their addresses and I will gladly do so. Please do not forget to write your name.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need further clarification or information in this regard.

I look forward to seeing you.  You are most welcome.

God bless you.

Your’s faithfully,

Lydiah Owano Mukasa (0762 242 217).

Lydiah Mukasa CD Album Launch In Stockholm.

It is with great pleasure that I bring you Christmas greetings in that wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is the very reason for the season.  I believe that all is well with you and your family as we approach the close of the year.  It is our prayer that we shall all graciously crossover safely in Jesus name.

I write to you with overwhelming joy to invite you to the official launch of a music CD album that God enabled me to put together after a long time. The Cd is entitled “The Alabastar Jar” (see enclosed cover).  The launch of this achievement, for which i desire you to be a part of as an African, will take place here in Stockholm at the African Ministry Immanuel International (Kungstensgatan 17/Tulegatan ) on the 20th of December 2008 from 5pm to 8pm, during our Christmas Carol Celebration Service.

I believe that your prayers, presence and participation will not only be monumental and of great help, but a major milestone to this work and vision as we together build the entire Body of Christ. 

You are also welcome to register your support and/or donation directly into the following account in absentia. Also, in case you would like your support to be a direct CD-dispatch on your behalf as a Christmas gift from you to anyone, kindly send me a list of recipients and their addresses and I will gladly do so. Please do not forget to write your name.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need further clarification or information in this regard.

I look forward to seeing you.  You are most welcome.

God bless you.

Your’s faithfully,

Lydiah Owano Mukasa (0762 242 217)

HARAMBEES IN SWEDEN: GIVING OR REAPING?

A week barely ends in Sweden before hearing a word harambee. It has become so famous that almost every weekend someone will be calling for some kind of harambee. Despite the good spirit of the word, some people in Sweden are misusing it for there own personal interests. Chipping in to help is good but not always good.

Harambee is a Kenyan “tradition” of community self-help events. It literally means working together for a common purpose. It was designed to strengthen social connections and social responsibility by the late Kenyatta.  It is a process where people work together in a group, organization, or a community to plan and solve problems.

To capture the spirit and mood of harambee since its inception, we need to go back to the time of independence because that is where Kenya as a country got to the harambee thing. By that time, Kenya had so many social and economic projects it wanted to undertake. Given the inadequate resources in the Kenyan government coffers and the speed at which Kenyans wanted to move forward, there was a need to identify a driving force towards the desired economical goals. Harambee was basically the tool to achieve our targeted goals more rapidly.

The social dimension of harambee was that it brought people together as one and what is good for one is good for the other. If you could not achieve what you had set to accomplish, there were always relatives, neighbors and friends to fall back to. The economic side of it was silent just like it is today among Wakenya in Sweden.

There was a third aspect that came in the late 1980s and got worse in the years that followed. This introduced selfishness in the sense that it looked at the mileage the individual wanted to gain out of the harambee. Instead of it being used as a common tool, it became a personal tool to elevate somebody’s interests.

Questions like how many harambees do I attend, how much I give, is it my friend or just another harambee started surfacing. Previously harambees were conducted quietly; nobody knew how much had been raised and people were less concerned about the above. Nowadays, we want to know how much was raised last weekend at so and so house even if we didn’t attend or contribute.

Harambees have become personal, commercial and they have stopped being voluntary. We must re-evaluate if it is worthy to continue giving or being reaped.  “Wasemavyo wahenga, dunia imepasuka msamba”.

Munala Wa Munala.