John Kigada joins Mwafrika.com as a freelance writer and columnist. He is a youth minister and graduate of the East Africa School of Theology.

On April 9, 2006 Kevin Ombajo a.k.a. Big Kev was interviewed by Fred Orido of the Buzz, Sunday Nation. He was asked about his history in Showbiz and he said he started rapping in 1996, with the gospel group “Rap Community” which broke up in 1999 after he backslid. He was asked why he backslid and he replied “I was disappointed with some members of the group and the Christians who we were preaching to. They were behaving badly then I told myself, mbona nijifunge?”

James the brother of Jesus in James 1:12-15 (all biblical references from NIV; unless otherwise stated) says “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full- grown, gives birth to death.”

This text points out several things: First, all humans face temptations (vv.13; 1 Cor 10:12-13). Humans have the possibility of succumbing to temptation because of our innate tendency to sin. Secondly, God does not tempt anyone v. 13b. God is holy and His nature cannot be enticed by sin nor can it yield to sin. Thirdly, temptation to sin comes from one’s own heart v. 14. This does not negate other external sources of temptation i.e., Satan and fellow humans.

Fourthly, temptation comes when we entertain evil desires v.14. Fifthly, temptation should not be confused with trials vv. 12-13. The former comes from Satan who tempts us in order to make us fall into sin. The latter is for the good of God’s children; it comes from God and is intended to test and strengthen our faith so that we may receive the crown of life v. 12. God tests us in order to confirm our faith or prove our commitment.

Thomas Hale author of “The Applied New Testament Commentary” says, “even if these evil thoughts and desires do not lead to actual evil behavior, the thoughts and desires themselves will become sins if they remain in our minds and hearts. We are to overcome temptations and endure trials.”

Dr. Solomon Andria, a contributor to the African Bible Commentary says, “We need to create a healthy environment tin which the various kinds of evil desires cannot thrive. Evil thoughts and desires must never take root in the heart (the wellspring of life) and grow because they lead to sin.” Once initiated, sinful thoughts develop quickly into evil acts Job 15:35 (NIV Study Bible).

Like Job, the person who perseveres under trial experiences joy in its purpose and not happiness on outward circumstances. Participation in ungodly ways, defiant rejection of God’s law, and habitual wickedness leads to eternal death and the loss of the eternal crown of life. The three stages – desire, sin, death – are seen in the temptations of Eve (Ge 3:6-22) and David (2 Sa 11:2-17).

Those who love God the King of kings, show total allegiance and implicitly trust Him through obedient service. God’s blessings to those who love Him transcend this present life. Believers are not to view things the way unbelievers do. Servitude to sin brings death as its wages. In contrast, servitude to obedience results in eternal life, not as wages earned or merited, but as a gift of God Romans 6:23 (NIV Study Bible).

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Sam Kithika is a gifted writer currently working in the banking industry. He has served as a Features Editor and Assistant Editor at a number of publications, and has significant journalistic experience.

‘What if God was one of us?’ - Words from the popular Joan Osborne song, words that I happen to love. They often inspire me to think of the reality that seems to be so far from not only the musician who sung the song, but from many of us.

As the via Della Rosa week closes, and with all the recurring images of the death and resurrection of Christ buzzing throughout Hollywood and reflected via our media houses, I ask us to consider the realities posed by the lyrics – what indeed would happen if God was one of us - just a stranger like one of us. If God were a man, what would he do?

The questions posed can only be tackled by a mind familiar with the precepts of God. And these very precepts are not revealed via some mystical supernatural encounter, nor are they handed down to the “spiritual elite”. No, they are not reserved for the SWAT team of the Most High. On the contrary, this information flows to us through reading and engaging our minds with the written word of God and the experiential understanding we have with the Lord.

As we reflect on Easter, and consider the death and resurrection of the man Jesus Christ, it is hard to ignore the excessive religiosity and pompous piety with which the masses commemorate the occasion. And don’t get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for the institutionalised ceremonies that accompany the occasion. Yet it is important that the real meaning of Easter not get lost in the hullabaloo and clamour that too often accompanies it.

It is at this time that God became one of us. Yes, God became man. We lived with him, he ate our food, sung our songs, and danced to their tunes. God clothed himself with flesh and blood and came down to earth. In contemporary terms, he came to the streets, to the hood! All Heaven must have stood in utter shock and disbelief when the Creator became like His creation. Angles were left perplexed as the one whom they loved and gladly obeyed took upon himself the nature of man, in effect becoming like you and I.

But why do all this? Why the extravagant display?
Not only does God love you and me, He went the extra mile to fulfil the ultimate and divine plan of reconciling man back to Himself. For that reason, he decided to join our ranks, become man, and further more give His life, hanging on a cross (tree) to purchase us. The Creator of Heavens and Earth, hang on a cross, a cross made from the very trees that He created.

Thanks to Hollywood personalities and directors, the death and resurrection of Christ have become very familiar to all of us in the past couple of years (though we all know few things out of Hollywood come with the intent to educate or inspire piety). Nonetheless, I would want to labour on the benefits we have received from God becoming one of us.

It was this act of God becoming man that a new kind of human race was revealed on the earth (the Ecclesia’ (via Latin from Greek – referring to the fellowship of believers). It was byHis death as a man that power would be released - a resurrection power that would work in the hearts of millions of people around the world, causing them to raise above the upheaval of the fallen world and walk victorious in all aspects of life.

It was His death as a man that would bring forth a new, free and non-religious means to relating, approaching and enjoying favour and love from Him, in Him and with Him. It was his death as a man that broke us from the social, political and religious bondage that fallen humanity upholds, and led us into racial equality, gender parity and the freedom to face eternity with peace and confidence.

It is after His death as a man that we finally understand that God is no longer upset at humanity; it is only then that we learn the most precious truth - God is in love with you and me, and with outstretched arms He is always coming to us. Isn’t that something? Doesn’t that make you want to shout out for joy?

It is God becoming man that made us a new creation. New, not just in theory, but practically. Not just positionally, but more importantly, experientially. It is because of Him becoming like one of us that resurrection life flows in our very veins, and that is why you and I will overcome the trials we undergo daily. Yes, you will overcome, because he became like one of us. It is because of His humanity that the very life of God in us, which had been taken away from humanity at the garden, is restored.

The commemoration of Easter is not to cry over spilt milk, so to speak, but is to thank God for the price he had to pay, and to position ourselves to fully appropriate new covenant life and purpose. All this is possible because, GOD WAS ONCE ONE OF US.

“The Word became flesh and blood,
And moved into the neighbourhood”
(John 1:14; from ‘The Message’ translation)

He clothed himself in flesh and blood. So this is the response to one of my favourite songs. Yes, God was once a man. So as we look back at Easter, let’s do so with understanding. Let us do so with a new mind, and as new men, living in the new covenant.

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John Kigada joins Mwafrika.com as a freelance writer and columnist. He is a youth minister and graduate of the East Africa School of Theology

It is becoming increasingly difficult for believers to maintain sexual purity amid social, economic and spiritual hardships. Individualism and self- fulfillment are powerful Western cultural forces that are slowly creeping into Nairobi’s popular culture. Cohabitation and single parenthood have become normal phenomena.

Socio- economic factors delay marriage for most urban Kenyans, chief among them being high wedding expenses, which only serve to increase cohabitation. Wedding expenses could cost about Kshs 200,000 for those on the lower middle end of the urban social spectrum. Dowry is yet another major discouragement. Dr. William Robert Ochieng author of “The Third Word: More Essays on Kenya History” argues for the abolition of dowry and says “dowry paying is one of the bitterest forms of exploitation in Kenya today.”

Thirdly, low income is also a key factor in delayed marriage vows. There are very many impediments to economic growth in Kenya – from poor policies, to a hostile environment and flaws in the media. Bad governance discourages investment, both indigenous and foreign. In the past, political leaders lacked a vision of wealth creation through better education and industries. The youth have inherited a lifestyle of moral corruption, mistrust and insecurity amid poor infrastructural development.

The present 8-4-4 education system needs to facilitate emotional development amongst students, as sexual feelings are not adequately addressed in formal education. School teachers are to impart relevant information and instruction to teenagers on sex education. However, parents are mandated by God to train their children on issues of lifestyle (Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6). Religious instruction should include sex education in Bible studies and discipleship of teenagers and young adults.

In Galatians 6:1-5 NIV, the apostle Paul says,

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something while he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.”

Professor Craig S. Keener, author of “The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament” says “The gentleness that comes from the Spirit (5:23) is the proper way to correct faults; we should demonstrate patience with the spiritual needs of others. Gentleness should be accompanied by humility as all are inclined to temptation (6:1b, 3-4). Self- examination should be carried out before correcting others. “Bear burdens” KJV, in this context must include helping a fellow Christian deal with sins (6:1). Bearing one’s load (6:5) means answering to God himself for what one has done (6:7-8).”

The human sex drive is very strong. Professor Paul B. Weisz of Brown University, author of “The Science of Biology” says “among vertebrates external stimuli exert their effect via the sensory system, the brain, and the pituitary gland. Signals from the brain and hypothalamus activate the pituitary, and this gland begins to secrete hormones. As a result, all parts of the reproductive system increase in size considerably and become functional.”

Weisz goes on to say “among many fishes and birds, the visual effect of one mate on the other brings about certain hormone secretions internally and thus leads to reproductive readiness. A fixed sequence of behavioral displays by one mate initiates a corresponding sequence of necessary internal events in the other.” Although animal reproductive studies are not always predictive of human response, the author believes these events also apply to human beings. However, the Holy Spirit empowers believers with supernatural moral ability to control their sexual passions and desires.

When a believer is in the state of reproductive readiness, self- discipline must be employed so as not to fall into sin. The Holy Spirit infuses wisdom by training the believer to obey God’s Word based on his or her past experience or divine guidance. Apostle Paul shows that Christian conduct flows naturally from the love that results from faith in Christ (Good News: Today’s English version).

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Columnist Wachera Maina is a broadcast journalist currently working with an international organisation. She is also a member of the Kisima award winning group Voices United Choir (VUC)

Psalm 51:12, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." (NIV)

Most individuals have an easier time accepting God's forgiveness for their sin than forgiving themselves. For some reason, we believe that we must punish ourselves for the sins we have committed. We imprison ourselves by retreating and withdrawing from all "godly activities" for a period of time until we feel redeemed and worthy to rejoin the "Christian world". We forget that the benefit of being forgiven by God is living in freedom. Satan wants us in this predicament - living in the guilt of our sin instead of the freedom of forgiveness. When we hold on to that which God has already forgiven, we become ineffective believers: powerless to promote the gospel of Christ.

The words from the treasured hymn, "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing" clearly defines what God's forgiveness does for the believer.

“He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood availed for me.
Oh sweet friend, past sin only has the power you give it”

In Psalms, King David realizes the power that sin has on his life. He cries out to God in Psalm 51 after his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, and the murder of her husband Uriah. He asks God for exactly what he needs: to be restored.

I don't know what burden you are carrying with you today, but after asking His forgiveness, God does not intend for you to hold on to it any longer. God has already forgiven you and through the Holy Spirit you have the power to forgive yourself and let it go. 2 Timothy 1:7 (King James translation) "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Don't be afraid, be empowered! The words of King David from Psalm 51:10-12 encourage us:

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Don't let the power of an accusing memory steal the joy and freedom of God's forgiveness. Discouragement is an old but powerful tool that the devil uses to deter us from arising and possessing what the good Lord has for us. Grasp the reality that God loves you and has restored you unto Himself.

If we ask Jesus to deliver us from our guilt and past hurts, He can provide the lifeline to our victories and testimonies.

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John Kigada joins Mwafrika.com as a freelance writer and columnist. He is a youth minister and graduate of the East Africa School of Theology

In light of a strong and wild sex drive, men ought to tame their eyes, control their emotions and discipline sexual passions, desires and thoughts. Wisdom gained through prayer and fasting, trains and controls the mind to produce habits of obedience to God’s Word.

In Matthew 5:27-30 NIV, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”

A lustful look is not a passing glance, but a wilful, calculated stare that arouses sexual desire. According to Jesus, this IS adultery, even if it is only “in his heart.” With sin we are to deal as drastically as necessary in order to remove it from our lives. This calls for absolute and total self- discipline (NIV Study Bible).

Professor Craig S. Keener, author of “The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament” says “other Jewish teachers looked down on lust; some even went as far as Jesus in regarding it as adultery. The issue is thus not the doctrine of Jesus’ hearers but their heart. The Greek word here is the same as in the opening line of the tenth commandment in the Greek version of the Old Testament: “You shall not desire your neighbour’s wife” (Exodus 20:7). Some Jewish thinkers believed that one would be resurrected in exactly the form in which one had died before being made whole; and Jesus employs this image.

Many Christians obey God’s word outwardly. However, sin begins in the heart and to “covet” your neighbour’s wife is, according to Dr. Tom Hale (a medical missionary working with Interserve in Nepal and author of “The Applied New Testament Commentary) the same as to desire to commit adultery with her. Temptation to sin comes from one’s own heart when we entertain evil desires. This evil desires eventually lead to death when lust (a violent unlawful selfish sexual desire) has conceived.

The author believes that the “right eye” and “right hand” represent the medium or means by which adultery is committed in the heart. And it is also the medium or means by which evil desires enter our minds or are carried out. Therefore, Jesus was referring to burning bridges, and not literal self- mutilation. When a man commits adultery, it is not his genitals that sin! It is his soul that sins. Just like a converted heathen who burns his pornographic paraphernalia demonstrates transformation, so must we part with anything that leads us to sin.

We must discern the things that cause or lead us to sin and hastily discard them from our daily schedule or affairs. If certain programs or music videos on television cause you to lust, to commit adultery in your heart, you must abandon them! Unrepented sin separates us from God’s peace, joy, kindness and goodness. We need to repent of the impurity, debauchery, and sexual sin in which we have indulged.

Jesus moral standards transcend physical adultery and aim for the highest ideals in marriage. Sexual gratification is to be experienced only in a lifelong opposite sex, monogamous marital union. Any person who experiences sexual gratification (apart from male nocturnal emissions) out of the confines of such a marital relationship is sinning! So is the person who looks at a woman lustfully and enjoys unlawful sexual pleasure.

If the woman who is lusted after is unmarried, the man who commits adultery (by lusting after her) does so against the victim’s future marriage partner. This is because adultery in the Old Testament means sexual intercourse, usually of a man, married or unmarried, with the wife of another - according to Professor Merrill Tenney, general editor of the “New International Bible Dictionary.”

Joe Kapolyo, lead minister at Edmonton Baptist church in North London, England says, “Jesus is not telling us to mutilate our bodies. Instead he is telling us not to use our senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing to stimulate forbidden lust. The Christian must chose carefully what to see, smell, taste, feel and hear.”

Dr. Michael Green, senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, England and author of “The Message of Matthew” says “Jesus is telling us that we must deal with sin as drastically and radically as necessary, and cut off avenues that we know are not helpful to cultivating that purity of heart which is part of the “blessed” life (Matthew 5:8).” In conclusion, lust is bad and we must take drastic measures to avoid the sources of adultery e.g., erotic films, plays, books, magazines, websites and music.

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Isaac Sagala is a humorist who embarked on a journey to look for himself and lost his path along the way, he is still trying to find his way from the maze, he likes watching people and birds for fun.'

See, I’ve discovered the hard truth that your average man’s life comprises of four things - conquests, triumphs, losses and failures, all in their various manifestations. A CONQUEST would probably be winning the heart of a drop dead beauty- say a beauty pageant winner. The TRIUMPH would be in the securing of a decent 8 to 5 job with an international NGO and a salary fat enough to allow regular out-of-town-get-aways at the drop of a hat. FAILURE is just another way of saying that you have been dumped, probably by the very same beauty queen. LOSS is losing faith in oneself when the ego is dented by being unable to earn a living; another way of saying that you lost the international NGO job.

Now my friend Steve had recently experienced a CONQUEST, and being the good friend he is, he wanted me to be part of it. Steve and Carol have been dating for three years, and he had finally worked up enough steam to answer Carol’s concerns.

She apparently floated a classic thought: and even though heavy with common sense, its very thought made men like him shudder in fright.
“I think this relationship should be headed for the ‘next- level’ ”.

Steve thought for three and a third days, and many more nights. He never consulted me, but confided that he was going to propose to her. When he got to it, he encountered the baffling and oft repeated female response -‘I need time to think’ – huh?
The very next day, supposedly after thinking ‘long and hard’, and over candlelit dinner, Carol answered to the affirmative, whispering a romantic “YES!”

Now in this part of the world, we have what are called preliminaries; the most significant of them being the payment of dowry/bride price. Steve had searched far and wide for henchmen to accompany him to Carol’s paternal residence, finally narrowing down on myself and a gentleman called Wanjala. Since Doro, my not so trustworthy 1969 VW Opuk (tortoise) cannot handle such long distances; we decided to borrow a friend’s vehicle, all in our misguided quest to impress prospective in-laws. Yet as fate would have it, the owner in question was car-jacked on the eve of our journey. We were not to be deterred; the journey had to be made at all costs. Plan B? A flight! The idea was summarily shelved, even faster than it was floated. Even if we could afford it, Carol’s home was in the interior’s interior – only a chopper could get us there, and I don’t think there helipad was quite ready (sic)!

Plan C saw us settling for a bus, the kind that appear to belong to makers of stealth jet fighters – they literally ‘fly’ off the road. Unfortunately, and we were getting used to that word, mechanical hitches had as arriving at Carol’s obscure village way past dark. We had to spend the night at a place that was a sorry excuse for a lodge.

Come the next morning we were very well received at her home, even treated to a sumptuous meal – all this before the fireworks began. Soon we were ushered into a room filled with eager elderly men: the negotiations were starting.
All this while Carol was nowhere in sight, the old men laid the trap. Before we could even let the meal settle, the demand was placed – no less than Kshs.470, 000 (what?) and a further twenty five head of cattle (what? what?) Now we had anticipated some trouble, but not even the now-defunct Fanya Fujo Uone military team would have laid such an elaborate ambush – not even the most hardcore striking campus students.

We immediately protested, our number one claim was that the demands were extortionist. Though if truth be told, the issue lay around Steve, who had only carried a cool Kshs. 25,000 with which to appease Carol’s humble kin. With this he had planned to arm-twist them into giving up Carol’s hand to him in marriage.

They came down to a more ‘reasonable’ figure – fifteen head of cattle and a sum of 280,000, still more than ten times what Steve could muster. Final offer! We imagined that the old men were just pulling our leg, being unnecessarily difficult and ‘funny’. We requested for some time to deliberate and re-strategize. Steve was in dire straits, he actually manipulated and coerced me into parting with my hard earned two thousand bob, while Wanjala involuntarily parted with three times as much; all to boost Steve’s kitty.

At the final count, Steve’s total had improved to a comparatively modest figure of thirty three thousand: our final offer’! We defiantly handed over the stash, and to our surprise they seemed to agree to our proposal; matter of fact they were beaming when they told us to put the money on the table.


It was then that Carol’s dad spoke, for the very first time. He went into great lengths to explain how expensive it was to see one’s daughter through university, and how unappreciative ‘some young men of these days’ were; how the young men think they can have other people’s daughters for a song.

We didn’t see it coming.

Soon we were ushered to the reception, where we, along with most others, removed our shoes. We were then asked to shut our eyes and kneel down for…prayers. Again, no one, least of all I, saw it coming. All I felt was the sharp sting of a whip as it descended on my thinly clad back. Even before I could say whip, another slash caught my left ear. Wanjala and I both screamed simultaneously, our eyes jerked open by the pain. Opening my eyes and being confronted by about ten mean looking youths armed with whips all descending upon us with a seemingly inspired rage, our next course of action needed little persuasion.

I can barely recall how I maneuvered my way past them, yet their footsteps chasing me and their screams are all etched in my memory. “Our sister isn’t a cabbage to be bought for ten cents by city imbeciles.” Thank God I was a quite the sprinter. As for Steve and Wanjala, I am yet to catch up with them to know their fate. All I know is that I lived to tell the tale, and that’s why you are reading it. Today, ask me to attend your dowry negotiations at your own risk. I would rather tend to my Doro, at least she doesn’t bite or whip.

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David Kuria is a freelance writer on matters Christian, Media and Entertainment.

Being an entrepreneur affords me certain unique opportunities. Time is both an ally and an enemy. I could be up working through not only the night, sometimes through both night and day. Yet occasions arise, not too often though, when I can decide to be on hibernate and spend a day on my couch, remote control firmly in hand. Gleeful at the chance to flip from channel to channel, my anticipation is to be thoroughly entertained and informatively updated.

Late in 2006 I took a much needed break from the hustle that I find myself constantly engaged in, looking to find in the television set an associate to keep me occupied.

It has been said that television is “the chewing gum of the mind” the default position of a dormant psyche. If there be found a shred of truth in that statement, then Kenyan television must be the ‘ball gum’ of the mindless. Hard, sugar-coated, colourful on the outside yet fleeting and tasteless in the end.

If indeed Kenyan television fascinates you, then you must ask yourself some serious questions . For one, there is very little Kenyan in Kenyan television. Consider just how much television is non-indigenous. We import television from Germany - DWTV. We import television from Britain - STV, BBC, Reuters. We import television from the United States - CNN, TBN, VOA. We import television from China - CTV. We import television from France - ??. We import television from South Africa - Channel O, DSTV.
Heck, we import television from Tanzania - EATV.

Goodness gracious! For sheer effect, let’s consider that list again. Germany, Britain, United States, China, France, South Africa, Tanzania. And I’m just mentioning full streaming broadcasts - not the numerous television shows screened on our very own so-called ‘local’ channels, including the litany of Mexican soaps and American sitcoms and mindless reality shows. I was recently flummoxed to stumble across Al-Jazeera as part of a local station’s viewing.

A few years ago, and barely into the life of the Narc government a political greenhorn by the name of Raphael Tuju, then Minister of Information and Technology, made a unilateral and seemingly tyrannical decree - sixty percent of media content was to be allocated for local productions.

Seeing media owners scampering like ants out of a flooded anthill was a sight for sore eyes. Faster than Trump could say ’you’re fired’, they prepared statements, converged in press conferences, and thumped their chests in a defiance and solidarity that would have made even the brashest of COTU officials blush. Adversary can make for strange bedfellows, as sworn media enemies embraced with brotherly affection and cheerfully sung from the same script. “It’s illogical and despotic” they ranted, and they would not be cowed by …bla, bla, bla.

Days passed into months, and months into years - yet little came out of that ministerial decree, betraying a real lack of sincerity and planning on the part of the political class (allow me to spare that vitriol for another day).

How sobering retrospect can be. At the time, I was working in the media, and thought the minister’s directive to be a little impractical. After all, where would the resource, both human and financial, to implement this come from? Picking up from the media owners’ script, there is little in this nation in terms of affordable production studios. Development of local content, especially at such short notice, would be too much to ask. FM stations happily jumped on the bandwagon, as ludicrous as that was. They complained about the lack of…local content?? Please!

Yet even though on the surface the media owners’ did have somewhat of a credible argument, one question begs to be asked…and answered. “How else will our local industry grow?”

The other day as I sat and enjoyed my vacation, I stumbled across an old broadcast, Teen Bash. Now some of you might recall that program. Half a dozen young teenagers sat behind a desk and discussed issues relevant to their age bracket. Even though the show now looks like it came from the stone age, truth be told, it was colourful, energetic and engaging.

Yet I ask myself, what opportunities did the government, local media houses and the corporate world create for such aspiring talent to develop? Every other young journalist wants to become Richard Quest, yet even in the unlikely event that they get a job at a local media house, they will be forever hidden behind the endless hours allocated to the man himself and his CNN. Every other young girl wants to become Tyra or Oprah - but with Jenny Jones and Martha Stewart comfortable on ’Kenyan’ TV, it’s unlikely to happen.

Growing up I aspired to be an actor. Possibly imitate Denzel or Tom Hanks. Many of my peers were amazing actors and actresses. Yet how often can I stroll into one of the fast mushrooming cinema halls and enjoy watching the now famous ‘Wanjiku’. Isn’t it a crying shame that a theatre house as talented as Phoenix Players struggles to get bums on seats?

Yet as all this happens the government, media owners and other major players watch helplessly as we are stripped, raped and pillaged, selling our souls to the media magnates of the West.

Now don’t get me wrong, my issues do not lie with foreign content. If anything, they help us refine and improve our own productions. Ma bad, Did I say they ’help us’? I meant to say they “ought to help us”. What they really do is keep us transfixed on the progress of others, never giving thought to our own development. It’s similar to a starving man who, hungry for a meal, picks up a cook book and spends endless hours reading recipes and looking at pictures, and never gets around to preparing dinner.

I say it’s time the media, the government, production houses, the corporate world and all the rest of us said “Down with the cook book, let’s get to work!” Tujivunie kuwa wakenya!

And with that said, hats off to Wingu La Moto and Better Days. Well done to Art Scene and News Line. A round of applause for Kenyan movies Project Daddy and A Dangerous Affair. To Heartstrings Ensemble, Sterling Quality Entertainment, Tazama, Straight Up, Africa Journal, Shangilia, and all the rest of the local productions/producers - go on, make us proud.

We may not be there yet, but we need to start finding ways to get there.

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Columnist Ciku Marburger...is currently a student at Daystar University, pursuing Communication & Marketing. She is an amazing writer who enjoys reading, travelling, extreme sports and...furry animals??

Startled by the noise, Jabez got up and looked out the window. Seeing his mother in the thick of the crowd, he knew there was trouble. He shook his head and sat down again. When was this all going to end?

Jabez’ life seemed doomed from the start. His mother had endured a difficult pregnancy, and all she could do to continuously remind him of the pints of blood she lost was name him Jabez, which meant sorrow. Needless to say, Jabez’ life was an unfortunate hodgepodge of accidents and misfortunes that seemed to endlessly follow him around.

He looked onto the table where he was previously occupied in sorting out the bills. Things were not going well for them. Overdue stamps marked everything - the electricity bill, the house rent, credit at numerous grocery shops…it was a calamity. How could he even try to prioritize when close to nothing was left?
His last job was a flop. Equipment vanished during his shift, earning him the sack. Life just didn’t seem to do it for him anymore. He wanted out.

Again he peered out of the window, spotting his mother in the thick of things, embroiled in yet another heated yet meaningless argument. She seemed out of control - pulling out her hair, throwing aimless punches and shouting at the top of her voice. She had always been feisty, but this time she outdid herself, with her errant behavior entertaining a somewhat bemused crowd.

He got up to go find out the cause of the commotion. Walking out, he spotted his neighbor, a previous co-worker at the bakery. She didn’t talk to him. She just stood at the door of her house directing her sad gaze towards him. Words didn’t need to be spoken. She sympathized with him, but he knew she would never do anything. Nobody had, and nobody would.

As he got closer to the centre, he felt the stares of the other men hard on his back. He felt as if everyone was blaming him. Their ogles and whispers seemed to accuse him of every possible evil and Jabez felt the anger well up in him. What was he to do with such misfortune?

No sooner had his mother spotted him than a tirade of abuse came his way. “It’s your fault, you cursed boy. I lost everything because of you, we’re poor because of you…I hate you! I should have killed you when I had the chance,” she screamed at him. Jabez bit his lip as the animated crowd cheered on. They jostled each other, eager for his response. “I hate you too”, he shouted back, walking off in a huff.

Ignoring the heckling mob, he walked quickly to his place of calm, a deserted building where he could just be still and ponder life. He found the little dusty room at the top of the building and walked in. To his surprise, an elderly man occupied it.

The young man started but kept silent. Studying the old man, he was not sure what to make of him. Why was this old man here? There was something strangely puzzling about him. He wasn’t dressed in the linen suits characteristic of his peers. More like a beggar, he had a large dirty coat, faded jeans and old sandals, and stood by the broken window, seemingly engrossed in deep thought.

Jabez waited for the man to respond to his silence, but the old man just stood there waiting for no one, waiting for nothing.

A moment passed. The young man became irritated. “This is my room.” Few words were required to convey the message; Jabez’ tone was cold. “Is it really?” came the response, Have you a deed for the room?” The young man was nonplused by this reply.

Further conversation would only aggravate, causing Jabez to desert his plans for solitude. He turned to leave the room, but hearing the old man’s steps, he looked back – perhaps the room would be his after all. No such luck; all the stranger did was walk away from the window towards the door. Dusting himself, he looked straight at Jabez. With a quiet yet firm tone he said “You know, keeping quiet never solved anything. The answers to life rarely lie within you.” He added, “My son, keep it to yourself and it becomes poison. And we all know what poison does”.

“If I wanted your advice, I would have asked. I’m not interested in talking to you, old man.” The unwelcome guest smiled and began his quiet exit out the room. “I didn’t ask you to talk to me,” he quipped as he walked by Jabez, “I just spoke what I saw.” The voice continued from the poorly lit verandah. “What you are looking for cannot be found in solitude. You’re no island, and with all that is going on you’re going to need someone to talk to. Some things need an extra hand to work out.”

And just like that, he was gone. For a moment Jabez was thankful - peace was his again. With heavy steps he trotted towards the window.

Silence.

A multitude of thoughts and sensations began to swirl around the room, slowly at first, then with increasing turbulence and confusion. He was soon enveloped in deep emotion. Vaguely he could hear the piercing voice of his mother’s accusations, still ranting and raving. He fell in a heap, holding his head in his sweaty palms. Anger reigned in his soul. He hated his life. He hated his mother. He hated the people. He hated everything.

Slowly thoughts of the stranger he just met resurfaced. He thought about the old man. He hated the old man too. “The nerve of the man,” he thought out loud. “Who says I was looking for answers in myself? And what if I was anyway? Of what concern is it to him?”

Suddenly, the revelation hit him. The old man had done something that no one else had done in many years. The old man…cared. Nobody had done that for the longest time. Not even a mother he had craved love and concern from. If anything, she had spent her time complaining about everything that was going on. It hit him hard. He jumped to his feet and dashed to the window, to see just how far the elderly man had gotten.

That old man cared. He noticed, and he cared. Momentary flashbacks ran through his mind. "The answers to life rarely lie within you…"

Jabez gathered his tunic and ran after the distant figure. The old man had both intrigued and irritated him, but he had left an indelible mark. “I’ll only find out why he asked, Jabez muttered under his breath". Moments later he caught up with him.

“You’re back, my young friend. Something wrong?”

Catching his breath, Jabez could not help but smile. “You amuse me; you seem to have something to say to everything.”

The old man returned the smile. “Is that why you ran after me, because I seem to have the answer to everything?”

Youth has its moments of pride. This was not to be one of those moments. The occasion beckoned his more unassuming nature.

“I have just to inquire why you asked about me.”

The cold rude tone was now replaced with a certain meekness and humility. The stranger looked over Jabez and asked, “What is your name, young friend?”

“Twice he has called me ‘young friend’. What is the meaning of this?” he thought. “My name is Jabez.”

“And tell me Jabez, what do you desire?”

The question stirred up deep emotion in Jabez. What did Jabez really want? A good home? A wife? Money? A happy non-bickering mother?
He hung his head low.

Oh how he wanted to be happy! He looked up at the old man. “I wish…I wish…I wish” he stuttered, before regaining his composure, “I wish that God would bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that His hand might be with me, and that He would keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!” He said no more. It had all been said!

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