' 08 is going happy new year 2009

The sages of coast (wahenga) are the ones who told us that if a kid cried for a razor, you had to hand it gladly to him but the sages of England retorted that fire was be a good toy (read servant) but a terrible master.

The year 2008 was the year that most African leaders learnt the hard part. the same people who made their careers crying about democracy and its close relatives got to know that democracy was indeed a very good servant but that the shoe did hurt real bad when it was on the other foot. Everywhere from our own infamous fraud president Kibaki, to Mbeki down south , to mugabe, name it. Everywhere the men are realizing that democracy is a curse and hell is bent on snatching the cookie jar when the bitings are crunchiest! I thought I would easily forget these sad happenings at the beginning of the year. But all our media stations are falling over themselves with sad and gory reminders of those dark days.

Whats more, Ghana, the country of our would be savior is replaying our script word for word in another election. The world watches and waits. the world that reacts only after people are dead. Even in that country of eminent African Kofi, democracy is proving to be a red hot rod!

But the year also showed us that a man whose name is both Muslim and Kenyan (luo in fact) could beat the odds and become the president of the free world. For this matter, I salute Americans for showing the world why they are the only superpower.

The pictures that I would however like to remember are those of Usain Bolt (a name suspiciously close to Husein again! )bolting ahead of everyone with the ease of Sunday morning. Also those of our harambee stars moving ahead in the Africa championship. But the absolute best was that of the non-smiling Pamela Jelimo tearing away ahead of a crowded pack on her way to become not only a millionaire in dollar terms but also a living legend.

In the coming year , I hope not to see any more pictures of the IDP camp, nor kenyans demonstrating coz of hunger, oil vendors hoarding the commodity, nor the stock market going any direction other than up. I wish my friends here a brilliant enlightening 2009 full of forgiveness love and acceptance.