CORONA AND COROLLA

There is a phrase that goes, ‘Life is a series trial and error’. I have made errors and realized that even though they are times you regret; they serenely make you stronger. That means there are moments in life you need to live a dog’s life and think that you have wasted the master ball. Then there are those moments when you have overcome the manly errors and people love that you have made it and hence love your association. They never know how close you were to giving up, they never know the sacrifices you make each day just to ensure you see to it that your dream comes alive. There are those vain moments, those you never want to talk about. There are those moments that you should talk about, because society has dictated so. Society only loves successful people. As a result, never tell it when you have down moments, just say how easy it has been. Because that is what the regular guy wants to hear, if you talk about the struggles, then you will create enemies, and we don’t want to be loners, we want to be loved. We want to be in a society where we are accepted. However, when the day comes to a close, so shall you lie. As the Swahili proverb goes.

Today, I want to outpour my frustrations to my current bae. I don’t know if that is the right name, nonetheless, it applies to her since I spend more time than average intervals being worried about her, thinking about our union and the probable rewards I will get if this union materializes. Which will take ages, and ages. But the end of it all is that if I stick around and never give up, I will smile all the way to the bank as opposed to being drained off and being a sponger. I had to steal this phrase just for her and it goes. “I am sure this is worth what I am going through. I don't want to waste this opportunity, or I won't get another one. But this is my choice . . . so I have to choose wisely and be decisive.”

Because of the struggles, I have decided to write a letter to my bae. It does not mean that I have to suffer every time I am with her. She has made me go places, which I will continue going and see many more as time rolls. But here is the letter.

Dear Bae,

In a flash of shock and dread, I did twitch awake, finding myself in the bathroom as I had to wake up very early in the morning today where I did wash off the slumber. I had lost sleep, because the alarm never rung. It was those wee hours when the thief strikes. I am also from a short siesta, having got tired and realized that I need to take a breather because all work without play is a disaster in waiting. You know that the reason why I woke up was because of you. You mean more to me now than ever. I don’t know whether this should be a love message or a dirge. You will be forced to read in between the lines to figure out.

For the past few weeks, I have been forced to take drastic measures. It’s like a newlywed couple. They have to forget about the bachelor days and start acting married. They have to take time to ensure they nurture their relationship so that they withstand those who try to rock their boat. Like those newlyweds, we have started our journey. When we shall celebrate or tie the union is virgin. Given that I want to finish this journey in a record time, I have been forced to forego those that I should not have. But I have to let it move across me, seize every movement of locking my limbs and emotions in place, long enough for it to cleave and claim another part of my being.

You see, I long forgot to party five months ago because of you. I stopped hitting the bottle and even joined church. But amid all this, I have not stopped being worried. The sole reason why I eschew liquor is because of the energy effect. Recently at an event organised in one of the ritzy hotels in the city, I got to know why I have to keep that energy. There is this economist who argued that interest rates are like alcohol, you feel the impact later on after having enjoyed. Let me be terse, I know interest rates are too academic or economic, so I will tell the alcohol bit.

You see, when you drink alcohol, at around midnight, you usually become super active, dancing moves you would never pull when sane, peeing and just feeling good and energetic. You never question where all the energy has come from. It’s not that alcohol gives you energy, its only that you have utilized tomorrow’s energy before its intended time. It’s also like having a given portion of food to eat which you should divide for lunch and supper. If you consume it all at once, you will have yourself to blame if hunger pangs take the better of you and you have no victuals to bribe the marauding enzymes and amylases in the digestive system. Similarly, ale has the net effect of metamorphosing into a hangover. And what does that mean?  You will be spent the next day. And for a person like me, it could magnify because it also means less of partaking meals resulting in losing so many hours. Which I never want to. Now you know why I have stopped drinking liquor, right.

You see, there are these test I have been taking to find out if I can pass the minimum threshold to be with you. Actually, I have realized that I need to go an extra mile, even though I am writing this letter, it highly contributes to wasting precious time. But I am not, I am not wasting time. I am investing it because it’s worthwhile to go back and find out where you have been because pictures cannot give meaning illustrations like words. They may not tell that I spend more than three hours seated patiently somewhere just to test myself if I qualify to be with you. In that regard, I have decided to go through the torture of failing each time. Only once have I met the minimum requirement. The rest of the time, I have been scoring average grades. You know that it is my responsibility to check myself if I am prepared for you or not. And it looks like I should keep preparing. Till I succeed, I am not relenting. Rome in essence was not build in a day. And it looks like I have to sacrifice more days and forgo luxuries in preparing.

But the most outstanding reasons why being in love with you is a demand is because I have ended up forgetting about my first love- scripting. I have mused a couple of times of the untold stories that have not penned just because I have been betrothed to you. In soliloquy, I sometimes talk to her. Though occasionally, I try to revive our checkered union to no avail. It’s like am now captive to you. I don’t remember tying the knot with those small handcuffs we put on our ring fingers in a civil or religious ceremony. Sometimes I hear her crying of neglect, painfully and with sorrow. She looks sad and forlorn. Inside this thing called a blog I have left her. So that people can come and check her out and comfort her, just to give her solace. She never complains, but something inside tells me she is hurting. She wants me back. I feel like taking her, but those many days I have spent with you will not go down in futility. You know I mean it. If I ever decide to get back with her……………, you I mean it. Reminds me of that rap by G-Easy. Looking at how neglected she is, I feel sorry. Its human to be so. Yet I have not done that which I am supposed to. And as a result, I have decided to check her out today. Just to tell her she is not alone. That I will take care of her in some other way.

Being in a union with you is like being married to a nagging woman even though I have no idea what the institution of marriage is like. I have lost touch with reality. I no longer love that which all and sundry loves. Even taking up some small tasks has become an issue. I am even selective in what I want to do. You have your own demands and also require me to be like the good old husband, be there to deliver. But you also know that I am jobless. And having read widely, I realized that it is not easy getting a job in the industry I desire, not that its easy anywhere else. It’s not. I have to try to be the best in the meantime. However, frustrations and lethargy usually gets the better of me. It has even got to that point I am a stranger to many people. Even my immediate neighbours never see me and they wonder where I have been to. Likewise, my peeps are sometimes forced to call me just to find out if I am doing right. Obviously, I am fine. But its lonely. I feel like am an under achiever.

My job, my only job is to preserve myself and I do it very well. You remember after a small stint working I decided to relieve myself of duty. Sometimes I do have few regrets, but materially, I feel like I have achieved that which I could not have in the event I had stuck around. Let me hope that you’ll let me crack the code to riches so long as I swear my loyalty, so long as I bid farewell to the petty feel good moments that don’t last. However, what is for sure is that you have taught me discipline. I have to stick to a rote. I have to keep showing up and that is the essence of it all. Showing up is like what Malcolm Gladwell authored differentiates the regular guy from the achiever. Even if I do not get a job, I have learnt so much. That with dedication, you can be what you want, as long as you forget what others think. Join forces with likeminded people and forge on ahead.

I just love the fact that you have opened some doors that I am yet to take advantage of. I am not the zetetic type, I am no the go getter type, but I love to continue getting better so that when I get there, when it is my time, it will be a smooth sail. Guess my time will come and I will get there, where you have intended me to be. In fact, I must acknowledge that I have materially grown intellectually. I know so much yet I have no opportunity to relay back yet I am an upright being. I love the monopoly I now have. It’s very material. Even when I am not in a position to fend for some things, I am contented in the short while that I am bequeathed with gem. Knowledge that is. I have also tested the frustration of being jobless and have come to appreciate that you have to find ways to mitigate and ameliorate.

Do you know how many hangouts I have ceased going for even after receiving an invite? You need to realize that I am not taking you for granted. And like a Eurobond beneficiary, I will be there for you. Never mind that Kenyans talk about Eurobond yet they never know what it is. That we were loaned and as such we have to pay those bondholders at a premium is not a joke. Since we are not investment grade and because of credit and market risk they need compensation for loaning a third world country in form of higher coupons. And as tax payers, we have to pay for it whether the infrastructure will come to materialize or not. Anyway. Like I intimated, I left partaking of ale. You know ale and energy don’t go hand in hand. Plus, there is the possibility of killing those brain cells that I should keep safe. I know some of the decisions are not sane. Like how can a grown up guy be committed so much that he cannot take a break to engage with pals. Ideally, I have become a societal misfit. I don’t know if am headed in the right direction. But ideally, I am committed to get where I want to be. Which means I need to take a break. Even though I thought I would have done better by writing even more. In either case.

Hasta La Vista Baby.

[Picture Source: My own]

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STRATH VS UON: PART TWO

continued from Part one
When you go to any institution, you always have to come out with something that is distinctive and tangible. In some institutions, Ethics is taught as any other topic in most of the courses. The famous Hypocritical Oath is synonymous to the medical profession. Chances are, you were taught about Ethical Practices but rarely encounter scenarios where you will apply such gem learnt because you never took the course seriously. The world is now headed towards or it is in that stage where you will be judged by how principled and ethical you are when it comes to issues regarding integrity.

One distinctive aspect that clearly demarcates a Strath student from a UON student basically has to do with Ethics. Not that I have beef with UON. Reality is, the number of students in Strath who are ethically upright vis-a-vis UON is higher. But that is hypothetical, given that there are no tests I have carried out to verify the same. However, there are incidents that have made me believe that Strath has truly given students an edge when it comes to matters ethics.

For example, you might leave you phone or computer unattended and two days down the line if you forgot about it, chances are, you will still find it having been safely kept. There are scenarios where students have been able to recover their valuables even in our class and that is commendable. The same cannot be said of UON. The numbers in UON make it hard to reliably ensure that most students have truly internalized that they should be of high moral standards. In my first year, my mates lost their laptops under unclear circumstances that were quite baffling. The door was broken and the laptops stolen by people we speculated were pals with insider knowledge on how we did things. And such incidents were prone in the hostels, lecture halls were not isolated either. Methinks they are still rampant. When you want to maintain a certain lifestyle and the probability to sustain it is actually low, you may end up doing that which is a vice.

When it comes to lecturers, Strath is still way below UON. There are some lecturers in  UON have more than twenty years or in some cases, 50 years of experience in the academic industry. When one stays for a long duration in a certain field, she is able to execute some complexities with lots of ease much to the chagrin of a rookie. In such circumstances, you have to struggle a lot if not nimble enough with your studies because the lecturers in UON presume you know. But that does not mean that they are better off. There major problem is that they rarely attend classes as they should. In a semester, there are lecturers who will attend a paltry 3 out of a possible 12 classes. Side hustle or something. But that also means that as a student you are disadvantaged because they will rush when time is up to complete the syllabus. As a result, if you are not sharp, you know what’s up.

The only reason why Strath lecturers may fair better than their UON counterparts is that they usually have to compensate for the hours they have not lectured. Plus they usually have tangible reasons why they never show up. Most however juggle studies with teaching which is not a bad thing considering that the two go hand in hand. That they are less experienced is not in doubt. Many of the mates we were with in UON have confessed of the same. Rarely have I encountered a scenario where a lecturer comes to teach just by sheer recalling the topic having taught it continuously for a considerable period of time.  Most are usually in a rush just like their counterparts in UON. This can be attributed to the public university mentality that they went through as students. However, if you find a lecturer who studied in Strath, the chap is very thorough and lethal. Like we were taught by an upcoming lecturer who had just transitioned from Strath and the dude was quite smart. However, I must say that having been in a similar position before, teaching is different. Not a single day is the same.

When it comes to sports, Leos have an edge over Mean Machine. The situation is grim for my former Alma mater. My current has invested a lot and they are doing well winning many tournaments that they feature. That’s the reason why they continue to shine perpetually as the latter continues to sink but not deep in the abyss. But I have never attended any of the games featuring the two teams. I am also too busy these days so much so that creating time for hobbies is becoming a real hurdle that I am forced not to indulge in.

When it comes to ladies, UON beats Strath hands down with ladies who are beautiful. Could it be because of the strict policies put in place shielding the chics from coming out as pretty in Strath? I doubt. However, even though the number of those who are pretty is not as high, the number of those who are next to those who are pretty is commendable. They rarely have those who have menial features which is quite prevalent in UON. But being a liberal University, any lady in UON can look good with time and they do after sometime. The only downside is that some become lovers of sugar daddies forgetting that that is a pro tem relation. Once you are sell by date, another flame will replace you sooner than you expected. Who knows, chances are ladies are just the same. Maybe some Strath chics are also into such affairs only that they keep the affairs discrete. Not openly where you can find them out.

There is also the issue of goons. There is no doubt that UON has the highest number of them. My pal in campus used to say that if he had the chance, he would ensure that students from a certain tribe or region in Kenya would never be given admission in the institution because they really get influenced to become goons once they develop a liking for mullahs. Or is it something to do with attitude. And goons control everything in UON. But they have a liking for elections. You have to part with some cash to be able to campaign if a candidate. Plus they can even stab you in worse scenarios. They also control other activities that you can never know if you never have a penchant for campus affairs. On the contrary, Strath has no goons. It does not make life any interesting. You sometimes need societal misfits who make life worthy a tale.

One thing I hate about Strath is that it has no student celebs. Those students who are influential and call the shots or are known by almost everyone. The ones who are known to be overly drunk, those who are thought to be licentious, those who peddle illicits and the list is endless. This is a bland institution if you are after adventure. Most guys are chummed and class difference really plays out. You never hear of the guy who has dated almost all the beauties in the institution. Neither do you hear of a guy who did something funny like whore being beaten up by comrades while it is the student who solicited for services he refused to pay for her dues. At the end of the day its the society scoffs at ladies of the night. Right.  Guys drive in Strath but don’t know that that is an aphrodisiac for the average lass. They got deep pockets but they don’t show off like they should. Me wishes these buggers were in UON. Where life is a real hustleGuys who did drive in UON had a bevy of ladies to choose from. But am past that age of catching up for now to reliable get the true picture. I only do so when I meet friends. Past that, I am a societal recluse. As such, I do not have a lot of insider information given that I only go to Strath thrice a week.

One thing I love about the student centre in Strath is that it inculcates responsibility in an individual in as much as it is affordable and quite posh by its standards. You are required to queue for your food which is usually a buffet served by very neat servers even though some may sound harsh at times. You pay after collecting your food as opposed to UON where you had to pay before making an order which you may never get. Plus the variety of meals is adequate while in Strath, you have the choice of fruits if you want a dessert or a cup of coffee which is prepared by a barista if you want luxury (am usually broke that's why I find that a luxury), there is cake, veges, snacks and other meals I am not sure of the names. There is still no Java as in USIU though. Once you finish eating, you are required to return the plates, cutlery and cups to the kitchen. I just love the ambience of Strath’s student center. It's quite cosy though noisy in comparison to that of UON.

I had never noticed that there were fashion cops in Strath until one of my pals told me that those ladies manning some of the entrances were cops to look out for ladies flouting fashion rules. The are no metal detectors also for the sentries in contrary to UON. Just like UON, you have to issue your ID if a student or national ID if an outsider. It’s a measure to reduce on those who take advantage of freebies or criminals. Those who like freebies are also the chaps who contribute to diminishing standards at the end of the day.

Am running short of words, therefore I have to make a conclusion. If I was offered a chance to study in either institutions, I would have gone for my undergraduate studies in Strath. It makes sense. However, the only downside is that it has no numbers and a delectable experience given that most guys act kind of upright. Where people are numerous, you get to see very many awkward characters and even make so many friends if you are not a social wreck. On the contrary, I would prefer doing my postgraduate studies in UON if I will gather the nerves to do it. It is more demanding and makes you more independent. UON is in another level when it comes to studies. That could be the reason why so many lecturers from Strathmore were once students in UON. 

But as an individual you always have a choice. Your success is never tied to an institution. It’s you to make hay while the sun shines. The world is not concerned by your onslaught. If victory comes your way, you will smile widely at the end of the day. Alone.

PS: My boys and I love shenging. And that's probably the reason why those English twanging lasses at Strath usually give us some reason to think they are 'it ladies' who we cannot match. But at the end of the day, who knows the language they speak in their households? Food for thought.

Hasta La Vista, Baby.

[Photo Source: My own]

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STRATH VS UON

What’s in a school? The dichotomy is not in the number of prosperous individuals who have gained societal mileage in terms of recognition. It is the way it makes you feel as an individual. It’s never about the buildings and facilities that you will live after your succinct sojourn. It’s not about what the society views the scholars who peruse and pursue academia to the greater heights so much so that they leave an indelible mark. It’s not about those dons and staff who contribute to its wholesomeness.

The end product is you. As an individual, you reflect so much about the institution you have gone through. Whether it instills discipline, confidence, life skills and all the relevance needed to survive in this world that is a monster waiting to take you down. Or a pugilist with clenched fists ready to throw jabs and at the same time swiftly miss the nerve wrecking punches that you throw with rage.

As a scholar who has gone through two of the best varsities in Kenya; Strathmore, a private Uni, and The University of Nairobi, a public Uni. Allow me to boast a little. That’s the extent to which I can take pride.

At the end of the day, no one cares whether you went to Harvard, Princeton, Oxford, or the many Ivy League universities if you turn out to be an academic dwarf. Guys will be like, ‘That guy is from Harvard. Look at the way he is now languishing. I don’t even see the reason why he went to that good school.’

What many who reason in this context fail to realize with their parochial views is that some of those guys only failed to go to greater extent because of one or two variables that if addressed early on, could have contributed to them being respectable people in society.

Like I know a guy who has become a deplorable village sot having been to an international school here in Kenya and failed to finish Uni because of drugs. However, when you take time to talk and reason out with him, you realize that he is sane but has been only discouraged by the debilitating effects of a draconian world. As such, abuse to drugs is the only relief he gets when he is undergoing those perpetual lows has in life.

That was a by the way.

Strathmore is just like any other university sans the formal protocol it has adopted that makes people think that it is stringent and less accommodative. To some extent, I cannot deny that sometimes I usually feel like am in a cocoon only that I cannot come out guns blazing (sic) because there is nothing I would gain at the end of the day other than causing an insipid scene of less value. That’s the reason why I somehow love The University of Nairobi.

When you go to The Prestigious University of Nairobi, you are first told that you are in the best Uni, which might not be the case. But as a fresh scholar who has no experience, you believe that it is the gospel truth. Then your life starts evolving once you start classes. One of the best things about UON is that it allows for radicalism. Which is rare or non-existent in Strathmore. The only form of radicalism that is present in Strathmore is intellectual extremism. When it comes to behaviour, you will be expelled before you even know it. That’s the reason why there is nothing like Political Science, whose dons approve of the same at Strathmore.

When it comes to admission, before you get that letter, you have to go for a requisite debrief in Strathmore which I have never heard of anyone who failed to meet the mark. Maybe, there are those have failed to meet the mark. However, they never write about their rejection. The debrief is usually scheduled after taking an in-house exam and providing  necessary certificates that you have qualified to be admitted to the school you are going to. It's not a lengthy process though.

On the other hand, to gain admission in UON, you only need to have your certificates ratified and there is an induction process or orientation which is present in almost all universities. There are nothing like interviews, doing entrance exams, upon getting that entry letter, you look for your classes and you are good to go.

There is also the misconceived notion that Strathmore is for ‘mababi’ while the hoi polloi who have to burn the midnight oil are the people who will gain entry into UON. To some extent the argument is true, but realistically, the same individuals who go to UON still go to Strathmore. Why? There is a saying that goes like, ‘If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.’ But rationally and realistically, there are many students from humble families in UON as compared to Strath.

Just go to any hostel inhabited by guys in UON, you will find out that they never take hygiene seriously. The haphazard use of the facilities like sinks and WCs and improper disposal of waste is enough to tell you where someone is from. The smell of omena in the hostels and vandalism of most facilities is enough to tell you that such an individual has rural or modest upbringing. Chances are, you will find no one drives an inherited or own car in a class of 500 students, especially for guys in module one. The fashion sense is a disaster. Just let me not go deeper because the meals being eaten at the various messes are not good either.

Strath on the other hand has no hostels of its own. However, those that are nearby are hygienically maintained to admirable standards and you pay a dime as opposed to those in UON. The much you pay in UON for a year is half the monthly rent for a Hostel near Strathmore, which is if you are module one student at UON. Fashion wise, there is little or no fashion in Strath. Broke students wear khaki pants and camera tops that God knows where they got them. The probability of a classmate spinning a car on a daily basis is as high as breathing oxygen and that’s the reason why they are ‘mababi’.

Toilets. If you think that functioning hand dryers, disabled student loos, tissue papers and liquid hand soaps complete with instructions on how to wash your hands are an unnecessary luxury in an institution, as well as perpetually hygienic WCs, then you should be in Strath. There is a big difference between the toilets in Strath and those in UON. In fact, I relearnt how to wash my hands satisfactorily from the instructions engraved on the walls from Strathmore. The doors are not vandalized so there is no probability of someone crashing in to find you in the act. I say, they are cleaner than the place where I used to work in Parklands even though it has more traffic than that building.

There is also the issue about facilities. Whereas UON had many facilities, the reality is that many were not maintained on a continuous basis. There was a time the auditorium seats in 844 building were infested with bedbugs as a result of negligence for a considerable period though they were repaired in the long run. There are some facilities that broke down, like doors to some lecture halls and by the time I was finalizing my stay, there was no single projector that was functioning. Lecturers had to come with school projectors or their own projectors to classes even though there were those installed in some lecture rooms but due to negligence soon broke down. Strathmore is however old school. Lecturers have to use chalks as opposed to pens because they have green-boards as opposed to white-boards. The projectors are in good condition and are in all the classes I have been in.

The façade of UON which is a remarkable whole mark in architecture due to the design that is sole to the institution is quite commendable. You must agree the buildings stand out. The picturesque view is quite aesthetic and there is something that makes one feel proud when you walk on the pavements in UON as fresher. It has a clear demarcation of where students should be walking and there was proper planning when it comes to where schools are located. The lawns are well maintained and it has vast space in as much as most of the roads and parking lots are tarmacked. 

On the contrary, Strathmore is vague in terms of the architectiure. It only acquired a façade recently which is still in the growth face. Initially, the façade was bland with a high school like ambiance. And generally, unless you are a student, you don’t get to see this delectable aura. Though it is a seasoned institution, it has not grown in heaps and bounds in terms of architecture and infrastructure. There are few structures that are monstrously massive. It does not ooze a lot of oomph in this case. But even though it lags behind in scenary, it compensates for the drawback by ensuring it does not falter in ensuring the standards are high while inside. There are no dust, cobwebs, and graffiti on the walls and corners. Like UON, it is a worthy experience that is welcoming while inside, not just a macabre pile of bricks.

I must say I love the ambiance of studying in the lecture halls of Strathmore. They are well aerated, full of life, well lit, soundproof and generally provide both formal and informal relaxing spaces for studying. On the contrary, not all places in UON offer a good study environment. There are certain times when it rained and the basement in Education Building would be flooded and that was among the few places you could hide to study if not the library. Allow me to say up to this point, I have not gone to the Library at Strathmore. Yet I call myself a scholar. But the library is smaller in comparison to the mighty JKML just by the visage. I should go inside one day.

[Part Two]

Hasta la Vista Baby.

[Photo Source: My Own]

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CREATIVE BLOG WRITING IMPETUS

Does creative blog writing change our demurred perspective on the plight of those who struggle everyday having gone through experiences in life that are mortifying or those who lavish at the altar of abundance because life bestowed such prominence?

The world is without doubt a global village. At the click of a button, you will be able to see pictures (said to be worth a thousand words), watch videos and even read on what’s trending all over the world. Amid the many pictures and videos, words aid in giving life to otherwise undecipherable sounds, motion pictures or still pictures that we see whenever we access the internet. And internet created the blogs. I will not dwell on the genesis of the blogs. But the reality is that as at now, blogs are a force to reckon with. They shape life in so many aspects we cannot fail to ignore them.

This essay will gravitate on how creative blog writing is redefining the narration of untold stories which are rarely captured by the mainstream media. Blog posting has also aided in taking writing to the next level. As such, it should be appreciated as an avenue of making would-be professional writers in the near future or those who are yet to be discovered.

Blogging is changing the way people tell stories that would have never been captured in black and white. Ideally, it's easy starting a blog, but updating it continuously is a major setback among many bloggers. It is a maelstrom that needs innate research since we are losing many writers due to lack of intrinsic motivation. However, there are a number of creative blog writers who capture us readers with fascinating stories you feel like you are part of the story as opposed to making readers feel like passengers in a bus. Their prose are ‘leavened with wit’, hold us captive and serenade us with joy or invoke grief or remorse we sometimes are forced to act just by the power of words we read.

Indeed creative blog writing has been instrumental in shaping the perspective of many people who would have otherwise not acted because of lack of information. The penetration of cheap Chinese smartphones has made it easy to access information on the internet which has also been compounded by the availability of subsidized data bundles in this age of technology. For example, in Kenya, when a blog post goes viral, many people get to know about a  tragedy facing an individual or it aids in creating awareness about stigmas which readers can react to. As such, such posts trend on the social media with engaging hash tags that capture your attention even if you never wanted to read. Therefore, creative blog writing aids in bridging the hiatus that is existential in terms of being informed since the mainstream media is limited to reported stories by journalists and the editing process kills stories that may end up not evoking reaction by the ‘audience.’

There is a case in point where a blogger  used her platform to inform her readers of the rot in society especially about the collapse of a bank that had accepted in deposits the savings of her family lineage. When the bank was liquidated and because in the financial miasma, it is the creditors whose dues are first settled, they are still waiting to be indemnified. It was real eye opener because she was among those who had to undergo the misery of having lost so much money when they had trusted in an institution to deliver.

There is also a time a very influential blogger used his platform in raising awareness on cancer. The end result was a certain cancer patient got help in terms of finances to aid in his treatment at a hospital in India. That’s killing two birds with one stone. Otherwise, no one would have known that he was bravely battling with the disease and was not going to let the growth let him succumb without using alternative avenues. Maybe, now he is benign or on the onset.

The blogosphere in Kenya is still in its nascent stages. The number of bloggers who take it seriously as a source of livelihood can be said to be insignificant. Many creative bloggers are engaging in writing as a pastime hoping that someday, they will be able to take their craft to the next level. That means getting a wider audience, being able to cash in on advertising revenue as a result of blog posting and having an influence in general on their readers. Which is beneficial because you have a rote that as a blogger should be fulfilled, failure of which, you may antagonize those who wait with abated breath for a new post. The only stumbling block to going mainstream in terms of blogging is the availability of finances for setting up a professional blog and advertising the blog. Still many people are not aware of avenues they can use to blog on the various platforms available.

However, there are instances in which some people have used such platforms as blogs to perpetuate vices in society. While such engagements may generate income to such bloggers, the net effect is that it eventually contributes to the moral rot in society. Propagation of messages that tend to incite readers negates the essence of an avenue that should be used for the betterment of society. However, we cannot live in an ideal world. Had rather we foil their efforts when they go to the extreme end.However, as long as people of various cultures and creeds congregate together, there is high likelihood of finding those who will engage in truancy for the sake of it or as a result of influence from movies or information available online.

With all due respect, blogging is here to stay. It is slowly giving the traditional media houses a run for their money. But before it takes over, let’s appreciate the little it has done in addressing the inadequacies that have been plaguing society which are sadly ceaseless.

P/S: I originally wrote this essay as a requirement for submission in a certain online class I was attending and thought it necessary to have it on my blog.

Hasta La Vista Baby.


[Picture Source: My Own] 

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