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Post by Onyango Oloo on Aug 2, 2012 6:23:27 GMT 3
COLLOQUIUM
ON
THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF POWER AND TEXTS IN KENYA： From John Githongo to Miguna Miguna.
Moderated by:
Professor Humphrey J. Ojwang
Senior Lecturer in Linguistic Anthropology,
University of NairobiMain Speakers1. Prof. Okoth Okombo Department of Linguistics and Languages University of Nairobi 2. Prof. Paul N. Mbatia Department of Sociology University of Nairobi Other speakers/ contributors:3. Dr. Tom Odhiambo Department of Literature University of Nairobi 4. Prof. Macharia Munene United States International University, Nairobi 5. Prof. Henry Indagasi Department of Literature University of Nairobi 6. Dr. Adams Oloo Department of Political Science and Public Administration University of Nairobi 7. Onyango Oloo Activist and blogger (replacing Dr. Dominic Wamugunda Department of Sociology and Social Work,University of Nairobi)
Venue: Confucius Institute Cultural Centre, Education Building, 2nd Floor Room 213 University of Nairobi
Date: Thursday 2nd August 20121
Time: 2:00pm - 4:00 pm
Entrance: FREE
WELCOME
Concept Summary By Prof. Humphrey J. OjwangIn the last decade, a number of political texts have been generated in Kenya. The texts have had anthropological locations in critical areas such as political economy, historical injustices, constitutionalism, leadership and governance, gender, social development, among other relevant topics in contemporary Kenyan society. The texts which have been generated can be located within the context of biographical and autobiographical writing. Public figures who have been documented include: Wangari Maathai, Raila Odinga, Simeon Nyachae, Njenga Karume, Duncan Ndegwa, Wanyiri Kihoro, among others. These writings about “selves” and “others” have mainly gravitated around the political class in their quest to capture or retain power, during the intense contestation for space political in Kenya today. In the recent past, three such writings have gained topicality in public discourse namely: • It's Our Turn to Eat (John Githongo/Michelle Wrong) • The Politics of Betrayal (Joe Khamisi) • Peeling Back the Mask (Miguna Miguna) Quite predictably, these political texts have given rise to contextual problems, dilemmas and tensions for rigorous analysis by scholars in the humanities and social sciences. How do we weave and join together these texts in order to understand what messages are being transmitted through these texts and persons to various Kenyan publics? What are the contextual limitations, hesitations and solutions of these (auto) biographical writings by people who have been actors in the so-called corridors of power in Kenya today? John Githongo was the Permanent Secretary in charge of ethics and anti-corruption, based in the Office of the President in the NARC Government. He had to flee the country under mysterious circumstances before telling (or re-telling?) his story through Michaela Wrong in It's Our Turn to Eat. Joe Khamisi worked as a senior civil servant before plunging into politics, becoming a Member of Parliament and an influential figure during the NARC Government . When he lost his parliamentary seat in 2007, he devoted his time to writing his memoirs entitled The Politics of Betrayal: Dairy of a Kenyan Legislator.Perhaps the most explosive political text in Kenya today is Miguna Miguna's Peeling Back the Mask: A Quest for Justice in Kenya, which the author told journalist Jeff Koinange of The Bench (Capital Talk) K-24 television show, would be both volcanic and explosive. Since it's launch in Nairobi in the month of July, the book by Miguna Miguna (a man with same name twice) has elicited great media attention because he set to "peel back the masks' of significant political actors in Kenya today. He served as Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister of Kenya Raila Amolo Odinga before he lost his job under controversial circumstances in 2011. He has become a stinging critic of political actors in the ODM/PNU Grand Coalition Government, reserving some of the most caustic comments for his former boss( the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya). It would appear Miguna Miguna is following in the footprints of John Githongo who exposed corruption in high places in the Administration of President Mwai Kibaki. Are these political texts worthy of critical scrutiny by scholars from the humanities and social sciences in our institutions of higher learning? These auto/biographical writings do need attention as an emerging "genre" in Kenyan political discourse; including anthropological, sociological, political, historical, linguistic and literary approaches to the texts under scrutiny. The anthropology of texts, persons and publics is definitely a new departure from the humanities and social sciences.
"Where there is no text, there is no object of study, and no object of thought either."
(Bakhtin 1986:103)
It is envisaged that this colloquium on THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF POWER AND TEXTS IN KENYA will generate intellectual discourse on emerging themes in political, economic and socio-cultural studies across disciplinary boundaries, in exploring the inner workings of the Kenyan society in particular and the African continent in general. Political memoirs as part of the historical process must be located within the humanities and social sciences in an attempt to engage intellectuals and other actors in making Kenya a secure and safe place for all of us! Sources:Bakhtin, M.M (1986) Speech genres and other late essays, [trans. Vern W. McGee, Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, USA.] Barber, Karin (2007) The Anthropology of Texts, Persons and Publics: Oral and Written Culture in Africa and Beyond [Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK.] Khamisi, Joe (2011) The Politics of Betrayal: Diary of a Kenyan Legislator,Trafford Publishing, USA Scharfstein, Ben-Ami (1989) The Dilemma of Context [New York University Press, NY， USA Miguna Miguna (2012) Peeling Back the Mask: A Quest for Justice in Kenya, Gilgamesh Africa, UK. Wrong, Michaela (2009) It's Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistle Blower, Harper Collins Publishers, USA Attachments:
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Post by reubenj on Aug 2, 2012 21:47:19 GMT 3
OO,
Any chance we can get the event on youtube?
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Post by podp on Aug 3, 2012 10:03:49 GMT 3
OO,
Thank you very much for posting the event here. It would have been an in-house matter as the old profs are used to talking to themselves. It was an extension of senior common room with favorite students invited but by posting the notice some of us gate crushed the party and tipped the balance of old and young Kenyans.
My simple recording (not activist, revolutionary or heckler/cheer leader version of who said what. Go below
1. Prof. Okoth Okombo
He kept to his brief i.e. textual and tone of the books i.e. Betrayal (by Hamisi); Our Turn (by Michela for Githongo); Peeling (by MM) and Decolonizing the Mind (by Ngugi). For him:-
Ngugi is revolutionary i.e. deals with systems not individuals. He hates capitalism and loves socialism.
Hamisi is a recorder. Diary keeper. Has no feelings/opinion of right or wrong
Githongo is typical whistle blower. Kibaki made mistake of thinking that with a home boy (mundu wa mucii) everything evil will be covered. However Githongo hates the rot/stench displayed by the Daudis, Kiraitus and othe power elites and bolts after being disgusted by the looters residing in State House and the Cabinet of NARC. He spy’s on colleagues who trusted him.
MM is a jilted lover. Doesn’t indicate if he was not a home boy and was not suspended if he would have revealed all i.e. spill the beans. His tone is that of anger. Textual filled with anger at being pushed out.
2. Prof. Paul N. Mbatia
Asks we debate on need to manage explosive publications. Thinks we need to go beyond the individuals and discuss the contents. Rot in parliament as concerns Hamisi; rot at State House and Cabinet as concerns Githongo; and rot in OPM in case of MM
3. Dr. Tom Odhiambo
The youngest and most hilarious of all main prsenters. He advises RAO haters to read the book and RAO lovers to read and re-read the book. Look for the moral. Is corruption good? Nepotism ok if done by your own?
He confesses that if RAO had not put a question Parliament when he had finished Kisumu Boys High School asking why no one was admitted to university (because the headmaster had not submitted the forms filled to ‘discipline the boys’ for protesting against his administration, TO would never had seen the inside of a university. Hence he will vote for RAO even if he is a toothless, senile old man of 102 years and wants to be PORK. Since MM admonishes RAO but has no one else to offer he says we still vote RAO in.
4. Prof. Macharia Munene
Githongo’s exposé made ODM happy, while MM’s has made PNU happy. MM basically was alright with RAO despite all the failings as long as he was in the house pissing out. Even if RAO turned an Amin/Bokassa it was ok to MM as long as he is one of us (Luo). But now that MM is out of favor RAO is the worst possible PORK.
5. Prof. Henry Indagasi
Compared the memoir/autobiography of MM with Obama’s ‘Dreams from my Father’. MM should have consulted as his book is for the moment only. Obama’s show a human being (with failures, shortcomings etc. at the personal level) while MM is all knowing, always right,,,,,,it is the other people who are clueless, lazy, incompetent. Difficult to see oneself in him and hence less believable.
6. Dr. Adams Oloo
MM is ok with RAO but against him once shown the door. He does not tell us, other than through Hussein (the one RAO sidelined in favor of Rachel Shebesh) who may be RAO’s replacement for PORK.
7. Onyango Oloo
He quoted extensively from ‘The Pitfalls of Psychoanalyzing Peeling Back the Mask’ and other discussions at Jukwaa forum. Implore all to read the book, even if it’s the ‘free’ down load or the cheap photocopy version (kshs 330) available in allays below Tom Mboya street. Then interrogate the issues raised rather than deal with MM the person alone.
OBSERVATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The hall was completely full and thus explore using larger lecture theaters’ in future. Next time try including Generation Y in planning and carrying out the event as they can do live streaming and other marvels of ICT. Also invest a little more on advertisement and getting media houses to cover the event. Have female (gender) and young people on the panelists. Other than OO and TO probably none of the old Professors opens an email and hence are completely unaware of what the Generation Y thinks and says about the books.
CONCLUSION
The audience had the best comments. Almost all Generation Y are totally in love with MM. They applaud him for not being a hypocrite. Wish more senior civil servants would write tell it all books. Insisted that once a public figure one has to be prepared to be under the spot light. Called for more discussions on corruption, nepotism and other evils bedeviling Kibaki-RAO administration rather than focus on MM and Githongo.
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Post by b6k on Aug 3, 2012 12:24:14 GMT 3
OO, Thank you very much for posting the event here. It would have been an in-house matter as the old profs are used to talking to themselves. It was an extension of senior common room with favorite students invited but by posting the notice some of us gate crushed the party and tipped the balance of old and young Kenyans. My simple recording (not activist, revolutionary or heckler/cheer leader version of who said what. Go below 1. Prof. Okoth Okombo He kept to his brief i.e. textual and tone of the books i.e. Betrayal (by Hamisi); Our Turn (by Michela for Githongo); Peeling (by MM) and Decolonizing the Mind (by Ngugi). For him:- Ngugi is revolutionary i.e. deals with systems not individuals. He hates capitalism and loves socialism. Hamisi is a recorder. Diary keeper. Has no feelings/opinion of right or wrong Githongo is typical whistle blower. Kibaki made mistake of thinking that with a home boy (mundu wa mucii) everything evil will be covered. However Githongo hates the rot/stench displayed by the Daudis, Kiraitus and othe power elites and bolts after being disgusted by the looters residing in State House and the Cabinet of NARC. He spy’s on colleagues who trusted him. MM is a jilted lover. Doesn’t indicate if he was not a home boy and was not suspended if he would have revealed all i.e. spill the beans. His tone is that of anger. Textual filled with anger at being pushed out. 2. Prof. Paul N. Mbatia Asks we debate on need to manage explosive publications. Thinks we need to go beyond the individuals and discuss the contents. Rot in parliament as concerns Hamisi; rot at State House and Cabinet as concerns Githongo; and rot in OPM in case of MM 3. Dr. Tom Odhiambo The youngest and most hilarious of all main prsenters. He advises RAO haters to read the book and RAO lovers to read and re-read the book. Look for the moral. Is corruption good? Nepotism ok if done by your own? He confesses that if RAO had not put a question Parliament when he had finished Kisumu Boys High School asking why no one was admitted to university (because the headmaster had not submitted the forms filled to ‘discipline the boys’ for protesting against his administration, TO would never had seen the inside of a university. Hence he will vote for RAO even if he is a toothless, senile old man of 102 years and wants to be PORK. Since MM admonishes RAO but has no one else to offer he says we still vote RAO in. 4. Prof. Macharia Munene Githongo’s exposé made ODM happy, while MM’s has made PNU happy. MM basically was alright with RAO despite all the failings as long as he was in the house pissing out. Even if RAO turned an Amin/Bokassa it was ok to MM as long as he is one of us (Luo). But now that MM is out of favor RAO is the worst possible PORK. 5. Prof. Henry Indagasi Compared the memoir/autobiography of MM with Obama’s ‘Dreams from my Father’. MM should have consulted as his book is for the moment only. Obama’s show a human being (with failures, shortcomings etc. at the personal level) while MM is all knowing, always right,,,,,,it is the other people who are clueless, lazy, incompetent. Difficult to see oneself in him and hence less believable. 6. Dr. Adams Oloo MM is ok with RAO but against him once shown the door. He does not tell us, other than through Hussein (the one RAO sidelined in favor of Rachel Shebesh) who may be RAO’s replacement for PORK. 7. Onyango Oloo He quoted extensively from ‘The Pitfalls of Psychoanalyzing Peeling Back the Mask’ and other discussions at Jukwaa forum. Implore all to read the book, even if it’s the ‘free’ down load or the cheap photocopy version (kshs 330) available in allays below Tom Mboya street. Then interrogate the issues raised rather than deal with MM the person alone. OBSERVATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS The hall was completely full and thus explore using larger lecture theaters’ in future. Next time try including Generation Y in planning and carrying out the event as they can do live streaming and other marvels of ICT. Also invest a little more on advertisement and getting media houses to cover the event. Have female (gender) and young people on the panelists. Other than OO and TO probably none of the old Professors opens an email and hence are completely unaware of what the Generation Y thinks and says about the books. CONCLUSION The audience had the best comments. Almost all Generation Y are totally in love with MM. They applaud him for not being a hypocrite. Wish more senior civil servants would write tell it all books. Insisted that once a public figure one has to be prepared to be under the spot light. Called for more discussions on corruption, nepotism and other evils bedeviling Kibaki-RAO administration rather than focus on MM and Githongo. your CONCLUSION is very interesting indeed. It seems not all generation Y as you call them are buying the mantra of "reform" & "change".... Prof indagasia had it spot on! |
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Post by podp on Aug 3, 2012 12:53:10 GMT 3
5. Prof. Henry Indagasi Compared the memoir/autobiography of MM with Obama’s ‘Dreams from my Father’. MM should have consulted as his book is for the moment only. Obama’s show a human being (with failures, shortcomings etc. at the personal level) while MM is all knowing, always right,,,,,,it is the other people who are clueless, lazy, incompetent. Difficult to see oneself in him and hence less believable. CONCLUSION The audience had the best comments. Almost all Generation Y are totally in love with MM. They applaud him for not being a hypocrite. Wish more senior civil servants would write tell it all books. Insisted that once a public figure one has to be prepared to be under the spot light. Called for more discussions on corruption, nepotism and other evils bedeviling Kibaki-RAO administration rather than focus on MM and Githongo. your CONCLUSION is very interesting indeed. It seems not all generation Y as you call them are buying the mantra of "reform" & "change".... Prof indagasia had it spot on! One student did ask ‘Prof I the mantra of writing a biography/memoir. Prof I said if one takes his/her life, assuming different elements play in i.e. history (research into subjects past), socializing (ask both friends and foes what they thought/think of subject), political persuasion (interrogate different ideologies and how subject measures to their inclination), geographical settings (rural home, city plus local and international) etc. then before releasing ones memoir/biography it is worthy including as many actors (historians, sociologists, government operators, contemporary commenter’s, literature critics, anthropologists, etc.) in reviewing it before releasing it to all and sundry. As for the young i.e Generation Y please take the CONCLUSION with a pinch of salt. To enter UoN nowadays there are many private security guards. To access where the event was one has to show his/her ID card and if young the mantra is one has to be a student of the UoN or have a letter inviting you in. Now if you consider we have a primary school population of 5 million plus, when standard 8 sit for exams they are 700,000 and only 200,000 proceed to secondary school. Now our public universities have an annual intake of less than 50,000 students. This is less than 1% of all students and by extension RAO, Uhuruto, MM, Kaloser and other presidential contenders rarely bother engaging this lot, other than influence say SONU elections so that they are assured of mouthpieces! Even among the 18 to 30 year olds those who have made it to university constitute a small small population and hence the tendency of politicians to hire less educated ready to take crazy risks youths. I remember last elections a doctorate degree holder tried to fell the Western Joker Hon. Bwifoli Wakoli, who while campaigning did ask in a market place 1. How many have doctorate degree? No one confirmed 2. How many have been to university? A few hands were up 3. All the remaining please join me and vote for me as I am one of you He is now the MP of the area and wants to be PORK! So please do not take my CONCLUSION to heart, unless it is only the intelligentsia! |
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Post by b6k on Aug 3, 2012 13:00:12 GMT 3
Podp your CONCLUSION is very interesting indeed. It seems not all generation Y as you call them are buying the mantra of "reform" & "change".... Prof indagasia had it spot on! One student did ask ‘Prof I the mantra of writing a biography/memoir. Prof I said if one takes his/her life, assuming different elements play in i.e. history (research into subjects past), socializing (ask both friends and foes what they thought/think of subject), political persuasion (interrogate different ideologies and how subject measures to their inclination), geographical settings (rural home, city plus local and international) etc. then before releasing ones memoir/biography it is worthy including as many actors (historians, sociologists, government operators, contemporary commenter’s, literature critics, anthropologists, etc.) in reviewing it before releasing it to all and sundry. As for the young i.e Generation Y please take the CONCLUSION with a pinch of salt. To enter UoN nowadays there are many private security guards. To access where the event was one has to show his/her ID card and if young the mantra is one has to be a student of the UoN or have a letter inviting you in. Now if you consider we have a primary school population of 5 million plus, when standard 8 sit for exams they are 700,000 and only 200,000 proceed to secondary school. Now our public universities have an annual intake of less than 50,000 students. This is less than 1% of all students and by extension RAO, Uhuruto, MM, Kaloser and other presidential contenders rarely bother engaging this lot, other than influence say SONU elections so that they are assured of mouthpieces! Even among the 18 to 30 year olds those who have made it to university constitute a small small population and hence the tendency of politicians to hire less educated ready to take crazy risks youths. I remember last elections a doctorate degree holder tried to fell the Western Joker Hon. Bwifoli Wakoli, who while campaigning did ask in a market place 1. How many have doctorate degree? No one confirmed 2. How many have been to university? A few hands were up 3. All the remaining please join me and vote for me as I am one of you He is now the MP of the area and wants to be PORK! So please do not take my CONCLUSION to heart, unless it is only the intelligentsia! ;D ;D ;D ;D Podp, point noted on conclusions.... |
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Post by nalinali on Aug 3, 2012 14:57:16 GMT 3
OO, OBSERVATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS The hall was completely full and thus explore using larger lecture theaters’ in future. Next time try including Generation Y in planning and carrying out the event as they can do live streaming and other marvels of ICT. Also invest a little more on advertisement and getting media houses to cover the event. Have female (gender) and young people on the panelists. Other than OO and TO probably none of the old Professors opens an email and hence are completely unaware of what the Generation Y thinks and says about the books.Podp Nice summary. The above is an obvious lie. It does not follow that age opens or forecloses the possibility of/for one to be internet savvy. Okoth Okombo and Macharia Munene are by far some of the most internet savvy scholars I have ever known. Need for a younger generation of scholars would be an apt one. What you should probably have pointed out is the passe nature of the discourse considering that the advert announcing the event was framed by Mikhail Bahktin. None of the presenters alluded to the heteroglossic and dialogic potential of text which would have yielded more enriching perspective. Discourse sounded more like a class at UOn in the 70s-80s. |
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Post by podp on Aug 3, 2012 16:43:09 GMT 3
OO, OBSERVATION AND RECOMMENDATIONSPodp Nice summary. The above is an obvious lie. It does not follow that age opens or forecloses the possibility of/for one to be internet savvy. Okoth Okombo and Macharia Munene are by far some of the most internet savvy scholars I have ever known. Need for a younger generation of scholars would be an apt one. What you should probably have pointed out is the passe nature of the discourse considering that the advert announcing the event was framed by Mikhail Bahktin. None of the presenters alluded to the heteroglossic and dialogic potential of text which would have yielded more enriching perspective. Discourse sounded more like a class at UOn in the 70s-80s. Thanks for telling me Prof OO and MM are ICT survy. I do not wish to dispute that. Lastly please only a small lesson in etiquettes. When one makes an observation one is not stating a fact. Hence one cannot quantify an observation which is synonym of surveillance, watching, examining, studying etc. as a ‘lie’. It all depends on your frame of reference. Now recommendations can be advice, suggestions, opinions etc. Again none which can be put in a box of items called ‘lie’! But again if you are a lady it would be those terrible times of the cycle and if you are a man, a MM type. |
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Post by nalinali on Aug 3, 2012 17:14:09 GMT 3
Podp Nice summary. The above is an obvious lie. It does not follow that age opens or forecloses the possibility of/for one to be internet savvy. Okoth Okombo and Macharia Munene are by far some of the most internet savvy scholars I have ever known. Need for a younger generation of scholars would be an apt one. What you should probably have pointed out is the passe nature of the discourse considering that the advert announcing the event was framed by Mikhail Bahktin. None of the presenters alluded to the heteroglossic and dialogic potential of text which would have yielded more enriching perspective. Discourse sounded more like a class at UOn in the 70s-80s. Thanks for telling me Prof OO and MM are ICT survy. I do not wish to dispute that. Lastly please only a small lesson in etiquettes. But again if you are a lady it would be those terrible times of the cycle and if you are a man, a MM type. Podp I am on the tail end of my cycle really and far away from the shelves containing my Webster. You know how it is with such periods. Now you Lilliputian dim-wit, tell me, what does the word etiquette mean? |
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Post by enigma on Aug 3, 2012 17:53:36 GMT 3
There is just a hint of sexism in Podp terse retort. But then I guess its open season on Jukwaa with MM having been granted Carte Blanche through his conduit.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2012 22:19:07 GMT 3
There is just a hint of sexism in Podp terse retort. But then I guess its open season on Jukwaa with MM having been granted Carte Blanche through his conduit. is right. Why do men talk about women's cycles when they are actually clueless about the same? They speak with such authority when they should be quiet. Related to this is how a man such as podp can be otherwise intelligent and well informed while simultaneously exibiting arrested developement when it comes to sexisim. |
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Post by roughrider on Aug 7, 2012 15:12:16 GMT 3
I will regard Podp views with skepticism and a whole lot of salt. As a frequent visitor to the university of Nairobi, I am more than familiar with the views of the average student. Here is a different take by a Prof: www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion+++Analysis/Books+and+vibrancy+of+the+mind+/-/539548/1472822/-/bxd3s3z/-/index.htmlI once said that some of us were involved in this project more than they let on. I was chastised mightily. I do not want to analyse the subtle messages from the quote above as that will get me in trouble with over-zealous moderators. Read, think and make your own conclusions. |
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Post by nalinali on Aug 7, 2012 15:55:31 GMT 3
There is just a hint of sexism in Podp terse retort. But then I guess its open season on Jukwaa with MM having been granted Carte Blanche through his conduit. is right. Why do men talk about women's cycles when they are actually clueless about the same? They speak with such authority when they should be quiet. Related to this is how a man such as podp can be otherwise intelligent and well informed while simultaneously exibiting arrested developement when it comes to sexisim. KK Are you in anyway suggesting a residual modicum of intelligence in Podp? That would l stop my Jukwaa rendezvous. |
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Post by nalinali on Aug 7, 2012 16:01:32 GMT 3
I will regard Podp views with skepticism and a whole lot of salt. As a frequent visitor to the university of Nairobi, I am more than familiar with the views of the average student. Here is a different take by a Prof: www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion+++Analysis/Books+and+vibrancy+of+the+mind+/-/539548/1472822/-/bxd3s3z/-/index.htmlI once said that some of us were involved in this project more than they let on. I was chastised mightily. I do not want to analyse the subtle messages from the quote above as that will get me in trouble with over-zealous moderators. Read, think and make your own conclusions. This Macharia Munene has no respect for our OO. he should be told that OO does not call himself a Marxist leninist but is actually a practicing one. How else does MM explain OO's dalliance with MM and Hoja? OO should rebut such pedestrian views. |
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Post by b6k on Aug 7, 2012 18:09:30 GMT 3
I will regard Podp views with skepticism and a whole lot of salt. As a frequent visitor to the university of Nairobi, I am more than familiar with the views of the average student. Here is a different take by a Prof: www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion+++Analysis/Books+and+vibrancy+of+the+mind+/-/539548/1472822/-/bxd3s3z/-/index.htmlI once said that some of us were involved in this project more than they let on. I was chastised mightily. I do not want to analyse the subtle messages from the quote above as that will get me in trouble with over-zealous moderators. Read, think and make your own conclusions. 1,500 pages, eh? Miguna wants to peel back the mask like one can peel an onion....layer by layer ;D As for Prof Munene, I liked this quote: "The value of each book was the political excitement it aroused. Those who had beef with President Kibaki loved Wrong and those uncomfortable with Raila Odinga enjoy Miguna." However, unlike the prof I would add a third group. Those who enjoyed all 3 exposés. There are those of us who have a beef with the entire existing political class & don't buy into the myth that one is better than the other. They are all rotten to the core. Anyone who can call out the thugs for what they are is most welcome... |
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Post by roughrider on Aug 7, 2012 18:22:03 GMT 3
I will regard Podp views with skepticism and a whole lot of salt. As a frequent visitor to the university of Nairobi, I am more than familiar with the views of the average student. Here is a different take by a Prof: www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion+++Analysis/Books+and+vibrancy+of+the+mind+/-/539548/1472822/-/bxd3s3z/-/index.htmlI once said that some of us were involved in this project more than they let on. I was chastised mightily. I do not want to analyse the subtle messages from the quote above as that will get me in trouble with over-zealous moderators. Read, think and make your own conclusions. This Macharia Munene has no respect for our OO. he should be told that OO does not call himself a Marxist leninist but is actually a practicing one. How else does MM explain OO's dalliance with MM and Hoja? OO should rebut such pedestrian views. Nali, I am in intellectual agreement with you. Hoja Alliance is an artifact of deep-rooted revolutionary introspection into the Engelian politico-historical dialectical advancement of post-modernism. Not that many can illuminate as profoundly the nuanced locus of Marxist-Leninists existence in an epistemological status quo characterized and tainted, largely, by capitalist thought. Having said that; we have a sporadic specimen of stubbornly erudite socialist conviction with peripheral presentation of petit-bourgeoisie lifestyle. |
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Post by topnotch on Aug 7, 2012 20:07:49 GMT 3
This Macharia Munene has no respect for our OO. he should be told that OO does not call himself a Marxist leninist but is actually a practicing one. How else does MM explain OO's dalliance with MM and Hoja? OO should rebut such pedestrian views. Nali, I am in intellectual agreement with you. Hoja Alliance is an artifact of deep-rooted revolutionary introspection into the Engelian politico-historical dialectical advancement of post-modernism. Not that many can illuminate as profoundly the nuanced locus of Marxist-Leninists existence in an epistemological status quo characterized and tainted, largely, by capitalist thought. Having said that; we have a sporadic specimen of stubbornly erudite socialist conviction with peripheral presentation of petit-bourgeoisie lifestyle. ;D ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by podp on Aug 9, 2012 12:07:12 GMT 3
rr, the BD version and my own intepretation of the colloquium, or the causal and visual representations, are "complementary" to each other. That is, they are mutually exclusive, yet jointly essential for a complete description of the events. Being neither a full nor an empty we can disagree or agree that notion of the observer becoming a part of the observed system is fundamentally new at Jukwaa and only Peeling Back the Mask short of the violence of 2007/08 has brought that shaply in focus. As an aside in science the observer is no longer external and neutral, but through the act of measurement s/he becomes her/himself a part of observed reality. So I will encourage you to take more salt. What is an 'average student' at university? All have above average IQs and hence would like to correct you unless you are talking of normal distribution which again you need to provide your measurement criteria. rr do not yap yap when among Profs |
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Post by roughrider on Aug 9, 2012 17:37:21 GMT 3
rr, the BD version and my own intepretation of the colloquium, or the causal and visual representations, are "complementary" to each other. That is, they are mutually exclusive, yet jointly essential for a complete description of the events. Being neither a full nor an empty we can disagree or agree that notion of the observer becoming a part of the observed system is fundamentally new at Jukwaa and only Peeling Back the Mask short of the violence of 2007/08 has brought that shaply in focus. As an aside in science the observer is no longer external and neutral, but through the act of measurement s/he becomes her/himself a part of observed reality. So I will encourage you to take more salt. What is an 'average student' at university? All have above average IQs and hence would like to correct you unless you are talking of normal distribution which again you need to provide your measurement criteria. rr do not yap yap when among Profs Prof Podp; I do not think we disagree much. Your observations are increasingly contaminated by your political posturing. That is all I want your readers to know. It is possible for an observer to be balanced or dispassionate. The article in BD seems more balanced from my standpoint. An average student in this context refers to the typical student. IQ level is just one variable of many that describe students. The statistical notions around distribution need not trouble you unduly as they are not germane to understanding my ‘everyday’ usage of the word average. Simplicity and parsimony are some of the more useful qualities of good statistics. My point is that your take on the views of those who attended this discussion seems at variance with what I know of the average UoN student. |
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