Just be idle...its important!

Tweeting on the ferry, blogging on the matatu, chatting in the park, skyping on the bus, emailing at work. We communicate, constantly, everywhere. Every day I see people in Kampala messaging while walking, crossing the street, up and down the stairs, on the elevator, in the bathroom and even while driving (yikes!).
The social urge of communication has grown exponentially in the past decade and is now filling every idle moment of our lives.
Some may argue that this continuous communication is annoying and mostly useless, it makes people unfocused and distracted. Some may say that it is a way of relaxing, of feeling always in contact with somebody. The obvious fact is that these compulsive activities are occupying some specific spaces in our day, spaces that otherwise would be, or would seem to be, empty. 
 In the visual arts, the urge of the artist of filling every empty space with details is called horror vacui, the fear of emptiness. The resulting style is frequently overcrowded and suffocating, and not surprisingly, it is originally the artistic style of mentally ill people.
Perhaps some spaces are meant to be left empty, to give harmony and breath to the whole picture of our day. 
While endeavoring to use every single moment of “blank” time to indulge in addictive and distractive habits, indeed something does get lost.
As an auditor, my work requires intense focus on problems for long periods of time. The more I grow older and (hopefully) wiser, the more I appreciate the few pauses and moments of idleness in my day and protect them from any other casual distraction. When riding the taxi home, for instance, I make it a point to do nothing else, not to force upon myself any phone calls, e-mails, video games or activities other than being aware of my surroundings.
It takes a good self-awareness to understand the importance of doing nothing.

The Extinction of real men!

There used to be a time when men used to be real men. Those were the days when men dressed with style, spoke with wisdom and had a certain code of honour that commanded respect, praise and admiration.
Unfortunately, from the look of things, it seems that those days are far gone. In the place of men of honour, we now have men trapped in adult bodies, but carrying toddlers’ mindset, behaviour and character. Well, before you shout your lungs out. Hear me out.
Someone needs to tell men that sex, a muscular body and an expensive car doesn’t define a real man. Someone needs to tell men that a hot body and a good erection cannot provide for your family or woman. We got too many brothers nowadays obsessed with who they will lay next to the extent that they have forgotten what a real man is all about.
We got too many brothers obsessed with having a six-pack so as to look sexy and attractive among ladies they have simply forgotten what manhood is about. We got too many brothers dying to own the latest car, they are now trapped in unnecessary debts. We got brothers running around with a muscular body but with an empty head, and have no clue on personal financial management, savings and investment.
Brothers, a real man takes care of his business. A real man strikes a balance in his life and understands that family and his woman comes first above anything else. A real man respects and puts his woman first. He understands that life is not a game of sexual conquests involving oiling every cleavage you meet. A real man understands that taking care of his body and health is important. A real man understands that sending his woman to the glory land, if you know what I mean, is equally important and so is owning a nice car. However, a real man also understands that there’s more to life than simply that.
We have so many sisters out there carrying bitterness and resentment towards men because of how they have been mistreated, abused and looked down upon. We got sisters who have simply lost faith in brothers – thanks to some horny, arrogant and ignorant toddlers running around trapped in adult bodies. Women are simply looking for a useful man – a man with substance, value and principles. A man who is focused in life knows what he wants and doesn’t run around as if the existence of the earth depends on his sexual conquests and material possessions. A muscular body and a pimped up ride cannot pay the bills.
Sisters are looking for a man who talks about wealth creation and investment with the same passion he talks about Kim Kardashian’s booty, the English Premier League and latest gadgets. Real women want more than a pretty rich boy. Women want love, respect, commitment and faithfulness. Women want a man who loves, fears and respects God. A man who can prepare a nice delicious meal for his woman and family, open the door for his woman, change diapers for their kids, and more importantly a man who doesn’t treat his woman as if he was trapped into the relationship.
Brothers, it’s time to up our game. Women of today are empowered and independent. So, intimidation and manipulation just won’t cut it anymore. It’s time we become real men once again. Men of honour.Men who have a relationship with God. Men who are determined to be the greatest role models, and inspiration to our generation. It’s time we become men who command respect without having to arm-twist anyone or impress anyone with our muscular bodies, yet have nothing between our ears. It’s time we simply become real men.

Man Talk: The obsessed drama queen

Ladies, if you have ever dated a guy, and everything appeared perfect at the beginning then slowly we downhill after that. He lost interest in the relationship, stopped making time for you, and seems to prioritise other things. Well, sweetheart, fasten your seatbelt coz you and I need to have a chat.

Most men enjoy being in a relationship with the woman they love until she turns into an insecure, overprotective and overly attached detective. Questioning his every move. Analysing every word he says. Tracking his whereabouts. Bombarding him every second with the ukowapi? Unafanya nini? and the ukonanani? Federal-bureau-of-investigations-like ‘conversations’.

I know the easy justification of such behaviour is always that men by nature are cheaters, and hence a woman needs to put a leash on them. However, I will ask: If sincerely you can’t trust your man, then I don’t see any reason why you are with him in the first place.

Relationships are built on trust, tolerance, maturity and understanding. If either of these key essential ingredients is missing, you are better off being single.

There’s a certain kind of confidence, inner peace and contentment that a man gains when he knows his woman trusts him. Nothing kills a man’s confidence and commitment in a relationship than a woman who always treats her man like he’s a murder suspect.

Nothing turns off a man like an overly attached woman. If your man tells you he’s meeting up with the boys to watch football, the least you can do is simply trust him. You don’t have to tag along unless of course you are graciously invited. Furthermore, you don’t have to become the new sheriff in town – tracking his moves, sniffing for evidence on his phone, analysing his body language and so on. Has it ever occurred to you that probably being overly attached, insecure and overprotective has in a way already pushed him away from you?

No man needs unnecessary drama in a relationship. I mean, for what it is worth we already have enough drama with our favourite football teams being thrashed week after week in the English Premier League. No man enjoys dating an overly attached woman and a stalker. Give your man some space, and watch him blossom.

Yes, it’s true you are in a relationship – but it doesn’t mean that he has to constantly report to you like he’s a 3-year-old who needs to be reminded to wipe his nose. You don’t have to constantly nag him about anything and everything. Don’t act God – expecting a man to always kneel before you, worship you as he constantly confesses his sins to you.

Understand that men aren’t wired to speak 27,000 words in a minute. Take the time to understand your man – his moods, his likes, his dislikes.

If he isn’t in the mood of talking or listening to your Season 6, Episode 17 of a cousin to your girlfriend’s best friend’s friend – don’t degenerate into teenage tantrums.

And no, it doesn’t mean that he’s cheating on you. It simply means that today he isn’t just in the mood of listening to you talk for two hours about stuff and people he sincerely doesn’t give a hoot about.

So, sweetheart, relax. Take it easy. Breathe-i-i-n-n-n, breath o-o-u-t-t. Relationships were meant to be fun, not a long series of endurance and tolerance. Don’t drag your insecurities and experiences from your past relationships into your current. If the first nigga cheated on you – get over it and move on – for it doesn’t mean all men are dogs.

And if you genuinely believe that all men are dogs, then for the peace of the world and the sanity of the future generation, please I beg you oooh my sisto! stop screwing around with ‘dogs’.

In fact, how about you just check into a Convent and dedicate your earthly life in the service and glory of the God. For crying out loud, I am sure the world is so tired with yet another episode of a poor soul constantly bashing ‘all’ men for the sins of a few crazy brothers

Have you been Corrupt today?

I must have read at least 50 essays on anti-corruption in the past few weeks. Looking back, I realize that all of them are critiques of the system, officials, and the use of public power. Obviously there’s nothing wrong with this, because the source of corruption must be power. 

However, if all corruption cases are attributed to the system, the use of power and officials, does that mean that we can relax and ignore our own responsibilities? Can we forgive or even find excuses for our role in corruption?
As a whole, the problem of corruption is caused by ‘them,’ not by ‘us.’ But does that mean that we are completely innocent? 
Today, I’d like to talk not about ‘their’ problems but about our problems — our own corruption problems. First of all, I’d like to know: have you done something corrupt today? On average, how often do you cooperate in the corrupt acts of those with a little power?  Don’t answer too quickly.
Let's digest that as we aim to flip the coin and do a self-appraisal!!

The current administration has devoted a lot effort to fighting corruption. I believe that we can move from curing the symptoms to treating the disease. Eventually swatting “flies” and beating “tigers” will develop into an anti-corruption system. It’s been said recently that future anti-corruption campaigns will not only arrest those who accept bribes, but will also detain the bribers. Really, if no one offers bribes, how could anyone accept bribes? However, long-term corruption has nurtured a deep culture of corruption, a sense of “custom” and “habit.” Corruption can’t be eliminated through an “anti-corruption storm” and an overnight reform of the system. Getting rid of corruption will rely on raising the quality of the citizens and awakening public awareness.
When we blindly complain about, criticize, and curse the corruption of the system and of officials, why don’t we search our own conscience and examine our own responsibilities and duties? Yes, we are the powerless; of course we don’t have the power to be corrupt. But even the powerless have a sort of power. We have the power not to bow and scape to those who hold the official seals. We have the power to say NO to those judges who accept bribes and issue unjust rulings. We have the power to fight to the end against corrupt officials, to report and expose them. If we start with ourselves, and resist the “corruption” that comes from within or beside us, then the corrupt “fleas” will have no place to hide, and the corrupt “tigers” will become true paper tigers.
Have you been corrupt today? Tomorrow, will you silently accept, permit, or cooperate in others’ corruption? When will you be ready to fight corruption?

The dilemma of campus pregnancy!

Pregnancy is the most beautiful thing that a woman can experience. It marks the transition from being merely a woman to the elevated status of becoming a mother; a giver of life. The respect and kindness accorded to pregnant women shows just how much society values expectant women.However, the same cannot be said for women who get pregnant out of wedlock. This is viewed as a taboo in almost all African communities and the children born in such a manner are made to suffer the consequences of their parents’ lust by being referred to as “bastards”.Unplanned pregnancies are coldly received as they are often associated with promiscuity and immoral behavior especially on the girl’s part.  Ladies are thus encouraged to maintain their virgin status until the time that they walk down the aisle.Circumstances have changed over the years. Young men and women are being exposed to sexual intercourse way early in life, with some debuting into the world of intimacy from as early as fourteen years.  This is risky as most of them are not aware how to protect themselves with some being ignorant or totally unaware of the dangers.The thrill of partaking in the forbidden fruit reaches its prime in campus mostly because young people now feel that they have attained the legal age and can do whatever they wish with their lives. One would think that campus students would be wise enough to use protection as they are more knowledgeable especially with regards to the effects of unprotected intercourse.  Sadly, this is not the case as most Campuserians seem to be living with the “living young and wild and free” mentality.During drunken nights, a lot happens and in the heat of the moment, using protection becomes the last thing on one’s mind. Innocent freshmen are also lured into hitting it ‘raw’ as they  innocent and may be too shy or weak to resist such approaches from older boyfriends. Others are convinced by their steady boyfriends into engaging in unprotected sex so that they can prove their trust and faithfulness; furthermore, these boyfriends posit that the morning after pill or the all popular e-pill will always work.However, things do not always works out as expected and the jitters begin showing once the periods delay. The lady is in panic mode and the only thing they can do is go for a pregnancy test with fingers crossed just to get some peace of mind. A confirmation of the fears is received first of all in shock and disbelief which later develops into depression.One begins wondering how they will break the news to their parents and most of all to their boyfriends if at all they are lucky enough to know the person responsible for the pregnancy. Fully aware of the shame and stigma that they will be forced to undergo once their parents and relatives become aware of the news, most ladies collude with their all too willing boyfriends to procure abortions.  The abortions are undertaken in secret with financial aid from friends. Although most of these young ladies are aware of the dangers of abortion, they would rather suffer the pain than deal with the humiliation.Despite this sad realization, there are some ladies who are courageous enough to face their parents. The lucky ones who get support from their parents have it a bit smoothly but the stigma is still there.Coping with pregnancy and studies can be very difficult. The cold stares and harsh words from classmates and the transition from becoming a young campus girl with the world ahead of her to becoming someone’s mother can be unbearable at times. Ladies who choose the harder path should be applauded and supported by all means. Pro-Life clubs and counseling institutions in most campuses across the country are seen as a shelter in the turbulent storm.Getting pregnant is no alien thing; it could happen to any lady. One needs to be extremely careful so as not to accelerate their debut into motherhood. There is time for everything. In as much as abstinence is a unicorn in this age and time, remember to always use protection. Some things are just not worth the pain and stigma.

Wrong degree for your dream career?

How to pursue your dream career with a wrong degree
“I studied teaching because my family has a long line of teachers."
“I wish I could go back to university and study something else, I really hate this job.”
“My dad filled my university papers.”
This list is endless. A list full of regrets from graduates who go through the motions of life and career halfheartedly because of that one course they studied but had no passion for. Some graduate and get stuck while others get jobs and pay taxes wishing there was an alternative. What they don’t understand is that there really is an alternative, if they looked close enough.
It could have been as a result of how our school system is structured or financial situations at the time of choosing one’s course to study. Nevertheless, here are ways that one can turn that around their not so interesting degree and use it enjoy doing what they love.
Make use of transferable skills
These are the skills that are not tied to a single career but they can be applied across the board. For example, if you majored in ornithology (big word, look it up), yet your passion is in marketing, you could use the skills acquired during data gathering to pursue a marketing career.
The analytical skills and presentation skills can be applied in a vast range of careers.
Combine Passion and Career through experience
It is an open secret in the job market that experience can beat even the best of degrees. Let us say you have a background in nursing and yet you badly wanted to work in PR or journalism. How about finding an editorial internship at a medicine or nursing journal?
You can even volunteer in the distribution of flyers and booklets for your local dispensary. All these will count when time is ripe for you to go for that dream career.
Consider Entrepreneurship
There’s a stereotypical thinking that if someone graduates with a degree, they have to go and work for somebody. There’s no problem with this, but what if you’re not interested in that career path? You can make use of the higher education platform to network and establish business connections which you can in turn use to start off on your own.
Whichever option you choose, keep in mind that just like nature, education never wastes. What you have learned can be utilized somewhere else.

The risks of internet Banking

Internet banking can be defined as the extension of banking services through Internet delivery channels, where your traditional physical bank extends the functionality of your branch into the virtual space.

Through a web interface, the bank provides its customers the convenience of executing transactions from the comfort of their homes or offices.

In Kenya, this convenience is further extended into mobile banking, where customers access their traditional bank accounts through mobile phones. One can therefore move funds from a bank account into other accounts existing within and beyond the hosting bank. This is quite innovative, very convenient and highly functional.

However, the fact that it works most of the time tends to hide the fact that occasionally things can, and do, go horribly wrong. When they do, most banks and their telecommunications partners prefer to remain silent in order to protect their reputation.

But silence does not mean that the risks of internet and mobile banking have disappeared. We must have a conversation these risks and how to mitigate them.

In assessing the risks, we can adopt the common ‘CIA’ perspective – reviewing the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability risks for internet and mobile banking.

Confidentiality refers to the extent to which information is kept private and only accessible to authorized personnel.

Integrity refers to the ability to protect information from non-authorized alterations, while availability refers to the ability to provide the banking service as and when it is required.

Confidentiality means that your bank account or mobile money (M-Pesa) details should have restricted access in order to minimize the risk of fraudulent activities.

If this were not true, and someone had prior knowledge of your mobile money balance, for example, they would have a better chance of executing the now-notorious trick of sending you a fake M-Pesa text message and subsequently calling you to claim that they have “mistakenly” posted you some money.

If they had knowledge of your previous balance, they would accurately report your faked new balance, increasing the chances that you would make a reverse transmission of the claimed amount in favor of the fraudster.

You would have been conned if you effected the reversal, since the transfer would be coming from your hard-earned money, rather than from the purported mistaken posting.

Another trick is emerging around online banking where some banks have been reported to be acting on “emailed instructions” from customers.

Whereas the Kenya Information and Communication Act of 2009 did recognize electronic records as valid in the eyes of Kenyan courts, the framework supporting emailed transactions is not yet implemented.

Specifically, the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) framework that would provide solid authentication and non-repudiation mechanisms to support email and other electronic transactions is largely ignored in Kenya.

Authentication is a mechanism that validates the identity supplied by online customers while non-repudiation is a property that allows one to confirm beyond reasonable doubt, by way of digital signatures that a particular email or electronic communication did originate from a particular customer.

In the absence of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) environment, it is very easy to generate fake email instructions to a bank that purport to originate from a valid customer. Once the bank executes such an instruction, the customer loses their money.

The situation can even get more complicated when bank insiders are the ones originating the fake email instructions and subsequently executing them under the pretext of innocently serving the customer, when in essence, they are paying themselves through remote accomplices.

Indeed, customers themselves can exploit the loopholes within electronic communications that lack digital signatures. They could also originate fake email instructions to pay their remote accomplices, with the ulterior motive of ensuring that these instructions are later confirmed as fake, making the bank liable for a refund.

All these confidentiality and integrity issues can be technically addressed by implementing a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) environment. However, other policy, regulatory and procedural practices must precede a successful Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) implementation. The Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act must be urgently enacted to protect citizens from exposures in the ever-changing technological landscape.

Yes, it's a digital world, but not without risks!