Edith Wangare

[JM News Network @JMNewsNetwork_]

A Syrian man who was selling pens on the streets of Beirut in 2015, with his young daughter asleep on his shoulder, trying to secure a dignified life for her amid harsh circumstances.

A touching photo was taken of him that spread worldwide and became a symbol of hope and resilience. An Icelandic programmer noticed it and launched a crowdfunding campaign with a goal of $5,000, but it raised over $190,000 in a short time.

Thanks to this support, his family moved to better housing, and his children returned to school. He also invested the money in small projects that provided job opportunities for refugees and sent aid to his relatives in Syria,
transforming a single photo into a turning point that changed his life and inspired widespread human solidarity.

[George T. Diano @georgediano]

The Catholic Church built a community water project in Mutitu in 2009 to serve over 30,000 residents of Nyeri, Laikipia and Nyahururu. Crooked officials tried to unlawfully take over the project lakini the Court ordered that all assets be returned to community. After being Defeated in court, Water Resources Authority officials, backed by armed police, destroyed water meters, damaged the water outlet and redirected the water back into the river.

This reminded me of an incident in Tongaren constituency where some Mzungus installed massive Solar panels to supply electricity to resident of Tabani ward, only for Moses Wetangu & the then Area Mp Eseli Simiyu to chase him away saying that the Mzungu is interfering with govt projects & that it's govt mandate to connect Kenyans with electricity. To date, Tabani has no electricity & the area MP chikati has no vision at all.

[George T. Diano @georgediano]

The Kenyan music industry is dying and the corporate world is happily playing the drum that’s leading us there. These days, mediocrity has become the national anthem, proudly performed by celebrities who would auction their dignity for views. Someone like Bahati can release a musical catastrophe, the kind that makes your ears file a restraining order, yet somehow still walk away with brand endorsements from big corporates.

Because to them, it’s not about artistry, it’s about publicity, impressions and how loudly your chaos trends on TikTok. Most Kenyan artists and DJs have now realized that mediocrity sells faster than actual talent. Take EABL for example.

They’ve done commendable work supporting local musicians, but the trade-off is Utterly ridiculous. Artists have stopped making music and instead become full-time bartenders on Instagram.

I was genuinely puzzled why Grauchi’s mixes have recently been hovering somewhere between trash & catastrophe, only to find him somewhere online vigorously shaking Smirnoff ice like he’s auditioning for Mixologist of the Year.

Then there’s Mejja, a man who once gave us national anthems without even trying. These days he seems to be singing whatever wanders into his mind, like a man who misplaced the remote control to his own creativity.

Visit his social media and you’ll see the pressure to stay relevant. Even him has been swallowed by the EABL content wave. Mejja isn’t making hits anymore, he’s busy teaching Kenyans how to mix Captain Morgan like he’s the head bartender at Mugithi Lounge & Spirits.

Even my boys Wakadinali, the lyrical masters, have also been dragged into this cocktail circus by KWAL, now doing content for Kibao instead of tearing up the mic. At this point, even alcohol must be confused.

Honestly, I want to meet this corporate genius, that one brave, incompetent soul who decided that the best way to grow a brand is by converting musicians into glorified bartenders. Because if you go through the comments on those videos, the audience is discussing everything except the product.

The marketing strategy is giving ODM experts who work backwards. Unfortunately for these artists & DJs, this strategy is not sustainable. The moment you stop producing music & appearing in clubs, your brand value depreciates faster than a stolen phone.

Corporates will drop you immediately and run to the next viral youngster with good bars, a ring light and zero shame. Before EABL became the new plantation masters of the entertainment scene, brands like Safaricom, who also paid the piper actually understood alignment.

Safaricom only sells two things: MPESA and airtime. And they had musicians promoting exactly that. It made sense. It was believable. Their brand strategy didn’t look like it was conceptualized during happy hour.

EABL on the other hand, is serving us misplaced brand identity masquerading as strategy. They’ll hand a budget gin to a premium artist and ask them to “be authentic”. It’s comedy disguised as marketing. And now we have a new, dangerous dependency economy.

Rising musicians are turning down 50k–100k club gigs,, the very same gigs that build loyal fanbases because they’re waiting for their brand manager to place them on Chrome Tours and Smirnoff Fiestas that pay 300k a night.

Instead of hustling, growing their craft & sharpening their artistry the way every legendary musician does, they’ve become obedient puppets performing on corporate timetables, not their creative instincts.

Artists who have mastered the art of real longevity in the industry, the likes of kina Nyashinski, Bien, Nameless, Khaligraph,,, have refused to drink from this chalice of confusion & they're doing brand marketing in their own terms. Because great artists understand that once you trade artistry for gimmicks, the decline is irreversible.

EABL’s support for artists is appreciated, but they must allow musicians to remain musicians, not part-time mixologists reading cocktail recipes like hostage statements. Kama kawa sisi walala hoii hatuna maoni, Letu Jicho tu.👀

[Goddie @Goddie_Ke]

Localman welcomes his wife home in style after delivery

[George T. Diano @georgediano]

Thika Chief Magistrate Hon. Stella Atambo was compassionate to a college student arraigned for stealing whisky worth KSh 1,800 from a Naivas Supermarket outlet. The magistrate was concerned that allowing the 23-year-old to take plea and face criminal charges would taint his record and advised that he pays the Supermarket instead of getting charged.

"You're only 23 and if you're charged, this will mean you'll have a criminal record. You have a long way to go in life and such an offense shouldn't taint your integrity. Only 1,800," she said. The magistrate was curious to know if the male lawyers in the courtroom knew the whisky brand the young man had stolen and how much it cost in the shelves.

She further before told them to save the day for their fellow boy-child who risked ruining his reputation over an offense that could be settled out of court. She inquired if the young man could afford the whisky price which he'd earlier claimed was inflated a bit. The 23-year-old confessed he was unable to pay.

Atambo, on a light note, urged lawyers in the house to help the young man raise the money to help the accused clear his reputation, saying it was a mentorship opportunity for them. Sisi kama walala hoii we are saying Asanti Sana to Hon. Stella Atambo for showing compassion to one of our own.🥹

[George T. Diano @georgediano]

Phoina showed up on the AM podcast today and calmly announced she’s dating someone else. She even blamed those viral videos of Khalif Kairo measuring her body temperature with mudomometer. She claims that Kairo almost ruined her relationship with the love of her life.

She said that she wasn't in her right senses when the PDA launched by our boy happened. Anasema it was just another moment of two drunk friends getting cozy. And just like that, Kairo has survived another Cyclone Hidaya full of Dust particles.

Wooooi Yehova! Our boy has really suffered this year. May Yehova Wanyonyi stretch His mighty hand and remember the poor son of Adam as he continues circumnavigating through the dusty corridors of Kalahari Desert University of Science & Technology (K-DUST) where he’s currently pursuing a PhD in Womenology & Applied Suffering.

At this point, as an institution we are going to discuss how to handle this matter bcoz honestly, our boy’s predicaments is a case study. Kairo deserves an honorary degree & maybe counselling with subtitles. Kama kawa sisi walala hoii hatuna maoni, Letu Jicho tu. 👀

[George T. Diano @georgediano]

Lazima kesho Kindiki akae hivi exact. May Yehova Wanyonyi remember that poor son of Tharaka Nithi.🥲

[Edith Wangare @EdithWangare5]

Poverty is the enemy

[Eve Maina @evenmaina]

Buana I will live to testify that I have seen Tanzanians wenye walisema hatuna nidhamu juu ya kuprotest last year, protesting on election day.😂 Walikua wanaona tukiwa mafala sana.

[Monrose Murugi Media🇰🇪 @MonroseMurugi]

Oya, photographers and journalists in Tanzania, changamkeni! We want high-quality pictures and videos from the scene!
Other than that, Kenyans stand with Tanzanians! A win for Tanzania is a win for other East African countries!

Idi Amin Mama Samia Suluhu Tanzania

[Edith Wangare @EdithWangare5]

https://t.co/6Oohdbi94W

[White Ribbon Alliance Kenya @WRA_K]

So, what did they ask for?
Stay tuned▶ as we share their #voices, #demands, and #visions for health and well-being.

[White Ribbon Alliance Kenya @WRA_K]

Women & girls 🧕🏿 in refugee communities face diverse #health challenges. Our work aims to #bridge these #gaps by prioritizing their needs and #igniting their #power to drive #inclusive health solutions.
💪

[White Ribbon Alliance Kenya @WRA_K]

Last week, we visited 𝗗𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗮𝗯 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗴𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽, where we met #women👩🏽 & #girls living in refugee settlements who are often left out of critical💥 discussions on #health, #wellbeing, & #selfcare.

[White Ribbon Alliance Kenya @WRA_K]

@WRA_K is deeply committed to #listening 👂 to women and girls in all their #diversity, ensuring their #voices🔊 are not only heard but #amplified📢 in conversations about their own #health 🏥 and #wellbeing.

[Edith Wangare @EdithWangare5]

#Safe and #accessible WASH services are foundational for improving #maternal and #newborn health outcomes.

[White Ribbon Alliance Kenya @WRA_K]

Unsafe #water, #sanitation & #hygiene (WASH) services contribute to 26% of newborn deaths and 11% of maternal deaths worldwide - @USAID_MOMENTUM .

[White Ribbon Alliance Kenya @WRA_K]

Unsafe #water, #sanitation & #hygiene (WASH) services contribute to 26% of newborn deaths and 11% of maternal deaths worldwide - @USAID_MOMENTUM .

[White Ribbon Alliance Kenya @WRA_K]

Midwives are key to reducing #Preventable Maternal & Newborn deaths. At the 9th Midwives Annual Scientific Conference, we showcased our documentary;“Mothers Lost, NewbornsLost, FathersLeft Behind,” highlighting tragic losses due to systemic healthcare failures.

[Nelson Havi SC @NelsonHavi]

Arresting and arraigning Morara Kebaso in Court was not a well thought out idea. lawyers Fidel Castro and Nelson Mandela used their respective trials to launch revolutions. Governance requires smart thinkers and you cannot be a smart thinker unless you are widely read in History.

[White Ribbon Alliance Kenya @WRA_K]

Join Virtually: The 2030 Agenda – Sustainably Accelerating Maternal Health Outcomes!
Tune in as our ED, @angienguku, joins a critical discussion on building coalitions for childbirth at the sidelines of #UNGA79.
🔗Register to attend : https://t.co/BPeNQN6CXZ
@devex