The Rome Statute

Article 7
Crimes against humanity

1. For the purpose of this Statute, “crime against humanity” means any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack:
(a) Murder;
(b) Extermination;
(c) Enslavement;
(d) Deportation or forcible transfer of population;
(e) Imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law;
(f) Torture;
(g) Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity;
(h) Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender as defined in paragraph 3, or other grounds that are universally recognized as impermissible under international law, in connection with any act referred to in this paragraph or any crime within the jurisdiction of the Court;
(i) Enforced disappearance of persons;
(j) The crime of apartheid;
(k) Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.
2. For the purpose of paragraph 1:
(a) “Attack directed against any civilian population” means a course of conduct involving the multiple commission of acts referred to in paragraph 1 against any civilian population, pursuant to or in furtherance of a State or organizational policy to commit such attack;
(b) “Extermination” includes the intentional infliction of conditions of life, inter alia the deprivation of access to food and medicine, calculated to bring about the destruction of part of a population;
(c) “Enslavement” means the exercise of any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership over a person and includes the exercise of such power in the course of trafficking in persons, in particular women and children;
(d) “Deportation or forcible transfer of population” means forced displacement of the persons concerned by expulsion or other coercive acts from the area in which they are lawfully present, without grounds permitted under international law;
(e) “Torture” means the intentional infliction of severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, upon a person in the custody or under the control of the accused; except that torture shall not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to, lawful sanctions;
5
(f) “Forced pregnancy” means the unlawful confinement of a woman forcibly made pregnant, with the intent of affecting the ethnic composition of any population or carrying out other grave violations of international law. This definition shall not in any way be interpreted as affecting national laws relating to pregnancy;
(g) “Persecution” means the intentional and severe deprivation of fundamental rights contrary to international law by reason of the identity of the group or collectivity;
(h) “The crime of apartheid” means inhumane acts of a character similar to those referred to in paragraph 1, committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime;
(i) “Enforced disappearance of persons” means the arrest, detention or abduction of persons by, or with the authorization, support or acquiescence of, a State or a political organization, followed by a refusal to acknowledge that deprivation of freedom or to give information on the fate or whereabouts of those persons, with the intention of removing them from the protection of the law for a prolonged period of time.
3. For the purpose of this Statute, it is understood that the term “gender” refers to the two sexes, male and female, within the context of society. The term “gender” does not indicate any meaning different from the above.

Wikileaks: Ranneberger Funds Dissent among Kenyan Youths.

Viewing cable 12NAIROBI1885, Raneberger’s dalliance with the youths of Kenya.

The entire world has lately been taken aback and scandalized at that, by the recent revelations made by the controversial website Wikileaks owned by the Australian born Julliane Assange. The leaked diplomatic cables containing memos between the US ambassadors in different countries and their boss in the oval office, contain damning reports on what they really think about the governments and the leaders steering those government. There’s a school of thought out there, which holds that, the recent rape accusations put forward that led to his arrest and the warrants and deportation requests against Julliane Assange by the Swedish government are directly related to his activism in favor of transparent governments in the world. Several hackers have come forward in support of Assange and Wikileaks calling themselves “hacktivists”, where they are launching attacks to websites belonging to companies that followed the American government’s directive to stop any dealings with Wikileaks. Others have mirrored the Wikileaks sites to a myriad other servers in the world after the Wikileaks website was shut down, in order to provide the public with an opportunity to view the leaked cables which has caused a media frenzy and placed the American government in a very embarrassing position.
But having said that, what really interests me and is the focus of discussion in this blog, is the memos that were meant for Barrack Obama on what the American Ambassador, Michael Ranneberger thinks of Kenya and our leaders, especially the two principals leading the coalition government. According to the leaked cables, Ranneberger candidly states that, the slow pace of reforms in Kenya enshrined in the new constitution and the National Accord agreement ratified by the two principals after the infamous post election violence in Kenya, are because the two i.e. president Mwai Kibaki and Right Hon. PM, Raila Odinga, are actually beneficiaries of the past impunity in Kenya. The two have been unable or unwilling, to rally their troupes behind the idea of setting up a local tribunal to try the perpetrators of the 2007 post poll chaos, and instead they have decided to approach the whole issue with a wait-and-see attitude while Ocampo and his team are busy preparing evidence against the six individuals bearing the greatest responsibility for the chaos.

These memos really ticked the two principals to an extent that during Jamuhuri Day, which is supposed to be a celebrated national holiday day and the first one in the new constitution, was reduced to a bashing affair for the American ambassador. It appears the poor ambassador knew he’s no longer in good books (not that he was before anyway) with the two, and decided to skip the celebrations. The two are accusing Ranneberger of funding youth groups in different parts of the country with an aim of destabilizing or overthrowing this government. The Ambassador, who has achieved a fete, probably none of the two has before, has been knighted as an elder in almost all the communities he’s visited in Kenya for his good works.
My take on this might as well be controversial, but I’ll play the devil’s advocate here if sanity has the slightest chance of being restored. What Raneberger has realized and any other Kenyan with an average IQ should, is that, our leaders, or politicians, thrive on our ignorance, which more often than not is caused by poverty. I don’t need to take you through what poverty can do to a nation’s psyche, because that would suffice as a complete post for my blog. But just to delve a little bit deeper, poverty denies one dignity and self-esteem. It sucks the entire moral out of you and denies you alternatives in life by reducing your options to a bare minimum. For instance, if your child is sick and you are a parent , you’ll either go borrow money (hoping that you are not indebted already to all the neighbors around), go steal the money (a more desperate measure) or you just hope and pray that your child will overcome the disease and come out alive (in most cases it doesn’t work).

When people’s stomach are filled with just enough food, they are able to worry about things like the environment and why it should be kept clean, the quality of service they’re entitled to from the government etc. In other words, poverty is like the ozone layer which encapsulates the earth and prevents it from breathing in fresh air. The reason as to why western governments and other economic power house that embrace true democracy are kept on toss by their subjects is simply because, people there don’t play politics of stomach and 2 kg sugar during elections. Americans overwhelmingly voted for Barrack Obama in a Democratic ticket but already he is feeling the pressure as all Americans including those who voted for him, are demanding for more from his government in terms of job creation which were really hit by the recent global economic crunch; They want taxes for the lower income earners reduced tremendously and a myriad of other demands .Gordon Brown, despite his impeccable economic track record as the Chancellor of the exchequer, was also bundled out of the Labor Party reigns and the No.10 Downing Street, simply because his policies were not in sync with that of the ordinary Joe in London. Now, for a country to make such demands, it needs people who are sober, focused and not the kind that worries every single day that dawn, where their next meal is going to come from. I strongly believe Ranneberger’s intentions are in good faith, because we’ve haven’t had cases where he bought firearms for any group nor encouraged them directly to fight the government. What he is simply doing is to empower the youth, by telling them that there’s hope for them and that the future belongs to them and not the octogenarians who have clang to power for decades with power being handed down from generation to generation while other Kenyans are reduced to perennial voters.

Dealing with symptoms at the alter of the disease

Yesterday, Kenyans were treated to a rare moment of drama when the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) officials laid a trap to bribe-taking traffic officers when they launched a sting operation along the Nakuru-Naivasha highway after members of the public complained that traffic police officers manning the road, constantly subject them to harassment while extorting their hard-earned cash in order to be left scot-free after flouting traffic rules.
While a majority of Kenyans see this as a step in the right direction in the war against corruption, especially considering the fact that, we recently passed a new constitution the other day and that our country is excited about the prospects for change that will bring, to me this is nothing but a mere PR exercise that wont take us anywhere nor bare any fruits. For those who care to remember, these are the same tactics that the former anti-corruption czar, Justice Arron Gitonga Ringera employed and never bore any fruit(s) as far as ending or taming corruption is concerned. Instead, it has been business as usual as our police officers, civil servants, politicians and ordinary wananchi continue soliciting for more bribes unabated. The judiciary for instance has been notoriously famous for selling justice to the highest bidder, hence creating a conducive environment for corruption to take root due to the backlog of cases that continue to pile up hence denying poor Kenyans the much needed justice.
What PLO Lumumba (a man i respect a lot) and his team fail to understand is that, corruption doesn't have a physical embodiment which you could run around chasing after like a chicken. Granted, we all are innately corrupt. Even the bible acknowledges this fact that we are born sinners with corrupt minds because our first parents were corrupt.
The problem of corruption resides in the minds of the people and that's where the battle should begin and eventually end hopefully. What we see out here is just but a manifestation of our continuous neglect and unwillingness to finally & boldly slay the dragon of corruption. What we need as a society and a country at large, is to raise a people with dignity, values and pride in themselves. People who appreciate hard work and honest living and eventually a people who respect systems, institutions and laws that govern the country. Such people are expected to offer leadership in the country that respects human rights like access to basic needs i.e. water, sanitation, food, good housing and security to mention but a few. This in turn will raise their dignity and remove the temptation that comes with poverty. Fighting corruption therefore calls for a sustainable effort aimed at bringing together all the stakeholders on board for synergy and chat a way forward on strategies and techniques to use in order to at least reduce the levels of corruption from critical to sustainable levels, because lets face it folks, like i earlier said in my introduction, we are all born corrupt, so lets not expect a panacea that will magically kill the dragon that is corruption, but the small steps that me and you take , when summed up together, will bring a huge difference in our society. That's what i call success!
Lets sort out first the man in the mirror.

So we have a new katiba; Big deal!

Our erstwhile colonial master, the British, has been operating effectively without  a written constitution for ages now, yet, history shows that all their former colonies are governed by a written constitution (with all its flaws notwithstanding) yet real changes that do matter to the ordinary Joe in the streets are yet to be met in many of such colonies.

Since the Lancaster conference in the early 60's, Kenya has been operating on a constitution that was not only done in a foreign land, but its crafting and design was made to serve the interests of the colonizer and his cronies. Our forefathers fought hard against this hitherto draconian and unjust system instigated by the white man, but no sooner had we gotten independence, than a few of the leaders who rallied us behind the banner to overthrow this tyranny, they themselves came to realize that actually the laws were actually sweet as long as they serve your interest. And so as a people, we were subjected to another long battle and journey in what came to be famously/infamously known as the second liberation. Unlike the first one, this straggle pitted those at the helm of power against those seeking to change the business-as-usual  way of doing things or the status- quo so to speak. And so this led to arrests, unlawful detentions, torture and even murder of those perceived as the enemies of the people.

These struggles went on over the years even after the demise of the founding father Mzee Jommo Kenyatta and peaked under Moi’s presidency. The culmination of which was when the NARC  government (composed mainly of an amalgamation of opposition parties) which was perceived to be colored by leaders with a reformist mindset and progressive ideologies, managed to defeat KANU which had stayed at the helm of power for over 3 decades. The icing on the cake was when the NARC government made several attempts to overhaul the entire system and give Kenyans a new constitution that is made by Kenyans and for Kenyans. After several false-starts, this was finally achieved and ratified by President Kibaki in full view of the world in a ceremony at Uhuru Park graced by various dignitaries among them the indicted Sudanese President El Bashir. But the question  that begs is; will this constitution deliver a panacea to the myriad of problems that have been bedeviling Kenyans for ages; will it finally lay to rest the dragon that is corruption which has eaten into the fabric of our society; will the ever increasing number of young and fresh graduates spewed out of our universities get employment; Will your life and mine be any better? These and many more are the questions that we should be preoccupied with as Kenyans. The jury is still out there and your guess is as good as mine, but what we have to appreciate as a country is the fact that, change begins with self. No amount of legislation or constitution review attempts will change the lot of the majority of folks who still can’t afford a square meal, yet we still have the same set of monkeys in the forest as it were.

We don’t need some document spelling the do's and don'ts while dictating to us what is right and what is not. After all, the British have been doing just fine without  a written law. We need attitude change, not constitutional change. That is what will make a difference ultimately when all is said and done.

What NOT to do: 7 ways to ruin your resume

In the time it takes you to read this paragraph, the average recruiter will have plowed through six resumes. (We know; we timed one.) Want to increase the chances of your resume making it to the next round? Then don’t do any of these seven things, which recruiters say — more than anything — make them want to push the “shred” button.

1. Apply for a job for which you are not remotely qualified

Many candidates believe the job hunt is a numbers game — drop enough resumes, and you’re bound to land something. But shotguns are for hunting pheasant, not finding jobs. The reality is that recruiters hate wasting time on resumes from unqualified candidates. Morgan Miller, an executive recruiter at StaffMark, recalls the security guard who applied to be a financial risk manager (maybe Lehman should have hired him), while Scott Ragusa at Winter, Wyman talks of the aerial photographer who sought out a position as a tax specialist.

“Sorting through unqualified resumes is frustrating, unproductive and puts an extra burden on staff,” says Katherine Swift, Senior Account Director at KCSA Strategic Communications in Natick, Mass. “It also makes it much more challenging to find the right candidate.” So the next time you’re thinking of blasting out resumes to all 60 of the job listings on Monster.com that have the word “finance” in them , save your time (and that of the recruiters) and only apply for ones for which you’re qualified.

2. Include a lofty mission statement

More than ever, today’s savage job market is about the company, not the candidate. As such, mission or objective statements — particularly ones with an applicant’s hopes, dreams, and health insurance aspirations — will dispatch otherwise fine resumes to the circular file. Employers don’t care about how they can solve your problems — certainly not before they’ve met you and possibly not even after they’ve hired you. Instead, write an “objectives” statement that explains specifically how your skills and experience will help the company you’re applying to, not the other way around. And be very clear about what kind of job you’re seeking.

3. Use one generic resume for every job listing

To stand out amongst the sea of resumes that recruiters receive, yours must speak to each and every specific position, even recycling some of the language from the job description itself. Make it obvious that you will start solving problems even before you’ve recorded your outgoing voicemail message. Your CV or query letter should include a just touch of industry lingo — sufficient to prove you know your stuff but not so much that you sound like a robot. And it should speak to individual company issues and industry challenges, with specifics on how you have personally improved customer loyalty, efficiency, and profitability at past jobs, says workplace and performance consultant Jay Forte. Plus, each morsel should be on point.

“Think hard about how to best leverage each piece of information to your job search advantage,” says Wendy Enelow, a career consultant and trainer in Virginia. “Nothing in your resume should be arbitrary, from what you include in your job descriptions and achievement statements, to whether your education or experience comes first [recent grads may want to put education first] to how you format your contact information.”

4. Make recruiters or hiring managers guess how exactly you can help their client

Sourcing experts want to know — immediately — what someone can offer, and they won’t spend time noodling someone’s credentials. “Animal, vegetable or mineral? Doctor, lawyer or Indian chief?That’s what I’m wondering every time I open a resume. If it takes me more than a split second to figure this out, I feel frustrated,” says Mary O’Gorman, a veteran recruiter based in Brooklyn.

5. Don’t explain how past experience translates to a new position

Though candidates should avoid jobs where they have no experience, they absolutely should pursue new areas and positions if they can position their experience effectively. A high school English teacher applying for new jobs, for example, can cite expertise in human resource management, people skills, record keeping, writing, and training, says Anthony Pensabene, a professional writer who works with executives.

“Titles are just semantics; candidates need to relate their ‘actual’ skills and experiences to the job they’re applying for in their resume,” Pensabene says. An applicant who cannot be bothered to identify the parallels between the two likely won’t be bothered with interviews, either.

6. Don’t include a cover letter with your resume

A cover letter should always accompany a resume — even if it’s going to your best friend. And that doesn’t mean a lazy “I’m _____ and I’m looking for a job in New York; please see my attached resume.” Says Lindsay Olson, a partner at Manhattan’s Paradigm Staffing: “I’d like to know why you are contacting me (a particular position, referral, etc.), a short background about yourself, and a career highlight or two. It’s important to attempt to set yourself apart from the competition.”

7. Be careless with details

Reckless job hunters rarely make for conscientious workers. As such, even promising resumes must abide by age-old dictums: typo-free, proper organization, and no embellishment. Susan Whitcomb, author of Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer, says that almost 80 percent of HR managers she surveyed said they would dismiss otherwise qualified candidates who break these rules. She tells the story of one would-be employer who, when looking for an assistant, decided not to hire anyone because every resume she received contained typos.

“With a 6-to-1 ratio of jobseekers-to-jobs in the current marketplace, you can’t afford to make mistakes with your resume,” Whitcomb says.

SHENG TAKEN TOO FAR:My prayer is our children will not translate the bible to sheng.

Source: YP-Kenya


Barikiwa sana as you read this from one of the crusades.

This one made me laugh!

Luke 19: 1-10
'Luke Kumi na tisa, moja hadi ashuu.'

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho .
--Basi Yesu akapenya Jeri na alikuwa akipitia tuu.

Now behold, there was a man called Zaccheus who was the Chief Tax
collector and was rich.
--Basi kulikuwa na msee mmoja anaitwa Zaka . Huyu Zaka alikuwa dongra wa
kukwachu munde, na alikuwa sonko mbaya

And he sought to see who Jesus was, but he couldn't because of the
crowd, for he was a short man.
--Zaka alijisikia kusorora huyu Yesu ,lakini wapi ju ya ile
kerende:alikuwa ka-pienga!

So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him for he
was going that direction.
--Zaka akajishanora akadandia miti ndio asorore vipoa juu alikuwa
akikwome hiyo side.

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to
him
--Basi Yesu aligalavant akafika hiyo baze,akachi-ek mabatini akamyebi na
kumshow niaje ?

"Zacchaeus,make a haste and come down, for today I must stay at your
house"
--"Zaka dondoka faster faster juu leo lazima ni maintain kwa keja yako".

Click here to follow Link: Estimation of Carbon Stock Using Remote Sensing: A Case Study of Indonesia

Why the clergy should tread carefully on matters Katiba.

I think men/women of cloth should strictly stick to the issues as a matter of principle as far as clamoring for the rejection of the proposed draft is concerned, otherwise drawing the line btwn political interests and pure moral concerns will become even more tricky for the undecided when propagandas are thrown in here & there for good measure. Remember, the idea is not to win the plebiscite, but most vitally, to make a moral statement. Its about being on the right side of history and standing up to be counted. It's about standing up for Jesus.
Let's pray my people!!!

My take on the colors

First of all ladies, calm down coz these colors aren't such a hustle for men who've been  accused over and over again  of not seeing the color or simply being color blind. Actually I've realized its not a man's issue but rather a genetic one, so men are also free to choose.

On matters spiritual; now my shepherd is telling me to repent and change my blood to red if indeed I profess the "right faith",

Yet still another is telling me to repent and change my blood to green if at all am a true member.

And am left wondering, just who among the two is getting instructions directly from the chief Master. And if they claim so, how sure am I that it’s the right message.  Am lost   here, especially when they all claim that they are informed by divine guidance.

On matters political; just who told the IIEC team that the two colors are innocuous and bears no political connotations whatsoever hence no political party(s) could emerge out of the two. Let me bring to their attention that in countries like Germany and Finland we've political parties identifying with the color green i.e. The Greens in the Bundestag and Green League in Finland all claiming to champion for "green policies". As far as the red color goes, as I write this article, there is a civil movement in Thailand code-named "The Red T-Shirts” spearheaded mainly by supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who have staged month long demonstrations in the city of Bangkok and many other commercial cities demanding the resignation of the incumbent Thai Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva. So my point in all these is that every color has a meaning save for colorless of course, but then again, what is colorless? Yes -No –Yes- No -Maybe hahaha…

Whether you chose Red or Green just remember one thing; that when all is said and done. After the referendum is done and over with, the celebrations or lack of it have ended. Kenya must go on and we'll still need each other. It doesn't mean that when the outcome goes one way or the other one side stands to benefit at the expense of the other. On the contrary, the people that stand to gain most or loose big time here is the common Mwananchi and not wenye nchi.

Exercise your suffrage wisely!!!

My appeal to all and sundry is that let us study, not read; this Katiba ya kielelezo and decide from a point of information with sobriety and an open mind. You don't have to hold a Bachelors' degree to be able to comprehend the language used. Even our politicians most of whom have dubious scholarship background purport to understand it better than you and i hence acting like busy bodies interpreting the draft whenever they get to meet a gullible audience.
History will judge us harshly, and more so the youth for failing to take the necessary actions when you had this rare opportunity at your disposal.
My appeal to you is that take your time and read in between the lines as it were and make a wise decision. We all have brains and the capacity to understand this draft. Let us not leave the whole interpretation work into the hands of a few fellows who have self-interest in the whole document whether they wear white robes or drive in cool limo cars with flags waving.
Its our time to change this country.
Stand and be counted today!!!
God bless Kenya.

7 Things to Stop Doing Now on Facebook

Using a Weak Password

Avoid simple names or words you can find in a dictionary, even with numbers tacked on the end. Instead, mix upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. A password should have at least eight characters. One good technique is to insert numbers or symbols in the middle of a word, such as this variant on the word "houses": hO27usEs!

Leaving Your Full Birth Date in Your Profile

It's an ideal target for identity thieves, who could use it to obtain more information about you and potentially gain access to your bank or credit card account. If you've already entered a birth date, go to your profile page and click on the Info tab, then on Edit Information. Under the Basic Information section, choose to show only the month and day or no birthday at all.

Overlooking Useful Privacy Controls

For almost everything in your Facebook profile, you can limit access to only your friends, friends of friends, or yourself. Restrict access to photos, birth date, religious views, and family information, among other things. You can give only certain people or groups access to items such as photos, or block particular people from seeing them. Consider leaving out contact info, such as phone number and address, since you probably don't want anyone to have access to that information anyway.

Posting Your Child's Name in a Caption

Don't use a child's name in photo tags or captions. If someone else does, delete it by clicking on Remove Tag. If your child isn't on Facebook and someone includes his or her name in a caption, ask that person to remove the name.

Mentioning That You'll Be Away From Home

That's like putting a "no one's home" sign on your door. Wait until you get home to tell everyone how awesome your vacation was and be vague about the date of any trip.

Letting Search Engines Find You

To help prevent strangers from accessing your page, go to the Search section of Facebook's privacy controls and select Only Friends for Facebook search results. Be sure the box for public search results isn't checked.

Permitting Youngsters to Use Facebook Unsupervised

Facebook limits its members to ages 13 and over, but children younger than that do use it. If you have a young child or teenager on Facebook, the best way to provide oversight is to become one of their online friends. Use your e-mail address as the contact for their account so that you receive their notifications and monitor their activities. "What they think is nothing can actually be pretty serious," says Charles Pavelites, a supervisory special agent at the Internet Crime Complaint Center. For example, a child who posts the comment "Mom will be home soon, I need to do the dishes" every day at the same time is revealing too much about the parents' regular comings and goings.
An excerpt from Yahoo Mail.

To Abort or Not To Abort

This is the question that many of our girls face with minimum reliable counsel, if any, while the rest of us just go about life with a "Do Not Disturb" sign written all over our faces.There has been an incessant furore on the issue of abortion in the Draft constitution of the Democratic Republic of Kenya on whether it should be legitimized on not. Further, a million dollar question that has been raised by the pundits & still lacks a solid consensus is, when does life begin. Sadly, many of the people at the forefront of this debate are men and men of cloth at that. There has been very little input from our female partners if any on the issue which is at the core of their very survival. Many have argued, and rightly so, that the issue of abortion is a medical issue and not a political one. And as such, political opinion cannot and should not be allowed to overshadow medical opinion & instead the two should compliment each other with politics coming in from a policy making & implementation angle. Another school of thought out there is that, this issue is a woman's issue and if you don't have uterus you have no business whining about it in the first place. The fault in that is that a wrong assumption is made here to the effect that a man wasn't involved in the process to begin with while we know very well that it takes two to tangle. The jury is out there but what is unequivocally clear are the effects of abortion. According to medics, the effects of an abortion conducted by an armature doctor can be catastrophic, and as we speak many of our public hospitals are continuously being inundated by patients of an abortion process gone awry which was conducted clandestinely by underground quacks using all sorts of tools & crude equipments you can think of for fear of being prosecuted.
However, even as we continue exchanging blows and engaging in a moral debate on what is right and what isn’t, the reality is still out there glaring at us. A small research would reveal that side effects may occur with induced abortion, whether surgical or by pill. These include abdominal pain and cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Abortion also carries the risk of significant complications such as bleeding, infection, and damage to organs. Serious complications occur in less than 1 out of 100 early abortions and in about 1 out of every 50 later abortions. Complications may include:
• Heavy Bleeding - Some bleeding after abortion is normal. However, if the cervix is torn or the uterus is punctured, there is a risk of severe bleeding known as hemorrhaging. When this happens, a blood transfusion may be required. Severe bleeding is also a risk with the use of RU486. One in 100 women who use RU486 requires surgery to stop the bleeding.
• Infection – Infection can develop from the insertion of medical instruments into the uterus, or from fetal parts that are mistakenly left inside (known as an incomplete abortion). A pelvic infection may lead to persistent fever over several days and extended hospitalization. It can also cause scarring of the pelvic organs.
• Incomplete Abortion - Some fetal parts may be mistakenly left inside after the abortion. Bleeding and infection may result.
• Sepsis – A number of RU486 or mifepristone users have died as a result of sepsis (total body infection).
• Anesthesia – Complications from general anesthesia used during abortion surgery may result in convulsions, heart attack, and in extreme cases, death. It also increases the risk of other serious complications by two and a half times.
• Damage to the Cervix - The cervix may be cut, torn, or damaged by abortion instruments. This can cause excessive bleeding that requires surgical repair.
• Scarring of the Uterine Lining – Suction tubing, curettes, and other abortion instruments may cause permanent scarring of the uterine lining.
• Perforation of the Uterus - The uterus may be punctured or torn by abortion instruments. The risk of this complication increases with the length of the pregnancy. If this occurs, major surgery may be required, including removal of the uterus (known as a hysterectomy).
• Damage to Internal organs - When the uterus is punctured or torn, there is also a risk that damage will occur to nearby organs such as the bowel and bladder.
• Death - In extreme cases, other physical complications from abortion including excessive bleeding, infection, organ damage from a perforated uterus, and adverse reactions to anesthesia may lead to death. This complication is rare, but is real.
What is however clear is that our women and girls are dying out there while we continue engaging in politicks of ignorance. As people ponder on this issue I would like to add several to the menu:
a) Suppose someone closer to you like your sister, mother, girl friend or daughter is defiled, would rather they carry the pregnancy to full term and live their lives being haunted by this reality represented by the child?
b) Suppose the life of the mother is at risk, would you rather take a chance of normal delivery against the doctor’s advice and prefer to save the child at the altar of the mother?
c) Suppose the doctors detect that the fetus in the womb would suffer from very serious conditions if delivered and will therefore never have a normal life. Would rather live to see it suffer every morning you wake up until it dies?
These and many more are some of questions that women the world over battle with. Now, instead of playing God and acting holier-than-though moralists, I suggest we focus on the root problem here. It’s Not about abortion but rather, what drives a woman to abort. That’s where the journey begins as opposed to fighting the symptoms. Remember that when you point a finger at someone else, the other three are pointing right back at you. Let’s change the woman/man in the mirror first and the whole world will become a better place.

A report compiled By Joan Kabucho et al.
Edited by Stanley.

Products & Services

Check out our products & services tab and contact me in case you are interested in any of our services.
Karibu!!!

6 Signs you're in a healthy relationship

Our relationships are vital to our mental well-being. However, toxic relationships can really do a number on our happiness and outlook on life. As a result, it is important to look for individuals who possess qualities that allow for healthy relationships. Although, once again, not an exhaustive list, the qualities listed below are those that should be at the very heart of a healthy relationship. And, just as you would expect your friend, family member or loved one to display these qualities, it is just as important to reciprocate.

1.Loyalty: Whether it's in friendships or in family, loyalty is truly important to maintain a healthy relationship. All of us are guilty, at one time or another, of making mistakes, having ups and downs, and even displaying some behavior that we may not always be proud of. When we find friends or loved ones who can forgive us and stand by us…even during our worst moments…we should be especially grateful. That said, loyalty should never be taken for granted and we should always be deeply appreciative when it comes our way.

2.Respect: I once knew an individual who was very opinionated about political topics. She would talk down to people who disagreed with her and would be very disrespectful. Not only did she make people feel stomped on, but she left many disinterested in friendship. Treating others with kindness and the respect they deserve is important in gaining the respect that WE desire. It never feels good to be taken for granted, judged or used and it doesn’t feel good to be talked down to or treated rudely or inappropriately. There will be times that we may not always have full agreement with our friends or loved ones, but respecting them along the way is a must.

3.Unconditionally There: There is nothing worse than having someone always resurface in your life when they are in need, are looking for something or need a favor. In a culture of “you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours,” it is somewhat rare to find those “who just scratch your back,” period. Finding individuals who want you in their lives just because…and not because they want something in return is refreshing and worth holding on to. Those who are generous of heart are to be treasured!

4.Trustworthy: I once worked with a woman who, within my first week on the job, felt the need to tell me all of the intimate details of the various extra-marital affairs that had occurred with the management of the firm. She was supposedly friends with these people and I have no doubt, was told this information in the most strictest of confidences. How she felt it was appropriate to divulge this information to a new-hire like me, I still have no idea. But, it was her nature to gossip about everyone and everything. If you share something in confidence, you should be able to trust that the information will remain that way.

5.A Genuine Sounding Board: Taking a genuine interest in what others have to say and really listening to someone is important in developing solid relationships. Letting go of the “me, me, me” and focusing on the other person not only makes the other person feel valued and appreciated, but they feel that they can really talk to someone who cares. Those who take the time to really listen to our thoughts and feelings, and then help us work through difficult times and situations, share our lives at a much deeper level than those who don’t. These are individuals worth hanging on to.

6.Dependability: I had a friend who frequently would RSVP to small gatherings and then would never show. They never explained…never brought it up…and never apologized. Although this example is somewhat trivial, it still makes the point. Obviously there are times when things come up that prevent individuals from following through on what they promise, but if a friend, co-worker or family member perpetually drops the ball, they may be sending you a message. If a friend says they are going to do something or be somewhere, you should be able to count on them. And, in reciprocation, they you.
What traits do you look for in a friend or partner? Are your relationships healthy?