Kiss 100 FM Radio Interview With Billy Kahora
Written by Kwani · July 22, 2009
Kwani Trust Managing Editor, Billy Kahora and author of ‘The True Story of David Munyakei – Goldenberg Whistleblower’, will be speaking about his new book on Kiss 100FM’s Breakfast Show ahead of the title’s launch at Club Afrique from 7pm. To listen to Billy’s interview, please tune in to Kiss 100 FM from 7am on Thursday 23rd July.
‘The True Story of David Munyakei; Goldenberg Whistleblower’, by Billy Kahora
In April 1992, David Sadera Munyakei, a newly employed clerk at the Central Bank of Kenya started noticing irregularities in the export compensation claims he was processing. On July 31st 2006, Kenya’s biggest whistleblower passed away in rural obscurity, 14 years after exposing the Goldenberg scandal, Kenya’s biggest economic scandal to date, estimated at over USD 1 billion. Billy Kahora recounts his story
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Billy Kahora is the Managing Editor of Kwani?, Kenya’s foremost creative arts journal. He also writes fiction and completed an MS.c in Creative Writing with distinction at the University of Edinburgh as a Chevening Scholar in 2007. Before that Billy studied and worked in South Africa for 8 years and in between worked as an Editorial Assistant for All Africa.com in Washington D.C. He has a Bachelor of Journalism degree and post-graduate diploma in Media Studies from Rhodes University. His short story, ‘Treadmill Love’, was highly commended by the 2007 Caine Prize judges. He has recently edited ‘Kenya Burning’, a visual narrative of the Kenya post-elections crisis published by the GoDown Arts Centre and Kwani Trust in March 2009. His extended feature, ‘The True Story of David Munyakei’ on Kenya’s biggest whistleblower has been developed into a non-fiction novella and released by Kwani Trust in July 2009. Billy was a Regional judge for the 2009 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize.
To read Billy Kahora’s Editorial from Kwani? 05 Part 2: ‘Beyond The Vote: Revelation & Conversation’, the second volume of a collection of testimonials, creative non-fiction, poetry, essays and photography in response to the 2007 elections and its aftermath, please click here.
ABOUT KWANI TRUST
Kwani Trust was established in 2003. It is dedicated to nurturing and developing Kenya’s and Africa’s intellectual, creative and imagination resources through strategic literary interventions. Kwani Trust houses and distributes literary products and services globally and since inception, has been at the forefront in publishing contemporary creative fiction, non fiction and poetry. The Trust plans to launch further titles at the Nairobi Book Fair in September 2009.
For More Information, please contact Kwani Trust on 020 235 7295 or;
* For Interviews / Press Queries : Angela Wachuka – a.wachuka@kwani.org
* For Sales & Distribution Queries : Mike Mburu – m.mburu@kwani.org
morning guyz,
i have been listening the story of David Amunyakei by Billy and I will also like to point out the story is also expressed in music by our own Ukoo flani Mau Mau- song Angalia saa who are also friends of Kwani Trust. Thanks for supporting creative minds in art and writing hence highlighting human rights issues and Democracy.
yours.
kenyan
What is it with Kwani? kwani is technology overwhelming your artistic minds ama what? It hasnt passed unnoticed that some of this notifications you are sending them at the eleventh hour, which is not doing good to rouse the interest of subscribers you want to participate, actively or passively.
Make a point of sending mail with a time frame to adjust so we can respond and be part of the audience, like this interview on Kiss 100.
Thanks
Robert, Mutuiri GItonga
Mutuiri,
This interview was confirmed quite late in the day as it was. We are planning a re-vamp of website that will include automatic updates. Keep you posted.
Wachuka
I think so far Kiss is still the best radio station in kenya.
their presenters bring the shows to a nasty and very tight mood
Thanks kiss and keep the fire blazing
its okay to be an artist and feel it deep
Dear Kiss100
Tunachukuwa fursa hii kuwashukuru sana kwa kazi yenu njema. Mimi ni Mzazi wa kutoka hapa Bungoma. Kwa niaba ya Wazazi Wenzangu wa mji huu ambao tunapendezwa na hali njema ya watoto wetu, tunafadhaishwa sana na jinsi walimu wetu wanavyopenda pesa. Tulifikiri masomo ni ya bure kulingana na serikali yetu tukufu. Lakini Walimu wa hapa jamani wamezidi!
Masomo ya Serikali kwa kawaida yanaanza saa mbili asubuhi hadi saa kumi jioni. Kulingana na Ratiba, Saa hizo ni nzuri kwasababu ingewapa watoto wetu muda mzuri wa kufika nyumbani kwa saa, kuwasaidia wazazi kidogo kwa kazi chache za pale nyumbani kisha kukaa chini na kufanya homework nyingi wanazopewa na personal studies zao.
Pia wanakuwa na muda wa mazungumzo ya kibinafsi na wazazi wao kujua yale waliyokabili shuleni na hatimaye kupata pumziko la kutosha hadi keshoe.
Lakini jamani Bungoma kwetu mambo ni tofauti-
Hebu wazia, mwanafunzi wa darasa la 4 miaka nane hadi yule wa darasa la nane,wanapaswa wawe darasani kuanzia 6.30am. idadi kubwa ya wanafunzi hawa wanatembea kwa miguu hadi shuleni watoto wangu wadogo wanaondoka nyumbani 6.am kukiwa bado kuna giza watoto wa kike kisha kurudi ni jioni pia saa moja. (na sote tunafahamu hali mbaya ya usalama nchini hasa kuelekea watoto)
Wanapofika mapema hivyo asubuhi, watoto wanasema kwamba nyakati nyingi walimu wanawaambia wajisomee tu. Na ikiwa mwanafunzi hatakuwepo katika kipindi hicho cha asubuhi au jioni, kiranja wa darasa atampelekea mwalimu jina la mwanafunzi ambaye hakuhudhuria the morning preps na atachapwa. Na ikiwa basi mwalimu atajitahidi afike mapema hio asubuhi au kutoka kuchelewa
Kwa kusema la Ukweli, hiyo si revision zinazofanywa bali wanaendeleza tu syllabus in the name of revisio/tution/preps. Well then, if the syllabus is too wide why can’t they demand for some of those subjects to be ‘cut’ or be reformed.
Walimu wanadai kwamba huo si muda wa mchezo ni muda wa (tuition-i.e the hour between 6.30 and 8am.) halafu tena (between 4 and 6.30pm) la kushangaza ni kwamba“huduma” hii inaendeshwa kutoka jumapili hadi jumapili na hata wakati wa likizo ya muhula hakuna kupumzika hata tone!
Kwa hivyo, wanadai kwamba wanawasaidia watoto wetu na nilazima uwalipe “haki yao” kama walimu kati ya sh500-3000 kwa kila muhula. Mtoto asipoleta pesa hizo anachapwa viboko na kufukuzwa.
Jambo la kushangaza ni kwamba Hakuna mzazi aliyewasilisha ombi ya kwamba angependa kuwe na tuition ya lazima. Wazazi walikuwa wamesharidhika na ule muda wa kawaida. Kwa hio ilikuwa ni hiari yao walimu wetu kuuanzisha mpango huu.
Lakini jambo moja la kusikitisha ni kwamba wengi wa wazazi huku hawajui haki zao, wanafikiri huko ndiko kusoma kutakako fanya watoto wetu wapite kwa alama ya A+ yaani kusoma (jumapili hadi jumapili na hata wakati wa likizo ya muhula saa 6.30asubuhi hadi 6.30jioni jamani) wazazi hawa wanadhani ndio kuvua ujinga.
Kuna wazazi ambao wana uwezo wa hali ya juu pia wa kukaa na watoto wao jioni na kuwafunza. Tulifikiri ingekuwa jambo la busara kufanya huduma yao hio ya iwe optional.
Kwa kweli Si siri wengi wa walimu hawa wana mikopo na njia pekee ya kujiruzuku kwa wakati huu ni kupitia kuwahadaa wazazi kwamba wanataka kuwasaidia watoto wetu kupitia masomo ya ziada. Lakini sivyo. Hebu wazia mwalimu anafunza madarasa 5 tofauti tofauti kwa siku madarasa yenye wanafunzi 88! ni vipi mwalimu atatambua udhaifu wakila mmoja wa hawa watoto haiwezekani. Atasonga mbele na wale tu wanao elewa. Inasemekana yule mzazi ambaye ataridhiana na hao walimu, ndiye watakaye “msaidia” mtoto wake lakini wale wengine poleni.
Tafadhali Kiss100tufikishieni ombi letu kwa Waziri Ongeri atujibu swali hili sisi wazazi. Je, mpango huu wa ‘tution’ Kufika shuleni mapema saa tulizotaja. Jumapili Hadi jumapili.Je ni mpango wa serikali? Na Je, wana habari kuhusu hizi pesa wanazodaiwa wazazi kilasiku kwamba ni ya tuition Je ni mpango unaotambulika? Na la kushangaza ni kwamba hakuna official Receipt wanayopewa watoto baada ya kulipa.
Tafadhali Kiss100tufikishieni ombi letu. Tumesha vumilia ya kutosha lakini kwasasa imepita mipaka TUNAUMIA SANA TUSAIDIENI TAFADHALI .
Frustrated parent
I tried to send the below email kwa Minister for Education, its seems he never got it
MRS. EVELYN MARAGA ABADE
P.O.BOX 495
BUNGOMA, 50200
TO
THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
P.O.BOX 30040, NAIROBI 00100
Dear Sir.
REF: THE TUITION PROGRAMME
We, as parents of Bungoma wishes to congratulate you for your fine work Sir. However something bothers as parents,
Teachers in our district demands that children go to school from Sunday to Sunday surely morning till evening at 7pm! Forcing us to pay for that kind of arrangement. (This is not approved by the government) If a parent does not pay, the child is flogged and whipped.
No public holidays No, weekends for our children to rest and be with their parents, do their cleaning and their private studies.
Surely a girl child of Standard 4 leaving home at 6am for the tuition only to find the teacher not there at that time and getting home late at 7pm.
These school heads are doing business with our children in the name of helping them, one teacher admitted that since her pay is low, she will only move ahead with kids whom the parents have given her ‘something’ but for the rest its sorry for them.
For real, we’ve suffered enough Sir, please intervene. We kindly beg you. May be they will listen to your voice as we start the year.
Wishing you all the best in your endeavours.
Yours Faithfully,
Evelyn Maraga Abade
hae jst wanted to enquire more about job which Angela talked abt yesterday of SME tradefair.am a interested lady.
Kindly assist and i will appereciate you can reach me thro 0723469671/0725483751 or via my email.
Regards
fridah