Michael Mundia Kamau
P.O. Box 58972
00200 City Square
Nairobi
Kenya

24th April 2004

                        MARTHA'S VINEYARD

The differences between Kenya's Water Development Mimister Martha Karua
and
Nairobi radio station Kiss 100, has assumed comical dimensions. What
should
qualify for an award winning photograph appearing on the front page of
the
"East African Standard" of 22nd April 2004
(http://www.eastandard.net/archives/april/thur22042004/images/current/hmpg220404.jpg),
captures the intensity of the misplaced battle. This country can ill
afford
to spare so much energy on such distractions and the matter should
quickly
be settled out of court.

The killer stare on Water Development Minister Martha Karua's face as
captured in the classic "East African Standard" photograph of 22nd
April
2004, is best directed at the numerous water vendors behind illegal
connections in and outside Nairobi, who have been the source of anguish
to
water consumers for several years. The killer stare on Minister Martha
Karua's face as captured in the "East African Standard" photograph of
22nd
April 2004 is best directed at numerous defaulters of water bills
comprising
private persons, private and public companies, government departments
and
state corporations. The killer stare on Minister Martha Karua's face as
captured in the "East African Standard" photograph of 22nd April 2004
is
best directed at the inept, inefficient and loss making water
department of
the giant City Council of Nairobi. The killer stare on Minister Martha
Karua's face as captured in the "East African Standard" photograph of
22nd
April 2004 is best directed at those that may have negligently caused
the
siltation and blockage of the giant Sasumua Dam in 2003, causing acute
water
shortages in the capital city. The killer stare on Minister Martha
Karua's
face as captured in the "East African Standard" photograph of 22nd
April
2004 is best directed at those behind perennial water inaccessibility
in
numerous parts of the country including the lakeside city of Kisumu and
the
seaside city of Mombasa.

Kiss 100 may currently be the trendiest radio station in Kenya in the
eyes
of a small pocket of urbanites based mainly in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu
and
Nakuru. It however comes nowhere close to commanding the huge following
of
the giant Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC). Caroline Mutoko and
Walter
Mongare may have polished accents, charisma and plenty of wit, but they
are
not forces to be reckoned with on a nationwide scale. Not one of their
fans
showed up in their support when they attended court session on 21st
April
2004. There were no frienzied placard wielding individuals screaming in
their support when they attended court, unlike was the case during Sean
Paul's Easter 2004 tour of Kenya. This is a true measure of the real
popularity of the pair. When Caroline Mutoko was at Capital FM five
years
ago, she once oddly referred to The Jacksons as failures. When Michael
Jackson was arraigned in court in the United States to face the more
serious
charge of child molestation,  he was widely cheered by adoring fans who
had
turned up in his support. Michael Jackson even climbed on top of a car
roof
top to delight his supporters with a vintage MJ jig. Michael Jackson
may be
many things including a racial migrant, but he certainly cannot be
categorised as a failure. The Jackson Family as a whole, are not
failures.
Martha Karua should therefore not aid in building the stature and
profile of
relatively low key radio presenters and concentrate on bigger more
crucial
matters.

Former President Daniel arap Moi said that he regretted leaving office
at
the prime of his experience. Mzee Moi was certainly accepting that many
of
the earlier actions taken by his government, may not have been
necessary.
These included showdowns with the media. This must have been the reason
he
loosened his grip on the media towards the end of his reign. Kiss 100's
Walter Mongare and his humorous impersonations of Mzee Moi are
testimony of
this. No one would have dared do what Walter did in the years of say
1979,
1982, 1986 or 1990. Moi learnt to let the media be themselves as he
concentrated on other matters. The media in Kenya still actively
portrays
Mzee Moi's legacy in a negative light. This notwithstanding, Moi
continues
to receive warm welcomes in the different corners of the country that
he
continues to tour. The smear campaigns are failing miserably and NARC
can
learn a lot from the one man they loved to hate.



Michael Mundia Kamau