'YU' by Econet Wireless - What Subscribers Really Want

Kenya now has four mobile phone operators: Safaricom, Zain Kenya, Telkom Kenya's Orange Mobile and Yu by Econet Wireless. We are yet to test-drive the Yu network, after its formal launch on November 28, 2008.

All of these companies are backed by very moneyed global operations viz: Vodafone (Safaricom), Zain (Zain Kenya), France Telcom (Orange/Telkom Kenya) and Essar Global (Econet Wireless Kenya).

What this means is that the battle for subscribers in Kenya has just began. Following is a brief look at these Kenyan mobile operators, and their services and products with respect to what subscribers really want.

These are personal opinions as I wonder, "Who will emerge vitorious?" I can however safely say that the Purple Cow will.

Safaricom
A lot has been said about this giant company. Since 2000, Safaricom has suprised everyone with its aggressive and very fruitful marketing strategy, brand awareness and generation of super profits. Among other things.

Safaricom is quite confident of its position as the market leader. In anticipation of reduced subscribers and eroded voice revenues, Safaricom is banking on the M-PESA money transfer service and data services through its 3G network and One Communications subsidiary.

Zain Kenya
Since the August rebranding from Celtel to Zain Kenya, Zain embarked on an aggressive marketing and subscriber recruitment drive.

The attractive VUKA tariff and unlimited call (Jiachilie) and (Club 20) SMS plans have seen many join the network.

There has been talk of a revolutionary mobile banking product 'Zap' but this is yet to be officially launched.

Internet services by Zain are offered via EDGE technology, which is relatively slow compared to Wifi, WiMAX, EVDO or 3G.

Orange Mobile
Orange Mobile came into the market with a promise to offer high quality services & products and value for money. That said, Orange first adopted an on-net pricing approach but then drastically reduced calling rates to a Ksh 1 per minute rate within the Telkom network and Ksh 1 cross-network SMS rate to recruit subscribers.

The true test of customer loyalty (or lack of it) is on December 8 when the Orange/Telkom calling rates are reviewed to more commercially viable rates.

The Orange Broadband EVDO internet service is well beyond what many Kenyans can afford and has a somewhat limited reach, with the connection reverting to slower CDMA outside of major towns in Kenya.

YU
It has been years since we first heard about Econet Wireless Kenya. Lawsuits, ownership wrangles, political issues and license withdraws denied Kenyans a third mobile phone company for almost half a decade.

With the official launch of the YU network, Kenyans are waiting to see what Yu is offering.
For starters, guys can reserve numbers at www.yu.co.ke. Over and above that, Econet Wireless Kenya has been quite secretive about many things, including their tariffs and call rates. A comment on a Daily Nation article and this Business Daily article however indicate that the Yu rates may be Ksh 3 within the Yu network and Ksh 7 across networks.

We can only wait and see what Yu has in store for us.

What Subscribers Really Want

> Simple tariffs - no more timing to make calls

> High Quality network - no call drops, congestion or undelivered text messages

> Affordable cross-network tariffs

> Efficient and effective customer care

> Affordable international call and SMS rates

> Fast, reliable and unlimited internet services

> Convenient and secure money transfer services

> Wide network coverage

> Customer oriented services and products

> Countrywide distribution network


Feel free to add some more below

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Whoever endears themselves to the subscribers with a great combination of the above and gets to stand out will emerge victorious.
The Mobile Operator who can transform their business and be remarkable will win the subscribers hearts, and pockets.

All the same, our best days are ahead of us as we get better value for our money, thanks to this scramble for subscribers in Kenya.

What do you think?

Capital Talk this past week: Thespians

Well, it has been a while since I posted stuff from Capital Talk on K24 TV.

Some weeks back, Jeff did interview some politicians and that simply put me off. Thirty minutes is a very long time indeed to WASTE, listening to crap from a person whose eloquence and sweet words are diametrically opposite to his (alleged) asinine political utterances and actions. Politicians on Capital Talk is a complete turn-off for me.

This past week, Jeff Koinange interviewed the guys who make us laugh and cry.
These talented thespians are young, creative and highly motivated. Ian Mbugua, Jasmine Mistri, Tony Njuguna, Daniel Ndambuki and Charles Kiarie are the actors who graced Capital Talk this week.

They all talked about about their lives na kusema ukweli, some like Dan Ndambuki aka Churchill, have really come from far. What an inspiration!

Jasmine is going places, given that she is only 22 years old.
Ian, Tony, Ndambuki and Charles categorically voiced their concerns about Kenyan MPs refusing to be taxed. Charles came out as a great admirer of Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

On the 2007-2008 post election violence, both Charles and Tony believe The International Criminal Court at the Hague is the way to go. And I totally agree.

Following are the pics. And please note some of them are kinda grainy, something bad happened to my TV aerial.

> Ian Mbugua
































> Jasmine Mistri


































> Tony Njuguna



































> Daniel Ndambuki

































> Charles Kiarie

































A good number of my friends abroad keep wishing that Capital Talk would reach them out there in some way. I personally hope and pray that Capital Talk gets more than a regional reach (pun unintended). Towards this end, I shall be contacting K24 to present my idea for a truly global reach.

Let us all learn and share.

The Power of Blogs and Social Media - TED Talks

Today, I present two TED Talks in this post. Firstly, because Isaac Mizrahi's talk on Fashion and Creativity becomes the 100th talk I have now downloaded from TED.com.

Secondly, these talks continue to inspire and edify. That is why I find them worth sharing. They are indeed Ideas Worth Spreading. The following two talks are about online publishing, something I am particularly enthusiastic about.

(1)
The first one is a talk by Mena Trott, Six Apart co-founder and President.
Six Apart was founded in 2001 and now comprises Movable Type, TypePad, VOX and blogs.com. Six Apart also offers personalized services and advertising programs that "enable bloggers to be more successful."

In this TED Talk, Mena explains how blogs are building a friendlier world.

(2)
James Surowiecki is the author of 'The Wisdom of Crowds' and writes about finance for the New Yorker. He believes that people are usually smarter than we think when they act en masse.

In the following TED Talk, James pinpoints the moment when social media became an equal player in the world of news-gathering - the 2005 tsunami.

------------------------

Blogs and other social media are indeed powerful collaboration tools. Wikipedia is a glowing example of just how much a global like-minded community can achieve. So is YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Digg and other popular Web 2.0 web sites.

So what role are you playing in helping build beneficial global communities? Now is the time to contribute to the greater good.

Let us all learn and share.

The Charter for Compassion: Inspiring Video

Last week, I got a link from TED, to the following Charter for Compassion video.



The Charter for Compassion is an inspiring global endeavor to celebrate compassion and to promote a new collaboration between the world's religions.

When Karen Armstrong won the TED Prize, her wish was that the Charter for Compassion be written. People of all nations, all faiths, all backgrounds, are invited to contribute.

The Charter for Compassion incorporates the following eight core elements of compassion:
> Compassion as empathy, not pity
> Compassion as concrete action
> Compassion as a lens for scripture
> Compassion's role as a spiritual tool and its relation to belief
> Compassion as fundamental to all faiths
> Compassion as an urgent global need
> Compassion as concern for everybody
> Compassion and the golden rule

Everyone is invited to help write the Charter for Compassion. At the projects web page, there is an elaborate timeline with status reports and details of all the components of the Charter for Compassion.

I do urge you to visit the Charter for Compassion web site and contribute to this noble initiative.

Let us all learn and share.

The Power of Forgiveness - Wonderful Week

Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves.

- Sidney and Suzanne Simon (WisdomQuotes.com)

Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of ceasing to feel resentment, indignation or anger for a perceived offense, difference or mistake, and ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. But who gets to forgive who?

The Wikipedia article on forgiveness offers more...

In some contexts, forgiveness may be granted without any expectation of compensation, and without any response on the part of the offender. In practical terms however, it may be necessary for the offender to offer some form of acknowledgment, apology, and/or restitution, or even just ask for forgiveness, in order for the wronged person to believe they are able to forgive.

To better understand forgiveness, consider the following:

> Forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself. It is not something you do FOR someone else. It is not complicated. It is simple.

> Choice is always present in forgiveness. You do not have to forgive AND there are consequences. Refusing to forgive by holding on to the anger, resentment and a sense of betrayal can make your own life miserable. A vindictive mind-set creates bitterness and lets the betrayer claim one more victim.

> The greatest misconception about forgiveness is the belief that forgiving the offense, such as an affair, means that you condone it. Not true. In fact, we can only forgive what we know to be wrong. Forgiveness does not mean that you have to reconcile with someone who badly treated you.

> Forgiveness is an act of the imagination. It dares you to imagine a better future, one that is based on the blessed possibility that your hurt will not be the final word on the matter. It challenges you to give up your destructive thoughts about the situation and to believe in the possibility of a better future. It builds confidence that you can survive the pain and grow from it.

> When you forgive you do it for you, not for the other. The person you have never forgiven. . . owns you!

> Forgiving someone else is to agree within yourself to overlook the wrong they have committed against you and to move on with your life. It's the only way. It means cutting them some slack.

> Forgiveness is a creative act that changes us from prisoners of the past to liberated people at peace with our memories. It is not forgetfulness, but it involves accepting the promise that the future can be more than dwelling on memories of past injury. Finally, consider the following:

FORGIVENESS
by Reinhold Neibuhr

Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime,
Therefore, we are saved by hope.
Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;
Therefore, we are saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone.
Therefore, we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite a virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our own;
Therefore, we are saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.

-----------------

Has anyone wronged you lately? This is the time to free yourself by forgiving them.

This week, be reminded of what Confucius said. "The more you know yourself, the more you forgive yourself."

Have a Wonderful Week.

What if We Ran Out of Oil?

I just got these funny pics from a friend.

They are however not funny at all. If we do not contain our fossil fuel use, and engage renewable energy sources, we shall one day run out of oil.
The following may then be the way we shall operate.


> Aeroplanes on real wings















> Battery powered trucks
















> Wind powered vehicles





















> Horse drawn SUVs















> And how about this kind of motorbike racing?















See more pics at Green Kenya.

Let us all learn and share.

Julie Gichuru on Citizen TV's Sunday Live

Julie Gichuru is a prominent TV news anchor in Kenya. She started off at KTN and later proceeded to Capital FM. During the Nation TV's relaunch as NTV, she was head-hunted by Nation Media Group.

At NTV, Julie was primetime News anchor. She also hosted popular talk shows such as Showdown, You the Jury and On The Spot. Julie was awarded the Martin Luther King award for peace. Read more about Julie here.

Some months ago, Julie left NTV. There was speculation about her next employer and her new role. This was however confirmed by Catherine Kasavuli of Royal Media Services. Julie had joined Citizen TV.

A fortnight ago, Sunday Live debuted on Citizen TV.

Sunday Live is different kind of News program, with guests in the studio and expert reviews of the news items that dominated the past week. Julie's convincing presentation styke and studio presence are the icing on the cake. You hardly notice an hour passing by.
Last week, she interviewed Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and constitutional lawyer P. L. O. Lumumba.

I do agree with Jamaapoa who writes "Just watching the premier Sunday Live news show on Citizen by Julie Gichuru, one can tell that it is just a matter of time and Citizen TV will be a must watch on Sunday."

Citizen TV has lately become very popular, after the poaching of leading newscasters from both NTV and KTN. Citizen TV also has the highest number of locally produced comedy and drama shows, the most popular being Papa Shirandula, Tahidi High, Mother in Law and Inspekta Mwala.

Be sure to watch Sunday Live every Sunday at 9pm. I found it worth my time. You too, may.

Let us all learn and share!

The Golden Man - Wonderful Week

"Problem with no man

Before Black, I'm first human"
- Wyclef Jean (How Many Mics)

On November 4 2008, Barack Obama was elected President of the United States.
This was a historic election since he becomes the first ever African American US President. I wrote something about this election here and here.

Among the things to learn from this election is that we can overcome racial prejudices and perceptions that enhance our differences. We can rise above this to celebrate vision, determination and ideology.

In my search for a man without color, I came across the poem 'The Golden Man', which is available at Authorsden. It is also included in the book 'The Moon is Made of Green Cheese', a poetry anthology by Alexander Nderitu. More details here.

Read the following very carefully:

THE GOLDEN MAN
by Alexander Nderitu

I had a dream.
I was walking down a street in downtown Harlem,
The stirring strains of jazz in my ear,
When I bumped into Martin Luther King, Jr.
It was drizzling and darkness had fallen
And I said: ‘Perhaps you could help me, sir.
You see, I’m looking for the Golden Man.’
King said, ‘What do you want them Orientals for, brother?
Say it loud – I’m Black and proud!’
I explained that the Golden Man is without colour;
He knows that racism is ignorance and doesn’t bother
With petty prejudices, seeing humanity as one.

King said: ‘How long have you been searching, son?’
I said: ‘Quite some time now, more than a year.’
‘Have you ever heard about the “Conference of Birds”?’
‘Yes – some birds made an epic flight to see their God
But when they reached Heaven, a big mirror was all they got!’
‘Exactly,’ said the leader of the Million Man March in D.C.
‘Maybe if you looked in a mirror, you’d find the man you want to see.’
‘Me, the Renaissance Man? That’s a good one!
I’m just another face in the crowd – Nobody knows my name!’
King said: ‘The biggest living thing is the General Sherman tree
But, strangely enough, its SEED is the size of a flea!
Tell me, what does your name mean?’
‘Well, in Spanish, it means “defends mankind”.’
‘Now isn’t that strange! Don’t just talk about change –
BE the change that you want to see!’

James Baldwin appeared just as I was parting with Martin Luther.
He smiled broadly and placed a hand on my shoulder:
‘When I was starting out, nobody knew my name, either.
Later they labeled me “the greatest Negro writer.”
The dream becomes a goal when you start working
Towards it. Visualise your goal and start walking!’
I thanked him for his advice and entered a nearby bar.
It was warm, stuffy and as crowded as a slave ship.
In the corner, a small TV was showing the news.
Poet Gil Scott-Heron was nursing a beer when I joined him at the counter.
He turned and said, ‘You the boy from Africa?’
‘Guilty as charged,’ I said as I ordered a Budweiser,
‘I live right next door to the Maasai Mara.’
At that moment, a hush fell across the bar
As the TV showed two White cops flaying a Black youngster.

Gil Scott-Heron switched off the TV and started shouting:
‘Fear not for the revolution is coming, my brothers,
And the revolution will NOT be televised!
The revolutionaries will not talk to Larry King
Or crack jokes on Late Night with Jay Leno.
The revolution will not be available on cable,
The revolution will not be back after a toothpaste commercial,
The revolution will not be yet another Reality TV show,
The revolution will NOT be televised!’

After Gil Scott-Heron’s tirade, order returned to the house.
Billie Holiday took the stage amid a salvo of applause.
When everyone quietened down, the lady began to sing the blues.
‘The Very Thought of You’ was her first song.
Gil Scott-Heron looked at me and said, ‘What’s wrong?’
I said that the song reminded me of my wife, Sue.
‘More than the love of my life, she’s the LIFE of my life:
The very thought of HER makes me smile.’
Gil patted my back, saying, ‘Black love is so beautiful!’
I said, ‘I didn’t know love had colours, my good man,
And, by the way, there’s no such thing as an “African American” -
All people com from Africa, or so the anthropologists say.’
The uproar that ensued drowned out Billie Holiday,
I had to escape before they lynched me.

Standing outside, still ruffled by the earlier hostility,
A young hooker in a micro mini and stilettos approached me.
‘Looking for some action? Anything goes,’ said she.
Barely had I finished saying, ‘No, my sister,’
Than she cocked her head and snapped her fingers.
She said, ‘Sister? You betta change your glasses, Mister!’
And with that, she spun round and sashayed away.

At that moment, Marvin Gaye materialized seemingly from ether.
He lamented: ‘It’s things like that that make me wonna holler!
Our sisters selling their bodies like re-usable drugs,
Our brothers turning into gangsters and fags.
Even in these United States, we are kept on the periphery.
I’m talking about the inner city blues. The powers that be
Have money for space shuttles and foreign wars
But they can’t shelter the homeless or feed the poor.
If this is the American Dream, I’d hate to see the Nightmare!
Taxation without representation. Yeah, makes me wonna holler!
Let’s raise our fists and shout, “Liberation!” ‘

Malcolm X was even more impassioned than Marvin Gaye:
‘You say nobody knows your name, brother?’ -
His glasses were reflecting the neon lights as he addressed me -
‘Forget the slave name and put an X after your real name.
And if you want to see any form of change – any –
Then you have to take the bull by the horns, as they say,
And impose your vision by any means necessary.
I understand that, like me, you’re a writer:
Remember that the pen is mightier than the sword.
You see that tall man standing in the corner?
That’s a G-man pretending to be an idler
And I’m sure that, somewhere, there’s a sniper
But I’m not afraid of becoming a casualty of war.
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there is some corner of America that is forever Africa!’

As I left Malcom X, I pondered his last words
And, somewhere, soft as the hiss of distant sprinklers,
Was the sound of a search helicopter.
Could I, like Malcolm, use my pen to stab at social injustice?
They kill outspoken writers, don’t they?
Look at what happened to Stockley Carmichael, Ken Saro-Wiwa…
I had just started to run down the drizzled street when the helicopter
Leaped over a skyscraper and focused its blinding searchlight on me.
I stopped and stared blinkingly at the light, mumbling an urgent prayer.
The searchlight morphed into the sun and familiar sounds flooded my ears.
I looked around and realized that I had woken from my nightmare.
Grateful I was, but the memories of that weird dream would not let me go.
And I knew in the last that even in my waking life,
I would have to continue my search for the Golden Man.

The End.

More info about key characters:
At the age of 39, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of his motel room. Black Nationalist Malcolm X was shot and killed in Harlem by the Nation of Islam. James Baldwin co-wrote the screenplay of Malcolm X's biographical movie. The movie was directed by 'Spike' Lee and starred Denzel Washington as the controversial Black leader. Stockley Carmichael, who was once married to songbird Miriam Makeba, was shot dead by a sniper. Singer Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his father during an argument. Billie Holiday died of a drug overdose at the height of her musical career. Gil Scott-Heron's grand revolution never came but attitudes did begin to change and Black people now have a chance to live the American Dream. But even though scientists have proved that a person's melanin count is not barometer for his worth, racism continues to be felt in may parts of the world. The search for the Golden Man continues...

This week, purpose to be a Golden Man/Woman. Be the change you want to see.
Have a Wonderful Week!

Friends: Beautiful Pics from the Young Ones

"Courage, love, friendship,
Compassion and empathy
Lift us above the simple beasts
And define humanity."
- Dean Koontz (The Book of Counted Sorrows)

A friend sent me the following pics the other day. They are about friendship, some wonderful truths we always overlook.

Yeah, there is so much to learn about the small things in life that do count. And the kids do it best. Enjoy!

Friends:

> are always there if you need them




















> help you say cheese


















> think about you and care





















> fight with and for each other















> make tough easy

















> are never too busy to stay in touch




















> even play pranks...
















Now pick that phone and call a friend, even if to just say hello.

Let us all learn and share!

Let us Disqus. We can now have a Conversation!

" ...know where you're going and you wanna talk
And you feel like you're going where you've been before
You tell anyone who'll listen... let's talk
Let's talk, let's talk, let's talk."
- Coldplay (Talk)

This goes to all of you who continually read this blog, are subscribed to my feeds and take time to post comments.

Thank you so much for your support all along. I have been receiving mail however, that it's been quite hard for some of you who do not have Google accounts to post comments.

After carefully considering Haloscan, IntenseDebate and Disqus, the time for change has finally come. And oh yes, it's change we can all believe in.
Welcome, to the new PeterNjenga.com.

I am pleased to announce that your experience at PeterNjenga.com will never be the same again. It has just changed for better - forever!

Following the successful implementation of the DISQUS commenting system on this site, it has now become far much easier to post comments, react to other readers comments and to automatically subscribe to threads. And then some.

Let us disqus things here. Can we then have a conversation?
Yes We Can!

I so look forward to hearing from you.

President Barack Obama - Yes We Can!

"Let us all work together as a people to make the most of this new dawn
that promises a change we can all believe in.
And we shall indeed triumph. Yes We Can!"

In the previous post, I had made mention of Chris Rock's Head of State, which I proceeded to keenly watch right after Barack Obama was declared President elect of the United States of America.

Into the tenth minute of the movie, Senator Bill Arnot gives the following as the reason the Democratic Party chose Mays Gilliam, an African American Alderman as their candidate:

"The United States is changing, well America is changing.
Inside of 20 years, you know the numbers...
20 percent black, 21 percent Asian, 39 percent Hispanic
... the minorities will be the majority.
Now the smartest thing we can do
... is be the first party, to nominate a minority for President.

Now, we'll lose, of course, but the minorities will be happy.
The minorities will be happy, and they will vote for us in 2008, because we've shown we support them.
And the white people will vote for us, because our guy isn't black."

Note the year 2008.

A majority of the world population were ecstatic after Obama won the election and made history. He becomes the first ever African American to become President of the United States.

In Kenya, there was jubilation as supporters celebrated the Obama win. President Mwai Kibaki declared Thursday, November 6, 2008 a public holiday. Other African countries were a lot more generous, with Uganda giving three days and Nigeria five days to celebrate.

There seems to be great expectations by all Obama supporters. Some of these expectations however, are both far-fetched and unrealistic.

People should therefore tone down these expectations and realize that Barack Obama will work with a team that includes White House advisors and the United States Senate and Congressmen. In fact, Barack Obama himself said that there is a great challenge ahead, and some goals may not be realised even within a four year term.

It is the unexpected that does change our lives. With this in mind, I do congratulate US President elect Barack Obama, his family and the people of the United for the amazing outcome of the US 2008 elections.
I also wish them the very best in their lives, their work and their dreams.

The Obama win may not instantly make my life much easier, but he is a living example of what I have always believed in: "that each day is a new beginning. That the future is indeed very bright for those who dare to believe and then go out and do something about it..." He has solidified my hope and inspired me to go ahead and realize my dreams. And I know I can.

Let us all work together as a people to make the most of this new dawn that promises a change we can all believe in. And we shall indeed triumph. Yes We Can!

Barack Obama vs John McCain: America Votes Tomorrow - Learning from past presidents

"How many of you, right now, work two jobs just to have enough money to be broke?
How many of you work in a city you can't afford to live in?
How many of you work in a mall you can't afford to shop in?
That ain't right! How many of you clean up a hotel you ain't never gonna be able to stay in? We got nurses that work in hospitals they can't even afford to get sick in.
That shit is wrong!
It's dead wrong!"
- Mays Gilliam (Chris Rock), Head of State

The US Presidential Elections will take place tomorrow. This is such an important election, mainly because however way they vote, Americans will make history.

If John McCain wins, Americans shall have the first ever female Vice President. If Barack Obama wins, then Americans will have an African American President. Something that will make Chris Rock a very happy man indeed.

Back in 2003, Chris rock wrote, directed and starred in Head of State. Alderman Mays Gilliam was given the chance to vie for the US Presidency when the nominated candidate died.

His opponent was Vice President Lewis who was war hero, had been Vice President for 8 years and was Sharon Stone's cousin. Funny, since John McCain also does have significant experience and amazing credentials.

Following are excerpts from Mays Gilliam's Straight from the Heart, Straight to the Point speech that left me in stitches:

Gilliam: They had a speech written for me about what the people need. But you guys are the people. You know what you need. Better schools. Better jobs. Less crime.

How many of you, right now, work two jobs just to have enough money to be broke? That ain't right. If you work two jobs, and at the end of the week you got just enough money to get your broke ass home... Let me hear you say, "That ain't right!"

Crowd: That ain't right! Gilliam: If your child's school has old-ass books and brand-new metal detectors, let me hear you say, "That ain't right!"

Crowd: That ain't right!

Gilliam: How many of you work in a city you can't afford to live in?
Crowd: That ain't right!

Gilliam: How many of you work in a mall you can't afford to shop in?
Crowd: That ain't right!

Gilliam: That ain't right! How many of you clean up a hotel you ain't never gonna be able to stay in? We got nurses that work in hospitals they can't even afford to get sick in. It ain't right! It isn't right! That shit is wrong! It's dead wrong!

I'm Mays Gilliam... and I'm running for President of the United States of America.

After watching Doris Kearns Goodwin on TED, her talk on what we can learn from past American presidents seems very timely and appropriate for such a time as this. Have a look at it:



You can download this talk here.

All in all, may the best candidate win when America votes tomorrow.

The Essence and Foundations of Courage - Wonderful Week

As the essence of courage is to stake one's life on a possibility,
so the essence of faith is to believe that the possibility exists.

- William Salter

Way back in 1998, someone in my class said that "Courage is not the absence of fear, but making the right choice in the face of fear." Another said that "Confidence is the root of courage." To define courage, we used synonyms such as bravery, boldness, resoluteness, and pluck. Opposites of courage are cowardice, timidity, hesitance, backing down, and turning back.

If you are confident, you make courageous choices. You'll be bold and willing to take risks. Courage is abstract, but becomes tangible in our choices and actions. And in many ways, courage is like a tree growing in the heart. A tree must be planted deep in good soil. Likewise, courage must be firmly planted in the soil of faith.

Speaking of choice, a brave choice comes spontaneously if courage is alive in someone's heart. Courage can however be destroyed or never begin to grow if we entertain the disease of self-doubt.

Courage causes you to go places you wouldn't otherwise go, say things you wouldn't want to say, and continue to give and love even when it hurts. Courage makes you keep pushing without ever giving up.

According to a Trump University newsletter, "Courage means never giving up. It’s much easier to give up. Don’t take that route. Being determined enough to continue despite discouragement is probably the number one virtue necessary for success. Some very ordinary people have accomplished amazing things by simply being persistent. Abraham Lincoln is a good example. His courage made him extraordinary." [...read more].

Courage and tenacity make two sides of the same coin. You must be prepared to stick to your goals even when the going gets tough. Following are ways to conquer fear and cultivate courage:

THE FOUNDATIONS OF COURAGE

1. Trust yourself

2. Take smart risks

3. Reduce risk to an acceptable level

4. Create worst-case scenarios for the risks you are taking

5. Gain courage from the stories of notable risk-takers

Read about Conquering Fear, Courage and Tenacity and the Foundations of Courage here.

This week, overcome fear and take steps of faith to achieve your goals. Act with courage and be tenacious in the face of difficulty. That is the essence of courage.

This post is related to the following Wonderful Week posts:
> Overcome Fear
> Never Give Up. Try Again
> Idea. Plan. Action. Make It Happen

Do have a Wonderful Week!

The Waki Report: How Ordinary People Become Monsters

In the past, I have been very reserved about Kenyan politics and haven't posted a single entry about politicians and their mindless shenanigans.

Why? Because politics sucks! Especially in Kenya, where people can openly abuse office, kill with impunity, embezzle funds meant for AIDS patients and then seek re-election every five years.

The recently released 'Waki Report' on the post elections chaos has dominated news bulletins, newspaper articles and radio talk shows in the country. This "Waki Report" was presented to President Mwai Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and His Excellency Kofi Annan. A week later, the report was made public.

What has made the report such a big issue is an accompanying sealed envelope that contains names of those who spearheaded and/or financed the horrific bloodshed. A majority of them are senior politicians and leading businessmen. In fact, some are cabinet ministers and elected members of parliament.

The recommendations by Justice Waki and his commission are that these guys should be investigated and eventually prosecuted for their crimes against humanity. That has definitely not gone down well with the politicians, and ODM last week officially rejected the Waki report.

I was so pissed off listening to most of the dumbass politicians as they commented on the Waki Report. Surely, what the heck is wrong with these people?

In view of the foregoing, I have just read the following articles in both The Standard and Daily Nation:

Waki Report exposes the beasts in our politics

We must end impunity, says Raila as debate on Waki rages

Why the Waki Report could weather raging political storm

Our political leaders will not choose The Hague

Now, I recently watched a TED Talk by Philip Zimbardo on How Ordinary People Become Monsters. And this made me better understand what makes politicians reason (or not reason) the way they do. I now have a better understanding of the Psychology of Evil.

You can see what others say and download this talk here.
OR
Direct download link (zipped MP4).

Let us all learn and share.

The Telco Wars in Kenya - Capital Talk on K24 TV

"If you are not watching Capital Talk,

then you are not watching Television."
- Jeff Koinange (Senior Anchor, K24)

This past week, Jeff Koinange was interviewing key players in the Kenyan Telecommunications Industry. Following is what went down:

Highlights:

Michael Joseph came out as a confident and successful CEO. He reiterated the fact that he is not a team player but a team leader. MJ went ahead and mentioned the Creative Capitalism speech that Bill Gates gave at Davos and was published by TIME magazine. Safaricom was favourably mentioned by Bill Gates.
Safaricom continues to blaze the trail as the leading mobile phone operator in Kenya with over 12 million subscribers. According to MJ, growth has continued even as new operators come on board and Zain ups their game.
Michael Joseph's stated objective is to make Safaricom Africa's Best Company.

Mike Foley disclosed that Econet Wireless will roll out their services on November 28, 2008. Without going into any details, he said that Econet Wireless will unveil a new (yet to be revealed) brand that will be both exciting and African. This brand was agreed upon by Econet Wireless about 12 weeks ago.
About network rollout, Mr Foley revealed that he has already gotten into partnership with the competiting operators. An infrastructure sharing agreement is the way to go, since it helps new players roll out faster, benefits the host operators, lowers operational costs and levels the playing field much faster.
Mr Foley promised new products and a high quality network for the customers.

Dominique Saint Jean was full of confidence and I gotta say this man talks in a very interesting way. Forget the accent, something makes me smile every time I listen to him.
That aside, The Telkom Kenya network offers a variety of services: Orange Broadband, Orange Mobile, ADSL, Telkom Fixed (landlines) and Telkom Fixed Plus (Telkom Wireless) among others. This according to Mr Jean, is what makes Telkom Kenya a formidable player in Kenya in spite of Telkom Kenya's sad history.
On the Ksh 1 per minute Orange to Orange call rate, Mr Jean said this was a welcoming offer and that prices would revert to a viable rate after December 8. He promised exciting services and a superior customer experience as the Telkom/Orange network expanded.

Rene Meza seemed very upbeat, perhaps as he did the math on the number of people who have recently made the switch to Zain Kenya's new VUKA tariff. He announced that Zain had just introduced Club 20, a new service that lets subscribers send unlimited text messages and make unlimited calls after 10pm for only Ksh 20.
He stated that wide Distribution, a reliable and high capacity Network and Affordable products and services make up the DNA of mobile phone success. That is what both Kencell and Celtel lacked prior to the Zain launch.
About Zain Kenya's very aggressive brand awareness and advertising campaigns, Mr Meza (I almost wrote table) said that a recent research confirmed that Zain Kenya has a 90% recognition across Kenya. He also said that over 50% of new subscribers are joining the Zain network, and this has seen them gain over a million subscribers in under three months.
Additionally, Mr Meza talked of the-soon-to-be-launched M-BANKING from Zain. He clarified that this service would be more than a money transfer service that would complement the existing local banking services.

Dr Bitange Ndemo started with the lack of bandwidth in Kenya. This he said, is a major handicap since it hampers the setting up of business process outsourcing industries (BPOs) and telepresence among other exciting things. Lack of bandwidth has actually cost us so much in terms of money and opportunities.
On the fibre optic submarine cable that is needed to make all this happen, the good news is that it will operational as from Aug/Sep next year (how many times has this date being revised?) Dr Ndemo was thankful to all those who took the initiative, especially the former Minister (Hon Mutahi Kagwe).
On the mobile price wars, Mr Ndemo was categorical that there is no more monopoly, something that earned him some determined enemies. In fact, Dr Ndemo said that if the tier 1 operators (the GSM guys) do not offer services and push prices down, then tier 2 (the ISPs and local loop) operators will.
He then talked passionately about his ICT dreams: (1) Owning a mobile phone (2) Local films being shown on big-screen - two of which have been achieved. He next dreams that (3) a Kenyan Company will be the next TIME-Warner media powerhouse. And he is positive about this actually happening.

The pics:

Monday: Michael Joseph - Safaricom CEO














Tuesday: Michael Foley - Econet Wireless CEO

















Wednesday: Dominique Saint Jean - Telkom Kenya CEO

















Thursday: Rene Meza - Zain Kenya MD
















Friday: Dr Bitange Ndemo - Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications












Once again, our best days are ahead of us. There is so much happening in the Kenyan ICT sector. And most, if not all of this is good indeed.

The very good news is that the overall winner is the end user of telecommunications products and services. That is you and I. The common mwananchi.

Right now, we should be thinking about the opportunities that this whole ICT business brings. Besides watching lots of Videos on YouTube, TED and Brightcove. Or hanging out on Facebook. Even blogging.

I mean serious things like how we can benefit from these opportunities and create gainful employment for our youth.
I am thinking, with a smile on my face. Are you?

Barry Schwartz on The Paradox of Choice - TED Talks

"So everywhere we look, big things and small things,
material things and lifestyle things,
life is a matter of choice."

- Barry Schwartz

This talk was recorded in July 2005 at the TED Global Conference in Oxford, England.



Highlights of this Talk:

> The Official dogma of all Western industrial societies.
"If we are interested in maximizing the welfare of our citizens, the way to that is to maximize individual freedom. The reason for this is both that freedom is in and of itself good, valuable, worthwhile, essential to being human and because if people have freedom, then each of us can act on our own to do the things that will maximize our welfare and no one has to decide on our behalf."

> The way to maximize freedom is to maximize choice.

> The more choice people have, the more freedom they have and the more welfare they have.

> Too much choice produces paralysis rather than liberation. With so many options to choose from, people find it very difficult to choose at all.

> Opportunity costs subtract from the satisfaction of what we choose even when what we choose is terrific. And the more options there are to consider, the more attractive features of these features are going to be reflected by us as opportunity cost.

BOTTOM LINE

Why Choice Makes People Miserable:

1. Regret and anticipated regret
2. Opportunity costs
3. Escalation of expectations
4. Self-blame


You can download this talk here.
OR
Direct download link (zipped MP4).


Let us all learn and share.