COMING SOON!

WHISPER TO MY ACHING HEART (By Joseph R Alila)

Literature & Fiction

In Joseph Alila's "WHISPER TO MY ACHING HEART," a young widow (Apiny) finds herself to be the bearer of the damning "maritally untouchable" tag in the male-dominated Eighteenth-Century Africa. Ejected along side her widowed mother-in-law (Awino), and ridiculed by friends, Apiny must wait for fifteen years before she receives a man in her bed, but only after Awino(she is almost sixty) remarries and gives birth to a boy (Olan’go Otin) who marries her in his mid-teen. Even with all the handsome sons and beautiful daughters she wished for from her youthful lover, Apiny is not at peace in her heart. She mourns silently and struggles in her heart as her youthful husband is compelled by Luo customs to get his own wife. Finally, Apiny must let go the love of her life (Otin)and share his heart with a younger woman (Nyogola). In her senior years, she is motivated by the reality of her age and the powers of a widow to eject Otin and invite an older and more age-appropriate man into her company.


JOSEPH R. ALILA

Coming Soon

Sins of Our Hearts (by Joseph R Alila)

Pastor Rew Smith heads the affluent New Hope Oakpound Church in which things appear to be well, but there is a deep spiritual problem: His church suffers from a shortage of Love. New converts are called names by his Board, and go unattended to as the young Pastor spends most of his evenings at Oakpound Big Boys Health and Fitness Club. His Church’s Lay Leadership basks in self-righteousness, and a form of spirituality without of any force of love behind it. Led by Mrs. Smith, some members of the Women Wing have introduced a controversial Foot-Washing method for its convenience, but in which the virtues of humility and selfless love are virtually dead.

The Milayi Curse (By Joseph R. Alila)

In Joseph R. Alila's "Milayi Curse" (Lulu(http://www.lulu.com))%20centuries-old/centuries-old bigotry, prejudice, unresolved issues, spiritualility, myths of curses, and intraclan rivalry, meet the reality and power of frienship between two innocent boys, and the power of charity from one rich man to a boy from the other side of the clan divide, with Fr. James O'Kilghor as a witness and Keeper of Secrets. Mrs. Milayi's prejudice must be cleansed by her Priest in her self-made spiritual deathbed. She would live as a witness and agent of peace, understanding and intraclan healing in this spiritual drama.

Joseph R. Alila (Author)

The African Woman in Joseph Alila's Poetry

African woman is lionised in several poetic verses in Joseph R. Alila's "Thirteen Curses on Mother Africa," (ISBN 978-14303-1592-6), lulu( http://www.lulu.com)/ , and justifiably so:

The African woman is largely localized in her rural domain--often passed by time and rural-urban migration--yet she must feed, protect and mould the character of her son only to lose him to the corrupting influence of urban life. The African woman must continue to walk five miles to the spring for water; she must till the same piece of barren land of thirty years before; she must feed her orphaned grandchildren the way she fed her children, only with even fewer resources. The African woman must face the vagaries of endless wars, unpredictable weather, a cesspool of diseases, constant pangs of hunger and abject poverty--often alone--as her lazy husband is either dead, inebriated, lost to some urban center, or simply overwhelmed by his situation.

Joseph R. Alila

Kenya: A Long, Perilous Year Ahead

I. Kibaki is a Prisioner to PNU Affiliates

There may be no quick agreement between ODM’s Odinga and PNU’s Kibaki because, while the former has shown a willingness to move away from his earlier positions such as “Kibaki must resign,” Kibaki has become a prisioner of the constituent parties which have propped-up his government and for which power is the end and the means. This view is reinforced by what Kalonzo said when he landed from abroad (any deal must be constitutional), and Mr. Poghosio’s announcement that any deal brokered by HE Annan will not affect ODM-K’s power-sharing agreement with the minority PNU government.

II. ODM must go for Executive Prime Minister

The emerging deal is so far in favor of Kibaki– he is the President. ODM should not sacrifice further than it has done. Recognizing Kibaki’s Presidency has been a bitter enough pill for ODM to have swallowed. With this in mind, nothing less than an Executive Prime Minister for ODM (based on BOMAS and executed quickly by Parliamentary legislation) is agreeable. This would ensure that ODM, as the majority party, will be Head of the Government; it would also preserve ODM’s identity as a party for 2012, and multi-party democracy will have won. Mr. Kibaki can remain a ceremonial President in charge of the Defense and State affairs.

III. Ideally, an interim Gov’t must be reasonably short

While the a prolonged Interim Government (six-month one called by ODM has been shot down by negotiators at City Hall) would allow the country to heal and allow the internally displaced persons (IDPs) to resettle, it would prove to be a slow-killing pill that would in the long run neuter ODM, in particular, and multiparty democracy, in general, as the boundary between Opposition and Government becomes blurred in the eyes of the people.

IV. ODM must think long-term

As the Annan negotiations move towards its critical stage, ODM must think long-term because its image of a Movement ended with the 12/27/2007 elections. That is why it should prefer a constitutionally mandated (through parliamentary legislation) and quick Executive Prime Minister Deal to any other form of power-sharing arrangement. Otherwise, it is better to remain in the opposition than be in a long-term, coalition arrangement –a multiparty democracy killer.

V. ODM should not bank on any elections being called before 2012

Fact: As long as the internal refugees are still in the camps in Kibera, Kondele and the Rift Valley, and their plight shamelessly played to every tourist visiting Kenya, Kibaki will not call any election whatever the Annan Deal. The helpless IDPs have become mere pawns in what is emerging as a political sport among the protagonists in Nairobi. I am very pessimistic about Kenya’s future; I am looking at 2012 for the next electoral face-off.

JR Alila

Kenyan Crisis: Deal?

There may be no quick agreement between ODM’s Odinga and PNU’s Kibaki because, while the former has shown a willingness to move away from his earlier stance such as "Kibaki must resign," Kibaki has become a prisioner of the constituent parties that have propped-up his government for which power is the end and the means. This view is reinforced by what Kalonzo said when he landed from abroad (any deal must be constitutional), and Mr. Poghosio’s announcement that any deal brokered by HE Annan will not affect ODM-K's power-sharing agreement with the minority PNU government.
The emerging deal is so far in favor of Kibaki– he is the President. ODM should not sacrifice further than it has done. Recognizing Kibaki’s Presidency has been a bitter enough pill for ODM to have swallowed.
ODM must go for Executive Prime Minister.
With this in mind, nothing less than an Executive Prime-Minister for ODM (based on BOMAS and executed quickly by Parliamentary legislation) is agreeable. This would ensure that ODM, as the majority party, will be Head of the Government; it would also preserves ODM’s Identity as a party for 2012, and multi-party democracy will have won. Mr. Kibaki can remain a ceremonial President in charge of the defense.
While the much routed a prolonged Interim Government (six-month one called by ODM has been shot down by negotiators at City Hall) would allow the country to heal and allow the internally displaced persons (IDPs) to resettle, it would prove to be a slow-killing pill that would in the long run, neuter ODM in particular, and multiparty democracy in general, as the boundary between Opposition and Government become blurred in the eyes of the people. Ideally, an interim Gov't must be reasonably short.
As the Annan negotiations move towards its critical stage, ODM must think long-term because its image of a Movement ended with the 12/27/2007 elections. That is why it should prefer a constitutionally mandated (through parliamentary legislation) and quick Executive Prime Minister Deal to any other form of power-sharing arrangement. Otherwise, it is better to remain in the opposition than be in a long-term, coalition arrangement –a multiparty democracy killer.
ODM should not bank on any elections being called before 2012.
As long as the internal refugees are still in the camps in Kibera, Kondele and the Rift Valley, and their plight played to every tourist visiting Kenya, Kibaki will not call any election whatever the Annan Deal. I am very pessimistic; I am looking at 2012 for the next face-off.
JR Alila

ODM in Power Sharing Arrangement with Kibaki?

Here it comes:
The news out of Nairobi (Kenya) indicates that ODM has agreed to "a power-sharing arrangement" with Kibaki's government. Will it be a coalition? Will it be a GNU? For how long will it be in place? Who will be the President, V-President? What will be Odinga's role? What will it mean to multi-party democracy in Kenya?
Check this space .....

JR Alila

http://politics.nationmedia.com/inner.asp?cat=TOP&sid=1447

http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&news...