Snail in my salad yesterday at one of your restaurants @javahouseafricapic.twitter.com/apawUnGyxI

— fred chumo (@laitoriat) August 28, 2016

My attention to the tweets were drawn by a friend whom I met at Java House, West End Mall, Kisumu. I had gone in to have a glass of minty pineade (one of my favorite drinks at Java) when Chandi Tome pointed out to me that Java was trending on twitter for the wrong reasons.

I am a frequenter at Java House and as a food enthusiast I also know that mistakes happen in the Kitchen. I however expected that Java House would offer an apology to the customer and reassure their clients that they will endeavor to ensure that such an incident does not happen again. That is what a solid brand would do. That is what I thought Java House would do.

It’s more than 24 hours later when I am publishing this. No apology. Instead Java House tried to handle this quietly with Fred Chumo. That was not wrong, but what about the thousands of Kenyans like me who order pork chops or steak with fresh salad from Java House. How are we assured of the safety of our food?

This however is not an isolated event, rapper Fena Kuti tweeted a while back about seeing a rat a Java House. The Kisumu branch at West End Mall was struggling with ants for a long time. Last week a friend of mine complained to one of the waiters about stale food.

People have tweeted about roaches at Java House:

This and incidents before brings to the fore the question of quality control at the Java House kitchen and the general quality of hygiene in their restaurants. When clients go to high end restaurants like Java House, they expect a certain level of quality, they need that reassurance.

Follow me on IG & Twitter @IamOminde 

The post Why Java House owes it’s clients an apology appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

My head is throbbing, I need to go out of the office for some fresh air. I haven’t eaten out all week because of my healthy diet and stuff. Today I can indulge.

I settle for Roan Rooftop in the heart of Oginga Odinga street. Finding parking space at the foot of Anyange Plaza is hell on a weekday so I opt to park at Central Square and walk past the “Bunge la wananchi” where a group of retirees and a bunch of Kisumu idlers are discussing politics of the day. Today it’s about Prof. Anya’g Nyong’o ‘s launch of his gubernatorial bid in his Seme backyard.

I literally fly through the fight of stairs (well, almost flying) to the rooftop of Anyange Plaza. The cool breeze from the lake hits my face and I am wowed by the African themed decor of the restaurant. You have probably been here before at night for Karaoke or on a Friday party night with DJ Phrankee. I bet you had no idea that this place is not a club but rather a restaurant that  turns into a club a couple of nights in the week.

I sit at the middle of the restaurant with my bark turned against the street. It’s so ambient up here that you forget that you are three floors above Kisumu’s busiest street. The breeze from the lake still caresses my balk, the sun outside decided to come with his brothers. The car did not help much being that I had parked in the hot sun at the office because everyone decided to buy a car this year – radio business has been good.

To my left is a young white couple – probably American expats. They look too calm to be tourist. They are having  beef burgers with french fries and coke. The man is engrossed in a Robin Sharma book – “Who will Cry When You Die?” Not the type of question I want to think about today. There is a gentleman sitting by himself to my right, he is having beef, kales with ugali. There are three ladies in the far right corner where the couches are. They must have just arrived moments before me. They are loudly arguing whether they should order pork chops or lamb cuttlings. They must be Luo.

For a moment I am tempted to order for pork chops when the lady waiter hands me the menu but she politely asks me if I have ever tried their African cuisine. I ask her what she would recommend and she smiles and thinks for a moment. I look look straight at her. She is very friendly. She is wearing a J&B Rare branded top with a short fitting skirt. “Short enough to cause excitement but long enough to cover the essentials.”

You should try our Ugali with fish.

I look up the local delicacies section then I have a light bulb moment – Kamongo. I have never been a fan of Kamongo ever since I was little because I hated how the meat felt in the mouth. My mum made fun of me because I usually refused to eat it but loved its soup.

I settle on it primarily to challenge the chef. If he can make me like it then he is good. I order a soda as well and wait for 25 minutes. In the meantime I am enjoying the cool music oozing from the speakers above the bar counter. A few more people arrive after me, there is life here but not too crowed. You are not competing with smoke at the same time. The smiley waiter returns with some water for me to clean my hands. She lays a tray with ketchup, chili, salt and napkins on the table before returning with another tray with my order.

Now it’s one thing to make great food and it’s totally something else to present it well. Before I even dig in, I am already super impressed by the presentation. This calls for an Instagram moment!

For the first time in my life I totally enjoy a meal of Kamongo. The top dressing with mor nyaluo  and lemon juice might have done the trick. Then there was the creamy osuga side dish!

I leave the restaurant about 45 minutes later after paying my bill (which I did via MPESA but they also accept VISA & Mastercard) and tipping the waiter – I always tip. I still felt that it was the best spent Ksh. 450 in a long time.

The post Eating Out: Lunch at Roan Rooftop appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

Well laid vocals and a great beat. This song will definitely be a hit among Luo and Lhuyia speakers as you can hear them play around with popular phrases from the two communities. The song is done in Luo, Swahili, English with a few drops of Lhuyiah dialects here and there.

The video is a masterpiece by Enos Olik and was almost entirely shot in Kisumu. The story in the video revolves around three guys who try to outdo each other to impress a beautiful lady who has driven all of them crazy.

This pretty lady from a friends working place has literally made The CBK to Go Crazy, “Rasukha Murwe”. They go to an extent of faking their status to the best of an individuals capability just to impress the angel, only for her to realize that she was the game being played.

I have a feeling that the video concept slightly borrowed from Nikikutazama by H_art the band.

Verdict: Great song which could just become a hit.

The post MUSIC REVIEW: Rasukha murwe by TheCBK appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

Nadia’s powerful vocals on the hook and chorus add a fresh breath of life to Expat’s lazy rap style that would have otherwise sent you to sleep.

After giving you the overhyped “Nyama kwa nyama” which did not command much airplay on mainstream media, Expat is back at reinventing himself. I can already predict that Kenyans are not ready to be taken back to the “Nyayo era” with patriotic songs – especially such but the video will make for a comical watching as it makes fun of our politicians and their usual rhetoric.

The song calls against political ills like tribalism and corruption as it advises youths to register as voters and make their voices hard.

I would not say that Expat is a talented artist yet, but I like the fact that he his pushing himself with every new jam and video he pushes out. I think it’s just a matter of time before he tips over with a hit.

Verdict: Average Video

The post MUSIC REVIEW: Maendeleo by Expat Mkwanja ft Nadia appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

They are young and attractive professional women who live or play in Kisumu.

1. Sally Nabalayo

She is a medic, doing health research with an international NGO that specializes in reproductive health research in the Western Kenya region.

She is married and a mother to one adorable boy.

2. Ruthie Awinja

She works in Nairobi but plays in Kisumu – owns the kids boutique “House of Tots.”

She is married and a mother of one.

3. Adhiambo Opondo

Works in Nairobi, frequently plays in Kisumu.

She is a thespian by profession. You have probably seen her more than once on your TV. Has an amazing sense of humor but equally very politically opinionated.

Word has it that she is interested in Women Rep seat in Siaya county.

I am not sure about her marital status but she is mother to a lovely daughter.

4. Polite Sweetness 

Her government name is “Vera” but we all know her by her as Polite Sweetness. She is a lover of big cars – maybe “big everything.”

Very curvy and super proud of her physique. An inspiration to “plus size” models. She says Imelda Marcos has nothing on her!

She is a communications professional who runs an NGO for a living.

She is married and mother to two kids…rumor has it that number 3 could be coming soon.

5. Caroline Oloo

She has made it to the cover of Parents Magazine so it’s definitely not a mistake that we have her here.

She is a real estate agent/ manager.

Mother to  two kids.

I am not sure whether she is married or not but I am sure she will say “obadho ja nyombo” if I dare ask.

6. Hon. Lydiah Ndege

She is a nominated member of Kisumu County Assembly. Was recently named among Kenya’s hottest female MCAs by a leading tabloid.

She also owns an event company “House of Tarah.”

She is married to a Kisumu politician and has one kid.

7. Myra Anubi

She was an MC during last weekend’s Miss Tourism Kenya finals in Vihiga. You have probably had her silky voice in the morning on Kisumu’s Urban Radio 90.7 FM where she hosts the breakfast show alongside Pilot 254. She also owns an events company known as ” Events by Myra.”

The Maseno University alumni is a single mother to an adorable girl.

8. Thelma Spits-Lukachia

She has been our person of interest before. She is many things – a singer, band owner, NGO Manager and hot mom!

She is married and mother to a baby boy.

9. Christine Riaroh Odhiambo

Christine is a marketer by profession, works for an electricity distribution company. She loves big cars and does not drive them slowly – if the road is clear she will be doing 200KPH on a Landrover.

When she is not working she is mummy to two (or is it three) adorable kids.

10. Elizabeth Akinyi Wambi

One of the very few women I know who play golf. It’s her favorite pass-time activity. By day she works for a construction company ensuring Kisumu has roads that match it’s city status.

The soft spoken lady is a mother of one – still single if I am not wrong.

Do you know anyone else who should be on this list? Let’s see your list on the comments section!!

Follow me on IG& Twitter @IamOminde

The post OMINDE’S LISTS: Kisumu’s top ten “yummy mummies.” appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

Mondays have been marked with street protests called by Kenya’s opposition coalition CORD over electoral reforms ahead of the 2017 presidential elections. Though the protests were meant to be peaceful, they have resulted in the death of five people, several injuries caused by bullet wounds, loss of billions of shillings due to closed businesses during the protests and destruction of property.

It does not end there.

The street protests being championed by the opposition coalition have renewed the deep rooted ethnic animosity between some of Kenya’s largest tribes. In the run up to the stolen 2007 presidential election, political animosity pitted the Kikuyu (who mainly supported President Kibaki’s PNU at that time) against the Luo and Kalenjin (who supported ODM leader Raila Odinga). Today the Kikuyu and Kalenjin are together in the ruling Jubilee Coalition while the Luo and several other tribes make up the CORD coalition under the leadership of Mr. Odinga.

The rivalry between the Luo and Kikuyu is something that has been exploited by politicians for their own political gain and it dates back to the immediate post-election period when Kenya’s founding President Jommo Kenyatta (father to Kenya’s current President) allegedly betrayed a pre-independence MoU with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (father to CORD’s Mr. Odinga). The rivalry would become amplified when Kenyatta fired Jaramogi as his Vice President in 1966.

This political rivalry was revived in 2005 after a short stint in which the two communities were in power together and successfully defeated former President Daniel arap Moi’s KANU candidate (Uhuru Kenyatta). The relationship between the Luo and Kikuyu would take a nose dive over another alleged betrayal of an pre-election MoU between former President Kibaki and Mr. Odinga.

The political campaigns in the run-up to the 2007 elections would ignite the ethnic mistrust between three communities; the Luo and Kalenjin on one side and the Kikuyu on the other side. The Luo and Kalenjin would accuse the Kikuyu of being responsible for all their economic problems.

When the election results were disputed, the ODM Party would immediately call for mass protests that quickly degenerated into full-blown ethnic conflicts that led to the death of more than 1,300 people and the displacement of about another half a million people.

Before it got that bad, there were the reckless political statements that incited communities against each other. There was the planning. The mass action called by the opposition (whose victory was stolen) provided a conducive environment to execute.

After a supposed resolution of the conflict following international interventions under the leadership of Dr. Koffi Anan, cases against those thought to be most culpable began at the ICC. One by one the cases were dismissed until no one is currently facing charges.

This has been interpreted back in Kenya as :”people can get away with these crimes.”

Fast forward to today, the war drums similar to those that were beating in 2007 have started beating again. Last night I watched two videos that were sent to me via social media. In one of the videos a Kikuyu politician  is heard proposing the shooting dead of opposition leader Raila Odinga and adding that, “the Luo will throw stones for a week and then move on.”

That statement has sparked angry responses, most coming from the Luo community who are also demanding action against the said politician. One of the reactions I read goes:

” I put it to you MK and those who share your caustic tongue that if Raila is ASSASSINATED, Luos will not DEMONSTRATE. They will FIGHT! An all out war of HONOUR!”

Another politician at the same function called for the mass circumcision of Luos (Luos are one of the few African communities that do not circumcise their men). What should worry anybody about that statement is the fact that forced circumcision was one of the ways in which Luos who were living in predominantly Kikuyu regions were tortured during the 2007/2008 post election violence.

My examples might have revolved around statements from Kikuyu politicians because that is what triggered this post but for the sake of being fair it is worth noting that even the tribes on the opposing camps have made extremely dangerous statements as well.

One comment on Twitter aptly describes my feeling about this whole conversation though:

What is sickening isn’t Moses Kuria saying “kill Raira “, but the number of seemingly educated Kikuyus cheering him on #StopUhurusWarDogs

— Yā Sīn (@CollinceBey) June 13, 2016

You see, politicians can only get away with this because their supporters allow them to. They cheer them on because deep down that is what our society is.

These statements are coming as the CORD coalition intensifies it’s push for electoral reforms through mass protests and just months to the 2017 general elections. Kenya is at cross-roads and even though the situation is calm today, the volatility can be felt in the air.

After 2007/8 we said “never again” but it looks like we forgot too fast. Maybe because we never really saw someone pay dearly for their actions – on that we blame the ICC.

This post was written for www.africablogging.org – a network of African Politics bloggers.

Folow me on IG &Twitter @IamOminde

The post Drums of war and how the ICC failed us appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

She was recently featured on the tabloid Nairobian (published by the Standard Group) as one of Nairobi’s hottest female lawyers.

Phannie A. Kwegah, a firstborn in a family of five girls with the pressures of setting a good precedent to her younger siblings talked to us about her professional and social life.

Did you always grow up wanting to be a lawyer?

Yes. I never wanted to be anything else. I grew up playing roles with my dad aping courtroom situations. The once-popular TV series “vioja Mahakamani” on KBC provided us with great content for our little courtroom.

I am glad that this childhood dream came to fruition.

Who did you look up to growing up?

Growing up, I was not as exposed to the legal profession as much as I’d loved to. I did not know any lawyers until when in high school, but still, none tickled me as much save for Barack Obama who had just authored two amazing books by then.

His speeches were captivating, very intelligent and well thought. The eloquence with which he delivered them, his great personality are some of the things I admired most about him. As a lawyer, you’d want to be like that. So I started listening to his speeches, read his books and here we are today.

Would you call yourself “self-made” in that case?

I’m God made if I say “self-made” that would be mean.

What are some of the worst assumptions someone might have about you in the courtroom?

1. “She looks young“, which of course I am and as such I may not be fully or well acquainted with the law and the intricacies of the courtroom, it’s still a risky assumption. You might lose the case for it if I am on the opposing side.
2. “Can she fit the bill?”  I’m I equal to the task. Happens when I attend meetings too, on behalf of the firm, one might not say it, but their facial expressions say it all. I always smile. A happy one. You know.?

Do you feel that female lawyers are at times judged by their looks instead of competence?

I have never been in such a situation, but I’ve read (and heard) of how largely women are at times judged by their looks rather than their ability and capability to undertake a task. Which I must say it’s downright wrong, and it’s something that should be condemned and not be tolerated.

The glass ceilings that women face is not only in the legal profession. If you look at the corporate world, how many CEO’s do we have who are women. It’s not that they are not qualified either. Those ceiling must come down and I am glad a few women are already cracking them for us.

You have a very active social life from your love for AFC Leopards to enjoying a cold bottle of Heineken, how do you reconcile your career with your social life?

I’ll say it’s a matter of balance, knowing what is required of me, what to do, where to do it, when to do it and how to do it. I work Monday to Friday; 7.30 am to 6.00 pm. That’s given, work unless it’s a holiday or unless something outside work needs my urgent attention. Saturdays and Sundays are my days to attend to other things.

I strongly believe that if one has no social life then they are more likely to be miserable in one way or another. It cannot be work work, work and more work. That would be a terrible way to live your life.

Tell us what it would take for a man to sweep you off your feet?

Would you believe if I told you that I don’t have a list like I want him to be this and that to have this and that?

I always told myself that I’ll know my kind of guy when I meet him when I see him. In a record of 10 minutes, I’ll be able to tell!

Allow me though to point out, that I appreciate someone who has a sense of style when it comes to grooming, one who really cares about his hygiene, an intelligent mind because we can’t really have daft babies (can we?) and above all one who knows God. Well, from there we can have a chat.

That looks like a list to me…

List ni zile tall dark n handsome.  Financially stable, has a good home, good job, is kind , is humble, treats me nice bla bla bla…

Harusi lini?

Marriage, hahaha.. OK, now that you ask, I will. Very soon. Very very soon. And have three babies at most. Kaylah, Kyle and another whose name will start with K.

Finally, tell me one thing I probably don’t know about you.

I’m a Christian, who has enormous faith in the word of God, despite my not being a faithful churchgoer. I have faith that can move mountains – that goes without saying.

I must point out that Phannie did not think I asked her all the important questions. Feel free to ask her whatever you feel that I left out on the comments section.

Follow me on Twitter & IG @IamOminde

The post Persons Of Interest: Phannie wa Kwega appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

Last night (depending on your timezone) you probably saw a Whatsapp notification saying: “Messages you send to this chat and calls are now secured with end-to-end encryption. Tap for more info” and you are wondering what the hell that means to you.

For starters I am a journalist and blogger not an IT guru but I have been using encrypted chats and e-mails for a year now and I hope that I will be able to explain this without having to use unnecessary technical jargon.

What it means

The most simple explanation is that your texts sent through Whatsapp messenger are now safer than ever before.

There are a lot of people and institutions that are interested in your private communication and having an encrypted messaging service ensures that the chances of them getting that info without your approval is reduced.

End to end encryption is by far the most secure form of encryption. It ensures that messages are encrypted the moment you hit the send button on your device (phone). If anyone intercepts your message (receives the message before it gets to the intended recipient) it’s nothing but gibberish to them. The message is decrypted when it reaches the intended recipient’s device and they can read it normally because they have a decryption key (usually an inbuilt process that does not require any other technical effort from you).

Why is encryption important?

To the average internet user encryption is never an important concern but all the same we are once in a while faced with situations when we need to send confidential information without worrying that it might fall in the wrong hands.

The most secure way to ensure that your info is not intercepted is probably a face to face meeting but at times we find ourselves in situations where we need to pass information and do not have the luxury of meeting the recipients in person maybe for our or their personal security reasons or because of the distance between us. In such situations, it is important to know how to communicate securely without having to have technical internet security knowledge.

Before Whatsapp introduced the end to end encryption, it was one of the most susceptible instant messenger  when it comes to third party interception. A lot of people have had the information sent through this platform intercepted.

Currently the most unsafe platform is the Facebook messenger but because Whatsapp is now owned by Facebook, the messenger might also just introduce some level of encryption.

(Though I will not talk about it here, as we approach elections in Kenya please learn how to install Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). We might need them in case the government decides to shut down social media like they did in Uganda.)

Other encrypted messaging platforms

1. Viber – used to be one of the safest platforms to communicate on. The software offers basic encryption but has successfully been hacked by US Federal security agencies   and it is possible that even in Kenya the NIS can intercept communication on this platform.
2. Telegram – This used to be one of the safest communication platforms…actually still is. Users can initiate a private chat in which the messages communicated between them become instantly encrypted. The level of encryption on this platform though is still very basic but definitely better than Whatsapp. The only advantage Whatsapp has over Telegram is that you do not need to initiate a private chat, the encryption is on at all times during your chats as long as you are both on the latest version of Whatsapp.
3. Cryptocat – This is an open source (meaning not paid for) mobile and desktop application that offers the most secure form of end to end encryption. It is availble for use on iOS, Windows, Mac OS and Linux. Unfortunately the version for Android is still undergoing tests. Word has it that the Cryptocat servers are located inside a decommissioned cold war nuclear bunker in Sweden!
4. GMAIL – Gmail offers basic encryption services but you have to be a bit tech savvy.  You can Google how to use your “public key” to encrypt your  mails.
5. Hushmail – When using Hushmail (which is available for free), the connection between your computer and the Hushmail server is protected by encryption. That means that if someone is eavesdropping on your Internet connection, they will not be able to read the traffic that you send to the Hushmail website. This is especially important if you are using your computer on a public or office network, or if you are using a wireless connection that is not encrypted.
6. ProtonMail – This is the safest secure e-mail provider. It’s servers are based at the CERN HQ in Switzerlan, that means that user data is protected by the strict Swiss privacy policies. It was developed by CERN and MIT scientists.  All emails are secured automatically with end-to-end encryption. This means that even ProtonMail cannot decrypt and read your emails. As a result, your encrypted emails cannot be shared with third parties. To use ProtonMail you have to make an application explaining why you need the secure service (without divulging too much details). Your account is normally set up within a week if accepted.

Having explained all that, your secure communication is only secure if the intended recipient understands why they need to remain so. It is utterly pointless to go through all the stress to have a secure communication link just for them to voluntarily hand over this information to third parties. Remember that these tools do not protect you from screen captures as well.

The flip side of having easy to use end to end encryption

While the benefits of these services cannot be overemphasized, we also have to be aware that they create an opportunity for criminal elements and terrorists to communicate freely over the internet.

Follow me on Twitter @IamOminde

The post Whatsapp’s end to end encryption – what it means to you appeared first on Biz Post Daily.