Kenyan Elections 2013 - A Very Quick Summary!

• From the hotel in Tanzania we kept an eye on the unfolding elections. This is a brief summary of a long few days:
• Voting started with huge queues kilometres long at most polling stations. Showing how serious and passionate the Kenyans are especially given the heat of the day.
• The counting was being fed to the TV and a running total was at the foot of the screen.
• After a couple of days this seemed to stall and for 24 hours there was no change.
• We began to fear the worst. Would the patience of the Kenyans run out, would people use this to agitate trouble, etc.
• There were reports of problems with the electronic voting system and patience was requested as they resorted to the manual system.
• The totals were taken off the TV screen for a day or so.
• Counting resumed and the difference between Uhuru and Odinga had changed dramatically.
• Over the next couple of days the gap hovered around 500,000 with Uhuru in the lead. Then on the Thursday night the gap started to close. At one point it was down to 100,000 this would lead to a run off. By Friday morning it had extended again, at the close Uhuru had won by the required 50% plus one or more.
• There was the inevitable protest from the other party. This would probably have happened had the results been the other way too and was expected.
• Investigation was then required and a judgement from the supreme court.
• The process was concluded with the court declaring the result valid and 9^th August Uhuru was declared president.
• There is obviously much more to it than that and there are many sources of background on the internet – refer to www.nation.ke for one source etc. 

Jan 2013 - Back to Kenya

Back in Kandara the following day I passed through the Arch of Kandara Children’s Home and then “SIIIIMMMOOOONNNNNN!!!!” and a stampede of smiling, running kids were coming down the hill. I dropped my bags and caught one and threw him round, then another and many more hugs and huge smiles in welcome. I will miss this place when my term is up!! I expect, as seems to be the case, once you have spent any time at Kandara Children’s Home, you are forever emotionally tied in and will always have it in your thoughts.  Sorry my camera was in my bag.

21/9 Poly Activity Photos

Today we took photos of the poly in action to assist with marketing photos for the next year. Here are just a few to give you a taste of the polytechnic. We are opening a ICT/Computing course next year so if any readers have an old laptop in a cupboard that they do not use anymore, then, please get in touch and send it to us to help us assist the youth of rural Kenya escape the poverty trap.

Planting tomato seedlings in the new greenhouse

Hairdressing trainees - Njoki, Wambui doing Beatrice's hair

Happy in the carpentry class