Saturday 31 July 2010

Delightful Dibaba CAA African Athletics Championship

The "Baby Faced Assasin" delightful Tirunesh Dibaba did it again - she broke Kenyans hearts at Nyayo National Stadium earned their respect with a powerful perfomance while at the same time her beautiful baby face won over their hearts.

Kenyans cheered their trio of world champion Linet Masai, Junior champion Pauline Korikwang and Doris Chepkwaing. After the early leader from Rwanda fell back "the usual suspects" Kenyans and Ethiopians took the lead. Finally from lap 15 it was just the three Linet Masai in the lead, Meselech Melkamu and Tirunesh Dibaba alternating in keeping up with the elegant running Kenyan. Masai long and powerful strides seemed headed to a Gold and the Nyayo stadium was up in uproar cheering her lap after lap. The bell went and the Ethiopians who have experienced Linet Masai's powerful kick did not take chances. Dibaba took off as if she was running 400 m race, Meselech chasing and valiant Linet whose lead had taken a toll on her final kick following for bronze.

Kenyans joy was restored soon after with the mens 4×400 relay who posted the best time in the heats ahead of tomorrows finals and ended Kenyan's day on a celebratory note.

Most unexpectedly the sprints are producing surprises in the sprints with a powerful performance in the mens 200 semi finals.

Earlier in the day Kenyans had a bittersweet 400M hurdles with favorite Florence Wasike fading all over sudden after leading in powerful race. However Maiyo redeemed Kenya in the second heat which was faster and came first.

Janeth Jepkosgei the Eldoret express pulled a powerful performance in her heat and is set for a showdown with Moroccos wondergirl tomorrow.

The final day tommorow is a must watch the finals of all these events taking place.

Friday 30 July 2010

Gold Rush for Kenya - CAA African Athletics Championships

Today Kenya's best came out on to the track to emphatically place Kenya at the top of the medal standings in the ongoing CAA African Athletics Championships.

David Rudisha led Kirwa and Kivuva to complete a one, two, three medal haul in the men's 800 M.

Shortly after Nancy Jebet Lagat stamped her dominance on the womens 1500 m completely obliterating her opposition.

Also as expected Kenya maintained their monopoly of the Men's 3000 steeplechase with Matelong coming in first and Ezekiel Kemboi second.

WEEKEND RACES
We are all waiting to see the elegant Linet Masai take on her perennial rival the fantastic Tirunesh Dibaba in the womens 10,000 m finals.

To cap it all up everyone is looking to watch our very own "Eldoret Express" the one and only Janeth Jepkosgei do her thing in the 800M womens race. Although it would have been more exciting to see Janeth take on Caster Semenya - Africa Champion or world record holder - Pamela Jelimo ... it will still be great to see the wonderful Janeth run on home soil - a treat Kenyans have looked forward to ever since she dethroned "the Maputo express" Maria Mutola.

Thursday 29 July 2010

Victorious Vivian - CAA African Athletics Championship

Well I told you not to miss the 5000 m finals ... I hope you heeded me. I managed to get off work just in time to watch Vivian Cheruiyot put Meseret Defar and Tola both Ethiopians to second and third place and win Kenya's second gold.

Vivian made us all of us proud and you could just feel the unity and the pride as the national anthem was played.

I also watched the Kenyan men come second in Heat 2 of the 4×100 relay and also Mutai come second in 400 m hurdles heat.

I missed the semi finals of the mens 800 m but David Rudisha, Jackson Kivuva and Kirwa will all be in the finals tomorrow.

The CAA African Athletics Championships are living up to all expectations and Kenyans today packed the stadium to capacity.

Also in the weekend highlights is Florence Wasike who has starred for Kenya in so many events in the championships I have lost count - actually it is supposed to be seven(Heptathlon) but Florence seems to be everywhere from day one - yesterday.

We shall be looking forward to a really packed stadium over the weekend especially when the women 800 m will be run and our very own "Eldoret Express" Janeth Jepkosgei will be doing what she does best.

Vote No on August 4th - Kenyan Proposed Constituion - Referendum

Here is my study of the Proposed draft. My basis for voting no is
twofold - for reasons in the constitutional draft and for reasons
around the draft (i.e. the constitution debates ongoing as concerns
the draft, the process to which we came to have the current draft)

Reasons In the Draft

I have compared the Bomas draft, The harmonized draft of Nov 17 2009
and the Proposed draft of May 2010. The changes (ommisions, deletions
or additions) made to the previous drafts to come up with the current
mostly seem to have negative implications or results. The Proposed
draft is therefore an inferior document to the other two. I have made
my comparisons up from Chapter One till the Bill of rights

(For activists of Life it is important to look at the "Right to life"
in the Bomas draft and compare it to "the Right to life" or abortion
clause in the Proposed draft.)



Reasons Surrounding the draft


Most of the changes made above were made on recommendations by various
groups with vested interests e.g. the international community, the
church, the MPs, women rights activists, professionals. After these
changes have been effected none of these groups have come out openly
to declare "we recommended this addition or deletion for reason a) b)
and c) please support or decline the draft in solidarity with us".
These groups have chosen to "hide behind" the COE who claim total
responsibility for the changes. One wonders why the COE would write
the Harmonized draft in Nov and have various re-thinks about the
contents in May to come up with the Proposed draft - not possible
...not logical... not the case.

So long as these groups keep their agenda hidden then Kenyans should
reject the draft on the basis of lack of accountability and
transparency. Kenyans can't afford to be taken to the poll always on
"authorless drafts" - to date no one has claimed authorship of the
2005 Proposed draft ... the same might just happen to this draft.

I hope you have the energy to read the other chapters using my
methodology of comparison... I am tired of everything that is going on surrounding
the constitution ...the lies on both sides, the hate speech, the cover up ...,most
of all I think Kenyans are being conned - I am too tired to go on
reading it.

Enjoy my comparisons below

Regards


JP




Wednesday 28 July 2010

CAA - Safaricom The Senior Athletics African Championships

Its spectacular its wonderful its here.

For all those Kenyans who love our athletes and have never had a chance to see them in action ... there are 28,000 free seats at the Nyayo National Stadium all for you to see Africa's best do their thing.

I missed the opening ceremony - had to work. But I arrived at the stadium in time to watch the 10,000 meters final which had us screaming and cheering with 6 laps to go as Kenyans looked to sweep the three medals. Ugandan Moses Kipsiro however spoilt our clean sweep coming in second. However Kiprop took first position and the worlds fastest man in the 10,000 distance Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai came in third

I also watched the pulsating 800 M heats - David Rudisha ran a powerful race showing who is the worlds best. Meanwhile Kirwa overcame Morracan opposition to win his heat while Kivuva Jackson won his heat in which acclaimed South African Mulaudzi did not present the expected threat. If you didn't see them today be sure to watch the semi finals on Friday and the Finals on Saturday.

Also unbelievable but true - Kenyan Kipkemboi Soy came third in 100M sprints and will be in the finals. We will all be rooting for him.

For those who love to see our Nigerian "oga" sisters run then you would have loved to watch the likes of Queen Obisesan and Blessing Okagbare in the sprints - powerful perfomances.

Also of great interest and a crowd exciter was Marwa Hussein of Egypt in the hammer throw although eventually she was beaten by the beautiful Senegalese Amy Sene.

Tommorow our girls will be on in the 5000 m final. Please don't miss it - personally I won't be able to get away from work - but if you can then Nyayo stadium is where you must be - it is fun, exciting, electrifying, it absolutely rocks.

Monday 26 July 2010

Don Bosco Upper Hill - It's Happening

Haven't been posting much over the last couple of months ... sorry about that.

Everyone in Kenya is looking forward to referendum ... possibly a new constitution or gauging by the number of people displeased with the draft ...possibly not.

Anyway August holds more expectations for me...Don Bosco Upper Hill Youth Group - the liveliest church based youth group in East Africa will be holding a concert ... and I am so looking forward to August 29th.

So if you are in Nairobi ... come have a blast with Upper Hill youth group at the Don Bosco Shrine of Mary Help of Christians - opposite the World Bank offices ... no pictures right now but I promise to keep this post updated.