The Bahatian

  Against the backdrop of the debate whether Nyandarua County headquarters should be in Nyahururu or Ol Kalou town, it is imperative the latter is showing much in terms of growth and investors confidentiality. A host of storied buildings are coming up on every other corner of this one street town as investors, particularly real estate developers, flocks in.   The main town street, unfortunately, is not paved, and when contrasted with the recently cobblestoned matatu terminus, makes for an ironical observation when it rains as being the muddy strip connecting the town to the tarmarked main roads (Ol Kalou-Dundori and Ol Kalou-Nyahururu-Gilgil routes).

Philip Mainge Wanjohi is a lover of written word and an advocate for establishing of libraries at ward levels to foster a reading culture. The man in his seventies is rooting for every ward in Kenya to have what he terms as Community Library Services, CLS, which will promote an interest in reading at grassroots levels, seeing that many jobless youths are wasting away in rural areas engaging in unproductive habits like gambling and drugs.  You are an advocate for library services at the ward levels countrywide to foster a reading culture, why are you championing this? I have read over 2000 books on various genres and the impact they left on me is immense. I was an avid book worm at the Kenya Library Services, Nakuru branch, for many years, and having read a great many books, I realized reading is informative and educative and our young generation of today should embrace reading, not only in classes for purpose of passing examinations like in set books, but as part of rec...

Chidi Nwosu is a self-published Nigerian poet with his works appearing in different journals and anthologies. The man who is in early fifties divides his time between Mozambique and Zimbabwe (currently residing in the latter) where he works as an entrepreneur. Not a single day passes without him posting a poem or two, as part of his pastime, on social media forums and sites like the Free Poetic Universe and others. Here, he gives his take on poetry and why he chose this path. You have this passion for poetry and no day passes without you posting a poem or two. Why love for poems over other literary genres? My love for literature started way back in high school. I later went to the university and studied English language and literature for my first degree. Among other genres of literature, I find poetry easy to read, grasp, interpret and write. I like the condensation of words in poetry; using too few words to say much, unlike in prose. It may also be because I am a natur...

Today’s modern parents have become too soft and lenient with their children. Discipline is no longer meted out as harshly as in the days of yore no wonder many parents are bringing up spoilt children. There is also the notion that pampering the kids is the best way to bring them up.   And with many of today’s couples working, it is clear some do not have time to be with their children unless on the weekends or on rare occasions. Young children from as few months old are increasingly being dropped at daycare centres and picked up in the evenings. Others are left at the hands of the nannies or house helps.   No longer do we see families at meals together with meals being eaten at separate times depending on the time individual family members’ gets home. That the family set-ups are slowly disintegrating and going the way of some in the Western nations is not in contention.

    There is this misconception that to be successful in life, one needs to begin big. Successful brand names minting millions in profits did not start big, however. Zipporah Njoki, also known as Nzijo, is an early twenties young woman who goes out of her way to get whatever she wants in life, as nothing comes on a silver platter. For many with no business acumen, Sh200, an equivalent of two US dollars, is not much in terms of seed capital to begin a sustainable business, but not for the young lady who hails from a tough background of Mai Mahiu in Nakuru County. The first of four siblings shares her story here.   " I went into employment shortly after my high school in December of 2017. I have been in and out of several jobs and have worked in a car wash, as a waitress in a hotel, a kitchen cleaner and as a cashier at a wines and spirits shop. However, I can say I began working while in high school. When I was in Form Two, my father was unable to pay for my sch...

Joseph Muchwe Karanja (pictured), is a mid-thirt i es man who had battled with the demon of alcohol abuse for over a decade but managed to free himself from its shackles in 2015, though with bruises that will serve as a reminder of his life’s dark phase. An advocate against alcohol and substance abuse, he narrates how his life was and the dramatic turn that changed him completely.   The year 2005 can be described as the year I descended deep into alcoholism. By then, I was in the National Youth College, Gilgil, and like other youths with me, I was looking forward to the passing out parade and graduate later that year after four years of rigorous training. That was not to be, for I received my dismal letter owing to indiscipline stemming from alcohol use . That meant four years wasted with nothing to show for same.