Mboco For Christmas

The short rains have been punctual this time round. They're finally here and from the looks of it, mostly fall during the night. I've heard a few theories like "Wangari Maathai's spirit is watching over us" and "The universe is weeping over Maathai's death". I don't take kindly to superstitious beliefs and it's sad that people found time to make jokes about one of Kenya's late heroines.

There's been a lot of speculation of how food prices and costs of electricity will now fall coz it's raining....pffft! Short rains definitely increase water supply to the relevant production factors, but that doesn't means that it will have an immediate effect. Beans for example, can take 85 - 90 days before harvest. That's essentially from now until Christmas week. Mboco for Christmas anyone?? If rain be the sole influence on food prices, then earliest price decrease should be expected in Mid Jan through Feb. This isn't to say farmers out there shouldn't plant like crazy. Planting maize now, for example, will increase its supply by Feb thereby decreasing one of the input costs for millers. That means Ugali will be more affordable then...if the millers behave themselves.

 Ugali avec kachumbari et fried goat

(Sourced from Google)

DO NOT, if anything, rely solely on weather forecasts. Our meteorologists have a tendency of making vital information available a tad bit late. I'm yet to confirm whether our National Disaster Operations Centre still exists as they've been a bit silent....a bit! October 2011 saw Turkana face floods and immediate reactions by various ministries to "save" them - a task that cost millions. The same happened last month in Western Kenya and parts of Nakuru. Had measures been taken during these periods to use the flood to our advantage by creating a dam to store the water and irrigate land, we'd be facing lower food prices by Dec....thus amplifying our holiday experience.

As for electricity, whatever increase there is in water supply is probably being channeled to areas with shortage and other areas of expansion. Unfortunately, what they said about electricity being cheaper next year June seems more of a reality right now....if this be the only contributor you're considering. It's an unfortunate cycle we've been following for years. Food prices increase during non-rain seasons then decrease around Jan, but never returning to the original  price. Making demands for immediate reduction of costs solely based on these short rains will be unfruitful. You'll end up eating Mboco for Christmas.

NB: Mboco is pronounced Mbo-sho. English name is runner beans

Cheating On Kenya

The most basic of human needs are food and shelter (clothes are debatable). From the time we were born, food became crucial for our survival and it shall remain so until our last breath. On average, a venture into food production or supply will gain one an income able to support their lifestyle. Shelter is a whole other story. Some of us are IDPs in our own homes and yearn the freedom associated with owning a house or a piece of land.
Sad to say, setting aside part of your salary to purchase land in Kenya might be in vain. A quick look at the current market value of land in, lets say, Kiambu reveals that land value has shot up four-fold in the last 3 years....and is still rising. In 2008, a sum of Kshs.5M would have acquired you 1 acre NEXT TO THE ROAD!! Right now, a minimum of Kshs.21M is required just to get the seller interested. As we move closer to CBD, the land prices get exponentially higher (translated: really f***ed up). But who says we should limit ourselves to Kenya??


SOUTH AMERICA:

I'm talking about Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, etc. Land here is quite cheap compared to Kenya, and ranges from $4000 to $54000, the former being for 2+ acres of farmland in Argentina and the latter for a beach front in Ecuador. That's Kshs.400,000 for 2 acres of arable land on which you can grow sugarcane, soya, sorghum or whatever the climate sees fit...mostly grapes in Argentina. On top of earning foreign currency as a side job, you can build a house for vacation purposes. A few things are as relieving as going on holiday, say beach front house in Ecuador or vineyard in Argentina, with accommodation expenses fully covered. Many a country in South America has been hit by over 500% inflation and the currency value fluctuation might raise a few eyebrows. Couple that with trust issues people have, and you have yourself every reason not to go there. Like every other exchange, know the right people and you'd be surprised the size of land you can get.

OCEANIA:
New Zealand, Philippines, Fiji. Hawaii, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, etc. Oceania has some of the most beautiful islands on planet earth. In Makati City, Philippines, there's an ongoing construction that could see you own a condo for $60000 i.e. Kshs.6M. The best part: 0% down payment. You pay 40% during the construction and the remainder 60% upon delivery of the condo.....NOWHERE in Kenya can you find such an offer. And if you do find one, it's more and more of a suspicious transaction.And why should you trust this construction in Philippines?? Coz they're the ones who built the Niagara Tower and Sutherland Tower...to name a few.

Niagara Tower

 Sutherland Tower (New Zealand)

 Land ownership is in most instances much cheaper outside Kenya. Google a few places and place that call. You'd be surprised at how relatively easier it is to own one.

All that power

"No one man should have all that power" - Kanye West

I was reminded of this song earlier today when I woke up to the news of yet another increase in the cost of electricity in Kenya. It has gone up to Kshs 8 per unit and reasons given are basically the weakening of the shilling which has driven petroleum costs up and the drought that saw shortage in electricity supply. I've b****ed about a lot of stuff, but this move by the power regulators will certainly take the cake. Why?

Electricity forms part of the basic basket for not only households but manufacturers. Unlike sugar and flour, this kind of increase affects ALL commodities. A rise in input costs certainly translates to an equal if not higher increase in that of the output...in Kenya anyway. All costs will be passed onto the consumers, as explicitly announced by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers last week. Which means that your current household budget -after weeks of adjusting- is STILL inadequate.

Due to over-reliance on hydroelectricity and diesel run generators, the energy sector is now looking into investing in wind, thermal and nuclear energy to meet consumer demand. What I don't understand is why they're not considering solar power...and why the hell nuclear energy is even on the list. Kenya lies along the equator hence receives sunlight for the most of the year. Solar panels are therefore our best fit. Greece manufactures them in the thousands of products. Given their current crisis, I'd say we have more bargaining power and could buy from them at a cheaper price. The EU is currently being wooed into investing in Greece's energy sector since it faces over 300 days of sunlight in a year...yet they ain't even along the equator like us!!

Fellow Kenyans, let us invest in solar panels now and take some weight off Kenya Power's shoulder.God knows we can't stand inefficiency coupled with increased charges.