The political & security duality of Uhuru's good decision.

Copyright intellectual material owned by ;

Lokwang Ekitela Augustine, Capt (Rtd)
Project Coordinator- Conflict & Security Mapping at Danish Refugee Council / Dansk Flygtningehjælp

newint.org

"I saw the duality of your decision Mr. President, you hit at ODM coalition, you actually did weaken the opposition by appointing an ODM political supremo one Maj General Nkaisery into your government as a the CS Interior Ministry, I liked the way you minded the fact that Ole Lenku was a Maasai and so you replaced him with one of their own, you actually appealed the Maasai Nation to safeguard their votes for 2017, on the hand you did well by administering the soft surgery on top level security management of our country.

While Jubilee & ODM party/coalition politics would certainly be expected played over the appointment of the new Interior CS Maj General (Rtd) Nkaisery belonging to the ODM camp, let it be clear to every critic of the government decision that the few kind of Nkaisery are a rare crop the state needed to fix the security quagmire, certainly few will be seeing it best value for Kenyans' tax.

The dividends for this major & timely changes in the strategic leadership of the mentioned national security agencies is the shared, seamless & consultative strategic security thinking that would follow joint security operations opposed to what has been piece-meal rivaly ridden operations.

It's not to say the panacea to our security challenges is here with the appointments but the changes are an opportunity for better & systemic strategic realignment of the strategic part of security & it's tactical part of it, structurally meshing the strategic & tactical ends of security to for security operations to be informed by agile/flexible and interactive two ends.

With the changes here with us, I would reiterate the president's rhetoric that security remains a shared responsibility and as such, the new persons in the highest offices will require the public support and commitment to fix insecurity within our borders.

For General Nkaisery, this is one such times when the politics of parties became inconsequential to service to the people of Kenya, your years of service as a patriot in the Kenya Defense Forces both in active soldiery & as an assistant minister for defense made you seen and appointment beyond the prism of your political party perceptions.

You therefore have an enormous role and at the same time an opportunity to help Kenya and craft a legacy for yourself. Certainly you have all you need to do this!!

DISCLAIMER: These are my personal views and caution is highly advised on any referencing anticipated. The readers and other potential users of this opinion are advised to corroborate facts before use, no liability will be accepted for unfavourable decisions influenced by this opinion whatsoever."

Dogs, Mutts, Pure breeds (Part 2)

photo credit: http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/mutt.html

One thing we have overlooked in our country is dog farming. This does not mean that it does not happen on professional levels. 

These local breeds exhibit all traits found in pure breeds, from intelligence to agility and better immunity, save for the fact that they do not have a specific "look" that is associated with specific breeds ... they are quite colourful!!

I have seen many people "improve" the local breeds depending on the nature of work they are to perform.
For example, herding dogs rarely need a human overseer to protect and herd the cattle home. They are also rarely aggressive and will not bother with ANYTHING unless you make a move towards one of the flock...
Security dogs will appear lazy and snooze like cats until you trespass into the owner's territory.
They are also good tracking dogs; many stolen Kenyan shepherds are known to walk miles back home to their owners regardless of the territory.. making them very dependable tracking and guide dogs.
Their abilities are endless!!

As a pure breed dog breeder, it is very, very important that the standards that apply to that particular breed are maintained; with a slight exception to coats and colouring.
Bone structure, size, temperament, intelligence and general physical appearance are maintained to a strict replication. Dogs that don't meet these standards are not bred and that lineage is cut off.

This applies to all recognized "pure breeds". Rarely do breeders venture out to more that three breeds unless they are veterans.

As for dog farming, especially with the local mixed breeds, the one thing that is a non-factor is the appearance of the dog.
♥Intelligence, health, temperament and size are usually major factors but not to strict definitions. One strength can cover up for four weaknesses in that dog.

Now, don't get me wrong...

I do not mean to undervalue pure breeds; quite contrary. I see a gold mine in our local mixed breeds  

I mean to point out that these dogs are just as useful as the highly esteemed imported pure breeds.

This has many advantages; including-

♣ Curbing the sprouting puppy mills. People will stop breeding the same bitch consecutively till it gives in, just to maximize on the poor pure-bred female.

♣  Theft of dogs will be reduced significantly. Since pure-breeds are more expensive than our local mixed breeds, many are stolen and sold at throw-away prices or made into puppy factories.
♦This is further burdened by the fact that pedigree certificates can easily be forged, and an unsuspecting buyer can be conned of lots of money for a poorly bred litter♦

♣ I have noticed that in the low income areas, there is a HUGE need of security dogs, yet the local breeds roam about wild.
This potential can be tapped into, with the local shepherds being trained and the breeds improved further and the residents can access security and companion dogs at lower costs instead of relying on puppy mills or stolen dogs.
This will also deter the youth from stealing and mistreating the stolen pure breeds and they will focus on improving the gold mine they already have in their disposal.

In the meantime, I will see how they can be able to exhibit their dogs to the general public.

I have worked with the local breeds and they are VERY intelligent, trainable and to an extent, they will become innovative just to get the job done.
These dogs found owners who are so happy with their dogs that they think pure breeds are just over-rated!!!
Not to mention, the local breeds are affectionate and loyal to a fault!!!

♣ Since there is initiative to showcase mix-breed dogs as in the shaggy dog show, many local mixed breeds will get noticed and hopefully find new homes. This will also help ease the burden on the KSPCA as more of their rescued dogs will find loving homes and I am sure to a fault that the new owners will love them to bits. 

I will appreciate your two, three or fifty cents on dog rearing; especially pure-bred breeding and the local breed farming;

※ How it will improve the living standards of dogs and curb puppy mills and dubious breeders
※ How it will give our local mixed breeds a chance to have decent homes and healthcare
※ How the overall perception of dogs will change form being purely ornamental to parts and parcel of a functional society.

This is Serenity!!!

Related articles:
※ For my family and friends; From a crazy animal lover!!!
※  Puppy Health: Canine Distemper
※ Puppy Health: Canine Parvovirus
※ Fleas and pets: Mange
※ Is you dog dominant or just anxious? 
※ Puppy health: Rabies!! 

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call/text/whatsapp on +254725733412 for more information
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photo credit: http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/mutt.html

Dog breeding : Developing the purebreed (intro)

photo credit: http://www.choosing-a-dog-mad-.enges. 

Dog breeding mainly involves reproducing a specific breed from a recognized lineage based on the international standards that define that breed. Mixing of breeds is not acceptable at all. This applies to all domestic animals besides dogs.

Most "purebreds" we have today are a result of interbreeding, a good example being the ever-dependable German Shepherd dog ※※

Now, we look at a sprouting problem in our society... puppy milling!!!

This problem is rampant from first-world to third world nations.
I believe it is fueled by the fact that people are very willing to own "purebred" dogs without knowing why they need the dog in the first place... (for example, buying an estranged spouse a puppy because its a cute gift...).

This problem is fueled further by the many people who see an opportunity to exploit the dogs and breed them consistently without taking care to consider their welfare.

Back to my point..

Dog breeding is actually a branch of dog farming. This is because the breeder will put in effort to ensure that the subsequent progenies are of better quality, or ensuring that the "breed" standards are maintained. 

For example, when coming up with the German shepherd dog, Von Stephantz was looking for a dog that was strong and agile, intelligent with stable temperament, independent yet keen to follow instructions and the dog could be trusted to perform its duties with minimal supervision.

Now, no such dog existed; many different mix-breed dogs with such inherent qualities existed instead!!!

Some of them were bred directly from wolves... (intelligence and independence factor..).
Von Stephanitz just identified a dog that came close to his ideal shepherd dog, and improved the progenies (puppies) with other dogs that had the desired qualities and as the breed got better, he stuck to a specific number of lineages ... hence the German Shepherd dog.

This applies for other "pure breeds" like Boston terriers, bred to hunt mice and other vermin, the Komondor bred to blend in with the sheep they were herding through their long white coats, and independent enough not to need a human shepherd around, the Malamute bred to pull sledges of heavy loads through coordinated teamwork... and the tiny spitz and toy dogs, bred from recessive dwarfism genes that ensured they remained tiny forever but maintained their big personalities (many were bred from security dogs with strong territorial defensiveness)... 

The list is endless...

Now that we understand what dog breeding is basically about, we can then know why we would get a specific dog breed and for what purpose.

This is Serenity!!!

Related articles:

※ 25 Most Popular Dog Breeds and Their Health Issues (from WebMD)
※ Know your dog: German Shepherd Dog
※ Know your dog: The Golden Retriever
※ For my family and friends; From a crazy animal lover!!!
※ Puppy health: Rabies!!
※ Peace in Northern Kenya; Debating "Operation Kapedo", not for the fainthearted.

Stay updated by signing up for more posts or bookmarking us and visit our Facebook page .

Calll/text/whatsapp on +254725733412 for more information 

or just email mburu.njeri88@gmail.com for more information on vets, breeder, surgeon, medicine and vaccines, quotations or just to adopt a dog or cat...

When You Believe....

When you believe...

♥♥♥It is one thing to ask in faith; and another to receive in faith...

photo credit: http://xpectamiracle.blogspot.com/2013/10/miracles-happen-when-you-believe.html

I remember the first time I was entrusted with the family car; I was beside myself in joy and excitement!! I always wanted this day to dawn!! I had gone for my driving classes, got my licence.. now I had the chance to drive the pick-up truck without a "chaperone"!! 

Problem was, I had no clue if I could survive the trip without a fender-bender!!

I had asked for the chance.. and now I had the key in my hand. The only way to know if I would survive my crazy town was to get in the car and drive to town..

※※Which brings me to my point...

I will use myself as an example (as usual!!!)

Often times, I have asked God for a couple of stuff in faith. I totally believed in the One I was confiding in, His ability to grace me but I had one problem...
I would sit and anxiously wait for my answers.. as if to see if my "request" got through. 

Right now, I wonder what it is that made me so..

※ I was not sure that I actually deserved what I asked for..
※ I undermined my own needs and so I imagined that God also saw them as petty...
※ I wasn't sure I was asking for the right thing or was I being vain...??

... I still prayed for them and surprise surprise!! My prayers were answered!!
Not once, not twice... all my prayers were answered by what I asked for or something even better!!!

**Life is a journey and in this trip, I keep on stumbling into little unseen truths about myself. **

I just realized that while I asked, I never stretched my hands to receive; as if it's a shameful thing to receive.

But then, my relationship with myself was also complicated. I was a paradox.. I believed in myself but then again, I wasn't so sure...

It wasn't until I had faith in myself that I started seeing gifts for what they were; gifts!!
Not crutches!!
Not little reminders of what I lacked; simply something extra to make life more blissful!!
I had to open up and accept what I had received of late wasn't out of pity or charity but out of love..
and then it dawned on me that I needed to apply the same with God.

I would ask for healing but feel so ashamed that I was ill in the first place...
I asked for peace but was too ashamed that I had got myself in that "predicament" that consumed my peace...
So, how could I receive when my hands were balled into fists of agony??!!

♥ I had to let the hate go.. and love myself and allow it to flow....♥

It is one thing to ask, and another to receive...

You cannot receive when your hands are full or hidden. But then, you cannot wish away the fulfilled promise in front of your eyes..

The peek-a-boo game has had to end!!
I have decided that I will not anxiously hide my face then pop in to see if I have been blessed... I had the faith to ask.. I better have the faith to receive!!!

※Faith without action is dead..※

As long as I have asked, I will make my next step in accordance with my plans, for He has gone ahead of me and straightened my path.

I have no business remaining in the same spot out of fear... I better keep my end of the deal and REMAIN faithful, and keep on moving..

God is good enough to answer our prayers.. He was good enough to sit and listen in the first place!!

♥ Courage is the fear that has said its prayers- Anon  ♥

This is Serenity!!

****

※  Of relationship articles: Sow to reap...
※  Learn to let go..
※  Goals and Passions...
※ "If Today Was Your Last Day" - Nickelback
※ The normal man...
※ Learn to love yourself well: Self promotion is not self glorification.

****

Goals and Passions...

PASSION - strong and barely controllable emotion.

From Sir Richard Branson to our own Suzie Wokabi.. the message is clear; if we work with passion we will excel and go far. 

But this being reality; rarely do we end up in careers or situations where our passions are, so we just apply diligence to get through...

In life, nothing is set in stone though. I have seen people literally turn their lives around by "taking risks" and "taking leaps of faith"...

What we do not realise is that these people have had a passion for whatever it was they jumped into; and set a goal on getting there...

SETTING GOALS...

Setting goals can literally turn your life around!!!
This is because; when you set a goal, you literally program your psyche into achieving it.
♦Whether you achieve it or not is usually not a factor; How to get there is the main focus and in the effort to "get there" they discover endless opportunities they would have otherwise missed..

I read Suzie's story; she loved make-up but had a degree in a totally unrelated field. She however got a chance to join her sister in New York and intentionally ended up working in various fashion businesses out of curiosity. It is there that she found her footing and settled on make-up, worked on finding the right products for her skin; then the African woman's skin and now... she runs a beauty empire with her husband..

This story is very similar to other "we-made-it" stories; set a goal according to your passion and the journey will start from there. Suzie's journey has led her to management, marketing, networking, events... name it.
She has been thrust into different pools where her strengths have come in handy yet it all started in one spot; Her passion.

I do not encourage wanton behaviour though; just don't wake up, quit your job and "follow your dream,,,,,"

....USE YOUR HEAD....

Look at where you are now; what resources you have and how they can help you achieve your goals. Like I said, its a JOURNEY!!

Look at how your current job has equipped you; financially or otherwise.

How many people have you met that can help you in your journey? For example, have you spoken to your boss and asked how s/he manages to balance work and family? (Do you even have a relationship with your boss??)

How many new skills have you developed, and which bad habits have you had to drop?

※In my quest to achieve my goals; I had lots of bad habits to drop.
On one occasion I painfully regretted NOT USING MY HEAD.... learned my lesson. big time!!!

I also learned to drop my pride and raise my standards; sometimes criticism was the best counsel I got; and what I thought was good advice landed me in pools of hot water!!!

The biggest lesson of all was to realize who was useful in my life and who was important.

♠Whoever made you feel used is quite useful in your life.. you learned a skill, and if they made good use of you, you can also make good use of them too...

♥Whoever made time to appreciate you and hold you is important in your life... That is a person you can genuinely reconnect with and share your joys and triumphs and celebrate with. These are the people you can call your family even though they may not be related to you..

♣Never let important people go..

♣Never erase the useful people from your phone book either...

♣Never let anyone but you take initiative for your goals; but all help is welcome. Just don't wait for someone to get things going.

♣Never look down on anyone through out your journey; those you think incapable of anything may be the ones to get you out of a hole...

※Each day is a gift and tomorrow is never assured. Use today wisely. ※

This is Serenity!!

****
※ Of Actions and Reactions.
※ "If Today Was Your Last Day" - Nickelback
※ Learn to let go..
※ Of relationship articles: Sow to reap...
※ Self appreciation; The journey towards self reconstruction
※ Love and faith...
***

GLYCERIN FOR SKIN CARE...

WHAT IS GLYCERIN?

Glycerin (aka glycerol) is a simple polyol (sugar alcohol) compound.
Glycerin is soluble in water and highly hygroscopic (has the ability of a substance to attract and hold water molecules from the surrounding environment).
It is considered non-toxic.

DID YOU KNOW...
That glycerin has a comedogenic value of 0, meaning it does not clog skin pores AT ALL!!
This means it can be safely used on oily skin.

♦It shares this quality with Shea butter, whose value is also rated at 0.♦

This is why almost all moisturizing products have glycerin as an ingredient - superb moisture without clogging.
And it is superbly cheap too;

Glycerin is widely used in cosmetic industry for skin care, facial care, hair care, massage and relaxation and so much more..

Benefits...

♥ Glycerin soap; This kind of soap is used by people with sensitive, easily irritated skin because it prevents skin dryness with its moisturizing properties. It draws moisture up through skin layers and slows or prevents excessive drying and evaporation.

♥ Humectant: as mentioned, glycerin in highly hygroscopic which means that it can draw water from the air into the skin. This minimizes water loss due to evaporation in oily skin, and keeps it hydrated and nourished.
Humectants in glycerin help to retain water in the skin.

※ The major drawback of any humectant (including glycerin) when used in pure form is that they can increase water loss by attracting water from the lower layers of skin into the surface layers of skin where the water can easily be lost into the environment.
That doesn’t help any skin type. For this reason, glycerin and humectants in general are always combined with other ingredients to soften skin. ※

♥ Anti aging aid:--
Glycerin plays a vital role in cell maturation, and in renewal of skin cells, thus youthful skin for longer.
Cell maturation: Unknowing to you, everyday your skin cells (keratinocytes) are dying and these dead cells are shed off as dead skin. There is a fraction of skin cells, known as skin stem cells, which will grow and divide to replace the dying cells. So, there is a constant renewal of cells at the skin surface.

♥ Improves the Skin Structure:
This can improve and protect oily skin by filling up the intercellular matrix. This is useful to build an even skin structure.
※There is also research indicating that the presence of glycerin in the intercellular layer helps other skin lipids do their jobs better.

Its humectant and hygroscopic properties make this a great beauty care ingredient for oily skin. Glycerin holds that perfect amount of moisture required to hydrate oily skin without imparting any greasiness.

This is good for keeping your skin soft and free of wrinkles. The cracks of the skin are filled in by this liquid.

This also helps to create a barrier with external factors that can harm the skin and prevents moisture loss.

♥ Skin toning;  This is an agent for bringing in lighter tone for your skin.

It gives protection from tanning. You
can remove oil and dirt from the pores of your skin by using this product. You will soon find your skin tone is much lighter and you look fairer.

You can get creative;

♠ A cream of raw shea butter and glycerin will work wonders for sensitive, dry skin.
♠ You can mix glycerin, castor oil and shea butter to get a healing creamy balm.
♠ You can add glycerin to your shower gel or rinse for an extra pump in skin care.

Stay beautiful;
This is Serenity.

Related articles:

※ SCARS, STRETCH MARKS, INJURY AND OILS...
※ WHY I LOVE MY SHEA BUTTER AND CASTOR OIL WHIPPED CREAM...
※ Raw shea butter: benefits
※ Oils that penetrate the Hair Shaft....
※ Biotin: The B-Vitamin for healthy nails, youthful skin and great hair
※ Damaged hair and excessive shedding? Try a HOT OIL TREATMENT

Stay updated by signing up for more posts or bookmarking us and visit our Facebook page .

Also, make sure to visit our website where you can get a wide range of items at very reasonable prices, plus minimal hassle (or just browse through if you feel like window shopping!!)

call/text/whatsapp on +254725733412 for more information. or just email mburu.njeri88@gmail.com for more information on these products and more..

sources:

International Journal of Cosmetic Science , October 2014,pages 412–418;
American Journal of Contact Dermatitis , September 2000, pages 165–169;
Acta Dermato-Venereologica , November 1999, pages 418–421).
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/amazing-benefits-of-glycerin-for-oily-skin/
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol

Peace in Northern Kenya; Debating "Operation Kapedo", not for the fainthearted.

Copyright intellectual material owned by ;

Lokwang Ekitela Augustine, Capt (Rtd)
Project Coordinator- Conflict & Security Mapping at Danish Refugee Council / Dansk Flygtningehjælp

This debate operation Kapedo & the captivating remarks - "......this is the time for the government to recharge its batteries of deterence, this is operation bring back the guns, bring back ammunitions, bring back the uniforms, arrest the killers, etc."

Healthy, candid, but damn heated debate it was indeed, a summary of the key points/arguments from
Hon James Lomenen (MP Turkana South);
Hon Asman Kamama (Chair National Assembly Committee on Security & MP Tiaty),
Grace kipchoim (MP Baringo South)
facilitated by Citizen TV crew.

Below is a summary of the raw key points discussed by the legislators on the armed conflict in pastoral communities of Northern Kenya:

a) "Operation Kapedo" by the Kenya Defence Forces argued to be generally enjoying the popular support & approval across Northern & the rest of Kenya.

b) Kapedo was the epicentre of banditry hence the point the operations started, the disarmament is welcomed to further pan out to its peripherals.

c) Political propaganda & the ICC rhetoric not expected to stop "Operation Kapedo", those are but side shows.

d) Manifest conflict of interest.

e) Disarm to continue, the Pokot & Turkana leaders to work to follow the path of development, and depart from the path of armed conflict (Insecurity).

f) Devolve KDF to occupy strategic locations in Northern Kenya, to cover the hotspot areas.

g) Put more security to Turkana, anticipate the benefits of the resources like oil etc.

h) The state is exercising its rights (injured by the bandits), it came a time when the state's rights have had to overuse the individual's rights, provided
as the exceptions in the enjoyment of the constitutional of liberties.
※Side note; ( I want to believe by state he meant the Kenyan citizens in the affected areas within the Kenyan territory)

i) Modernize & not necessarily reform the police.

※※※
It was good work from all the representative political debaters, although I thought emotions/temperatures seemed to rise a little after a little, though Turkana, Baringo representatives overwhelmed Pokot by their convincing perspectives.
The way forward from Hon Asman Kamama who suggested of the urgent need for Turkana, Baringo, and Pokot to depart from the retarding armed conflict towards the path of peace for development was a promising future of a secure Northern Kenya.

Something for Kenyans, by a Kenyan!!

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Also, make sure to visit our website where you can get a wide range of items at very reasonable prices, plus minimal hassle (or just browse through if you feel like window shopping!!)

call/text/whatsapp on +254725733412 for more information
or just email mburu.njeri88@gmail.com for more information.