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  • The Woman King

     

    By Nkatha Wainaina

    (nkathawainaina@gmail.com)

    Are you tired of seeing male dominated fights and unrealistic women fighters? Are you tired of seeing fights with guns as the protagonist dodges them like it’s nothing? Are you tired of Africa being painted in a weak and desperate picture? This movie is a change of pace.

    A friend recommended this to me and I hesitated until I finally gave in. I would like to officially apologize to her. Gigi, this was worth it!

    The Woman King is an action drama, directed by Gina  Prince-Bythewood. She has also directed Beyond the Lights and The Old Guard.

    In the 1800s, a group of all-female warriors protects the African kingdom of Dahomey with skills and fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. The women warriors live secluded in the kingdom, where men are not allowed to enter. The women are comprised of captured women from enemies they conquered, run-aways and insolent women who refused to be married off to significantly older men, who abuse them before officially getting married. They take an oath of celibacy and not getting children.

    Faced with a new threat, Gen. Nanisca trains the next generation of recruits to fight against a foreign enemy that’s determined to destroy their way of life a.k.a white people. The tests are excruciating and hard but it gets the work done. Naniska is forced to deal with her past and the results of that past, and still rises to become The Woman King. I have tried not to butcher the summary, as well as not give too much detail that would ruin the experience of watching it.

    Though a fine choice of actors, perhaps next time they should try an all Africans cast instead of Americans in fake accents? How Africa is portrayed in Hollywood is slowly changing. We have been seen as a war ridden continent, where terrorists go to hide for five minutes of the film before they are brought back, or people who constantly need water, churches and hospitals and the main character’s love interest has to leave him for a while to go do good will.

    The movie focuses on women. African women. Their strength. Their might. Their resilience. At the end you start to think women are cut from a different cloth. Do not get me wrong. I am not using this as a front to spearhead toxic feminism. I am using this article to remind women that they don’t just belong in the kitchen. I don’t mean go to war, but if they did, wars would end in three weeks. Through all this, they show that women still cry. They are emotional beings and that drives them to make risky but fruit bearing decisions. How working together could lead to great heights and generally supporting each other But standing out undeniably, is how beautiful Africans are!

    It was brilliantly written and artistically brought to life. The cast consisting of Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega and Sheila Atom could not have done a better job! The investment of the audience, the twists, the raw and bare way of entertaining and still having a valuable lesson at the end. You don’t see that too often nowadays.

    Incase you missed where I stand on this cinematic masterpiece, I a hundred percent recommend it.

  • Don’t Worry Darling

     

    By Nkatha Wainaina

    (nkathawainaina@gmail.com)

    Don’t Worry Darling is a two hour long mystery thriller, directed by Olivia Wilde.

    Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack ( Harry Styles), live in a idealized community of Victory in the 1950s. It’s an experimental company town that houses the men who work at a top secret project. Their wives stay home, cook for them, clean, go shopping and wait for them to come home. The husbands work hard at the job they are not allowed to speak about, while their wives enjoy the luxury and beauty of their seemingly perfect lives.

    After witnessing a plane crash, Alice starts to see things. She starts noticing a few things are not right in the neighborhood. She slowly starts questioning what she’s doing in Victory. She traces all the problems back to Frank, played by Chris Pine, the founder of the project. She tries telling people including her husband of her suspicions but they all tell her she’s crazy. She’s taken through a procedure that makes her forget all her suspicions.

    Eventually she ends up remembering everything. Her husband lost his job and he was having trouble getting back on his feet. She worked as a surgeon and had to take up more shifts to keep them afloat. Seeing how miserable his life and that of his wife had become, and she not having time for him, he opted to sign up for a project he had seen online.

    I had major problems with this movie, especially around the storyline. It was a fine storyline. I must admit I did not see that twist coming. But the plot holes were too massive to ignore. This project was a simulation that took place in their bedroom. Did no one never try to come into the house? Not even the landlord? Alice was a surgeon, did no one notice she was missing? What was the project they were working on? Was Frank’s wife in on it as well? Other than the general outline, the movie did not give any satisfactory answer or ending.

    With all these, my attention was directed towards the husband. He completely altered his life and his wife’s, for her to be comfortable. For her to stop working and stop worrying. Or he completely stopped her life so that she could be completely his and have time for him. Is that romantic or controlling?

    The actors were alright. Harry Styles was either very consumed in his role or completely disinterested. Which ever one it was, it worked in his favour. Other than his accent that changed whenever he spoke, he did a good job. Florence arguably carries the whole film on her own, with a few other characters doing a great job with the five minutes of screen time they get.

    I would recommend this movie only for the different perspective it brings out: do you think Jack’s actions are justified or completely selfish?. The description of the movie is well placed. It maintained the mystery well up to the end. It doesn’t drag on for a long time and relatively enjoyable if you see past the glaring gaps.

  • Black Adam

     

    By Nkatha Wainaina

    (nkathawainaina@gmail.com)

    Before I begin, I have in the past, made clear where my loyalties lie. This has in no way affected my objectivity in giving an unbiased and honest opinion on DC productions. With that out of the way, I present Black Adam.

    Black Adam is an action, adventure movie, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who is known for directing a couple of horror films.

    The movie is set in the country of Kahndaq, which has been taken over by ‘bad people’. In ancient Kahndaq, Teth Adam was bestowed the almighty powers of the gods. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned, becoming Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years have passed, when Black Adam was awakened by the words Shazam! He helps fight the ‘bad people’ by killing them . This attracts the attention of the Justice Society: Hawkman, a slightly annoying man in a hawk costume, Dr. Fate whose importance I may have missed, Atom smasher, he grows big and is always snacking and Cyclone, she…twirls with colours?

    The Justice Society is determined to subdue Black Adam when it is evident they cannot. They are forced to work together, alongside a woman and her son, who in retrospect, caused all the chaos, to fight a man wearing a demon infested crown.

    For a production that has been in the works since 2008, I expected a lot more. From the one dimensional actors who form no connection with the audience, to the anti-climatic final fight scene. Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t think Dwayne Johnson was the best fit for this role. Do not get me wrong, he’s a good actor. He wouldn’t be the highest paid actor in the world if he wasn’t. This role however, wasted him. They emphasized so much on how Black Adam isn’t a hero, yet never put him in a situation that showed how truly brutal he could be. The tension between him and Hawkman could be described as the feeling you get when a fly won’t stop hovering around you.

    I did not enjoy this movie. I kept waiting for a pivotal moment that would change the course of this movie. It was lazily written as they kept looking for an easy way out. They were afraid of exploring potential storylines that would have made this movie so much easier to sit through. They movie might be paving way for an exciting future for DC but for a stand alone film, it’s not quite there. On the bright side, you don’t have to watch anything before it to understand what is going on.

    But hey, that’s just my opinion.

  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

     

    By Nkatha Wainaina

    (nkathawainaina@gmail.com)

    I was very excited for this movie, but also equally worried. Worried of the emotions it would bring (I am a very emotional person. Even to movies). I was worried about how they would play out Chadwick Boseman’s (The Black Panther) death. I was worried they would not live up to the ridiculously high standards set by the first movie. Two hours and forty minutes later, I can sit here with credence, and tell you my dear reader, it was amazing!

    Wakanda Forever is the second movie in the Black Panther series and a part of a larger franchise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It is written and directed by Ryan Coogler, who also directed the first movie, produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore. This lot is deserving of a great deal of credit. In Coogler’s words, the show had to be ‘reshaped’ after the death of Chadwick. I have mentioned his death a few times so far. It’s needless to say the movie revolved around it as well. For the fragile hearts, get your box of tissues ready. This is going to be an emotional journey.

    After the death of King T’Challa, his mother, Queen Ramoda takes over as head of state. American and European governments are in search of Vibranium, as the Wakandans are very protective of their supply. With the help of a genius teenage girl, Ironheart, they find Vibranium deep in uncharted parts of the sea, consequently angering Namor, kind of a god of the sea. Namor tells Shuri and the Queen to bring him the girl that made the device or he would wage war on the entire world.

    Shuri struggles dealing with her brother’s death. After Namor kills her mother, she is tipped off the edge. She’s consumed by rage and vengeance as she becomes the new Black Panther. We watch her embrace the pain and rise above it, as well as defend her country.

    I may have made this sound like a tear jerking, heart throbbing movie, and it is, but what I love about Marvel, nothing is ever too serious. There were light moments. Happy moments. Impeccable writing that makes you forget the silent intro at the beginning. And finally giving a notable villain.

    The actors were simply phenomenal! Leticia Wright was a brilliant lead, whose pain was tangible. Angela Bassett gave an earth shattering performance. Danai Gurira (Okoye), Winston Duke as M’baku, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyong’o, all collectively played an important role in making this movie the best way to end the year.

    Hype aside, watch this masterpiece. There are a few pleasant surprises here and there. But my advice would be to expect nothing to not get disappointed.

  • GMO

    (Photo courtesy The Standard)

    By Hilda Kavai
    (hildahnkavai@gmail.com)

    President William Ruto lifted a 10-year ban on Genetically Modified (GM) crops on October 4, 2022, allowing their importation into the country.

    As expected, the move has elicited mixed reactions from a variety of sources. Opponents of genetically modified foods have stated that President Ruto acted too quickly and that a task force should have been formed first to conduct public participation and awareness creation before implementation.

    As Kenya prepares to commercialize genetically modified crops, some farmers and advocacy groups are raising concerns about their safety.

    The fact that many Kenyan farmers will begin using genetically modified (GM) maize seeds early next year, following the government’s recent lifting of a 10-year ban on the crops.

    According to the country’s agricultural authority, the seeds will be planted on half a million acres and will be drought resistant, helping to alleviate shortages caused by a lack of rain.

    Kenya is currently facing a severe water shortage as a result of four failed consecutive rainy seasons, as well as one of the worst droughts in the East African region in four decades. This means that crops cannot grow, prompting warnings of impending famine. They claim that the lifting of the GMO ban was motivated by a genuine need to ensure food security and environmental protection.

    Kenyan farmers can now openly cultivate GM crops and import genetically modified foods and animal feeds, such as white GMO maize, now that the ban has been lifted. Maize is Kenya’s staple food, and it is grown on 90% of all Kenyan farms. It is used to make ugali, or maize meal, the country’s most popular dish.

    According to scientists, the GMO maize variety developed in Kenya has a 40 percent yield advantage over the conventional hybrid grown locally.
    Agriculture employs 80% of Kenya’s rural population and is the backbone of the country’s economy. Kenyan farmers rely on their crops not only for a living but also to feed their families.

    There are also concerns that farmers who begin using GMOs will become overly reliant on the companies that sell genetically modified seeds, allowing them to dominate the market at the expense of ordinary Kenyan farmers.
    Kenya is the continent’s eighth country to approve the use of GMOs. They are currently permitted for cultivation in 70 countries worldwide.

    According to a state agency in charge of general supervision and control over the transfer, handling, and use of GMOs, the maize varieties have undergone clinical trials and have passed safety assessments.

     

  • The Flow Of The Digital World

    (Photo courtesy of WNS)

     

    By Caren Chelangat

    New media has changed the face of journalism and the world at large. The internet has virtually revolutionized the process of news and information gathering dissemination. Conventional journalism which is the mainstream professional of journalism requires one form of training or the other .

    The internet has removed the barriers of space and time on human interactions this makes information be obtained at relatively low cost yet the major challenge still remains to be of ethics, professionalism and training .

    Rapid technological development in information technology has introduced new topics within the area of a copyright. A digital file that contains a copyright can easily be distributed worldwide as copies which reduces the copyright holder’s from royalties.

    The energy growing digital world affects every aspects of our lives .A growing number digital communication platform such as social media , blogs and websites are quickly and easily accessible which makes us dependent on them in business, education, personal lives and other areas.

    Local media now compete at global level and domestic consumers have access to international content and services Convergence is changing establishment investment patterns as well as competition in and the structure of media patterns edit distribution is no longer tied to one specific network , which increases the availability of these services and products.

    Ugandan newspapers use social media in their daily work , through an analysis of three Ugandan newspapers, the article discusses how social media affect conventional sourcing practices, reportage and professional norms .This article is particularly interested in how Facebook and Twitter serve as alternative channels through which sources with less access of traditional  means of communication get their message across to journalists. The findings are discussed in light of present development of social media legislation in Uganda. The discussion feel into a larger reflection of social media’s  potential.

  • ARE MASS GRADUATION PARTIES THE WAY TO GO?

    (Photo courtesy of Juliung Julius)

     

    By Wambui Mwaura

     

    Graduation is a special life event that many people look forward to. It is understandable that after the hustling and bustling of campus life; burning the midnight candles, hopping between classes and generally going through the vigor of higher education academic life, that one would want to celebrate the culmination of the academic journey. A highly acclaimed diploma is thus the ultimate prize, and worthy of celebration. It is a joyful time in the lives of students, and they look forward to celebrating it with family, friends and well-wishers. Graduation spells a sigh of relief, and marks an end to the constant financial outlay f壯陽藥
    ees entails. This is true for parents and guardians or even students who pay their own fees. For the fact that it is a one-off affair, many parents and guardians feel it is warranted to splash huge sums of money on parties in celebrating their children during this time, which represents a huge milestone in their lives.

     

    While some are able to go out of their way to cater for this event, the reality is that not everyone is able to afford extravagant parties. These expenditures usually include: exclusive red carpet dinner parties, photography, new clothing, transport for their extended families and community members among many others. Just like any other big occasion, marketers, event planners and service providers are the biggest gainers. This is why they would never relent in pushing these big ostentatious party narratives to students, thereby creating a kind of situation where students are in fear of missing out.  It usually leaves the less privileged students with feelings of inadequacy and pressure for not being able to keep up with the Jones, and even causing some to fall into depression.

     

    In Daystar graduation groups for example, these planners, in the guise of student/entrepreneurs, step up to offer their services to fellow students for things like graduation dinner gowns, make-up services, graduation photo services and many others.  “As a graduate of the class of 2022, I [had] a chance to market the products of a business I started in 2020 to my fellow graduating students, and I am so glad to say that my business income has grown by 10%”, says Mercy Kasalu, the CEO of Mercelina Collections, and a Daystar University 2022 graduating student (Public Relations Major). She, like many others, benefitted from the fear of missing out this occasion created among her peers.

     

    The current economic crisis facing Kenya is something that can no longer be ignored, and households are tightening their belts, spending the scarce money meagerly on only essential commodities in order to meet basic needs. Needless to say that some families haven’t the wherewithal to cater for special occasions like big graduation parties. It is no secret that many students are facing the brunt of these harsh economic times, and coming up with the graduation fees alone proves to be a huge challenge for them to talk more of extravagant parties. This makes me wonder; are mass graduation parties something worth considering?

     

    Part of the concept of mass weddings is to enable financially constrained couples to celebrate their love at a low budget. For others, it’s just about being financially prudent and not wanting to spend huge sums of money on a day’s event. The same concept can also be applied to students who are not in a position to splash huge sums of money for the graduation occasion. Maybe mass graduation parties should be something worth considering by event planners and service providers in the spirit of inclusivity. Ultimately, everyone deserves to have a memorable graduation celebration, and it should not be dependent on how deep one’s pocket is.

     

    The proponents who are for big parties and huge celebrations might not agree with this. Some of them would argue that they saved for years in order to make it a memorable day to celebrate themselves, for a huge milestone in their lives. That is also true, because no one gets to set a standard of how anyone should celebrate their big day. The parting point is that everyone should feel celebrated, and no one should have to endure the feeling of inadequacy because of financial constraints. Mass graduation parties might indeed be the answer, and probably the next frontier for school party planning. This should be a call to duty for event organizers to take this up as a new business venture. Over to you event organizers.

     

     

     

  • THE MOON

    (Photo courtesy of Royal Museums Greenwich)

     

    By Caren Chelangat

    The moon began with an explosive collision, it was made when a rocked smashed on earth.

    It is 4.5 billion years old. The moon can be delivered from the word ‘mona’which shares terms with the Latin word  ‘Metri’ which means to measure .

    It is called the moon because it is used to measure months. The moon gets it light from the sun and that is why it appears brighter.

    Humans cannot live in the moon since it has no atmosphere and there is no air for us to breathe in .

    It is a myth that the moon affects your mood since there has been no evidence of any effect of the moon on human behavior.

    If the moon is destroyed , there will be a much darker night sky which will be an advantage to astrologers and the sky will be comparatively brighter.

    The moon rotates at its orbital motion , a special case called synchronous rotation hence does not rotate.

    Without the moon , there would have been no life in earth, four billion years ago when life began ,the moon orbited closer to us than it was causing massive tides to ebb and flow every few hours . These tides cause dramatic fluctuations which could have driven the evolution of early DNA like binomolecules according to Richard Lathe .

    The moon seems mysterious and it always come in different phases each and every night and that is beautiful since it seems like it is trying to reach out to the universe that different is key and not that bad after all, through whatever phase it keeps glowing and that is beautiful.

  • OUR WORLD OF TODAY

    (Photo courtesy of The SlideTeam Blog)

     

    By Caren Chelangat

    Our world is changing through technology and the years to come ,like the new advancement that has come up in our generation, it is okay to say that our children will do jobs that do not exist yet .And for those who are already employed ; many will evolve, many will be obsolete and new jobs will emerge .So when we think about essential skills required for workplaces we are also to look at the job that are yet to come as well.

    We all need to be comfortable with working with digital tools since in this brave new digital world, essential skills are important as well as the soft skills  , which are things that machines can’t do generally.
    Digital literacy are the digital skills that are required to learn , work and navigate everyday life in our digital world .This involves using devices,  applications, collaborating via digital tools and handling data in an appropriate way , in today’s world those skills are required to be employed at any given organization.

    Organizations of all kinds will want to employ data- literate individuals.  Business wise, data literacy means being able to access appropriate data, work with data confidently and keeping it up to date .For one to be able to work , one should be able to handle data in the modern way .

    In this era of fake news , social media bubbles out information .One of the most vital soft skill required in our today is critical thinking which is the ability to think objectively through analysing issues and situations based on facts rather than personal opinion. To succeed here , one should work with facts to learn the correct and required information needed.

    Not forgetting the technical skills which are the hard skills .An example is accounting, an accountant requires accountancy skills , teachers , nurses , plumber , software developers  are other examples of occupations that require technical skills. Whatever the technical skills required in your field , invest in keeping those skills to date.

    The world of today requires us to think and act faster than never . It is so fast-paced now and we have much more information than ever before making us prone to information overload which complicates our ability to make good decisions. That is why it is important to invest in our decision making skills. To make it in this planet all the are some of the few essential skills we require and many more that exist . We should ensure we have most of all these skills if not all of them.

  • BREAKFAST BURRITO RECIPE.

    (Photo courtesy of  Jennifer Segal)

     

    By Caren Chelangat

     

    Make a nutritious cocoon for breakfast ingredients with a wholemeal wrap. We’ve included protein-rich eggs and avocado to add good fats to this burrito.

     

    Ingredients

     

    1 tsp chipotle paste

     

    1 egg

     

    1 tsp rapeseed oil

     

    50g kale

     

    7 cherry tomatoes, halved

     

    ½ small avocado, sliced

     

     

    1 wholemeal tortilla wrap, warmed

     

     

    Method

     

    STEP 1

     

    Whisk the chipotle paste with the egg and some seasoning in a jug. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the kale and tomatoes.

     

    STEP 2

     

    Cook until the kale is wilted and the tomatoes have softened, then push everything to the side of the pan. Pour the beaten egg into the cleared half of the pan and scramble. Layer everything into the centre of your wrap, topping with the

     

    avocado, then wrap up and eat immediately.