Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
FLY BAIT
I am always amazed by what I learn from noisy pubs and eateries. Unlike those up-market establishments where you have to cover your mouth just to burp then wear this apologetic face, it is all systems go in these places. You can burp from whatever orifice you wish and no one will notice.
In these places you will meet all the loudmouths who are more than willing to demonstrate to you that lighting a candle will banish those pesky flies from your table as long as they know that the candle is on the house. Only problem is the flies will only take a hike when you wave your hand or blow out the candle in exasperation then moments later they land again with a vengeance!
I was therefore skeptical when the waiter calmly came to our table, wiped it clean then sprinkled some pellets at one corner of the table. He then poured some water on the pellets and walked off to his business!
When I protested he turned and lamented that some people are just dumb and can't know when someone is trying to help them. I told him he was just stupid and what does he know, at which point he wiggled his bottle opener at me and told me to shut up!
Soon flies started landing on the pellets in droves and I was preparing to shout an insult at him when strange things started happening. One by one the flies started dancing on the table!
What kind of spirits had this crazy waiter summoned on our table! I put on my spectacles and squinted hard at the flies. In johny's name, what the hell... one by one the flies started falling on their backs!
This was too much. I called for the satchet and quickly read AGITA FLY BAIT from Norvatis active ingredient- Thiomethoxam 1%. Well, knock my head.
I poked one of the flies with a toothpick and it was dead. Dead as a dodo and the rest of the gang were still dancing and dropping fast. Soon the whole floor and tables were covered with dead flies and the cocky waiter just had to shush me as he wiped them off!
Later on, while doing my rounds on the internet, I followed up this lead and let's just say, i'm buying that stupid waiter a beer next time.
That stuff works.
In these places you will meet all the loudmouths who are more than willing to demonstrate to you that lighting a candle will banish those pesky flies from your table as long as they know that the candle is on the house. Only problem is the flies will only take a hike when you wave your hand or blow out the candle in exasperation then moments later they land again with a vengeance!
I was therefore skeptical when the waiter calmly came to our table, wiped it clean then sprinkled some pellets at one corner of the table. He then poured some water on the pellets and walked off to his business!
When I protested he turned and lamented that some people are just dumb and can't know when someone is trying to help them. I told him he was just stupid and what does he know, at which point he wiggled his bottle opener at me and told me to shut up!
Soon flies started landing on the pellets in droves and I was preparing to shout an insult at him when strange things started happening. One by one the flies started dancing on the table!
What kind of spirits had this crazy waiter summoned on our table! I put on my spectacles and squinted hard at the flies. In johny's name, what the hell... one by one the flies started falling on their backs!
This was too much. I called for the satchet and quickly read AGITA FLY BAIT from Norvatis active ingredient- Thiomethoxam 1%. Well, knock my head.
I poked one of the flies with a toothpick and it was dead. Dead as a dodo and the rest of the gang were still dancing and dropping fast. Soon the whole floor and tables were covered with dead flies and the cocky waiter just had to shush me as he wiped them off!
Later on, while doing my rounds on the internet, I followed up this lead and let's just say, i'm buying that stupid waiter a beer next time.
That stuff works.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
PUSH EMAIL
The good thing about technology is that it always makes life so much easier and, quite often, cheaper. Once you get the hang of it, that is!
Today I want to discuss push email. Since the day we started hyping the millenium bug, we all become aware of computers like never before. That was some fancy advertising. Even my semi-literate grandmother (God rest her soul in peace) once asked me about it. It all came to pass without a single blip on a monitor!
Since then every self respecting kenyan has registered for an email address (because it is free, of course!). Whether it is active or not is a story for another day.
The good thing about email is that your mail is delivered within minutes to any destination in the world. Not just that, with instant messaging you can actually chat to someone in real time. It gets even better when you use a social networking site like facebook where you can post a comment and your friends can view them and post their own comments as well.
But perhaps the best thing that has happened is the mobile internet. For a modest amount you can get a wap-enabled phone. It is now possible to access most websites on your phone. You can read newspapers, check university websites, download music, pictures and videos and best of all access your email. Now you do not have to travel to a cyber cafe to check your mail.
Perhaps the biggest hindrance to people using email is that you have to go to a cyber cafe to access it. This has been a major obstacle until now.
However, even with email access on your phone you still have to open the phone browser and log in which most people do not remember to do. The result is email accounts with 256 unread messages! How on earth do you go through all these? Imagine that number of letters in your post office box!
Luckily there is now a solution to all this. Push email.
If you have a smartphone or one of the more advanced phones such as the Sony Ericsson K810i or Nokia N and E series or the dazzling Nokia 5800 you can setup push email and assign a ringtone to your account. Push email gives you an always-on connection so that your phone notifies you when you have a new message, just like an SMS! You can then read the message and respond to it at once right on your phone. You can even attach a picture that you took with your phone camera to the reply! How cool is that?
Just one thing though, currently push email only works as a free service with gmail accounts (negligible operator charges apply). Yahoo! offers this as a premium service and this is a standard offer on all blackberry smartphones.
The beauty of it all is that sending an email from your phone will cost you less than 50cts!
In these tough economic times a good quality phone is not just a fashion statement. It can save you alot of money and time especially when using a 3G network (it will drain your battery though so turn it off when you are done). In kenya 3G is available on Safaricom and Orange and by next year it will be available on Zain as well.
To setup push email simply go to your phone's message menu and change your email settings to:
These settings work fine on my Sony Ericsson K810i. I am still trying to figure out where the problem is on my K750i, anybody know?
Today I want to discuss push email. Since the day we started hyping the millenium bug, we all become aware of computers like never before. That was some fancy advertising. Even my semi-literate grandmother (God rest her soul in peace) once asked me about it. It all came to pass without a single blip on a monitor!
Since then every self respecting kenyan has registered for an email address (because it is free, of course!). Whether it is active or not is a story for another day.
The good thing about email is that your mail is delivered within minutes to any destination in the world. Not just that, with instant messaging you can actually chat to someone in real time. It gets even better when you use a social networking site like facebook where you can post a comment and your friends can view them and post their own comments as well.
But perhaps the best thing that has happened is the mobile internet. For a modest amount you can get a wap-enabled phone. It is now possible to access most websites on your phone. You can read newspapers, check university websites, download music, pictures and videos and best of all access your email. Now you do not have to travel to a cyber cafe to check your mail.
Perhaps the biggest hindrance to people using email is that you have to go to a cyber cafe to access it. This has been a major obstacle until now.
However, even with email access on your phone you still have to open the phone browser and log in which most people do not remember to do. The result is email accounts with 256 unread messages! How on earth do you go through all these? Imagine that number of letters in your post office box!
Luckily there is now a solution to all this. Push email.
If you have a smartphone or one of the more advanced phones such as the Sony Ericsson K810i or Nokia N and E series or the dazzling Nokia 5800 you can setup push email and assign a ringtone to your account. Push email gives you an always-on connection so that your phone notifies you when you have a new message, just like an SMS! You can then read the message and respond to it at once right on your phone. You can even attach a picture that you took with your phone camera to the reply! How cool is that?
Just one thing though, currently push email only works as a free service with gmail accounts (negligible operator charges apply). Yahoo! offers this as a premium service and this is a standard offer on all blackberry smartphones.
The beauty of it all is that sending an email from your phone will cost you less than 50cts!
In these tough economic times a good quality phone is not just a fashion statement. It can save you alot of money and time especially when using a 3G network (it will drain your battery though so turn it off when you are done). In kenya 3G is available on Safaricom and Orange and by next year it will be available on Zain as well.
To setup push email simply go to your phone's message menu and change your email settings to:
- Address: your full email address i.e *****@gmail.com
Connection type: IMAP4-
Incoming server: imap.gmail.com
Username: *****@gmail.com-
Password: your email password -
Outgoing server: smtp.gmail.com -
Check interval: off
Push email: on
Encryption: incoming server TLS/SSL-
Incoming port: 993 -
Outgoing port: 465 -
GPRS APN: your internet profile (e.g Safaricom internet)
Email alert: choose a ringtone.
These settings work fine on my Sony Ericsson K810i. I am still trying to figure out where the problem is on my K750i, anybody know?
Monday, October 19, 2009
MBALE PROVINCIAL RURAL HEALTH TRAINING CENTRE
The oldest health facility in this town currently headed by Mr Odipo, the clinical officer in-charge who is the executive officer.
It is situated next to the District Hospital and provides primary health care (PHC) services to the residents of Mbale and beyond.
Like any typical health centre, it has an administration department headed by the Hospital Administration Officer (HAO). He handles all administrative issues such as staff leaves, deploying non-clinical staff, maintaining buildings and ambulances, correspondence etc.
The maternal, child health and family planning clinic (MCH/FP) is under the Nursing Officer who is in charge of all nurses in the health centre. The IMCI clinic is also situated here and headed by Mr Mwasawa, a clinical officer who is assisted by nurses trained in IMCI.
The outpatient department provides general medical care to all non-paediatric patients except on weekends and public holidays. The Clinical officers and nurses here work together assisted by auxiliary staff.
The laboratory is next to the outpatient department and is headed by Ms Judy, a laboratory technologist. Tests carried out are blood slide for malaria, widal test, sputum for AAFB, urinalysis, VDRL, full hemogram and Elisa for HIV.
The inpatient department has 5 wards- a male ward, a female ward, delivery and MVA room and two paediatric wards.
The pharmacy stocks supplies from the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) which include antimalarials (artemether/lumefantrine), analgesics, antibiotics, deworming tablets and syrups, antihypertensives and dressing materials, antiseptics and detergents.
A public health technician (PHT) has an office at the health centre which is next to the Clinical officer and nursing officer in-charges' offices. However, administratively he reports directly to the District Public Health Officer (DPHO) rather than to the Clinical officer in-charge because PHOs are posted to a region, not a health institution.
The cartering department takes care of meals and other cartering services to the patients, staff and students on rural attachment from the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), private colleges and universities. The student hostels can accomodate 40 students at any given time.
Staff houses are located across the fence.
Services offered include:
It is situated next to the District Hospital and provides primary health care (PHC) services to the residents of Mbale and beyond.
Like any typical health centre, it has an administration department headed by the Hospital Administration Officer (HAO). He handles all administrative issues such as staff leaves, deploying non-clinical staff, maintaining buildings and ambulances, correspondence etc.
The maternal, child health and family planning clinic (MCH/FP) is under the Nursing Officer who is in charge of all nurses in the health centre. The IMCI clinic is also situated here and headed by Mr Mwasawa, a clinical officer who is assisted by nurses trained in IMCI.
The outpatient department provides general medical care to all non-paediatric patients except on weekends and public holidays. The Clinical officers and nurses here work together assisted by auxiliary staff.
The laboratory is next to the outpatient department and is headed by Ms Judy, a laboratory technologist. Tests carried out are blood slide for malaria, widal test, sputum for AAFB, urinalysis, VDRL, full hemogram and Elisa for HIV.
The inpatient department has 5 wards- a male ward, a female ward, delivery and MVA room and two paediatric wards.
The pharmacy stocks supplies from the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) which include antimalarials (artemether/lumefantrine), analgesics, antibiotics, deworming tablets and syrups, antihypertensives and dressing materials, antiseptics and detergents.
A public health technician (PHT) has an office at the health centre which is next to the Clinical officer and nursing officer in-charges' offices. However, administratively he reports directly to the District Public Health Officer (DPHO) rather than to the Clinical officer in-charge because PHOs are posted to a region, not a health institution.
The cartering department takes care of meals and other cartering services to the patients, staff and students on rural attachment from the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), private colleges and universities. The student hostels can accomodate 40 students at any given time.
Staff houses are located across the fence.
Services offered include:
- General medical care
Paediatric care (IMCI)
Family planning
Post-abortion care (MVA)
Filling P3 forms
Immunisation
Wound care and stitching (surturing)
Pharmaceutical dispensing
Community outreach, Education and public health
Voluntary counselling and testing
Teaching medical students on attachment
Supervising dispensaries and other community based activities.
In-patient care
Maternity/delivery
Circumcision
Saturday, October 17, 2009
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Monday, October 12, 2009
MARAGOLI CULTURAL FESTIVAL COMES TO MBARAKI, MOMBASA
I passed by a banner at Mbaraki, Mombasa advertising this event at the Mbaraki grounds. Thought the date said 10th- that is two days ago.
This morning I am at Likoni ferry when the same advert plays on that huge tv screen! I think I got the dates wrong.
Anyone know if this event happened? Or if it's happening this weekend.
Meanwhile i'm keeping an ear on the ground and an eye on... er... whatever. I gatta get to the bottom of this.
This morning I am at Likoni ferry when the same advert plays on that huge tv screen! I think I got the dates wrong.
Anyone know if this event happened? Or if it's happening this weekend.
Meanwhile i'm keeping an ear on the ground and an eye on... er... whatever. I gatta get to the bottom of this.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
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Looky looky...
Saturday, October 10, 2009
LOCAL WATERING HOLES
- Enzogu Bar
- Northend Bar
- Arunga Bar
Kebbs Bar
Ambusi Bar
Twins Bar
Corner Bar
Imbinga Bar- Guji Corner
The Nest Bar and Restaurant
MBALE ON THE WEB
Finally we can now get some official statistics online thanks to the local government. I came across this website while doing my rounds on the web. Check it out here.
Friday, October 9, 2009
RELIGION
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Salvation Army
Roman Catholic Church
African Divine Church
Islam
Legio Maria
Anglican Church
Bahai
Evangelical churches
I think Maragoli has the highest number of churches per hectare in this country. Prove me wrong if you can but I know for sure that we have the highest number of Quakers in a region worldwide!!
Salvation Army
Roman Catholic Church
African Divine Church
Islam
Legio Maria
Anglican Church
Bahai
Evangelical churches
I think Maragoli has the highest number of churches per hectare in this country. Prove me wrong if you can but I know for sure that we have the highest number of Quakers in a region worldwide!!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
COMMUNICATION
Mbale is strategically placed on the highway midway between Kisumu and Kakamega both half an hours drive away. It is bound on either side by the even busier Majengo and Chavakali markets less than ten-minute drives away. Luanda town, on the busy Kisumu-Busia-Uganda highway is also half an hours drive away. Maseno university is just a few kilometers away from Luanda lying on the equator.
Two roads branch off Mbale town on either side of the highway taking you into the interior- on one side through Mbihi into Bunyore and, on the other side, through Kegoye-Gisambai leading to Mudete (on the Chavakali-Kapsabet-Eldoret road), Hamisi on to Nandi and Tiriki. In short the whole district is easily accessible from this town.
There are daily flights from Kisumu airport to Nairobi. One can then connect flights to domestic and international destinations.
Most bus companies have booking agents at the bus stage. You can buy a ticket to Nairobi at any time of the day. Easy coach has a booking office next to Mbale motel and Equity bank. Akamba Bus Services have their office in Majengo. If you take the 8pm bus you will be in Nairobi by 6am.
If you are travelling to Mombasa it is usually better to book from Kisumu or Kakamega. From Kisumu buses depart at 5pm and arrive in Mombasa by 6am.
If you want to go to our sister town in Uganda you can get a matatu from Kisumu or Luanda to the border town of Busia or use the Kakamega-Bungoma-Malaba-Tororo-Mbale route.
You can also get to Kogelo using the Luanda-Kisian-Ramba route!!
There are many small bureaus offering computer typing services. However computer access is problematic. Like most locals, you'll be better off with a WAP-enabled phone or USB modem for your notebook. The mobile phone network coverage is excellent with strong reliable signals from all the carriers and fast 3G on Safaricom and Orange.
All the national radio and TV stations have strong signals in this town including BBC world service. Nobody tunes in to AM or shortwave any more, the whole country having quietly transitioned to FM. Enzogu Sports Bar and Mbale Motel have DSTV so you can catch all your favourite international games.
The post office is situated in the middle of the town from where you can post your snail mail.
G4S is a courier company with offices near the police station, opposite Twins Bar. They deliver packages to all the major towns in the country.
Two roads branch off Mbale town on either side of the highway taking you into the interior- on one side through Mbihi into Bunyore and, on the other side, through Kegoye-Gisambai leading to Mudete (on the Chavakali-Kapsabet-Eldoret road), Hamisi on to Nandi and Tiriki. In short the whole district is easily accessible from this town.
There are daily flights from Kisumu airport to Nairobi. One can then connect flights to domestic and international destinations.
Most bus companies have booking agents at the bus stage. You can buy a ticket to Nairobi at any time of the day. Easy coach has a booking office next to Mbale motel and Equity bank. Akamba Bus Services have their office in Majengo. If you take the 8pm bus you will be in Nairobi by 6am.
If you are travelling to Mombasa it is usually better to book from Kisumu or Kakamega. From Kisumu buses depart at 5pm and arrive in Mombasa by 6am.
If you want to go to our sister town in Uganda you can get a matatu from Kisumu or Luanda to the border town of Busia or use the Kakamega-Bungoma-Malaba-Tororo-Mbale route.
You can also get to Kogelo using the Luanda-Kisian-Ramba route!!
There are many small bureaus offering computer typing services. However computer access is problematic. Like most locals, you'll be better off with a WAP-enabled phone or USB modem for your notebook. The mobile phone network coverage is excellent with strong reliable signals from all the carriers and fast 3G on Safaricom and Orange.
All the national radio and TV stations have strong signals in this town including BBC world service. Nobody tunes in to AM or shortwave any more, the whole country having quietly transitioned to FM. Enzogu Sports Bar and Mbale Motel have DSTV so you can catch all your favourite international games.
The post office is situated in the middle of the town from where you can post your snail mail.
G4S is a courier company with offices near the police station, opposite Twins Bar. They deliver packages to all the major towns in the country.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
EQUITY BANK
There was a time when this place was simply known as "kwa ambwere." But the official name was Mbale Hotel. This was the tallest building in town and one of the oldest watering holes. In fact the first wines and spirits bar in this town was at the back and it was more like a quiet high-class shop, not the sit-ins that are now popular everywhere.
My best memories of the place are when every december 26 (utamaduni day) we would be allowed to chill out on the rooftop and watch the merry below. On this day the whole country descended on this town (ok i'm not exaggerating because even the former president Moi never missed a chance!) and the festivities lasted well into the next day for those who could hold their booze.
One day we woke up to hear that a certain church had declared war on all watering holes in this town starting with the big mamma of them all. Next thing we knew there was not a single drop of alcohol in the entire building, the name was changed to New Karibu Hotel and henceforth any couples looking for a room would have to produce their marriage certificates! And so it was.
Fast forward and a couple of years later we woke up (again!) to find all the doors chained and padlocked. Word had it that the owner Mr Ambwere had arrived early in the morning, gave all clients one hour to check out and proceeded to lock up the place! Now this guy's temper was legendary so we knew that is exactly what had happened! A notice on the wall stated the reason as rent arrears totalling several million shillings.
Eventually the building was reopened and renamed Mbale Motel. Finally we had our watering hole back. For a while it was good until we woke up (again!!) one day and found out that the watering hole was no more.
In it's place now is Equity bank.
I take this opportunity to welcome the latest addition to my hometown, Equity Bank.
Ps. It will be interesting to see if we shall get our watering hole back, again. Thanks Jacktone Mageto for this pic.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
MUNGOMA CHEMIST
This is the largest pharmacy in Mbale town and serves most of the district. It is strategically located near the two main health institutions- Vihiga District Hospital and Mbale Provincial Rural Teaching Health Centre.
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS PRESENT
- Barclays Bank
- Kenya Commercial Bank
- Equity Bank
- PostBank
- Kenya Women Finance Trust
- M-Pesa and Zap
There is a growing number of M-Pesa and Zap agents who offer instant money transfer services using your mobile phone. You can deposit, send or withdraw your money from virtually any part of the country where there is an agent.
Technology is so nice to us, don't you think?
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