2025 was kind to me—but not in the gentle way people imagine kindness.
It was kind the way fire is kind to gold: it burned, pressed, purified, and left nothing false standing.
It was a year of reckoning.
The year began with movement;literal and symbolic. I moved houses, carrying boxes and fragments of myself, with my brother beside me. Before I could even take my first bath in the new place, I slipped and fell in the bathroom, injuring myself. That fall felt prophetic. I was bruised, shaken, and still expected to keep going.
By morning, December 31st bled into January 1st with no pause for celebration. We were still reorganizing our lives. Then my brother left to celebrate with friends, and I was left alone in a new house, in a new year, knowing no one.
So, January introduced me to myself.
For that first month, it was just me.
I went to work.
I came back to silence.
Every day.
Loneliness wrapped itself around me so tightly that, somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like punishment and started feeling like familiarity. I became addicted to my own company,not because it was easy, but because it was honest.

On Love, Boundaries, and Settling for Less
Somewhere along the year, I found myself in what he called a relationship.
I knew better.
It was a situationship dressed in commitment language.
When he relocated months later, I was alone again. But that loneliness came with clarity. I met men who taught me—brutally—why boundaries are not optional. I learned that when you settle for less, people don’t meet you halfway; they give you even less than you accepted.
Boundaries are not cruelty.
They are self-respect with a spine.

On Friendship and Betrayal
Friendship taught me “shegge” this year.
I learned that betrayal rarely comes from strangers. It comes from people who know your story, your weak spots, your fears—people you once trusted with your softness.
Friends colluded. Lies were told. False accusations were whispered behind my back. And the hardest part? We worked in the same environment.
I stayed silent,not because I was ignorant, but because I was disciplined. My work ethic and personal values restrained me from confrontation more times than I can count.
Forgiveness came eventually.
But forgiveness is not access.
You don’t forgive someone and then hand them the keys to your peace again. You don’t give the devil a loophole to repeat the same lesson. Consequences are teachers too.

Empathy Without Boundaries Is Self-Destruction
This was one of the hardest lessons of the year.
I gave too much.
I tried to save people from their pain.
I climbed mountains for people who would not cross the street for me.
I poured myself into friendships, absorbed other people’s chaos, carried burdens that were never mine. And when they healed, when they stabilized, when life smiled at them again—my own crisis was met with indifference.
That was the day I learned:
Loyalty without reciprocity is a slow form of self-erasure.
People who only show up when they need you, but disappear when you need support, are not friends. They are consumers of your emotional labor.
Empathy without boundaries doesn’t make you kind.
It makes you depleted.

On Work, Worth, and Toxic Spaces
I also learned that you don’t survive toxic environments by working harder. You survive by knowing your worth and drawing lines.
Hard work without boundaries invites misuse.
Silence without self-respect invites exploitation.

Health, Mortality, and What Truly Matters
Then my body forced me to stop.
When I was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, when I lay there on injections, feeling closer to death than I had ever been, everything fell into perspective.
Relationships didn’t matter.
Arguments didn’t matter.
Status didn’t matter.
All that mattered was breathing.
Being alive.
Seeing another day.
That week stripped life down to its essentials—and I am profoundly grateful to have made it to December 31st.
This year, death was not abstract. People I knew personally died. People within my vicinity died. Death hovered close enough to be felt. I became deeply death-conscious, and most of the year I wasn’t living—I was surviving.

Family, Caregiving, and the Cost of Self-Sacrifice
Despite managing my finances, I lived in lack. My sibling fell seriously ill, and I became the immediate caregiver. Watching his health deteriorate, while navigating bipolar disorder—his and my own mental battles—nearly broke me.
I watched my parents’ complacency with heartbreak in my chest. I gave until I almost disappeared. My mental health hit the gutters more than once, but I had to stay strong,because I had to.
And from that fire, a final truth emerged:
You do not break generational curses by self-sacrifice.
You break them with boundaries.
With courage.
With choosing yourself first.
You save yourself before you save anyone else.

What 2025 Left Me With
2025 did not give me ease.
It gave me wisdom.
It taught me that solitude can be a sanctuary.
That forgiveness does not require access.
That empathy must be guarded.
That health is wealth.
That love without respect is loss.
That family healing begins with self-preservation.
I walk into the next year changed—not hardened, but clearer.
Not bitter, but boundaried.
Not empty, but honest.
And if there is one lesson I will carry forward, it is this:
First, save yourself.

Last week, the tragic news of Kimani Mbugua’s death shook many Kenyans. The former NTV and Citizen TV journalist, once a vibrant and promising storyteller, died by suicide at a Mombasa rehabilitation centre,months after showing hopeful signs of recovery. Kimani had been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, a condition that haunted his once-bright career and turned his life into a series of painful relapses, hospital visits, and desperate cries for help.

To many, Kimani’s public struggle was a story of a fallen celebrity. But to others who have walked the same dark road with loved ones battling mental illness, it was heartbreakingly familiar.

As I watched Kimani’s erratic social media posts and moments of clarity, I often saw my own family reflected in his story. My sibling, too, lives with Bipolar Disorder , a condition that turns ordinary days into unpredictable storms. Each time Kimani seemed to recover, I found hope that maybe my brother, too, would find stability.

But when Kimani died, and my brother suffered yet another psychotic episode in the same week, it felt like something was tearing through my stomach,an invisible wound that only those living with a loved one’s mental illness can truly understand.

Bipolar Disorder doesn’t just affect the  diagnosed; it consumes entire families. It tests love, patience, and faith to their very limits. You learn to watch for signs : sleepless nights, erratic speech, bursts of energy that feel too bright to last. And when the manic phase crashes into depression, you pick up the pieces quietly, hoping the storm will pass.

Our hospitals , especially public ones , are often unprepared for the complexities of mental health care. Many families, desperate for help, are met with indifference, stigma, or outright neglect.

I have sat in waiting rooms where patients were treated as burdens, not as people. I have seen doctors dismiss cries for help, nurses too exhausted to offer compassion, and families breaking under the weight of constant admissions and relapses.

Mental illness in Kenya is still seen as a secondary problem  something less urgent than physical illness. Yet, when the mind breaks, the whole being suffers. Families are left to manage the aftermath: ensuring medication is taken, preventing relapses, dealing with the emotional outbursts, and sometimes protecting themselves from violence when psychosis takes over.

Caring for someone with Bipolar Disorder drains not just emotions but also finances. Treatment requires therapy, medication, and sometimes long stays in mental institutions,costs that most families cannot sustain.

Then there’s the unspoken emotional cost. Each phone call brings dread – “Has something happened?” You live in constant panic, your heart racing whenever you see their name on your screen. You try to stay strong, but each episode chips away at your mental health too.

The pain of seeing your loved one lose touch with reality, or turn to substance abuse like marijuana and other drugs to numb their pain, is unbearable. Many don’t realize that such substances can induce or worsen psychosis, turning recovery into an endless cycle of relapse and despair.

Beyond the illness itself lies another monster –stigma.
Society still whispers about “madness,” labeling those with mental illness as dangerous, lazy, or cursed. Families hide their struggles to avoid judgment. Friends disappear. Communities turn away.

And so, the fight becomes lonelier. You begin to grieve for someone who is still alive, trapped in a world where their mind becomes both their enemy and their prison.

Kimani’s passing is not just a tragedy; it is a mirror reflecting the state of mental health in our society. His father tried,just as many parents, siblings, and loved ones do every day ,to save him. But sometimes, the voices inside one’s head are louder than the love surrounding them.

We must learn that mental illness deserves the same urgency as any other disease. It requires empathy, awareness, and systemic reform ;from the way hospitals treat patients to how we as a society talk about mental health.

Families should not have to carry this burden alone. The government, health professionals, and communities must step up to provide real support -mental health coverage, safe facilities, counseling, and training for caregivers.

Behind every person battling Bipolar Disorder is a family fighting silently – praying, hoping, and sometimes breaking. They deserve understanding, not judgment.

If you know someone struggling, reach out. Listen. Be kind.
Because sometimes, your voice could be the one that cuts through the noise of despair.

Deconstructing the Myths Women Have Been Preached for Generations

It’s no surprise that our childhood experiences and life in general shape how we move through the world. For me, that truth came alive when I was given the sacred privilege of caring for both of my grandmothers one her  final days and one is still alive. One had passed earlier, but the time I spent with them especially in their most vulnerable moments ,taught me more than caregiving. It taught me about the invisible burdens women carry and the quiet wars they fight long after the world stops watching.

Take Granny Sarah not her real name. She was elegant in her own way, always adorning herself, always holding on to beauty, almost as if to remind the world and perhaps herself,that she still mattered. Her long, beautiful hair framed a face that could be stern and sorrowful in equal measure. What I remember most, though, was her bitterness. She would speak endlessly about her co-wives, especially one, the one who had “replaced” her.

Sarah had been the first wife to my grandfather but was unable to conceive early in their marriage. When another woman bore him children, Sarah’s status shifted,not legally, but emotionally and socially. She was no longer honored as the first wife. That perceived demotion stayed with her for life. She began to drink. She became hyper-vigilant, wary of every word, every gesture, every whisper. She saw herself as a victim because, for years, she had been treated as one. And perhaps the most heartbreaking part: I didn’t even know she was the first wife until she died. That truth had been swallowed by a silence so loud, it had become invisible.

Then there was my other grandmother, Liz ( not her real name ). She carried her suffering differently. She developed a painful lump near the ball-and-socket joint of her shoulder. The doctor said it was likely due to years of physical trauma. Later, my mother told me how, as a young mother, Liz was forced to work long hours on farms, carrying heavy loads for minimal pay. She clothed herself in strength and silence. She never complained. Even in sickness, she refused to see herself as weak.

Two women. Two lives. Two different forms of suffering. But the same underlying script: Endure. Be strong. Keep quiet.

And that is the story so many women have inherited across generations.

We’ve been told that to be a good woman is to endure. To take the blows and say nothing. To cry in private and smile in public. To hold the home together, even when it tears us apart. That we are virtuous because we can handle it all. That our power lies in our ability to carry everything and still manage to cook dinner.

But what if that’s not strength?
What if true strength is saying, “I don’t want to carry this anymore”?
What if it’s choosing rest, softness, and boundaries over martyrdom?

They say the modern woman is afraid of commitment. That we are too angry. Too soft. Too radical. But they don’t see what we saw. We sat in the kitchen with our mothers. We listened as they prayed between tears. We heard their bitterness. We saw them shrink in the name of tradition, religion, and respectability. And we remember the warnings they whispered to us when no one was listening:

“Don’t be like me.”
“Choose better.”
“Think for yourself.”

We heard them. And we believed them.

That’s the real generational inheritance—not just trauma, but wisdom. Not just sorrow, but resolve. That is why today’s woman is choosing differently. She no longer wants to be the cook, the maid, the therapist, the lover, the motivator, the surrogate mother, and the punching bag for someone who calls that being “a good woman.”

The disconnect between men and women today is not accidental. It is generational. Many men still want women like their mothers soft-spoken, sacrificial, servile. But women no longer want to be like their mothers not because we don’t honor them, but because we saw what it cost them. We watched them lose their voices in homes they built. We watched them pour everything into others until they had nothing left for themselves.

So no, we are not afraid of love or commitment.
We are afraid of being erased.
We are done performing for patriarchy in pretty dresses.

It’s time to deconstruct the myths we were raised on:
That womanhood is synonymous with suffering.
That silence is strength.
That our value lies in how much we give,even when nothing is given back.

We are not bitter. We are aware.
We are not broken. We are building something new.
And maybe, just maybe, strength doesn’t look like sacrifice anymore.

Maybe it looks like saying no.
Maybe it looks like walking away.
Maybe it looks like choosing yourself and not apologizing for it.

-lets be logical and not emotive less we become a snake eating its own tail .

Kenya is reeling from shock and fury after the reported death of blogger Albert Ojwang while in police custody on June 7, 2025. Arrested in Homa Bay County over accusations of publishing false information, Ojwang’s murder has sparked a wave of fresh protests led by Kenya’s Generation Z;young, bold, and disillusioned.

Thousands have taken to the streets demanding justice not just for Albert, but for a generation silenced, brutalized, and dismissed by those in power. For many, this tragedy is a cruel reminder of a broken system that punishes truth-tellers and shields those who exploit authority. The cries for justice, however, must now evolve into a calculated movement, not just an emotional uprising.

A Familiar Uprising, a Missed Opportunity
The last major maandamano (protest) organized by Gen Z forced the government into an unexpected retreat. The President, shaken by the sheer scale and unity of the movement, removed all Cabinet Secretaries and reached out for dialogue with the youth. That was a rare moment ,a window where true change was possible. But it passed without structure, without leadership, and without a plan.

Now, in the aftermath of another death and another protest, Kenya’s youth find themselves at a crossroads: Will we just protest, or will we pivot to power?

The truth is sobering: Without a clear strategy and a leader with integrity, the protest risks being hijacked by opportunistic politicians who seek only to ride the wave of discontent for their own gain. If Gen Z does not restrategize and position a credible presidential candidate, the demonstrations could lose their direction and worse, empower the very political class they’re resisting.

Let us not be naive. Many politicians who now echo the cries of justice were once (and still are) beneficiaries of the same oppressive system. Judge them not by their slogans, but by their conduct, past actions, and moral compass. The path forward is not just about removing a president:it is about replacing broken leadership with people who truly represent us: educated, visionary, ethical technocrats who have the people’s best interests at heart.

In the French Revolution, raw emotion burned like wildfire, toppling a monarchy. But without structure, reason, or a unifying vision, the aftermath was chaos and bloodshed. Let us learn from history: Revolution must be paired with rationality. Emotion ignites the flame, but strategy sustains the fire.

This aligns with Robert Greene’s Law of Rationality from The Laws of Human Nature. Greene warns against being ruled by emotion alone, stating:

“The first step toward becoming rational is to understand our fundamental irrationality.”

Our cause is just. Our grief is real. But if we let anger blind us, we may become pawns in a cycle of manipulation. Greene urges us to observe ourselves,our biases, our triggers, our impulsiveness and to respond, not react. Protest, yes. But let it be thoughtful, calculated, and guided by vision.

Toward a Structured Revolution
Let this not be another moment of wasted potential. Let’s be willing to build structure to have leaders, demands, timelines, and measurable outcomes. Let us push not just for justice for Albert Ojwang, but for systemic reforms: police accountability, freedom of expression, youth representation in leadership, and policy reform that protects not punishes dissent.

The time for symbolic resistance is over. The time for structured revolution is now.

Justice for Albert. Power to the People. Strategy for the Future.
Let our tears be seeds. Let our rage be disciplined. Let our movement be remembered not just for its noise, but for its impact.

And her body ,not a place for passing through.

She is a girl who has given more of her  than she has ever been given flowers. A quiet irony rests there ,she adores blooms: the tender sway of lilies, the soft hush of petals unfolding but her body, her skin, is a garden she has come to resent.

To the world, she is flesh before she is feeling. They see curves and contours, not the girl who flinches when a door slams or the one who likes her coffee with just a splash of oat milk and silence in the mornings. She lets them in anyway ,lets them touch the parts of her that were once sacred, hoping that if they press close enough, they might hear the ache beneath her ribs, the poetry that lives in her scars.

But they never do.

They don’t stay long enough to ask her favorite color, or why her hands tremble when she buttons her coat. No one lingers to learn that she loves lilies because they remind her of the gentleness she once dreamed of, a softness she’s still chasing in all the wrong arms.

Instead, she lies in borrowed beds, unfamiliar ceilings staring back at her as strangers press their weight into the hollow places. It doesn’t make her feel desired. It doesn’t make her feel seen. It just carves out more space inside her that she cannot seem to fill.

The tragedy is not in the leaving,it’s in how she’s convinced herself that being used is the same thing as being loved. She has made a home in fleeting touch, found her worth in the eyes that undress her but never truly look at her.

And yet,there is a certain ache in her voice when she speaks of wanting more. A barely-there rebellion flickering in her chest like a candle kept alive through storms. She wants a love that doesn’t begin with undressing. She wants someone to ask how she takes her coffee, someone who notices how she lights up when she sees fresh flowers, someone who brings her lilies simply because.

The world has taught her that her body is currency, that love must be earned in pieces. But even gardens bloom again after harsh winters.

There is still hope in her, whether she admits it or not. Hope that one day, someone will touch her not to possess her but to cherish her. Someone who sees her not as a moment but as a whole story;unfinished, unfolding, full of wildflowers growing where the hurt once lived.

And when that day comes, may she finally believe this truth:
She was never made to be a pit stop on someone else’s road. She was made to be a garden of lilies, blooming slowly, tenderly, for someone patient enough to stay.

“For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
– Apostle Paul, Romans 7:19,24

There is something heartbreakingly human in these ancient words  a confession that stretches across time, culture, and creed. It reminds us of an unsettling truth: we are complex creatures, often strangers even to ourselves.

How many times have we stood before the mirror, wrestling silently with our own reflection? We promise ourselves with fierce conviction: “I will never…” only to find, years later, that we have crossed the very lines we once vowed were sacred. It is as if some invisible hand within us pulls the strings, a hidden puppeteer dancing to a tune we can barely hear.

Our upbringing, values, and convictions often act like the walls of a grand cathedral: solid, noble, and reaching toward the heavens. Yet, inside these walls, battles rage. Why would a professor of ethics, a champion of virtue, risk everything for a moment of forbidden passion? Why do we pursue that which wounds us, love that which leaves us hollow, or crave the taste of the very things that poison our soul?

Because somewhere deep inside, we are fractured.

Each of us carries the silent echoes of past traumas — wounds stitched over but never fully healed. Pain has a long memory. It shapes our hungers, our fears, our twisted notions of what feels like “home.” In ways we scarcely recognize, we are drawn back to what once hurt us, as if hoping, absurdly, to rewrite the ending.

It is easy to judge from a distance. It is far harder to stand in the storm. Often, it is not ignorance that drives our folly, but knowledge — painfully clear — of what is at stake. Yet we stumble forward anyway, intoxicated by the wrongness of it all, like moths lured toward the flame.

Maybe this is what people call beautiful mistakes. Not beautiful because they are right, but because they reveal something raw and achingly real about the human spirit. A longing to feel alive, to break free, to touch something beyond the grey safety of “what should be.”

I know the path; I see the light,
Yet my feet slip toward the night.
A golden sin, a crimson plea,
I dance with what will bury me.

Oh wretched heart, so brave, so blind,
You seek to heal what broke your mind.
In tender ruins, truths unfold:
We are more shattered than we’re told.

In truth, morality itself may be a river, not a rock. It winds through landscapes shaped by culture, family, religion, and experience. What is deemed a betrayal in one place is celebrated as liberation in another. If morality is built a top subjective foundations, how then can we judge the human soul so harshly for its contradictions?

To understand humanity is to embrace its tension — to know that clarity and chaos often hold hands behind the veil. It is to see that sometimes, choosing wrong is not a rebellion against right, but a desperate attempt to make sense of the wrongs done to us long ago.

Humans are not simple beings stitched neatly from light or dark. We are mosaics of memory, desire, fear, and hope. We are, at once, saints and saboteurs of our own happiness.

Apostle Paul lamenting is an indication of  the haunting beauty of being human.

There’s a strange comfort in chaos when you’ve spent your life haunted by the fear of being alone. It’s an old dance: reaching out with open arms to those who you know — somewhere deep inside — will break you. A beautiful mess, we call it, because even in the wreckage, there’s something breathtaking about the way you hope, love, and ache.

I often find myself drawn to people who feel like storms. Wild, unpredictable, sometimes cruel. They tear through the safe little houses I build around my heart, and yet I let them in willingly. I seek out the ones who won’t stay. The ones who love like a promise at midnight but are gone by morning. It’s not that I don’t see the signs; I do. It’s just that some wounds run so deep, you mistake the bleeding for living.

Relationships as always been a paradox to her .One moment, there’s warmth — shared laughter, whispered promises, the electricity of being seen — and the next, there’s a cavernous silence where someone used to be. That silence is too familiar. It reminds me of the earliest abandonment, the kind you carry through life without ever fully understanding. When you’re taught that love disappears, you start to chase what leaves. You crave what hurts. You confuse love with longing because you’ve never really known a love that stays.

Deep-seated loneliness sits at the root of it all. It’s the silent architect of these beautiful disasters. It whispers that any connection — even one that wounds you — is better than none. That the sharp pain of losing someone is somehow preferable to the numb emptiness of having no one at all. You become addicted to the highs and lows, to the brief moments of ecstasy followed by inevitable collapse.

It’s a cycle that feeds on hope and history. You tell yourself maybe this time will be different. Maybe this person will be the exception. You romanticize the wreckage, the tearful goodbyes, the aching waits. It feels like love, because pain is the only language you truly understand when it comes to being close to someone.

In truth, it’s not love. It’s survival disguised as affection. It’s the lonely child within you begging not to be left behind again. But over time, you begin to realize that no one else can fill the void inside you. No amount of wreckage can heal the original wound. Only you can.

The beautiful mess might still call to you — it always will, in a way — but healing begins when you recognize it for what it is: not a love story, but a reflection of an old sorrow you are finally ready to leave behind.

All that glitters is not gold and clearly with the recent revelations concerning P Diddy case we can clearly attest that for a long time the world has been oblivious of what is happening  in the celebrity world .Most of us we grew up revering some of this individuals and holding them to high standard to a point we saw no fault in them but clearly we  were duped to believing in a certain persona that the media portrayed for us .

Celebrity culture  has long held an influential place in our society,shaping trends, lifestyles,and even values.We look to this lager – than – life figures for inspiration, entertainment and validation.Social media has only amplified their reach turning every celebrity into a brand and ,by extension,a role model.But as we continue to see troubling revelations about private lives of stars , including the ongoing case involving music Mogul Sean ” P Diddy” Combs,it is becoming  increasingly clear that celebrity culture is more toxic than we may have realized .

The darker side of fame,from exploitation,to corruption,is being exposed more and more . It’s time to reconsider the pedestal  we place celebrities on and to ask whether  we should be shunning celebrity culture.

The case of P Diddy is just one example of how celebrity culture can become a breeding ground for toxic behaviors What makes his case unique is the fact that  he is one of the most successful and influential figures in hip pop, a genre that has often  celebrated  the values of empowerment,defiance and overcoming  adversity.Yet ,behind the scenes ,the business of fame reveals a much darker reality : Celebrities often wield their power to intimidate,exploit and silence those who challenge their authority.This isn’t just an Isolated incident – It ‘s a tip of the iceberg of a broader culture that tolerates  and even glorifies  such behaviors in the name of success.

As more high profile figures face public,we are forced to confront the uncomfortable truth that celebrity culture – often romanticized as glamorous and aspirational – is built on the backs of those who are manipulated or hurt in the process.

While many of these exposure might initially seem like salacious gossip,the ultimately serve as a reminder that the people we elevate to “Idol” status are ,in fact ,just that – people.Flawed ,complicated ,and often  corrupt individuals who are granted undue influence and privilege in society.Celebrities aren’t necessarily role models .They are part of an ecosystem that thrives  on power imbalances, exploitation and public’s insatiable desire for drama .

Celebrity culture does not serve the interest of the wider society because it encourages us to worship at the altar of fame ,wealth and beauty. We are told that success is defined by how many  followers you have,how much money you make and how perfect your life appears .This creates a cycle of comparison,self-doubt  and consumerism ,as we internalize these ideals  and begin to judge  our own worth by the standards set by people who may be struggling with their own personal demons.

Celebrity culture not only encourages the exploitation of the vulnerable but also normalizes it .We see the case of P  Diddy where he manipulated those around him for personal gain and he allegedly used fame  to control their careers.

Celebrity culture,with all its flaws and dangers ,should be shunned in favor of more meaningful sources of inspiration that don’t rely on fame ,fortune ,or the public ‘s insatiable thirst for scandal.

We have become desensitized to the abuses that take place  in the name of entertainment.How many time have we heard about celebrity scandal and thought ” well they brought it on themselves” but what if  these incidents are part of the larger system of exploitation and coercion that we society,have accepted as the price of fame ?

They say Ignorance is a bliss, because when you are blind to things you conform or you just go with the whims and standards already set. Recently I have been forced to question things that are happening in the world but in this context religion and I have come to the conclusion that I can see things as they are .

Religion for many ,can be guiding light,but it can also be misleading when its teachings are manipulated to serve agendas that obscure its true message of compassion and understanding .I have  encountered situations where rigid interpretations of religious doctrines were used to justify discrimination,exclusion or even violence,which felt completely contrary to  the sense of love and acceptance that initially drew me to spiritual practice.This experience helped me understand that faith,while deeply personal,needs to be examined with care to avoid the trap of using it as a tool for control rather than connection.

It is clear that most church members rather lick the boots of a preacher than read the scripture and that is why we hear we kill the name of the lord ,in the name of the Lord I despise others ,we take other people’s land in the name of the lord among many other viles that people do and justify it with religious doctrines .Many churches among other sects of religion are seduced by ideologpies or human dogmas ,that is more unlikely to propel goodwill and spiritual growth but they perpetuate selfish interest and justify wicked behaviors.

Few words are enough for a wise man and you my readers are wise and I hope as we reflect on our lives and religious believes,  may we get to reflect and gain understanding. I have found peace in not resisting the change within and I’m  no longer afraid of seeking the truth and I  accept I have to let go of the old self that was inclined to certain belief and transcend to the new being and new spiritual awakening.

For a long while I have been experiencing  internal conflict in terms of religion .This is the second time I’m writing about religion and I realized that the reason I keep writing about this;it is because I’m changing and the concepts that  I previously thought were  right, are now under scrutiny . The nature of the mind is that ,it tries to protect me and therefore it resists the changes because for long while the mind (my mind )has been socialized to believe that you cannot question religious doctrine or what religious leader say .

I know you  are wondering why I’m  giving my own experience of internal  conflict .My reason is ;I want you to understand that I’m not against having a spiritual affiliation but as well I’m encouraging you to allow yourself to be lead by the truth and not misleading notions therefore I think if you want to ascend to your true spiritual belief you should be willing to question and seek with humility from the higher power the answers you need but as well do the work by yourself ,to read scriptures or any spiritual book depending on your belief .

“Standing up is not the norm, it is the exception” Boniface Mwangi, one of the veterans of activism in Kenya stated. Activism has never been a lucrative venture but a very risky affair going by the many stories we have heard about activism, you stand a chance to die or you are more probably going to be hurt but many of activist are convicted by something greater than them. I was having a conversation with one of my friends and I did get an epiphany moment, when I did get to understand selflessness is not an act of self-preservation it is as well an act of courage.  To be an activist in my own on opinion, you have to be selfless enough to put yourself out there, for the sake of others because you value justice more than your preservation or being politically right.

Mostly activist are misrepresented both in the public eye and those who are in authority. They are more deemed like criminals or mad men going by the narrative that have been said about them over the years. The public eye is more likely to look at them as people who are plainly defiant or they hate the authority. The antics of shouting and calling out those in authorities may seem crazy to some people. For example the day when Boniface Mwangi used art to get the attention of Members of Parliament by taking pigs that had been painted with red ink and it was written Members of Parliament or when they organized protest and the police chase them away or arrested them . Those in authority take them as a threat to their authority. Francis Imbuga in his book, Betrayal in the City, profoundly said “When the madness of an entire nation disturbs a solitary mind, it is not enough to say the man is mad.”

The recent demonstration by Gen Z in Kenya has open the eyes of the leaders and as well as Kenyans to systemic issues in the government and the leaders for the first time they have realized they are not invisible and the public are no longer fooled ,they are more aware of what is happening around them . What really made the difference this time was that the Gen Z came in numbers, in their own volition and there was no leader, just conviction of change from many young Kenyans.

Years before it was one man show or few people show, that it was easy for those in authority to oppress them or arrest , torture them and in extreme cases they were assassinated in order to silence their agenda and the sad part is that the public were too afraid to support them,so they were silent even when they knew he or she was fighting for their rights and many even sold them to the hands of authority and they chose to be blind. Contrary to many, this new generation, famously known as Gen Z are a group of activist by nature, they are courageous enough to speak up, they’re selfless and ready to fight for the right cause.

What made the difference is;a large number of this generation is well informed and educated and they can see through bad leadership. It is no longer like the past where a few were enlightened and many were fooled by the narratives of politicians.This shows that we are powerful if we come out in our numbers.

Martin Luther King Jr. Once said, “If  a man has not found something worth dying for , he is not fit to live .”  The protest by Gen Z makes us delve back to saba  saba days and reflect on how veterans of activism and see their struggles that has informed the new generation . According to history books , in the 1980s and 1990s  young people , especially  university  students  led by their leaders played a significant  role in the fight for change but those protest were largely overshadowed by involvement of politicians .As the bible states ;there is nothing new under the sun , protests is not new but the ways may be new.  During those days the opposition , students , civil society and church leaders were involved in the protest .One significant church leader involved  in 1999 demonstration was  Timothy Njoya who was a moderator of Presbyterian Church at Kinoo in Nairobi  .He did speak against suppressive regime in his summon. He was perceived to be speaking against president Moi government and he was severally beaten and injured  while leading protests near parliament building .

Desmond Tutu , a South African  Archbishop famously known for his opposition to apartheid  in south Africa and Nobel Prize winner of 1984 stated “If you are neutral  in situation of injustice, you have  chosen the side of the oppressor.” If we all stand for  justice ,standing up will be the norm and we will transform the world .