Operation Linda Nchi..A worthy cause?

"..Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of hatred and violence..."

These were the sentiments echoed by newly elected U.S. President Barack Obama during his inaugural address on January 20, 2009.More than two years later, and thousands of kilometers away, Kenya is at war supposedly with the same "far-reaching" network, otherwise known as Al-Shabaab, in the horn of Africa region.

Provoked to conflict by repeated incursions by the militia inside our country, Kenyan military forces have taken it upon themselves to rid our country of this ragtag militia -even push further into the heartland of Somalia with an aim to putting a decisive end to the menace.Dubbed Operation Linda Nchi, the military offensive aims to secure our country's borders by pushing the Al-Shabaab insurgents as far back as possible.And while it may be true that the guerrillas -and their sympathizers- have taken advantage of and abused our hospitality and deserve to be banished from existence, have we taken time to consider the ramifications of such an intensive military operation, both within and without our beloved country?

For one, reprisal attacks are bound to follow and the ability and capacity of our nation's security apparatus to  prevent, investigate and forestall such attacks is highly in doubt.Secondly, just what is the long term strategy for this war? Do we intend to maintain a presence there until we can safely hand over to the Transitional Federal Government troops or are we going to pull out once the initial offensive is over?Lastly, are we able to maintain the heightened state of security within our borders to actually ensure that sympathetic elements to the Al-Shabaab are rooted out and REMAIN outside our country?

Whatever the long-term plan, as citizens, we must remain united even during such times of uncertainty and risk.We also should remain vigilant, reporting any suspicious activities to the relevant authorities.

My arduous journey to work

I miss the good old days when i could ride in a matatu to college or work and get to the office spiritually and mentally undefiled and full of vigor to start my day. Clearly, today, despite the high fares, this is too much to ask for! In the quest for the biggest listernership, radio stations have resorted to all manner of salacious discourse whereby in response to a certain 'Topic of discussion', audiences call in and air all manner of obscenities, display their dirty linen in public; supposedly hoping to find solicit advice either from the radio talk show hosts or otherwise. Whether actual or choreographed, these conversations leave very little to the imagination.

I dare to ask, where have we gone wrong as a society? Could it be because we have supplanted God as our moral reference point? Some of us now claim to be 'liberated' and 'freed' but that is really a bankrupt attempt to define reality without reference to our creator. Social engineering has gone as far as attacking heterosexuality as the basis of our human identity. Strong heterosexual marriage creates a wholesome environment to raise the next generation. In lieu of this, we wake up to a toxic bath of lesbianism, homosexuality, obscenity and promiscuity designed to corrode and distort our morals and sexuality. The effect of all this is that it undermines marriage and family.

What can we do about this? For a start, we need to let the broadcasters and advertisers know that we will boycott their products and shows if they continue to engage in this socially destructive practices. We also need to to realize that the only way we can win this war against moral depravity is by turning to God and using his word to counter the offensive by the forces of darkness