In a world that reveres presentation and eschews content; in a world where marketing is king (or queen) and real quality takes the backseat; in a world where form trumps substance and nothing is more than skin-deep, it is mighty easy to completely miss true meanings.
Take the characterization "servant leadership." This is the preferred self-description of Kenya's vice-president Kalonzo Musyoka. But who is he a servant of? To whom is he offering leadership? He would argue that he is serving Kenyans and offering his leadership to Kenya; or vice versa. But is “Kenya” monolithic? Who is a “Kenyan”?
There are at least two Kenyas: there is a Kenya that is an oasis for the powerful and a desert for the powerless; a bountiful playground for the haves and a vast, arid wasteland for the have-nots; a country that has a few owners (the wenyenchi) and many tenants or subjects (the wananchi). This is why, while a few will crow “Najivunia kuwa Mkenya” (I’m proud to be Kenyan), a quiet majority will respond “Navumilia kuwa Mkenya” (I persevere as a Kenyan).
In the Kenya of the powerful, Aaron Ringera is the head of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission and must be retained at all costs, including through an illegal “re-appointment” despite a zero track record in dealing with grand corruption. In the Kenya of the powerful, John Githongo’s relentless search into the Augean stable of Kenyan corruption—which would have cost quite a number of high-profile jobs—must be stopped at all costs. So what does the record show of the servant leader? Support for Ringera or Githongo?
In the Kenya of the powerless, the police invariably shoot to kill innocent youth rather than arrest and take them before proper judicial authorities. In the Kenya of the powerless, armed gangs can murder, maim, and pillage without any action being taken against them. In the land of the powerless, internally displaced people can be chased from their camps, be forced into transit ones, and remain there at the mercy of the elements because they fear for their safety and security should they return to their homes. Where is the voice of the servant leader (except for that memorable photo taking tea in the Mawingu Camp)?
In the Kenya of the powerful, ethnicity is turned into tribalism in a cynical ploy to win or maintain power. Those with the means call for unity within their tribes to ostensibly ensure that power can be negotiated with other communities. In yesteryears, we had GEMA (Gikuyu, Meru, Embu Association—sometimes, however, the “A” is represented as Akamba) and KAMATUSA (Kalenjin, Masaii, Turkana and Samburu). Now we hear about the KKK (Kikuyu, Kalenjin and Kamba). Although, the Vice-President and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta have publicly disavowed any such affiliation, the numerous media self-references related to the KKK tell a different tale. Indeed Uhuru was recently quoted urging the Kikuyu to unite behind one leader to negotiate for power with other communities. It is also in the land of the powerful that the “other” is denigrated as “kimundu” (incidentally, now that Uhuru’s spokesman has “clarified” that “kimundu” is honorific can we refer to say, Uhuru and President Kibaki, as “kimundu”?) Is it not interesting to see how much energy of the servant leader has expended in this direction?
In the Kenya of the powerless, women have no place at the high table. They are excluded, for instance, when nominations for the position of chief justice, attorney general, director of public prosecutions, and director of budget are made. They are excluded from being political leaders due to cultural and social barriers: they are even excluded when Kikuyu elders are meeting to “discuss” and “decide” the future and destiny of the tribe. Yet, there is barely any squeak in protest from the servant leader on this issue.
So when the servant leader has been robustly engaged on a shuttle-diplomacy mission that has cost around Ksh 31.1 million, the question has to be asked—which Kenya was he serving? He insists he was reclaiming Kenya but for whom was he reclaiming it? He further argues that Kenya’s sovereignty was in jeopardy. But has the International Criminal Court pretended to take over all judicial functions in Kenya? Conversely, has Kenya even pretended to seriously bring to book those behind the 2007 post-election violence? Even the latest attempt to appoint a chief justice, attorney general, and director of public prosecutions has turned out to be a farce; a spiraling tale of vicious, parochial, political contestation, conflict, and bad faith. One mired with some serious conflicts of interest: first, where at least one potential suspect of the violence has been seen to play an influential role in appointing those who may ultimately prosecute him and sit in judgment. And second, where those appointed have represented—and still may be—those who are potential suspects.
The primary beneficiary of the sovereignty argument is the powerful. When the servant leader contends that it is simply about Kenya’s sovereignty, how come it is conveniently forgotten that it needed the entirely non-Kenyan panel of eminent African personalities led by Kofi Annan to patch Kenya—like Humpty Dumpty—back together again? It is true the servant leader has previously accused Kofi Annan of “baby-sitting” the country: but where would the country be if not for Annan’s quiet influence especially when the coalition government sparks into internecine in-fighting? Is the accusation really that Kofi Annan has usurped executive powers? It is impossible to ignore how the doctrines of “sovereignty” and “non-interference” serve powerful.
Yet, when the Kenya of the powerless was desperately reclaiming the country via the enactment of a new constitution, the servant leader blinked and dithered so much that he became the poster boy of the “watermelon”—green (“Yes”) on the outside, red (“No”) on the inside or as one cartoonist illustrated: “Yes–No–Yes."
So this is the point. The servant leader may be a leader of the powerless but he is really the servant of the powerful. This has all to do with the many contradictions engendered by Kenya’s political system and process. In time, he may even ascend to become the leader: of both the powerful and powerless. But in truth, the powerless should never expect him to be their servant.
Traveler's checks are turning to plastic.
Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL) February 13, 2006 | Borcover, Alfred Byline: Alfred Borcover Travel abroad is costly enough these days without getting nickeled, dimed and dollared to death every time you reach for your cash card, credit card or traveler's checks.
Everyone gets a piece of the action. Banks charge up to a $5 transaction fee each time you use an automated teller machine. Credit card firms add a markup (as much as 3 percent) on foreign purchases. A foreign bank may charge up to 10 percent to cash a traveler's check.
A colleague recently returned from Italy _ specifically Sicily and Puglia _ where he had difficulty using his traveler's checks at all. Most hotels, restaurants and shops refused to accept them for payment, he said. On the other hand, he reported, he had no problem using his ATM and credit cards. web site american express online
So what's the deal with traveler's checks? Are they on their way to extinction?
"Traveler's checks are nice to have if you have a habit of losing things or are traveling to a destination with a high crime threat, or to a very remote area," said John Briley of IJET Intelligent Risk Systems, international travel security specialists. "Otherwise, ATMs are virtually everywhere these days, with most accepting a variety of cards." Ed Perkins, a noted consumer advocate, advised: "Forget traveler's checks unless you're paranoid about security issues with plastic." American Express said its sales of traveler's cheques (AmEx's spelling) were up 2 percent in 2004 over the previous year, but didn't have 2005 figures. Visa said it doesn't release traveler's check sales figures "for competitive business reasons," but AAA, perhaps the largest purveyor of Visa traveler's checks, indicated that its sales were "flat," according to Justin McNaull, AAA's national spokesman.
What seems to be replacing traveler's checks are electronic check/money cards, which both American Express and Visa sell. The money cards look like credit or ATM cards but are pre-loaded with a set amount of money that can be drawn upon by any establishment that accepts credit cards. The prepaid electronic money cards carry the same security as traveler's checks _ if lost they are replaceable within 24 hours _ and they are not linked to your bank account.
"We have seen expanded use of the Visa TravelMoney Card and expect in the big picture travelers will transition from paper traveler's checks into the electronic payment cards," McNaull said. "The checks do still have advantages in some remote locations, though, where electronic payment has not yet become the standard." Part of the switch from paper to plastic is generational, McNaull opined. "I'm 33 and have never used traveler's checks. There are a lot of folks my age who never have." What's important for travelers to understand is the rapid move away from paper checks to plastic. "Typically, merchants don't cash traveler's checks," said Brett Henry, who manages AAA's traveler's check program. "We're seeing more and more around the world that merchants are less receptive to traveler's checks, given the environment now of accepting plastic products and getting immediate authorization." Henry added that traveler's checks for payment are more readily accepted in the U.S. than they are any place else in the world.
As for where to cash AAA's Visa-branded traveler's checks abroad, Henry said purchasers are given an information card with phone numbers for each country. Travelex Group, described as the world's largest issuer of Visa and MasterCard traveler's checks, cashes checks for free in its more than 700 city center offices and money exchanges in 97 airports around the world. Travelex check-cashing locations, including banks, also can be found online at www.cashmycheques.com.
Best advice for travelers is to carry what American Express calls a "diversified wallet," meaning a combination of credit cards, debit cards, local currency and traveler's checks/check card. With both American Express and Visa, ask for specifics about where to cash their checks for free. AmEx, for example, has that information on its Web site, but I found it difficult to locate.
Remember that if a power failure occurs and ATMs aren't operable, traveler's checks remain an option. A supply of dollars is always recommended too.
Now about those relatively new check cards.
The American Express Travelers Cheque Card, launched in 2005 and an upgrade of its earlier TravelFunds Card, carries a $14.95 issuance fee and is available from American Express online (www.americanexpress.com), at AmEx offices, some banks and travel agents, or by phoning 866-811-8832. The card can be loaded with up to $2,750, 1,500 pounds or 2,200 euros. It also can be used as an ATM card for $2.50 per withdrawal when you get a PIN. The card is good for three years but can be reissued for $5 and can be reloaded three times for $5 per reload.
The Visa MoneyCard, available from AAA (www.aaa.com/travelmoney; 866-339-3378) for an activation fee of $4.95, can be loaded with up to $1,500 and can also be reloaded, for free, a maximum of three times. The card, good for 24 months, can be used for ATM withdrawals for a $2 charge internationally, $2.50 domestically. The Visa MoneyCard also is available from National City Corp. (www.nationalcity.com/travelmoney; 800-257-8761) for $12.95. Issuing institutions set the fees for cards, not Visa. go to web site american express online
Once you've come up with a strategy for how to handle your travel cash needs, there are a few other areas you should think about. Among suggestions from consumer advocate Perkins on how to save yourself a few bucks:
_Don't let a foreign merchant bill your credit card in U.S. dollars rather than foreign currency to avoid getting hit with a lousy exchange rate and a bank surcharge.
_Don't exchange dollars for foreign currency at U.S. airports where the rate of exchange isn't favorable.
_Don't use credit cards to withdraw cash.
_Don't exchange traveler's checks at a hotel desk where the rates are generally very low.
One more thing that can save you grief: Protect your money. Take what you need when you leave your hotel room. Leave extra cash in the hotel safe. Diversify your risk as well as your wallet. Put things in different pockets, and men, not just your back pocket. As I once wrote, "A deft thief might get a hand in one pocket, but not three." And, when you hit an ATM, withdraw say $100 or $200, rather than making multiple small withdrawals. Also let your bank and credit card company know you'll be overseas. If they see unusual transactions, they can arbitrarily block your card.
And, as for the banks and their fees, well, most of us just grin and bear it.
___ Alfred Borcover: aborcover@aol.com ___ Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
Borcover, Alfred
Stay Informed
wonderful poetic piece of writing and totally on the mark! Seems to me that the urgent work in Kenya is again trying to prevent conflict and violence by 2012 or soon after, and how to make sure we get proper leaders rather than rulers. So what is being done to organize organize organize?