By BRIAN MUSYOKA 

Father Joseph Kirimi addressing congregants at Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Embu town.  MWINGI TIMES |Brian Musyoka

Speaking during a Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Assumption Parish, father Joseph Kirimi delivered a sharp rebuke, saying many leaders no longer deserve to be called “Honorable” because of their behavior in public.

Father Kirimi noted that the conduct of the politicians is a risk to the country as we approach next year's general election. “Some of our leaders have lost the moral ground. When you listen to them, you wonder whether they still deserve the title ‘Honorable’,” Father  Kirimi told congregants.

He lamented that politics have increasingly turned into a contest of insults rather than a platform for ideas and development. “Politics today has become a competition of who can insult others better. This is not what the people voted for,” he said.

Father  Kirimi who also serves the University of Embu chaplain reminded elected leaders that citizens entrusted them with power to improve lives, not to engage in endless verbal battles. “You were chosen to bring development, to improve our economy, to build classrooms, and to support our university students not to trade insults,” he emphasized.

He warned that the language used by politicians is negatively affecting families and shaping the wrong values among young people. “Parents are now afraid to watch television with their children because they don’t know when a leader will begin using foul language. This is a sad situation,” he noted.

 Kirimi also raised alarm over rising insecurity in Embu, accusing some politicians of interfering with justice by defending suspected criminals. “When wrongdoers are arrested, some leaders rush to demand their release, claiming they are their voters. This is making our communities unsafe,” he said.

He called on politicians to forgive one another and begin a new chapter focused on unity and service. “Let leaders forgive each other and start with a clean slate. Compete in doing good for the people,” he urged.

Senator Enoch Wambua speaks at the banks of Ithekethe river on Saturday.|MWINGI TIMES

Government officials and Kenya Red Cross staff recovered the man's motorbike but his body was still missing by the time we went to press. The rider was travelling from Kabati market to Tulia.

The local administrator warned residents to avoid crossing flooded rivers. "During rain seasons, avoid crossing flooded rivers.  If you must cross, wait for water to subside or ask for accommodation at a neighbour's home", said Senior Chief Thomas Munyao. 

The point at Ithekethe River where the boda boda man was swept away.|MWINGI TIMES 

Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua echoed the chief's warning lamenting that last year there were two similar accidents reported in the same area. He promised locals that he will collaborate with the national and county governments to ensure the river has erected guard rails to ease transport.  

"If you find Ithekethe river flooded, don't enter it even if you know how to swim. The river carries many objects including logs which can hit you and you end up drowning.  It is better to go home and explain to parents why you were late than us looking for your body after you are swept away by waters."

Recovered motor bike.|MWINGI TIMES 

Food also boosts our emotions. After getting satisfied, your overall mood is simply uplifted and many people get peaceful at such.  Auguste quotes that good food is the foundation of genuine happiness. Families have notably used this moments of sharing meals to strengthen their bonds and have great moments around the dining place.

Away from the normal static home dining settings kinetic kitchens have now emerged. They are not only locomotive but also richly appealing in greatness curated from their savory menu. The art of street food begins back in the ancient urban civilization age. Different products such as bread and fish were sold on the streets to satisfy the economic needs of the seller and needs of his customers according to Medium’s history of street food in the ancient China .

The art of street food has been spread all over nations with developments in different countries like The United States of America, where street food festivals are held annually. In Arizona( USA) February is not just a month, but also a time for the annual Street Eats Food Truck Festival which sparks in the wide areas of Scottsdale. This is a premier culinary event, conducted in over 50 trucks, with a great and mastery array of dishes . 

A good festival goes hand in hand with good food without forgetting the spice of quality music. Cooking demonstrations are also carried out in this event. A wide number of families and friends attend to not only enjoy, but also learn of new dishes and their preparation procedures. The culture has been spread equally across different countries through to Africa.

In countries like Kenya and Uganda, street food is bussing and it is  a common snack for people preferably in the evenings after their daily engagements. Kenya’s street food is not only economically oriented but in a wider perspective a thrill satisfier. The diversification of street food in Kenya make it a very interesting field of food paradise. From sizzling nyama choma and mishikaki joints to smokies and eggs, roasted and boiled maize, and ice cream joints all this consist of the popular choices on the street food menu in Kenya.

You can’t miss the aroma of mishikaki skewers grilling on street corners, or the smell of mutura calling out hungry passersby. 

Evening skies are flooded with nice aromas and huge smoke from the grills of these street food which is a culture. Every of your desired street food is up for grabs at a simple and cheaper price. Recruitment for new members into the street food industry happens with one visit and one bite only. One can never miss a perfect match for their needs in savory  street foods. The industry of street food is pacing fast with a wide interest from students in the Universities who are the major promoters of such markets.

 University students are fully invested in promoting such markets from the limitations of lack of the desire and time to cook and also the deliciousness served with every bite of their local street food. A popular street food among university students is the “smocha” which is a combination of the traditional chapati roulette on smokies with kachumbari and a finishing sauce of either tomato sauce or “choma sauce”. Smocha is widely loved among students and Kenyans in general and it can be served with a cold drink or fresh juice. 

The prices of street foods also make the foods very favorable for everyone to have a bite at the convenience of their pocket. Innovation is normally a catalyst of success in any business. Kenyan street foods are reimagined every day with new inventions and different combinations of food being discovered daily.

As street food culture keeps developing and improving, we realize that its not just about the food , its about the experience .Street food in Kenya is about community engagement, sharing stories and laughs with strangers. This is also a moment to pause from the daily engagements of work and unwind in a spectacular manner. 

Street foods also act as major appetizers for most people before they sit for their supper. Across all the counties of Kenya there are different street food options and ideas and all this reflect a diverse culture from Kenya. Meals are no longer confined to the basic delicacies prepared in different homes but also around the curiosity of new tastes and bites in the streets .The prices of street food also make it very favorable for everyone to take a bite at the convenience of their pocket.

It is at this time that vices gobble up whichever little time is left outside class and end up with permanent regrets and irreversible errors that haunt us forever. This can, however, be averted by sober and responsible engagements that are value adding to our long term livelihoods whilst still affording us the youthful pleasures that we all need and keeping our studies in focus. Here are simple yet very effective ways to realize this.

First build long lasting relationships. A university like Chuka University is a melting pot of multiple cultures, religions and all creeds of people from all over the country and beyond borders. Friends that one makes while in the university can go a long way in being crucial career and life pivots. This is the last institutional school stage for many, and that classmate, roommate or even lecturer can turn out to be your first job connection. So keep progressive and loyal friends while forging important and impactful relationships with people around you for tomorrow might call for their services and help.

Secondly is networking and socializing. There exists a faulty attitude held by campus students as far as approach to career progress and school time is concerned. Most students assume that, with good grades, an irreproachable Attachment or Practicum recommendation and some lucky connections out there is all they need to get a job after graduation. 

Newsflash, career placement starts right from your first year of study. Through the various networks you build in school, volunteering and participating in various events held around school, you lessen the hustle of a job search once you clear. Indeed, many students are already working part-time for companies and people they met during events such as Career Week, Cultural Week, Motivation Talks and Public Lectures. Attend those events and actively participate what is in line of your passion.

Thirdly start pitching your ideas and proposals early. Do not wait until you are an alumni to start running around with your mega project and business proposal. It will be too late. Do not stash your idea away no matter how untimely or green it seems. The university is where the best brains and facilities are. Draft your proposals, projects or those film or book manuscripts early with daily and gradual progress. When you are through, take your ideas to relevant quarters such as Unit lecturers you are comfortable with, mentorship offices and any other avenue you might have in mind. It might surprise you that, once outside the campus, time and resources become acutely scarce and expensive! Even friends and relatives seem a different kettle of fish altogether from the everyday helpful folks you knew before.

Fourthly plan and shape your lifestyle. It is said that as a person grows older, he or she becomes more set in his ways. This means that certain lifestyles, habits and character you adopt now and stick to will become harder to drop as years move on. The cue then is, for you to embrace healthy and safe living. Avoiding reckless drinking, irresponsible sexual indulges and any other vice that might become impossible to shake off later in life.

Last but not least, have fun and venture new grounds. “Apart from your class experience, what else do you have to show us?” This is a question that will invariably confront you at one time in your job hunting. You do not want to fumble and stammer hopelessly trying to recall anything to fill the gapping vacuum. So, it is in your best interest to engage in such co-curricular activities around the campus that will make your resume reflect a holistic, dynamic and open-minded person. 

Get a sport, a talent or a hobby that you can really perform in. Join one of the many theatre groups, choirs, bands and approved clubs and societies that give a wider and long term fulfillment to their members. Also, do not hesitate to explore your talent as you study.

On 25th November 2024, the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) did a report on TFGBV,  under that year's theme " Towards Beijing +30: United to End Violence Against Women and Girls", in a 16 days of activisim campaign that was aimed at fighting against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and eliminating all forms of violence including the digital spaces. The report found that women especially, activists, professionals and journalist, face targeted harassment that undermines their safety and confidence while engaging in public discourses. This kind of harassment can lead to reputational damage which is further reinforced by false accusations and character damage leading to professional setbacks and emotional stress.

These professional online attacks target women to hinder progress in their professional disciplines, affecting those in leadership and in public roles. This leads to many women and marginalised groups to reduce their online activity to protect themselves from persistent harassment and prevents their participation in important online dialogues. 

Women are hence, forced to self- censor themselves to sound more palatable and by doing so this leads to the loss of authenticity, genuine expressions and their real identity is affected. TFGBV was reported to mostly affect younger and older women who are more likely to experience distinct forms of abuse.

UNFPA further expounds on TFGBV to include; the blackmailing by threatening to publish sexual information, photos or videos which is referred to as sextortion; image-based abuse which is the sharing of intimate photos without consent; doxxing which involves publishing of private personal information; cyberbullying; online grooming for sexual assault; hacking; hate speech; online impersonation and using technology to locate survivor's of abuse in order to inflict further violence among others.

All the mentioned above acts of TFGBV are punishable by law in accordance with the Computer Misuse and Cyber Act of 2018 and 2025. The Act define cyber harassment and cyberstalking as one of the criminal activities with some hefty penalties reaching fines of KSh. 20 million or facing a term of up to 25 years in prison. The Act equally criminalizes hacking, unauthorised interception of data and communications likely to cause another person to commit suicide. 

TFGBV has silently been normalised in Kenya and the online world and its further exacerbated by inadequate clear pathways to deal with this menace. Online abuse especially towards women and young girls is more rampant today with the increase in social media penetration in Kenya. With the use of Artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the rise, this has led to further exacerbation of TFGBV, increasing the risks of finding fabricated explicit images online. Without proper implementation of existing laws on AI use and further establishment of ethical guardrails on AI use, women will continue to be victims of TFGBV.

There is an urgent need for multi-stakeholder approaches involving Kenya Police; policymakers; the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4), which is mandated to oversee national cybersecurity: journalists and media enterprises; the civil society; the government and citizens should hold hands to ensure the safety of girls and women in online spaces which act as an extension for perpetrators to use against victims to further exacerbate systematic abuse.

The police stations which are usually the first line of abuse against crimes such as TFGBV and GBV, should be adapted to accommodate victims and set clear ways in holding perpetrators accountable. This will be achieved by collaborating with tech experts and legal experts to have a collaborative response. There is also need to establish psychological and legal support systems that are aimed at creating safe spaces for victims to be vulnerable and seek help and to avoid re-victimizing already wounded people as UNESCO suggests in their support of AMWIK report.

Media literacy needs to be emphasized by media practitioners and broadcast stations to sensitive stakeholders stakeholders on TFGBV as a grave issue affecting not just women but everyone and the media should provide ways to combat it. For freedom of expression to remain both robust and responsible,  this generation needs to be trained on media literacy and legal literacy.

Media literacy and civic education must operate symbiotically to have an informed citizenry and responsible social media users, who are careful not to push TFGBV and who are aware that they can be held accountable for their careless actions online. 

Content creators and influences need to create more awareness on TFGBV and combat the rise of fabricated intimate partner violence skits and staged sexual harassment videos circulated on social media as humorous, transactional, forgivable or as culturally acceptable. These skits further portray TFGBV as acceptable and reinforce a script that embeds prejudice, abuse and violence.

Society needs to stop shaming victims of abuse when they share their experiences online or offline since by shaming them into silence,  it further exacerbates the abuse.

Further research should be done on TFGBV in Kenya to help the civil society to pass specific laws addressing TFGBV and to help refine laws like The Sexual Offence Act 2006, The Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act 2010, The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act 2018 &2025 and The Children Act 2022.

For freedom of expression to remain robust and responsible, Kenyans must use technology as an ally to create conducive spaces for girls and women by equally fighting TFGBV for women and girls to feel fully human at home and in online spaces. Victims of TFGBV and GBV alike can get help through platforms like UNFPA which tackles technology-facilitated gender based violence through a global programme called, Making All Spaces Safe. They provide survivors with the response services they need, when and where they need it, according to their website.

In Kenya, gender offices have been established in many police stations and its mandatory for every police station to have a gender desk or office. However, further improvements are required to fasten the legal processes, fighting shaming of victims and creating safe spaces for victims.