Public Lecture: East & Sub-Sahara Africa-Coming New Era, Mar. 10 2011 @ Embassy of Japan

Speaker: Mr. Katsumi Hirano-Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO), Japan

Date: March 10, 2011
Venue: Embassy of Japan
Location: Mara Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi
Time: 1300-1430hrs
Entry: Free
Tel: (020) 2898510-2

As African affairs will become a global matter of concern, the expanding regional economy of East Asia definitely needs more vibrant collaboration with the African counterpart.
The lecture will focus on such a perspective by explaining the recent development of economic relations between Africa and Asia including Japan, while touching on Japan’s ‘New Growth Strategy’.

Concert/Album Launch: Kennah & Checkmate live (unplugged), Mar. 3 2011 @ Secrets Lounge

The stage is set to host the most artistic writers in the said “Kenyan renaissance” starring two beat boxers, the best instrumentalists behind the instruments, the finest upcoming vocalists, Kennah & Checkmate.
They will present their album launch which will feature Pepe Haze, Jemedari, Monaja, and the ever versatile Man Njoro & will be introducing Keetu.

Date: March 3, 2011
Venue: Secrets Lounge
Time: 7-10pm
Entry: Kshs 400 at the door & Kshs 300 e-ticketing
Hosts: Kenna Checkmate & Wamathai

Play: Pillars of Society, Feb. 25-27 @ Alliance

Strathmore University Drama Society
Presents
Pillars of Society
By Henrik Ibsen (An Abridged Version)

Dates: February 25-27, 2011
Venue: Alliance Française Auditorium
Time: Weekdays 6.30pm and weekends 3 & 6pm
Tickets: Kshs 300 (Available at Alliance Française & Strathmore University)

Dial a Ticket no’s: 0727 271 728, 0737 157 030, 0724 206 215
Email: strathmoredramasociety@gmail.com

Media Round Table: Media and Politics, Feb. 22 2011 @ Alliance

Media Focus on Africa Foundation, UoN School of Journalism, The Media Institute and Kenya Editors Guild
Invites you to the Monthly Media Round Table

Topic: Media and Politics

Discussion Panel:
Njeri Kabeberi-Centre for Multiparty Democracy
Ann Njogu-CREAW
Barrack Muluka-Media Consultant
Dr. Tom Odhiambo-Lecturer UoN

Moderator-Kwamchetsi Makoha-Media Council

Date: February 22, 2011
Venue: Alliance Française Auditorium
Time: 12-2pm
Entry: Free

*Supported by the Netherlands Embassy.

Screening: Africa Rising, Mar 8 2011 @ National Museum

Screening of Africa Rising

Introductory Talk by Ms Judith Okal,
Advocate, Federation of Women Lawyers

In observance of the International Women’s Day, the Kenya Museum Society will present a special evening program to support the actions to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

A highly acclaimed film, Africa Rising will be screened following an introductory talk by Ms Judith Okal of FIDA, with the overview of the proposed Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Bill 2010

Portraying the indomitable grassroots movement in rural villages in Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and Mali. Africa Rising is an extraordinary film presenting an insightful look at a quiet revolution taking the African continent by storm.

Refreshments 6:15 pm
Doors Open   7:15 pm

Nairobi National Museum, Louis Leakey Auditorium

Ksh 500, Students Ksh 200
To book tickets:  0724 255299 or (20) 2339158

info@kenyamuseumsociety.org www.kenyamuseumsociety.org

Play: It’s now or never, Mar 4-6 2011 @ Alliance Francaise

IT’S NOW OR NEVER!
An Original Comedy by Festival of Creative Arts

@ Alliance Francaise 4th-6th March 2011
Friday 4th @ 6:30 & 8pm; Sat 5th and Sun 6th @ 3, 6 & 8pm
Tickets at 500/= adults (and Advance at 400/= for tickets purchased before 1st March). Ticket hotlines are 020-2025811, 0726-524124 (mpesa), 0734-524124, 0733-993654 (zap). Tickets available at HEN-TAGE Music Plaza (First floor 8to8 Shopping Mall) on Moi Avenue, Alliance Francaise next to View Park Towers. Email: info@fcakenya.org.

Kate (Mbeki Mwalimu) is the tough and domineering wife of Tim Tembo (Juma William) who is constantly humiliated and ridiculed by Kate’s family. Tim is a frustrated man but cannot leave because Kate and her family sustain him financially. Indeed, Kate has recently convinced her dad to give Tim a job at his law firm and club membership at her dad’s prestigious Country Club. Kate thus keeps a close watch on his every movement, from his workplace where she gets details of his comings and goings to the Club where he is required to socialise with club members who are known to her.

The couple has been married for more than 3 years now but do not have children yet, a matter that is causing Kate’s nosy mother, Maria (Shiko Mburu), sleepless nights.

Kate continuously harasses Susan (Veronica Waceke), their housegirl, who must bear the brunt of Kate’s wrath. Tim is also not spared and is a target of her frequent outbursts. In spite of her tough persona, Kate ends up entangled in an illicit relationship with Willie (Derrick Amunga), an old flame of hers. For solace, Tim resorts to a steamy love affair with Susan. It is his way of way of getting back at Kate. Kate’s alcoholic friend Julie (Nice Githinji) comes into the picture to complicate matters in a marriage already on the verge of collapse.

It’s Now or Never! is a refreshing comedy written in 2011 by Festival of Creative Arts. The comedy is very relevant to our society today portraying a family bedevilled by unavoidable problems. Life issues such as relationships and infidelity are mirrored on stage in a subtle and humorous rendition.  The play is an insight into societal problems of profound cultural and socioeconomic ramifications.

Ringtone: How Are You? Part of the Conversations in Silence Art Project

How are you? is a phrase that every mzungu (white person) entering Kibera – a slum in Nairobi – would hear. The phrase is chanted melodically by children there individually or in unison. For some of the children, it is the only English sentence they know. Others don’t understand its meaning, they just join the tune. It has become a ritual formed in a simple melody connected to the presence of white people in a slum.

How are you? is an art project by Karolina Freino & James Muriuki. It is developed as a mobile phone ringtone, created out of live recordings of children of Kibera in February 2011. It can be downloaded for free from the wap site howareyou? directly to a mobile phone or via a computer. The aim is to spread the ringtone world-wide, by advertising on the Internet and printed flyers. Please join us by downloading the ringtone to your telephone and forwarding it to others.

The project How are you? references complex postcolonial residues in our global economy, huge NGO industry, language etc. It seizes an innocent phrase that stemmed from dependence and power relation and requests for listeners’ reflection bringing this phrase to a conscious level. It dares to ask: how are you contemporary world? repeating this question whenever the participating mobile phone rings.

The work is created in a frame of a 5 month collaborative project Conversations in Silenceresearching issues of memory and commemoration within the Kenyan context. The project is organised through Goethe-Institut Nairobi.

Public Lecture: Obama’s Revolution-What lessons for Africa, Feb. 22 2011 @ Taifa Hall, UoN


Public Lecture: Obama’s Revolution: What lessons for Africa by Prof. Horace Campbell, author of recently published “Barack Obama and 21st century politics”

Respondents: Tom Maliti, political analyst and Njoki Njehu, Director, Daughters of Mumbi Global Resource

Moderator: Hakima Abbas

Date: February 22, 2011
Venue: University of Nairobi, Taifa Hall
Time: 5.30 – 7.30pm
Entry: Free

Prof. Horace Campbell has authored the following books;
1.Rasta and Resistance From Marcus Garvey to Walter Rodney
2. Reclaiming Zimbabwe: The Exhaustion of the Patriarchal Model of Liberation
3. Pan Africanists and African Liberation in the 21st century

Via Kenyanpoet

Theatre: It’s Now or Never! Mar. 4-6 2011 @ Alliance


Festival for Creative Arts
Present an original comedy
It’s Now or Never

Dates: March 4-6, 2011
Venue: Alliance Française
Time: Friday 6:30 & 8pm; Saturday and Sunday 3, 6 & 8pm
Tickets: Kshs 500
Advance tickets: Kshs 400 purchased by 1st March
Ticket hotlines: 020-2025811, 0726-524124 (M-Pesa), 0733-993654 (zap).
Tickets available at HEN-TAGE Music Plaza (First floor 8 to 8 Shopping Mall) on Moi Avenue and Alliance Française

It’s Now or Never! is a refreshing comedy written in 2011 by Festival of Creative Arts. The comedy is relevant to our society today portraying a family bedeviled by unavoidable problems. Life issues such as relationships and infidelity are mirrored on stage in a subtle and humorous rendition.
The play is an insight into societal problems of profound cultural and socioeconomic ramifications.

Synopsis
As a good wife, a lot can happen between your husband and your house girl under your own roof and watchful eye! In IT’S NOW OR NEVER, the house girl has her way with the man of the house. In deed she hopes to get him to leave the wife!