Paul Olind

Arguing with these types...not worth it

@wa_ndei Lol, what? There can't be a good enough reason for that

@OlindPaul Fun fact: CAF is the only confederation in world football that demands a hosting AND bidding fee for its tournaments.

No doubt planning is a factor i.e knowing the technical requirements and still failing to incorporate them in building a new stadium or repeatedly renovating a stadium that somehow never meets requirements. However say the hosting fee for example is steep for a developing state

Vietnam gasoline price falls 19% after taxes removed amid energy crisis s.nikkei.com/4lZAFFe

@KibayaInTrouble I have no doubt everything will be fine by the end of the day I'm just wondering how other countries that are not Morocco, Algeria, Egypt or SA justify the costs of hosting it. I can't imagine the costs if say we were hosting it alone

@OlindPaul I don't get why guys are panicking. We'll be ready by AFCON. No country since 2012 has hosted AFCON on the year they won the bid for. Either postponed, cancelled or a substitute We as jumuia are actually the only one since that has made this much progress before the event

Several relatively poorer countries have hosted AFCON independently, building and delivering multiple stadiums. Yet within the EAC, Kenya and Uganda together are still struggling to prepare even three. Tempting to say it's points to planning but the costs being mentioned...

John Musembi Kyalo — The Minister Who “Misplaced” a Hospital In Kenya’s political folklore, few stories are told with as much amusement—and quiet admiration—as that of John Musembi Kyalo, the man who, depending on who you ask, either made a bureaucratic blunder… or pulled off a masterstroke. But long before he stepped into the charged arena of elections, he had already climbed to the very top of government administration—serving as a District Officer, rising through the ranks to become Director of Immigration, and eventually Permanent Secretary under both Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi. He was, by all accounts, a technocrat—methodical, efficient, and deeply embedded in the machinery of the State. But the true measure of the man—nicknamed "Kyalo wa Makindi" or "the forceful one"—was revealed only after he traded his suit for the unpredictable arena of politics. Except, politics proved less forgiving. He tried once. Lost. Tried again. Lost. And even after the 1982 attempted coup reshaped Kenya’s political landscape, Kyalo still couldn’t quite break through. Then in 1988, on his third attempt—and through the controversial mlolongo (queue voting) system—he finally entered Parliament. By then, he had learned something important: he was not a rally man. Not a crowd-stirring orator. So, he built a different kind of campaign—quiet, deliberate, almost surgical. He knocked on doors at night, speaking one-on-one, building trust in whispers rather than speeches. It worked. By 1992, he was no longer just an MP—he was in Cabinet, appointed Minister for Health by President Moi, a sign of both trust and proximity to power, aided in no small measure by his alliance with the legendary Ukambani kingmaker, Mulu Mutisya. And then came the hospital. It was during his tenure as Minister for Health that Kyalo executed his most audacious "clerical error"—a story that remains a hilarious and legendary footnote in Kenyan governance. At the time, the people of Makueni were suffering, traveling 60 kilometres to Machakos just for basic medical care. Kyalo saw the need, but the bureaucratic wheels moved slowly, and the funds were often earmarked elsewhere. Suddenly, a multi-million-shilling modern hospital began rising in Makueni with unprecedented speed, overseen by the Minister himself. When the ribbon was cut and the doors opened, a confused cry rose from Nyeri District. The political leaders there were wondering what had happened to their own planned facility in Mukurweini. With the straightest of faces, Kyalo launched a "thorough investigation" into the matter. His conclusion? A tragic, unfortunate clerical mix-up. He apologised profusely to the people of Nyeri, blaming the ministry’s confusion for sending Mukurweini’s hospital to Makueni. He promised to "correct" the error in the next budget—which he eventually did—but the deed was done. Years later, over drinks with close friends, the "forceful" Kyalo finally dropped the mask, admitting with a wink that the mix-up had been a calculated means to an end. He had simply decided that his people had waited long enough. A Final Farewell Kyalo’s voice, once used for quiet night-time persuasion and clever ministerial defences, began to fail him midway through his term. Diagnosed with throat cancer, he passed away in 1995 while still in office. He was buried with the full honours of the state, mourned by the President and the entire Ukambani leadership—leaving behind a legacy of a man who knew exactly how to work the system, even if it meant "losing" a whole hospital along the way.

According to CNN, based on satellite imagery, while the airstrikes have struck 77% of tunnel entrances to underground missile launch facilities, within 48 hours most are reopened by digging out blocked entrances. thestatesman.com/world/iran-und…

I've got brand new data about American religion that was collected in October of 2025. And, folks... The share of Americans who are non-religious has dropped for the third year in a row. Atheists and agnostics are down to 5% each. Those are 2014 levels.

CAF report on Uganda. Hoima, Nambole pitches below CAF standards, far from ready. Officials didn’t bother visiting Akii Bua pitch. Everything must be fixed by August 2026.

Kenya’s fuel situation seems to be stable according to this article on Business Daily

🚨 CAF REPORT: KENYA NOT READY FOR AFCON 2027… YET 🚨 A new report from Confederation of African Football reveals that none of Kenya’s stadiums currently meet the required standards to host AFCON matches. Kasarani Stadium – Needs major upgrades including pitch, lighting, security, and VIP areas. Talanta Sports City – Still under development, with key plans and systems not fully finalized. Nyayo Stadium – Outdated, with no clear renovation plan. CAF suggests it may only be suitable for training. With time ticking towards 2027, serious work must be done and fast. The big question: Will Kenya be ready in time to deliver on AFCON expectations? #AFCON2027 #AfricanFootball

𓅓𓂋 𓊪𓂋𓅂𓋴𓇋𓂧𓅂𓈖𓏏…

Inside Trump’s Secret Deal to Deport Migrants to Cameroon...reportedly achieved by the US withholding UN funds to Yaoundé and currying favor by staying silent during Biya's fraudulent re-election and subsequent crackdown on civilians. Truly shocking. nytimes.com/2026/03/25/wor…

France withdrew an invitation for South Africa to attend a summit of Group of Seven leaders in June following pressure from the US, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Saddam Hussein's Iraq was, in many ways, more advanced militarily as a country than Iran is; it had acquired some relatively decent air defenses for the time; as much as it could; it sought to create a strong conventional army. Iran's regime also had air defenses, but it could never decide if it was going to be an IRGC-led force or a conventional military; it squandered investments, and choose to invest in things like the ballistic missiles, starving its regular army. Under sanctions and isolated it proved to be a bit of a paper tiger in terms of these issues; and Israel's air force was so much more advanced in the June 2025 war that Iran was not able to do much; and now it is even more weakened. Iran has punched far above its weight for years because of its investment in proxies and taking advantage of weak states and then bankrupting countries that it then fills with proxies; and also took advantage of appeasement.

Kilifi was still the best location for the plant. A huge loss for the county. At some point, the government has to confront the anti-coal and anti-nuclear lobbyists. Good for Orengo standing firm when the Luo council of elders started speaking against the project.

True, a real narrative-busting page which always helps in keeping everyone in check

We've said a few mean things about Substack. But if data-driven articles are your cup of tea, you can always subscribe to us. There's evidence Kenyans are hungry for well-researched, data-driven deep dives, and that's what Stats Kenya is all about.

Obviously none of the scenarios described here (seizing various islands, blockading Iranian oil exports) are a "final blow" in military terms But they're not even necessarily a victory image that Trump can point to and end the war. If you seize an island and Iran won't make a deal to get it back, then you have to hold it and defend it. Iran gets a say in whether your "final blow" is actually the end

@FrankHook Perhaps but yes a convenient way to "abstain" without abstaining

@OlindPaul Yeah. That's as good abstaining. Unless they weren't present?

Lol, Oman abstained...those in Jumuiya understand