Solomon Kimuyu spent years in Dallas and other areas of Texas, studying in Baptist schools and working in Baptist churches and institutions. But he returned to his native Kenya this past year to run, unsuccessfully, for parliament.
Click here for a Baptist Standard story that gives some background on him and quotes him on Kenya. And keep reading below for his extended reflections on the situation in Kenya and the violence that accompanied the recent contested presidential election there:
Leadership Crisis in Kenya——-Copyright by Dr. Solomon Kimuyu
Kenya is a nation located on the eastern shores of Africa, most famous for wildlife safaris, Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Victoria and as a holiday haven for Europeans. But like many developing nations of the third world, Kenya struggles with high rates of poverty, diseases, infertility, and mortality.
Kenya has over forty tribes that each has their own language and customs. However, they are united by two official trade languages–Swahili and English. Swahili is a lingua franca language uniting Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. In recent decades Swahili has become the choice of other border states for the purpose of trade. East Africa is an important region to the governments of the north, and is Key in American’s foreign policy to fight the wars on terror and drugs.
Kenya’s economic muscle is larger than of Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi combined. It is worth mentioning that Rwanda and Burundi have recently (2007) joined the former East African community to boost their economy. For example, one can buy one auto insurance policy (Comesa) for traveling within the five nations. For the first time in recent years Kenya is operating at 97% of her total GNP, borrowing 3%. Kenya government statistics indicate that during the last five years the poverty level fell from 56% to 46%, a sharp contrast to the high levels of previous years. After Kenya’s independence in 1963 the poverty level skyrocketed from 20% to 56%.

religionblog.dallasnews.com

By BILL NICHOLS / The Dallas Morning News
In 1968, the biggest names in golf gathered at exclusive Preston Trail Golf Club in North Dallas. They had come to honor Byron Nelson before the inaugural tournament bearing his name.
The Salesmanship Club of Dallas acquired Nelson’s blessing hoping to stabilize a nomadic tournament that had changed names six times in 14 years. It was thought that Nelson’s popularity would attract top players. They would in turn attract fans, who would in turn raise funds for charity through ticket sales.
The banquet at Preston Trail provided confirmation. Ben Hogan was a featured speaker. Jimmy Demaret sang. The crowd included Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Lee Trevino. Nicklaus would win the Byron Nelson Classic twice. Tom Watson went on to win four times. Raymond Floyd, Ben Crenshaw, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods – all have been Nelson winners.
Forty years and $100 million in charitable earnings later, the EDS Byron Nelson Championship is looking for stability again.
D.A. Weibring, who led the TPC Four Seasons at Las Colinas redesign team, shows off the new-look par-3 17th hole – sure to be a spectator magnet.
Nelson, the main draw, died in September 2006 at 94. When players arrived for last year’s event, the first without him, they were greeted by bumpy greens. Festivities honoring Nelson were overshadowed by complaints about course conditions at the TPC Four Seasons at Las Colinas.
Several marquee players didn’t even show, alienated by the course and the tournament’s spot on the schedule before the Wachovia Championship and the Players Championship. Tiger Woods hasn’t returned since missing the cut in 2005.
This week, on the Nelson’s 40th anniversary, officials are actually hoping the course will steal the spotlight. The remodeled TPC is as vital to the future as Nelson was in 1968.

dallasnews.com

McDonald wonders if he could even run his Andalusia cotton gin without the migrant workers who come into the state from Mexico — he said it’s hard to hire local workers for just a season, regardless of the wages.
“The situation we have without the migrants — it wouldn’t matter if we paid $7 or $37 an hour,” said McDonald, who has hired migrants for 12 years at Covington Gin Co. Inc., about 90 miles south of Montgomery.
He said it’s a job that doesn’t appeal to most Alabama workers.
“It’s a seasonal job with no benefits,” he said. “And we’re talking about something that makes a lot of economic difference to our operation.”
But some legislators say they can’t make an “economic difference” their main concern.
Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, is sponsoring the Immigration Reform Bill, which is being co-sponsored by 26 of the 35-member Senate. Beason is working to crack down on illegal immigration and wants to require that everyone working in Alabama show a state-issued ID to prove legal residency.
“It’s really sad that some of these businesses are willing to sacrifice the future of the state 10 to 15 years down the road just so they can make a dollar today,” he said. “They’ve said it over and over again in our meetings that they will hire anybody.”
State Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks said farmers don’t want to hire people who break the law, but he said a federal program needs to be in place that allows Alabama the ability to have more legalized workers.
“Anybody that breaks the law, or has broken the law, should be sent back across the border,” said Commissioner Ron Sparks.
But he said there needs to be more of an effort to help both employers needing seasonal work and the workers seeking it legally.

montgomeryadvertiser.com

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Federal investigators have released an altered photograph of a Marine charged with killing his pregnant colleague.
The photograph released Friday shows Cpl. Cesar Laurean with darker skin and a dark beard.
It’s unknown if Laurean has altered his appearance, but the FBI said Friday the picture could help identify him. Investigators believe Laurean has fled to his native Mexico.
Laurean is charged with the murder of 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach. Both were stationed at Camp Lejeune.
Her body and the body of her unborn child were found burned and buried in a fire pit in Laurean’s back yard in Jacksonville.
Authorities believe Lauterbach was killed in mid-December, though her body wasn’t found until Jan. 12. Investigators believe Laurean fled the area Jan. 11.

wlos.com