Nigerian Blogger Linda Ikeji:When Blogging Pays Up Massively !

She has all the reasons to smile after putting her hand to event planning,modelling,book writing and blogging. Blogging paid off.On Tuesday she put up a blogpost flaunting her new 24 Million Naira Range Rover  and since then many Nigerians have turned to blogging to see whether fortune can come knocking her way.

Linda Ikeji with three new Cars

We are yet to see a Kenyan make so much for blogging but the truth is we are heading there.Blogging is so influential case in point is Bizokulu post on being denied a Visa that earned him a second chance with the British Ambassador Christian Turner. However we are yet to see blogging translate into "serious cash" for a Kenyan Blogger. Most get by paltry handouts, tech gadget on loans, petty freebies and events. A few are having engagements with corporates that ends up with lump some payments and hardly a contractual engagement.Some have had to leverage blog associations with intent to generate collective influence, exposure and perhaps then get to the money.

Its true many will say money is not the motivation.But question is wouldn't it be nice  if blogging itself could pay as much as it has done for  Perezhilton, Huffington Post and the Linda Ekeji's of this World ...and if not can it at least self sustain the blog and the blogger? For that to happen however question is are people willing to engage you financially due to the content you write.That can be a ready telling fact.

But that is not really it with the case of Linda Ikeji, she operates a freemium blogger platform , has massive traffic  and a global rank 2,077. What is perhaps telling is that majority of her traffic is Nigerian.It therefore is an indicator that perhaps muchof what she is making is coming from Nigerian based company's or global company's that have an interest of reaching the Nigerian Market.
Point being is that if Kenyan bloggers are to make it rich  then they have to have locally appealing content ,get steady readership and develop influence value that can be sale able to the corporates.

Now if you think you can make money from blogging in Kenya such as Linda Ikeji has please note that it has been a long time coming for her(actually around 7 years), it took hard work, the right kind of content and perseverance.  The best advice really would be keep blogging, write relevant content, be authoritative and not just a rabble rouser and keep at it. You will find it rewarding in many senses(cents)!

African Media Leaders Team- Launch A Campaign Against Hate Speech !

Johannesburg, 23 July 2014 - The countdown to the 2014 African Media Leaders’ Forum (AMLF) has begun with the launch in Johannesburg today of a campaign against hate speech. The campaign will be carried out online and on a full range of media platforms, and will be the main theme of the 2014 AMLF, which is scheduled to take place from November 12 - 14 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The theme, ‘Turning the Page on Hate Speech in a Changing Media Environment’, will serve as a call to media leaders and operators in Africa to lend their full support to efforts to turn the tide against the rise of hate speech on the continent. Concerned by the surge of intolerance and hate, the growing level of discrimination and the rise in ethnic and religious fundamentalism, the African Media Initiative (AMI), rallied key partners and stakeholders at a regional workshop held in Rwanda last May to agree on an action plan against hate speech in Africa. AMLF 2014 is a continuation of the commitment of AMI, the parent organization that hosts the annual forum, to ensure that media contributes to a culture of peace and tolerance on the continent.

Speaking during the launch, AMI’s Chief Executive Officer, Eric Chinje, pointed to the role of media leaders “in ensuring that media in Africa rises to the challenge of consolidating democracy and responding to the needs of a continent that aspires to emerge as a global economic player”. Media will play that important role, he said, "if the basic tenets of journalism were recognized and respected by professionals, and balance and fairness in reporting became the norm everywhere." Recognizing the challenges that media in Africa face, he pointed out that AMLF 2014 will offer a set of roadmaps with concrete steps for addressing some of the core challenges faced by media on the continent.

Speaking at the press conference, Jay Naidoo, one of the Co-Chairs of this year’s AMLF, recalled the battles fought and sacrifices endured by many in his and earlier generations of South Africans and underscored the significant role played by international media in the demise of apartheid some two decades ago. He noted that AMLF 2014 will help shed light on an issue that continues to tear apart people, communities and nations and impede the emergence of a prosperous Africa.

Six years after its creation, it will be the first time that Southern Africa plays host to the AMLF. A National Organizing Committee (NOC) was set up and its members were officially presented to the press during the campaign launch: Thebe Ikalafeng, Chair of Brand Africa, Louise Vale, Executive Director of the Association of Independent Publishers, Anton Harber, Professor of Journalism at the University of Wits, Ingrid Louw, CEO of Print and Digital Media South Africa and Mathatha Tsedu, Executive Director of the South African National Editors’ Forum.

Speaking on behalf of the NOC, Mathatha Tsedu said that the time was ripe to address the issue of hate speech, especially in a year when two nations - South Africa and Rwanda were commemorating 20 years since the end of apartheid and the Rwandan genocide, two of the most heinous crimes to have been perpetuated on African soil.

AMI Board member Dele Olojede congratulated the organization’s management team for its choice of this year’s theme and urged the media community to demonstrate its ethical commitment to turning the page on hate speech in Africa.

AMLF is scheduled to take place at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Johannesburg.

How To Succesfully Add Facebook Comment Box/Plugin To Your Blog !

Successfully adding a Facebook comment Box has been a hard nut to crack for many bloggers who lack the technical know how.This is especially so if you are using the new interface blogger template. The code provided at the Facebook Developers page hardly renders thereby proving frustrating to a blogger who desires to incorporate the same into his or her blog. A search online on how to incorporate the code often times yields false starts,queer pages and your just too complicated instructions.

However thanks to the blog: blogofblogger one can get simple but detailed step by step instructions on how to install the Facebook Comment Box Plugin.It goes without say that Facebook is the most popular social network and if people are able to share or comment on your blog post ,then the bloggers article is rapidly spread over a massive friends network.The benefits of having a Facebook Comment Plugin is actually immeasurable and for serious bloggers a must have.Its true that Google wants to compete with their Google Plus (G+) comments initiative but they pale severely in comparison to Facebook.

Social networks have basically pushed traditional blogging to a backseat therefore an intelligent blogger appreciates the need to re invent his blogging by adopting a cross platform blogging technique and that is made easy by Facebook comments.Hence if you are blogging and are hardly on Facebook consider  reinventing your blog ,the benefits are immense

Back from A Blogging Hiatus-With a "Casual Courier" Tip !

Yes i am back...blogging again.The Hiatus is over, it actually needed to be. Interestingly this blog has its fair share of loyal readers for whom i am indebted and yes i promise to keep them regularly updated with whats up in the social sphere.

For some time now i was realigning my career goals with what would truly satisfy and make me happy inward and outward and that was an interesting period.I experienced a lot of learning had to make a lot of sacrifices and now i am starting to experience the dividends.For the time i have not been blogging i have brushed up on my french,taken my culinary skills and knowledge to a new height and given my family my all- that is so satisfying!

In fact i am out to launch a new blog that would take the term "food critic" to a new height within the African context.So catering establishments, the myriads of food shows sprouting up on local television shows better up their games.Use of french culinary terms does not impress me unless they are coupled with the requisite technique and skill.

Back to my blog , i was unpleasantly surprised that 'thanks to webring.com' this site was being automatically redirected to their home page.Now that's the kind of behavior that i do not tolerate nor allow for a third party website plugin .Consequently i have had to remove the link.

Speaking of interesting things on the web; i just read an interesting article on the British News site "The Telegraph " on how this reputable UK courier services company are paying ordinary citizen van owners to become "casual couriers" by transporting small parcels and packages along their travel route-now that's an interesting concept!Though it comes with its own intrinsic challenges but what an easy way of using technology in making money(see Wikipedia article ),however that's not the only ingenious courier product that the British Company Anyvan Ltd has come up with a visit to the site reveals interesting concepts on courier delivery.

Its such interesting concepts and actions on the Internet that keep me blogging .Therefore continue reading this blog for interesting tips ,techniques and advice who knows your light bulb may just light up!

Global Voices Summit 2012-Coming to Nairobi

The Global Voices Summit  will this year be held in Nairobi(The City Under The Sun)-Kenya on the 2nd July and 3rd July 2012.The  event convenes bloggers, activists and technologists for public discussions and workshops about the rise of online citizen media movements worldwide and will feature both local and international GlobalVoicesOnline contributors,editors and authors.The last event was held in Santiago Chile in the year 2010

The twitter handle for this years event is: #gv2012.The fact that the event is being held in Kenya goes to highlight the rise,prolific nature and development  of the Kenya Internet,technology and Communications(ICT) sector and its global appeal. It is my sincere hope that the Kenya ICT board will take advantage of such forums to highlight Kenya's gains in developing ,promoting and enhancing internet connectivity which makes it possible for the utilization of social media platforms by a wider majority of the population and the creation of local content and expression of diverse opinions.

The Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2012 is being sponsored by: Google, Hivos, MacArthur Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, Adessium Foundation, Knight Foundation, Omidyar Network, and Yahoo!.

As a Kenyan author i will be privileged to attend the conference and will keep the readers of this blog informed about some of the interesting and insightful snippets that will be discussed at the workshops.

Best African Blog at The World Media Awards

I am  happy to announce that this blog has just been voted as the "Best African Blog" in the World Media Awards website on Saturday 25 February 2012.This especially so due to the post on Nairobi Nights featuring a Kenyan Prostitute that was recently featured on Al Jazeera and other international media outlets.

Among other blog that's won awards at the World Media Awards include:

• Live Tricks- Best Blog Design
• Jason Keaths "Social Fresh" -Best Social Media Blog
• Marie Forleo-BestVideo Blogger
• Allyssa Milano-Best Celebrity Blogger
• Ken Davenport 'The Producers Perspective'-Best Entertainment Blog
• Brian Solis-Best Guest Blogger
• Wonkette-Best Political Blog
• Shangaiist- Best Asian Blog

 It is quite an honor to be reckoned among the Worlds Greatest bloggers by a panel of Jurists from different Countries and this just goes to indicate that the African blogosphere has matured and is a source of credible, informative ,inspiring ,captivating, resourceful ,entertaining ,and newsworthy content! I count the recognition not only as a win and an honour to this blog but to all the creative African bloggers out there and their readership.Continue informing,engaging and influencing your online readership.Thank you all for keeping it locked on this blog!

The Internet Blogger's Awards !

Why YOU Must Participate: The Internet Blogger's Awards(2011)
 (guest post by  "Murray Newlands")



One can find numerous remarkable bloggers and publishers doing excellent work, and those who stand out deserve to have their hard work recognized, relate with each other, and see their readerships grow. That’s why the World Media Awards exist- to recognize and reward great contributions to media from bloggers and publishers.

In my own career, I’ve learned and benefited so much from others that I wanted to help establish some way to give back to an industry I love show appreciation to the up-and-coming leaders. The World Media Awards will culminate in a 1 day event in San Francisco that will celebrate the best in blogging, forums, publishing and media from around the world.

So if you are a first class blogger, why should you enter?
   
1. Get Recognized- You Deserve It

 You put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into making your blog incredible. You understand it and your readers know it. The World Media Awards is a way for you to get authoritative recognition from other bloggers and industry experts. That recognition will help you increase your readership, make fresh collaborative connections, and hopefully have great moments that make all the late nights even more rewarding.
  
2. Meet Other Bloggers Who Care

 Blogging, forums and most other online media is about conversation and interaction, but sometimes it’s easy to end up pecking away behind a screen in your office or home all alone. Meeting other bloggers and publishers keeps the fire lit and the conversation going. When you enter the World Media Awards, you’ll be listed alongside other bloggers and publishers who put the same level of satisfaction, attention and work into making their blog great.
  3. Expose Yourself to New Partners

 If your blog or forum is part of your business, being part of the World Media Awards will increase your exposure by putting your name in front of countless visitors to our site and the award ceremony. That means you can find out who else is doing very good work, strut your own stuff, and expand your network of contacts and collaborators.
  
4. Make Yourself Irresistible to Clients

What helps your chances at winning that next pitch more than extending your network? Telling that network that you just won a World Media Award. Winning an award shines a light on your achievements, and it serves as an example of the commitment, engagement and exacting standards you apply to your work.
   
5. Be Part of the Beginning of Something Big

 Because 2012 is the first year for these awards, you have the one-time benefit to be the inaugural winner and set the standard for the World Media Awards in your category. Getting in on the ground floor of these awards will open doors for you as a blogger and a publisher.

The bottom line is, the World Media Awards will shine a spotlight on the year’s most prosperous bloggers and publishers, and on the businesses and companies that serve and interact with them.

Now is your chance to be one of them.

The sponsors include Growmap, Pace Lattin, VigLink and Trancos.
World Media Award judges include Steve Hall, Sarah Austin, Chang Kim, Julie Wohlberg, Pierre Zarokian, Ivka Adam, Cheryl Contee, Krystyl Baldwin, Adrian Harris, Jeremy Wright, Rob Bloggeries, Dave Duarte, Tanya Alvarez, Dana Oshiro, Tom Foremski, and Judith Lewis. hashtag #wmads on Twitter.
Web Traffic Control and FeedBlitz
My Blog Guest,Murray Newlands is author of How to Make a Blog Book and Online Marketing; a User Guide. He is also founder of the Affiliate Marketing Awards. Born in the UK, he now spends his time in San Francisco and New York. Murray works for Audience Mindshare and consults for Trancos Ins as well as being an advisor for VigLink. Actually he is working on his new book: The Email Marketing Book.

Difference Between A Blogger and A Citizen Journalist !

Many of writers online use the two words blogger and Citizen Journalists interchangeably but as the online sphere develops and the issue is critically analyzed a dichotomy is starting to emerge.So is a Citizen Journalist and a blogger one and the same thing? what differentiates or defines the two? This question is pondered upon by Susan Cormier of the National Association of Citizen Journalist(USA)  in the following YouTube Video:





In an attempt at defining Citizen Journalism Wikipedia offers the following definition /opinion:

Citizen journalism (also known as "public", "participatory", "democratic",^[1] "guerrilla"^[2] or "street journalism"^[3]) is the concept of members of the public "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information," according to the seminal 2003 report We Media: How Audiences are Shaping the Future of News and Information.^[4] Authors Bowman and Willis say: "The intent of this participation is to provide independent, reliable, accurate, wide-ranging and relevant information that a democracy requires."
Citizen journalism should not be confused with community journalism or civic journalism, which are practiced by professional journalists, or collaborative journalism, which is practiced by professional and non-professional journalists working together. Citizen journalism is a specific form of citizen media as well as user generated content.

I believe differentiating the two offers fine lines for critique and Divergent viewpoints,question is which preceded the other? are the two terms mutually exclusive ?is there a point where the two converge? Well the purpose of this post is not to theories the application or definition of the two terms but to highlight the emerging trend of differentiating the two and to solicit diverse opinions on the issue-your take?

Sample Code Of Ethics for Citizen Journalists/ Bloggers

The following is a draft code of Ethics formulated at  a workshop in Beirut organised by the National Democratic Institute, and the Lebanese NGO ASWAT on "Citizen Journalism, Professionalism, and Ethics". The code was derived by young citizen journalists from the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, and Iran, along with traditional journalists, namely Kelli Arena [a former CNN journalist] and Magda Abu-Fadil [former editor at AFP].

Guidelines for Good Citizen Journalistic Practices

-Be accurate.

-Be transparent about who you are/your role in the story, your methodology, any conflicts of interest.

-Be fair.

-Disclose any funding.

-Be careful posting developments that not have not been confirmed or that you have not witnessed yourself.

-Do not distribute copyrighted material or plagiarize.

-Always link to original sources.

-Do not post anything that will endanger someone's life.

-Do not sell information about your subscribers or followers’ list. 

-Do not fabricate stories, or digitally alter pictures or video.

-Avoid profanity.

-Put a disclaimer before especially disturbing post.

The code is also available in Arabic & French Languages  
https://www.aswat.com/en/node/5698

I am certain that many of you who write content online will find this pretty useful!

Kenyan Bloggers Meetup !

If you are a Kenyan Blogger interested in improving your blogging skills and networking with some of Kenya's A List bloggers and other talented bloggers then sign up at BAKE (an acronym for Bloggers Association of Kenya) and lets meet at our first Bloggers Meetup/ Happy Hour this Friday 3rd  June 2011 at Kenpride, Utalii House From 6 pm.

(

Improve your interaction with other local bloggers both online and offline!

Expression Todays Magazine Interview

I was recently privileged to be interviewed by Expression Today Magazine February -March 2011 issue(published by Kenya Media Institute) on my experiences as a blogger and take on ethical issues in blogging in Kenya.If you did not get a copy here is the online rendition from their website ,the title of the item:Meet A Blogger

Nairobi Nights Blog: A Kenyan Prostitutes Building A Brand Online !

The Kenyan blogosphere has just recently been graced by not your usual blogger and not your usual genre: a street prostitute's experience and opinions including how the blogger allegedly escaped arrest by the police. The Blog is Nairobi Nights written by a self confessed Kenyan Prostitute under the pen name "Suzy".

I had the privilege of interviewing her for GlobalVoices online. In this interview she reveals more about her blog, some issues of concern to Kenyan prostitutes including security, legalization and what drives her to blog. here's her takethese issues(this interview was first Published at Global Voices slightly modified)



This is how she describes herself:

My name is Sue. I practice along Koinange Street, Nairobi. These are thoughts, observations and experiences from my prostitution world. Nothing of the soft, sympathy seeking topsy turvy kind. But straight talk, hard facts and real anecdotes. They are worth something.

Koinange Street is a major red-light district in Nairobi, Kenya.



At the time of writing, she had published 12 episodes with titles such as "Of Coming Out Of The Closet", "The Spiritual Role Of A Prostitute", "When Sex Is No Longer Sin" and "Just Call Me Malaya [Malaya means a prostitute in Swahili]".



1. For how long have you been blogging?

For about three weeks now

2. What is it that prompted you to come up with the blog "Nairobi Nights" and to document your experiences online?

I have been writing one or two things, some sort of diary about my work..But a close girlfriend of mine encouraged me to start a blog.



When i started writing my experiences and thoughts just started

flowing. And talking about my experiences and thoughts gives me some sort of relief.

3. I see in the blog you have hardly revealed any information about your identity and prefer going by the pseudo name/title "nairobi nights". What has prompted this? Any particular reasons?

I am not sure how people would react if they knew I am a prostitute. I have family, parents, brothers and sisters. I fear they would get hurt.My parents if they got to know would feel I have let them down. I also don't see any benefit of giving my real identity.

[caption id="attachment_189270" align="alignleft" width="385" caption="A road sign that reads: Attenzione Prostitute. Photo source: Adam Crowe's Photostream on Flickr"][/caption]



4. When i first read you blog, my attention was captured by your use of words, composure and manner of writing. I am sure many readers of your blog and the general audience would like to know what led you specifically to the trade? Correct me if I am wrong, is it a social misconception that the well educated and/or enlightened would get involved with this type of trade?

Sure and I have written about what society expects a prostitute to be. To some extent it is true. But interaction with prostitutes is so business like and at times in not sober circumstances. This does not provide room for men to gauge the prostitute intellectually. Even the 'not read' prostitutes have their experiences and views, but don't necessarily get to talk about to them to clients or friends.

As to why I got into it, I would say its a little complicated but I am planning on writing about it soon. I have started writing about it, but after the first paragraph, I found myself not wishing to write about. My strength and will were gone. But I know very soon I will be over it and write.

5. Often when people leave prostitution they ascribe having been drawn into the trade due to financial difficulties, family problems, rape etc. Is this always the case in your opinion?

Not necessarily, there could be many other reasons. Some with nothing to do with poverty but circumstances which shape a person's character.

6. I have just read your latest post on legalization of prostitution in Kenya. Whats your take on this issue? Do you think that this may be possible in the present "conservative" Kenyan/African environment?

I think there are advantages and disadvantages of legalization. For instance, police and city council harassment would stop if it's legalized, but then there might be so many locational or client restrictions, which may affect things like our income. Same way with the new alcohol laws. Its possible for prostitution to be legalized, but not any time soon. After the passing of the alcohol bill, the country, right or wrong, seems to be moving towards some sort of 'morality'. But it may change in the future.

8. Do you have a lobby group or support group that perhaps is assisting you in pushing forward this agenda?

Lobby group? No and I wouldn't want to be working for such. I speak for myself. If I work for a lobby group I would be speaking for all of us. I have no right to do so.

9. Do you think that prostitution has many inherent dangers as was exhibited in the latest case of the suspected Kenyan serial Killer Mr Philip Onyancha? What are the greatest dangers facing "street" prostitutes at the moment? [Phillip Onyancha is a Kenyan serial killer who is known to have killed people in his pass time]

The constant danger is you can never be sure what will happen when you go out with a man. Rape, death, drugs, non payment, lost of public respect. You can never know.

10. Do you believe that the present Kenyan laws accord prostitutes appropriate human rights, dignity and protection?

I cant exactly blame the law until prostitution is made legal. Maybe we could have some partial legalization. Maybe freedom to operate within certain areas at particular times, or something of the sort.

11. Back to your blog, what normally prompts your post?

I write what is inside me. An experience will come up and I will write about it..Some are more fresh or provoked by 'last night' happenings so I write about it.

12. Where do you see your blog at in the next few years to come?

I started the blog simply, with no really big ambitions. Some readers are encouraging me to be more serious about it but at the moment i have no major plans. I even don't know for how long I will write.

13. I had someone read your blog and they doubted that the blog is being written by a prostitute who plies the streets, if anything perhaps an upmarket call girl in some plush residential place in Nairobi: What is your response about your genuineness?

There is not much difference between the 'upmarket' prostitutes and some of us on the streets. I don't find it necessary or with an obligation to prove my genuineness to anyone at the moment. But time will answer the question about my genuineness, and very soon. When I sort out my conscience I will meet some of the readers who have asked to meet me.

14. I see you have advertisement on your blog, are there problems for you getting advertisers? I am assuming that some might not like to be associated with your content.

The one advertiser I have on the website approached me. I haven't gone out there seeking for ads. I am exactly sure whether I will do it and how advertisers would react. Its not a priority at the moment.



When people pay they will expect something from you, I will be under pressure to satisfy them and my thoughts wont flow as naturally as they do now. They might also be tilted towards making people happy. I did not want that at all. I want to get something out, not necessarily please or answer to someone.

15. You had a subscription model before on your blog, why did you change it?

When my girlfriend who encouraged me to start the blog read some of my pieces, she suggested I should make people subscribe, after a day or two, I felt its not exactly the thing I wanted. I want to write without any pressure.

Thank you Suzy for your opinion and perspectives revealed on this interview

Rising Voices Citizen Media Micro Grant

RisingVoices a Global Voices Project is offering micro grant funding for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or individuals engaged in Citizen Media projects outreach from underrepresented communities that are poorly positioned to discover and take advantage of tools like blogging, video-blogging, or podcasting . The fund amounts varies up to $4,000 USD.

For detailed application criteria and information on the types of projects eligible for the 2011 Micro grant funding, kindly visit the Rising Voices website for this years press release.
 
Qualified and Interested applicants are invited to submit their online application form at the following  Website Link before the application deadline on 4 February 2011 at 11:59 p.m, GMT.

Nairobian Perspective Blog- Now On Ovi Stores !

To all esteemed readers of the Nairobian Perspective blog. I am pleased to to inform you that you can now find this blog as an Application on Ovi stores.Be updated on the go via your mobile or smart phone. Go to Ovi stores Now ! and download the application ,we will keep you updated on  the latest  African content as it happens.






We optimize  your social media experience !

Kenya's Hottest Celebrity/Entertainment Blog: HotSecretz !

It is undoubtedly Kenya's Hottest Celebrity/Entertainment Blog and that is not an understatement !For the record this is not a sponsored post.The opinions are 100 % mine and legit. HotSecretz  as a blog has acquired the admiration of many online pundits and Kenyan blog readers.The blog is crisp ,attractive, incisive  and authoritative. Many Kenyans frequent it for the latest celebrity information tit bits ,snips, rumors and its elegant photos.

For its appeal, couldn't help but wonder who is behind this great work of digital art.Below is perhaps a first in Kenya - a bloggers fellow  online interview with the brains behind One of Kenya best infotainment blog Grace Kerongo:

So who is Grace Kerongo?

Grace? Well she is a simple girl," inherently shy" – you wouldn’t believe it – but learnt to embrace the extrovert in me.

When did you start blogging and why did you choose that particular niche to cover?

I have always wanted to read about the story behind the story especially on entertainment personalities or just get to know more about them. But never had an avenue till I started working for a teen magazine, The Insyder. Here, I had a valid platform to quench my thirst.  In 2007, the magazine started an online portal to which I contributed to in addition writing for the magazine. I was fascinated. It did not take long for the blog bug to bite. And it did. That is how Hot Secrets was born.

         What are your aspirations, passions with respect to the blog?

I envision a day when every house in Kenya will have a computer. They will need content to read and the more Kenya and African content there will be, the more myself and the blogging community will get the satisfaction of having our efforts appreciated by roping in a wider audience.

What motivated you to put up the blog?

Blogging for me was a chance to inform just one or two curious beings like myself on the inside world of entertainment. Please get this as well, not just the downright dirty laundry, the tears and the scandals but also celebrate the beautiful moments Kenyan personalities go through.

I still endeavour to bring that to the Hot Secrets readers.

There is something about your blog and its visual appeal...any background on photography or website development?

Why Thanks you. No background on both.

I would say it’s all blogger, lol. But I also wanted to provide a portal where the hardcore fans can download the photos for free and keep them, just because... You know!

Back them, when I started bogging, if I googled say for instance Nameless the only photo I got -if any- was a thumbnail sized. Now, things are different. For example, if a German promoter wants to read up on Kenyan artistes and see if he can hire them for his gig, that information is now readily available including their battles, their victories and their endorsements.

Any barbs or bouquets experienced as a result of your blogging?

I have had both. Barbs obviously come when you publish a not so flattering story about a personality and with the vibrant online community; the link is circulated on Twitter, Facebook and on email. But what I purpose to always do is get my information right and accurate, that way you can sleep easy at night.

As for the bouquet, yes, the rewards are immense. The network of contacts built and the trust you get from readers who come online to get information from Hot Secrets is rewarding on it’s own.

Another victory I can celebrate is the fact that corporate Kenya is slowly waking up to the fact that the internet is becoming stronger by the second. Now, I get stuff sent to me for publication on the blog – something that never used to happen back then.

Have you had celebrity feedback/appreciations?

Yes, they do appreciate, especially because some of Hot Secrets readers are in the Diaspora and that is where they also want top built a stronger fan base.

Where do you see your blog two years from now?

Moving from a blog to full-fledged site that provides not only news but other products as well.

Do you feel that Kenyan Celebrity Blogs will ever have the appeal or success such as that of American or British Celebrity bloggers ,the likes of Perez Hilton.

Of  course, who would have ever thought the Prime Minister would go to an theme night event that has young entertainers liked D’Banj and have a ball?

Thing are changing very quickly and those who are moving with the times are going places. Another example, recently Safaricom signed up a number of artistes who will get a good chunk of cash for a period of three years to endorse the telecommunication company. So therefore, once Africa embraces this untapped potential, nothing can stop scrupulous bloggers.

 Currently, I’m a showbiz columnist with The Star Newspaper for the daily column, Word Is…

NB/ The picture with me holding an award was from the Organisers of Chaguo La Teeniez for the Hottest Blog 2009.

There you have it, heard it first here at the award winning blog" A Nairobian Perspective" where we keep it all  Kenyan (.....well atleast sometimes) updating you on the best of African Blogs.

If you are not reading Hotsecretz Blog  you better start now because...."therein lies the secrets that great men have been killed for...beware! "

Disclosure Statement(Policy) For This Blog

This Disclosure Statement/ policy is valid from 15 January 2010


 This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

 The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.

 The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

 This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.


To get your own policy, go to www.disclosurepolicy.org

Lol for interesting contemporary bedroom sets i find this link adorable.

End Year 2009 Hiatus !

This post is definately not about the Mayan calendar themed  2012 the movie(the trailer is much more interesting than the movie) but just a sincere reminder to the fans of this blog that i will hardly be writing any posts from tomorrow 18th December 2009 as i will be closing for the year.I do not celebrate Christmas so i am not caught up in the hype but i appreciate the time that the holiday season creates for family,friends and an opportunity to tour around. Mombasa is in my mind though i have not made a firm decision .To all my readers who have made this blog a success in 2009 , i wish you all the best and all success.Take care and enjoy yourself.

Kelele African Bloggers Conference 2009 Postponed

When i first heard of Kelele: An annual African Bloggers conference i was very excited, optimistic and pessimistic in the same vein.Why? For one ,i was pleased that such a noble initiative that would result in the promotion of African Content by African Bloggers and lead to better communication,co-operation and networking of African Bloggers was being launched. On the other hand, i was certain that the initiative would hardly be a success if local corporates i.e. African Companies,NGO' s and Governments did not step in to fund the initiative.True to it, there was not sufficient local donors and the organizers were depending on international sponsors who due to the Global Economic crunch are cash strained to support ' non- fundamental/essential ' projects at the moment. So for the second time the KELELE AFRICAN BLOGGERS CONFERENCE had to be postponed.

The regret at the site partly reads:

"The inaugural African Bloggers Conference dubbed ‘Kelele’ (Swahili for Noise) has been postponed to mid 2010....we would like to apologize for this the 2nd postponement of the African Bloggers Conference—KELELE—which was due to take place from 29th October to 1st November 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya. There are two main reasons that have made this postponement necessary.


Firstly, the African Bloggers Conference is an initiative of several African bloggers and as the organizers, we required significant financial support to underwrite the event. Although many sponsors had initially expressed interest in being a part of this great undertaking, due to the prevailing global economic climate they did not come through as we had anticipated.
Secondly, it has been challenging to secure a truly pan African programme for the conference in the time we had available. .. If we had held the conference in the next two weeks it would have been an East African bloggers conference which we felt would betray our key aims.


To this end we took the difficult decision over the weekend to postpone Kelele again to the new year to give us sufficient time to secure all the necessary partnerships and resources while at the same time increasing the level of participation from across the continent".

That news definately has disheartened many bloggers in the continent but in the same vein encouraged them to more actively engage the community around them to see the importance of supporting such initiatives that can result in much good for the African Blogosphere.

Highest paying Jobs For Bloggers

Weblogs are an avenue for creating money and it is quite possible for bloggers to make much money equivalent to the highest paying jobs out there.What is needed is just to join a good affiliate program where a blogger can get paid for posting blog ads .I for one have been making good use of payperpost(now in its fourth version see link:PayPerPost v4.0 ) and so far despite my not being a guru have earned over a thousand dollars in the past one year doing sponsored posts and i did not have to be a Business blogger to do that.I write on current affairs and almost anything, That's something isn't it !So if you are a blogger and are looking for a high paying job online Payperpost is your first stop!If you are an advertiser Payperpost bloggers ensure that you get quality ads and maximum exposure all around the blogger sphere! You can get the best reviews for your products or services from bloggers like me with an online presence all around the world.I am proud to endorse payperpost as a platform for bloggers to make money from their blogging. If you are not a blogger, why not start now its so easy to make a blog, just go the website www.blogger.com, or www.wordpress.com or you can join up at Ning.Com to get a free blog.

Then sign up to payerpost here and start earning , it's that easy :

Kenyan Bloggers and Investigative Journalism!

Global Voices Online writter Ndesanjo Macha had a very good piece on investigative Journalism that certain Kenyan bloggers are exhibiting that i thought should be highlighted here for the benefit of my African readers. He reviewed certain posts that a popular Kenyan blog site dubbed "Kumekucha You Missed This" had published. I believe the piece is marveloous as it points out that some of the reports on the blogosphere may just be true and can stand the scrutiny of traditional journalism. Hence Kenyan bloggers blog on but continue to be factual:




Kumekucha 's latest blog post: Imanyara's Life in Danger or Just Crying Wolf?