INFURIATED FOLKS

We have parked outside this one establishment in a properly secured and secluded Northern Australia. My colleague and driver Frank has killed all lights. Outside the vehicle, the night's breeze seems to intervene amidst high tensions to slightly cool our senses.

In front of us lies a huge copper gate, probably seven foot high and a dimly lit perimeter wall. An orchard with cherries lines either side of a well-tanned road leading to the gate. We have specific orders to track down and extract a middle-aged woman. A journalist who has stumbled upon classified information on this place's activities and subsequently held hostage.

Security has been beefed up both in and outside this compound. Approximately twenty-five guards are manning this place, which seems to have a dozen activities going on spontaneously. Using A pair of binoculars with our four-wheel drive pickup disguised near the bush, Frank peeps inside as the gate is opened to allow a lorry inside.

On the edge of the perimeter wall, at least 150 feet from our position, the guards are offloading some huge bales of powder. The bales are white and seem to resemble 50 kg bags of cement. Frank swings the binoculars towards me, urging me to take a peek. I focus on the lorry that has just arrived and women are being helped out of it. This catches my attention as I scan through the girls to see whether our journalist lady is among them. We had been handed her picture and hence knew her stature, skin colour, hair type and the last outfit she was seen garbed in.

Almost thirty ladies are off the truck, and suddenly, a woman formally dressed in a black palazzo and white long-sleeve official shirt tries the unexpected. She breaks loose from the guard who was helping her alight the truck and quickly shoots forward towards the exit. All this happened so fast, and most of the guards were caught unawares with their focus on handling one package or another. 

One guard realised and set off the alarm at which point we could hear rapid gunshots being fired in the air. Frank realised this was our chance, and intuition made us confident this was the journalist. I Set my G3 rifle just on top of the lowered window on the front door of the pickup as Frank started the engines... the lady had now made it outside, and as wild shots fired behind her, she saw the back of our vehicle as her only refuge and escape from death. She managed to jump into the back of the pickup as Frank speedily drove off. The guys rained heavy fire on us as I tried to cover ourselves by firing a bullet or two.

Once we are far off enough, I watch a couple of guards limbering down the tarmac through the mirror on my door side. I assume they must be pissed off, and we both don't rule out the possibility of our pursuers launching a fightback to get back their most treasured asset - Lara, the journalist lady.

Lara had been an investigative journalist working with a French media vanguard. She had risen to the zenith of her career after successfully researching and compiling a drug-related homicide in the Central African Republic and hence gained a tremendous reputation. She had swept as many awards as the renowned Tyra Banks at her peak. However, this story she wrote about these folks - an Australian mafia sex trafficking powerhouse; and was published at AFP, where she has worked for 18 years, almost sent her career tumbling like the proverbial house of cards. Lara had a bottomless depository of knowledge in crime reporting, conflict reporting, war reporting and political analysis in relation to graft cases and institutional scandals. She was a gem at media and a feared writer who now had in her possession a drive containing the operations of this place we have just fled - according to her, registered under the company name Raven Logistics.

Sex trafficking and drug trafficking, among other heinous crimes the mafias were involved in, were disguised under the company, primarily registered as a road construction logistics company in Australia.

So, as we sped by with Lara at the back, we noticed within 7 minutes that two SUVs were trailing us... I immediately loaded my gun, and as we negotiated a sharp corner, Frank engaged the handbrake, and we promptly switched spaces, with Lara sitting beside Frank at the front as I crouched on the back of the pickup with a semi-automatic and loads of magazines scattered on the cabin around me. 

Frank shot off the car forward as soon as our assistants neared within touching distance of us. Boy, I rained bullets on them enough to hold them transfixed for a few seconds as we sped off again, leaving them with no option but to take cover.

My semi-automatic was a game changer; they were armed with mere pistols to teeth, but those weren't enough to turn the tables. So they had to let the dust settle before contemplating on their plan B. They lost us, and we got offroad and into a nearby forest where we abandoned the car and took our weapons and a laptop. We later set the the pickup ablaze and walked an entire 3 miles to a safe house my friend Frank had rented before  extraction.

At the house, we began laying down the story and wanted to know how we could get the hard drive to publish the story by sending it to her editor in Chief at Agence France Presse via email. We knew we had yet another fight and hustle before we could get the drive but then her answer left us with a greater problem.

" I burned the hard drive. It was too risky; I had surgery to stuff a Universal Serial Bus inside my left arm," she said, stretching out her arm, which had a 43-millimetre-long cut scar.

We knew we had an uphill task; we were not surgeons apart from the basic training back in the army. And it was something we learnt years back. We were from rescue units and we only knew best how to handle guns... would we make it through with a scalpel on our hands? 

Frank grabbed some vodka from a wine cabinet in the room; he went to the bedroom, where he came back with a study lamp and a first aid kit. I quickly popped open the vodka bottle and poured a glassful on Lara's arm. I offered her the bottle from which she sipped almost half of its content. We had no local anaesthetic and the alcohol, we hoped would help with pain. Frank pressed her arm against a table we were using as a working area. With the study lamp above her arm. I carefully slit her arm open and began controlling the blood flow with cotton wool and a suction pipe we were lucky to find at the place. Meanwhile, Frank ordered the house owner, who was a GP at a town hospital, to quickly get us two pints of B positive.

Twenty five minutes were enough for Tyrell to get to the place with the transfusion material. Lara was in immense pain and sweating a lot, we had managed to take out the USB drive, secured in polythene. Tyrell administered anesthesia and prepared her for infusion of the blood which I had to hold with my arm for some minutes. Lara was fixed in no time though asleep from the sedative effects.

As Tyrell left, Frank mounted the USB drive in the laptop and opened the only file in it. It had endless stories of a ring of networks operated by Raven Logistics and company "Penguin Ltd"

The writeups also detailed how Raven and Penguin were related companies and that the former was co-founded by a huge political figure in Australia who used the profits to fund his political ambitions. Penguin was a subsidiary company that had benefited from monies to the tune of $950,000 made away from government projects. The companies dealt in drug, weapon and sex trafficking into lucrative markets across Europe.

This grim news made sense as to why our pursuers stopped at nothing to recapture the lady who was now lying on the table recovering from a rather unprofessional surgery. As Lara woke up, she filled us in on crucial information and furnished us with her editor's email at which point we sent the whole file. 

She was relieved because the people she was fighting had thrown dirt at her career, accusing her of potential career-ending crimes; including a framed murder of her ex-husband Aston. She truly had everything to fight for, and boy, was she on the verge of winning now.

TORY WAN - SPREADING LOVE AND HOPE THROUGH HIPHOP

It was sometime in 2022 when a major source told me about the need to meet up with Tory Wan - an established Hip Hop artiste making tremendous waves around Mombasa and beyond. Since then, it took me not less than six months before we made contact with the artist with view of documenting a story concerning his music journey and life endeavours.

He is is busy finalising on his track in studio when I show up, welcoming me with a sweaty cold monster energy drink, we finally set up the place for an interview that would last 2 hours. Tory Wan explains that his love for music blossomed from the passion her mother had towards music as a craft. He would notice her mom vibing to music, singing popular songs that were playing on the radio. This was something her mom did with so much passion which then made Tory develop interest in doing rap music.

"It all started with my mum. Being raised in the streets of Mombasa, I grew seeing her singing while doing house chores. Since we didn't have a TV, the radio was our only option. She used to sing alongside the radio whether it was Taarab, Bango, Raggae or HipHop. She did it with passion and I could see it through her eyes," said Tory Wan.

Different from some artistes whose stage names bear no meaning, Tory explains that his stage name emanated from a fusion of his first name and family name. Some short forms here and there left him with the brand name Tory Wan.

"At birth, my parents named me Victor, because they saw victory in me. Therefore Tory is a short form of Victory. Wanyama is a family name and also my third name. In my stage name, Wan is a shortened version of Wanyama. So Tory Wan is a short form of my birth name Victor Wanyama." said Tory Wan expressively. 

Tory Wan likes art. Besides music, he is equally fascinated by other artforms including poetry which he has interest in, drawing and sketching. The rapper has got a lot of songs on YouTube and other streaming platforms like Boomplay, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and Sounds on Tiktok. Some of these songs include unconditional love ft Branjal, Black, Kache ft PMJ Academia, Zone ft Phillips, Honey, Narcos Frestyle, Narcos Freestyle 2, Ukinishika ft Kaka Dave, Best Choice ft Hakx, Baby Mama, I tried ft the Lejah.

"My biggest song right now is a solo project - Lovebirds. It is one of five songs which I released in a series as an EP (Afrocean Extended Playlist) in 2022. The EP which includes other jams namely Kuna Venye ft Tokal Beats, Promise ft Yohan 254, I don't Care ft Panzili Music and Story ft The Lejah became a success since all songs were gaining airplay in radios within the Coast region. As a result, Kuna Venye and Lovebirds are still playing on national TV (Citizen TV, NTV and QTV)" said the rapper.

The Kenyan rapper acknowledges all the artistes he was able to work with hailing them as special simply because they brought new ideas, freshness along with flavour to his music. He explains that he has learnt a lot from working with them and that the teamwork they shared has brought him this far musically.

"I would not limit myself to whom I should collaborate with or whom I shouldn't.  My dream is to collaborate with many and different artistes. My openness to collaborate depends on how we approach each other" said Tory Wan.

He clarified that music is a job and pays well with consistency and dedication, royalties are one way he has benefitted giving inspiration to youngsters delving into the industry that monetary returns are handsome in music.

"In terms of money, streams do pay. I don't wait for promoters or shows to pay my bills. Apart from money, music has created bonds and relationships, it has brought happiness and respect. Music has given me purpose and keeps my supporters entertained. Music motivates me. It is my life," opined Tory Wan.

On YouTube as Tory Wan, the rapper currently has 12 videos. His dream is to fill the O2 Arena one day. He anticipates his music to reach the deepest and highest places on earth as well as spread wider on every corner of our planet. Apart from music, Tory Wan works as a barman and waiter at a beach resort. He equally runs some small business of his own. 

"Rappers are like preachers. If you're in the game or want to enter the rap game then be a bearer of love and hope to the community.  HipHop is not about violence and drugs, it's all about building an image of hope and a better tomorrow for the community and its surroundings. Music gives purpose and music pays," affirmed the rapper.

On social media, fans can follow him on Instagram @iamtorywan, Facebook @Tory Wan. On Boomplay and other streaming platforms, one can follow him as Tory Wan and support his craft. One month shy of present time, fans should expect an album from the artiste which he has been cooking for a while now. According to him, musically, the juice has been worth the squeeze. 

FIRST FEMALE ASSISTANT CHIEF KALOLENI TURNED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CHAMPION

To the Coastal region, she is portrayed as a traditional woman who fights fervently to push ahead community work and advocacy campaign agendas that target mostly the youths and women. To Kaloleni subcounty, Juliet Mapenzi is an administrative executive working in the office of the president as an area assistant chief.

With a tremendous experience under her belt, she had to endure more than 10 years working for the community. A role she took without scruples. 

"I am Juliet Mapenzi Ruwa, a Kenyan lady aged 32, married and a mother of one. I am doing my degree in public administration and governance; I'm also a youth, women and child rights champion. Moreover, I'm also a founder member of Uwezo Development Initiative," said Juliet.

Privy, she boasts the recourse to lead her locale as an assistant chief, a job she enjoys as it graces her with the capacity to lead, build and develop Kilifi county from the grassroots with the onset of  devolution of the central government, which is now here to stay. Since her appointment to office, Juliet became the first female assistant chief to represent Mbalamweni; a sub location of Kaloleni sub county.

"Currently, I'm an assistant chief. I am the first female assistant chief in Mbalamweni sub location as there has never been a female deputy chief since independence," explained Juliet.

Unlike most chiefs, Juliet revolutionized administrative duties by standing up for her community through activism, advocacy and initiatives, intended to empower the rural woman and youth to live  unaided, independent lives, know their rights and societal responsibilities; something that contributes positively to the holistic development of social, economic and financial dynamics of Kaloleni and further beyond.

"I have worked for the community, with and by the community for more than 10 years whereby I have been able to champion for the rights of children, youth, women and people living with disabilities (Pwds). I have also been a leader in different platforms like National Youth Council (N.Y.C), Youth Democracy Ambassador, Action Aid Coast region coordinator, Sauti ya wanawake just to mention but a few," said Juliet.

Before she won a slot for her current job, Juliet labored as a volunteer. In her capacity, she managed to initiate the establishment of Uwezo Development Initiative whereby her main job was to recruit and help empower young women living in distress out of Gender Based Violence (GBV), by counselling, and passing to them life skills and economic development programmes focused on providing job skills to enable them sustain their lives.

Furthermore, it was not after employment as assistant chief, when she impacted lives of young adolescents in primary schools through formation of chill clubs where she personally impacted skills in young students on matters reproductive health, acting and public speaking.

In her day to day endeavours as an administrative leader, she focusses on voluntarily passing the skills she posseses in leadership and governance, reproductive health, saving, resource mobilization and micro credit to different youths and women groups within Kilifi county.

"Like Uwezo development initiative, I had the objective of initiating formation of various development groups and made sure that I took them through different trainings personally and also through the help of like-minded partners and made sure that they were sustainable and can run on their own. For instance, House of Talent Kilifi where up to date is an envied youth group which runs under minimal supervision from the seniors," said Juliet.

The resilient lady runs handy, successful campaigns on human rights, children, youth, women and people living with disability. In with it, she drew inspiration from Mekatilili wa Menza, a dominant pillar of strength for the mijikenda community which is one of the largest ethnic groups within the Coast.

"Born in 1840's as the only daughter of five children and from a poor family, she endured what you and I do everyday as women. She got married and later became a widow, which gave her more freedom to become a woman leader. She was very passionate about her people, as one of her brothers had been snatched by Arab slavers, never to be seen again. She led the Giriama people in rebellion against the British colonial administration and participated in policy making actively between 1913 - 1914. She was imprisoned twice but managed to escape from Busia and north of the Somali border area respectively. Shouldn't such a figure be any strong woman's role model?" Cringed Juliet.

" She is a woman that I drew inspiration from and still do to date. Being a woman leader in the pre-colonial era was no easy task. You can imagine if today, women in leadership have to be able to hold their own, what about those days? She teaches me something new everyday," she affirmed.

According to Juliet, she opines that for instance, perseverance is something she draws from Mekatilili wa Menza. She explained it to me that we can do all things if we set our minds to it. Mekatilili walked thousands of kilometres to get to her native land each time she was captured. 

"Why would I let my problems get me down. Some of them look so silly and minute compared to whatever Mekatilili went through," said Juliet.

Speaking of courage, it is evident how standing up to the British took a lot of bravery. They had arms, incredible numbers and in short, the odds were against her. But she pushed on. With regards to respect, Juliet looks at it from a different angle. In her own entitled opinion, she thinks that today, women command respect by taking to the streets but Mekatilili taught us respect can only be earned. Not demanded. Mekatilili earned the respect and loyalty of her people, including men by being a woman people could look up to.

Mekatilili embodied the values of her community, upheld them and their culture, despite the fierce opposition from the British. How did she do this? The success of her campaign was in part because she called women together and drew on the tradition of 'Mepoho' a female prophet who predicted that land would deteriorate, youth would not respect their elders and the Giriama would no longer bear healthy children.

"All in all, I think that we should all endeavour to be like this woman. We should not give up and we should learn to earn respect, not demand for it. Someone once told me, cheap manifestation attracts cheap attention. Being a grounded woman will command request for reverence more than asking to be respected for merely being a woman physically and biologically," explained Juliet.

Currently, Juliet is a mentor for the young women in campus (Pwani University) through Akili Dada's Emerging Leaders Program that mentors young women into getting them on board in leadership spaces and helping them transition to the workplace.

Through the good working relationship with her village elders and 'nyumba kumi' representatives, Juliet managed also to set up a self help group that seeks to empower and coordinate the nyumba kumi and village elders to make them self reliant and this group still seeks to support the needy students in future, so they get quality education.

"I do have community dialogue sessions with the youth in and out of school, men, youth and people living with disabilities whereby we come together, have interactive educative sessions and come up with resolutions, which must be fully adhered to.

Through her Uwezo Development Initiative, she is supporting 30 young mothers in the Women Empowerment in Kenya project that seeks to support the young moms who are below 24 years of age by initiating livelihood projects.

She also currently sponsors (partial not full sponsorship), one girl who is in form two pursue her secondary school education as she comes from a poor background and was almost married off.  

"I love giving back to the community, and always do so quarterly; take part of my salary and buy some stuff and find a place I can go and spend with the less privileged in the society," said Juliet.

In the foreseeable future, the assistant chief targets to organize social dialogue forums whereby she shall use football and cultural activities that will bring together youths and the eldery in one platform. This will help enhance peace and security as its main aim will be for the young generation to stop the killings of the elderly and thus promote a peaceful societal coexistence. She also intends to come up with a foundation that seeks to enhance education among the locals especially the girl child by supporting those from needy backgrounds.

In addition, Juliet aims at organizing Mbalamweni Annual Awards (MAA) in the near future, which shall be an event that will seek to celebrate outstanding citizens in her sub location so that we can enhance the spirit of competition, appreciation and motivation.

"I'm parting shot with these few quotes, build someone up, put their insecurities to rest. Remind them they're worthy. Tell them they're magical. Be light in their often dim world. Every woman's success should be an inspiration to another, we are strongest when we cheer each other on. Likewise, we should reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead," said Juliet, in between warm smiles.

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS CONCERNING MODELLING WITHIN MOMBASA'S ISLAMIC COMMUNITY

Modelling is a form of art and art often has expressive forms with different models expressing varrying messages through their designs and dress codes. 

As I walk in the streets of Mombasa in my day to day duties as a reporter I managed to meet with a young girl residing in the coastal city. I sit with her for few minutes at Mombasa Aviation College as she shares her especial story in the fashion industry.

As many would attest to, modelling is not a concept quite embraced in the Islamic culture. Most individuals have the notion that a model would go to lengthy extents to expose her body as an object for admiration before people as they walk in ramps through pictures on magazine's cover pages. Albeit this type of myths, Bai Mohammed still goes ahead with her passion in modelling whilst trying to demystify underlying misconceptions prevalent around the coastal area and beyond.

The student from Mombasa Aviation College in her career expresses modesty and her dressing goes to speak volumes of modesty that can also be embraced in a much growing fashion industry on the regional and global frontier.

In her perception, Mombasa's fashion industry is lucrative albeit still being a baby industry. Bai thinks that people's perception are slowly changing to accommodate modelling as a genuine career. She however believes there is still a lot to be done to break psychological barriers that limit the fashion industry from growing beyond events organised by friends and beyond few outdoor ultra glamorous parties and runway walks.

When she started out, she had no idea that it was the beginning of her modelling career. She was still in high school back then. She then attended an event which was called Mombasa Got Talent. She says that she got an invite from a friend who she studied with in school. So in that event, Bai's friend had an aunt who was a make up artist and one of the designers there. Immediately she saw Bai, the aunt asked in a joking manner, "are you one of my models?" Of course she wasn't because she had attended the event as any other person. Along the event, the make up artist cum designer missed one model from which point she turned to Bai again. 

Bai says she had never modelled in her life but she knew that she wanted to. Then again, we are in Mombasa and the whole idea is not really well received; so Bai panicked and made so many calls. Finally she called her mom who then allowed her to model and this was her starting point in the fashion industry. She modelled that once in what was a runway event and that's how her career kick started.

While doing all that is connected to her modelling work, Bai feels that she expresses modesty. Coming from a city that is so full of muslims and full of the Islamic community, she intimates that through modelling she communicates modesty. It doesn't have to be bikinis nor indescent pictures for her but with her hijab, Bai can model as well.

As an industry, Bai refuses to accept Mombasa is doing well but opines that the county is still trying. "If you see how we were and where we are now, it is totally different and we are growing. However the career is not really accepted by the society." She says that she has faced a lot of challenges with that. To this end, she tries to imprint the idea into people's minds that if someone can walk around with a bikini, then why should people be backlashed for walking in a long dress and a nice hijab? The modelling concept isn't really accepted but Bai intimates that people are trying to grow past the myth and misconception that modelling is just not for muslim girls.

Some of the events she has modelled in in the past was Mombasa Got Talent event. It was a well known event in Mombasa. She also modelled for a renowned make up artist, Swalha Al Amry in Mombasa in Grand Enchanted Event as an English bride. Bai has also been featured previously in the Vogue Polish Magazine. She has built a brand through her Instagram being a model and a content creator, so people, event organisers and brands can always book for her services through her Instagram account.

Bai's thought is that we need to delve more into the fashion industry and support it as much as we are supporting other talents such as football and music. 

She opines that policies and actions should be put in place not only in Mombasa county but also nationally so that we can quickly catch up with the global communities in the fashion and modelling industry.

A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE ON NEW LOOP APP

NCBA LOOP has done some tremendous job in revamping the mobile application as a reward for it's loyal customers. 

On 23rd January 2023 there were a few login issues which were all swept under the carpet by 5:00 AM on 24th January 2023. This now means client's can successfully log in to the new Loop app which bears the orange colour and an L logo with the former teal colour now done away with.

Once you log in, the app shall require one to change their passwords into a more secure password and a pin will be entered to be used in locking and unlocking your dashboard which contains the feature "My accounts" plus more others.

Client's will later build their profiles which includes registering your physical address and a profile photo can successfully be uploaded on the go.

Other unique features include the set up of two cards, a virtual visa card which is topabble from M- PESA or from the primary LOOP Bank Account. Both the accounts can be topped up online as compared to using the conventional pay bill number 714777.

The app also will allow client's to borrow loans depending on the LOOP transactions. The application is also quite user friendly and swift to navigate through. The application's theme colour is all orange and a sleeker design sums the whole experience up. Online shops are present for clothings, pharmaceuticals and supermarket products.

This new application also has voucher account where one can get redeemable points throughout the entire banking experience and these points can be used during shopping and other online transactions. 

Client's can now get used to the new application and should you get stuck anywhere one can always visit Mombasa branch at Moi Avenue or LOOP Nyali branch.

ANN PEGGY - INSPIRING WOMEN INTO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focussed on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all other distractions that life presents to them-Jack Canfield.  

We are seated in her office at the Pride Inn Paradise reception area, Serena, Mombasa. She calls her personal assistant to request her presence, and few minutes were enough to get her to her general manager, who intimated being a time freak during the exclusive interview with luizquincy.blogspot.com 

Ann. M. Safari, who has since rebranded to Ann Peggy narrates how her life growing up was hitchy. She was raised in Eastern Kenya, in a humble family of six. She is the third born. The hurdles she endured while growing up saw her loved ones miss out on basic essentials, and the shelter was  much pathetic.

"Well, I grew up in a very remote area in Machakos county, Eastern Kenya. I went to a normal village primary school up to class eight and cleared my primary school in 1988. I was lucky to find a place in a provincial, village primary school-Precious Blood Kilungu," she said with a hospitable chuckle.

"My parents were not very well off. I come from a very humble background. I grew up in a family where we used to miss even basics, which is food, clothing and the shelter was nothing to write on about,"  she added.

She saw her docile status elevate her to the place she is today. According to her, it was a privilege that she was able to reach the helm of her career path in hospitality and tourism management industry. She almost lost it all but managed to gain from the fact that her well up colleagues made her constantly look back on her then dysfunctioned family and tumoultously brace to rewrite a different story.

" I remember one time I took a friend of mine into our house and she was scared because she came from a well up family. And so I was privileged to rise up from that humble background to what I am today," said Peggy.

Her parents did not have a stable means of livelihood. They were thus unable to offer her the support she required to triumph academically. Growing up, she missed the basics as a girl and being in a good secondary school, she interacted with girls  from rich backgrounds, whereas she would miss out on essential necessities that any girl would crave in a Kenyan secondary school.

"Of course through high school, I struggled a bit. Because my parents were not able to support me adequately through high school and so I missed out on basics as a girl.... And I mean basics in high school. And so that makes you feel disadvantaged,"  clarified Peggy.

Her life took a different course altogether and she believes that had she not gone down the road that fate threw at her, she wouldn't have made it to where she stands now. Being on her final high school year, she underwent the ordeal of being sent home for fee arears on a regular. Albeit this, she managed to feign her coy during her final year in high school, but in reality, the challenges she endured then were much more intense.

"In a school with the rich, I would get sent home for school fees and when I was in form four for instance, I had a huge fee balance. And I think when I was sent home, that was the point of breakthrough for me. I knew I was a good girl on matters academics. Moreover, I missed University slot by two points. I believe because of the periods I was sent home since this distabilizes you towards exams," said Peggy.

" Did I regret missing out on campus? It is not bad that I missed a spot en-route higher education, because looking back, I think if I had gone to the varsity then, I wouldn't have been what I am today,"  said Peggy.

Four years after she had cleared her secondary education, life coerced her into stalling her personal, economic and social development and also forced her to deffer from the 8-4-4 curriculum. She later got an opportunity into a technical training institute where she took a 3-year diploma course that enabled her begin nurturing her profession that has to date cost her an arm and a leg, but whose cringe-worthiness she can not sweep under the carpet.

"I cleared my form four in 1992. After that, I had to dangle around home until 1996 September, when I would find my way to a technical training institute where I took a diploma in food and beverage management. And that's how I got myself into the hotel industry, said Peggy with a broad smile, garbed in a black, stripped suit that gave her a unique sartorial elegance.

" Not because I had a dream to become a hotellier. But because it was the only thing I found myself doing and when I found myself doing this, I purposed because I needed to write myself a different story," affirmed Peggy.

Raised up in a family of six, she grew up under jeopardizing circumstances which saw her elder brother-the first born, drop out in form two. Her sister was yet another subject of unfortunate fate, pulling off as prematurely as class seven only to get married because the family was in so much dysfunction and patience was just not her cup of tea.

" Countered with quite unfortunate circumstances while growing, I saw my elder brother and sister give up in life. My sister on the other hand got married after class seven. She couldn't put up with the trouble at home.  My elder brother; our first born, dropped out in form two because he could not cope with being sent home for school fees every now and again. As the third born, I had endeared up to form four and had missed campus by a shear two points, unable to write a different story for our family. I looked up to myself as the only person that could bring favor to our siblings below me and thus purposed to set a good example," said Peggy.

"At one point, I found myself as the black sheep in our family and so when I got myself to college, I decided to give it my all. I believe this also significantly played role in getting me where I am currently," said Peggy.

Her stretch towards becoming a lady general manager was much harnessed during her industrial attachment in Mombasa County, at Nyali beach. By then, Block Hotels, Nyali beach was one of the leading service providers in the hotel, hospitality and tourism management industry. And their faith in her then budding potential proved pivotal in her march, eight steps up the hierarchical ladder to place her as the incumbent general manager, Pride Inn Paradise hotels across Kenya.

"After the three year diploma in food and beverage management, I managed to source an internship with Block hotels at Nyali beach, which was one of the leading brands when I went on Industrial attachment in 1997 and this gave me the opportunity to see women in leadership. I remembered I admired particularly three ladies that still ring in my mind. I would mention their names but I don't have permission to do so. But I admired them. I admired and said wow! It must feel so good to be a manager...to be a lady manager in the hotel industry and I think this was a major fulcrum point in my professional life when I was on field attachment at Nyali beach, where managers would attend meetings, summits, attend cocktail events and all other stuff managers do. And I got inspired," explained Peggy.

ASLAY DID WELL SNUBING WCB FOR ROCKSTAR AFRICA?

Mombasa natives are known to have massive love for bongo flava and Aslay is one among the favourites in the area. 

The superstar has landed a big deal that has made him shout his comeback after a short snooze musically.

 'Subalkheri' hitmaker is known for making 'kaswida' - arab oriented music hits with popular themes in the ears of their audiences who mainly are the youths and high end women of Swahili  culture.

Swahili language has always gained attention within Mombasa and Aslay uses it to his edge by coupling lyrical genius and a mix of modern melodies that are marimba-sweet to locals. 

With fellow musicians thinking the former Yamoto lead singer was bound to falter, he signed a big recording deal with Rockstar Africa joining the likes of Abigail Chams, Ommy Dimpoz, and the renowned 'vitu vingi' rapper Young Lunya.

The record label which has now signed Aslay was pioneered by 'Seven' Mosha who was Alikiba's manager in the past.

Aslay has for long managed to withstand pressures to join fellow old Yamoto folk Mbosso by refusing to be lured by Diamond into joining Africa's arguably biggest record label WCB - Wasafi Records. Diamond Platnumz in a briefing to the fourth estate claimed that everyone knows Aslay and how much talented he is claiming that the latter would already have been a a major brand were he in his hands.

Recently, Aslay released his first project which constitutes an audio and video where he engaged harmonize in a collaborative piece that has been well received around Mombasa county. The song dubbed 'Follow me' is the first piece he has done after landing the Rockstar Africa deal.

He confirmed to his fans that he is back to business with a bang after his silent spell saying that it has been a long journey filled with optimism and positivity when it comes to him managing his music. He also reiterated that fans should expect bigger and better things as they watch him excel to the next level of his career. The singer forgot not to express deserved gratitude to the almighty Deity saying he has learnt a lot from the period he was away musically.

"I'm glad to announce to my fans and media persons and to every other person who follows me that I've lately joined Rockstar Africa @rockstarafrica," said Aslay.

He is among the most talented musicians Tanzania has and he previously used to be managed by Diamond's manager Mkubwa Fella. This explains why Platnumz thought of putting his hands on the Tanzania and Mombasa sensation.

The new jam he collaborated with Harmonize did not disappoint his fans within Mombasa as everyone is now talking of the hit song from Mtwapa to across Bamburi saying it was a well orchestrated work with video ad audio balance and full brilliance. Fans will still expect more sharp music from Aslay and this tremendous pressure still lays on his shoulder to deliver more after being signed to Rockstar.

It is evident that the musician will do more outstanding works as is his tradition. His exit in Yamoto Band was fueled by him doing solo hit after it and Mbosso, Enock Bella and Beka Flavour felt deserted. The group later disintegrated and Mbosso has done well since, being at WCB. Enock and Beka have struggled not to reach the heights of Mbosso. Albeit it, Aslay is still a gem that always did amazing works since the breakup of the group.

Alikiba who is affiliated to Rockstar Africa now has an upper hand with the gorgeous talent Aslay now in his hands as opposed to being in his rival's - Diamond platnumz.