The other day I had an interesting conversation with a watchman, he told m that its not that women are bad in driving, its only that they don't know much about the reverse gear, they only know drive.

So, when you start engaging a woman on how to reverse and get into a tricky parking spot, then you may have a problem. In as much as its funny, I guess there is an element of truth in his statement, of course he was speaking out of experience.

This made me wonder, are women bad drivers compared to men? Are men inclined to be better drivers compared to women? Of course this is controversial but it sounded funny.

I also noticed that people tend to behave funny when they notice its a woman driving, if a mistake is made, they say..aaahh its a woman driving, which I find very rude.

So, that was food for thought.......

Ten years ago, the debate over whether condoms should be used during intercourse was still raging; the Kenyan society had been rocked by HIV/AIDS and was looking for ways to stem the rising infection rates.

Men argued that they could not use condoms because it diminished the sex experience. It was argued that it was like eating a banana with the outer skin or taking a candy with the wrap on.

Being a patriarchal society, women were disadvantaged because they could not insist on condom use, even when the risk was manifest. Trust issues were raised and infection rates rose like bush fire.

Then the prevention campaigns went on the over drive, people started accepting condoms and women became empowered to demand for condoms.

That is why the announcement by the Kenyan government that it will purchase 100 million condoms did not merit much debate; it has become part of our lifestyle. If it was in 1999, the news would have had some space on the front page and radio stations would have made it part of the debate for a day or two.

Now the news was in the inside pages, which is probably a testimony of how the times have changed.

I once participated in a very interesting debate between men and women discussing why condoms are now acceptable more than before. The men argued that it has become hard to trust the women and the same argument was advanced by the women. So, infidelity that goes both ways has led to some form of empowerment because we have all realized that we are all at risk and no one is a victim of the other.

The stories of how the community has struggled with supporting the sick members. How grand mothers have been forced to learn how to change nappies because they can not even provide food let alone afford diapers.

The main question then becomes; would you ensure that you have condoms in the pocket/bag? Just in case you never know when the craving strikes.

I think it has become slightly safer for people to talk on phone while walking downtown Nairobi. After seeing their comrades beaten to death over cheap phones, I guess the thugs have changed tact,

But it does not mean that the thieves have abandoned their trade, they have just become sharper; the steal the phones that are more expensive.

My friend Muthoni, made us laugh the other day when she told a story of how the thugs in the estates have leant the value of the phone by the ringtone.

Her story was that there was this woman going home one day in Dandora estate, and she was passing through an alley. It was at 7 pm so there were many people walking to and from the shops, acting busy.

Though her phone was ringing, she could not pick because of the four men who were walking with her group. So the phone annoyingly rung and it was apparent that she was fearing that her phone might just go.

Put off by the ringing or failure to remove the phone from the bag, one guy said; Mama oya thimu ithuii tutiendaga Motorola (just pick up the phone we are not interested in your Motorola).

But if its a Nokia, they know the series by the ring tone and they just kindly ask you to pretend you are relatives and just hand over the phone! They even force you to hug them as they rob you in front of everyone.

Others are able to tell the kind of phone when its in the pocket; depending on the shape it projects in the pocket.

The tips are apparent; don't wear tight trousers then slide the phone in the pocket, unless you want to invite the crooks. If you can, let the phone be on vibrator or the single beep then vibrator otherwise the phone will just go.

I wonder what will happen now that the founder of Oscar Foundation is dead. Just hours after the government spokesman said that the Oscar foundation was a front for the proscribed Mungiki thugs and their sympathizers.

Being a legal foundation- giving free legal aid to suspects- the foundation was likely to attract all manner and sorts of characters including Mungiki thugs and other goons.

Is it a crime to give legal aid to Mungiki suspects? I am not defending the members because they have raped and killed many in my village neighborhood but I also know two young men who have been shot dead and their only crime is peer influence and moving at night. When you are labeled as Mungiki, no one sympathizes.

Mungiki is a Gikuyu word meaning the crowd though there is no proper direct translation. Its use imbues a sense of community and support for each other. It used to be a sect, recruiting mainly men, pretending to practice traditional Gikuyu traditions while in fact it was a gang for hire, thriving on intimidating people by killing those who refuse to join the sect.

It is almost predictable that when the police announce or publish the names of "wanted" criminals, they are only looking for a license to kill, with no questions asked.

Sample this; the police publish the photo of a wanted criminal, that week he/she is gunned down.

It has happened consistently at least since the mid '90s when they published the photos of three notorious gangsters; Wanugu, Wacucu and Rasta. They were later caught and shot dead.

There is no doubt that the criminals deserve to be arrested or maybe die like the many they are alleged to have killed, but is it by coincidence that the criminals are caught and killed immediately the photos are published?

Is it that police tips do not work and the public tips work better, or is it just a case of seeking license to kill?

Now the blame will start shifting over who actually killed the foundation head. I will not be surprised if the government spokesman comes up with a theory that he was killed by a rival Mungiki gang.

And we talk of impunity!