The busstop today

The temperature tab on my phone indicates that Nairobi is currently experiencing highs of 24 and lows of 16 degrees Celsius. It is another bright and warm day in the capital city of Kenya.  As I walk to board a matatu to my office, I look around in amazement at the mess that lies before me.

On my extreme left is earth moving equipment left in a rather untidy heap awaiting the foremen who will be using it later in the day. Right next to that is a pile of rubbish, maize stalks and cobs left over from the road seller who trades his wares, that is roasted maize, to the rush hour throng of people walking home. The dust on this road makes it hard to breathe and I silently curse praying to God that the ongoing road repairs may end sooner rather than later.

On my near left, I see the neighbours gardener standing on his ladder tending to the fence that borders our properties. He is wearing a red casual shirt and blue clown like trousers. He barely pays any attention to me as he sways in time to the music he’s listening to on headphones. It’s about time that bougainvillea fence was trimmed!

Right in front of me is the taxi terminus and I spy Charles my regular cab driver chatting to a few of his colleagues who are parked next to him. His B12 Nissan Sunny gleams in the sun and I can tell it’s just been washed and waxed. A quick wave to acknowledge him and it’s on I go. I pass all sorts of people. There’s the group of Europeans clad in summer gear, shorts, vests and sunglasses who appear to be taking a stroll headed to Westlands.

Then there are few working class ladies dressed similarly to me, ladies suit and sensible walking shoes who could be headed to work. Finally there are the men clad in work clothes who seem to be the workmen building the road.

I approach the junction and I see the Chase Bank and Prime Bank security guards in a heated debate. They wave their clubs around excitedly and I can only guess the subject is Kenya’s never ending dramatic political scene. A sleek Mercedes pulls up to the gate and the guards demeanor changes as they stand at attention and assume the salute position  before opening the imposing gate and ushering the driver in.

Days like these!

What a day! The errands spelled out for me on that fateful Saturday in the month of April proved to be daunting. Pen in hand I sat on my bed going through my checklist with a keen eye. Start with the bank, then go to the fish market, then go to the vegetable market, drop the items off at Aunt Monica’s, proceed to Janet’s house, grab a quick shower, change and join the chamaa ladies for our monthly meeting and finally meet up with Dan for a quick drink.

I had a quick shower, dressed and left the house with a purposeful mind to accomplish all that was set out. I made in good time to the bank, cashed in the cheque and with a happy heart headed to the fish market. A few minutes later, arms full with fresh tilapia and scallops I was on to the vegetable market, Kariorkor. Spinach and mushrooms were in season and I was able to secure a good price for the bale I purchased and it was on to the potatoes, carrots, onions and tomatoes. With a satisfied sigh I made my way to the bus top that would allow me board a matatu to Aunt Monica’s house. A strange sight greeted me at the bus stop. There on the dirty floor between two matatus lay a man stripped down to his underwear and bleeding from various orifices. As I gazed upon him with pity, the sight took me down memory lane to an incident 2 months earlier.

“Shika huyo mwizi….. Shika huyo mwizi” screamed the raging crowd that pursued a man into the alley. The crowed bayed for the blood of the man they had caught stealing from an elderly woman and chased into the alley. Without any hesitating they began to pelt rocks at him and beat him with anything they could put their hands on. His screams drew no mercy from the crowd.  Shortly a tire was brought into their midst and the chants “Burn him!! Burn him!!” filled the air and brought tears to my eyes.

Surely there was another way to punish the thief apart from burning him to death. Another voice in my head pleaded that the days of all thieves are numbered and hence it was right for the man to die at the hand of the crowd. Yet another voice implored that the thief’s human rights were being violated and surely the Geneva Convention was made for moments like these. The tension and conflict in my heart was palpable. Should I speak out for the thief’s life and suffer the wrath of the already irate crowd or should I walk away in silence? A sense of shame filled me as I cowered away in silence. Later that night as I tossed and turned I knew that what I had done was wrong. I should have spoken out for the life of a man and begged the crowd to allow justice in the hands of the Kenyan law through the police and court system to be administered. I wished I could reverse the hands of time and swore should I ever be in the same situation to do what was right.

On to the moment at the bus stop and I watched as a crowd formed around the naked man. After a heated discussion it was established that he was the victim of a mugging incident the previous night. Well-wishers at the scene gave him a blanket and the matatu conductors nearby offered to pay his fare to a place of his choice from where he could make a formal report to the police and get in touch with his loved ones. Thank God, I thought to myself and proceeded to Aunt Monica’s with a resolute heart.

Blotches of mankind..

Tribalism is the favoring of people or culture by default of their tribe while racism is favoring of a people or culture by virtue of their race. Throughout the ages man has been afraid of the unfamiliar and guilty of banishing that which was foreign. The creation of countries, states and villages supports the fact that by nature we tend to surround ourselves with people we have things in common with be it language, skin tone, bodily features etc Unfortunately in a bid to do so huge atrocities have occurred among ourselves.

The claws of tribalism and racism have been long reaching all around the globe. The tasks ahead of us in purging these stains in our society remain urgent and difficult. Conventions and treaties have been signed in a bid to unite the entire world in one cord of love regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs etc. However, the bulk of the workload still lies ahead.

Realistically,  we know that we cannot end tribalism and racism and all the many –isms that surround us. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that we should stop fighting for equality and the sanctity of human rights all over the world. We can as a nation make it possible for all of us to co-exist regardless of our differences in culture, dressing, speech, religion, beliefs and mannerisms. Kenya, with over 40 different tribes can set an example in East Africa, Africa and the world as a whole in the laws we pass to ensure we live on peace, love and unity.

We too can accept that we are hostages to our own human failures to develop and support a decent way of living. We must be retrospective and look inwards so as to get solutions to the plagues that ail our societies. There is little chance of failure if each of us are intent on providing even one positive idea, or thing to our neighbour’s life. African culture is based on brotherhood, looking out for each other and helping each other.  Let us be responsible for those among us who need protection for the sake of the society. The orphans, widows, terminally ill, those in living in abject poverty are but a few examples of those that need a helping hand to take the next step. In so doing, we will then be warriors who champion the rights of not only those we know, those with whom we are familiar but of all mankind.

Woking class Student.. Yup.. thats me!

Students who work their way through college gain several benefits. Time has proven that these students take their college experience more seriously and also pay more attention to work than students who study full time. A few points to support this thesis statement follow.

Firstly, we can conclude that they gain more valuable work experience. This is supported by the fact that they get a chance to apply what they have learnt theoretically in college to practical real life situations firsthand.  Another important reason is that they remain current. The lessons and case studies discussed in college are up to date with the current affairs and therefore they remain relevant in both the work place and college.

Secondly, they learn to manage money. Most working students pay their way through college and in so doing are able to learn how to prioritize and budget accordingly so all aspects of their lifestyle are catered for. It is important to note that all colleges, regardless of degree types offer at the very minimum one financial course covering the basics of financial investment and how to independence in the financial realm. This serves as a necessary tool in planning  of one’s day to day activities.

In conclusion, it is important to mention that these working students develop and strengthen character traits that will serve them well throughout their adult lives. Patience is honed by their acknowledgment that good things come to those who wait. They are therefore able to preserver through each semester knowing that it will be worthwhile at the end upon graduation. They are able to build their social skills both at college with the fellow students and at work with their colleagues and in turn end up with a large networking base which can prove vital in later years. The list is endless but all these and more favor the fact that a working student’s life is indeed advantageous.

Hallo world!! Yes indeed Thursday the 7th March and we are still going strong... Awaiting the election results as we usher in a new president and indeed leaders of government.

Really hoping we keep the peace. My fellow kenyans keeping t it real realizing that there is so much more!! more to us, more to live for, more to fight for and so forth!

One love, one Kenya!