Trafficmatatu Face

So this is my impression of the shopping expirience in Nairobi, especially when you're looking for something that's not Unga ya Ugali.

Spot whats wrong with this picture

This video is like a spot whats wrong with this picture quiz.
Untrained policemen, unconcerned citizens...list goes on!

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL TANGENTS

One thing young people don’t realize is the level of concern our elders have for our “modern” lifestyles. I think sometimes they take a look at us and wonder quietly how we’re going to avoid imploding. One thing that you can say about many people under 40 is they are driven, intelligent, highly ambitious, and know no limits. All those things are positives in the correct application, e.g. education, career, etc. However the same things that drive the country forward, have quite the opposite effect when applied to personal lives. Initially it did not seem to me that the “folks” were particularly concerned about the decisions we were making with our personal lives as long as you were “doing well” (Doing well- amazing degree with a good job with a house in the correct address). However I was mistaken, it would seem many are quite concerned with the “Busted by Ciku” lifestyles many have opted for as a way of life.

Well a few days ago while chatting with my moms as she gave me the low who left who for who, and who was caught with who at that joint, and the myriad of failed relationships since I’ve been away (BTW Is that gossip? Or is that preparing me not to ask awkward questions at public events?) I asked her view on the matter that most people pushing 40 just can’t seem to have a normal-but-quickly-becoming-abnormal life of settling down, doing the kids thing and building a life together and after a few moments of thought she realized that most of the people having drama were either teenagers and young adults when the soap opera Bold and Beautiful swept the country like a viral plague. We quickly recounted that the show was full of the behavior that’s becoming the norm in society today; sordid affairs, wives leaving husbands for their fathers, A woman knowing a man in married and still pursing and vice versa (Read again Wa “and vice versa!). We kinda figured that the show came in at transitional point in Kenya, socially and somehow left a particularly interesting legacy that goes beyond the unholy obsession many Kenyans have with soaps (particularly the telemundo type with bad acting and voice over work). But it would be unfair to Blame this solely on Ridge Forrester and Sally Specter (Wikipedia before y’all say something) and this theory hasn’t under gone any rigorous research, and there’s really nothing to directly connect the Bold and Beautiful to the rapid deterioration of Kenyan relationships however one has to admit there is a Bold and Beautiful feel to it. At best all of us are at least 2 relations to Kevin Bacon away from knowing some dude running around with some 20 yr old college girl while his wife is off with her boss. Fine we can decide as a society we’re going to have a casual attitude about relationships and sex but casual should never mean destructive. We should remember that those shows are Dramas (extreme at the least) emulating them is doing things “even the pagans themselves find repulsive.” Plus we get AIDS easy (#justsaying).

(Here’s where I go slightly off subject and get on a soapbox…sigh!)

One positive thing we can say about the independence generation is the selfless way they did things. Some will argue that the same things used to happen but they were undercover, but is that really a bad thing? Is it bad that a man will go to great lengths to ensure that there’s stability in the household? Is it bad that a couple can fight without waking up the neighborhood? What has happened to bare minimums? It really is sad that you look stupid if you’re shocked that so and so is cheating, playing or whatever. Worse still we’ve come up with terms to make it sound like a joke rather than really look at what we’re doing to ourselves.

Alright I’m on a soap box and some will argue that a lot of it was superficial but at least they were working towards an ideal. What ideal are we young gun the future of the so called country working to. A wife to cheat on and kids not to parent? Here’s a novel idea, lets quit fronting, stop getting married if you don’t plan to stay faithful. Don’t have kids if you’re not willing to sacrifice every last bit of yourself for your progeny, honestly that’s man work. Don’t come to me thinking you’ll get anything other than contempt if you arent doing the hard stuff, and whats hard is self control. I tend to think that the things our parents (at least at home) aimed for was the ideal, Kids a happy marriage etc, didn’t always happen and sometimes things did go very wrong but at least they were working to an ideal of a better life. I wonder if we are working towards any ideal at all or I missed that crucial memo telling me the ideal has changed. Anyway I need to head out maybe I’ll get some chips funga on the way.

Peter who?

What ever happened to the phrase never trust a man with two first names? But here we are looking at a dude supposed to be Kenya's next great hope (according to the Americans...or so i hear) Peter Kenneth star is quickly rising in Kenyan politics, but personally i don't know who the dude is?
So i bumped into the guy's facebook fan page, and it has every appearance of someone about to make a run for the big office or a big office, except a few critical things. Other than a few #iuseobama'sspeechwriter comments i don't know about this dude. I'm not being disparaging in anyway but really if this is the guy us "youths" (by the way the plural of youth is youth!) are meant to be rallying behind It would be nice for us to have an idea of who you are. Get online get your message out there, now contrast with Najib Balala's website, who has a glossy website has the look of someone who is trying to get us all to imagine he's a future president, DUDE you can even download his vision brochure! I don't know the use of such a thing but its there. Uhuru Kenyatta is another example, UK's facebook page is a slick "look how hard i'm working" piece that has tons of pictures with him doing his daily thing, you can see a brief of what he's done in his public life...Basically well managed by a publicist who knows what he's doing.

So i honestly don't know why I care, other than to say the dude needs a publicist, now back to the regularly scheduled programme in Deux président Côte-d'Ivoire

The Homosexual Debate part 2

In light of the Prime Minister's recent comments that Homosexuals should be arrested we take a second (sigh) look at the whole homosexuality in Africa discussion began here. Once again i will state from the on set that Homosexuality is completely incompatible with my belief system furthermore my cultural up bringing. So a change on my views on this issue requires a fundamental change in my belief and cultural structures. However my rejection of homosexuality as a valid form of human relations should not (and does not) translate to homophobia. Harassing and arresting does little for any logical argument against this lifestyle and why a country and a government may chose to be against gay marriage etc. I would that the PM backtrack on his comments but not not necessarilty entirely his views. In the context of cultures and political discourse we must show that opposition and are opinions are clearly thought out and explained and not just rejection because of fear. There are many areas where the PM may choose to engage this discussion to provide some understanding and clarity, particularly because i feel that in this particular discussion the majority is misunderstood in the face of loud minorities on the wings of this discussion. Pandering to the wing nuts may score quick political points but is the kind of victory that ultimately leads to defeat. It is my hope that future utterances from the RT Hon will reflect an intelligent approach to an issue that raises emotions regardless of what position you take.

In no vain way, but sheer curiosity I wonder what we will leave behind as our legacy growing up, being the Independence Generation (those who grew up in Africa not having to have fought for independence etc) Will it be upon us to make the tough decision?

I flatly reject any African over 50 telling why and how I should be inspired by Obama.

Africa awakes to the realization that we have a world leader who looks like us! The significance of this is not that we have some how found new favour with the US, but rather the affirmation of our positive role in humanity. I awoke with similar fervor wondering what the likes of some of Africa’s greatest minds would have had to say. I could visualize Cheikh Anta Diop saying “Since western civilization draws its roots from Africa, it would only be natural that a man with an African father would be tasked to guide that civilization through these dark days.” I could visualize the shame on Nkrumah, Kenyatta and Senghor’s faces as they mark the day with the realization that they failed to bring real liberty to Africa, but pride that from us a true world leader has emerged. But my dreamy state was shattered with the morning carpool and the discussion that took place while I drove. The discussion began with an old man talking about how inspired he was by Obama’s inaugural speech, and therefore young Africans should take note. Its hard to be angry at 6:15 for most men but I found that statement tremendously incendiary. Why must young people in Kenya and in Africa at large look for a 47 year old American man for an example of hope? Where are our elders? Have we become cultural orphans? Where are those who have been given charge to lead us? Obama’s victory is as much an example to the youth as it is an incrimination of Kenyan elders. Have we no history, no integrity that we must look to a man who gains his from 300 years American history? I must take a moment to say that I am incredibly proud of Obama and Kenya’s role in his making, but it would be foolish to see him as anything more than an American. His heroes are American; his story is the quintessence of America’s aspirations. But Africa particularly Kenya will never be the United States of America. Obama is a source of pride and inspires us, but his responsibility is to the American people, our leaders and our elders have paramount responsibility to us. For them to tell us to look to Obama for inspiration and motivation without providing any of their own is wrong. They have failed to lead us and mentor us, and delegating that task to Obama is unfair. It is unfair to us who need examples from people who speak our native tongue. Unfair to us who need examples from people who do not only know of our history but have lived and experienced it. It is unfair most of all to Obama who has his own nation to lead and inspire. What is he to do when American and Kenyan interests conflict? He must stay true to the American people! Is he then to become a villain in our eyes? But who among our elders is staying true to Kenya? All our elders from our communities, politics, churches and mosques should mark January 20^th 2009 as a day of great shame for them even while Kenya celebrates. They know they should have done better, and they still can do better; and for that there’s hope.