Patriot's Diary # 7 : Colour's in the Traffic

I can choose to pick out all that is wrong in the Kenyan transport system but I won’t. All I’ll say is that there is room for improvement.

I was in a Bus on Sunday and I was taken by the conductor, he was polite and helped people out of the Bus. I can remember he helped a couple with one of their children; he carried the child from the back of the Bus all the way to the Bus stop outside. Even in asking for fare he was not abrasive. He seemed to provide sanity in the speeding Bus, it was reassuring considering I was really tired and fed up.

I am grateful that I have a Bus or Matatu (minibus) that I can use to commute to various corners of my city and country. Watching Africa Journal and seeing what other people on this continent have to face with limited public transportation yanks at my heart strings, but at the same time helps me appreciate what I have.

I have the privilege of being able to wake up in the morning and choose to travel up country a 500km drive without having to wait days for the next Bus. I know some of my fellow citizens experience that and like I said; there is room for improvement, but I am still grateful that I have the luxury.

Public transportation in Kenya is privately owned, but even though it is an entrepreneurial tool that does need regulation, it provides the average person on the street the ability to move around, carry their wares to sell, help those with huge sums of cash hidden in their socks get to the bank safe and sound. It enables schools the ability to take students for field trips. The system that we have makes it possible for me to get to work in the morning and home in the evening. It’s what makes boarding school bearable for high school students, knowing that outside that school gate they will be able to go home to the loving family and hot meals, when schools close.

Public transportation, as a writer is the basis of my stories. From the annoyed and rabid passenger next to me who doesn’t want to part with a cent. The exhausted driver who has to meet ridiculous sales targets who illegally maneuvers traffic. The conductors encounters with the law. The teenager who’s experiencing commuting for the first time in their life, the drunk who seems to think the seats are a couch, the fruit and vegetable vendor who is on the road at 4am every morning to get their fresh wares, the live chicken, to the kind of music they blast through the speakers and the favourite radio station the driver tune to. There’s so much you can learn and hear from in a matatu (minibus).

Public transportation in Kenya is a tale; it’s a play that unveils new characters with each act and scene as passengers board and alight. I can guarantee you that anyone who has encountered a matatu (minibus), has a tale to tell, good or bad. The jokes the tears, the abuse, human beings are the most fascinating and impossible creations on the face of the earth. Not only are Matatu (minibus) and Buses a never ending play they are a proof of a vibrant pop culture especially in major cities.

The bodies emblazoned with celebrity faces, mostly American artistes, East African Artistes whose music blast through Matatu (minibus) speakers almost as if declaring their rule over the hearts of the populace. The political figures, the late President John Garang, President Obama (this is Kenya remember), Paul Kagame, Kofi Annan and even Osama Bin Laden believe it or not.

The flags and iconic British premier league teams, proof that this is a Football nation, faces of their favorite national and international players; it’s a craze, it’s a colourful scene. I believe that is proof enough that in all the gloom and doom we choose to see in this country, colour is right before us each dawning day as we board into the Bus or matatu (minibus).

Patriot's Diary # 6: The Power of an Individual

I believe in the power of an individual.; I have always said this to my friends or in discussions, just that I feel I am yet to live up to this. History has shown us over and over again the power of an individual, we saw the evil in the likes of Hitler, Mao Tse Tung, Idi Amin and Stalin. But the power that I choose to focus on is not just religious with the works and influence of Jesus Christ, Prophet Muhammad and Buddha.

But look at the social greats, Albert Einstein, Mother Theresa, Michael Jackson, Waangari Maathai, Martin Luther King Jr. and so many more. Individuals who felt from the depth of their bellies the power and need to sacrifice themselves and their comforts for the overall benefit of the masses.

Now you must be wondering what I am getting at here. What’s the connection with patriotism and why I love my country? Well back to the definition that I gave of what Patriotism is to be the love and willingness to sacrifice ourselves for the good of the country. These world greats weren’t just patriots of their respective states, they were global patriots.

I live in a country that was born from the sacrifice of individuals, to lead us into independence. There has been turmoil, but we still have the likes of John Githongo the anti-corruption czar who revealed government embezzlement in the infamous Anglo leasing scandal, and Wangari Maathai, the Chair and Founder of the Green Belt movement and the 2004 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. (Below centre: John Githongo)The person I want to focus on is Wangari Maathai, who fought to save the Karura forest, a key water catchment area. She fought to save Uhuru Park, a beautifully manicured recreational area in the heart of Nairobi’s central business district. I was walking through the park this past Saturday and all I saw was tranquility, joy, celebration and hope. It was re-assuring.

I haven’t been there in seven years. It was beautiful, there are swings now and slides and jungle gyms. Watching children playing, screaming and having fun and the freedom to run around freely, couples picnicking; it was magical. In a blood thirsty concrete capitalist jungle that we live in Uhuru Park is a haven.

Because of the conviction and sacrifice of one woman for the sake of others, Wangari Maathai faced verbal abuse, public embarrassment, belittling and torture with other individuals , had her braids ripped from her scalp and bled all for the sake of the environment.

I salute Wangari Maathai, and it is from her efforts that able to escape to a beautiful green corner in the city to relax and let loose after a long week. That’s what Kenya has offered me; the chance to learn and be a beneficiary of selflessness. When I choose to stand for what I believe is right, noble and true, it may be an uncomfortable journey, but will yield a beautiful reality for my fellow countrymen. I thank God for Wangari Maathai and I am grateful that she is a true Kenyan patriot who is an inspiration and an example I can emulate. God, I love this country!

(Right: Wangari Maathai receiving the Nobel Peace prize)

Patriot's Diary # 5: A salute to the citizenry!

The Kenyan flag; what a beaut! I look around at other national flags, some I find cool and outstanding, but there’s something about our flag. First the colour combination, red, black, green and white the right shades of each. Then there is the Maasai shield with the two white spears. The flag in itself is sovereignty.

There is the symbolism of every element of the flag, the green symbolizing the country’s natural wealth, the red for the blood shed to deliver this country from colonial affliction, the white a sign of peace and the black, the colour of the majority of the nation. The Maasai shield and spear represent the defense of all of the forementioned.

I can’t really explain it, but there is a purity and pride in knowing that you are associated with it. I know in my earlier postings I made fun of it but the truth is the athletic and social milestones that have seen that flag raised and brought us back from the brink, gives me great joy.

The athletes in championships breaking world records, the national sports teams; boxers, swimmers, football teams, rugby teams, all singing along to the words of the National Anthem as the flag is hoisted, or before a match begins, Wangari Maathai receiving the Noble peace prize, amazing! It’s as if every time the flag is hoisted it’s a salute to the citizens for keeping the great work up. I guess that’s what it is; the Kenyan flag like every national flag is a salute to its citizenry.

The flag is also a sign of the communion of countrymen and women; this makes more sense when it is tied in with our National Anthem which is unique in that, it is a prayer. This is the Kiswahili and English version of the first stanza of the National Anthem.

Ee mungu Nguvu Yetu
Ilete Baraka kwetu
Haki iwe Ngao na Mlinzi
Natukae na uhuru
Amani na Undugu
Raha tupate na Ustawi

Oh! God of all creation
Bless this our land and nation
Justice be our shield and defender
May we dwell in Unity
Peace and liberty
Plenty be found within our borders.

The beauty of it is, even if you are conscious of it or not, with every word you utter of the National Anthem, it is a prayer of hope and thanksgiving. I am grateful to the writers of it because it is clear that thought and heart was put into it. It’s the soul, prayer and pleas for this beautiful land to live and grow in love and prosperity. That’s what makes my country so wonderful. When all is said and done, we are a Nation established on hope. Now that’s reason enough to adore and sacrifice for this country; Kenya.

Patriot's Diary # 4: We are family!

What do I love about my country Kenya that makes me a patriot! Well this is harder than I thought. I guess I love it because it is like family. If you ever lived abroad you’ll always feel drawn back home normally because of your own family, but there is a nice feeling being able to walk on the streets of Nairobi and bump into someone you know.

Especially if you attended public school like I did, there’s always that familiar face that you see on the street and all you can say to yourself or to the ‘random’ person you stop on the street; ‘I think I know you from somewhere’ and be able to name schools and other institutions that are not alien to them. After all you are one in a sense. You are Kenyan.

In the world we live in we will always echo, familiarity breeds contempt’ yes, there is some truth to it. But it’s nice to be known and know people. Traveling abroad at a later stage in your life, there is almost a surety that the friends you make in unknown nations are there for convenience; get by while you live there. Don’t get me wrong you can still make friends in foreign lands and nurture your friendships, but there’s nothing like being at home. Well at least to me there isn’t.

The relatives we love to duck and run from on the streets, the ones who yell your name from over 200 metres away, it shouldn’t bother you; it’s the pride of knowing you; even when it means jeopardizing or even embarrassing you in front of your date.

Walking around in my rural home is proof of the love that really exists. Absolute strangers, with no relations whatsoever are always willing to greet you. And some who may recognize you from your tell -tale facial features will ask you how your parents of grandparent are. And will whole and open heartedly invite you to their homes for a meal or a cup of tea. I admire that, and it is something that I fear is dying out.

I can remember as a child, actually even now up until this point, I hated the constant ,’do you know who I am’ question by supposed clansmen who believe that we are family. Looking at it now, I guess this has made me appreciate something that we are loosing; knowing our family lineage and kingship ties. Family is where the heart is they say. Where is my heart today? My heart yearns to know and grow to understand the ties that bind me, my forefathers and their forefathers. I pleasure in enjoying a luxury that others lack; a chance to visit and meet and sit in the presence of the bearers of my heritage history.

Listening to the feats of my great grandmother and great grandfather who fought in the First World War for the British, his several heads of cattle, a dog he loved and saved him from a leopard. My grandmother the great cook, nurturer and amazing business woman who loved and cared for her grandchildren. There really is so much I take for granted, the fact that I have the privilege of being able to visit with most of my family in the same borders, not divided by a fence or wall. I am blessed and privileged and for that case truly my home and heart are in the same place. A place that I love and that is Kenya; my home and my family!