Patriot’s Diary # 15: Experience the Brand

Kenyan isn’t just a name it’s a brand. It’s a label you were on your forehead wherever you go. You can’t run away from it. It’s up there with Nike, Oprah, Coca cola, whatever major global brand. Kenya is iconic. It’s one of those countries that even to the most ignorant people on the face of the earth, would have remotely heard of, whether good or bad.

With a brand there is an experience attached to it. Singling out the Kenyan experience is hard, because there is so much to it. I think for some people when you throw the word ‘Kenya’ out there, you’ll get responses like, Jambo, Rafiki, Safari, Maasai, Post Election Violence, Lake Victoria, Waangari Maathai, Maasai Mara, Paul Tergat and for the fanatics; Obama or even Mufasa. So with all the iconic names, phrases and places, what is brand Kenya? I don’t know, it’s hard to pinpoint it.

All I know is that I am proud to say that I am Kenyan wherever I go. I say it loud and proud and I like seeing the responses that that elicits from people. People either become inquisitive or just react with glee or suspicion, acting out on their stereotypical pre-conceptions.

My mother always taught me that I needed to be an ambassador wherever I went. It doesn't matter if I am in a multinational classroom or outside the borders of my country; I am and remain the first-hand brand experience of Kenya.

I won’t lie to you that I always stood loud and proud that I was Kenyan. I did go through the ‘I am leaving this country and never returning’ phase which progressed to profuse denial that I was Kenyan. There are a lot of Kenyans who feel the same way now, as I did. And I believe the same sentiments of spite of your country is familiar to other Africans in the Diaspora . Why? Well it is clear we have been sucked into the imposed brand recognition of damnation and propagate it ourselves!

It’s easy to say that the past 14 posts of the Patriot’s diary are wishful. But it is not wishful, purely because it is what I see and experience each day. I can choose to react and attack and point out what’s wrong. But one thing I have always asked myself, out of all the nationalities in the world, why was I born Kenyan? God knew why, all I can say is that it is something special; a treasure.

The fact that I am of a certain nationality means that I belong somewhere. The fact that I belong and I am someone is something to celebrate! You too are a brand, a beautiful wonder that everyone needs to experience.

I don’t try to be something that I am not, I am proud of who I am, after all, I am Kenyan! But my mission is to demystify what and who Kenya is. We have historical tragedies and mistakes and governance issues that people are curious about. I don’t believe in being dismissive about it. I accept it’s a reality but I advocate being part of the positive change.

In Kenya, the government has paid an arm and leg to build a ‘Brand Kenya’ to boost the economy through tourism. And I’ve just realized, instead of re-creating ‘Brand Kenya’ as the iconic tourist destination, not to down play that. But maybe the brand isn’t the wildlife and scenery. The brand is the people.

We are the endorsers of the brand! We are Kenyan. Shake my hand, walk past me on the streets, buy chewing gum from a hawker, take a bus ride across the city and endure a preacher in the bus. You just experienced the brand; Kenya.

What I love about brand Kenya is you don’t have to create a notion of its experience. All you need to do is be around a Kenyan! I don’t need an endorsement deal to get rich. All I need to do is wake up in the morning and interact with people, and let others experience me. I know it may sound vain, but the truth is brands are there to be experienced. I am Kenyan, and I am the proud brand!