The Obama Album

The Obama Win. Kenya, Steel Thyself

Improbable. Yes it’s a historic moment. For black people in America. For all people of colour across the world. Yes its a delirious moment for Kenyans. America has redeemed herself from a dark history of disenfranchised citizens and a past of slavery and gone ahead to prove to the world that democracy does work and the fabled American Dream complete with the accompanying ideals is a viable concept. Yes all things are possible. The Tears. I want to admit that I shed my share to honour this moment. The thought that a black family first family can reside in the White House with Malia and Shasha frolicking on those hallowed Pennsylvania Avenue lawns with the puppy Dad promised is such a powerful image that I just let go and allowed the tears to flow freely. Who would have thought? Many black people had wished and prayed for his win, but were not convinced that white voters could see beyond his skin colour. Rev. Jesee Jackson cried too. So did Oprah and lots of white and black folks everywhere. The Public Holiday. President Kibaki was quicker to the draw than President Bush by congratulating Senator Obama on the win before anyone else (at least according to our media houses). Along with that, he also declared 6th November a public holiday-just like I had predicted. This will allow Kenyans to celebrate our Cousin Obama’s victory. The Acceptance Speech. His speech as expected paid tribute to the historical moment ushering in a black man into the American presidency, special tribute to his opponents Mc Cain and Palin, to the enduring power of American ideals, to the American people reiterating that they “will always be the united States of American”, to Republican voters while promising that he will be “your president too”. Using his campaign clarion call he promised that “change has come to America” He also thanked his campaign team by calling David Ploufee the “unsung hero” of the campaign as well as recognising David Axelrod. He had special mention for Michelle, “his best friend for 16 years, his family rock and America’s next first lady”. Other members of his nucleus and extended family he mentioned include daughters Malia and Shasha, late grandma Madelyn, half sister Maya, step sister Auma, other brothers and sisters. He also mentioned Ann Nixon Cooper and used her 106 years as a backdrop of the landmark changes that had taken place in the American society. His win he said was “… the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.” What a statement. My unpopular prediction. Everybody wants a piece of Obama, and no country more than Kenya. I however have a very unpopular prediction that Kenyans don’t want to hear- Obama will not visit Kenya during his term(s)! Kenyans imagine that he will sort out all our problems, do all our roads, put dollars wads in our pockets and solve our relationship issues. Hell no! He is an American president and a visit to any country by an American president is a well-thought out event that is calculated to make a statement. His predecessors have given Kenya a huge miss in the past years and unless we address the reasons why Bush or Clinton preferred to visit Tanzania, Rwanda, Senegal, etc and not our “island of peace amidst a sea of chaos”, then we should forget Obama’s “homecoming”. Michelle and the girls will visit. So will the Obama groupies like Oprah, who may even do projects here and use their “star” power to boost tourism and enhance our profile, but the president will give us a huge miss. The sooner we get a grip to this reality the better. Lessons for Kenya. If we don’t take a few lessons from this election, then I don’t know if we can ever learn anything. The Kenyan public was exposed to the best democratic practices in the world. I hope as a country that we can take something going forward. What are the lesions? Fairplay, institutions vs. Personalities, violence free campaigns, issue based debates, organised campaigns, etc Lessons for youth. The campaign slogan of “Yes we can” is very powerful and to see “the skinny kid with a funny name” come from “nothing” to something, from nowhere to the most powerful office on land is a lesson that every young person with real or imagined disadvantages should take seriously. All things are possible. A "where were you moment?" Obama’s victory joins the list of defining moments in history. Every country has a list of such moments and they are best played in discussions around where an individual was at such a crucial moment. November 5th joins my list of such moments. Others during my time include, the fall of the Berlin wall, Nairobi Bomblast, 9/11, the high of 2002 NARC election results, the low of 2007 election results etc. This is the stuff that I will delight my grandchildren with. Anybody who doubts can ponder about this:- A black man in White House, a black first lady, a Catholic Vice President, a first term black Senator goes running for presidency. My Diary. Thanks to my American friend, SG and his lady LZ, George and I spent the early night of 4th November at a barbeque in Spring Valley around colleagues and friends. We watched CNN news and Americans started their voting day. We exchanged banter on the different scenarios. With a mini UN on the guest list everybody had a question for our American host. What is the basis of the electoral colleges? What are swing states? Etc. Because of dropping kids to school and work, we had to leave after 11.00 pm. I work up a few minutes to five and was glued to the TV until the president-elect made his acceptance speech a few minutes to 8.30 am. Hey, work could wait a while. This was big stuff. I had earlier promised to bring the kids along for the celebrations. Gregory got the chance to see the crowds following the elections from the big screens mounted outside KICC on his way to school. I hope that in the course of the day an appropriate celebration for kids will emerge, otherwise adult Nairobian are partying very hard tonight. I will be part of that big party somehow, sometime. Tomorrow morning I will sit my children, Gregory and Natasha down and tell them the story of the Kenyan-American “skinny boy with a funny name” and what it means for them to be all they can be. I will enjoy giving this lesson.

I Am Who I Am Now

The other day I watched the movie The Weatherman in which Nicholas Cage plays David Spritz a TV weatherman who thinks that his career is not fulfilling and has problems at the home front. The moral of the movie as Dave admits to himself is that one must learn to accept and be happy with his life whatever it is. However the outcome. We all have our desired lives or outcomes of our lives based on what we imagine is ideal, further based on what our parents have implanted in our minds, based on what society has defined as success and sometimes based on imaginary yardsticks that we impose on ourselves. At some point in our lives, everybody is confronted with the reality that “we are who we are” at that point in time. I want to believe that this is the “Eureka “moment from whence we can now proceed to live in peace with who we are. Some geography-biased philosophers call this moment “finding” oneself. Others more positive say that “you have found your purpose”, the reason for your being, your rasion d’être, etc. So are you still searching or have you found the reason you are here? Do you accept the canvas of your life that the Maker has painted? Are you satisfied that it is as it should be? If not, happy searching!

My Bucket List Is Full

I have taken my time to generate a wish list based on some things I want to achieve before I move on to the next world. I had a very honest “debate” with myself asking some uncomfortable questions and making unusual admissions to myself. Like the lead characters in the movies, I will strike out any item that I am able to achieve. I thank God that unlike the characters, I have no deadline. I will keep you posted on the progress.

· Impact lives of dear & near ones · Be emotional · Be my family’s best friend. · Read more · Write more · Mentor three young people · Give more · Trust more · Be happy · Be physically & mentally fit · Speak up my mind & damn the consequences · Own a motorbike · Build a retirement home in a cosmopolitan town · Bequeath my kids an education & a legacy · Start a business · Overland Cape to Cairo

Nakuru is back in the loop, once again.

A week ago, I was in the Rift Valley on duty and had a most delightful two-hour drive to Nakuru town. With the Mai-Mahiu-Lanet road construction now almost over and the road virtually opened, save for some beautifying and landscaping work going on. The road is smooth and well done, complete with an interchange (flyover) to get in and out of Naivasha Town and onwards to Mai Mahiu. One interesting thing I noticed was that the contractor is planting grass and trees on the road shoulders. This is rare and I wonder why the same is not happening on other new roads. The road was done with assistance from EU. On the northern side of Nakuru town a Chinese contractor is working on the 9 kilometre Lanet to Njoro-turnoff dual carriage. I hope they will do some landscaping and replace the giant beautiful trees that lined the road in the past.

I want to imagine that local tourists from Nairobi will now be back in this region with an abundance of sights. I will be back to sample the town and the surrounding country. Southwards from Nairobi, the Mlolongo to Machakos turn-off road is under construction and has made life for users hell. In the same direction, the Athi river to Namanga Road is also under construction and when complete Arusha will be some 3 hours away from Nairobi.

JUST A MOM?

This forward came to my inbox in the usual manner, but it caught my eye and on reading it, I thought it was brilliant and a morale booster for any mother struggling to find relevance in their work amidst all the glorification of the "working" woman. Enjoy.

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk 's office, was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is, " explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you just a .?" "Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom." "We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," Said the recorder emphatically. I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar." "What is your occupation?" she probed. What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations." The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire. "Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?" Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn't) In the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money." There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mom." Motherhood! What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door. Does this make grandmothers "Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations" And great grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates?" I think so!!! I also think it makes Aunts " Associate Research Assistants."

Another holiday beckons if Cousin Obama wins

By end of October Kenyans will be away from work for a total of 11 days. Eight of those days are our usual weekends and the other three are official holidays in the form of Idd-ul-fitr, Moi Day and Kenyatta Day. Normally, the next holiday would be Jamhuri Day in December, but if all goes well and our Cousin Barack and the Democrats get their way in America, November will not be a “dry” month in terms of holidays. It’s obvious that Kenyans have a vested interest in the American elections and though they don’t understand the dynamics and mechanics of the American democracy, they are all rooting for “our homeboy”. In fact his win is a foregone conclusion, and should he suffer a loss, then in true African fashion, we will blame it on the incumbent for using state resources to help his party or we will blame it on witchcraft, Republican’s rigging, racism, etc Should the Gods grant our collective wish, I am sure we will earn a unofficial public holiday before the first week of November is out. Being a true Kenyan, I have given it some thought and I intend to be out in the Nairobi streets celebrating “our” victory. I further intend to take my kids out with me to be witnesses in this momentous day in world history. I want them out there because in another 50 years or so, they can regale their grandchildren with their part in what is truly a fairy tale of our lifetime. I also want them to bookmark the story of Obama in their lives and use it as an example and lesson in what they too can achieve. After the excitement has died down I will sit them down and take them through a tutorial on the tagline “yes we can” . As Kenyans, we have done all we can possibly do and its now over to Americans to do their bit in getting us this well-deserved holiday!

My Bucket List- What I want to do before I go

"The Bucket List" is a 2007 comedy-drama film starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The story follows two terminally ill men who meet in a hospital ward. One is a mechanic and the other a tycoon. They are suffering from cancer and have one year to live. They create a wish list of things to do before they “kick the bucket” . The story follows their road trip as they fulfill the wish list with a few lessons along the way. Their bucket list included:-

- Witness something truly majestic - Help a complete stranger for a common good - Laugh till I cry - Drive a Shelby Mustang - Kiss the most beautiful girl in the world - Get a tattoo - Skydiving - Visit Stonehenge - Spend a week at Louvre - See Rome - See the pyramids - Get back in touch (previously "Hunt the big cat")

According to www.43things.com, the most popular categories that people include in their must-do-before-I-die lists are related to health, money and wealth, school and education, work and career, family, friends and social life, spirituality and beliefs, creativity and self-expression and travel. The most popular specific goals include:-

1. lose weight 2. stop procrastinating 3. write a book 4. fall in love 5. be happy 6. get a tattoo 7. go on a road trip with no predetermined destination 8. drink more water 9. get married 10. travel the world

I have decided to put together my own bucket list at leisure. Having been very unfaithful to my annual attempts at new year resolutions, I want to take my time to meditate and determine what deserves to be in my list. Watch this space…..

..been away too long...

.....seems like I am getting overwhelmed. I cannot keep to my promised minimum of two posts per months! I need to motivate myself fast......

Lucky Men...........

During my daily ritual of driving home in the afternoon jam, recently a persistent lady called my number mistaking me for her hairdresser. She jumped straight into expressing her profuse gratitude for the last hairdo and sought an urgent appointment for the next one. Before I could protest the wrong number, she had jumped head-on into a tirade about how her sister and their friends are equally happy with the hairdresser’s services! My protestations that I was not her hairdresser fell on deaf ears and were mistaken for a lack of an opening in “my” diary. I apologised for not being her famed hairdresser and ended the call, but the lady was not giving up so easily. Half a minute later she had called. This time the speech was more coy and peppered with pleads of “woiees”. This time I am stern and dismiss her for wasting my time. It could be a prank and you cannot be too careful with all these gotcha pranks going on in our radio stations. She never calls back. As I ponder about the plight of the poor girl’s hair, my thoughts quickly turns to the lucky hairdresser who gives so much pleasure and satisfaction to his clients. Having ended up with a bland career, I rue my lack of legal mandate to make more than one woman happy. When I get over the envious realisation how fortunate male hairdressers are, I quickly search for any other lot of brothers allowed to pleasure more than their wives! Masseuse, gynaecologists and male strippers come to mind. How lucky. Talk about eating from the good work of one’s hands!

Kilaguni Lodge- Tsavo west.

This is the place where Kofi Annan spent some time with the mediation team during that dark hour in Kenya's history at the beginning of this year. The lodge is one of the oldest in the country and is found some 30 kms from Mtito Andei junction, inside Tsavo West National Park- the 3rd biggest eco-system in the world! The park is the size of Rwanda. The lodge is named after a hill by the same name, so named by the locals in honour of a mother-baby rhino pair that made the hill their home aeons ago. All the rooms and restaurant area face a floodlit waterhole, while the majestic Chyulu Hills form the distant backdrop. This is the country of lava, shetani caves, and has been lately branded by KWS. Prominent visitors here apart from Kofi Annan include Mzee Kenyatta in 1964 and numerous royalty and business class. The lodge is now run by Serena and their high standards of service are a joy. On a recent visit, I took shots of the landscape, which have found a place of pride in my screen saver.

Is my dream country cottage gone up in smoke........

I am the proud owner of a small beautiful cottage in a pristine locale surrounded by nature, laden with all your daily needs of cool clean water, sunshine, fresh fruits and traditional foods. When the world around me goes all chaotic, this is the place where I seek refuge.

This cottage might as well be located in any of the following exotic places- Takaungu, Lamu, Kwale, Mathews Ranges, Kesses, Naivasha, Taita Hills, Nanyuki, Kikambala, Vipingo, Aberdares, Happy Valley, Nyambene Hills, Chyulus, Mfangano Islands, Isinya, or a thousand other such places in any direction you take in Kenya.

I could have moved in sooner, but I especially wish to turn the cottage into my retirement home. I have therefore started planning how I will put it up in the next five years.

However, in hindsight the problems we faced in January this year have forced me to re-think the whole concept. Will I be welcome or am I going to be a “foreigner” in my own country? Will I be a pawn when the next election comes by? I cannot enjoy the country air with an “alien” tag to my name.

Unless. I get a police post built right next to it. But then, that would spoil the serenity. Unwanted and unwelcome neighbours would stress the fragile environment and hey, where is the fun if you take away the exclusivity from it?

This cottage is found in my dreams, but the view from is worth dying for.

Images from South Africa

The New Job

I have been on my new job for close to six months and I can now objectively assess the new experience. Initially it was a roller coaster ride-moving too fast with blurred views of the surrounding, but now I am more settled down and at ease on the job and the surroundings.

Being a new industry, it took me a few weeks to be weaned of my previous industry experience. Being in the environment sector, I am now fully attuned to the issues and politics in the sector. To be honest, I am glad I moved when I did and to the organization I did. The job description is challenging and includes setting up systems, advising management and ensuring the whole organization sings from the same hymn page.

I am part of a wonderful team that clearly understands it’s brief. In my corner, I have a team of young professional that I hope to mentor and mould into the best in my industry. My boss has given me a free hand to set up systems the best way I know how including enabling me with the appropriate resources. So far, we are receiving positive feedback from users of our services and products.
I am extremely happy with the job, the people I work with, the people I serve and the environment.

I hope to have another optimistic review of the job in another six months.

Msanzi

I have just returned from a week in South Africa. I visited (some for hours) the following cities:- Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria and Pietermaritzburg. A few observations:-

Electricity:
The country is in darkness and everybody blames it on poor Mbeki. The utility provider, ESKOM, had warned the government some 8 years ago about the need for expanding power plants to accommodate rising demand. It is quite embarrassing for a country waiting to host the World Cup in less than 2 years. Sitting in a dark candle-lit house in Johannesburg reminded me of Kenya so much. Deja vu, you could say, but for South Africans it’s all curses and discomfort. They don’t know how to handle it all. On the road, they depend on traffic lights for order and without them; they are so hopelessly lost you have to pity them! Is this mighty economic powerhouse slowly going the "African" way?

Crime:
At every point, you are reminded how insecure the city streets are. You are advised not to walk the streets alone or with your accessories like handbags, cameras, gold chains, wallets, etc in full view of the world. The newspapers are full of scary rape, murder, burglary cases. During my stay, there was a story of an attack on the Greek Ambassador's residence in Pretoria and the trauma that his family went through. If such happened in Nairobi, there would be hue and cry with travel advisories flying all over the place. Personally, I did not see any crime and I have nothing but kind words to all the good South African people I interacted with.

National Cohesion/Racism/Tribalism:
There are serious issues touching on national cohesion. Reading the newspapers and talking to the local black population, you get a sense of unresolved issues. A drive through any of the main cities residential areas is a lesson in economic disparities. Whites live in secluded estates, while Indians (at least in the case of Durban) and the few upwardly mobile blacks are moving in the numerous flats that whites are deserting for the suburbs. The notorious Hillbrow and Soweto hoods in Johannesburg are not exactly the slums that we know in Kenya-they would pass for your average middle-class estates like South B or Buru Buru. Much as South Africa has a feel of a developed country, it’s hard to hide the fact there are two different nations in one. The Zulus of Kwazulu Natal Province are very nationalistic-they assume that every black person is Zulu and that is the language they use to talk to everybody.

Coming from Kenya where we have all agreed to deny the existence of tribalism or class division, I was heartened that South Africans are talking loudly about racism, emerging class divisions and other forms of discrimination. A healthy debate is a starting point to heal especially if done away from the political class’ reach.

Politics:
The Zuma-Mbeki struggle for ANC is interesting when explained by locals. What we outsiders don’t know is that Zuma was voted into the ANC presidency, not because he is loved, but as a protest against the “posh” brand of Mbeki politics. Many locals have nothing but disrespect for Zuma-he is a corrupt uneducated polygamist who leads a not-so-private reckless sex life. That is not your everyday Head of State material, but South Africans can’t stand the current ANC leadership, especially in view of the lopsided representation of Xhosa in big business and cabinet.

A recent newspaper report on rich Africans placed a black South African lawyer as the number one or two in Africa. On close scrutiny however, you learn that this one follows the usual “African” script that liberally mixes politics, business and being in the right place at the right time. The story on the street is that he is a relative of Cyril Ramaphosa through marriage as well as Mbeki. The locals claim that he is a front for the ruling Xhosa clan. They wonder how a lawyer with no experience in mining can suddenly become an expert scouting for mining deals all over the world.

Cars:
Due to the superb infrastructure, you rarely see a dirty or "tired "vehicle on these roads. Of course they manufacture most of the cars on their roads. The bakkies (pick-ups) are popular and a favourite of car jackers. The whites love adventure vehicles, while the newly rich blacks want the loudest flashiest ride on the market. The speed limit is 120 km/h on open highways, but during my stay, a brother was reportedly arrested for over speeding and hitting 207km/h. The newspapers said this was high, but not as high as some other guy who was arrested for hitting 287 km/h last year!

While in Durban, I saw these numerous Mitumba showrooms packed with second-hand Japanese imports. The interesting thing is that all these vehicles are destined to the neighbouring countries, but from Durban to the borders, they cannot drive or get in any contact with South African roads. They have to be atop vehicle carriers all the way to the exit points. This is the Freeport scenario that Kenya is supposed to exploit in view of our hinterland of South Sudan, Uganda, Southern Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern Congo, etc. I now hear that Rwanda wants to turn the whole country into a Freeport.

Foreigners in El Dorado:
Local people believe that at least 10 million foreigners have settled in South Africa. Top on the list are 3 million Zimbos (Zimbambweans) running away from the runaway inflation up north. There are legal and illegal immigrants from as far away as Kenya, Tanzania and Congo amidst those from the hood- Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, etc. In one shopping mall, all the 600 parking attendants are from Congo. When you talk to South Africans, they don’t seem so happy about the foreigners, but also seem to accept the fact that they owe historical debts to many African states that stood by them in the Apartheid days. Talking to the immigrants, you hear occasional derision of the local male, who is allergic to hard work and leaves their women to wear the breadwinner label.

I would love to be back here sometime and see the country by road. Soon.

New Tricks

The country is slowly getting back to normalcy. You can almost feel the celebratory mood in the air when you are around social places. Everyone seems to be making extra effort to prove their Kenyan-ness and if in cosmopolitan company, there are some who are going the extra mile to prove this by dangling their mixed heritage or non-ethnic credentials.

The winner in this struggle by old dogs learning new tricks was a wisecrack from a lady colleague after the CEO requested for opening prayers during a formal meeting in the office. She quipped, "should'nt we be starting our meetings with a hearty national anthem instead of prayers?".

She got me thinking. Why not, especially after the fiasco that our religious leaders created by taking sides when they were supposed to keep off the murk that politics can be. At least the anthem would be neutral, secular and apolitical.

Come to think of it, why not?