things related to EA
(Kenya’s) President Mwai Kibaki has unveiled his new-look Cabinet.(…) In a speech delivered from State House, he said it was necessary to reorganise his government in order to make it more cohesive and better able to serve the people of Kenya. The new-look Cabinet is also aimed at restoring donor confidence.
(source: The Standard)
Mvunja nchi ni mwana nchi. God bless Kenya…
Since there seem to be some vacancies in Kenya’s political scene, I’ve already written a short message to my golfing buddy Mwai and told him to assist me with this matter I’m having:
I am a german citizen, yani, politics here don’t pay. Over here, I would never get a nice Pajero, no taxpayer would cover my mobile bills nor would I be ever be asked IF I would like to buy a piece of land somewhere in EAK. You see, I’ve already asked aliaR for some advice (hey, he’s fluent in German!) but he just replied that I’d have to become even more orange and… Uhuru? Well, you know, he’s a bit pissed at me since I stole his domain name. So anyways, I thought about becoming a Kenyan citizen and applying for a Ministry. Kwani I am a very foresighted person, I already came up with this brilliant plan: Kenya needs a Ministry for Licences.
Have you ever tried to do something in Kenya without a valid licence/permit/letter of approval?
There you have it. And I am the solution. I am hereby applying for the ultimate position as Minister for Licences et al. All those Nyayo House paper works, all those things related to how-to-make-chai and this special thing when you’re applying a stamp or seal on an offical paper. Awww…. a nice feeling.
Mwai, what are you waiting for? Kîrimû kîhithaga rwembea-inî rwa nyûmba kîûî gîtikuonwo.
P.S.: forget the Pajero, I’ll just be fine with a Subaru Legacy. Yes, those new ones. No, without a driver. Thx!
So I was just trackbacking a google search request on kenya+referendum+blog I’d found in my site stats and landed on Ruud Elmendorp’s blog – a Dutch video journalist who has published some of his nice videos on his website. Among those featured videos, there’s one on Bertiers – that very special Kenyan "signboard artist" from Dagoretti, Nairobi, Kenya.
Some time ago I already blogged about other Kenyan artists like Shine Tani, Joel Oswaggo, Maube and Evanson Kangethe (in german, though) and was quite happy when Bwana Shine Tani himself commented on it two weeks ago. Yes, I like East African artists and I know there are even many more, many talented and unique artists that don’t need to sell their drawings at such a low price in order to be promoted and accepted by the western world. So, Thank You, Bwana Bertiers and Bwana Elmendorp for putting even more awareness of Contemporary African Art on the Internet. I think it’s about time my fellow Europeans realize there’s much more to African Art than just batics, wood carvings and Sisal Baskets ("kîondo"). Maybe one day soon I’ll be able to take more pictures so we could at least share them on flickr…
Update: I just figured out the song Ruud uses as the intro background tune for this fine (but too short!) documentary: M’bilia Bel’s "Nakei Nairobi" … YEAH!
Interesting, I was just reading an article on Sheikh Khalid Balalas struggle while on exile in Europe and was instantly reminded of those days back in the mid 1990s. I happened to live in Frankfurt am Main by that time – that city where he stayed in Germany, I think in a hotel somewhere close to the main station and a german MI5-nini had him under surveillance….
Politics. Facts, unimportant details that pop-up from various parts of my brain, something I will never need to remember. And yet, the visual memories of that time, even of those hectic days in the early 90s (Kamukunji & Co) keep on coming back. So many things have changed in Kenya in the meantime, life has been going on, we’re having 2005 and I am sitting here, reading this other article and thinking to myself: will our children ever ask us about the politics during our heydays and what we were actually doing about it?
One of those great "Haiyaa! / Ii ukanii!? / ati?! / woooiiiii?! / wth? / kweli? / aterere.. / aisee…"-moments I love about Kenya…..
And yes, bananas DO grow on electricity poles. Yani, this seems to be the most plausible explanation for frequent power failures kwani all the energy is used to produce healthy fruits.
(image source: Daily Nation / Oct 12th, 2005)
A friend of mine today told me about her mother’s plans for Xmas ’05 and that’s when I realized that we are already having November 1st. Can you imagine people actually planing their celebrations for this event as early as October/November?
Adding even more personal content to my weblog (ndiyo, Adrian & Hash!) – thus following Nielsen’s weblog guidelines – I just thought about telling you this little nini that keeps on banging inside my head:
The man and his family shown on the above picture (click to enlarge) is non other than Bwana Harrison W. Munyui of Ruaka – who happens to run a succesful taxi business close to Runda estate (yes, that “Krautshill” part of NBO behind Village Market).
Now, this Kikuku* by the name of Lady Kikuyumbuzi* (a.k.a. Mbuzimoja* a.k.a Mandazimoja*), who hails from the slopes of Mt. Bavaria and its great empire (remember Beckenbauer? He’s their Emperor) and who has spent her childhood in Hoima (Uganda) and different parts of Nairobi (Kenya), happens to be Bwana Harrison’s biggest and most persistent customer. She is such a loyal customer that Harrison took her to church last sunday – he asked her to accompany him & his family to “Ruaka Revival Church Centre”.
What she did, of course.
Basi.
Now….as you might have figured already, I am deeply in love with this Tangawizi-Lady*. That woman is strong and – the way it is with love – whenever I think of her, my heart fills with joy and happiness and I can’t wait to see her again. But! – she just dropped me a few lines, telling me that she will stay in Kenya for some more time and currently doesn’t think about flying back to Germany. She didn’t even leave any telephone “namba” under which I could reach her…yani, out of sight, out of my mind? No way! She’s the one that made me think about doing more sports, eventually stop smoking, focusing on my studies and just being more concentrated on the things that will be good for me. But not by telling me (I wouldn’t like that) – instead, she would just inspire me and make me realize it myself (I am an old man who needs some time to realize what’s good and bad and what women actually mean when they say yes or no… :-).
So she left the other day for Kenya and I’m here and thinking: she won’t come back? — then I’ll have to come and visit her! Mapenzi ni kikohozi, hayawezi kufichika. What are you waiting for, dude?
I am waiting to win the lottery which would enable me to buy a plane ticket, I am waiting to find a way of stopping time so I could easily just take a few days off to Kenya without being frightened that I’d miss some important things over here – and maybe I am also waiting for her to tell me that I should just come, no matter what…
Yani, upon seeing Bwana Harrison on that picture and his mobile phone number painted on his cabs door, I had this idea of calling him….what would it be alike?:
“Hello?” – “yes, hello, this is Kikuyumoja calling.. Am I speaking to Harrison?” – “Ehhh….HAhahaha.” -“Ehh…wî mwega?” – “Ndî mega….hahaha” – ( …more greetings here… ) …. (even more) …. – “Sasa, Harrison, me I am having this problem…. I have just arrived at JKIA and I am looking for that Mzungulady who happens to be your regulaaaar cas-tam-aa. You know, the one that has this WangariMaathai powa, the one with that kenyan nose and blonde hair and who just likes to be your guest….” – “Eh…Hahahaaaa” – “..so you know her?” – “Eh…Hahaha…of course I know her, she’s very nice!” – “YEAH, SHE IS! ..Tûrî na mbûri njega*… :-)” – “Where are you now?” – “I am at JKIA and I would like to be your next customer.” – “Wait…me I’ll come”…..t.b.c
What would you do if the person you’re really in love with is some 6600 kms away and you just want to see her again?
*@Mshairimoja: of course all those are terms of endearment! ;-)
A coincidence?