TEXAS!! Here we come again!

22 June 2021

THE JOURNEY MATTERS, NOT THE DESTINATION. T.S.ELLIOT

So today am off to Isiolo for the launch of one of a charitable projects at an Islamic centre and school.

Its been a while since I was last on this road......more than a year since I was in Nanyuki and several years since I was in Isiolo - probably 5 years.

I'm happy in a way cos I have a number of friends in Isiolo though I will not meet them today because its a whistle-stop journey.

We are travelling in 2 cars. One for Haji (not his real name) - a noah and the other a V8 belonging to an international Islamic NGO affiliated to several development projects in the region - we shall call this NGO by an acronym BB. So I am in the noah with AbdulHamid as pilot.

Haji picks me from home at 5am. Muna has to wake up to keep Zoe the puppy from disturbing me as I leave home. The puppy is very young and very attached to its human members of the family - and wouldn't let me leave home easily.

We head to Jamia Mosque for our fajr prayers. That's going to be our meeting point before we depart northwards.

After fajr we wait for our guests to join us so there is enough time to have a cup of tea at Al Yusra Restaurant. I inform Haji that this building once belonged to the late Muhammed Aslam Khan during Moi's era - who was also the owner of a large insurance firm. And the office for the insurance firm were back then in this exact floor and space.

At the restaurant an old Somali man serves as the waiter.....he seems to know Haji. And they exchange greetings and niceties in quick fire somali language. 

It all passes me. I am not complaining. I'm fine with this. Haji tells me the man is a trusted employee of this restaurant and is a very diligent manager...... its always refreshing to see good hard working people up and about on duty at this early holy hour and this one in particular seems in his late 60s and he is certainly very contagiously energetic and enthusiastic - the energy rubs on and I am sure to enjoy the cup of tea!

Then I recognise two words in a question directed to me.....'gamia ama gombe? Of course I choose tea with cow milk. Over the years I've learnt that all somalis prefer tea with camel milk which is considered several times superior to any other. But I am not so brave.....camel milk has a reputation of giving loose motion to all and sundry who are strangers to it.....I being one of the more famous ones! 

As we finish the tea which I enjoy thoroughly due the old mans positive vibes; we go downstairs, the other group joins us and we proceed.

June, July and August are supposed to be chilly days but today its pleasant; not too cold nor hot. Its overcast skies but I'm sure it will warm up as we approach the Equator. Today is 22nd June, just a day after solstice......so it should get warmer as we head north. Whatever the weather, I'm prepared.....I've learnt over the years to try and dress appropriately for the weather and terrain. So I have two layers of a shirt and vest and a blazer to top it. But also because there may be some formal ceremonies I am wearing slip on shoes which also allow easy removal and wearing at prayer times.

Thika Highway

The highway is being repaired. And one of the lanes has a fresh layer of loose chippings and thus a hazard to break the windscreen. I remind Abdul Hamid to keep a safe distance from the cars 

Pedestrian crossing bridges break the monotony of the 3 lane highway. The different designs are a welcome break. But it is the clouds and the hues that light up the sky that give the landscape the beauty.

The 3 lane highway changes to 2 lanes at Thika and then becomes a single lane at Makuyu. The average speeds are now very low. You can only go as fast as the slowest vehicle ahead of you until you get a chance to overtake ........ which chance only comes after several kilometers of driving. The traffic in this part of the country is heavy and a small incident on the roads can easily result in long and painfully slow traffic build-up. 

But the good news is the road is being expanded into a 2 lane highway so within a year or so the road will be much better.

After an hour from Thika we pass  the sprawling Kakuzi plantations on our right hand side ... and the rolling Hills of Makuyu on the left. I remind myself in thoughts that this area is the confluence of 3 counties - Kiambu, Muranga and Machakos - yes indeed Machakos - quite surprising but as a confirmation for any doubting thomases even the people are Kamba and have distinctive homesteads and lifestyle of the Kamba.

As we approach the crossing over Tana River, I am reminded of my brother-in-law, the late Nawaz (may ALLAH have mercy upon him)... he used to work here and indeed it was during one of his trips back home from work that he met his fate along this highway. A head-on crash with a GK Landrover. He was hardly 55 yrs of age. Kenyan roads have taken a toll on its people - talk to any family anywhere in Kenya and I am certain they have lost loved ones to road carnage.

As we leave Muranga and Kiambu counties we enter into Kirinyaga and Nyeri. Its beautiful agricultural land. Almost all the land is under some form of farming. There are lots of Silver Birch (Grevillea) trees - a legacy of the late Nobel prize winner; Wangari Mathai. She is single handedly credited for the greenness of this land.

Its now getting colder.

The skies are cloud laden.

There is no indication of the sun presenting itself.....an occasion all Africans look forward to during such dreary days....because as the saying goes we Africans are like lizards who come out to bask at the first opportunity the sun shines upon the land.

Abdul Hamid chats away and i dutifully listen. He is praising the new engine of the noah. Its costed only 95k and has good power. He is under instruction to watch the consumption. I keep my opinions to myself. I've noticed the gears don't change as soon as they are supposed to and thus the car moves longer than normal distance and time before the gears change. Thus consuming more. He hasn't noticed this and I don't want to hurt his pride by showing off my mechanical knowledge. He also praises the Yana tyres that they have changed the feel of the drive but in my mind I record the bottom of the car scratching at every bump. He defends it saying they have modified the bottom where they have secured the spare tyre.....I am tempted to tell him that its something else...but again I hold my horses. I've learnt over the years that all drivers have a rather strong sense that their opinions with regards the cars they are driving are absolute and divine and any deviant opinion from whomsoever else cannot be right even if the person has several degrees in motor mechanics. Later on when we stop at Nanyuki - I notice that the tyres are not even Yana - but some other unknown and shady brand.

He talks about how he was held up for over 6 hours last week along this very road due to a trailer which rolled over and blocked all lanes. This is absolutely true; traffic snarlups along this road are phenomenal and legendary.

At 845am which arrive at the Kiganjo junction. I mention this junction in particular because the terrain and climate changes from this point forward as we head to Naro Moru and beyond to Nanyuki.

We are not far from the foothills of Mt Kenya and a chilly westerly wind from the slopes is biting away. 

We are at a comfortable pace of 80kmh. The Nissan matatus overtake us with ease. They are all branded with different pictures and logos and artwork on their rear windscreens and bodywork too. The practise of banning and unbanning of matatu artwork has over the years produced a vibrant splash of ideas - one never tires in long journeys to see art ranging from interesting to crazy to funny on matatus and trucks.

This one ahead of us has Bob Marley's face and the holy weed (marijuana) advertised on the wind screen and just above that someone has added tongue-in-cheek 'Ya Kareem'. I wonder how kareem the reggae king was or what ya kareem has to do with BM or weed! Thoughts for another day! To top it all up - a Haile Selasie logo of the Lion of Juda is prominently placed on the bottom bumper and this crowns the holy confusion......I'd love the opportunity to interview the artist responsible for this mix-and-match ideology. I'm sure I'll get an interesting answer from the usually stoned rastafarai dread locked Picassos - I'm almost sure he will be high and will convince me that he follows all creeds!

The sun is now out. The weather has changed. We are west of Mt Kenya. Today the mountain is hidden in the clouds.

Point of note - west of Mt Kenya is the rain shadow part of the mountain. And thus the shining day. Its obviously dry. The landscape is no longer green and lush but drier open scrub land.

A flock of Sacred Ibis flies past in formation closely followed by a threesome of Cattle Egrets.

We are close to Naro Moru. The rain shadow is evident. Its dry scrub land with trees far apart. The wind swept landscape has scars of sheet erosion - a sign that the local & hardy Dorper Sheep have been overgrazing. These are robust animals suited for this environment as they need less watering than the normal goats and sheep and can easily survive on the bristle grass that abounds here.

A lone child stands at a bus stop waiting for a matatu. He is obviously very late for school. He is dressed heavily with a woolen balaclava which covers his head, ears and right upto his neck.....the cold can be biting and no mother wants pneumonia at any cost.

A recently repainted sign announces that this is the Equator.

We are in the Northern Hemisphere. The land of the rich....globally it is well known that 90% of the poor live in the southern Hemisphere while 90% of the richest people live in the North..... I try feeling rich - there is no feeling; I am still my old numb self ...... maybe I need to go a few miles more north before I feel like Bill Gates or Musk or Bezos......well no I am OK the way I am. I am rich whether I'm in the North or south!

We have entered Nanyuki.

Welcome to Laikipia Plateau.

During the early days this used to be the last bastion before one ventured into the northern badlands of shiftas, lawlessness and the desert.

The climate and environment of Nanyuki on the foothills of Mt Kenya was ideal for white settlers and to this day a large settler community thrives here.

Before the population of Kenya exploded, this land was nomadic grazing land for the Maasai. When the colonialist arrived he divided the land and took the best portions but his meant displacing the indigenous Maasai and local Kikuyu.

It was not just division of land. Divide-and-rule has long been an effective tool of the colonisers since time immemorial.....the British mastered it during its heyday of "Hail Brittania". And indeed those days the sun never set on the British empire. Sometimes I feel the kings and queens of colonising nations still have that kasumba and nostalgic attitude of an emperor or empress whose empire spans the whole globe......and staying locked up in palaces and expansive country estates must help retain this opinion.

I once interviewed a Masai friend of mine and asked him what the exact difference was between the Maasai and the Samburu - and the following quip summarises what he informed me -- of course subject to further investigation and research which I do intend to do. The effect of grabbing the best lands was to divide the Maa people into the Northern Maa and the Southern Maa. The northern Maa became the Samburu while the southern ones remained as Maasai. Culturally the two peoples are the same with the same language and customs and ways of life - the only difference being geographical.

Texas! Here we come again!

But before that we must traverse the potato growing lands of Timau. This is high altitude land at over 7000 ft on average and once you cross the bridge that divides Laikipia and Meru counties then you have almost immediately switched off the rain shadow. This land gets abundant rain and its green and lush.

Here it rains almost everyday and abundantly. The Blue Gum Eucalyptus trees are evidence enough. 

The Dorper Sheep are fewer now if any. The more common sheep abound here and they graze dutifully without looking up. Fresian and Guernsey Cattle dot the road sides. I cannot help but think the climate and environment distinctly attracts foreigners from Europe and thats why they are so many these sides.

The black wattle trees and the beautiful yellow acacia trees remind you that you are in Kenya. An occasional Croton tree and the remaining podo are a clear indication the the Wangari Mathai effect hasn't been too great in this county.

When the great 'reverse-land-grab' led by Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe took place; a large number of white farmers moved here to Laikipia and acquired plantations on which they now do commercial farming. They spray their crop with aeroplanes and they live in tastefully designed country houses far apart from other humans. Their children go to expensive schools in Nairobi and Molo. For weekends the children are picked up by choppers on Friday evening and dropped back to school by a different chopper on Monday morning ..... yes we are still in Kenya! They own most of the land in Nanyuki right across the plateau. Pine tree fences and electric razor wires differentiate the lands of those that have from the have-nots. The have-nots illegally till the road reserves and the haves keep them off with state of art fencing and detection systems.

Sour grapes? No not at all!!!! God gives according to His wisdom and I am happy with my lot. And our duty is to glorify and worship Him irrespective of our rizk or provision. At the end of the day each soul gets what has been written for it - no more no less - so why worry - just work hard and be happy - Be happy - yes that was a regular quip of Mum.

The road now slopes downwards. We are on an infamous stretch of downhill - the Subuigaha downhill - that has claimed several lives. By my estimates it is at least 10km of downhill and many trucks have fallen over or run into other smaller vehicles along these downhills and corners. There are large signs warning of the danger and our pilot slows down. We reach the Meru makutano and turn right to drop down into Isiolo.

As usual; Isiolo is warm - actually hot. And we head straight to our point of work which is just a kilometer to the north of the town centre. 

The opening ceremony we had come for is for classrooms and dorms constructed by a local contractor and funded by donors from KSA.

I am not part of the ceremony so I do what I had come to do …… inspect the structural integrity of the newly constructed labs at the school and also inspect the failed sewerage system of the orphans centre.

The irony or more precisely the shame is that even the fairly newly constructed classrooms have cracks in the floors, walls, beams and slabs.

There is simply no quality control nor accountability ….. Accountability to whom anyway??

Money is disbursed but there is no audit of whether the value of money is received.

It's a long story! If I start explaining it my heart will be weary - I prefer to stay happy.

The failed sewerage system is an even worse problem - nobody cares or notices since all the septic tanks are underground and tucked away - well hidden from the well trodden paths ….. Need i say more?

None of the septic tanks work. They are all full.

The soakpits are not connected and therefore not functional or more precisely - obsolete.

If I was the decision maker I would have first sorted out the sewerage system before building any new structures - why? Because this is a very basic and primary necessity! And secondly don't we as Muslims hammer the principle of cleanliness as an absolute primary requisite for every person - the principle of taharrat! I say for the umpteenth time - we must put our money where our mouth is ….. And we must act better than what we just talk or say.

Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar!! 

The azan for prayer time is announced from the fairly newly built - but rather dilapidated mosque. Sadly this is yet another example of donor money spent poorly on projects with no quality control. The donor back in the Middle East has no clue of the quality of works. The local recipients are clueless too. Their immediate needs are taken care of - who cares for tomorrow - well this is for another blog later.

I go and do my ablution and sit in the mosque waiting for the actual prayer to start. In the distance I can hear the ceremony has begun. The PA system is cracking away with Quran verses being recited.

Then I hear an MC announce the formal beginning of proceedings. The national anthem of Kenya followed by that of East Africa is played as everyone stands in respect. The children mime the words with the anthems being played on the PA system.

We pray the afternoon prayer and I later join Abdul Hamid in his car waiting for the next move by my host.

The wind has picked up substantially by now. The black cotton soil dust clouds rise and fall with the wind. It's a strong blustery wind. In the near distance I spot a Tawny Eagle struggling with the wind being forced to flap its wings vigorously rather than glide and ride the thermals as it is more used to doing. I just thought how versatile this predatory bird is; as it is found in almost all climates and terrains in East and Central Africa.

The wind rises and falls in strength and it does so; the Acacia tree branches sway in sync. Some of the branches which rest upon the metal roofs of the classrooms scratch the mabati surfaces and the howl of the wind is accentuated by the screeching scratching sound. Its a different sound - I like it. Its a better sound than the boda boda noises that now permeate most of Kenya.

The cheap PA system at the ceremony is now blaring out speeches. Obviously political speeches. The children who have by now been sitting for over 4 hours are hardly listening - I pity them. Do they deserve this - it's a punishment. They don't care about politics. They are orphans. Their needs are basic. Shelter, food, education and clothing…..they do not think beyond these. They can but dare not think beyond these, it's futile to think beyond these. But the politicians don't care about what the children think or not. They have an ego … and it must be fed. 

I am glad I didn't attend the ceremony. I have a tendency to speak my mind ….  And some things are better left in thought form rather than expressed.

A few young girls now walk away from the ceremony to the washrooms ….. And run back to the ceremony not because the ceremony is so interesting but the consequences for staying away are too dire. They are orphans. They have no choice but to comply, quietly without complaints.

I pity them. Are there no better ways to treat them. Just because they are destitute and have no means …. must they accept whatever is subjected to them. Some sins are not directly mentioned in the Bible or the Quran but are committed and will attract the wrath of God. So when you decide to help a destitute person please do so with decorum......treat the person with dignity he or she deserves

The function ends at 2pm.

There is unbound, almost unspeakable joy amongst all the children. Real joy. They are now happy and bustling; not because they got new dorms and classrooms but its as if they have been released from some form of mandatory custody…...I wonder, am I the only one noticing this?

Well it doesnt matter I am happy for them - they dont need to listen to the egos of the elders.

Haji later invites me to join the group for lunch and I oblige. We talk and take photos then I am directed to change cars and now sit with the KSA guests in the V8.

We embark upon the return journey. My new pilot is Mohamed. And we head to Nanyuki. The KSA guests ask me about Mt Kenya and whether there are any 5 star hotels there. I inform them that National Park has no hotels per se but camping sites and climbing huts for climbers. MK who has been to Kenya severally tells me he wants to visit one day. I encourage him and inform him that we do this as a family and we are planning a trip again in the near future. SS, the other guest seems less bothered with mountains and traveling.

In an hour from Isiolo we reach Nanyuki. SS & MK agree that we should stop for coffee. I remind them that the road ahead is a slow one and we must take the curfew into account. MK, like every arab adult knows all and everything in the world and says with confidence that we shall not be more than 5 minutes - so brother Abdul please dont worry! The coffe break combined with the 15 minutes MK spends in the loo all add up to about 45 minutes - but we thankfully depart. I am not too worried cos I am geared and well prepared to spend the night out ... I am in my home country so why worry - Be happy.

As we leave Nanyuki i quickly calculate how much time we have left before the curfew takes effect at 10pm. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't be worried for me but for them and there is worrying variable that could cause us to delay reaching Nairobi after curfew time; and that would be disastrous for the two Saudi guests who are totally unprepared to sleep out.

The worrying variable is the road under construction from Kenol to Nyeri. The result is a very narrow heavily trafficked road with bumps after every 200m or so. And if by bad luck or fate an incident takes place along any part of this 100 km stretch then delays are infamously more than 3 hrs. This would mean us sleeping out 

This prospect does not go well with the 2 Saudis but at the same time they are not comfortable when the driver goes abit faster than normal.....talk of having their cake and eating it!

The thought dominates my mind. I stay calm with rhythmic breathing and silent mindful praying as we drive on.

The sun is setting but the cloudy skies deny us any spectacle of this daily miracle. The roads are lined with potato and carrot buckets. The 'sangi' potatoes look yummy - I would have bought some - but I am just a hitch hiker in this car. So I let the thought slip away. The ladies selling the wares are preparing to close shop for the night. 

I look for the moon through the tinted windows of the V8, it should be fairly big today....at an age of 3 days short of new moon, it should be a waxing moon. the full moon is expected in three days....no sight of this nor any stars. Its a pity the skies are overcast. It would have helped kill my boredom if at least one or two of the familiar constellations such as Orion or the Southern Cross or Scorpio were visible.....but today my stars are literally not only not shining but not visible at all!

Not to worry because there are other happenings in the car. MK keeps telling Mohamed to slow down but Mohamed ignore the Saudis worries and speeds whenever the opportunity presents.

These opportunities are far apart and rare but they are there and I am glad cos we make good progress. 

The recently refurbished railway line from Nairobi to Nanyuki appears and disappears parallel to the road. On both the to and fro journeys I haven't seen any train or sign of use of this railway yet billions have been poured in. Tax payers money! I cannot help but wonder longingly how useful the trains would have been if the system was reliable and well managed. We wouldn't be in this slow road mode of transport today.

But I have learnt not to think or allow such expectations to dwell in my mind. 

In Hinduism, one of the teachings is to manage your expectations and that will lead to  bliss....how so very true. Keep your expectations in life low and your disappointments will also be very low. 

By 8pm we reach the bridge over Tana River. The road ahead is nearly 50km of mostly uphill road.......nothing so special about this except that the road has an unproportionally large number of trucks and yes unroadworthy vehicles. These are mostly pickups and canters that are very old, very slow and have no lights. Where are the law enforcement agencies...? 

The hills take a toll on these many slow vehicles especially uphill. Long queues form behind these behemoths. Overtaking is impossible because of the busy oncoming traffic and the very narrow roads

We don't have choice. No one has a choice. We are all together in the same mix. We are condemned to these queues. We trudge along. Once you overtake one queue you drive for 100m or so and join the next slow moving queue and go through the same painfully slow process to wait a long time before you overtake and join the next even slower moving queue! 

Nobody complains. Whats wrong with us?

We've accepted our fate to live in silent resolve with every situation however bad! I think the blame lies squarely upon us...we are our own worst enemies.....we don't stand up for our rights.....we are silent to all the  injustices that are imported and imparted upon us....and yet we are vocal at home and in clubs and in social gatherings about what afflicts us. We are even more vocal on tribal/political matters and soccer. I wonder, is this cowardice or ignorance or just simple apathy or what? Food for thought! 

Thankfully we clear the stretch without too much stress.....just enough to kill a heart patient. 

MK, one of the Saudis has been talking continuously to the other who has been dutifully listening. I pity him. Listening with attention complete with relevant (and many more irrelevant) rejoinders for 2 hours is not easy ...... even for the most patient of human beings. I think the talkative one has an distinct advantage over the pitiful listening one. He must be his employer or benefactor or boss. I dont worry about him......some people are opinionated and condescending and know-it-all and most of these samples of human beings come from the Middle East. Do I care? No! They know how to handle each other! 

We reach the dual carriageway at 8pm. I announce to the Saudis and our hopes to reach before curfew time are much higher now. They sigh in relief. 

MK gestures  to the pilot to now take it easy (for the umpteenth time). The pilot ignores him.....I like this. I dont know how he manages to ignore him. Its an art. I must learn this art...... but the thought is quickly defeated by the more pragmatic and rational department of my brain which quickly brings me to earth by saying...oh come on Abdul you are too old to learn such tricks now. 

I keep praying and thanking God for bringing us thus far in so good time. The thought of sleeping the night out is not too exciting for the two KSA guests. For me I didn't want home to be a bridge too far – no one wants home to be a bridge too far!!