A LOVE AFFAIR WITH MY HOMELAND - KENYA

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...

  ONE'S DESTINATION IS NEVER A PLACE, BUT A NEW WAY OF SEEING THINGS - Henry Miller Over the last 2 decades; Africa has had an explosion of development in various sectors of the economy. Infrastructural projects such as roads, railways, hydroelectric dams, oil and water pipelines etc have been executed in almost all corners of the once dark continent. These have largely been done at subsidised loans, grants and sometimes outright gifts from China. And with these projects there has been a penetration by the Chinese contractors into the various economies. And as would happen in all human encounters ... wi th these of course come positives and some negatives. This is the gist of this short piece i share with you. In the recent past, there have been in the media reports of cases of mistreatment of local workers by their foreign employers. Some have been reported in countries such as Sierra Leone, DRCongo, Kenya, Uganda, Angola but a large majority are swept under the carpet without any...

  NO ONE CAN SAVE US BUT OURSELVES. NO ONE CAN AND NO ONE WILL. WE MUST WALK THE PATH OURSELVES. Buddha The rainy season has been erratic. I keep reminding myself that we are a rain fed economy. This is not a very healthy trait for the prosperity of a nation. In spite of the poor rains so far, the Cherangany Hills are lush and green. It's almost 12noon but several parts of the landscape are covered in rolling mist. The recently planted maize crop has sprouted in every farm. Some crop taller than others. Crested cranes fly past in 3s or 4s. Coming to think of it; these birds are rarely solitary. This bird is the national symbol on the Uganda Flag. It’s a beautiful bird which flies gracefully. The Cherangany Hills are to the East of Kitale town and are a vital part of the granary of Kenya. The bulk of the staple maize comes from this region of the country - and this explains why rain is so very critical for Kenya - and in particular here.   Today we have all the...

DON'T TELL ME HOW EDUCATED YOU ARE, TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU HAVE TRAVELED - Mohamed   Its a chilly mid-May morning. Flights to Wajir International Airport are usually at 630am. That means that i have to report at 530am and that means i have to wake up at 430am. Thankfully the airport lounge has a dedicated prayer space for the fajr (early morning) prayer. I will pray immediately i have checked in.                                                My Project - getting to finishes stages I check in and and am handed a paper boarding pass. The Airline staff are dressed in their yellow and white uniforms. They may have recently had to change the name of the airline involving a rebranding...... Due i suspect to a recent incident or adverse publicity. The airline industry is very sensitive to such incidents and details. Once you get involv...

  ONE TRAVELS TO RUN AWAY FROM ROUTINE.THAT DREADFUL ROUTINE THAT KILLS ALL IMAGINATION AND ALL OUR CAPACITY FOR ENTHUSIASM - Ella Maillart I was scared the moment i boarded the flight.  Alhamdulillah I have been on different airlines to many different destinations around the world. This one was different. I was flying to Mogadishu.  The year was 2010. Somalia was still in the throes of the never ending civil war. The opposition had been largely pushed out of the city centre. But areas near Lido Beach were still no go zones. Large chunks of suburbia of Mogadishu were still not in the current governments control. Most of Somalia was still at war and large chunks of Mogadishu were still no go zones for any non-Somali and indeed for many Somali as well..   The first shock was when we were about to board. The aeroplane! My God, I thought! Is this not one of those abandoned planes at Wilson Airport but now painted with a new coat of paint?  ...