Ruud Elmendorp reporting
A big signboard is calling me today on my morning Suna Road in Nairobi.
Pastor Ojigbani is going to marry you, and the motor bike to bring you to the venue is waiting for you.
The Kenya International Conference Center is quite something, built from 1966 to 1973 under Kenya’s founding father President Jomo Kenyatta.
The website mentioned on the signboard is promising.
If your were in doubt when, today is your today.
Posted in Nairobi, africa, kenya, marriage.
– September 3, 2010
Kenya census results published.
The metallic chalk letters are still on the front door. Counted in the Kenya census of last year. A young student came with a huge form. Asking several questions which were a bit funny in my view. ‘Does your house have a wooden floor?’ was among the most peculiar. Also whether me and fiancé had any cattle. So far we don’t.
The results are published. Kenya has an official population of over 38 million people.
The capital Nairobi is listed as the biggest city with over 3 million people, but only 20 camels. Two are to be found at Uhuru Park, one at Jamhuri Park, one at Mamba Village in Karen, two at Roasters restaurant on Thika Road and the other 14 in various other entertainment spots around the city.
The scarcely populated and predominantly Muslim North Eastern province however has 1.7 million camels, and still 68 pigs.
Cats and dogs were not counted, but surely the chickens.
There are 25.7 million free range chickens, and that’s just not enough to give every 38 million Kenyan one for free.
Happily the next census will be in 2019, so there is still time.
Posted in Nairobi, africa, kenya.
– September 1, 2010
An ordinary China made bicycle in Kenya.
It has an ordinary gadget with a special purpose.
The dynamo charges your mobile phone while riding to your favorite destination.
That’s great in rural areas where there is network, but no electricity.
Even greater that new enterprises are sprawling around it.
Some smart business men now charge your phone riding their bicycle for 20 minutes.
Pay something reasonable, and you’re all set again to communicate in abundance.
As presented this weekend on the Maker Faire Africa in Nairobi.
Will be generously featured in a future television report.
Posted in Nairobi, africa, invention, kenya, mobile.
– August 30, 2010
Kenya takes his place among world top democracies.
That’s how the Daily Nation in Kenya is opening its Saturday morning edition.
It’s on the historic signing of the new constitution on the 27th of August 2010.
Kenya’s president Kibaki here holding out the signed new constitution towards ICC-warranted president Omar al-Bashir of Sudan.
The Kenyan government signed the Rome Treaty and therefore should have arrested Bashir. But not according to the African Union which has vowed to resist the International Criminal Court.
Only that the AU does not have its own criminal court, which would be interesting.
Now how is Kenya going to deal with the expected ICC-warrants for prominent Kenya government officials and business men who where behind the post-election violence in Kenya in early 2008?
Posted in ICC, africa, constitution, kenya.
– August 28, 2010
Messing with traditional dishes, that’s how you get to the people’s heart.
In Kenya some years ago there was big political turmoil because of the high rising maize flour prices.
‘Omena’ is another traditional dish which can wildly arouse moods when not available. These are the small fishes that are caught by the masses in Lake Victoria, and dried on its shore.
People in the Western parts of Kenya would go wild if they have to miss their Omena for one day.
So to be on the safe side, here is a recipe for the best taste.
1. Rinse the Omena by pouring warm water over them
2. Put the fat in a sauce pan
3. Add curry powder, tomatoes and coriander
4. Cook until soft
5. Add milk and Stil until properly mixed
6. Add the omena and water to cover to the gravy
7. Add salt and pepper
8. Cover and cook for a maximum of one hour
Enjoy.
Posted in africa, kenya, recipe, tradition.
– August 25, 2010
This after yesterday’s compotent, composed for an astrologer on Suna Road in Nairobi. Combining competence with omnipotence (thanks @Elisabeth).
Now Kenyan English has many of these so nice acronyms.
infomation
intergration
refridgeration
They combine logic with not fully knowing how to spell or to pronounce them, and it enhances the word’s meaning.
Take a walk from Nairobi’s Kibera slum to city centre, and you’ll arrive with many more.
Please post them there.
Posted in africa, kenya, language.
– August 24, 2010
The astrologer who calls himself ‘compotent’ knows how to solve impotence.
Dr. Asuman solves politics and lost items in one sentence.
This is my favorite. Tracked them back to a group of missionaries from Mexico who gathered themselves after a Holy Virgin Maria sighting in Mexico. You really wonder how they end up on a backstreet in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.
Beacons of hope during my morning walk. Virtual solutions for all worries the sun shine can’t fix.
Posted in Nairobi, africa, kenya.
– August 23, 2010
‘Education is the key.’ The late South African reggae star Lucky Dube sings it in his song Prisoner, about how to build a future, or not. Now having stumbled upon a real pick pocket’s college in Nairobi Kenya’s vast Eastlands Dube’s lyrics get another meaning.
Anyone being in Nairobi for some time knows how a big hassle pick pocketing is. Walking on busy streets and public transport are the worst. You’re tied up in masses of people, and there is no way to guard your pockets. Boarding a bus easily results in being relieved of everything you were carrying. Myself one day I was in a matatu minibus, where a friendly gentleman carrying a briefcase took the seat next to me. During the trip the briefcase was bumping against my hip on the rhythm of the potholes in the street. Nothing wrong, until when you alight you discover miraculously your phone has gone. It’s a common trick I came to learn later, and now I understand where they can this from.
Other ways are just bumping into you, and have street children do the work. Others are even worse by just taking your phone from you when you’re making a call. That’s also the reason why so many people in Nairobi just keep their phones tight in their hands, because it’s just the best way to protect it, and you pick it easily.
So at the school in Dandora you can learn that at a reasonable price. Even for free, when you agree you will share future benefits with the teacher. Not that there is a particular class room, but you have to get in touch with him, and together with other students he will make an appointment with you.
For a week you will be briefed about the latest techniques, exercises to keep your fingers lean, budgeting, and observations lessons to easily spot wealthy people in the crowd.
From myself I remember having a pick pocket on my tail after I pulled 500 Euro for rent from the ATM. It’s like they smell what you have on you. This guy was carrying a big envelope, and took the seat next to me in an empty bus. There came the gentle knocks on my pocket, indicating what was about to happen. Gently looking the guy deep in his eyes, and alighting a few stops later, helped me keeping my stash.
After all this I concluded that following the course is the best way to avoid of all this.
The trainees have to quality to get their verbal certificate. Meaning they have to pass an exam. The teacher will go with them to a busy public place, with the task of getting as much as possible within ten minutes. The students then have they show what they harvested. The teacher will approve their skills, but hold up his own hands with wallets, phones and watches. ‘You guys did great, but still you missed this.’
Can’t wait to start my classes.
True, or not?
– August 18, 2010
Everyday there is something you can choose to be upset about. Today it is a newly published magazine in Kenya. It’s called ‘Al Muslimah’, and it is meant for young urban Muslim girls. The cover page eludes about the virtues of a Muslim wedding, and iterates about the Second Wife. So knowing I cannot judge a magazine from its cover, I open it.
Somehow I associate a new magazine with a fresh view on current issues, but this one could even make followers of extremist Islamist Al Shabaab happy. The role of the women there is not too much elevated.
The Al Muslimah magazine tells the girls to be submissive to their husbands, to cook for him, and to treat him like a baby. Also when he returns home from work, to invite him for sexual pleasures when he wishes, and not to tell bad news until after he is relaxed.
Then the editor of Al Muslimah praises the virtues of the man having more wives. Even to be happy and not to be jealous when the husband chooses to introduce a second or third one into the house. She doesn’t give any explanation otherwise than a verse from the Holy Quran which allows for the men to have more.
In my country of origin The Netherlands there is heavy discussion ongoing about extremist Islamism. A right wing politician who is very popular proposes to put a ban on the Holy Quran, and to impose tax for wearing head scarves. I hope his followers will not get hold on a copy of Al Muslimah, because it surely will prove what he is saying.
The adversity between Islam and Christian beliefs is put to the limit nowadays by civil leaders who know political power goes through religious power. The magazines follow in that trend.
Al Muslimah is just about two people in love enjoying their faith. But even the much more militant Qaeda recently published their own magazine. It’s even called Inspire. Interesting to see that these movements choose for printed magazines, in a world where internet is flourishing. Although printed media have the advantage that they cannot be shutdown by governments, like extremist websites are.
Hopefully all the magazines combined lead to an open discussion about why these issues occur, and to look for a 21st century treatment of any religion. Not by citing bestsellers as the Bible and the Holy Quran who had their first editions too many centuries ago.
Posted in Islam, africa, kenya, religion.
– August 12, 2010
