LIVING IN KENYA: THERE IS NO HURRY IN AFRICA
`NO HURRY IN AFRICA’ was a sticker that I saw at Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, when I landed there. I felt it was right, since I had spent over two hours in the visa counter. Inspite of a long queue, the person was taking 5-6 minutes per person, for a job that could be done in a minute.
Kenyans have great patience. No one jumps the lane in the traffic and stops when another vehicle wants to cross over the road. There are not many motorcycles on Nairobi road, barring some BMWs, sloppy cops riding them. They live with slow traffic on the roads, without complaining.
Though narrow, the roads are straight. Here, either is a road or no road. Most of the roads are in good conditions. The number of pot holes are not as much as in India.
The Chinese companies have started laying major roads in the country. The road quality is really good and the Chinese goods are making inroads in to the Kenya market. The Daily Nation newspaper had flashed a news that the government had given a major oil exploration contract to Chinese company and road laying was complimentary for awarding the oil contract. The news could not be confirmed. The news item was carried forward to another page and the continuation part was missing in that page.
It's not only the ordinary Kenyan, who lives with many problems, even the country lives has lot of problems. Living here is expensive and everything is available for a price. People walk long distances to attend to work and walking begins at 7 in the morning. Some can afford motatos, the local transport. In rural areas, people cannot afford even one meal a day. Sometime, the kids are not fed for days together.
The government regulates food grain distribution, which is mainly maize. An article in Kenya’s leading newspaper `Standard’ flashed an article that low price maize was creating confusion. A 2kg maize flour bag was being sold at 120 Kenyan Shillings. Suddenly, a 5kg bag surfaced in the market, which was priced at 170 Kenyan Shillings. This had created a debate among the people.
The political situation is fluid in Kenya, which is more so, since the last general elections, which took place in Dec 2007. The President was all powerful till then and the incumbent Mwai Kibaki was re-running for the Presidential post. As the results were being announced, his party was losing all over. In the last minute, millions of votes came in favour of his party and he was re-elected as President.
This created a huge communal clash in the country, leaving over 3700 dead. While Kibaki was a Kikuyu, the largest tribe in Kenya, his opponent Raila Odinga was a Luhya tribe, which is the second largest. The third largest tribe Luo (US President elect Barack Obama’s father is from this community) supported Odinga. At the end, the truce had worked out between Kibaki and Odinga groups. Kibaki continued as the President, while Odinga became the Prime Minister. The power is equally shared between the President and Parliament. But, it seems to be an uneasy truce between the President and Parliament.
Like the 'Indian standard timings', there is a phrase called 'African standard timings'. One can never keep up with appointments in time. I realised it during my arrival at Nyanuki. My friend Siva picked me up and introduced me to Phillip, who works with African Wildlife Foundation. Phillip said that he would be meeting us in 10 minutes at his office. The office was hardly one kilometre away, which we reached in three minutes. Though it is a very small town in Indian standards, Phillip took over an hour to reach there.
Power shortage is a big issue here. While many parts are not connected with electricity, power cuts are common in big cities too. Most of the tourism operators use generators for two hours in the morning and three hours in the evening. Even the fuel prices are quite high, over one dollar a litre.
Now, it is the era of communication revolution in Kenya. But, the situation seems to be where India was 10 years ago. Mobile phones have replaced the land lines. The government has just destroyed the old land line cable connections. For Internet connectivity, people have to depend on satellite connections, for which, one has to pay through his nose. The speed of the connection would depend on the package bought over by the buyer.
Now, many private firms, including Reliance has taken the license to lay optic fibre cables. The work has begun and once the cable is laid, the communication network would be good.
Tourism is keeping Kenya’s economy floating, but the global slowdown has already shown signs of its effect. But, Kenyans have understood the long term use of tourism and are fighting back. The UN presence for humanitarian works is glaring at Nairobi and many people make their living with the aid given by international donor agencies.
On one side, there is tremendous pressure for growth, but it is not reaching the rural areas. But, Kenyans are not in a hurry.
16-12-2008
Mpala
`NO HURRY IN AFRICA’ was a sticker that I saw at Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, when I landed there. I felt it was right, since I had spent over two hours in the visa counter. Inspite of a long queue, the person was taking 5-6 minutes per person, for a job that could be done in a minute.
Kenyans have great patience. No one jumps the lane in the traffic and stops when another vehicle wants to cross over the road. There are not many motorcycles on Nairobi road, barring some BMWs, sloppy cops riding them. They live with slow traffic on the roads, without complaining.
Though narrow, the roads are straight. Here, either is a road or no road. Most of the roads are in good conditions. The number of pot holes are not as much as in India.
The Chinese companies have started laying major roads in the country. The road quality is really good and the Chinese goods are making inroads in to the Kenya market. The Daily Nation newspaper had flashed a news that the government had given a major oil exploration contract to Chinese company and road laying was complimentary for awarding the oil contract. The news could not be confirmed. The news item was carried forward to another page and the continuation part was missing in that page.
It's not only the ordinary Kenyan, who lives with many problems, even the country lives has lot of problems. Living here is expensive and everything is available for a price. People walk long distances to attend to work and walking begins at 7 in the morning. Some can afford motatos, the local transport. In rural areas, people cannot afford even one meal a day. Sometime, the kids are not fed for days together.
The government regulates food grain distribution, which is mainly maize. An article in Kenya’s leading newspaper `Standard’ flashed an article that low price maize was creating confusion. A 2kg maize flour bag was being sold at 120 Kenyan Shillings. Suddenly, a 5kg bag surfaced in the market, which was priced at 170 Kenyan Shillings. This had created a debate among the people.
The political situation is fluid in Kenya, which is more so, since the last general elections, which took place in Dec 2007. The President was all powerful till then and the incumbent Mwai Kibaki was re-running for the Presidential post. As the results were being announced, his party was losing all over. In the last minute, millions of votes came in favour of his party and he was re-elected as President.
This created a huge communal clash in the country, leaving over 3700 dead. While Kibaki was a Kikuyu, the largest tribe in Kenya, his opponent Raila Odinga was a Luhya tribe, which is the second largest. The third largest tribe Luo (US President elect Barack Obama’s father is from this community) supported Odinga. At the end, the truce had worked out between Kibaki and Odinga groups. Kibaki continued as the President, while Odinga became the Prime Minister. The power is equally shared between the President and Parliament. But, it seems to be an uneasy truce between the President and Parliament.
Like the 'Indian standard timings', there is a phrase called 'African standard timings'. One can never keep up with appointments in time. I realised it during my arrival at Nyanuki. My friend Siva picked me up and introduced me to Phillip, who works with African Wildlife Foundation. Phillip said that he would be meeting us in 10 minutes at his office. The office was hardly one kilometre away, which we reached in three minutes. Though it is a very small town in Indian standards, Phillip took over an hour to reach there.
Power shortage is a big issue here. While many parts are not connected with electricity, power cuts are common in big cities too. Most of the tourism operators use generators for two hours in the morning and three hours in the evening. Even the fuel prices are quite high, over one dollar a litre.
Now, it is the era of communication revolution in Kenya. But, the situation seems to be where India was 10 years ago. Mobile phones have replaced the land lines. The government has just destroyed the old land line cable connections. For Internet connectivity, people have to depend on satellite connections, for which, one has to pay through his nose. The speed of the connection would depend on the package bought over by the buyer.
Now, many private firms, including Reliance has taken the license to lay optic fibre cables. The work has begun and once the cable is laid, the communication network would be good.
Tourism is keeping Kenya’s economy floating, but the global slowdown has already shown signs of its effect. But, Kenyans have understood the long term use of tourism and are fighting back. The UN presence for humanitarian works is glaring at Nairobi and many people make their living with the aid given by international donor agencies.
On one side, there is tremendous pressure for growth, but it is not reaching the rural areas. But, Kenyans are not in a hurry.
16-12-2008
Mpala
4 comments:
sir thats great sorry to comment but, if u can also upload details about ur State on Karnataka wildlife much more in detail which u have coverd all through?.
Very interesting. Really got a feel of about the beautiful africa.
nicely phrased . It feel's as one himself is passing through South Africa as one reads along.
nice
Dear Vinay Madhav, where are u ? This is Jeevan Chinnappa. Call mme at 94818 83939. I am just going through your African safari.
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