Tembea Kenya

It feels good to be writing again, there has been  too much silence on this here my blog. I have been touring the country and studying some of the cultures. I must say, I still don't get how you can compare "kienyeji" chicken to KFC you people of Western Province, honestly why risk to lose a tooth because of food. Cathy would side with me on this. How long has it been again? Two weeks since my last post hmmmm not bad, so onto where I have been. I am sure most of you have heard about Vision 2030 or saw something somewhere about it. Yes, I am happy to be working with the team. Last week Thursday I officially joined the team #Wakilisha and we did a Road show in Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western. The Vision really opened my eyes and understood what it is all about. Am tempted to break it down, all  I can tell you is if you are reading this blog-post then clearly you have enough resources to to access the information. Be proud to be Kenyan, get to know what is happening in your country. Personally I force my friends, I shove the information down their throats whether we are in an informal or formal setting. Guys, thank me later when your investments start making more bills.

Interior of the Truck

So my tour begun in 1st November, I woke up at 4am to have breakfast :D ....that and also to prepare myself for the trip. My cab guy got me from the house at 5.30am and I was at the meeting point on 3rd Ngong Avenue by 6am. I keep time, but "Kenyans" don't. I could bet ksh 5,000 NOW for someone who has kept time for a meeting I have had with them, anyone up for the challenge? The team I was to travel with were miraculously late, the first person came at 6.45am and i had brave the cold waiting. I had met non of them before and obviously the paranoia of, "will my things be OK" replayed in my head. Nzoiki was the first person to arrive in a pick-up and was really shocked when he saw me. We talked on phone but he expected to find a chubby guy, I don't blame him, my commanding deep voice has lied to many on phone, HUH I know their is lady who wants to proof, my number is at the end of this blog-post ;). In my head I knew I was to travel in a personal car but he burst my bubble after he mentioned that my ride was the 18 wheeler. I dint see how I was going to last  behind a container until it was popped open. The first half of the truck was furnished with a stretch sofa, 63 inch plasma screen with a refrigerator just to mention a few. The rest of the team came in an hour later and being the friendly one i introduced myself to everyone. Most of them looked so up tight apart from Joan, she had a party kind of personality. I took a  position at the end of the sofa, popped open my laptop and went online hoping that this guys will just start talking. I hate people who are just silent or don't communicate. It was one long journey to Nakuru and I did what am do best "Tweet" I mean I get paid to do it :D.

Nakuru Railway Station

The flag off was to start in Nakuru but first the truck had to be cleaned, the sound on it was heavy and it drew crowds from far. We were in Nakuru railway station, which I must say is run down to a hault. The building has a really nice structure and a spacious environment. Apart from the gravel road it is clean and kept sanitary from litter. I walked around and talked to a few street boys just to find out how they survive. Some of them actually had families but they chose to live in the streets, easy money is never the way. Break sweat, walk in the sun, nothing good comes easy but we all choose our destiny. A moment of silence a fly chic is passing.........crap where's my camera. uuuuuugh she has gone. Why does my phone always hang in such situations, moving on. The roadshow got flagged off and we started making our way into Nakuru town, the dancers (Loketo, Sharon and Tony) stole the show by how they were moving to the beat. Their costumes were hilarious.We moved to Njoro then Mau summit last and spent the night in Kericho where we met up with the second caravan team. I did something stupid in Kericho, well it was innocent. I was the last one to walk into the hotel and after I booked my room I dint ask where the stairs were, I walked straight pass the dinning area, lounge and found myself in the kitchen.

Me chatting with Steve and Paul.

Joan came to my rescue after i sturtled the chefs. My night was polite but the weather in the morning crippled my feet. It was so damn cold but I still showered :D on my way back to the car I bumped into to guys, Steve and Paul. They sell tea and wanted to know what we were doing in Kericho, he listed to me all the problems he had but he really inspired me. Selling tea is what they did to make an honest living but all they got at the end of the day was peanuts, why was I listening you might ask. These people have been crying over and over to the government to help them but nothing has been done, If you remember the post election violence in Kenya, a lot of people got displaced and were forced to start from scratch economically and socially. They saw me us a way to get their cry for help to these leaders, which I did the moment I got back to the caravan. We say life is not fair yes, but we can be that change to brighten someones life and I will keep at it until they at least get one change of life from what they laid out to me. My next town was Migori. These people made my day, I even bumped into my cousin Abong'. The caravan made a stop at the market and everyone came out to listen to what we had to say.

Migori Market Crowd

My Vision 2030 coleagues

"Luos" are known for pronouncing "SH" as "S" only, fis, sida, siling, sip, saron, sot are some of the shrubs that went down and am not sorry for anything, I laughed at my people. I had to big up these guys, they knew what Vision 2030 was all about the only problem was that they all wanted a T-SIRT :D next time I SALL return with more. This particular night I spent in Kondele Kisumu and I made a visit to my aunt who lives around the area then I later went to visit my grandpa and and grandma in Kano, that is my ancestral place. I can speak my mother tongue but at times its like wind to my ears,she kept talking to me and I was just responding by saying YES with an occasional smile and fake laugh not knowing I was putting my *ss in the line. Granma was telling me that I should take my November salary to her so that I can get more blessings. I said yes to that, I still defend that she was taking advantage of me, I have bills to pay yo. Anyway this particular night is when I new the true colors of my colleagues. I thought my friends could drink, these guys took the cup. I don't see how you can mix beer as a chaser for vodka an live to see the sun rise the following day. "Wiper" was always silent during the day but after his 4th bottle he became a  "Hilter". Loketo was more of a "night runner", he never slept or sat down and samosas was all he ate. We dissed each other and shared laughs, I trusted these guys because we looked out for each as we toured the whole of Western Kenya. I know I wont be working with some of them in the Central Province tour this coming week but I sure will remember them. Kenya is a beautiful country and I would encourage you to take a visit to a place where you have not been, it helps to open up your mind and you become sharper in understanding situations. So try and Tembea Kenya, till next blog-post, keep it Bura



Dan Obura
Managing Director
Bura Creations®
P.O.BOX 51306-00200
NAIROBI, KENYA
TEL: +254 725 932 277
twitter: @dan_obura @buramag
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