Commuters in Nairobi and the infamous Nairobi fly

I did the early school run this morning.  We left home at around 6.05am.  Admittedly, it's only the second time I've done this run (my husband normally goes) but now I'm filled with ideas over how to change the world for the better (of course).  Namely, high-visibility vests for pedestrians and cyclists.  I saw a couple of people wearing them today and they really are effective.

If I was a government/aid organisation and had a budget to save lives in Nairobi, this is what I'd invest in.  I might start with handing out high-viz vests to employees of private guarding firms (they are to-ing and fro-ing from their posts at dawn and dusk), then roll out to everyone else because these days I would guess that the majority of employees in Town are leaving home in the dark.  I think I'll pop down to Nakumatt and buy a few now

Once I was lambasted for suggesting that the sun in Kenya rises and sets quickly - apparently it was too crude a generalisation and was told that of course there are different kinds of dawn and dusk from region-to-region.  I stand corrected, but coming from England where dawn and dusk can drag on for hours, there is a marked difference here.  I left the house in pitch darkness this morning, when I arrived at my destination 20 minutes later, it was like someone had flicked up the blind.  My husband always says driving at dusk and dawn is dangerous because your eyes (retina) are switching from rods to cones at dawn - he always has the technical answer.

The good thing about getting on the road early is that the dreaded traffic is far better - an hour later and you are looking at the worst kind of gridlock (I saw the School bus with our youngest daugter inside it, inching along at an agonising pace when I was on my way back home).  The down side is that it is still dark and because there is less traffic, everyone is driving very fast.  Today there was a man wearing a navy fleece, manually pulling a very long and heavy piece of machinery (a tarmac roller?) across both lanes of Ngong Road in what he thought was a suitable gap in traffic.  I didn't see him until I was on top of him.  It was heart in mouth stuff as I jabbed at the dashboard to find the hazard lights.

When we got to school, my eldest refused to get out of the car. She had the internal light on and was reading her book. 
"It's so cold in the pool!" she said, "there's something wrong with the heating at the moment." 
I felt awful, but coaxed her out and said. "Well we're here now, you might as well swim."

However, when I got to the pool, I heard the coach say clearly,
"Hurry up, get changed everyone, in you get, the water is very warm!" 
I raised an eyebrow at my daughter who was now defiantly reading her book on the poolside stands and refusing to undress.

Perhaps part of the eldest's reluctance to swim can be attributed to her 'Nairobi Fly/eye' burn that appeared on her leg last Wednesday.  It's a lot better now, but the whole experience has been traumatic. 



Nairobi Fly/Nairobi Eye - commonly found after rains



Last week she came back from school complaining that she had got some sunburn on her leg.  I thought that this was odd, since when did you get a localised sunburn in a particular patch on the inside leg by the knee?  There was a small mark on her other leg too.  We slathered on some Sudocream, but the mark continued to get worse.  Soon she was limping, the area was hot.  By friday/saturday it looked like really quite a deep burn indented into the skin.  I felt bad for her but guessed it was a Nairobi Fly - if you crush them off your skin they secrete a nasty acid - if you spot one then it's best to blow it off -but often people encounter them without realising, then they get a burn.  We've seen so many around since the big rains in November.



This is not my daughter's burn, but you get the idea..

Typcial that it was this daughter who was the first in the family to get 'stung' by a Nairobi fly.  She still has a jellyfish scar on her neck from 3 years ago.  I hope this one isn't going to add to her collection.  You do hear of people getting Nairobi fly stings on the eye - now that's nasty.

Tiger mothering ... even in Nairobi - or should we say lion mothering?

The beginning of this school term has been like charging headlong into a maelstrom - then the realisation that I've turned into - a tiger mother.  Here's an article I wrote about it:


“You’re becoming another one of those tiger mothers aren’t you?”

The line was breaking up, surging as it was across the airwaves from over 6000 miles away, but the accusation was unmistakable and to be honest with you, it stung. Even in Nairobi, I had heard about Amy Chua and her mothering techniques.

I’ve always prided myself on a lazy, laid-back approach to mothering which sees the television go on at 7am on weekends to ensure my husband and I get a lie-in. Fortunately, at the ages of 11, 9 and 6, the children are old enough to reach the fridge door, so I am reassured that no one will die of hunger and, with any luck, they’ll have enough sense not to stick their fingers into a power socket. I’ve perfected the art of tuning out indignant bouts of crying that result from yet another inter-sibling spat. Unless blood is drawn, then there’s no need for me to get involved.

So why the ‘tiger mother’ comment? I was attempting, over the phone, to describe the process of getting back into a term time routine. Then I happened to mention that two of the three had been asked to join the school swimming team which involves early morning swimming training ... in an outdoor pool ... at 6.30am. (I have to admit, this did take a while for me to get my head round). The reaction of my mother? Unbridled horror.

Grandparents today are a bastion of old values – they see it as their role to ensure that modern parental madness does not jeopardise the welfare of their grandchildren. But are they fighting a losing battle?

“It was never like this in our day.” They might say, “Whatever happened to just reading a book?” Or; “Being bored makes for a more resourceful child.”

For their words of wisdom, I am grateful. Deep down I know they are right but resisting overwhelming peer pressure to push one's children is another matter entirely.

In the past our children had no choice but to fit in with us. When we took our eldest daughter on a road trip to Northern Zambia, we were armed with nothing but a plastic tape recorder, nursery rhyme cassettes and bread sticks. She was eighteen months old. In Tanzania, weekends were all about beach trips and boats. When all three children were small, a friend of mine asked me what I meant by the term ‘free play’. I laughingly explained that it was leaving the kids to get on with it, figuring that clearing up and the application of a plaster or arnica onto the odd bump or graze was a small price to pay for an hour’s peace. I’ve also been devilishly tactical in my approach. For instance, I put blinkers on the children whenever they have been in sight of horses. My efforts have been justly rewarded by the fact that none have the least inclination to ride.

However, since September, life has gone mad. I have been sucked inexorably into the vortex of pressurised parenting. Modern life seems almost too frenetic to bear. We might live in East Africa, but our full timetable is equal to those of modern mums the world over: Monday; drums, Tuesday; guitar, Wednesday; cello, Thursday; Piano. (The irony is that not one of them has ever reached the heady heights of Grade one!)

My organisational skills are deplorable, not helped by the fact that I find writing lists abhorrent: Pack match kit, shin pads, tennis racket. Make sure scruffled copy of poem is memorized. It’s all whizzing around in my head. When the girls leave the house before dawn, I pray that we haven’t forgotten to pack school shoes, or perish the thought; knickers!

Our six year old still seems to be labouring under the misapprehension that school is optional.

“Please can I stay at home today?” she says for the fifth time in the space of half-an-hour. “I’m tired. I’d really like a day off.”

When I say “no” for the final time, she rejoins perceptively,

“I know why you want me to go to school. It’s because you want to be alone!”

And she’s right. After a rushed breakfast punctuated by complaints of shoes being too tight or tummy ache, there is the blissful hiatus of day time, at the end of which one must steel oneself for an evening of heightened emotions (not least mine), where not only do tired children need to be fed and bathed, but heckled through homework, harassed over play lines, reminded to do revision and motivated into music practise. This generally involves a lot of shouting.

Weekends that once involved outdoor adventure in Kenya, picnics or slothful leisure time in the sun have now been replaced by agonising hours spent at noisy swimming galas, ferrying children to dance practice through hellish traffic and sitting through choral concerts; all of which our children take part in gamely enough, but do not excel.

Presumably what drives us is the knowledge that the childhood years from 6-to-12 are critical in harnessing a child’s potential. There’s no doubt that coached and hot-housed children do get good results in the short term, but with all this relentless stimulation are they happy? Last night I found I was haranguing my middle daughter over the drum piece she was practicing.

“Is this really the piece your teacher wants you to play for next week’s tea time concert?” I said, thinking of the forty-odd other parents that will be attending, “I’m sure you can do better than that.”

In the cold light of day I feel ashamed. Turns out in my case, the tiger mother tag is true. Whatever happened to ‘free play’?

***
P.S.
RIP the school tennis coach who died suddenly last week.  He was very popular with a lot of the children and will be sorely missed.  His passing has elicited a lot of talk of death in our family.
"Mummy," our 6 year-old said, "I hope you and me can die at the same time?"
"Why?"
"Because then we can both hold hands on our way up to heaven"

Breaking news - ICC cases confirmed against 4 suspects

1.30pm:

Glued to the TV - don't dare get up for a wee.  You could probably hear a pin drop in Kenya at this moment.

The Hague/court say they are mindful of their decision affecting stability in Kenya and the weight of their onerous decision.  I know that the ICC has their work cut out - not only with having to wade through huge amounts of evidence, but in the local newspapers there have been numerous stories of ICC witnesses (some under witness protection, others in Kenya) either disappearing, turning up dead or suddenly recanting their statements.

So far we know that charges will be confirmed against four of the 6 suspects...ie. that is the court deems there is enough evidence to make these cases admissable.  That they are innocent until proven guilty, of being indirect core perpetrators of Kenya's post election violence.

1.40pm

So far:  William Ruto, Joshua Sang - charges confirmed against them - the case will go to trial.

Henry Kosgey - charges not confirmed - case dismissed.

Next:
Uhuru Kenyatta, Francis Muthaura - Charges confirmed.
Hussein Ali, (former chief of police) charges not confirmed.

OMG!

Kenya's political scene suddenly in free fall!

2.30pm:


William Ruto is on the local news at the moment, looking deflated for the first time ever, making a lengthy statement about his faith in justice, appreciation of the support of his wife and belief in God..
The telegraph - click for coverage
BBC news - click for coverage



Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto - presidential aspirants but a case of crimes against humanity to hear at The Hague first

BTW - It's 85 degrees and sunny every day in Nairobi at the moment ...

ICC confirmation of Charges pending..

Here in Kenya we are awaiting, with great anticipation, for the ICC ruling on whether charges will be confirmed against those 6 prominent figures deemed most responsible for masterminding post election violence in Dec 2007/Jan 2008, which left over 1,300 Kenyans dead and more than 300,000 people displaced from their homes (many are still living in temporary accommodation as Internally Displace Persons/IDPs today).   I'm not sure why the overseas newspapers are making so little of this - it surely is the most momentous day for Kenya in decades - certainly since independence.  The outcome could not just the political map but decades of impunity - everything.

Charges against the 6 (above) include being criminally responsible for; murder, forcible transfer of population, rape, persecution and crimes against humanity.  These strong words come as a shock to read because over the past four years it has been easy to forget about the horrors that went on in those dark months after the last election; for years now it's all been buried under a shroud of politics - smoke and mirrors.  We tend to forget about the victims.  They are not able to shout loud enough.

It is a fairly drawn case. 3 of the group represent supporters of President Kibaki and 3 for Raila Odinga who contested the result of the last election.  Who are they?  Click here for previous post

The public will learn of the Hague decision at 1.30pm on Monday (the accused will hear the outcome one hour before the public via email).

There are concerns that there will be some sort of adverse reaction by the public on release of the ICC verdict - whether by supporters of the suspects, or opposers - depending on the outcome - street protests etc.  The British foreign office have sent their usual warning to avoid public gatherings/demonstrations etc.  However, I suspect that all will be peaceful - whatever the outcome, there is bound to be a sense of relief.  And afterall, who will want to organise a politically charged demonstration when those on the stand are accused of manipulating the emotions of the masses to serve their own political ends?  In fact, how strong is the public support for these 6?  How much do people really care for them?  And how organised are the near to silent victims if the suspects are acquitted?  Would they really demonstrate?

Meanwhile, it seems that all 6 suspects are confident that they will be exonerated tomorrow. They've been maintaining a high profile today, attending church services (perhaps seeking divine intervention?), and being followed by the press, smiling and dancing in public rallies.  Behind those smiles, there must be nerves cracking through.

Two of the suspects, William Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta, plan to run for president this year (assuming that there will be elections this December - but that's another story) and they maintain that they will not be knocked off course, even if charges are confirmed against them.  In fact, they are two of the key presidential aspirants in the race.  However, it's complicated.  If they do have a court case hanging over them and charges are confirmed, this will undoubtedly change the political outlook for the next government.  For more from the local press; The Standard, click here

Ironically, Uhuru (grandson of Kenya's first president) and Ruto, have formed a strong alliance since belonging to totally opposing sides during the last election - how fickle politics is.  Uhuru was allied to the current President Kibaki, and Ruto to Raila Odinga.  Many question why Kibaki and Odinga were not called into the Hague investigation since they must have known a little of what was going on.  Are the 6 scapegoats/fall guys.  Ruto and Uhuru plan to be together in a hotel in town, along with fellow MPs, to watch the verdict read out and then hurriedly work out their next step.  Legally they are allowed to continue their race for president, even if they do have a court case hanging over their head - but the reality may be that few will be willing to put too much faith in them.  Surely their integrity will have been compromised.

Francis Muthaura, Head of Public Service is one of the most powerful members of Kibaki's cabinet today.  Hussein Alli, former police chief and current postmaster general - may well have to resign.  We are still waiting to hear what the outcome is over the Nancy Baraza case (the deputy Chief Justice who pinched the security guard's nose and threatened her with a gun..?!).  The age of impunity is becoming increasingly difficult to uphold.

My question is, (and I had the same question in the Amanda Knox case) - if those 6 are acquitted, therefore not responsible for organsing the violence after the last election - and the public perception here is that the violence very much was organised - then who is?  Mr Nobody I suspect.

Trivia - traffic, school and snow

Temporarily, we have had to re-think our daily routine.  Why? Because school swimming training has begun.  It's complicated.  My husband is not only taking a packed lunch but a packed breakfast to work.  Forward planning is necessary.  Invariably things get forgotten.  Yesterday our middle daughter forgot to pack her school socks (she managed to borrow some).  The day before, my husband forgot his lunch.

The children are supposed to report to the school pool at 6.30am, dive in and swim a gazillion lengths.  It's only just getting light in Nairobi at 6.30am, so the children have been driven to school in the dark.  This, for us, this is a new state of craziness (we were already getting them up and out pretty early) - but each cloud has a silver lining.  There's far less traffic at 6am, so their route to school takes half the usual time.  Traffic is getting so dreadful in this city that getting up in the dark is the only answer to beat commuting time.  As long as we forego alcohol, put a line through our social life and make sure we are in bed by 9.30pm - then it's fine...

****

Our eldest daughter recently returned from her much anticipated school skiing trip. It was an enormous success. Many of the 35 children had never seen snow before. Apparently there were lots of expressions of; “Wow, this is so not like the snow in SkiDubai”. (funny). It brought memories flooding back of when we showed our three snow for the first time a couple of years ago. I can just remember their astonishment when they realised that snow was actually wet! Wet trousers, freezing hands. Convincing them in centrally heated rooms that yes, they WILL need their coats! 

When my husband first saw snow, he was in his teens. When the teacher caught him gazing out of the window at snow falling, he was reprimanded.


“But it’s snowing,” my husband said.  A friend of his helpfully piped,

“He’s never seen snow before, Sir.”

So they stopped the French class and let everyone go outside, especially to see him experience snow for the first time ever.

(BTW Are you not loving the David Attenborough Frozen Planet series showing on DSTV on Monday nights?)

When she got back, because their flight arrived late, my daughter was given a day off school. It was a sweltering hot afternoon and as I lead her through the local shops/dukas to run errands such as; nip to the hardwarem return the dvd to the shop in the basement next to the stinky downstairs bar that always has a TV blaring, and then outside, past the poor woman in a wheelchair, hawkers with flowers, fruit and second hand clothes, broken pavement, dust, beggars and so on, to find Daniel who has glazed eyes and shaky hands and a bandage (which intrigued my daughter), so that I could swap the dodgy dvds (not working) that we’d bought from him on Saturday.  I asked her, “are you having a little bit of a culture shock?” She nodded.

Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatton's grave today

Karen Blixen's former house in Nairobi

Having lived in Nairobi for years now, the Karen Blixen legend is still as enduring as ever. When I first moved to the area, I absolutely loved visiting Karen Blixen’s house which has been wonderfully preserved with some beautiful antiques (other items are reproduction, I think many are from the movie), a wide veranda, old outdoor kitchen with original utensils and then a rolling lawn with a view of the hills that does not ever disappoint. The house is small, but packed with atmosphere, the smell of polish, wood panelling, animal skins laid over creaking floorboards, fresh flowers and sunlight seeking its way through gauzy curtains into darkened rooms. I used to like visiting the house at the end of the day when there were few other visitors and often went alone and wonder how on earth Meryl Streep and Robert Redford fitted into that narrow bed.. but I have to admit, it’s years since I’ve been inside the house now.

Karen Blixen's bedroom

Although many of those 1930s characters who lived in Kenya were pretty dissolute and not very much to be admired, I still think it’s a shame that many 1930s colonial buildings are gradually being eradicated; either left to fall into ruin in the countryside or being sacrificed in the face of Nairobi’s aggressive building boom where any square acreage is being cleared for offices, apartments or town house complexes. You do still see the odd old house on a half acre plot, with quirky low tiled roofs tucked behind Chiromo road (one of these used to belong to Ewart Grogan), cowering beneath the spectre of road construction work going on around Museum Hill on a massive scale – but these are few and far between. While progress is undoubtedly a good thing, a peep into the past is also fun. The Macmillan library in the centre of town is still very much on my wish list of places to visit – but I’m not sure what I’d find if I tried going there today. (Do let me know if you have been there anyone?)


Anyway, in the holidays, we went in search of Finch Hatton’s grave. Fortunately my husband had already passed by there on one of his boys motorbike forays, so he knew roughly where it was located and also knew that the road around the foot of the Ngong Hills had been recently graded (smoothed out). My mum who was visiting from England was dead keen to go find the grave – she’s an absolute hound for any kind of local history, so we decided to visit the grave then follow up with a picnic on the Ngong Hills on New Year’s Day. To be honest I was also keen. I love the Meryl Streep/Robert Redford film and remember clearly weeping buckets during the funeral scene at the end.

Sign to Denys Finch Hatton's grave/memorial

When we reached the bumpy track that leads vertically upwards with a roughly paint daubed sign, I wimped out and decided to park at the bottom – Unfortunately for them, I had two children in the car and my Dad. My husband, in another car (we had the dogs with us too) motored up happily and pulled into a large grassy field while my father and I literally dragged the younger two behind us up the slope to the smallholding where the grave is located. While scaling the steep hill, I said to my youngest (6) – look, those children are walking quite happily (admittedly downhill) – to which she replied - but they are USED to it! (I’m not sure how I felt about that comment!) Nonsense, I said.

In fact, it was only a 5 minute walk from the bigger road. When we reached the top and turned in to the farm, there was a lady to greet us wearing in a blue woollen hat and knee length skirt. She said that she lived there with her granny and personally tends and manages the grave site – (as well as charging 300 shillings entry per adult). 

Secret garden, entrance to the memorial today

The lady had some printed out information about Denys Finch Hatton – she said that there was so much information on the internet on Denys – that she’d decided on one story only. Sensible, I thought, but I was hot (after the climb) and a bit bothered, so didn’t read the info. Instead, without preamble and having been given a hand written receipt for 1,200/ for 4 of us (the kids went in free), we were led to an unprepossessing corrugated iron door in a high hedge. This was a far cry from the open plains where lion once lay on the grave; it was more like ‘The Secret Garden’.



The obelisk

Once inside, the 12 foot obelisk and plinth were dwarfed by a hedge that ran all around the postage stamp sized plot. Although the granddaughter had indeed made a good attempt at gardening around it, the original brass plaque has been replaced by a blue one and the overall impression was claustrophobic. If you stand on the plinth and crane your neck to the left, then there is a gap in the hedge big enough to give you a glimpse of the breathtaking view that once would have lain out in front of and all around the grave. I wondered if Denys was turning in his grave – My Mum said that he probably would have been happy that the place was being well looked after.

Lions on Denys Finch Hatton's Ngong Hills grave (from the movie)

Our picnic was a success, if a little rushed. Up on the top of the windy Ngongs we frazzled in the blazing sun. The dogs, once finally out of the car, sniffed around distractedly but didn't stray far.  There were some boys who were selling Masai trinkets and a couple of other picnic-ing families up there too. We then drove the length of the winding road behind the Ngong Hills, where, eerily, we saw a plaque commemorating one of former President Kenyatta’s political adversary’s whose dead body was ‘found’ there.

Suggested Nairobi tour ideas for history buffs:

The National Museum on Museum Hill (suggested reading; ‘A guide to the Birds of East Africa.’ A novel by Nicholas Grayson . The museum still organise bird watching walks and lectures)

The Railway Museum (see the actual carriage where a man was pulled to his death by a lion in Tsavo on the lunatic express) – previous post: Down at the Station - man eating lions of Tsavo

Karen Blixen Museum (full of atmosphere – try and visit low season when there are fewer coach loads of tourists)

Finch Hatton’s Grave – if you are up for an off-the-beaten-track adventure.  Follow the road out of Ngong town (recently tarmacked), that runs along the base of the Ngong hills toward Baridi Corner.  You will see the sign (photographed above) to Finch Hatton's Grave.  Cash payment for entry.

The Norfolk/Stanley hotels.  The Stanley was famous for it's Thorn Tree bar as a main meeting place for settlers and safari guides.  The oldest hotel, the Norfolk, famous for its Long Bar.

Happy New Year in Nairobi - Security threats nothwithstanding...

This update is so long overdue, I hardly know where to begin... apologies for that..

We've had a couple of tentative emails and text messages asking if we are alright in Kenya - particularly in view of the recent scaling up of the security threat/foreign office travel advisory.  In fact, in Kenya we are very much alright, security threats notwithstanding.  The sun in shining.  After a mega sized 'short' rains in November which lasted 6 weeks, the country is looking particularly green and beautiful for this time of year.  In previous years, the drought has meant that this time of year has been particularly dusty and desperate - as cows are herded into the Nairobi city centre in search of any remaining pastures and there are food shortages, but this year, dams for hydroelectric power are full of water, although the rains damaged some crops we are not in bad shape on that front.  The Kenya shilling is thankfully back under control (1$-87 Kshs), we still have a cooking gas shortage but petrol prices are due to drop a little next week. 

For me, the run up to christmas was the usual whirl of visitors, children at home and then ordering hams and turkeys that turn out to be so enormous that you have no idea how you are ever going to eat it...but somehow you do.  Thinking about what to give everyone for a present - sadly, due to my distracted state, my husband ended up with precisely nothing for Christmas from me - a fact that I'm more than ashamed of and plan to rectify for his birthday next month - that is.. if I get my act together of course.

Obviously, living here, there's not just your own family to consider with regard to gifts, but also the people who work in our house.  As well as the usual xmas bonus, Nakumatt vouchers are always a good idea as they can be cashed in all over the country and this year I gave solar powered light sets to our house staff before they headed out of Nairobi to visit family over the holiday period.  These apparently were gratefully received at the other end.   There are loads of portable solar lights on the market these days, and most sets can charge a mobile phone from the solar powered battery too.  You would be amazed how few people in rural Kenya have access to the grid and since the price of kerosene for small lamps has gone through the roof, many people are forced to resort to sitting in the dark in the evenings at the moment.....and it gets dark early here...

In Nairobi, the number of random security checks have been stepped up - particularly on arrival at shopping centres.  Foreign office staff have been advised to spend no more than 20 minutes in such places (where possible) - I honestly don't see how this advice makes any sense at all - who knows which minute is going to be an unlucky one if disaster does strike?  The majority of people are just continuing life as usual while keeping fingers quietly crossed.  There was an interesting BBC report that said that Nairobi and indeed Kenya is such a cosmopolitan melting pot, made up of so many cultures mixed together, Kenyan, East African, Western, Asian, Arab - that it's almost impossible to keep an eye on what is going on.

I've been watching the story of Nancy Baraza (known for her fiery temper), acting deputy Chief Justice - with utmost interest.  She is reported to have insulted a female security officer at Village Market on New Year's eve, when she was asked to undergo a routine security check on entry.  Apparently Nancy pinched the security woman's nose then threatened her with a gun (which of course Ms Baraza denies) - sadly for Nancy - the CCTV cameras were running.  The whole incident has now gone to court - her career hangs in the balance.  The security officer is sticking to her guns.  We also find out this month (before the 20th Jan) whether or not the 6 leading figures accused of organising 2007/8 post election violence - will have charges confirmed against them or dropped.  A couple of them are planning to run for presidency in the  upcoming 2012 elections.  Can't wait to find out what happens!