Today is a great day in my country. I am a proud East African from Kenya. Proud that my country is making some baby steps and some giant steps towards success. I am also proud that we are making mistakes as a country, some we learn from and some we refuse to learn from. I am also glad that we have the most patriotic Kenyans among others who find nothing to celebrate in their country, their government and their own people. I am also glad that others are just used to criticize things that are going wrong in their own country while they cannot find solutions for simple things in the smallest units of their families and communities.
I am proud of myself because I have traveled around the world and experienced different countries but still nothing beats my country. Not to say those who haven’t are not or should not be proud of themselves, I probably can just make a comparison from experience. I found that out when I lived in the U.S and the only thing I craved for was Ugali-Matumbo (Matumbo for those of us not Kenyans is tripe). I love my country because I think Kenyans were created on the 8th day. If you want to find out why go check out #KOT (Kenyans On Twitter). Let it crack your ribs while you are at it :-).
I love that nothing is too serious in this country…We truly practice the live one day at a time principle. And just the other day, I found out another principle that Kenyans believe in…”That we are good to people who are good to us and it works well” ask #KOT. Definitely there is some truth in that but then we are the perfect example of a non-polar state especially with the current government. We have managed to work with both friends and frenemies (there is no such word in diplomacy and international relations but it works for now).
I love that my country responds to international issues within Africa with a philanthropic heart even when we know deep in our hearts that we do not have enough to even feed our own. True spirit of pan-Africanism. But I also acknowledge that such acts have been platforms for negativity and criticism, which are also used as platforms of politicking. I will call it the ecosystem of politics in Kenya. Let me explain how it works: Find what good thing someone in the opposing team is doing, generate negative vibe around it, attend a public gathering of whatever nature and caliber and express your dissatisfaction with the tagline of ‘we the common citizenry…’
Because the list is endless, I will say another important thing. That I love that Kenyans are my heroes and heroines. From fighting for independence, to fighting different forms of post-colonialism and to fighting for different forms of freedom daily. Kenyans are truly an inspiration and a beckon of hope in a continent in the brink of dwindling hope. We truly survive good and bad things but still believe in ourselves. We create happiness through our experiences no matter the nature and above all, even if we are yet to experience the fruits of our hard work. We still strive to see that light at the end of the tunnel.
So today dear Kenya, and dear Africa. Strive with hope that our sweat will one day bear fruit. Be kind and share the happiness that comes with it. Be considerate of each other knowing that we are soldiers on the same battle in the continent only different contexts. Be nice to foreigners the African way…invite them for nyama choma or a cup of uji once in a while if you can. Be cautious to guard our dignity as Africans and do not let anyone demean us no matter our circumstances. We are brothers and sisters…try going to a foreign country outside the continent then you will understand this better.
#CelebratingKenyanHeroes
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