New Wheels!

I came back to Kenya with the intention of replacing my RAV4. Having served me well over the past 5 years over many miles of potholes, murram roads, mud tracks, and very occasionally, decent tarmac (!), it was time for a change. One of my requirements was a 5-door rather than a 3-door vehicle, this being more for the benefit of passengers than the driver! More space for luggage was also up there, allowing easier travel when visitors come over. Well, there aren’t car showrooms as such here, but there are a large number of car lots at the side of the road, generally selling recently imported second-hand vehicles from Japan. The number of ‘new’ cars on the roads of Nairobi each month is staggering. Seeing the way that the registration numbers have zipped through the KBA xxxA to KBA xxxZ sequence shows this. We’re already on KBBs which means that in the past few months, there are an additional 26,000 vehicles on the roads, and most of them in Nairobi. And the roads aren’t any wider, nor are new ones being built. Anyhow, I had my eye on a particular model – Pajero io. With no sales warranties available, prices fairly high, and most of the vehicles being sold at least 8 years old, it’s a bit daunting to start the process. Thankfully, I have an excellent mechanic, and he took it upon himself to help me in finding a vehicle that would serve me well. So, on Wednesday, having parted with both my RAV and a sum of money, I drove away with a white automatic Pajero io! Not a car I’d ever think of driving in the UK where fuel consumption is uppermost in consideration (mind you, it is here too given that the price of petrol has gone up nearly 30% in the last year). Here, clearance to deal with uneven surfaces, potholes etc; 4 wheel drive for off road situations; and being high enough off the road not to be dwarfed by matatus, are factors well worth considering! Now I just need to visitors to justify all the extra space!

Kenya’s Tourism

After the drive on Easter Sunday, I continued another 7.5 hours down Mombasa Road to the coast, and had 6 days of relaxing, reading, walking, kayaking, swimming, snorkelling, …… It was wonderful! It’s quite a bit warmer than Nairobi (which sits at a lofty 5,200ft elevation), and the perfect place for some R ‘n’ R. Whilst it was great for us that we had been able to book at fairly short notice, this was not good news for many of the locals. The lack of tourists was very noticeable at a time that should have been pretty busy with the Easter holidays. A number of hotels have had to close, and there’s a huge impact on all the small businesses, such as people selling kikoys on the beach, that rely on tourism. The effects of the violence at the beginning of the year are still very evident, though here it’s not in burnt-out buildings and cars as it is in western Kenya, but in the decimation of one of Kenya’s main industries. In both cases, those who suffer most are those completely uninvolved in the violence, and the issues that led to it.

For anyone thinking of a holiday in Kenya, it really is a beautiful country and well worth a visit!

Rally Drivers R Us!

You’d think I was a rally driver given the state of my vehicle on Easter Sunday. In actual fact, I’d just driven about an hour on one of the main roads from Nairobi to see friends. Mombasa Road is the road that links the capital (and indeed western Kenya and Uganda) with the sea port of Mombasa. Work is currently going on to repair what had become an incredibly broken up stretch of road. However, the diversions (or ‘deviations’ as they’re called here) are less than desirable. It’s either very dusty or very muddy depending on the weather, but always very, very bumpy. I was glad that my windows were shut the number of times that a passing lorry caused a tidal wave of mud to completely engulf my windscreen! The current conditions will hopefully be worth it once the new road is opened. It’s just a question of how long that’ll be – and how many shock absorbers are wrecked in the meantime!!!

On the way to the office ..............

On the way to the office this morning, I saw baboon, giraffe, buffalo, eland, hartebeest, Thomson gazelle, ostrich, zebra, and an eagle (possibly a Martial Eagle). Add to that the sun on the golden grass of the plains, and vast views down to Athi River - what a treat! Wednesday mornings see me commuting into town from Karen, having spent Tuesday nights with friends after home group. Today, I decided to go through the game park rather than sit in traffic on Langata Road with the rest of the commuters. Probably as long time-wise, if not longer, and somewhat bumpier, but certainly way less stressful, and a really wonderful way to start the day. It beats the commute I was doing up to London during furlough, that's for sure!

Blessings of living in Kenya!

With an annual pass to the National Parks in Kenya, I go into Nairobi National Park quite a bit, particularly at the weekend. The main entrance to the park is only about 10-15 minutes' drive from my flat, which is located fairly close to the city centre. Going there is a really wonderful way to escape the noise and pollution of the city, and be in an open space with a big sky for a few hours. And a great opportunity to see some of Kenya's incredible wildlife. On Saturday afternoon, I happened upon this lioness with her 2 cubs – and their dinner! How amazing (though perhaps not for the zebra)!

Communication challenges

How spoilt we can get when a service is provided and becomes a part of normal life. After 7 months in the UK with broadband internet access, the return to Nairobi has been something of a shock to the system. We have a new VSAT system in the office, which in theory should have made internet access easier and faster. However, ………. By Friday last week, I was fairly depleted of energy having spent days trying to authorise a couple of internet bank transfers. So much for easy banking! Yesterday, we had zero access and today, whilst better, it still took about 2 hours to send and download personal emails (and that was after having intervened and deleted one a friend (with broadband!) sent with a 4MB attachment). Add to this a home phone line that has been out of service for 3.5 weeks, and it’s not been a good time as far as communication is concerned (hence the infrequency of these posts). How exasperating to be so close to being able to communicate effectively, and yet so far.
And yet, I have skyped with family a couple of times when things were working well. And that was great. With a webcam, I could not only talk to them, but see them as well (albeit in a slightly fuzzier form than normal) – and they could see me. My 2-year old nephew, who exclaimed, “Claire in Africa” on seeing me on the computer screen, will no doubt grow up thinking that this is a normal way to have a phone conversation, whereas I used to just write of such things in junior school when thinking of what the future might be like!

Happy New Year!

I started today by going to be fingerprinted. Not because of any crime committed (!) but as part of the procedure of having my alien registration card renewed. This rather messy event (called an ‘alien trip’ by our Immigration officer!) takes place every 2 years, coinciding with the now very expensive process, of work permit renewal. Driving to downtown Nairobi in what should have been the rush hour, the absence of traffic was notable, and the people who were around were in very good spirits. It seemed more like a holiday than a regular work day. On a number of occasions today, I’ve been greeted with, “Happy New Year”. With the signing yesterday by President Mwai Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga, of a power-sharing deal which it is hoped will end the 2 months of political crisis in Kenya sparked by the disputed general elections at the end of 2007, it did indeed feel very much like a new and the start (finally) of a new year. The general sense has been one of palpable relief, and of hope that we can finally move forward as a nation.
One of Kenya’s main newspapers, the Daily Nation, reported the signing as:


“A Peace Deal at Last”
Under the deal brokered by chief mediator Kofi Annan and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, the leaders agreed to form a coalition government which will radically alter the way Kenya will be governed.
Mr Odinga is almost certain to become independent Kenya’s second Prime Minster after Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, who held the post at Independence in 1963.
Thursday’s agreement, which came after two days of intense diplomatic activity states that the post of Prime Minister will be created to co-ordinate and supervise affairs of Government. The Premier will be leader of the largest party or coalition in Parliament.


With at least 1,000 people killed and an estimated 300,000 displaced as a result of the fighting, this is just the first step on what will be a long journey of healing, forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration for this rather battered nation. But it’s a step in the right direction, and one that looked almost out of reach even just 2 days ago.