...and on the 8th day..after He had rested..God created KENYA!

To all my fellow compatriots, both in Kenya and in the diaspora...Happy Mashujaa Day!!!

The most beautiful flag in the world!!!

Our country is truly going through momentous times. Just under over two months ago, Kenyans went to the polls and cast their vote, to decide on a new constitution, and with it, the direction that they wished their country to take. I am not a student of political science, but the few pieces of analysis i read from time to time seem to agree, that few countries, not just in Africa, but in the world, have ever overhauled their constitutions in peace time. Kenyans did it...even though it took us two decades. In my opinion, that's the stuff "Mashujaa" are made of!!!

One hot and humid morning, in July of 2006, i presented my passport to the guy at the Emirates check-in counter in Dubai. The first question he asked me when he saw the words, 'Republic of Kenya', emblazoned on my passport, was, "Do you run?" Without a doubt, Kenyan athletes have confounded both friend and foe, with their prowess on the track. One of my favorite columnist, Charles Onyango-Obbo, had this to say about Kenyan athletes: "Every week there is news of a Kenyan winning a marathon, an 800m dash, the 1,500m, 10,000m race, and everything in the world. Occasionally they throw in a world record-breaking performance.
In fact, David Rudisha has turned the 800m world record into a personal plaything, breaking and setting new ones whenever he is in a good mood." True Heroes!!!
There are so many things to be proud of about Kenya and being "Kenyan". In the same breath, there is a lot to be depressed about - like the fact that our Members of Parliament (majority of whom are not so honorable) earn about USD 11,000 a month and do not pay tax - in a country that has been for a long time been touted as being home to the largest slum in Africa (a title that we seem to have lost recently, with recent statistics from the National Census 2009, providing evidence to the contrary).
Still, Kenyan people exude so much optimism and hope...resilience that can be matched in few places.

20th October, 2010 - Heroes Day - wherever you are - in your own way - be a Hero! Because on the 8th Day, after He had rested..God created KENYA!!!