My Nairobi

A story is only good as its story teller and a place is best described by one who has been there. I invite you to journey with me and take a mile in my shoes and beseech you further to see, feel and experience Nairobi through me. Nairobi, that name elicits a lot of memories and realities in form of feelings.

As I board a matatu, a fourteen sitter van to the city, I look outside the window. The tout calls on to oncoming people and a few negotiate the price. It is nice to know that some people are not hardliners and appreciate the hardship associated with acquiring the much coveted coin. Finally, the matatu is full and the driver takes off city bound. Ah yes the city, Nairobi. What can I say about Nairobi?

It is the nice but hot, vast but crowded, urban and semi modern city that is the heart of my motherland Kenya. It is the smallest cog in the wheels of Kenya but without it, Kenya would be crippled. Its name is derived from a Maasai word meaning place of cool waters. This was coined while the river Nairobi still flowed undisturbed through the land, at least according to my geography teacher. It is also the administrative capital of Kenya. It is home to most of the industrial headquarters both local and international making it the nations bread basket.

It is a hub of hope for all those who come to it. It is our version of the big apple perhaps not as big, but the shoe fits. It is our land of opportunity and any door can usher you to your destiny. Many a dream have been realised here or are in transit here. The engineer, marketer, pundit, therapist all find their niche in this city and there is ready market for them. There are vast buildings and skyscrapers here which gives credence to the many opportunities. I pass by parliament road where the august house looks at the town in its hustle and bustle. All the countries core sensitivities pass through this synapse to the next neuron for the correct responses.

Unfortunately, that is also what you can find on the internet, you do not need me to tell you that. What is Nairobi or better yet who is Nairobi to me? It is more than just a city. As I alight from the matatu, I join the fray of busy looking people walking on the streets while talking on their phones. I did mention the crowded part but I can hardly complain. It is the people you find in it that make it spectacular. It is here that I draw my inspiration from. They say there is no hurry in Africa but I think Nairobi counts as the exception to the rule. Seeing people in a hurry getting things done no matter the size or importance gets adrenaline pumping in my veins. It is the only place where the boss and employee walk the streets with an equal sense of urgency.

Away from the central business district, it is a mix of many races and tribes. In the whole country, this is probably where the ethnic and racial mix is accepted as a norm. Not to mean that Kenya is polarised in other parts or homogenous but to say that Nairobi accepts diversity more with open arms than questioning eyes. In the diversity that ensues, the interaction promotes more cohesion. The multilingual phone conversations all round me can attest to this reality.

As I cross the busy roads to go to the other side of town amidst what sounds like a melee, I can’t help but wonder at how seamlessly the chaos works itself out. It might not be the most flawless and model city for the ultimate global citizen, but for me and the millions of other people this is our city and we would not have it any other way.