REPORTING ON THE NAIROBI-KITUI TOUR
PICTURES BELOW
First, I want to so deeply thank you for affording me such a rare opportunity to travel down to Nairobi and Kitui, and above all have time with Jim and his family. We both know that without your thoughtfulness this would have not even been a dream. Yet it became a reality.
EVENTS
Tuesday 14th December 2010
I left Kakamega town at 6:00 am on Eldoret Express bus bound for Nairobi and arrived in Nairobi at 4:00 pm in the afternoon. It was a very tiresome journey, with deep potholes and sometimes contours and high pumps on the road. I was not lucky to get a seat at the front area and took one at the very rare of the bus. It was jump-up and come-down all the way. Jim had been waiting for me at the Machakos bus terminus. Although I was that tired, the excitement was so great. We moved (me and Jim) in downtown that evening, seeing tall glassy buildings (I liked the Anniversary Towers). I enjoyed the elevators, some of which had good music. The most interesting part was the traffic flow in the city. I thought all cars had been moved to Nairobi. There are so many different types of cars here that I had never seen some models. I even saw the hummer, Jeep Cherokee and other models that are never seen in our Kakamega city. That evening we went for supper at the Galitos restaurant and for the first time I ate a pizza and another kind of food that I cannot remember now. Sometimes Jim could laugh at me. We watched news on a flat screen big television (which I had also never seen, images were the size of live objects). At 9:00 pm, we boarded a Matatu (public transport vehicle) to where Jim stays near Kenyatta University. Of course I slept like a dead man, the night was too short. END OF DAY ONE.
Wednesday 15th December 2010
That day we woke up a bit fresh and in the morning did scripture reading from the Book of Mormon and the Bible. After prayers and planning for the day’s events we went out for breakfast in the nearest restaurant. I liked those samosas, chapattis and sausages, which we escorted with a Milo drink. After the good heavy breakfast, we boarded a Matatu again back to the city, where we took another one and headed for the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). Here, I saw planes that are so huge and of different kinds. I never imagined there can be such big planes. I have only seen planes flying high in the sky. Now I was there looking at them with my bare eyes. For once a possibility of entering a plane flashed on my mind. Jim tried to take photos but a security man chased us away. The camera was temporarily taken but we pleaded with him to give it back and he was a good man, he gave us. From there we went to the Nakumatt Mega along Mombasa road where I saw so many things in one shop from a pin to cars. The place smells of things. It is big and very busy. Crossing Mombasa road from there, Jim took me to the Nyayo National Stadium. Being a football fun and having watched games played here on TV, this was a great time for me. We asked a security man and were allowed to enter through a gate and looked at the terraces. Thereafter, we went to the Westgate mall in Westlands, another wonder of a mall. In the evening we took a Matatu that goes through Lavington suburbs and I saw very modern homes and flats. I realized that some people live in extremely good places here in Nairobi. I had never seen such models of houses before. They were different from the Kibira slums where the Matatu finally stopped, where the smell is so awful. That evening Jim took me to an Indian restaurant where food was very chilly, I must admit I did not enjoy that meal but I took it because we had paid for it. We left to Jim’s little house that night, again so tired but very happy. I slept like a little baby after a hot shower that evening. END OF DAY TWO.
Thursday 16th December 2010
We did our early morning scripture study and prayers as usual (I was really liking it) and after breakfast left for Ongata Rongai to see Maasai Morans in their normal daily lives. I had always wanted to see them after getting good stories from my friend Ken. The morans, we found out, are very jovial people, but they don’t like taking photos with strangers. We had some time with them before taking another Matatu to the Bomas of Kenya. Bomas is a Swahili word meaning “Homesteads”. So this place means “Homesteads of Kenya”. I had wanted to visit this place because of its famous bomas. The national drama festivals are yearly held at the Bomas of Kenya in its huge auditoriums. Here they allowed us to take photos after paying for the tickets. I have attached those photos on my facebook (please check that out). We went through all the 42 bomas for the 42 Kenyan tribes, enjoying the view of how people built houses and some still do in remote villages across the country. Our own Luhya boma was also there and it resembled my village back home. Jim said he’s back in the village. We enjoyed every boma. We were reminded that polygamy was common in all Kenyan societies and the good thing was that every woman was taken care of. For example, every wife had her own granary. The husband had his own hut. Unmarried boys had their hut, and so the married sons. The grandparents were built houses in the boma and were taken care of. They did not have a granary but were fed by their sons and grand children. I learned a lot and asked our guide a lot of questions. That was perhaps the most interesting visit in the city. From there we went through Strathmore University (a private university). Jim wanted me to see the difference between public and private universities in Kenya. Yes, they are different in so many ways. That evening we went to the Antonio Cafe on Mama Ngina street in the city and had a sumptuous supper- traditional chicken and ugali with a good sauce and greens. We finished it all with a cup of mango juice. I was so full and felt tired and sleepy. We took a Matatu back to the house and after a hot shower and thanksgiving prayers slept peacefully again. END OF THIRD DAY.
Friday 17th December 2010
After our morning routine, we went to the city and boarded a Matatu for Kitui. By 11:00 am we were in Kitui town. I was amazed by the many different kinds of fruit trees and was especially mesmerized by big mango trees that had a lot of purple mangoes. Jim had told me a lot about the sweetness of Kitui mangoes and upon arriving, Roseline (Jim’s lovely wife) had them on the table for us. I have never tasted such sweet mangoes. They are so full of sugar, all of them. I actually ate six and would have gone further. I must say that my time in Kitui has been so wonderful. We bonded so well with Roseline, a kind hearted woman, with smiles. She is a very good cook also and together with the maid (Sarah), they have made that house a place to run to and enjoy. In the afternoon we visited Roseline’s place of work, a well built and taken care of facility. We met her workmates and took photos with them in their beautiful flower gardens. They are all wonderful, happy women. We had good food and times with Jim’s sons (Bivan, 5 years and Solomon, almost 2 years) and neighbours’ kids. That evening we had readings from the Book of Mormon and the Bible and songs that were sang so well (I did the praying after the spiritual upliftment from Nairobi). We relaxed and laughed and ate and was taken to a luxurious guesthouse adjacent to their house. Everything was clean there and with a TV among other things, only comparable to Bishop Stam back in Kakamega. END OF DAY FOUR.
Saturday 18th December 2010
A day with relaxation. Jim decided to show me around Kitui town. We visited people who make Akala shoes (made by cutting car tyres). We visited curio shops where skilful sculptures make good souvenirs. Also because that place is a bit wild and semi arid, they keep bees and there is plenty of good natural honey at the market. I bought some of the souvenirs and honey and came back to prepare for the journey back to Nairobi where we shall be attending church tomorrow morning. As I write this report, we are in Jim’s little home and are prepared for church tomorrow morning. I am so excited and anxious and about it. END OF DAY FIVE.
Sunday 19th December 2010
The report continues...
Money received:
The amount that was received by Jim at the bank was Ksh. 9,584.
Expenditure
Fare Kakamega-Nairobi Sh. 2,000
Around the city Sh.3,500
Fare Nairobi-Kitui Sh.1,000
Fare Kitui – Nairobi Sh. 1,000
Fare Nairobi-Kakamega Sh 2,000
Mom, I want to thank you so much for enabling me to come and see all the things. I have learnt a lot and I am not the same again. I will send you the remaining part of the report since the tour is still on. I plan to go back home on Tuesday 21st December 2010. Jim has been more than a brother to me. I thank Eric for making it possible for us to know each other. In fact I know we have a lot to do in future, both spiritually and physically. I feel so blessed to have Jim and his family as part of my life. Please pass my kind regards to them on my behalf.
I have uploaded photos in my facebook page. Please check that out. I will send the remaining final part of the tour report.
BEN.
The Final Report
Day Six 19th December 2010
The main reason for leaving all the good things in Kitui and going to Nairobi the previous evening was to be able to go to church early Sunday morning. That night I was filled up with anxiety, because I thought and expected that I would learn new things at church. I was praying that God may help me and open my inner eyes to understand what he was going to tell me that day. In the morning we were up and by 9a.m. were at the Kasarani church chapel. It is a very well build place. That was the most modern church building I have ever gone to. I shall mention here that all the three sessions we had were good. I liked the interactive way that people took and that the leader who is supposed to be a pastor was only leading a discussion for people to talk about their feelings. That was interesting to me. I also liked the way people smile there and how they treat each other with respect asking them how they have been doing. Some missionaries were asking me questions wanting to find out where I come from and what I am doing there. This was good to feel cared for. In my old Quakers church, nobody asks anybody questions and nobody is interested in other people especially when they are strangers. I missed listening to Jim teaching because he was in another class while I was in another one that catered for visitors. Generally speaking, I think the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints is a good church and I will be interested in learning more about the church. Jim luckily is here and he has promised to help me in all ways so I am not worried. He has been answering my questions and tells me to listen to my heart and pray about it and that is what I am doing. That day marked a new start in my spiritual life as it opened me to discovering new things.
Day Seven 20th December 2010
This day money to do what we would have loved was a limiting factor. Jim tried getting some money so that we could visit as we had planned the national museum and the village market mall where we also have UN headquarters and the US embassy. So we opted to stay back and there was an even bigger blessing. In Kenyatta University we had eastern Africa games for all universities in east Africa. So we watched football and indoor games. It was a day filled with fun and I enjoyed so much and felt that one day I will also play in a university team. In the evening I started preparing to return back to Kakamega. I wanted to come fast and share what i had seen with my friends here.
Day Eight 21st December 2010
In the morning after breakfast Jim took me to the bus terminus. There were a lot of people wanting to travel and I was not sure I would get a bus. But Jim used his good knowledge of the city and we went to different places until we got a Nissan Urvan that was heading to Eldoret. The fare charges had more than doubled but at least I would be able to travel. I would get another Matatu from Eldoret to Kakamega. As I sat in the Matatu and looked outside and saw Jim leaving I thought about how good he had been to me. He is a good man and a brother to me. We left at 7 a.m. and by 2p.m we were in Eldoret. I took another Matatu and by 7:30 p.m. I was in Kakamega. It was good seeing the town again although it now looked different and more underdeveloped. Since arrival I have had good times telling my friends what I saw and some of them find it hard believing. All in all, I came back a different person both physically and spiritually. This was a successful and wonderful tour, and again I thank you mom for making it happen.
BEN
