Angry Nairobians

 

Nairobians are angry. Very angry. Perhaps, I should do a song, or some poetry piece, so that I can fully convey this:

Nairobians, angry, hungry
Nairobians, relatives to poverty
Nairobians, has become their enemy – money
Nairobians, no longer can access – honey.

Nairobians, in their leaders – no hope
Nairobians, unwashed – can’t afford soap
The government, has lost – goodwill from the people
No longer cute – the SG’s and the Governor’s dimples.

Nairobi, despondency – hangs in the air
Doing business, feels like living in the lion’s lair
Taxes, more taxes – women can’t afford pretty hair
Angry, hungry, for Nairobians – there is despair.

It’s around 11pm. Nyayo House, recently declared a Corruption Free Zone. Hang around in a group outside, and some administration policeman will enquire of your business. I am here on some business. It is full house, majority seeking passports to get a breather outside the country… the National Youth Service have been seconded to assist service seekers. That said, you get the feeling that one Kenyan community has been overrepresented here… indeed, in all government’s ministries, the headquarters, especially. Bad for national morale in matters unity. You also get the feeling that DCI are all over, policing things, gathering intel… you feel like a stranger in Jerusalem.

There is a queue at the door to the building… no explanation for this. Not sure what they are lining up for, I head for the entrance… “Kwani huoni laini! Rudi upange laini!” The NYS lady is angry, common courtesy absent. I don’t know what they teach there in Gilgil, but a simple, ‘Habari ndugu. Tafadhali tunakusihi upange foleni ili tuweze kukuhuduima vyema. Asante.’ – would have sufficed, leaving everyone feeling better. After all, we are in difficult economic circumstances.

My business is very simple. I am here following up on the Hustler Fund. Biashara Loan. IMELP. A component for those under BRS – business name. Sadly, the officers are clueless on this. The response I get is that it didn’t take off. Fortunately, I know that the same is/was to be launched on November… possibly during the President’s State of the Nation Address on Thursday. If not, on Jamhuri Day. I got this from the CS himself, the very competent Chelugui. Unfortunately, his officers are failing him. Inter-ministry awareness needs to be done on this. Plus, a physical Hustler Fund office has to be established. That’s how you better a good initiative.

Again, as I said, Nairobians are very angry. At the government, both county and national. Very angry. More so, at the national government. It’s a perception problem. Leaders around the presidency, there are not inspiring hope… they are painting a gloomy picture about the economy… which is not necessarily the case. In short, they are talking too much. ‘Two eyes, two ears, one mouth… observe more and talk less’… they have forgotten this golden axiom, drunk with power, much. I wish they could borrow a leaf from @Hon.Musalia Mudavadi or @CSChelugui… presidential mien about them, these two.

Nairobians are angry. Very angry. At the national government. The news is always depressing… another factory has closed down… the Kenya shilling has gone south… the price of oil… sugar is no longer sweet… Gabriel Oguda is running circles round the government propaganda machinery… bad news sells, and if it is not countered, it becomes the truth. Bad news is also very contagious – misery loves companionship, after all. The almighty UDA propaganda machinery is in shambles. Dennis Itumbi has lost control of the narrative.

Nairobians are very angry. Hungry, even. The President is isolated, his big men working at cross-purpose. There is no one to tell the good things happening, and tell them convincingly. Once upon a time, Dr. Alfred Mutua used to be Kibaki’s spokesman. Very competent in this role… explaining government policy every week, getting the public to buy in into government projects and programmes… Truth be told, a Dr. Alfred Mutua is needed at this moment. Perhaps, Mutahi Kagwe should be given this role, really gave us hope to hang in there as a nation during the Corona years.

Nairobians are very angry. Very angry at the national government. Why? There is nobody to explain to them what is happening. Why the President has to travel around the globe… enhance agriculture, agro-processing, manufacturing… linkages to markets, investment, partnerships… time and again, his top people are failing him. Urgently, Mutahi Kagwe should be employed to preach all these good news to Kenyans so that they can take advantage of this. Perhaps, see the need to repay that Hustler Loan of Kshs 700 they took… otherwise, they are locking out a Kenyan (me) from starting a micro-enterprise and grow it into a billion-dollar concern.

Nairobians are very angry. Angry at the county government. Nairobi has it challenges, a million of them… the ever vigilant cartels. The governor, dimples and all, is trying to make it work… Garbage is being collected, drainages cleared, markets – spacious, clean – are coming up… Yet, there is no one to tell Nairobians all these good news and the governor cannot be everywhere at once. School children are being fed, youth given a chance to do their hustles around the CBD – ‘mayai/smokie pasua’, photoshots… again, no one to tell this to Nairobians.

Nairobians are angry. Very angry at the national government. Very angry at the price of flour meal – ‘unga’ – that staple of Kenyan diets. The price of flour, a two-kilogramme packet, you can get it for as low as Kshs 130 to as high as Kshs 300 – there is every flour for every one… basic, premium, super premium, with amaranth (‘terere’), gluten-free (cassava, sweet potatoes, arrowroot)… There is no one to tell this.

Nairobians are angry. Very angry. The city is fast-paced… always rent to pay, school fees, food… ‘Nairobi ni shamba la mawe.’ Nairobians, they don’t visit the (ASK) show… now, the Nairobi International Trade Fair. ‘Is for school children’, they say. They don’t visit KICC or Sarit Centre, either. Nobody in government expounds to them what happens here, almost on a weekly basis… the massive expos as opportunities… construction, health, manufacturing, investments, tech… millions of dollars… upcountry people and people from outside the country, they sweep down on these opportunities. Nairobi – an opportunity hub… for everyone else except Nairobians. Very busy they are, the rat race vicious.

The Nairobi Business Community is very angry at the national government. As the people on the ground, they are well-acquainted with the county government. By and large, Nairobi is working for them. The taxes, the national government should go a bit slowl, let things stabilise for a minute… streamline the import process, stabilise the dollar (ok, the shilling) and the petrol, M-Pesa charges revised, access to finance…

Meanwhile, a new crop (entrepreneurs, I refuse to call them business people) is coming up, They are listening keenly to what the President is saying and taking full advantage of the opportunities he is creating. Unfortunately, Nairobians are used to being given fish (employment) and money talk is taboo, resisted vigorously. If you don’t believe me, try talking to a Kenyan about matters finance and see how quickly they change the topic. The hottest business at the moment? Green card application. Nairobians are angry and want to exit the country quickly. The Nairobi CBC generation will be the ones to shift the narrative, playing catch-up to their upcountry folks… I can almost guarantee you that the Baringo youth selling honey at the KICC expo will be wealthier than the Nairobian youth who is not aware of the expo to begin with…

Nairobians are angry. Very angry. At the national government. Nairobians, very angry, they are. Especially those who read. They read newspapers and blogs and social media… the narrative, depressing. Nairobians are very angry at the national government. They do not read. They rely on rumours and somebody else’s opinion on the state of the nation… very depressing, what is out there.

Then again, a few read… books – fiction, non-fiction, finance, business, they know Nuria Bookstore. These ones, future millionaires and billionaires. They have read Jacob Aliet’s Unplugged – have accordingly aligned themselves to take advantage of the system – Capitalism and Feminism, not at all kind to the boy child. They have had a change of attitude and will thrive (as the rest of Nairobians survive) no matter who is in government. They can think, reason and argue for themselves – mental nirvana, they have achieved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQZP3HoMkxc&t=2s