Sikiliza

It seems we only seem to value those we loose At the darkest hour of the night When all we hear are echoes of our empty lives. We summon memories of shared laughs and joyous times and; Lament on unsaid truths, regrettable actions, unburdened emotions. Endlessly living without the gratification of knowing each day One did their best in being true to themselves and those fondly regarded; So that if this day will be my last one on this earth, You need to know just how much you mean to me And how my life Grows and glows Just by having you in it.

I am most tranquil when the wind blows on my face. I love the short swift bursts of trees, grass People, vehicles and tarmac When the earth whizzes past me Colors merge into an obscure sight of vague things past I hardly ever look back at a road trip. My eyes dart through the window, Looking and leaving Looking and leaving Back and forth Back and forth. My head spins and I close my eyes to drown the dizziness The sudden lack of light intoxicates me. I feel my icy anxieties thawing Sizzling and steaming up to the sky far away Replaced by a certain lighter delight Several sighs later I sit back and enjoy my journey The speed picks up My spirit soars And I suddenly really realize that there is some good and beauty In this otherwise sorry world.

Kigez

I have been quiet, I must admit. Those who know the Sikiliza tongue wagging would know this. But to my defense, I have been very very busy making noise about a wonderful project I have been involved in for the past couple of months. I was lucky enough to meet with Mũmbi Kaigwa (someone I have always admired!!) and work with her theatre company The Arts Canvas to plan an East African Tour of a very powerful Kiswahili play called KigeziNdoto. Loosely translated it means looking into our dreams… The play was staged in small town Kenya and Tanzania broken in three legs covering over !!!10,000kms!!!….it was hard work planning it…dealing with the widths and breadths and different dynamics of Kenya. This play took me to all parts of Kenya and Tanzania liaising with local communities, finding spaces and faces to attend and enjoy and share a moment of art interaction. Helping M ũ mbi and being part of this tour meant many things to me; I got to learn how to hit the road runn...

Rift Valley Sports Club Poolside Last Sunday while having tea at the Rift Valley Sports Club in Nakuru, I came across a friend who goes there to exercise by walking round the cricket pitch. While walking, she came across several pairs of mitumba shoes thrown from the high wall at the farthest end of the field. Most likely someone with ill intentions pinched the shoes from the 2nd hand dealers with stalls on the outer perimeter wall facing Oginga Odinga Street She quickly alerted the askaris at the gate to investigate the theft in progress. We all left confident that matters would be sorted and that the club would take the security breach seriously. So, the next day my friend called me to tell me that despite reporting the incident to the club security staff, “The shoes grew legs...” Hmmm.... Last Thursday, I had dropped an advert to be posted on the Club’s Notice Board and they promised it would be up the next day...when I went in today I was surprised to find that it had not gone u...

D riving away from the madding crowds of Nairobi is always a pleasant prospect. Away from traffic snarl ups, smog and the usual city’s bustle, it’s heartening to leave and breathe fresh country air for a change. I was meeting with 37 year old David Kinjah whose reputation in the Kenyan cycling circles preceded him. Our destination was just past Kikuyu town. As we drove to his place we got hopelessly lost so I turned to a bunch of boda boda riders asking (and hoping) if they know Kinjah… they all did. One of them, Kahiga offered to ride ahead of us and direct us to his house for 50 bob. "Last minute checks" Kinjah made his international race cycling debut in 1995 and has represented Kenya in the last 3 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpar Malaysia in 1998, Manchester in the UK in 2002 and in Melbourne Australia in 2006 despite several hurdles along the way. He is well known in the annual Cape Epic race held in South Africa and his cycling career has taken him to several cou...