Why This Is The Best Time To Be In Kenya

Often, when a group of old friends meet, they talk about their younger days, and many times, they refer to them as "the good old days". And at the time, they looked forward to a great future. And that is the irony of life. Always looking good from afar and when there, it looks far from good. But no matter what, we must face up to our realities.

Kenya is a country loved more by foreigners living here than by many natives. So, the question is: why do foreigners love Kenya? The answers are found in what lacks in their respective countries and are found here.

And just like water finds its own level, so does everyone in the country. Some already find themselves occupying a level brought on them by fate. Unlike the foreigners, they cannot afford game drives, leafy suburban living and motorised transport. Yet, the economy has plenty of those doing quite well. We have enough in both worlds and not enough of both worlds.

If you are a movie addict, please buy popcorn. Kenya is the exemplification of a long classic movie.

Let me get over and done with the easy part. If you keenly follow politics, that falls under the drama category. Sitcoms, comedy and science fiction found in photoshopped forwards and misleading translations in highly circulated videos, keep you occupied, as the numerous political characters do their thing.

We have enjoyed relative democracy for a while now and we must never take that for granted. Blood, sweat and tears got us freedom of speech, association and a right to own or search for property. Would the Kenyan Young Turks of the '90s refer to that period as: "the good old days, or the bad old days"? And good old days because they had the energy needed to confront political change, but now bad days because the younger generations that enjoy these hard-fought freedoms can hardly recall who the makers of change were.

For the Millenials and younger ones who seem more interested in experiences rather than the amassing of tangible wealth, life has moved on swiftly and settled into new pastimes such as following the Elon Musks' and the Richard Bransons' of this world, who show them that space travel is now a bucket list item. Instead of showing them that your better days are in the past by always talking about them, show them how they will travel to space affordably.

Mama mbogas have acted in many of our movies without credit for their role. I vaguely recall something like this: "mimi ni mama mboga na mimi ni member" But mama mboga's balance sheet has not grown. Inflation has eroded away her growth.

Recently, I figured out that mama mbogas are the majority because every lady who carries home a shopping basket with mboga in it, is a mama mboga at that instant. So, even professors, doctors, politicians and the hoi polloi alike, are all mama mbogas every so often. It is easier to distinguish between the minority mama gari and the majority mama tembea. Those using public transport are at the upper end of chama cha mama tembea.

But Kenya is a good place to be for more reasons than politics. The end of the prolonged cold season has made us very thankful for the sunshine that now warms us. That frequent exchange of hostilities between a certain father and his young daughter has thankfully come to an end. It went like this: "daddy, umeoga leo"? And dad told her: "kwenda wewe! Enda umalize homework". The kid is growing up knowing that there is greater danger in cold water than there is in a wild dog, for daddy fears water more than the wild dogs he often chases away.

If only electricity was affordable to all, fathers would remain true heroes, for their 'aibu ndogo ndogo' would be masked away.

Now, let's get serious. We are a top 10 Economy in Africa. Imagine what life is like in the 40th economy or worse. Aside from the infrastructural inconveniences, take away the democratic space that doesn't exist in such environments and you are in hell. The dream of many of the citizens in these countries is to settle in Kenya. But we are here thinking of going abroad. We live in a holiday of a country and not just a destination. We just don't know about it. Angels don't live around here or out there. People do and they know what a good place feels like.

If you doubt me, please randomly ask any foreigner around what it is they love most about Kenya. This is the best place to stay. Having said that, don't let visitors insult you. They take advantage of our hospitality and our corrigible systems to bend the laws in their favour.

My friend from Lagos has refused to go back to shags. The pidgin has fallen off and our plain accent has stuck on him like the blackjack does when we go upcountry. All he sees is order when we see chaos.

For the majority who may never ever travel out of the country, let alone out of the county, what you watch in movies from out there are the best depictions. The better movie to watch is going on right here in Kenya, and you are part of the cast.

If for nothing else, be here for the drama. And while at it, let us not dance ourselves lame.