Denis Nzioka by Jerry Riley

As the debate about sexuality and sexual rights in Kenya heats up, one personality is taking the discussion a step further as he vies for the country’s top position in the 2012 General election. Denis Nzioka is the PR and Media Communications officer for Gay Kenya as well as an avid blogger, writer and social commentator, and now Kenya’s first openly gay presidential candidate.

He started his career studying for the priesthood in a large Nairobi seminary, but while exploring questions within himself about his sexuality through his writing, blogging under the pen name Caritas Diablo, he found that he had a vocation within a vocation. Today he is one of the most vocal agitators for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersexed (LGBTI) rights in Kenya. Only a few months after the UNHRC adopted a resolution on violence and discrimination against LGBTI people for the first time in its history, Denis has chosen to stand for those same rights in the most public office of a region that is not known for its tolerance of alternative sexuality. “Running for political office is a matter of pushing the boundaries; it’s a litmus test for Kenyan society. Can we overlook the fact that he doesn’t have a wife and family and look at his agenda … elect someone who does not fit the stereotype of what a politician should be? Can we move from petty politics to look at the person and what they bring to the table?”

Denis Nzioka by Jerry Riley

From his humble beginnings at Martin Luther Primary School in Hamza Estate and later Aquinas Boy’s Secondary School, Denis, once touted as a high achiever, has continued to rise and today is being referred to as the most powerful gay man in Kenya. When asked why now, Denis responds in simple terms; “The gay community feels it’s time its issues were put on the forefront, and they’re keen to have representation, being openly gay is already a significant political statement.” The new Constitution enables all Kenyans access healthcare and ensures that they are free from discrimination violence. This includes people from the gay community. Denis’ platform in the next general election while presented on a unique platter seeks to serve the benefit of all Kenyans. His main election points are poverty eradication, access to education, and human rights. The new constitution will need to filter down to the common people and, if implemented in full, Kenya will change.

Denis Nzioka by Jerry Riley

Denis has no trouble reconciling religious views with sexuality: “Sexuality is an inborn trait – it’s God given. Discriminating against someone for it is like chopping off the hand of a left handed person. It’s not something that can be helped. I am not a gay who’s Kenyan, I am a Kenyan who’s gay – I do believe God works in weird and mysterious ways and if he can make a donkey talk he can make a man gay. “Why would anyone choose a lifestyle that is so discriminated against? We have to be open to diversity. We have to be open to the possibility that people will not always fit the social constraints and it’s not for us to judge them or to discriminate against them. The reason why our society has so many issues with homosexuals is not because our sexual activity directly affects them but because women are still considered to be inferior. For a man to take on the role of a woman is so degrading so humiliating – because women are still seen as second rate. The gay rights movement will only be successful if the women’s movement is successful because then people won’t equate femininity with something negative.”

Denis Nzioka by Jerry Riley

Speaking to a diverse youth, Denis advises that it’s time for the youth to take control of their society and that the only way to do that is by being proactive. “It is important that the youth make inroads in all these channels and take advantage of the opportunities that are afforded to them. By making a political block the you can come together and realize that they are the next people who will lead this county and that there is nothing they cannot do”. Denis states that for Kenya to progress the country needs to move away from all stereotypes as the stereotype becomes the quality by which you’re judged as a leader. We must own up to our mistakes. As a politician you must modify your behavior to up your credibility. “Be a visionary, don’t look at short term goals. Meet the people and sell your idea to them. Ask the people what it is they need. Changing peoples’ mentality and attitude takes years. Be that breath of fresh air! We can sell a different type of leader, one that is committed to this country.”

Rachael Mutindi Maithya

In a country that is fast developing an obsession with the idea of celebrity, Rachael Mutindi Maithya has set her heart on making a product that epitomises homegrown talent. Using the kanga, long known as a traditional type of dress amongst women in East and Central Africa, she has built a fashion brand that has toured the globe as an authentic benchmark of the progress that Kenyan fashion has made in the last couple of years and how tradition is influencing contemporary art and culture.

In a most unlikely setting, two small rooms in a charming little village just outside Kitui town in rural Kenya, Rachael has built an international fashion brand that has stood it’s ground against the challenge of designs from across the world, on the trendiest of catwalks in Paris, Rome and as far as Las Vegas. With raw talent and a delicate perception of fashion she has strived to emphasize comfort, simplicity and subtle feminine elegance in her work, quickly establishing her as a key innovator in the ethnic fashion scene. From chic vintage inspired, kanga lined trench coats to formal cut skirts and everyday wear-to-the-office gear, Ki2 Fashions caters for all tastes and all situations. “Kanga was used as a work cloth and we’re not going to change it or try to make it haute couture. I want to make the Kanga like denim and have it worn everywhere in the world and until everyone has a piece of Kanga in their wardrobe I will not rest.”

Rachael Mutindi Maithya by Jerry Riley

Growing up in Ukambani, literally two minutes from where she now lives and has her workshop, Rachael says was awe inspiring for a budding creative. “Kanga only came into use recently here, but growing up I was surrounded by stone carvers, basket weavers … all sorts of artists working with such incredible skill! I didn’t sit down and think ‘I want to be a fashion designer’. Making clothes was always going to be a big part of my life.” After high school at St. Mary’s Girls School, Igogi and a brief stint studying information technology at the former SPS, she joined Kenyatta University for a degree in Textile Science & Design. Despite being an unconventional student, often incorporating unorthodox elements in her projects, she graduated with an upper class second. At the time, many major textile factories in Kenya were shutting down and the prospects for someone with a qualification in textile design seemed slim. After trying her luck working at an EPZ and later in resettlement work, Rachael resigned herself to the idyllic life of a homemaker.

Renee Mboya (right), Project Manager at Generation Kenya, admires colourful Kanga items designed by Rachael Mutindi Maithya (left), Head Designer for Ki2 Fashions.

This path set her up in her current domain as Head Designer for Ki2 Fashions. On a trip to Zanzibar with her sister, she bought some kanga fabric, made some clothes for herself and her daughter and was surprised at the response. “Everybody loved them. On the next trip we made, to visit family in Italy, I threw together some pieces and carried a couple of kanga extra and the morning after my mother in law wore one of my skirts to the office, there was a flock of girls on our doorstep, ready to buy what I saw as regular everyday stuff.”

Rachael’s aim with Ki2 Fashion is to bring the kanga back to the forefront of African fashion and design. Starting with her daughter, she has begun a critical process to reconceptualise the use of kanga in daily life and bring it into the 21st Century. “Traditions are getting lost and our generation needs to step up and preserve what’s important. As youth we need to ask ourselves, ‘what are you doing for your country and what are you doing to take your culture to the next generation?’”

Hard at work at Ki2 Fashions

Rachael’s path has not been without challenges however. Finding the degree of skill among tailors in the region to make quality handmade garments at a high enough production rate has been a particularly trying. Costs must translate to affordable prices for the customer. Furthermore, finding a sustainable market here remains an almost impossible task. Rachael is not discouraged all the same and she takes every challenge in her stride. For the youth she has these simple words of advice; “Dreaming is great because it’s where everything starts – you learn through trial and error so don’t be afraid to make mistakes.”

Charles Wafula, the Executive Director of YIKE

What would your approach be if you wanted to find a way for Kenyan youth to be key partners in their own development and in the development of their communities? For Pamela Wesonga and Nynke Nauta their response was to form Youth Initiatives – Kenya.

Youth Initiatives-Kenya, or YIKE as it is more commonly known, is a non-profit organisation whose vision is to create a society in which the youth are able to facilitate their development. Registered in 2003, YIKE started as the brainchild of Pamela and Nynke who at the time were both doing their masters in Community Development and were interested in interacting with Kenyan youth to find out what contribution they were making to their country.

Most people upon leaving university are motivated by one thing, money. Uniquely Charles Wafula, the Executive Director of YIKE, sees his education as adding to his responsibilities to his community and instead of chasing money, he now helps youth in Kariobangi chase their dreams. With the help of his team, Charles seeks to provide essential funding for youth initiatives that fall within the YIKE mission, without the hassle of bureaucratic red tape. As Charles puts it, ‘the collateral for the funds provided by YIKE is, simply, mutual trust’.

Yike Staff in their offices

Eight years after its initiation, YIKE exists to support collective socio-economic, cultural, environmental and technological initiatives developed by youth in informal urban settlements. The organisation has attracted over 22,000 youth aged between 15 and 35 years old from over 72 youth groups seeking relevance in Kenya’s development. Located in Kariobangi North, YIKE occupies a modest office space on the second floor of Sanoda House. With children playing on the ground floor, which houses an after school programme and many more community-based organisations sharing the building, YIKE is significant hub for the community. The organisation uses some of its space as a cyber café and charges subsidised rates, which allows members of the community vital access to the Internet.

Working hard at the YIKE cyber cafe

YIKE runs several programs: Business Challenge Competition, HIV/AIDS and Behaviour Change, Gender and Governance, Youth Information Centre, Community Events and Dialogues and a Capacity Building programme. Every year, the organisation recruits ten groups, which it assists to attain their goals by providing training in pertinent issues like team and peace building, team development and cohesion, and business management. It also analyses different youth initiatives and their impact on problems common in their locations. Groups are picked on the basis of their association with YIKE and as well on the basis of consultations by YIKE aimed at fully understanding the vision of the youth groups. Loans are given to those groups which have been involved with YIKE for at least one year. YIKE makes no compromises ensuring that by the time organisations graduate from its programs, they have a clear vision and a reliable composition. The effect of this is that youth programs develop with proper structures, able to accommodate youth eager to learn skills, earn a livelihood and be part of a larger plan – developing Kenya.

Colourful walls at the YIKE balcony

YIKE admits that it has faced some challenges. Minimal funding and sometimes lack of funding all together, has made it difficult for the organisation to achieve its own goals let alone fund those of dependent youth initiatives. Secondly, Kariobangi is a sensitive environment with its own socio-economic challenges and this, coupled with high expectations from the community, results in a lot of pressure for the organisation. While the organisation is constantly plagued by fears of insecurity in the area, residents still look to it for viable solutions for local youth. The challenges experienced, however, have only served to inspire the staff at YIKE to work even harder, carving a niche as an organisation that despite the odds has not lost sight of its vision-to help youth facilitate their development. YIKE boasts several success stories. Most notably is the Ngei 1 Development Youth Group based in Huruma, Nairobi. With help from YIKE, this organisation has been able to initiate and sustain water and sanitation, microfinance and garbage collection projects in Huruma. YIKE has been able to help youth initiatives in Kariobangi, Dandora, Huruma, Mathare Kibera and Kawangware, over the years.

GenerationKenya Digital Media Director, Josephine Were, presents the Executive Director of YIKE, Charles Wafula, with a limited edition GenerationKenya t-shirt.

The local community is constantly auditing YIKE, and for Charles, and others at this organisation, their passion for this initiative ensures that year after year YIKE continues to prove that the youth in Kenya are more than capable of facilitating development in Kenya.

Rogers Otieno by Jerry Riley

The film credits list him as Angry Man. An apt description, because as the scene erupts into a frenzy of activity through narrow slum corridors he is the man you see, his apparent wrath blazing in his eyes, clear above the irate mob. The film is the award winning ‘Soul Boy‘; the actor Rogers Otieno.

They say no artist should be confused too closely with his creations, but Rogers Otieno is as intense in person as he is on screen or on stage. His ineffable smile and brimming charisma makes any interaction with him memorable. From his modest beginnings in rural Kenya, Rogers, known to his friends as ‘Rojeh’, has risen to become one of the brightest young faces of Kenya’s emerging performance arts scene. Gracing stage and screen with equal enthusiasm he is fast on his way to becoming a household name.

Rogers Otieno by Jerry Riley

Rogers Otieno’s greatest desire however, has always been to express different backgrounds and to explore the conflict between them, be it race or ethnicity; class or creed. An avid performer as far back as primary school, his first stage was the top of his school room desk where he would mimic his teachers in fits of helpless exaggeration which landed him a permanent place on the noise-makers list. After school he joined a church performance group and had his first real taste of theatre which pushed him to explore further possibilities at the Kenya National Theatre. There he learnt the ropes of professional theatre and his pathological curiosity found a focus. “When I was a kid I really wanted to be someone else. It was just amazing to watch people. I was shocked by society and how it behaves and how people interact. That has always been my influence and my inspiration; in everything I do.”

Moving Home Poster

Rogers Otieno by Jerry Riley

Rogers Otieno, actor (Kenya)

Rogers Otieno by Jerry Riley

Rogers Otieno by Jerry Riley

Rogers Otieno by Jerry Riley

Rogers Otieno by Jerry Riley

Rogers Otieno by Jerry Riley

Rogers Otieno by Jerry Riley

Moving Home Poster

Today he is the Associate Director of The Theatre Company, a performing arts group registered in Kenya in the year 2000 with the aim of providing and creating space for dramatic expression. The Theatre Company provides workshops and courses for children and performers in various drama techniques as well as designing workshops for individuals and groups. Rogers first play “My Moving Home” is scheduled to go on tour of the region this year, after a successful circuit of Kenya in the year 2010. It tells the poignant story of a young man’s success, notwithstanding life’s many challenges. Inspired by his own upbringing, it tells of the life of Rojeh who, as a boy growing up in Nairobi’s Dandora Estate, has to make a speedy transition from his former, much easier, life in rural Kenya; and the critical choice between protecting his best friend and his first love, a girl at his high school. The play is performed in Kiswahili, Sheng and English using dramatic music, narration and largely improvised dialogue to imitate to interactive style of street theatre which Rogers feels is closest to the East African traditional method. “It includes drama, dialogue and poetry allowing for interaction with the audience. By the time they know it, they are on stage!”

Rogers Otieno by Jerry Riley

Despite the abundance of comedy that is “My Moving Home”, it is obvious that Rogers journey has not always been easy, nor his successes so evident. From uncertain prospects at the end of his secondary school education, he has turned what many would have deemed misfortune into his greatest asset. “Challenges are there in whatever career you choose. I try to look at the other side of things. I’ve always enjoyed and welcomed the challenges because they push me to think of solutions. In most of my failures I have found a success – an opportunity to come up with something better.” The quality of Rogers work is evident as he finds that there is great demand for his skill on screen. He starred as Drogba, the street-smart matatu driver in the pilot run of M-Net’s ‘The Agency’, which was the first Kenyan TV series to air on M-Net TV. He also plays a wife-beating drunk, who gets born again on season one of KBC’s ‘Block D’ and Sanjiv the campus drug lord in the upcoming series, ‘Higher Learning’.

Rogers encourages the youth to see art in every experience and to find a way to use their individual talents to make a difference in their communities and use them to perpetuate the fact that we must recognise our differences as assets. “What is that one talent that you can save life with? Mine is creating! Art has to speak to the intellect, it has to speak to the heart. It’s the mirror of society and without a mirror who are we? It allows a society to be critical of itself. Art has a purpose – it’s not only for fun. In fact fun is what comes out of the art.”

 
Clip from My Moving Home

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

‘Passion’ would not be an unlikely suggestion as an additional title for Su Kahumbu-Stephanou. She lives it on the five-acre farm that is her home in Karen, half an hour’s drive from Nairobi’s CBD.  Passion is what drives Su in her work as a social entrepreneur and in her life as an organic farmer.  It’s illustrated in her body language, which is probably the reason why even the animals on her farm, get excited around her.  Su has been an enthusiastic champion of organic agriculture for the last 14 years, as well as a producer and retailer of organically grown products through her company, Green Dreams Ltd.

Su’s unique attribute is her generosity. Instead of using her innovations to promote her own business, she shares them with other farmers.  Why?  Her response is deep, and ropes in her brother Dominic, who makes bio digesters for small scale farmers, and her sister Paula, a wildlife conservationist. “I think it has to do with our mother,” says Su. “She raised us to be people who are so prepared to give and happy to do so. That’s what drives us … I suppose it’s much more valuable when you are getting feedback from people you are interacting with, who are unable to do it themselves, actually appreciating and saying that it’s great how you can unlock doors and bottlenecks to make things happen. It still beats me how some people figure it should always be about money.”  That is what Su believes the youth should emulate. “It helps if you have money because it is a lot more difficult if you don’t. But if you are passionate about what you are doing; if you are dedicated to what you are doing, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have money because you can still succeed by networking with people who have the same passion.”

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Many of Su’s ideas, implemented exclusively by networking aggressively with like minded people, including former Safaricom CEO, Michael Joseph, are anchored on using mobile phone technology to broadcast information to small-scale farmers in Kenya.  Among her innovations is the highly commended mobile phone application iCow, which is still under development.  The application helps livestock farmers track the estrous cycles of their cowsand was awarded first prize in the inaugural Apps4Africa Competition 2010.  It reminds farmers of important periods in their animals’ gestation by triggering a voice prompt detailing required steps, based on given insemination dates.  Su came up with the idea after noting that farmers often forgot to stop milking pregnant cows as is appropriate to safeguard the health of the animals. iCow was developed as a dairy farmer’s companion. Su explains: “I have been talking to farmers and veterinary officers and other stakeholders in the industry. They want a lot more features. Large scale farmers want us to put in more about feed management and AI services for cows. Small scale farmers want more information on calves and how to deal with diseases affecting them. The veterinary department wants us to put in vaccination programmes and the ministry wants to send alerts to farmers.”  Apps4Africa seeks to “leverage the power of digital technology to make a better world.” In particular, it promotes innovations that address community challenges.  Her work as a social entrepreneur has earned Su a place as a TED Fellow. Recently, she was one of the 12 TED fellows worldwide, invited to attend a conference in New Orleans, USA.

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su’s journey into organics however, started coincidentally in 1997. After a trip to South Africa she came back to Kenya with an idea to invest in hydroponics – technology which enables the growing of crops without soil and achieves high yields in small spaces.  She thought the idea would be beneficial for high density areas and decided to experiment. It failed “abysmally” because Su had no training in agriculture. Su thought she’d be better off planting the seedlings she had left over using drip irrigation. The lettuce they planted did so well that she had to find a market.  “My passion then had more to do with how to get people to buy things. So we introduced a little brand and a little label, and took them to the market and people started buying these things very quickly.”  Soon there was need to grow more crops, and one day, as she sprayed a pesticide called DimethoateTM over tomatoes her mother, standing downwind, became “very violently ill”.  That opened her eyes to the dangers of chemicals in food. “I made a 180 degree turn in my mind as to what we had to do then. I started learning how to do the opposite, which was organic production.”

Su has since been involved in work aimed at promoting organic farming. This includes the distribution of information to farmers nationally through print and radio, as well as on the Internet; in a programme funded by the Biovision Foundation (www.infonet-biovision.org) who have also have recently launched an initiative called the Farmer Communication Program. The ultimate goal is to so the same with mobile phone technology.  Su has ridden on passion to sustain her energy in promoting organic agriculture. It has driven her to use every available opportunity to understand organic farming. Her advice to young people is pegged on the value of first discovering one’s interest, and thereafter going out to understand it. “Seek information and learn.”

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Su Kahumbu-Stephanou by Jerry Riley

Dr. Kamau Gachigi by Jerry Riley

FabLab Nairobi by Jerry Riley

They then went on to extract silver from x-ray films. By the time he graduated the sixth form he was sure he wanted to do Chemical Engineering but looking through university catalogues he stumbled across Material Science which seemed, and it evidently is, a perfect fit. In 1996 Dr. Gachigi was awarded a Ph.D. in Solid State Science from Penn State. His doctoral thesis was on antiferroelectric ceramics for electrical energy storage and delivery for capacitor applications, which were subsequently used in the manufacture of a cardiac defibrillator for which he obtained a US patent. His current research interests include: the production of activated carbon from agricultural wastes for use in affordable portable-water filtration systems; the processing of titanium bearing heavy mineral sands; the recycling of waste plastics (in collaboration with the University of Kassel, Germany); and ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials (in collaboration with Penn State researchers).

FabLab Nairobi by Jerry Riley

Dr. Kamau Gachigi by Daudi Were

Dr. Kamau Gachigi by Daudi Were

Winnie Guchu by Jerry Riley

She commands attention.

She shares the life experiences that ultimately led her to the Sixth Floor office at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi to take up a job as a commissioner with the Interim Independent Electoral Commission, the IIEC. The commission was formed in 2008 to reform Kenya’s electoral process and institutionalise free and fair elections following the controversial 2007 general polls that momentarily disrupted the stability of the state. Winnie Guchu’s key responsibility in the commission is to train and prepare teams for elections. She also oversees human resource management at the commission’s secretariat.

Chuckling and laughing heartily at several points, she describes a long journey marked by a number of pitfalls and hurdles. It turns out she has succeeded out of sheer determination and setting her mind to disregard the word impossible. How many girls drop out of school because of a pregnancy and resign to economic hopelessness? Winnie didn’t. She returned to her classes after having been away for two years. Already a young mother, she then proceeded to university. In 1990, she graduated from Kenyatta University with a degree in Education.

Winnie Guchu by Jerry Riley

That journey took her through the Institute for Education in Democracy (IED) as a consultant and FIDA on contractual arrangements that totalled of three years. These two experiences in particular sharpened her skills and knowledge on democracy and women’s participation in political leadership. Her network expanded, and she moved into regional assignments thereafter, working to promote women and youth participation in leadership.
She recalls: “Prior to 2002 elections, I had been engaged in preparing women for political participation. The GGP (Gender and Governance Programme) project had been started in 2000, dealing primarily with promoting women in political participation for parliamentary positions. I worked with about 26 women continuously, training their teams and preparing them for elections. Six of them were successful after the whole process, and some made it to the cabinet”.

During this time she also became involved in electoral processes in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and other countries in the Eastern Africa region. “I did mixed projects,” she says. Part of that involved leadership training for young people from the countries in the region. They would come to Nairobi, get trained by people like Winnie Guchu, and go back to implement leadership projects.

Winnie Guchu by Jerry Riley

When jobs were later advertised for various commissions that were to be set up, among them the IIEC to institutionalise good election management, she figured she would try her luck there. She had broad experience in electoral matters, and she thought she had something to contribute.

“I must say it’s a privilege to sit somewhere and make decisions that you can see are making a change in the country. It’s very fulfilling. I am in charge of training and HR. I do a lot of preparing teams for elections, and developing them.”

Focus, discipline and determination, she says, are the main attributes that have got her to the level she is now. The advice she has for young women and men who are aspiring to gain respectable achievement in society does not deviate from those principles:

“Keep your eye on the ball. Don’t lose focus. The way to go is to take small steps, you know, like a baby. When babies are learning to walk, they take a step at a time and you see the determination. When they fall, they get up. That’s the way life is. So, making mistakes is not the problem. Mistakes are very good. It is how long you take to stand up and dust off the dirt. Anybody can fall, but don’t stay down. Get up and continue.”

Winnie Guchu by Jerry Riley

Winnie Guchu by Jerry Riley

Winnie Guchu by Jerry Riley

Winnie Guchu by Jerry Riley

Winnie Guchu by Jerry Riley

Winnie Guchu by Jerry Riley

Winnie Guchu by Jerry Riley

Winnie Guchu by Jerry Riley

Images by Jerry Riley

By H. I. Hussein

Is this what my life has come to? Boarding beat matatus and brushing shoulders with filthy hawkers? A KAS for God’s sake-that must have been from a decade ago!

No, this isn’t me. I am a cool, suave and intelligent undergraduate-and I don’t understand why these stupid employers can’t sift class from the trash CVs that they receive daily! Well, their loss.
Crap! I still have like five months till we open school-if ever! That was so not my fault, I still can’t believe that they put me up on the suspended list. Honestly, do I look like someone who could organize and mobilize drunken 20 yr olds to strike against the administration over some rigging. I was winning! Why would I need to strike against my inevitable victory? Dumb ass blondes!

Hey! How could I forget Ochieng still owes me! Who else, but yours truly of course, would have the vision and temerity to get the final exam questions from right under Dr. Situmbas nose. He he, it’s been a year and it still cracks me up! I mean who could be so stupid as to send his student to bring a forgotten blackboard marker from his office with the questions just sitting pretty on his desk. Well? Dr. Situmba I guess. And I gave them to Ochieng. Ochieng! Thank God he had the intelligence to be stupid in the first place otherwise I’d still be kicking myself for ever sharing them with him. All I have to do is hold that over his head and bam, I am in his father’s law firm. God, he’s so easy – “my name, my character, my dad”. Some sham of integrity he’s always preaching about: who cares? That’s just for the poor and losers.

So all I need is to get that internship and it’s on baeby. No more KAS matatus and lice-ridden foul smelling charcoal-teethed cockroaches in the name of touts. God, I so don’t belong here!

Pick up the phone, you little pig!

All I need is just a slight opening and its first class from here onwards. The new BMW 2011 3 Series Sedan then I’m so dumping that little Njeri pest. I mean who the hell does she thinks she is, trying to attach herself to me. She’s not fit enough to polish my Italian designer loafers. God, they’re so sharp, arent they?!

Why isn’t he picking up his phone? Probably still in bed, had a late night with Rachel. What did she ever see in him? Women!

Pick up! Pick up! OK, calm down dude. It’s Ochieng, remember? Take a deep breath. “Lovely roses, shiny dollars”. Right, we’re still cool, suave and collected. God, am so fine, I impress myself sometimes!

Finally, “Ochieng, my brother, I’m sure you’re great as always. So I was wondering if we could meet up soon: I have a business proposition that I’m sure would be to your interest. Friday lunch at Galitos all right? See you then!”

Kenyan conversations is a collaboration between StoryMoja and GenerationKenya.