1 Wedding and 5 Funerals

 

Dreams and Dread in Nairobi

Who doesn't love a wedding?!!!   Well maybe a man or woman left standing lonely at the alter but that definitely wasn't the case at this beautiful and fun-filled event!!!  I'm sure there were at least 300 but more like 500 were in attendance all dressed beautifully and sporting great big smiles. I'd heard of the fabled weddings of Kenya and yearned to be a part of one some day.

Fortunately for me, my friend Irene Gathiaka was kind enough to get me an invite. Irene and I have known one another for a couple years now starting with a French-club brunch where only the 2 of us showed up. And neither being particularly proficient we switched to English alarmingly quickly considering our desire to "Parle the Francais". Since that time - I have enjoyed learning about her work as a TV news presenter and now an investment banker. She frequently puts on business nights where well-known members of the business community come to talk about business in Nairobi. They are always well attended mostly due to her excellent organizing skills and vast connections throughout the city. By all accounts - she is an amazing classy and graceful soul who I'm privileged to know .... and get an invite to this swanky doo!!!!!


 



 So what's the fuss about I wondered as we arrived?  Well the differences are not that stark given that both North American weddings and African ceremonies are rooted in Christian values and traditions. The departures are twofold in my humble opinion. First, the ceremony is as much about 2 families uniting as it is about 2 people joining in holy matrimony. Where in North American my sense is that the bride (traditionally) is given to the "new guy" so that they may start their lives together ,the African wedding seems to be more about creating a bond between families through a healthy mix of Judaeo-Christian values and African traditions. Speeches were a Ted Talk-like presentation of how to have a happy marriage. Comments were about the seasons of life and staying together no matter how challenging the times. Sage and thoughtful advice to be sure.

The second departure is the reception of the new couple where there is a plethora of great dancing and singing -- clapping and laughing. The brief clip above is the bride arriving at the reception... hence the name ☺....  and the dancing and singing just goes on and on from there. I found myself smiling broadly the entire time ... thankful for the joy that comes from new beginnings and the thoughtful invitation from Irene. Also - my thanks to the bride and groom for the invitation. I wish them the best.

One of my favorite movies of all time is 4 weddings and a funeral. Take out the brilliant performances of an all-star cast with some truly very funny and heart-warming moments -- and you still have a beautiful story. What for me makes the story so compelling and touching is the joy that comes from those finding love ...and celebrating that love with those they care about.  That gives way to the absolute tragedy and misery that comes from the end of life within the same context-- leaving the viewer to wonder about joy versus sorrow and life versus death.


That slightly dark and emotional idea adequately expressed (maybe more than required), I couldn't help but feel that same sense of incomprehensible loss as the politics of Nairobi played out this week in dreadful fashion. The newspaper accounts are bad enough, but the off-line photos and stories are truly horrific. Five killed and countless wounded as the people of Nairobi came out to greet the leader of the opposing party. What fresh hell is this?

Above a protester lies dead while smoke billows from a police riot vehicle in the background. This is near my office in East Nairobi -- though my team and I wisely chose to stay home for the day rather than be caught up in the chaos known as peaceful political protest. At least 5 lie dead after Fridays unfortunate events. How many Mothers - Brothers - Fathers - Sons - Daughters and others are grieving today? And what is the future of this country where the welcoming back of the leader of the opposition ends in death, tragedy and misery for so many.

I appreciate that the issues are as contentious as they are tangled and complicated. But surely the violence must stop. Please -- I beg those who have the power to send these poor souls to their death find new ways to solve their differences. Let there be more weddings and less funerals.....











Thanks for reading ......Layno!!

From Brussels to Baba

 

A Tale of Two Cities

Brussels continues to delight with the twinkling of bright lights and the tempting aroma of chocolate and waffles. It's a city to wander and wonder  -- a city of beauty and brilliance beyond compare!!! The Grand Square is a treat at any time of day but particularly when all the lights are blazing and hundreds of cameras compete to get that perfect image capturing the uncapturable. You see - the magic is in the air.. not the old buildings and fancy restaurants that make up the square. But ahhh - wander through in the early morning hours or after the pubs are closed and you can feel it in your bones.....



My training came to an end after two weeks but not without many wonderful moments and a fair bit of learning as well. The advanced security training course is as dense as it is complicated often requiring long days to convey the vital parts of this messy business. Paradoxically,  we were fortunate to use case studies from real MSF situations and at the same time saddened by those same the MSF case studies so full of misery and tragedy. As an example we used the Kunduz Afghanistan hospital case study where 42 innocent people lost their lives (including MSF Doctors and other staff) as the basis for improving defensive preparations for a facility that may come under fire. To be sure, the Kunduz bombing  by the Americans was from an AC130U gunship and there's not much that can be done to protect against that. Other than those with the weapons of war being held accountable for their use perhaps......
That said, how do you design bunkers -- safe rooms -- and hibernation/evacuation strategies if you do come under fire,.Tricky stuff indeed! While my colleagues and I may look a bit goofy here, it is a serious business taken very seriously by the organization.

The 12 members of the team and an instructor at the Belgium fire prevention training center. Yup - slid down the pole!

Coming back into Nairobi couldn't be a more starkly contrasted experience. While the cities are similar in boasting fancy-assed architecture and all the trappings of a modern city, they are indeed very different places. Where you wander and wonder in Brussels.. you hurry and hide in Nairobi. Where you enjoy beauty and brilliance in Brussels, Nairobi is more about teargas and terror lately.

Beautiful Nairobi at sunset. A modern and beautiful city in so many ways

The Kenya election - or should we say the second election (the first was annulled by the supreme court) is now complete with the votes and body count duly tallied. Many died as this election unfolded with assassinations, intimidation and collateral casualties seeming to be electioneering tactics rather than the cowardly acts of unconscionable men and women. How is it - I wonder, that a city full of well meaning kind-hearted souls can and do resort to such deadly tactics to ensure the process of selecting a government is complete. Just above, newly re-elected President Kenyatta is jubilant in victory with his jubilee party supporters while below, the opposition leader affectionately known as Baba (father in Kiswahili) looks dutifully sad as has been the case since taking on the role of "leader of the opposition" in 2013.

Raila Odinga speaks to the assembled in a somber and dignified manner befitting the funeral-like atmosphere of elections.

Tomorrow, Monday November 6th will be last day for officially filing a legal challenge to the political outcome of this Kenyan election. Many have died and many more were wounded. That is not to mention the psychological trauma and economic damage that also was a massive part of this troubled time. While it may seem that economic damage is a small consideration, the burning of businesses and the loss of income means that people can't eat - or seek treatment for themselves or a sick relative. Then they die too. The "costs" of this election have been steep and one wonders if it could have been different.







The Violence in the streets of Nairobi and Kisumu was horrific without doubt. The embedded link proceeding offers an excellent description of the events on those terrible days. Some say that the people who protested with Pangas (machetes) were in fact armed by the opposition. And that those who fought for the winning side were a group know as the Mungiki. The Mungiki sect are a much feared gang who have the reputation of cutting off one's head or inviting them to Sunday dinner with equal amounts of interest or concern. It was often repeated that if the opposition (NASA) continued to protest in the streets, the Mungiki would be unleashed and all manner of mayhem would result. It may or may not be true, but what is a fact is that the push and pull of power lies well outside meeting rooms and boardrooms in East Africa. The stakes are high, and the outcome more determined by the depths to which one is prepared to sink rather than the strength of the party and candidates. I'm quite sure that the founders of democracy never quite saw it this way.

I have high hopes for Kenya - that being that recent elections characterized by the absence of  honorable conduct, will be a thing of the past. As they say in Kenya; Tembo waki gombana, nyasi ndizo huumia -- when the elephants fight, it's the grass that suffers.















Thanks for reading.....Layno!!!