I LOVE KENYA SO MUCH AND SEEING THIS PICTURE TOOK ME WAY BACK.

.......way back into time.Then i realized,freedom is not just a word but its the simple things and choices you are able to do without fear.The power or the right to act and think as one wants.The feeling of  entitlement.I think of  Kenya and ask myself when did we have freedom 1964 ?Or just some few years ago when Kenyans,the common "wananchi " were able to do certain things without feeling scared or watching their backs.

You see, freedom can also mean the absence of subjection to foreign domination.So could it be that just because it's one of us domineering then we don't consider the lack of freedom or we think its OK,or we give excuses why its OK.When i grew up,we only had one TV station and then in 1990 we had another  station,KTN  which by then  was  covered in Nairobi only.So the outcast of Nairobi still had  one TV station ,KBC(founded by the Kenya government in 1928).It was a very special to say the least.The news was about 30 mins but the first 5 to 7 mins at least was about the President. If you know me ,then you know am not talking about the first president of Kenya but the Second.His introduction it's self i think was too much "mtukufu rais wa Jamuhuri ya Kenya"(The honorable president of Republic of Kenya ) bla bla ....If it's an official introduction that made sense not in burials and other places that probably needed to be toned down.It's me thinking out loudly so you may not agree.It didn't matter if there were other important news or breaking news,NO he came first.Hello! at the end of the day he was the president of the Republic of Kenya.Watching the news any other day was not annoying but Sunday was.The president attended church every Sunday and we had to watch him get in church, sing a bit and at least a bit of the preaching(the word of the day) after service he had to have a short speech or at least stands to greet the congregation.Now when i think about, how free did those who were not christian feel?Anyway the big issue came if he had done so much during the  day like going for a "harembee"(fund raising)that meant more news coverage leading to  missing our favorite program which  was "Tausi" .Missing your favorite program as a kid is no fun and you can't understand why i'ts important to have the news covering about the president attending a burial,or seeing him on his way from church stopping in the local shopping centers greetings the locals.That is the only time the security was not very tight and he managed to greet few people by hand.

Everyday in the morning we knew what and where the president would go and do during the day and if he happened to be passing near your school then the school would be closed and everyone goes by the road and wait just to watch his motorcade.If lucky then he would  stop and greet people.Basically this guy campaigned from the first day of his term till the last.Then we should not be shocked he ruled Kenya for 24 years.

Freedom is also being able to speak ones mind.Trust me not even the comedians would make jokes or mention his name.Everyone was careful what to say and do.

That makes me wonder did we then really have freedom ?Or just coz the British were no longer colonizing us then we thought that's what freedom is.Having a black man rule is what we called FREEDOM?NO no no it's being able to say,do,think without mincing  words as long as it's within the law.I see lots of us Kenyans are  now struggling to understand why things are different and more free.A lot of people don't understand for example how our President can mix and meet people,drive a car,attend events without much security.He is able to interact with Kenyans,letting people to state house,something that was so hard to see before. Because of that ,some think he is not serious.I think because of our previous experience what we would say"kukaliwa kichwa" which basically mean 'to be sat on the head' some people still think having a leader who makes the rules and we just follow is what real leadership is all about.Please don't confuse being FIRM and being a DICTATOR.Some people think being part or involving everyone in making decision for our country is having no CONTROL and that to some people it's CAOS. No that's what DEMOCRACY is all about people.

It's that one picture that made brought so many memories.With that said Kenya is still not where its supposed to be but there is no one who will make Kenya a better country but us.We can always say "tumekaliwa kichwa" but hell no !we let them sit on us.So for those 24yrs if we wanted change at least we could have done something about it.What made us say enough is enough in 2002.It's a very simple word which us Kenyans find it hard to be part of us and that is UNITY.
I was not supposed to be writing this but anyway i  have already opened this can of worms.For the British to be able to colonize Kenya they used one rule DIVIDE AND RULE. Then we adapted .For God sake! there is a lot of things that the British taught us,some were good but we choose not to follow but one bad practice is what we decided not to drop.WHY and i mean WHY don't we drop at least what i consider the worse  practiced they used on us,DIVISION all in the name of TRIBE.I can only say as long as we don't unite as a country then we are our own SLAVES.Remember South Africa is one of the oldest country to gain independence in 1910,yet after 1994 end of apartheid

(colonial being union of south Africa).Then it was considered as a free country.Same same thing with this Tribe stuff.My point was simple ,For now am happy that we do have a president who is opened and make people understand that he is human.I like that he gets involved in a lot of things you would consider not important but they make  Kenya proud and it's those things that make us Kenyans forget the division we have.Those things unity us as Kenyans.I have to say congrats to RUGBY 7s .You make us proud.By the way i have never heard when Kenya rugby 7s wins anyone saying oh they are from this and this tribe.Let us dwell in things that keep us together and so thank you to our president for the support.

Am a proud Kenyan.