An ageing Isuzu lorry popularly nicknamed “Igogo” a name inspired by the long-living crow — reflects the creativity and humour Kenyans use to describe everyday machines and experiences.
Beyond textbooks, journals and media articles, I am fascinated by the creativity of the ordinary Kenyans. They often exceed our expectations. Let me share a few examples of national creativity.
An old Isuzu lorry is called Igogo in the former white highlands.
A curious name which means a crow, rumoured to live for over 100 years. The reality does not support that; the longest-lived crow was about 60 years old. Maybe their widespread habitat (and nuisance) makes us think the bird lives for so long.
The lorry model nickname is apt; it’s old with the old number plate series.
The new series came around 1991, with lots of excitement, but less than Arsenal winning the English Premier League (EPL).
The second evidence of creativity is Toyota Noah; the first edition was nicknamed “Gakúrúwe”, which means a small pig. Look at the front of that car, it looks like the nose of a pig.
The newer editions look less piggish. The Ssangyong Musso, a model that once took the Kenyan market by storm, was inspired by the rhino. Why did it leave our market?
Written materials
Kenyans are more observant and creative than you think. That should be the spirit because textbooks, journals and other written materials are distilled from reality. Could that be the reason we hate reading after school?
Let me share one more example of creativity. You can add to the list. In a matatu, a young girl was accidentally stepped on by an elderly person in muddy shoes.
The girl (supuu) was so annoyed and abused the old man, asking him if he knew the price of soap!
The elderly man’s apology went unheeded. The conductor and passengers watched in disbelief.
Once she was done with the ranting, the conductor asked her in a calm voice, “supuu, why can’t you buy a tractor?”
One passenger asked, why a tractor. The reply was “inabeba mtu moja.” If you need an interpretation of that joke, you must stop watching too many movies.
Creativity is not just for humour; it drives the informal sector, with innovations and jobs.
Unfortunately, we see creativity through movies, comedies and political jokes. We should see it through design, engineering, marketing, making money and economic growth.
