Kenya, the beautiful running nation

My Geography, History and Civics (GHC) lessons were interesting. I remember learning to rub a sheet of paper on my hair then tracing maps on its oily surface.

Tracing Kenya was always sobering; the beauty of this nation was breath-taking. I still marvel at the straight lines, argued with myself how that was possible as I didn’t see any straight road anywhere.

Next came in the Kenya lies on the Equator litany, so many degrees here so many there. Today am convinced Kenya does not lie.

It probably stretches, sits, rolls over and most definitely runs. What we do in here depends on what Kenya is doing at that moment. I have a feeling the world’s axis waits for Kenya to turn up all the time.

Kenyans, by virtue of being in Kenya, do run. We run everything. Races, mouths, opinions, families, elections, campaigns, name it.

We also run to do things. Run to queue in banks, run to wait for dates, run to re-run for political seats, run to work, to school. We run.

This divine ability to run has often been mistaken for being bullies or being arrogant. We need speed. We need to be promised something quickly and get it even quicker.

I tend to believe that when Kenya does an ab-crunch on the Equator, those of us in the political domain get upset by the toss and start calling for bloodshed.

When Kenya kneels on the same line and is feeling prayerful, we all get along. Churches fill; we have prayer breakfasts and a crusade mega sandwich. The day this beautiful nation sits on the equator and crosses its feet in a watchful stance, whistle blower mode is activated.

All coins start getting counted and notes stacked. One or two civil servants might get tainted forever.

Then when she is up and playful, she runs along the equator. That is when our agile athletes get their voltages up and slay all other runners.

When she laughs we laugh even more, we even create jokes that surprise us! We are a great bunch, Kenyans!

When Kenya gets a headache from being shouted at by a neighbour, you know how Equator neighbours can get, she puts all of us into patriotic mode. We go on and on about our country.

Some days she probably takes time to do her hair, then the beauty levels go up resoundingly. We all feel good about ourselves and look it.

The only time I am beginning to think Kenya doesn’t run, is when she looks at the future. When she looks at our children, the reckless abandon we treat them with; the cases at the children’s courts, the numbers at rescue centres, the pain at the children’s wards, the defilement cases and the education system.

When she wonders how we are so careless with our future that is when we feel sad. That is when we slow down and cannot quite run. If we cannot do anything else, we need to take care of children and plant trees.

The clean river pictures need to come back to Kenya, the smiling children need to be our face. These are the achievements we need to be complimenting with good roads and administration systems.

Kenya will flip on the Equator if we do not pause and realise she is worried. She might even throw us out. Wouldn’t we all want to be eighty years old in a country that is beautiful, more beautiful than it was when we were eight years old?

We may want our children to see a clean river actually flowing, in real time. Scoop water and drink from it. Loving our children is a life achievement goal for Kenya.

It is also important that they know we love them. Love-grounded children love even better and excel in everything. Imagine Kenya hugging her children one morning? Imagine the ripple effect? Just a happy country, right?

Everything else maybe a collective Kenyan running affair, this future business is on an individual level though. That we all reach out to our offspring and love them unconditionally is what will keep you awake at night.

If you can run with them, capture the present future moments, they will drive them even further and they will fill your old days with untold pride.

Every other system in this country will work when we sort this one out. Kenya will run on solid ground, when we stop running it will be because the children are running better and we are safe. Run to breed and run to rise, run to build a nation secured from the roots.

A continuous legacy of responsibility and pride. We can do it.

Kenya calls unto us to realise we are here today to raise tomorrow. Stop being scared, let us all reach out to the future with love today. They will run for us tomorrow. Kenya will run better, faster, louder and prouder.