Mountain folks' indifference was evident during maandamano

The maandamano week brought out the peculiarities of the people who make up this Jamhuri. Notably, mountain Kenya folks were berated for their doublespeak on demonstrations. In most towns in central Kenya, folks went about their business, despite having previously expressed a lot of bitterness at gava for the runaway cost of living.

This was aptly captured by a meme that contrasted how Kisii and Kiambu demonstrators blocked their roads. Whereas the demonstrators in Kisii did it with boulders huge enough to stop an army, Kiambu folks blocked the road with few pebbles which could be easily removed if the need arose.

A few days to the riots, some Mt. Kenya traders marched to Muthaiga Police Station to report that they would come out to defend their businesses during the riots. On the actual day, they were a no-show. A good number of them- I bet- travelled to mashinani to look after their cows, mburotis and check on the progress of their mjengo.

My friend who runs a business in River Road is such a character. A few days before the riots, he was all over social media, lamenting about how his business has been hurt by high fuel taxes and all that. I was sure he was going to be on the streets on maandamano day.

When I called him on the day, he said that he had an urgent need to travel to Kinangofu. The sly fellow was checking on the progress of his potato crop. There is this story among our people about the hare and the hyena. The two met somewhere in their local and agreed that their wives were being particularly hard on them. In their wisdom, they agreed that the only way to tame their oppressive mama watotos was by giving them a proper thumping in the night.

When the hare went home, he got out his old drum and beat it harder than akorino on a kigoocho night. All along, he also wailed loudly like a woman. Instantly, the hyena started beating Mrs. Hyena mercilessly all night as they had agreed with his friend. The following morning the hyena met Mrs. Hare going about her business without as much as a scratch while his wife was bloodied like a gladiator.

Later, the hyena learnt that the hare never lifted a finger to his wife. I am not sure which explanation the hare had for that but the hyena never made any pact with him after that.

Such is how Mt. Kenya folks operate-blowing hot and cold at the same time.

njambigilbert@yahoo.com