In honor of “celebrating the nation that unites us as bloggers” the KBW admin team has proposed that we dedicate Madaraka Day to “a post on any or all of the following suggested topics: Kenya, Being Kenyan, Being a Kenyan blogger, or Being a member of KBW. The post can be a piece of prose – 2 lines, an essay, a poem, a podcast, a photograph, your favourite quote. It is entirely up to you how you chose to celebrate this day.”
Some great posts are already up. My 2 lines.
Let me tell you…me I love being a Kenyan. Just imagine 
OK seriously. I’m crazy about Kenya. Any who has met me will confirm that. Hell, I even called our parliament watch project Mzalendo (Swahili word for patriot). Like Mental says in his post, being critical of the country or the government does not mean that I don’t think it’s the best country in the world…it is…I just think we have the potential to be so much more than we are (hello, just look at all the talent on KBW) and I feel that I have the obligation to make things better for us and those who will come after us (why do I feel this way? because I am a product of Kenya and Kenyaness, I got to where I am today because of that, which means we must be doing something right, no?). I sometimes get the sense that as Kenyans we have collectively given up on ideals (or is it BIG IDEAS) and excellence…it’s all well and good to celebrate the fact that we have the best scenery, the best hengs, the best food, the best beer, etc. BUT are we working to make the country the best place it can be for EVERYONE not just the few privileged of us who do get to enjoy the scenery, the hengs, the food, etc. That will be true Madaraka for me, when “making it” for the average Kenyan has something to do with their abilities and not luck, or a willingness to take short cuts, or having the right last name.
OK, I’m getting depressing. And I am rambling. I didn’t mean to. Navigating the two worlds that exist in Kenya gets tiring sometimes.
Congratulations!
Happy Madaraka day. Don’t let them get you down, like someone said, we are still a baby country – not even 50 years old
I can’t keep away from the aggregator today! I might as well have taken the day off and told my employer I am celebrating Madaraka Day in absentia!
I agree, there are many that can’t enjoy the scenery, food, parties, etc. And the day we arrive as a country is when every single mwananchi can claim to be able to do this. However, as we move along this journey to that place, it is still good to enjoy these things, lest things get too depressing, in the worst case making the journey highly unbearable, and in the worst case causing us to give up before getting there! A balance is needed for sure.
Ah, noticed a mistake… should read “…in the best case making the journey unbearable…”
Mzalendo is for real imagine! Powerful stuff as usual. As you say the talent on KBW is amazing. Each of us in our own way will play a part in moving the nation forward. Happy Madaraka Day.
I had no idea Mzalendo meant patriot! I thought it mean’t freedom fighter….thanks for the lesson.
Happy Madaraka Day!
Happy Madaraka Day. Mzalendo is quite an inspiration to many of us, thanks for what you do.
Its a great day for Kenya, as a nation and as a democracy. More and more Kenyans are getting to blogging and expression has become more indipendent. This comes with the launch of http://kenyanblogger.com, a multi-blogger platform like blogger.com open for free blogging for Kenyans.
For real, this is a new Kenya we are looking at and we need to even get together as bloggers and move to the next step. That is why I think we all should assemble at kenyanblogger.com as blog ourselves out!
Everyone check out KenyaBlogger.com!
Hello friends, its enormous post about teachingand completely
explained, keep it up all the time.
For real, this is a new Kenya we are looking at and we need to even get together as bloggers and move to the next step. That is why I think we all should assemble at http://caralangsing.net as blog ourselves out!
Thank you! It was a wonderful chance to visit this kind of site. I hope you will publish more on this topic. Thanks a lot for sharing with us! http://penghematbbm.site
[…] Guessaurus Gukira Half Kenyan Half Sudan Jamaapoa JKE Kabinti Kenya Cricket Kenya Kritique Kenyan pundit Kenyan Soccer Kenyan Groove Life, The Universe and Everything Magaidi Marian Mama JunkYard’s M […]
[…] is capable of achieving as well as enjoying the best that it has to offer currently, then navigating the two worlds that exist in Kenya will be more bearable, making the journey to our goal that less […]