KWAHERI 2011

2011 was a year of highs and lows. It was a year of joy, disappointment, reflection, judgment and understanding on my part. We all believe we are bullet proof in life and all circumstances other than death but when the time to be counted in any circumstance is upon us, that is when we realize our true mantle or as the British are keen to say our grit. Grit is what true pioneers, entrepreneurs, explorers and inventors posses’ abundance of that enables them to be a success or conceptualize ideas before their time even in the face of adversity.

Some of the lows include becoming a crime statistic in Kenya. As the year was coming to a close I had an encounter with some of my not so pleasant “in- laws” out for a pound of flesh which in this case was my blackberry phone (but do I say) and the money on my person courtesy of a carjacking incident one cold November night. The key to survival in such cases is complying with the gangsters and giving them what they want no matter how ridiculous and angry you may be. As was the case, the famous “mboys’ in blue were nowhere to been seen or reached when required or when we attempted to summon them. There is nothing as sobering and nerve raking as hearing the click of an ak47 on your temple. Nothing a good laugh and copious amounts of my favorite tipple Mr. Johnny Walker could not fix later and get me back to my usual self.

This is also the year I contemplated closing my business which is instrumental to my dream. My business is my vehicle to self actualization unlike our politicians but in a moment of clarity I decided to reinvent myself and give it another try. Most Kenyans believed the economic crunch was something invented by the west and stayed in the west. Unfortunately it took a KQ plane to Kenya and East Africa and manifested itself into never ending inflation on foodstuff, fuel, unemployment and general fear by organizations to invest in advancing their key resource which was human capital. For a small business in Kenya it was out of control overheads and costs, the never ending lack of constant clients or payments that are never made on time by businesses. In business school they don’t really drum into you the importance of perseverance in such situations. It gave me an idea to write a survival guide to small businesses in Kenya and the art of avoiding the 2 year downfall of a business. I say good riddance to 2011.

This was also the year that Kenyans discovered a new word by the name ICC and that we can truly stand up and force our politicians to be accountable for their actions. We now await the next course of action in the saga that has been nick named the Ocampo 6 and the next episode will just be as riveting, spell binding and intriguing as the last season.

Another word that became famous is Sonko. The little multicolored dressed leprechaun made a name for himself by standing up for issues that he should have been sitting on the fence. His antics greatly embarrassed many people and the common masses though they flock around him when in public, I suspect are always on the lookout for the next dose of comedy and shenanigans that he will unleash on the public in the name of helping them with Haki Yao. Sonko has reinforced the notion in the wazees that truly the youth of Kenya are not ready to be leaders of this fine country of ours and for that he gets the Jinga of all time awards.

This is also the year that saw the death of Amy Winehouse a talented but very disturbed musician, the death of Steve Jobs the founder of Apple, will it ever be the same, the Japanese tsunami and earthquake that not only destroyed property but caused the death of thousands, the Arab uprising that started in Tunisia and spread to Egypt and Libya leading to the ousting of dictators such as Mubarak and Gadhafi, the famine in Northern Kenya that the government swore was a figment of the media and the peoples imagination and, many more tragic events around the world.

2011 will always be compared to being the gazelle walking the savanna as it is stalked by the lions. To this, I raise a toast to the old and past and salute an even bigger toast to 2012 and what it may hold. I believe the best is yet to come. Stay tuned to Attitude Kenyan, an all Kenyan blog, all the time.