The other side of Africa

by Siripathy Jayamaha

The gigantic continent of Africa is the home for many tribes, races and customs. Many countries, large and small were sandwiched together and under foreign domination until about the middle of the 20th century. They called it the continent that God created in anger, the ‘dark continent.’ Very soon they were to realise, that it was one of the most blessed continents, endowed with Nature's wonders in the form of beautiful fauna, flora, awe inspiring landscapes and above all an extremely sturdy smiling and brave set of human beings.

Incidentally, it was in Kenya that Princess Elizabeth, heiress apparent to the British Throne was informed that the King-her father was dead, and that she was Queen, she had to abandon her visit to Ceylon with her consort, and rushed back home as Queen Elizabeth II.

Kenya has Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia as her borders and the Indian Ocean. With an area of about nine times that of our, and a population of the same that as ours, she has vast hectares of unpopulated land, that nature has gifted the fauna and flora.

Lake Victoria

Kisumu, my work station was on the West, by the mighty Lake. Victoria which is about the size of our country. It borders Tanzania and Uganda. Driving down to Kisumu from Nairobi one passes a wonderland. Lake Naivasha is a beauty to behold, with an ever present carpet of long legged pink and orange plumaged flamingoes, and the beginning of the Great Rift Valley, a green foliage laced valley-unlike the desolate Grand Canyon - which traverses many a country and ends in Malawi.

Then Kericho-Kenya's home for her world class tea, as good as ours. Here, tea plantations are on flat land. On either side of the Kisumu Nairobi highway, a breathtaking blanket of green with rows of neatly constructed workers ‘quarters'. One approaches a small uphill, Then the beauty of Lake Victoria can be seen from far away. There is a glistering sheet of water upto the horizon. We are by the lake. It is the birthplace of the mighty River Nile, the longest river in the world commences her very long journey from Uganda and flows into the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt. It is a river steeped in religion and a river valley civilisation.

Hippopotamus

The sunset is a wonder to behold. We could see baby hippopotamus playing with their mothers among the bullrushes. It is an unforgettable experience. Some small rivers carrying gold dust empty into the lake.

The massive National Park close to the Tanzanian border, is not far away from the snow capped Mount Killamanjaro. It reminds us of Ernest Hemingways “The Snows of Killamanjaro. The Tsavo National Park, is home for Lions, primates, zebra, giraffe, baboons and many other denizens. The legendary Masai tribesmen, long years ago had to fight with a lion as a sign of valour when wooing a bride. A Kenyan Safari takes one to the Ark. It is a massive ship shaped structure where one could flit from one room to another - East, West, North or South and see lions, rhinos and many other forms of our animal friends drinking water and eating. This is all under flood lights.

The Equator, the line that divides the globe to North and South runs above Kenya. From salubrious Bandarawela Nuwara Eliya 14'C – 20'C climate of Nairobi, one reaches the humid bustling city of Mombasa. It is a busy port 600 kms away. Here one could see caves that were used long years ago to keep African slaves before being shipped to work in plantations across the Atlantic.

Recent history has shown us that the lovely people of the country to where these unfortunate people were shipped elected a distant descendant as their leader. Here, we salute the brave people of that country. It may never happen in another country. A glimpse of the snow capped ‘Mount Kenya, and down to Eldoret, one could see dozens of giraffes leisurely strolling by the road nibbling tender branches that conform to their heights and necks. A sad sight. A dead zebra on the road may be a victim of a hit and run driver.

Next to Busia the gateway from Kenya to Uganda, all shipments to and from Uganda are transported by road from the Port of Mombasa upto Busia and thence passing a checkpoint manned by customs and security of both countries, passes into land locked Uganda. From Busia Kenya to Busia Uganda.

Unforgettable memories

My sojourn in beautiful Kenya will lose its meaning without sharing with you some unforgettable memories. I was in Busia with my family. “Siti” said my Kenyan colleague, “Let's have a Kenyan lunch and hop across to Uganda for a cup of coffee. Their coffee is as ungood as our tea”. thinkable. We walked into Busia Uganda and enjoyed a really lovely cup of coffee. Just smiles and waves from the customs and security personnel. They were not even bothered to look at our identity cards. Again. We were in a large department store. I commented to the manager about the real ‘Ceylon Tea’ flavour even in their tiny, cheap tea packets. He smiled. “Sir” he said “This is Kenyan tea. Our two countries produce the best tea in the world. “We want all Kenyans to enjoy its aroma and taste before we export it”.

The first multiparty election was held in 1992. We were watching a massive demonstration go past the Nairobi G.P.O., which has about 20 portable phone booths on the pavement by the Post Office. Those at the head of the procession, lifted the booths and placed gently on the pavement. Horizontally. Then moved. Those at the rear carefully placed them along with the postal personnel and then walked on. Our driver read my thoughts. “Sir, only the poor use these booths. They cannot even think of damaging them”. My eyes were glistening. Could it happen in our country? Incidentially, phone booths located in dark and unlit areas have some what old and dog-eared telephone directories of the current year.

Electricity comes from the hydropower station in Turkana, about 800 kilometres from my workplace. Power is also supplied by Uganda. In our three-year stay, we experienced only four power failures lasting five to 20 minutes. Telephones with IDD facilities are installed within three days after applications are handed over.

Finally an interesting incident. We were having a snack in a five star hotel (this could only happen when abroad). An elderly woman with a “pung kola” bag walked into the lobby. She had passed the security point and the doorman. We were watching. She placed an order with the waiter. She may have felt that she had come to the wrong ‘kiosk'. Tea was brought in the typical ‘bureaucratic’ upper class manner. She was feeling uneasy. The good waited sensed this. He prepared the cup of tea and requested her to nibble on some milk biscuits that had been brought with the pot of tea.

We saw the waiter whispering something to the Lobby Manager. Smiles. Lots of activity among the staff. By then the poor woman called for the bill. Many guests foreign and local were now silently observing the scene. Then the fairtale became so very very real. The lobby manager, the banquet manager and the waiter walked up to the now very upset woman. The banquet manager said something with a smile. All the waiters and the management personnel clapped. They gave her a parcel and an envelope. They accompanied a smiling woman in tears upto the entrance. All seemed elated.

I spoke to the Banquet Manager. “We did not charge and did not want to embarrass her. We told her that she was our hundreth guest. Gave her some cakes, snacks and biscuits in a packet. Also 2,000 shillings contributed by the staff members and 3,000 shillings by the hotel”. The manager looked at me and holding my hand said. “Sir, she is more valuable to us than all the dollar laced tourists. She is a Kenyan mother, our very own”.

That then was the Kenya I saw in the 1990s. It was then that made me to think of own mother Lanka and cry.