:: Casino Royale (a capital Jamhuri)
13 December 2006

There is no better way of starting ones Jamhuri Day. On this Jamhuri day I started it watching the festivities on the telly. I mean I would love to head there but on the telly there are commentaries and a director who will ensure that you won’t miss the most important part of the ceremony. After a bit of channel surfing, I settled on watching the Citizen TV broadcast. KBC was too dark and the volume was too low. I have just recalled that KTN were to broadcast it live too but I forgot to check... maybe next year.

The usual suspects on parade? Not likely. On Kenyatta Day, Eric Wainaina sang probably one of the best songs I have heard in praise of Kenya. This time the singing was done by the winners of the campaign to jivunia kuwa mkenya. It was the singer who sang a very touching song praising mama Kenya in the finest R&B fashion. He was accompanied by a gentleman who was shaking something that cannot be described. They were shaky things. I think he penned the words to the song and thus had to be there to earn his props. There was also singing by the Sengwer troop from Trans Nzoia district. These guys (and gals) were outstanding. I had no idea what they were singing though they were using the names Mama Lucy and Kibaki in their talking so I guess they may have been praising the head of state.

An interesting bit was the combined mass choir of several institutional choirs like NHIF, NSSF, K.U, Central Bank et al. They were 250 singers who sang two songs one about the coming x-mas day and the other "Uhuru na Kazi" imploring us to work. It was great singing. I rather enjoyed that choir. I love the mass choir concept. I was in my primary school's contingent to the Nairobi Children's mass choir that sang such songs as "tawala Kenya tawala, rais moi/ tawala Kenya tawala!” It was one of the proudest times of my childhood. I was seen by all my friends singing my heart on KBC TV. That was nice. And I was the proud eater of half loaf and soda every time we went to practice at the railway ground near Uhuru park. Primary kids can be so cheap. If it was now I would require at least three tuskers to sing praises for anyone.

Of course the armed forces did their trooping of the colour. Roho safi I would be so pleased if someone tells me what the point of trooping of the colour is. I saw these guys from the army (red jacket, black trousers) navy (white outfit) and air force (blue shirt, black trousers) march around Nyayo stadium and do various formations and wondered. What is this all about? All I could connect this to was that colonel in Catch 22 who made his solders march without waving their hands. Dear army I am not hating. I love you guys. I just don't get your strange ways.

The strangest presentation that day must have been from Janet Kanini Muiva. She was introduced as a presenter of a local travel show and a poet and performance artist. She came down with a whole bunch of pals in different outfits - maasai, a kanzu etc. Then she started. I don’t know how to describe her performance. She was chastising the lazy; she was urging us to be proud of our country. It was a narrative that would have probably made mutabaruka pretty proud.

And the president made what can be best described as our State of the Union address. Things are up. And they will get better. For a whole analysis on his speech try the standard or nation.

So I had done my duty and seen the Jamhuri day celebration until the kilele that is the president’s speech. I figured that it would be nice to get out of the house and see what planet Nairobi was about. There were these fights going down at the Grand Regency that had been so hyped. I had missed the Night of the female champ’s bout so I might watch Zarika (as a side bar, Kenyan Immigration officials mushindwe!) lay the smack down on that Thai political science student. Off to the Grand I went. I was quite late but I know that these bouts always start late if my appearance at Congestinas fight earlier in the year was anything to go by. I asked the dude at the door how many of the matches on the card were done with. I was shocked to learn that there was only one match left. Thus we had this conversation;

Me: How much to go in?
Reception dude: Kshs500 and Kshs1,000
Me: Most of the matches are already done. Do I still have to pay these figures?
Reception dude: Yes sir.

He said yes sir but he was not kidding. That was no Mwala or likobe. He was a big dude. He also looked pretty athletic. And remember he was the reception pal of a boxing match. I quietly left. Kshs500 to watch one bout? I think not. So I made it to the 20th century and bought a ticket for Casino Royale. They were having they Tuesday offer so I paid only Kshs220 for the ticket.

I have a major love for James Bond. I have loved this fellow ever since my cousin took me to this Bond festival that was going on at Embassy cinema many years ago (before Embassy became a full fledged church hall). I was one of these craigisnotbond.com adherants until yesterday. There have always been two bonds for me. Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan. But this new bond... He sucks when he is talking roho safi. The man is clearly verbally challenged. However when he is in action, wow! The man rules. Whereas Brosnan would kill a bad guy buy letting go of his shoe off a plane, this Bond nyongas the enemies of Queen and country with his bare hands. I don’t think I have seen so much blood in a bond flick. This movie rocks man.

<< Back Home  | All Categories  | Talk to Nairobiliving.com! >>