Nairobi, Kenya, March 20, 2011
We run – in every town
The 2011 run season started nine weeks ago. When I started the countdown with my running team on January 17, I did not know that time will run so fast, and that by the time am updating the blog some events would have shaped the course of our calendar in the year.
I just received invitation to participate, with my team, in the inaugural Kakamega Marathon 2011. This run was bound to happen sooner than later. This is because the trend in Kenya over the last three years has been to hold specific town runs to commemorate a particular aspect of the town, mostly conservational related issues. In this light, we have had the Nyeri marathon to conserve Mt. Kenya, the Nyahururu marathon to conserve the rivers that serve the central highlands, Eldoret marathon to celebrate our great rift valley and conserve it and the Nakuru and Naivasha marathons to conserve these lakes. We have even had the Mombasa marathon sensitizing residents of the need for a cleaner ocean and beachfront. The Kisumu City marathon educates participants on importance of conserving the Lake Victoria and encourages East African cooperation since the water mass connects the three countries. The Nairobi marathon remains the unique one – this one is for conservation of the eye sight!
Photos
I champion the interest of those interested in armature running. I would therefore encourage participation in any runs within and outside our country. It is this quest that has made me consider this forthcoming event. The Kakamega marathon happens this year in June. The initiative is spearheaded by Masinde Muliro University. The combination of the town and the institution has not resonated well in the past three weeks. This is after some x-rated photos made their way onto the net, purported to have been taken at Kakamega's Masinde Muliro Gardens, with some of the characters being claimed to be institutional students. The late Masinde Muliro was a freedom fighter and Kenyan hero, who hailed from the Western Kenya region. The gardens and the institution, both situated in the town, are named in his honour.
Since the showing of these pictures took a national dimension with all major news players in the country making it a headline, I knew that my task of championing the KK marathon would be hard, unless I did something about the news. Friends (and some haters) have even called me to state that, “You lunje's are very hyper! You go around getting it on the public park in broad daylight – wapende wasipende”
Let me therefore dispense with the matter of the photos so that we can go on with our lives. I have monitored several conversations on this topic and pointed out issues that contributors ignored in their commentary and outright harsh judgment. Having spent more than four continuous years in the town of KK, I know quite a lot about the town. Subsequently, the student loan scheme forced me to this town at least twice every year for another five years. I still pass by this town at least twice when visiting folks in that region. I have also handled a camera for quite a long time, starting with the manual film strip type, to the digital ones. I still like the feel and sharpness of a Fujifilm. A Canon that I used sometime mid-last year was also quite something, especially on daylight conditions. The Sony remains the popular and easier one to handle though.
Ten reasons
Let me start with a disclaimer that I do not support indecent exposure and public nudity. I believe that private matters should be kept private. Nonetheless, contrary to popular belief, the photos were fake and stage-managed to give KK town bad publicity. Ten reasons why you should not believe the stories behind the photos:
1. Why do we believe that the bench is located at the gardens in KK? It could be any bench anywhere. (I know there is a similar bench at Muliro Gardens, but is it the same? Currently someone is collecting 20/= for those willing to see this particular bench! Wasn’t this a script to collect money eventually?)
2. The actors were just that, actors. You can deduce this from their many actions (or lack of). You can clearly see that in some instances they seemed to be asking for direction on how to pose.
3. The hidden photographer concept is deliberately propagated. The location suggests that the camera is straight ahead, probably on steady hands (or a tripod). The photos are taken with a zoom setting with a clarity that suggests about 10-15m max. The camera is placed at eye level, about 1.5-2m above ground.
4. The photos posted on the internet were basically random, ignoring the order of how they were taken. This has caused quite some debate on 'taking yoghurt before' vis-a-vis 'taking after'. If one bothered to put the photos in the order of their being taken, then you would know that they were following a script.
5. There was no evidence of any action. Nudity is portrayed, but that is all – the rest is just taking of poses as instructed by the director.
6. Why did the news hit the media in March, when the photos were taken in December and January? Isn't news supposed to be 'news'?
7. The photos did not attempt to conceal the digital markers. So unless the photographer or the person processing is a digital guru, we know the model of the equipment used is a Sony DSC-W120, a fairly common armature equipment. The setting were mostly 3M auto, which affected some focal settings and hence the tint on some images. (A W120 is a 7.2mp camera at maximum setting, with a 2x digital zoom. Am a regular user of the superior W130, which is a 8.1mp and 4x zoom)
8. I have been told on my face that the actors are lunje's. Can you just know someone's tribe by looking at a photo? Isn't that too much of a generalization? Even the stereotyping of our gals was not considered when this generalization was being made!
9. I have already talked about the order in which the photos were taken. If you were to zero into the timing, then you shall have quite some food for thought. Some sequences are taken within a minute. Some change of position/posture could not happen in the time span. By the way, the police scene, that is mostly misjudged, needs to be taken in perspective. The action occurs first before the police meets the couple. It is not the other way round. So, if the police meet two people standing in a garden, what are they supposed to do? Charge them with 'prior action'? (And while at it, this was in December)
10. Lastly, why should we be bothered with consenting adults having their thing wherever they want, at whatever time they want to? They can record the sights and sounds if they so wish! My only discontent is the broadcasting of the material without the consent of the actors, and the subsequent passing of judgment.
Lets just run
The invitation for the Kakamega marathon 2011 was forwarded to my mailbox by one of the members of my running team. It is a run worth considering. It gives members of my running team, and anyone else the opportunity to not only participate in an endurance run, but also sample the scenery of the western Kenya circuit. This part of Kenya is predominantly agricultural, green most of the year and rainy throughout the seasons. The main cash crop is sugar cane, with major sugar factories located in Mumias and Nzoia. The people are quite friendly, the boda boda bicycle taxi concept has some roots in the region, while the mondia is quite a popular thing. I have deliberately left out the origin of the chicken as we know it, but that is for your finding out.
The details of this event are:
Host – Masinde Murilo University of Science and Technology
Theme – Conservation of the Kakamega Tropical Rain Forest
Purpose – nurture talent in sustainable management and conservation of biodiversity
Registration fees – Yet to be communicated (just budget 1,000/= (US$ 12) for this)
Date – Saturday, June 4, 2011
Time – 7.00am (subject to confirmation)
Run categories – 21km half marathon & 10km road run*
Starting point – Mumias town (for marathon)
Finishing point – Kakamega town
Registration modalities and deadline – Yet to be communicated
*There shall also be a 10-km road race, whose route is yet to be finalized. The 10km run will probably be held from Kakamega town through a 10-km circuit back to the town. (I still wonder how they shall manage two starting points, but the details shall follow).
How to get to Mumias
This is generally a fun run, that should enable you enjoy the good green environment of Western Kenya. The challenge is to be at the Mumias town starting point in good time. If you can manage a run immediately after travelling, then the easiest option is a Friday night bus from Nairobi to Mumias, arriving about 4.00am, then just go for the run after 3 hours of rest. Take a night bus at the country bus station. If you cannot make it to country bus station, then book either of Akamba Bus or Easy Coach that shall drop you at Mumias. The fare is about 1,200/= (US$ 15).
If you can afford the days, then travel on Friday daytime and spend the night in Mumias. Budget about 1,000/= (US$ 12) for bed and breakfast.
After the run, you have the option of an immediate travel back to Nairobi by connecting vehicles to Kisumu then Nairobi or to Eldoret then Nairobi. The former is shorter, with relatively many public service vehicles operating the route. There is the option of night travel after spending the day in Kakamega. You could take the day off to visit the Kakamega forest, which you were running to conserve. Park entrance fees are KShs.200/= for citizens, 500/= for residents and US$ 20 for non-residents.
Muliro Gardens
Whatever you do, make sure you visit the Muliro gardens – a quiet lush green garden full of shade and good ambiance. Occasionally a political or religious rally is held here, but these tend to be in the afternoons of weekends. The gardens are on a triangle formed by three road – the main Kisumu road, the Mumias road and the town road that connects the two. Be the judge on the existence of the bench. (Carry some loose change, as 'viewing' fees).
See you there, see you then.
Wanjawa, W. B., Nairobi, March 20, 2011
