Comrade power
“You mean you can run to here?,” a colleague asked.
We were now in the institutional bus on our way back to work after a successful tree planting exercise. Pure fate and luck had enabled me to be attending this occasion on Friday, April 4, 2014. To start with, I had started feeling like having a cold the previous day and had in fact promised myself that I would take the Friday off. Secondly, I only came to learn of this event by virtue of being accessible to department communication, where my staff were being asked to assist in delivery of seedlings from Muguga to UON’s Upper Kabete campus grounds near Ndumboini. Just as simple as that, I had asked my colleague, John, who was organizing the event if I could join in... and he said that they needed a photographer… and who else?
The tree planting exercise was eventful. We started by reviewing what was planted last year, and the remnants did not look good. Our head of delegation had in fact lamented that it was an exercise in futility spending long hours during a similar event last year only for the products to be left to the vagaries of nature. It did not end there, he went ahead and stated this when he was called upon to give a speech on behalf of the Director General, during this Friday event.
I had already lost a cap, technically ‘given it out without getting it back’.
“Can I have your cap?,” the lady had asked.
I could see that ‘student’ was written all over her. I could guess that she is either fresher or sophomore, but more to the latter due to her very outgoing nature. The former tends to be a bit reserved, at least that is how I knew them to be, then. The clincher was her dressing, which left a lot to be desired. I could easily see more that I bargained for and it was still early in the day. Or do we need to shed off more cotton in the name of 'going green'?
“Of course,” I had replied. For good reason, I may add. Our institution and UON Upper Kabete campus collaborate a lot. Our head of delegation was an alumni of UK. (My association there however had a HT aka Harry Thuku... road). In keeping to this spirit of cooperation, I had given out my cap without thinking twice. The silent understanding was that it was to be used for the photographic moments (and handed back). To prove the point, I handled the camera in taking a few shots of my team and the student visitors. I could see that another one of the students had also acquired a branded cap.
The tree planting event was 'started and finished after it had been started and finished'. This statement is true. We arrived at the farm land around ten and went straight to tree planting. By eleven, we were through with our allocated parcel and seedlings. However, that is the time when the ceremony marking the start of the event was taking place, at the tent installed in the middle of this vast bushy farmland. After speeches, they gave a vote of thanks and then…. welcome all to participate in tree planting. How is that for protocol!
Am no stranger to the geography of the university land. We trespass with abandon during our runs. Our trespassing is however justified because the UON is a public institution and therefore its roads are public, are they not? There is only one road that they prevented us from accessing, and that is the one through the college where their campus buildings are located. However, we have not given up on getting through. Someone needs to help me interpret the constitution on the freedom of running and the bill of runners rights. One run route that passes close to where we were planting the trees starts at Ndumboini to the hilly path towards the university farm, then a right turn through this farm, then to Mary Leakey school, before joining Lower Kabete road to 'the tarmac', where we take another right turn past Kabete Childrens Home on the left and Kenya Animal Genetic Resources on the right. This dirt road goes down to 'the tank', then the hilly stretch back to Ndumbo. That full circuit is about 6km. The stretch from Ndumbo back to Uthiru is about a kilometer. If you add the Vet-lab loops, you are likely to get to 10km. In our list of marathon routes, this is the standard 10km lunch hour route.
“So, it is possible that one can run upto here?,” my colleague repeated, since I did not seem to have answered the first time, as my mind had wondered over the events of the past two hours even as I realized that I did not have my cap – but well, “Comrade power”.
WWB, Nairobi Kenya, April 9, 2014
“You mean you can run to here?,” a colleague asked.
We were now in the institutional bus on our way back to work after a successful tree planting exercise. Pure fate and luck had enabled me to be attending this occasion on Friday, April 4, 2014. To start with, I had started feeling like having a cold the previous day and had in fact promised myself that I would take the Friday off. Secondly, I only came to learn of this event by virtue of being accessible to department communication, where my staff were being asked to assist in delivery of seedlings from Muguga to UON’s Upper Kabete campus grounds near Ndumboini. Just as simple as that, I had asked my colleague, John, who was organizing the event if I could join in... and he said that they needed a photographer… and who else?
The tree planting exercise was eventful. We started by reviewing what was planted last year, and the remnants did not look good. Our head of delegation had in fact lamented that it was an exercise in futility spending long hours during a similar event last year only for the products to be left to the vagaries of nature. It did not end there, he went ahead and stated this when he was called upon to give a speech on behalf of the Director General, during this Friday event.
I had already lost a cap, technically ‘given it out without getting it back’.
“Can I have your cap?,” the lady had asked.
I could see that ‘student’ was written all over her. I could guess that she is either fresher or sophomore, but more to the latter due to her very outgoing nature. The former tends to be a bit reserved, at least that is how I knew them to be, then. The clincher was her dressing, which left a lot to be desired. I could easily see more that I bargained for and it was still early in the day. Or do we need to shed off more cotton in the name of 'going green'?
“Of course,” I had replied. For good reason, I may add. Our institution and UON Upper Kabete campus collaborate a lot. Our head of delegation was an alumni of UK. (My association there however had a HT aka Harry Thuku... road). In keeping to this spirit of cooperation, I had given out my cap without thinking twice. The silent understanding was that it was to be used for the photographic moments (and handed back). To prove the point, I handled the camera in taking a few shots of my team and the student visitors. I could see that another one of the students had also acquired a branded cap.
The tree planting event was 'started and finished after it had been started and finished'. This statement is true. We arrived at the farm land around ten and went straight to tree planting. By eleven, we were through with our allocated parcel and seedlings. However, that is the time when the ceremony marking the start of the event was taking place, at the tent installed in the middle of this vast bushy farmland. After speeches, they gave a vote of thanks and then…. welcome all to participate in tree planting. How is that for protocol!
Am no stranger to the geography of the university land. We trespass with abandon during our runs. Our trespassing is however justified because the UON is a public institution and therefore its roads are public, are they not? There is only one road that they prevented us from accessing, and that is the one through the college where their campus buildings are located. However, we have not given up on getting through. Someone needs to help me interpret the constitution on the freedom of running and the bill of runners rights. One run route that passes close to where we were planting the trees starts at Ndumboini to the hilly path towards the university farm, then a right turn through this farm, then to Mary Leakey school, before joining Lower Kabete road to 'the tarmac', where we take another right turn past Kabete Childrens Home on the left and Kenya Animal Genetic Resources on the right. This dirt road goes down to 'the tank', then the hilly stretch back to Ndumbo. That full circuit is about 6km. The stretch from Ndumbo back to Uthiru is about a kilometer. If you add the Vet-lab loops, you are likely to get to 10km. In our list of marathon routes, this is the standard 10km lunch hour route.
“So, it is possible that one can run upto here?,” my colleague repeated, since I did not seem to have answered the first time, as my mind had wondered over the events of the past two hours even as I realized that I did not have my cap – but well, “Comrade power”.
WWB, Nairobi Kenya, April 9, 2014
