June 8, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY JAMES MURUA
With Madaraka Day now done and dusted, you can expect to see more jubilee celebrations in every sector of the society that can afford it.
We have achieved a lot as a country in the 50 years. We did not fall apart like the former Czechoslovakia which is now the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic and Yugoslavia which disintegrated into Serbia and Montenegro before being renamed the Republic of Serbia. Then there is the achievement of being Africa’s biggest non-mineral-based economy which is no mean feat.
Economic prosperity was not the main goal for Kenya’s first government. The founding President’s vision was to rid the country of poverty, disease and ignorance. At this time of our nation’s history, President Uhuru, the son of the founding President is in charge of an economy with a slightly more complicated goal called Vision 2030.
It is quite the leap. We have moved so far that quite a few members in our society deal with first world issues. Other sections of the society are dealing with issues countries in the second world status have on their plates even though we see our economy getting there in 2030 at the very least. Even with all these, many parts of our society are dealing with the problems from the third world space. Here is a list of the categories of problems that we are dealing with on a daily basis.
First world problems
In the first world countries, the well off people live hugely extravagant lives. They can afford to employ a maid or maids, something most people in the West cannot afford to do. Even though Kenya is a young economy, we all have tales about our live-in maids. It doesn’t matter if the authorities try and rain on our parade with threats of door to door campaigns to ensure their retirement monies are remitted. We will simply instruct all family members to call the maid ‘auntie’ and all will be well.
Second World Problems
By 2030, Kenya will be a middle income economy by 2030 if national planning honchos are to be believed. But we are already facing challenges people in the middle-income economies have. For instance, we have, as a nation, suddenly discovered that we have something called courts and that if we have grievances, there’s someone who will sit down and listen to our pleas. This is why we now have a raft of interesting lawsuits in town; a university student takes his college to court for cancelling his masters in law degree; another one goes to court to have their new gender recognised by the state.
Third World Problems
These are problems that people in poor countries face. Nairobi folks too face these problems.
Once in a while we are in need of protection from our enemies; real or imagined or blessings to have successful marriages and, promotions and potency. Luckily, ‘experts’ from Pemba or Tanga are everywhere in this town these days. They are just a call away.
Fourth World Problems
Although we still don’t have a definition of fourth world, there has to be some way of describing it. This is a society so far below the development radar that even the urban and rural poor that we know would look down on these people. These people are however very much in our midst. You see them in the dock being charged with using their own currency with colourful names like Bangla-Pesa after finding it hard to put their hands on Kenya’s legal tender. Their reasoning here is that once upon a time, even M-Pesa was a weird concept and they could be onto the next world-beating innovation.
Venue Review: Changes Pub, Mpaka Road, Westlands
The competition among pubs in Westlands is crazy to say the least. It is one of the few places that I have seen traffic jam at 4am so you need to pick your day to head there.
I was in that neighbourhood recently meeting a good friend and I figured that we might want to try one of these venues when the madness is not on. The venue I chose was the Changez Pub which has been a huge attraction for partygoers for quite a while. What caught my eye was the sign at the door announcing happy hour with beer going at Sh150. At other times the beer goes at Sh200.
The venue has changed a lot since I was here many years ago. The place has always been cosy but it now has a bit of refinement in its layout. There are three booths on the left of the entrance with names popular English Premier League teams; Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City. I of course decided to seat at the this-team-has-not-won-a-single-trophy-for-almost-a-decade booth with my friend. There were a few TVs screening football matches.
The bar also had a long counter which allowed for those who have the need to be near the source of their poison. There was also an upstairs section which I made my way up to and I had a look. It was a nice set up with a balcony on the left allowing one to follow traffic madness build up in the streets. The seating up here was really luxurious; the memo about need to be comfortable as one drinks overpriced beers in Nairobi has clearly been received.
Further enquiry from the waiter about the crowd one would normally find here was instructive; a typically younger audience at the downstairs section and older clientele at the upstairs VIP section. I am assuming that he meant the VIP area was meant for people like me (and perhaps the much-maligned former Prime Minister).
The washrooms were quite clean but there are no emergency exits in the pub.
A quick recap of the venue
Good: Excellent decor, convenient location, great service, TVs for the sport fans
Bad: No clearly marked emergency exits
My verdict: It is a good place to have a drink as you symphathise with motorists trapped in Westlands’ traffic madness.
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