An Ode To My Country Kenya #TwendeTukiuke

Hello there! 😀 What does #TwendeTukiuke mean to you? Today’s blog post is like an ode to our country Kenya, in the spirit of going beyond…

Hopefully this will inspire you to dig into what being Kenyan means to you & discover ways to go beyond…

In the past few months, Safaricom has been celebrating its 20 Years’ anniversary and you may have seen the hashtag #TwendeTukiuke.

The phrase #TwendeTukiuke means: let’s break barriers or go beyond the norm, thus celebrating how Safaricom enables Kenyans to go beyond! Stay with me a while, and let’s explore this together… 🙂

I recently had an interesting conversation with a new friend, when they asked: ‘where are you from?‘

‘Nairobi, Kenya’, I answered.

‘Do you like it?’

I had to take a moment to really think about it… My honest answer: ‘I love home. It is not perfect. But it’s home’.

That conversation made me think quite a bit about what it means to be Kenyan, and what #TwendeTukiuke means on a personal level…

When people think about Kenya, quite often, they think of: the leaders, corruption, lack of jobs & opportunities and overall, a system that’s failed its people, time & again. Hence they reach the conclusion that it’s a ‘bad place to live.’

Don’t get me wrong, these feelings and concerns are valid… And as any ordinary Kenyan will tell you, they’ve experienced one or more of these issues on some level.

An Ode To My Country Kenya… #TwendeTukiuke

I invite you though, to peek at Kenya through a different lens… Like both shadow and light exist together, I believe there is a ‘light side’ to this country, one that we can easily forget…

When I was a kid, all I wanted was to move & relocate to another country… The world of television had sufficiently convinced me that the ‘grass was greener’.

But then I started out on this journey of Travel Blogging. And God, in His wisdom, allowed me to travel more around Kenya first… Slowly, without realizing it, my heart fell in love with this place we call home. 🙂

It’s in the Diversity Of Our Kenyan People

When I think of Kenya, I now see a little bit more… I can’t help but think about the people that make up this country. Great people like our great/grandparents who fought for & gave up their lives for our independence.

I think of our parents who brought us up in such distinct ‘African ways’; so much so that today, we have funny stories to tell. Stories that make it feel as if we all grew up in one big home… Hands up if your mum/dad was always the number 1 in class? 😀

I can’t help but think of our diverse cultures, both old and new… Like the amazing matatu culture. Although it has its flaws (read chaotic), you’ve got to admit- it makes our lives interesting! 😀

Plus we can’t deny the opportunities it has created for young people, to express their creativity through music and art.

I’d be remiss if I failed to mention our ‘meme lords’, with their ingenious ability to find humor in even the most insane situations! That humor has seen us through some tough times… Remember ‘Githeri man’?

To me, this speaks of resilience and a people who remain unbowed. This is the spirit of #TwendeTukiuke 🙂

It’s in the beauty of our land…

When I think of Kenya, I think of the ragged beauty Mother Nature gifted us… It’s in the hundreds of landmarks that hold great significance to Kenyans. And it’s in our stunning landscapes teeming with wildlife, indigenous trees, exotic birds, hidden waterfalls, lakes & even islands…

It is in the rich vastness of our land… From tea plantations in Kericho to maize farms in Kitale, from the beaches in Diani to the desert in Chalbi, and to the mountainous forests in Nyeri… We have it all! 😀

Check out this post>>The Colors Of Kericho #ThisIsMyKenya

It’s in the ‘little things’ that make us Kenyan

When I think of Kenya, I remember the little nuances that make us who we are… You know, like how nearly every Kenyan wears a wristband with our flag colors. Or how we speak Swahili mixed in with English and a dash of Sheng, like it’s the most natural thing to do! 😀

I love how we rally for one of our own and the way we come together in times of tragedy, all differences set aside… It’s in the way we stand up for what is right, even when the rest of the world doesn’t understand it. Still, we stand. Hi @IMF! 😀

It’s in our Limitless Potential!

When I think of Kenya, I am filled with immense pride and the realization that we have limitless potential to go beyond!

I remember our athletes who have made a name for Kenya internationally, setting world records that were initially thought of as impossible. Hi @Eliud Kipchoge!

I am reminded of the innovative minds that live right here, within our borders… The brilliant minds that established Kenya as the pioneer of a system which allows mobile money payments and transfers across geographical distances… even borders! I think of how it’s made our lives easier & safer through cashless transactions! Hi @MPESA!

It’s these people who dare to go beyond what ‘we see and know’, ensuring that we have access to transformational technology like Safaricom 5G…

Imagine talking to someone in a different city through a hologram video, almost as if they were in the same room with you… Or the possibility of world class surgeons directing intricate & complicated surgeries remotely, without you ever having to travel across the world?

We don’t have to imagine, because that technology is here with us… Hi @Safaricom 5G!

It’s in how we belong & Choose To go Beyond!

When I think of Kenya, I realize that nowhere else in the world would I ever feel such a sense of belonging and home.

It is the one place where the colour of my skin, the ‘accent’ in my speech and even natural curliness of my hair, is not a reason for discrimination. And while I am not one to say ‘I’d never leave’, because I don’t know what plans the Maker has for me… this much I know: I love this place we call home- flaws and all.

Being Kenyan goes beyond our problems… It is much, much more.

It is in our spirit, our ‘hustle’, our fierceness, our inventiveness, our diverse cultures, our creativity, our resilience, our land, our flag, our determination, our people.

We are Kenya. Let us continue to go beyond. #TwendeTukiuke

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Thank you for reading! I hope you are inspired to find the light, and to tap into the spirit of #TwendeTukiuke in your own situation. 🙂

What does being Kenyan mean to you? I would love to hear back from you… Leave a comment down below with your inputs/feedback!

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