My first day in Nairoberry

I first landed in Nairobi some twenty years or so ago. Came to look for opportunity, money,mula! Like many young people I didn’t know what I wanted and just dived head first to the hustle and bustle of the city. Back then things were not as advanced as they are today. There were no mobile phones, no social media

As usual as a new comer to the city I had to beg for a place to stay before I got a job. My friend Gab, who worked for a big multi-national company and lived in Dandora would come in handy for this.

I called Gab through his office landline and told him to expect me in the evening hours around four to five pm.

At around 2pm I told my mum that it was time for me to go to Nairobi. In her characteristic style, she proceeded to sit me down and give me one of her long talks. An advice here, a blessing there and eventually prayed for me. By the time she was done it was it was 6pm and darkness was fast approaching. I quickly bade her goodbye and rushed to the town Centre where I was to pick a Molo line matatu to Nairobi. As fate would have it the Matatu I picked took almost an hour to fill up. Finally at around 8pm we took off on our journey to the city.

The journey from Nakuru to Nairobi usually takes about two hours to two and a half hours. This one took about one hour extra. I arrived in the big city around thirty minutes to midnight and headed straight to the Kenya Bus Services stage to board a Dandora phase four bus . At that hour, there was no much traffic. I arrived at Gab’s place in thirty minutes…. And then the drama began.

When I got to the gate of course

at that wee hour of the night it was locked. The guard(Soldier) came to attend to me when I knocked. I told him I was Gab’s visitor and could he please open for me.

‘Sorry man, Gab moved to phase 5 a month ago’ he answered. I asked if he knew the exact plot and house number and could he please direct me. He shook his head, sadly. I paused for a minute my mind racing very fast.

‘Could you at least let me in the compound so that I could spend the night in the verandah away from danger’ I posed.

‘Boss! I hardly know you, why would I do that’?! He barked back at me.

It was then that I knew my world had collapsed. I wished for the ground to open up and swallow me alive. I politely thanked him and started my journey towards nowhere. As I made my way between the maze of residential buildings, I remembered that there was a certain cousin of mine who used to live in Dandora phase four.I could however not remember the exact place for the simple reason that I didn’t visit him much.

I told myself there there were two things that were likely to happen to me at that ungodly hour. I could either meet with thugs or policemen. I didn’t like either of them.

Dandora phase four is a vast estate and one good thing about it is that its dotted with clubs and night clubs(Good for the purpose of safety)

For the patrons with cars, security was offered mostly by maasai guards. They patrolled armed with bows and arrows and lit small fires to keep warm in the cold nights.

‘Eroo’!! I said when I came face to face with two of them

Supa!! They answered back.

‘’Mimi iko shida’’

I proceeded to explain to them my predicament and asked if I could spend the night under their protection.

Hapo hakuna shida, iko ngapi? (No problem, show us the color of your mula!)

Between me and bankruptcy I only had fifty shillings. I offered them the crumpled note from my back pocket.

They happily accepted. I can confidently say that my first job in Nairobi was as a maasai night guard.

The night was very cold, and even with the small fire it was almost impossible to keep warm.

As they kept patrolling they told me that I could enter one of the vehicles although not for a long time as the owners may return anytime.  I thanked him and made my way to the car. It was an old Chevrolet  pick up. As I opened, I noticed that someone else was already there. A lady in her mid twenties smiled at me as I sat down.

As we began talking I found out that she had traveled all the way from western Kenya in search of a job as a house-girl. Apparently when she arrived her contact person was not at the agreed place. She too had been saved by the Masai guards from possible danger.

The car was a bit warmer but heavily infested by mosquitoes. No amount of spatting and swashing would scare away these tormentors. Being very tired I tried to curl myself into a sleeping position. This didn’t help much as I only dozed off in five to ten minutes intervals.

The girl too was having a hard time to sleep. I passed a glance at her and she looked down shyly. I told myself that this was neither the place nor the time to unleash the ufisi in me.

At around 3 am we heard a knock on the car window! Ero! Amka mwenyewe nakuja!(Hey! Wake up, the owner of the car is coming!) We hurriedly came out of the car and went to the fire place.

We spent the last two hours of the long night at the fireplace. I was happy because if it was not for these two Masai

guards I would either have spent the night in a cell or a hospital with injuries.

At the stroke of five in the morning, I bade my hosts and my new found lady friend goodbye. At that time people had already began on the day’s businesses. I was able to trace Gab’s new house before he went to work.

Gab welcomed me with a hot cup of coffee and some mandazis and a hot bath.

That friends was how Nairobi welcomed me. Watch out for my next blog to read how the job market welcomed me.