THE CORNER KICK | How Obama’s Short Stay In The Country Will Affect Kenyans … The Merits And Demerits Of Hosting The Most Powerful Man On Earth
I am told when the leader of the free world made a stop in Dar es Salaam exactly two years ago, the peaceful, quiet city came to a standstill, everything stopped, including the ants that were busy making their homes in gardens in the capital of the Republic of Tanzania. Not even flies were allowed to roam around town aimless when a man who is considered the most powerful on earth was making his grand entry into Jakaya Kikwete’s territories.
I am told businesses were closed, roads were impassable, the airspace was a bee hive of activities as green choppers roamed freely to survey the region and of course sophisticated ammunition was in Africa purposely to accord Obama the protection he deserves.
Two years down the line, Obama is once again coming to East Africa, this time round, Kenya, his father’s homeland. This will be his first visit since becoming US President in 2008. These are 7 good years in power. And when Obama comes, things are not going to be the same as they were when he used to come as a small boy to visit his grandmother mama Sarah Obama and as Illinois Senator for the same reason.
Well, picking some few things from what happened in Tanzania in 2013, I wanna share with you how life is expected to be when Obama comes in less a fortnight from today.
Mark 24, July 2015. Marked? Good. Let’s go.
We are already being treated with photos of high end cars which arrived at the JKIA a few weeks ago and which are expected to be part of the US President’s motorcade. These are not ordinary cars people. They are cars that have never cruised a Kenyan road since their inception. They are closer than we ever expected. Forget the fantasies you get whenever you stick to your PC to watch some Hollywood film. The real things are around.
But the realest of all is yet to jet in. I mean the Beast/Cadillac One/The Safest Car on Earth (delete as appropriate). This a car specially designed to carry around POTUS. And it is not an ordinary car.
Away from this, a number of things are likely to happen for the short period Obama will be in Kenya. Details about his travels after landing in the country are still very scanty but whenever and wherever he will go, expect the following to take place. And this is greatly expected to affect Kenyans either positively or negatively:
Traffic Jams born out of Hell and Cast Onto Nairobi
In short, expect most roads in the capital to remain closed. The authorities have refuted this assumption but it is bound to happen. In fact it must happen. A popular twitter handle, M3 Route, which updates Nairobians about traffic in major roads in the country suggested some of the roads to be affected by Obama’s visit but the government came out to disown the page and say that nothing like that will happen.
It happened in Tanzania when almost all roads that Obama used were closed even after he had left the capital. Why would Nairobi be an exception? Brace yourselves for one of the most immovable cities ever. Nairobi will be stuck. Completely stuck. Advice: Liaise with your boss to stay at home unless you are really needed in the CBD. And this is not a threat.
Disruption of Normal Routines and Work
Production is expected to go down at one point as it grows on the other. Normal life will be disrupted. You are not going to hawk in the heart of Nairobi as you are used to. You are likely to get to work late if there won’t be a holiday for you. Communication will be hampered for some periods of time. Everything will be disrupted. Obama is no ordinary man people! He is the leader of the free world.
Poor Communication
Safaricom, Airtel and Orange Kenya are likely to make loses on this particular day. There will be massive disruption of communication especially in Nairobi and its environs. There will be an increased number of network users and this will greatly lead to insufficient supply of the same. Networks may also be interrupted to avert any danger that may be posed by unwanted communications. Everything will be a mess.
A Clean Nairobi
Nairobi will be clean like never before. The city will literally look like one in the sun. Nairobi will be next to godliness. Just walk along Uhuru Highway towards Mombasa Road and see how beautiful those roads look. Just stroll along Harambee Avenue and see the rehabilitation the avenue has received. Nairobi, and especially uptown, will be so awesome for a while. Mgeni Njoo Mji Unga’re.
Massive Security
It is already happening. I hear the Secret Service, specially trained men and women of the US whose role is to ensure wherever Obama steps is landmine free, is combing through Nairobi to make it secure for their leader. Every major building, every street and every road is being combed. Major hotels in the capital are under heavy surveillance as Kenya prepares to welcome the world to Nairobi. I wish it happened every day like this. No terrorist would dare touch us. NKT!
The airspace is not going to be forgiven either. Choppers and military aircraft are expected to litter the capital airspace. There will be noise. There will be unseen drones providing the surveillance required to avert any danger. There will be massive security in Kenya.
Criticism, Celebration, Hypocrisy, Pretense and Empty Promises
These will sum up an otherwise dire Nairobi. Some will argue that Obama’s visit is for the elite and not the common Mwananchi. Others will demonstrate when he opens up about his stance on homosexuality. This is criticism.
Kogeloans will celebrate the son of their soil. They will always want to be associated with the most powerful man on earth. They will wear pro-Obama regalia to show him their support. Their celebrations will reach a climax when he makes a grand entry into Kogelo to visit his grandmother. Unfortunately, all this will happen from the fence. No ordinary luopean will be allowed near Obama. And they will retire to their muddy grass-thatched huts when he returns to Nairobi to spend a night (if at all he will) at the Villarosa Kempinski, State House or somewhere in the capital.
Hypocrites will come out to pretend how they are striving to make Kenya a better place when all they do is siphon public money into their personal accounts as they render no service to Kenyans. I hear they are planning to chase away street kids from the capital to convince Obama and his entourage that Nairobi is a clean city. I see they are rehabilitating roads in the capital to please Obama. I hear they are fighting homosexuality when they are more sinful than the homosexuals themselves.
Obama will definitely make empty promises to Kenyans. He will lie how America is striving to make Kenya a better place. He will lie that he will uplift the travel advisory he issued to his citizens. He will lie about everything. He will waste our time and resources and return to the free world as he leaves us to languish in abjection, dejection, despondence, impoverished situations and poverty in abundance. And corruption at its best.
