Kenyans: Clinging to their fast traits in a “slow” Uganda

SOJOURN WITH KENYANS. With the spirit of East African growing by the day, home is always just a few hours away for Kenyans living in Uganda. No wonder most of them leave their families behind. A few days spent with some members of the community gave the writer insight on what keeps them going while away from home.

Loving Uganda
Ugandans are hospitable, loving and peaceful people all six Kenyans that I met said. “I have not heard of a scenario where a Ugandan has killed a Kenyan and vice versa,” says Nyachenga a third year student pursuing a Bachelor of Information Technology at KIU. Nyachenga has spent five years in Uganda and although he refused to speak the language, he assured me that he does speak Luganda.

Earlier at the Kenyan nite, Mutinda had confided in me that Uganda’s security was 10 times better than Kenyas. When I spoke to Samboi, I found out that in Kenya only policemen carry guns. Watchmen at factories, supermarkets and other places are not given guns and are supposed to raise an alarm in case of mishap. Samboi elaborated that the crime rate in Kenya is so high that if a watchman was given a gun, it would be stolen from him and would be used to rob banks.
When I inquired on whether Kenyans were animated by nature, Nyachenga enlightened me by saying that most Kenyans are thrilled by the freedom in Uganda.

“Bars in Kenya open at 5pm and close at 10pm,” Nyachenga stated. This was when I concluded that the excitement Kenyans express when in Uganda is from the new found freedom of being able to catch a cold Bell beer and dance to loud music in the middle of the day. Ladies show more of this excitement than the men do because at the Kenyan nite, Wanjiru was the only person I saw dancing away in her seat to sina makosa song while the men only clapped at the end.

No place like home
When I set out to visit a Kenyan family living in Uganda I contacted people I studied with, workmates, single Kenyans in Uganda to direct me to a Kenyan family living here to no avail because a large number of Kenyans in Uganda do not come along with their families. Wanjiru and Mama Mombasa articulated that they go to Kenya to spend time with their families every two to four months whereas Mutinda feels like he is in Nairobi and can see his family in about three hours when he gets onto a plane to Nairobi.

The other hustle was getting a Kenyan in Uganda who had one of the traditional wear. It was a revelation that when coming to Uganda, Kenyans know at the back of their minds that Uganda is not home so they not only leave their families back in Kenya but also the culture.