Last year I went through a similar ordeal. It would have turned ugly if they'd abducted me but we showed up to the station with advocates. I was still detained.
This is what happens (or what happened to me, specifically)
If you refuse to play ball (accept vaguely fronted deals- they're never explicit). It's stuff like, "these things don't have to be difficult, we can just talk to the right guys" and you say, "No, thanks. I'm happy to let it get muddy"
It does. And will.
Jul 21, 2024 • 13 tweets • 3 min read
This guy pushes the biggest trolley at the supermarket. He has white earphones with wires running through his t-shirt, to the phone in his hand. He plants the trolley in front of me.
I'm standing in line with bread and some cash (I've recently been reduced to carrying cash).
I read his face. I don't see malice in him. He probably just didn't see me in line. I let it slide. He has a gleam on that face, and keeps patting the back of his pocket as the cashier processes strangers through. Beep. Beep. My guy cranks his neck over the counter. He's next.
Aug 4, 2023 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
The idea that marriage is the end of the adventure rather than the beginning of it is such a bleak view on one of the most exciting experiences life can offer.
It's also probably why my generation spends so much time in pointless indulgence before taking their-
-absolute battered selves to their life partners and wonder why it doesn't work out.
"Living life" is used nowadays to mean unregulated debauchery and the establishment of a family becomes the death of that "life". A rude end to an exciting era.
Feb 16, 2023 • 10 tweets • 2 min read
There are two motivations for doing things, I have realised: To accomplish an objective, and to feel good about doing it.
The latter has been the more fashionable reason nowadays, under the popularized mantra "Do what you love/what makes you happy"
I am yet to fully exhaust this thought process, but for all the times I did things for the sole purpose of feeling good about myself, I would very quickly run out of steam. Or abandon the project right at the "feel good" point. Self-sabotage, they call it.
Nov 1, 2022 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
I think the secret is in how you show up.
How you show up for yourself, for your job, for a volunteer slot, for the internship...everything.
Because the higher the stakes get, the scarier it will get. The more difficult the job will be, and the more it will demand from you.
I used to think that I would magically become more responsible with more responsibilities and squandered so many opportunities earlier in life.
You don't just start being obsessed with excellence once you get that mega contract. Competence and commitment compounds over time.
Sep 6, 2022 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
The Presidency has never "evaded Baba". He has just never learnt. After every election, instead of putting together a decent post-mortem to see what went wrong, he has always blamed someone else.
This time it's "Uhuru was playing him". No he wasn't.
Uhuru isn't half the actor to pull this act for 4 years. State resources were availed, the media, the Airforce, CSs, chiefs, 4 commissioners put in the IEBC as a failsafe, nearly plunging the country into anarchy at such a tense hour.
Shame on Cherera and Co. btw.
Aug 24, 2022 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
The burden of consistency is a curse every man would will off their shoulders-if they could. It is excruciatingly exhausting, to always show up, to maintain the standards, to get up and get going, even when the road is foggy, and things aren't quite making sense.
To know that these paths, however treacherous, others have trod; yet feeling like you're taking part an event that is far alienated from conventional human experiences.
Jan 6, 2022 • 14 tweets • 3 min read
Our soja at the gate is a 40-ish something year old. That or life has/hasn't been so kind to him. I've barely ever seen him. In fact, I've never seen him outside his tiny hut at the gate.
He's always veiled up in his Maasai shuka. It's criminally chilly in Nanyuki at night.
One day I came back from town and the Boda guy wanted more than it usually costs. I'm quite averse to sending money on Mpesa to strangers these days and I had exact cash (had to eat smokie pasua on my way home).
Nduthi guy thought I wanted to steal his 50 Bob (extra)
Oct 22, 2021 • 17 tweets • 4 min read
I bought this comb on my way to see her. It was the first time I was visiting. She lived far, flung out away from civilization. I hadn't known about rogue matatus back then. They made a 6 hour journey take exactly 12 hours. I was exhausted!
I found her waiting patiently for me. She told me to go shower as she warmed food. I had been working about 16 hours every day that week, on top of 2 hours spent on commute.
We were still getting to know each other, and it was my first time at her place. Things were tense.
Sep 13, 2021 • 19 tweets • 4 min read
I had a cup of tea with my old man today. My treat. It's been a while since we last had a chat.
He walked in about 7 minutes late. He had called promptly on time to apologise that he'd be running late. He apologises again as he takes the mask off his face.
I got my time-keeping from pops. He keeps time, and so do I. We haven't seen each other in a little over a month, me and him. We live in the same town.
Small talk, how are you doing blah blah blah...The waiter takes our order. Pause.
