Kenya

It seems the city council’s efforts to introduce a proper drainage system to the junction of Church and Rhapta roads have failed. As we’re now in Kenya’s “short” rain season it looks like I’ll have to get used to tip toeing around this small lagoon for a few more weeks.

Church road flooded
Church road flooded

This is the time of year to remember what it used to be like before you got a car… be courteous to all the people on the road! Slow down!

Kenya

There have been on and off shortages of sugar in Kenya for a month or two. I don’t buy sugar very often (how much do you really need anyways?), but twice in the last few weeks I’ve gone to my regular supermarket to buy some and I’ve found shelves empty. Last week, for example, I wanted to buy some sugar so I could bake some OMG brownies, but neither Uchumi nor Nakumatt had any sugar!

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Kenya

Move over, Nairobi-based traditional healers, there’s a new doctor in town! His name is Dr. Eturu and he’s come all the way from West Africa to heal all of Nairobi’s problems. I was walking down Rhapta Road to Westlands with Cassandra and Sammy today, and I cracked up when I saw this guy’s advertisement—specifically that he is from West Africa. It’s not uncommon to see “doctors” from Mombasa or Tanzania, but this was definitely a first.

Sign advertising Dr. Eturu's services in Nairobi, Kenya
Sign advertising Dr. Eturu’s services in Nairobi, Kenya

From what I know about traditional healing, it’s all about where you come from. For some reason the Swahili people have a reputation for being more gifted healers than people from anywhere else in East Africa (except the Kamba people of Kenya, who are also known to have a strong link to the world of witchcraft). Now, I always knew Nigeria had a burgeoning film industry (“Nollywood”), but this is the first I’ve heard of their traditional healing prowess!

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