Welcome to Machakos

Arriving in the town of Machakos from Nairobi was an experience. The drive was, thankfully, uneventful, and getting to see more of this country was a privilege. The town is a lot smaller than the metropolis of Nairobi and is typical of African towns (according to Kunle!). The people were friendly, especially the kids who just wanted to high five us all the time!

The District Commissioner welcomed us in his office and talked about the history of the town. It was the first administration centre for the British Colony in East Africa, before it moved to Nairobi as that is where the railway was. He showed us the board which has the names of every DC since the start. I was surprised to see British names after independence still running the town but he explained that the British stayed behind to help hand over and many of them stayed permanently; some still have family in Kenya today!

I thought that there would have been an anti-British feeling but it was quite the opposite. The Kenyans and the British really get on here and integrate with each other. That was a proud moment for me personally.

After this we went for a walk around Machakos Town to get to know the place a bit better. The town itself is vibrant and there is always a buzz about.... even in the pitch dark of night as we were walking back to the hotel! Right in the centre there is a shanty town nicknamed 'California'. We were taken for walk through it by our host, Alex. It was a very humbling experience. We have all seen this situation on TV but to witness it in person and to meet some of the people was something else. I thought we might be harassed or hated for gorping at them but again I was proved wrong. The people were so welcoming and happy to see us. From the sights we saw, the people there are honest, hard-working and joyful. They really just need to be given a chance.

In 'California' there was a spare parts shop and it was called 'Liverpool Auto Parts'! I couldn't believe it!! The club badge was proudly displayed next to the name. It was a very weird experience but a nice one too. I will post a picture when I get a chance.

Tomorrow we leave at lunch time to go to Masai-Mara on Safari for the weekend. I can't begin to describe how excited I am!

RA

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