Happy Birthday

Last week felt like a big week of history here. First Mandela's death and then Kenya celebrated 50 years of independence. The retrospectives of Mandela's life tell a really powerful and uplifting story and I spent a lot of the Friday after he died with 1000s of others, listening to the radio and reminding myself of his incredible impact. It is a real shame that the memorial service has been a less positive tale. The heavy rain is meant to be a very good sign - rainfall matters here and in Mandela's Xhosa culture it means the ancestors are welcoming the departed. But the lack of music, the excess of speeches, the family disputes, the unusual signing interpreter and the high profile selfie have all taken over the headlines. In some ways it is reassuring that however great a man, its never easy to get everything right.

Reflections on Kenya at 50 have been a bit more mixed than those on Mandela's life. Getting a lift to work on the Tuesday before celebrations started with Bernard our Kenyan driver we went past State House, the President's Nairobi residence. There were about 10 people repainting miles of railings so they looked spic and span for the main event. Bernard, whose grandfather was injured fighting for Independence, was extremely cynical wondering what Kenya was celebrating when so many still live in poverty, where corruption is rife and where crime and insecurity are real issues for many. There was a similar feeling amongst many of my Kenyan colleagues at work, a sense of unfulfilled promises and potential and a very clear recognition that there are still plenty of Challenges at 50

But the upbeat side of life here carried on too, with a 4 day long weekend to mark the birthday, a big party at a Nairobi sports stadium with lots of music and dancing. We marked Independence Day by hanging out at home as a family, making mince pies, playing chess in the late and heavier than usual "short rains" and then joining friends for Christmas carols by candle light, some mulled wine and a relaxed evening. Not very Kenyan but very enjoyable which is what birthdays should be after all.


Anne