Kenya Arrival July 13, 2023

7/12 One of the bags is here!!! But we can’t get to it...

We woke to the front gate of the hotel partially closed and all the staff on edge. We were advised not the leave the hotel under any conditions. There are many times in my travels where I am treated only as a foreigner. In Kenya, I am referred to as Mzungu “White Woman” in every day conversation. This term may be in reference to my skin color, but it holds much more weight. To most, it means money, which puts a target on my back. Others see me as a weak or fragile being that needs to be protected or taken advantage of.  There is no denying, because of my skin color, I am different. With that in mind, I push through barriers and work hard to be seen as an equal. I rarely take no as the final answer.

This, however, was different. Looking out from our windows, the once bustling streets were silent. Even the locals stayed in. What was going on?

I walked up to a friend that I made who worked at the front desk. She was watching something on her computer screen, and she waved me to come around. I saw an explosion, fires scattered through the street, and people running.  Live feed from a few blocks over. Needless to say, when the locals don’t travel, neither do I.

The protests resulted in dismantled roadways and many fires through the city. There were sad cases where police arrived to disperse the crowds, and there was bloodshed. The President has increased taxes and pulled back from social spending to decrease inflation. His opposition is rallying the people to rise up and protest these changes. Whether you see the logic of one position or the other, it is evident that Kenya is still growing. This is a new democracy, and there is a check and balance process that is working itself out. It is exciting to be the birthing place of a nation, yet it is also heartbreaking to see the pains and sacrifices that this growth requires.