Kenyans Recall the Years When All Eyes Were on Kenya and the Country Was United Through One Event

April 16-30, 2011 ISSUE 038 A bimonthly newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of African Woman and Child Feature Service Marking Easter with nostalgia Kenyans recall the years when all eyes were on Kenya and the country was united through one event BY ODHIAMBO ORLALE tercontinental Hotel in Nairobi by the founder of the nation, President Mzee A few years ago, Kenyan looked forward Jomo Kenyatta. They were cheered to Easter with anticipation. While the by hundreds of relatives, friends and season has Christian themes, there was fans lining along Uhuru Highway and so much happening that it was no longer Mombasa Road as well as among all the just a time for Christians, as everybody, other safari rally routes. including Hindus and Muslims were en- The rest of the story is now history thusiastic about the season. but Safari Rally has never reclaimed the Easter holidays were thrilling, thanks glamour it had. In fact, it is no longer to Kenya hosting the toughest rally in held on Easter weekend as was the case the world, the Safari Rally. before. This has made the weekend dull The four-day event coincided with and a reserve for practising Christians, one of the most important days in the who flock to church. Other than that, Christian calendar, Good Friday. It was the rest of holiday makers just throng like a movie which was a must-see by entertainment outlets. Kenyans of all walks of life. Even the then Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, cashed in on the free pub- The thrill licity soon after overthrowing the ci- Among the rally enthusiasts, was Es- vilian Head of State, Milton Obote in ther Munyao, who recalls with joy how 1971, to participate as a driver in the she would join her siblings and friends international event! But he too did not in the village in Ukambani to watch in go very far after being photographed amazement as the rally drivers zoomed and filmed driving from the ramp for by and splashed them with muddy wa- a short distance by local and interna- ter or dust as they cheered them along. tional journalists. Recalls Munyao: “My memories of Those days, the nation’s attention the rally was when the sleek cars zoomed was fully focused on the Safari rally as through our village. Some would get all eyes and ears were on the foreign stuck in the mud forcing some of the vil- and local rally drivers like Ian Duncan, lagers to join and push them out! That Bjorn Waldegard, Carlos Sainz, Juha was a wonderful experience.” Kankunnen, Joginder Singh, Shekhar Big names of the who-is-who in Mehta, Vic Preston Jr and Patrick Njiru the international motors port featured among others. prominently. History was made during the Safari rallies that dominated tele- Car models vision, newspapers and talks all over. Other players included car manu- Kenya’s Shekhar Mehta made history facturers who used the event to launch by winning the annual event four times their latest models, these included Mer- consecutively, (1979-82), in addition to cedes Benz, Volkswagen Beetle, Ford an earlier victory in 1973. Cortina, Fort Escort, Peugeot, Datsun, From top: Children waving to a Safari Rally team that was cruising Others who made history and are Toyota, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Fiat and through their village: A battered Safari Rally car drives into the happy to look back with pride include Volvo. finishing ramp; Orie Rogo Manduli, then known as Mary Ondieki was the flamboyant Ms Orie Rogo Manduli, The rally was first held in June 1953, the first African woman rally driver. then called Mary Ondieki, who was the as the East African Coronation Safari Pictures: Reject Correspondent first woman to participate in the all- in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, as a men’s sport in 1974, with Mrs Sylvia celebration of the coronation of Queen years until it was excluded due to lack of Safari Rally was done is different. Omino, as her co-driver. Elizabeth II. It was renamed the East funding and organisation in 2003. Since The rally attracted children and The two ladies had vowed that they African Safari Rally seven years later then, it is now part of the African Rally grown-ups alike. No one was left out of were out to make a statement that “what in 1960, on the eve of Kenya’s indepen- Championship organised by Federation the euphoria during the heydays of the a man can do, a woman can also do and dence. It then kept that name until 1974 Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). It Safari Rally. They were captive audience. better!” when it became the Safari Rally. is currently known as the KCB Safari The State-run Voice of Kenya (VoK) It was a carnival event as the duo The event was part of the World Rally after its sponsor, Kenya Commer- now known as Kenya Broadcasting Cor- was flagged off from the ramp at the In- Rally Championship calendar for many cial Bank. The format with which the Continued on page 5 Read more Reject stories online at www.mediadiversityafrica.org 2 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 038, April 16-30, 2011 TB patient jailed for defaulting treatment By CAROLINE WANGECHI ally making it hard to control the disease. He the prescribed dose could lead to multi-drug mean that he is a wrong doer but is an ac- said: “The only way to make sure that Mutugi resistant (MDR) strain of the disease which is tion to have him follow the medication regi- A 24-year-old tuberculosis patient has been completes his dose was to keep him in an en- difficult and more expensive to treat. The cost men according to the doctor’s prescription. jailed for eight months by a Baricho court in closed place where health officers will be mon- of treating MDR TB can be between 50 and Muchiri reiterated: “We will be making visits Kirinyaga County. The magistrate took this ac- itoring him.” 200 times what it costs in the first line treat- to all TB patients to see whether they are fol- tion after the public health department com- The decision was reached at after a meeting ment for non-resistant TB. lowing the medication rules. Defaulter, will plained that Benson Mutugi was defaulting on with the health officers from the larger coun- The health officer said Kirinyaga West leads be isolated until he/she completes the dose.” his medication. He will stay behind bars until ty who concluded that defaulters have to get in TB cases in the larger Kirinyaga County Mutugi is getting his treatment at Gathigiriri he completes his TB treatment. stern action so that they are able to complete but they are looking at ways of controlling its Prison under doctors’ observations and will According to the Public Health Officer, Mr their doses to avoid spreading the disease. In- spread. stay isolated so that he does not to spread the Gilbert Muchiri, Mutugi has defaulted sever- consistent medication and failure to complete He said that jailing the patient does not disease. Family in agony over child’s bizarre eye problem By KABIA MATEGA covered his face with a table cloth to block out light. Angwenyi’s parents are both casual labourers and A family is suffering sleepless days and nights help- have been further impoverished because they cannot lessly watching their three-year-old child agonise leave the child behind as they go out in search for over unknown eye tissue growth. jobs. They have been forced to survive on food dona- According to the father, the boy was born with- tions from well wishers. out any notable health problem. This was until five The boy developed a yet to be identified growth months ago when the boy started showing difficul- that has made the eye protrude several inches for- ties in seeing. ward, a situation that leaves him uncomfortable. “He opted to watch other children play from The parents say he cries throughout the day. shades of houses and trees as he could not participate Recently they sought divine intervention from with others in the sunlight,” said Samuel Mogaka Pastor Daniel Mburu of Mizpah Worship Centre in Patrick as he fought back tears. Narok town. Mogaka said a close observation initially indicated The Pastor who led the Reject to the family’s that one of the eyes of Master Henry Angwenyi had rented single room said he could not hold back tears unusual colour and a decision was made to have the when he saw the boy for the first time considering boy checked at Kikuyu Mission Hospital in Kiambu the difficulties the child was undergoing. County. “Doctors at the Kikuyu Mission Hospital recom- mended a simple procedure on the eye to remove Samuel Mogaka holds his son Henry the foreskin in an operation that was successful. We Angwenyi who is suffering from an went back home a happy family with hopes that ev- erything pertaining the eye problem was over,” ex- undetermined eye problem. plained Josephine Kemunto, the boy’s mother as she Picture: Kabia Matega Private school takes Empowering youth and women advantage of boy’s desperate situation key to growing rural economies By RACHEL MUTHONI By KARIUKI MWANGI gari, says the projects have tremendously changed her life. Wangari, is a member of the Murindi Fresh Growers Self-Help Group that It is important to recognise the role women play in the society by started the farming of tissue culture bananas three years ago. She says A school head wants the government to intervene supporting them economically so they can help in development of this has helped boost her family economically.

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