Why I love Nairobi
By Evelyn Gathuru
Nairobi has had its fair share of negative publicity both from within and beyond the country.
Mention Nairobi city and images of pollution, horrible traffic, chaotic driving, poverty and insecurity immediately jump to mind- can anyone say ‘nairobbery’?
I am not disputing that these things do occur but there is much more to Nairobi!
Dodgy image
This image of Nairobi as a dangerous city has prompted many visitors to completely by-pass the city as they head out to our national parks and beaches.
Having lived in Nairobi for most of my life, and in Toronto for 5 years, I am often surprised when people are quick to stick this negative label on Nairobi.
Every city in the world has its dodgy spots and it’s incredibly sad that Nairobi’s image is based solely on its worst aspects.
My Nairobi
After work last Friday, I made my way to downtown Nairobi for a spot of shopping. As I hardly ever go to town, especially on Friday evenings, I was pleasantly surprised by the city’s atmosphere.
As the sun set, vendors selling shoes started laying out their wares on the street pavements. As I’m an avid shoe fan, I was able to score myself some beautiful shoes at a great bargain!
The relaxed atmosphere in every shop I entered convinced me that nobody was in a hurry and the shops weren’t closing any time soon.
Buzz
Excited chatter and music flowed out from the numerous pubs, restaurants and coffee shops which all seemed filled to capacity. Young couples were leisurely walking about the city, window shopping, while holding hands.
I remember thinking to myself- ‘this is nothing like the horrible Nairobi I often hear about’.
This experience made me take a fresh look at our city and what I saw was a clean, vibrant, beautiful city with a fresh mix of colonial style architecture and modern buildings with a splash of shabbiness every now and then, just to add to its character!
Mutua Matheka, an incredibly talented young Kenyan photographer, clearly shares my love for the city.
His photos show Nairobi as I see it - an amazing place to live!
Am happy for your love for Nairobi.Its really a great city to enjoy.Did you experience the drama when the vendors are caught up by the City council people?
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