Today's Headlines
- Two Exhibitions Are On At Ramoma, Nairobi
- Country to Review Tourism Law
- Econet Wireless Finally Rolls Out
- Odinga Warns of Civil Unrest
- Mulee Rules Out Harambee Stars U-Turn
- Taking Up a Women's Agenda
- More Than 6,000 Christian Youth Converge for Prayers
- Catholic Church Outraged By MPs' Refusal to Pay Tax
- Pope Benedict Praying for Release of Abducted Nuns
- Thousands Flee Amid Fears of Border Clashes
- Malaria Rates Plummet Among Children
- Winning Against HIV Stigma Behind Bars
- First Congress of Federation of African Journalists a Historic Milestone, Says IFJ
- Archbishop Lele Urges State to Act as Food Crisis Bites
- Regional Workshop Focus Border Management, Irregular Migration
- Silverbird Acquires Kenya's Nu Metro, Starts Operations in Ghana
- Raila is Evil, Says Minister
- Man Charged With Abduction of Two Catholic Sisters
- UN Censures State On Torture
- Agencies Seek $390 Million to Offset Climate And Food Risks
- UN-Backed Scheme Gives 3,000 Prisoners Clean Water and Sanitation
- Samosa Festival is On in Nairobi
- Heartstrings in Another Comedy
- Govts, Investors Engage RVR in Rail Bid
- Mwangi Replaces Mwebesa At NSE
- Riepa Hosts Business Association
- ICTR Petitions UN for Arrest of Kabuga
- UBA to Invest SH360 Billion in Kenya
- Free Movement of People Too, Not Just Goods and Capital
- Judges Running Out of Money?
The Nation (Nairobi)
October 6, 2008
Column Article By Macharia Gaitho
Kenyans will be Kenyans ... especially away from home.
Four days covering the Vice Presidential debate in St Louis, Missouri, was not all work and no play.
With colleagues Basett Buyukah and Robert Gichira we ventured out until we found a home away from home, The African Palace Grill and Bar about 30 minutes drive from downtown St Louis.
We were told about the place by two Kenya students at Washington University in St Louis (the VP debate venue) Joyce Mugure and Raphael 'Rafohz' Njoroge, who had about a bar where Kenyans and other Africans congregate in big numbers.
Come TGIF and we were ready to let the hair down. Another Kenyan at the same campus, Mohammed Ibrahim, was at hand to drive us to the African Palace.
And what do we find? Good ole Tusker Lager in the heart of the American Midwest!
And as we were quenching a we heard somebody shout "Basett", and in came counding Benedict 'Brito' Odhiambo who was overjoyed to bump into a real live TV star from home. Brito, a typical Nairobi Eastlander, was intent on covering our table with drinks, jaza meza style.
All good things must come to an end, and eventually we had to tear ourselves away from Brito's welcome. As we staggered out at around 10.00am Brito was really disappointed that we did not have the patience to stay a couple of hours more when, he assured us, fellow Kenyans would flood the place. Nightbirds everywhere, it seems.
Well, we had to hit the road. Left St Louis on Saturday for Cowboy Country, Nashville, via a circuitous route that had us first fly north to Chicago and then back south just next door.
On Tuesday the big show comes to town, Barack Obama Vs John McCain at the Belmont University. Some of my relatives were really excited to hear that I am in Nashville, the home of Country Music. The KCs (Kikuyu Cowboys) brothers have plied me with enough orders for stetson hats and other paraphernalia including scarves, boots, leather waistcoats and checked shirts, not to mention Charley Pride, Dolly Parton and Don Williams music audio cassettes (Yes, audio cassettes ! ! !), to fill a theme store. There may be some business opportunities here.
The tour continues.
