When I woke, I thought I would be studying intensely but it is apparent I failed measurably on my plan. My morning went pretty much by the book, covering a serious load of work before it all went wrong. Someone decided to buy me a sumptuous lunch throwing my day totally off course. After lunch I decided to be young for once and go out on a date, furthermore yesterday was valentines .So today begins from now; a Langata to town matatu ride costs 50 shilling on a bad day but today it cost 80 shillings. Considering that I was going out for a date and my stingy nature, this was already a bad day. I get into the matatu and this man, Francis Mwachari (if you are wondering how I know him calm down I’m getting there) has 50 shillings and no more. He glanced at me and explains his case so I part with another 50 shillings and tell him to keep the deficit, this is followed by some awkward silence and he starts explaining how the situation in Dar es Salaam is different in terms of traffic. So, here is this man without transport money and here I am this Strathmore educated economist. I throw out a string of lines laced with economic jargon and clearly, it throws him off track. Then I realize it may become a one-sided conversation and I become Kamau, the young boy who still fears his mother’s wrath. Francis has a lot to offer; he lost all his documents recently and is in Nairobi trying to replace them. He may not portray this but he is a tower of wisdom, well-articulated and has an intense mastery of the bible. What I Iearnt from Francis today is worth more than what my parents have paid so much and sent me to school for. I finally get to town and meet my date. Francis had warned me about women with artificial hair. Suffesa| ©2012
“Together we Achieve” Normally my date would have donned a well-kept Mohawk but luckily, today she has none. She’s a lady from a different clan from me and we have a friendship that would otherwise be unorthodox, but behind all these, she has a lot to offer. A milkshake and a bowl of ice cream later, we are both laughing hysterically but unfortunately, it’s time to go home. Honestly at this point, I can’t tell what tribe she is but I can tell we won’t vote for the same person in the coming election As soon as the matatu leaves town it’s grazed by a Rongai matatu. If you didn’t know a Rongai matatu views Nairobi as a haven to act out all its madness, I guess it’s because it may take another two days before making the trip back into town. I’m seated with a lady going home after a day at her business in Muthurwa. Unluckily, one is never lucky twice so I don’t get her name. The driver is an inspired character, this I can tell from his driving and his political views. He tells me he never wakes up early but always sleeps late. The reason behind this is ingenious considering he does not study equilibrium demand. Now I’m home. So what are banks in Kenya? In theory, they drive economies but this is a flawed argument. Banks feed on us. What Francis ,me, the matatu and the lady passenger have in common is that we all woke up feeling like Mohammed Ali in Congo, and the sun shining on us was the world singing Ali Bomaye. In essence, banks make all the profits but Kenyans do all the work and that is what I know about banking in Kenya. By Kamau Waweru