Adjekpagbon Blessed Mudiaga
Dr. Raphael James, CEO of CRIMMD public library based in Idimu, Lagos, Nigeria, travelled to Kenya recently to interview the grandmother of American President, Mr. Barack Obama. This makes him the first Nigerian journalist that has interviewed Mama Sarah Obama, the American President’s grandmother. Upon his return to Nigeria, he shares his experiences with Bulkybon Periscopes
First time visitors to Kenya would certainly be thrilled by the breathtaking beautiful scenes commonplace in the country, as its economy depends on tourism in raising funds for national development.
James said when he arrived at the airport, he was given a VIP reception by two police men waiting in attendance to receive me, accompanied by his host, Professor George Luchiri Wajackoyah, and was driven straight to his palatial home, not far from the government house in Nairobi.
Recollecting how he knew George, he said “I first met Prof Wajackoyah in 2012 when he was contesting for the Presidency of Kenya under the 'ROOT Party.' He had visited my daughter Amb Oluebubechi, Africa's youngest published author and he engaged me as his Director of Press while in Nigeria. He is the first Kenyan to be awarded the highest honour by The Royal Government of His Majesty- Sultan Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram the First, The Sultan of Sulu & The Sultan of Sabah, Head of Islam & Head of Sultanate.”
Commenting on the good treatment he enjoyed, the CRIMMD boss informs that “After my breakfast, Prof commenced calls and started linking me with people that will make my stay a pleasurable one. Pascal Tabu Obama was the first on the line, the cousin of the President of the United States of America, who was also to act as my tour guard. Pascal is good with Kenya history and the tourist sites. We had a deal sealed and the journey commenced.
“Pascal lined up a lot of activities and places to visit with wide range of options available. He made sure that there was something to interest me. He educated me about Kenya, in addition to giving me introductory briefings upon arrival, and provided information relevant to my locations throughout the course of the safari. He answered my questions and offered explanations, and taught me a little African history and folklore as we moved along.”
Beaming on the places he went, James enthusiastically said “I visited several places, including the Kenya Wildlife Game Parks, Kenya Museums and Heritage, Museums and Archaeological sites, inside and around Lake Victoria.
“I was at the 'Uhuru Gardens' on Lang'ata Road, Nairobi, Kenya. It is the largest memorial park in Kenya. The inaugural ceremony for Kenya's first president, President Jomo Kenyatta was conducted at this park on December 12, 1963 when Kenya gained its independence. A 24-metre high monument commemorating Kenyas' struggle for independence is the centre piece of attractions at Uhuru Gardens. To one side of this monument is a statue of freedom fighters raising the Kenyan flag. Most of the trees in the garden were planted by prominent Kenyan citizens. While there I prayed under the Uhrur tree planted by The Hon Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, M.P. Prime Minister of Kenya at the site where the Kenyan National Flag was first raised on December 12, 1963.
“I visited the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, located inside the Nairobi National Park. It serves as treatment and rehabilitation centre for wild animals. The Orphanage hosts lions, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, gavel, warthogs, leopards, various monkeys, baboons and buffalo. Various birds can also be viewed including parrots, guinea fowls, crowned cranes and ostriches.
“I also visited the 'Karura Forest' gazetted in 1932 and managed by the 'Kenya Forest Service' in conjunction with the 'Friends of Karura Forest Community Forest Association.' It has an area of 1 063.0 ha, making it the largest of three main gazetted forest in Nairobi. It is located North of Central Nairobi and is bordered by the suburbs of Muthaiga, Gigiri, Runda, Ridgeways, Mathare North, Peponi and New Muthaiga. The Western part of the forest is also known as Sigiria Forest. The forest is made up of a waterfall, bamboo forest, marshland, Mau Mau caves and an old church among many others. The Forest is located in the city, as such several government, rich persons and businesses had made attempts to build housing estates within the forest lands but thank God for conservationists like Wangari Maathai, the leader of 'Green Belt Movement' who later became a 'Nobel Peace Prize Laureate'; she stood firm and campaigned for the preservation of the forest, not minding that she had been beaten and sentenced to prisons several times.
“I visited 'Kariokor' Market, a former colonial prison turned to market. It is a huge open-air market where you can find everything from traditional fabrics and souvenirs to food items such as vegetables, fish, fruit, etc. At lunchtime you could see many local workers from the area, taking advantage of the many affordable good eateries. I was surprised to find out that I can buy one banana from bunch for 10 Kenyan Shillings. It looks more like Ariere Market in Aba.
“I was also at the 'Nairobi National Park' that The National Park was established in 1946. It is located approximately 7 kilometres South of the centre of Nairobi with an electric fence separating the park's wildlife from the metropolis. The animals before now roamed freely and sometimes walked into people's houses. I was told of a nearby hotel where a lion walked in and had a hand shake with the occupants, don't ask me what happened after.
“Mervyn Cowie was the Conservationist that started it all after his return to Kenya after a nine-year absence in 1932 and was alarmed to see that animals had reduced in number. He fought for the creation of the game reserve and in 1946 it was officially opened. Thank God for the foresight of Mervyin as Kenya is making so much money from the park now.”
However, the Nigerian journalist specifically appreciates his contact with the famous Lake Victoria, by expressing his joy that “It was delighted when I visited 'Lake Victoria' the world largest tropical lake. It is also the world's second largest fresh water lake by surface area, world's ninth largest continental lake and obviously Africa's largest lake by area. Its surface area is 68,800 km2 (26,600 sq mi) and it contains about 2,750 cubic kilometres (2.23×109 acre ft) of water. It occupies a shallow depression in Africa and has a maximum depth of 84m (276 ft) and an average depth of 40m (130 ft). Its catchment area covers 184,000 km2 (71,000 sq mi). It has a shoreline of 4,828 km (3,000 mi), with islands constituting 3.7 per cent of this length and is divided among three countries: Kenya (6 per cent or 4,100 km2 or 1,600 sq mi), Uganda (45 per cent or 31,000 km2 or 12,000 sq mi), and Tanzania (49 per cent or 33,700 km2 or 13,000 sq mi).”
According to him, “It is named after Queen Victoria by the explorer John Hanning Speke, the first Briton to document it in 1858, while on an expedition with Richard Francis Burton to locate the source of the Nile River. The Lake receives its water primarily from direct rainfall and thousands of small streams. The Kagera River is the largest stream flowing into this lake, with its mouth on the lake's western shore and it is drained solely by the Nile River near Jinja in Uganda. I had a plate of Fish garnished with pepper and vegetable.”
Apart from the aforesaid, the Nigerian journalist cum adventurer was also thrilled by other Kenya’s tourism landmarks such as the Nairobi National Museum. He posits that “While I was at the Nairobi National Museum, I was told that it was initiated in 1910 by a group of enthusiastic naturalists under the then 'East Africa and Uganda Natural History Society. When the first site, 'Nyayo House', became too small, a larger building was put up in 1922 where the Nairobi Serena Hotel stands today. In 1929, the British colonial government set aside land for a museum construction at Museum Hill which was officially opened in September 22nd 1930 and named 'Coryndon Museum' in honour of Sir Robert Coryndon, one time Governor of Kenya.
“In 1963 after independence, it was re-named the 'National Museum of Kenya.' On October 15 2005, the 'National Museum of Kenya' was said to have closed down to the public due to extensive modernization and expansion repair work for fund generation and promotion of tourism. It was re-opened in June 2008 as the 'Nairobi National Museum', and continues to draw visitors from all walks of life including my humble self, in appreciation of Kenya's rich heritage. Today, it is an impressive piece of architectural site- a world-class museum.”
Recalling his preparation before embarking on the Kenya trip, the CRIMMD boss explains that “Before my visit, I had read so much about Kenya tea and the British Colonial master exclusive dominations of the tea farms until Kenyan independence in 1963. Hence, I also intended to visit Kericho - the land of tea.
“Kericho hosts most of the tea plantations since the beginning of large-scale tea production in the 1930s, acres of land are used for the production of tea. The once dense forest was cut down by the British colonial masters to make way for the rolling tea plantations, today the tea plantations are helping the economy of Kenya in the international trade market.
“I visited Mau Tea Multi-Purpose Co-op Society Ltd., in Kericho. The tea landscape is a beauty to behold. It looks like a giant green carpet from a distance. Among the indigenous Kipsigis smallholding growing tea farmers, one will notice smaller patches of tea gardens popping up amongst farmlands and forests; they make most of their living from tea production. Kericho also plants maize, beans, and coffee but tea is their major products. Kenyan tea is world renowned.”
Smiling with reminiscence of other pleasant hospitality he enjoyed, James also said “While in Kenya, I was adorned in Maasai Warrior Commander regalia and led a group of Maasai warrior in a battle dance. The Maasai are East Africa’s most celebrated indigenous people, who are tall, dark, slender, fearless, proud, and freedom loving. They are a pastoral tribes-group native to Southern Kenya and North-Central Tanzania, along the Great Rift Valley plains.
“They are great herders of cattle who live in the open wild, sharing their habitat with wildlife. They deem themselves as sons of Enkai –a monotheistic God, who gifted them with cattle – in fact, all the cattle in the world. They migrated Southward sometimes between the 14th and 16th centuries, probably in search of greener pastures for their beloved cattle.
“Along the way, they fiercely fought and displaced tribes they encountered. Around the 18th and 19th centuries, these nomadic Maa speaking Nilotes settled in their present domains in Kenya and Tanzania.”
Moreover, showing the historical librarian and adventurer that he is, the owner of CRIMMD delved into President Barack Obama’s ancestry with Kenya. “After Barack Obama 2006 visit as Senator to Kegelo- his father’s place of origin, the village's two schools were renamed after him thus; Senator Obama Secondary School and Senator Obama Primary School.
“Both schools educate children referred by Mama Sarah Obama's group. Obama family members donated land to expand the schools and international donors have helped them operate. I took time off to visit the schools and the grave sides of President Obama's father and grandfather respectively. An epitaph on the grave side says ‘Ibed gi kwe’ which means: rest in peace,” the journalist said.
James also commended the transportation system of Kenya, by saying that “I took a ride in the 'Matatu', privately owned minibuses decorated with portraits of leaders, music stars or and even football stars and famous slogans with loud music to attract passengers. It is like the Nigeria 'Molue' bus, only that Matatu are neat and beautifully decorated to attract you inside them, I enjoyed my ride.”
As a patriotic Nigerian, he said he also took time off his busy tours to pay courtesy visit to the Nigerian High Commissioner in Kenya - Mr. Friday Okai in his office at Lenana Road. He describes Okai as a nice fellow. “I asked him about his challenges as Chief Representative of Nigerians in Kenya and how he is handling issues concerning them and he assured me that all is fine,” the journalist cum librarian informed.
He concluded the sweet details of his trip by dwelling on notable personalities he met such as Mama Sarah Obama, the grandmother of the current American President, Mr. Barack Obama, amongst others. “A day to my departure back to Nigeria I was honoured with a "Friend of Kenya" stone carved work of the map of Africa with an opening door to Kenya, by a group of Barristers led by Prof Wajackoya.
“On the eve of departure my new found friend and able Tour Guard Pascal Obama, presented me with a copy of the biography of Wangari Muta Maathai - the Kenyan environmental and political activist, founder of the Green Belt Movement and the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner.
“I met with Ambassador (Dr) Sarah Hussein Obama aka Mama Sarah - World’s Most Famous Granny, the 96 old Kenyan educator and philanthropist. She is the only African and black woman ever known as a grandmother of an American president, the current most powerful man on earth. She is the second wife of the paternal grandfather of U.S. President Barack Obama, who he (President Obama) refers to as "Granny" in his memoir titled "Dreams from My Father," in which he describes meeting her during his 1988 trip to his father's homeland. He spoke about his "grandmother" too in his September speech to the U.N. General Assembly. Mama Sarah attended his first inauguration in 2009.
“Her home is located about 60 kilometres from Kisumu town, in Alego. She overwhelmed me with her exceptional reception and love, describing me as the first Nigerian Journalist to ever interview her. She is humble, loving and caring. I told her mission which was to interview her and she gladly accepted, at the end of the interview, she insisted that I must spend the night under her roof, despite all my appeal to move into a nearby hotel. She slaughtered a chicken and ordered that her domestic assistant should prepare a special ‘Ugali na kuku meal’ for me.
“She is awesome and she is a pride to humanity. Honestly, it was a great pleasure to meet a woman held in such high esteem across Kenya and internationally. She speaks the local language – ‘Dholuo,’ so I got an interpreter Naomi who is a Director of the Mama Sarah Foundation.
“From Mama's body language I knew I was welcomed, she was at home with me and treated me like a grandson too. Mama Sarah loves to talk and she was willing to take all my questions even when I felt it was late for her to catch some rest. She has a lot of stamina for someone of her age, which I admired as she is an elderly granny of 96. The tight security within her compound is also commendable.
“I was awesomely received and accepted and granted interview by her. I thank God for a mission accomplished. I also thank all those who contributed to the success of the trip both financially and morally in no particular order. I wish to thank Gen. Jones Arogbofa, Omobola Fashaola, Prof George Wajackoya for their support. I am immeasurably grateful to Mama Sarah for granting the interview. My regards also goes to Pascal Obama - my Tour Guard, Aunty Massart, Naomi Oketchhctek, Swedi Obama, Jane Longe, Nnenna Oti, my wife Folashade James and my children who gave permission for the journey.”
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