This archive report was first published on 26 November 2019.
It was my first time in Nairobi, and I had only heard stories about the city from my high school friends who hailed from Buruburu and Umoja. I had always been fascinated by the tales of these residential estates that commanded respect, especially if you added salt and said you hailed from Buruburu Phase 2 or Umoja Innercore.
However, my first-hand experience of the city was a far cry from the stories I had heard. I was a college student, and I had just arrived in Nairobi for my undergraduate studies. I was excited to explore the city, but little did I know that I would soon find myself lost in the midst of it all.
My journey began when I decided to go to Gikomba to spruce up my wardrobe in readiness for town life. I had heard about the big open air market where clothes that had been enjoyed in Europe were sold at affordable prices. My shopping spree was uneventful, but I was mesmerized by the sheer size of the market and the variety of clothes available.
But as I walked back towards the hostels, I realized that I could not trace my way back. I had been walking for about an hour, and I was starting to get worried. I had heard horror stories about the city, and I was afraid of losing my cargo to matatu touts who kept pulling me to enter into the next moving matatu.
As dusk settled in the city, and the magnificent street lights started coming on, I was sure I was lost forever. I was afraid to ask for directions because I didn’t know who my enemy was. The polite looking gentleman in a starched suit could end up misleading me into an abandoned building and harvesting my internal organs. The matronly looking lady at the corner shop could end up holding me in her basement car park and keeping me as a slave.
But I was lucky. I spotted Jevanjee Gardens, and I remembered having passed by the gardens the previous day as I went for registration. In less than five turns, I found my way back to the hostels. I was sweating profusely from what I considered a lucky escape.
Today, if anyone genuinely asks me for directions in town, I get out of my way to escort them to their exact destination. I would not wish anyone to suffer the same fate.
