Backpacking Through Africa 24 – Veterinary Medicine

 The revised version of their story went like this: They were poor veterinary students who had never attended high school but had fled the civil war raging in Uganda and were headed to Tanzania, to Dar es Salaam, to meet an Anglican bishop who would arrange their journey to Germany.

Wait, hadn’t he said earlier that he studied medicine? Well, veterinary is animal medicine. And hadn’t the Ugandan civil war ended years ago? True, the authorities claimed so, but in reality, the country was extremely dangerous—just today, six people had been killed, guerrillas were everywhere, trains weren’t running, boats on Lake Victoria were very unsafe, and they strongly advised me against going there.

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 23 – Refugees in Distress

 
Since they had nothing else, I ordered a Coke, while he asked for a glass of water. Hmm. The waitress seemed to know him but said nothing, only giving him a dirty look.

Then his friend appeared— considerably older and not particularly intelligent-looking. He was also very polite, though his English was much worse.

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 22 – The Restaurant

 He led me quite far from the main road. He himself didn’t seem dangerous, but you never know if his friends might be waiting around the corner. It wouldn’t be the first time.

When we entered a building with no sign of a restaurant, I checked if my knife was still in place.

 On the first floor, you could indeed get a drink, but there were no other guests.

In East Africa, soft drinks and beer are a state monopoly, and their price in shops is almost the same as in the best hotels. All other drinks are significantly more expensive.

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 21 – Medical Student

 The young man was excessively polite, which is rare in Kenya. He was a medical student soon to study in Germany. Was he taking up my time? No? And had I also recently finished my studies? Well, then we were practically colleagues. Welcome to Africa! It was a great honor for him to speak with me. Could he invite me for a drink?

I concluded that he was probably the son of wealthy parents, not often in Nairobi, and thus didn’t see many white people. Well, I could spare some time—maybe he’d have something interesting to say.

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 20 – Mzungu! Mzungu!

 The word mzungu (muzungu), meaning 'white person'—and beloved by screeching urchins all over East Africa— was coined in the days of the early European explorers.

It comes from the Kiswahili verb kuzunguka: 'to wander around aimlessly, like a mad person.' The Swahili word for a hangover, kuzungu-zungu ('my head's going round and round'), comes from the same root.

Travelers wandering around aimlessly and nursing hangovers? Not much has changed...

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 20 – Swahili

 Swahili is a mixture of East African languages, Arabic, and English.

In Tanzania, Kenya, and parts of neighboring countries, it is introduced as a second official language because communication among the multitude of tribal languages would otherwise be difficult. 
"Habari?" for example, is a distorted version of "How are you?"  

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 19 – Habari bwana

 Greetings in Africa are a true ritual, and it’s good to learn them if you want to have good relations with the locals. A typical Swahili greeting goes something like this:

"Jambo bwana!" (Hello, sir/ man!) or 

"Jambo muzungu!" (White person)

"Jambo mama! Habari?" (Hello, ma’am/ woman, how are you?)

"Mzuri! Habari bwana?" (Fine! How are you, sir?) 

"Mzuri!" (Good!) 

"Karibu!" (Welcome!)

"Asante sana." (Thank you very much.) 

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 14 – Jambo Bwana

 
"Jambo bwana!" greeted a young man who had hurried after me on the street and looked at me brightly.

"Jambo!" I replied, slightly surprised.
He probably wanted something from me— in Africa, people rarely greet without a specific reason.
He was a head shorter than me and likely not yet of legal age.

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Eti 111

 

Eti 108

 

Eti 105

 

Backpacking Through Africa 18. - 90,000 Kikuyu were killed

 
90,000 Kenyans – mainly Kikuyu – were killed, maimed, and tortured; another 160,000 were imprisoned in camps under inhumane conditions.

The uprising nevertheless shook the settlers deeply. When the problem was settled at the London conference in 1960, many settlers left for Rhodesia, South Africa, and Australia.

With a Backpack Through Africa 17: Mau Mau

 The colonial authority panicked. They declared a state of emergency, and began confining people to "protected villages" surrounded by barbed wire and ditches, where a curfew applied.

By the defeat of the Mau Mau rebels in 1960, 13,500 Africans – Mau Mau guerrillas, civilians, and soldiers – had died, along with about 100 Europeans, including 32 settlers.

Backpacking Through Africa 16 Mau Mau uprising

 Their demands escalated,but the colonial authority was less willing to concede. Members of the Kikuyu, Maasai, and Luo tribes began gathering at meetings where they solemnly swore death to Europeans and their collaborators.

The Mau Mau uprising began. The rebellion against whites quickly degenerated into widespread slaughter, especially among individual parties, attacks on farms, and killing livestock.

 Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 15 Colonial Authority

 Meanwhile, more and more Kikuyu tribe members were moving to Nairobi or being forcibly relocated from their land, fuelling resentment.

Their leader Harry Thuku was imprisoned by the British.

After World War II, the Kenya African Union (KAU), a political organization opposing colonial rule, strengthened. Its demands became sharper,

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 14

 The continuation of the story is similar to the colonization history of the USA. White settlers began moving to the fertile highlands north of Nairobi and forced the authorities to push the Maasai into two reserves. 

In 1911, despite the treaty, they seized the northern reserve and relocated the Maasai to the southern one. By 1920, the number of settlers had grown to 9,000, and by 1950 to 80,000.

 Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 14 White Settlers

 At the time, the Maasai were involved in a civil war between two tribal factions, the Ilmaasai and Iloikop.

They were also weakened by hunger and disease. Therefore, the British more easily concluded an agreement with Maasai leader Olonano and built the Mombasa-Uganda railway. They transferred the seat of their colonial authority to Nairobi.

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 13 Turbulent History

 The history of British colonialism in East Africa is not that long. The Kenyan interior remained untouched until the 1880s due to the fierce Maasai warriors.

However, European explorers had already penetrated all over Africa by then, and the conquest of Kenya was only a matter of time.

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 12 Bolsheviks

 
Mrs. Roche is a fascinating woman. She is Polish by birth, Janina Jurkowska. As a young girl, the Bolsheviks exiled her along with thousands of compatriots to Siberia. Later, she ended up in Iran and India before sailing to Tanzania and then Kenya.  Her brother joined the British colonial police and was killed by Mau Mau rebels in the 1950s. Her husband, half Irish and half Indian, died twenty years ago, and their children now live in Canada.

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 11: Mrs Roche's

 
Her hotel is popular among travelers due to its pleasant homely atmosphere. It consists of a wooden house and two barracks – one with dormitories, the other with sanitary facilities. In the kitchen, where breakfast is served every morning, there is a bulletin board with something new every day, while the veranda and lounge are perfect for evening chats.

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)