- Confrontation with Purity at Jamhuri
At the reception, the only available “hot drinks” were the twin sisters, Red and White wine. Sodaz and other Waters (Saft and his Big Brother, Juice) were available but according to a survey that was conducted at the scene by KSB researchers, much of the Soda waters and their relatives were mainly left untouched.
Some Kenya “Jamhuri veterans” who spoke to KSB said that they were “allergic” to Sodas and its distant relatives and that the Embassy ought to have known that not all Kenyans consume wine and other poisons which were being served. Although the food was “fantastic”, the brands that were supposed to “wash it down” were bogus.
A Kenyan who has been attending the Bagarmossen Church told KSB that those who were complaining about the absence of “other players” on the Drink menu should read the book of Timothy 5:23 which says that “No longer drink only beers and whisky but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments”.
What angered some Kenyans was the belief that Purity had cut off their major attraction to Janhuri because of her thinking that Kenyans “are just a bunch of alcoholics”. According to this school of thought, the drinks were banned to prevent Wakenya from “drinking themselves flat” at Scandic Plaza Hotel.
Last time when the reception was held at the Hotel, a Kenyan had to be carried away in a wheel chair by Hotel security who dumped him outside to take a Taxi home because he was “too zonked” to even remember where he was.
Another Kenyan had to be helped to walk along the corridor to the main entrance because his legs could no longer do their job properly. Whenever he tried to take a serious step, his legs just wobbled, prompting security personnel to come to his rescue.
A Kenyan told KSB that it was wrong for Purity to decide what people ought to drink at Jamhuri, arguing that the tradition of Jamhuri long before Purity came to the scene and which drives Kenya human traffic to the reception is the luxury of choice of drinks.
“We are adults and Purity should not limit what we drink at the Jamhuri reception. Those who were carried in wheel chairs last time do not represent the majority and their decision to black out should not be used to punish law abiding swallowers”, a Kenyan told KSB.
Lack of the “Big drinks” at the reception dampened the spirits of many Kenyans. They said that they would raise the issue but that if the trend continues, they will drop off Jamhuri reception next time because without drinks, attending the event “was a waste of time”.
As protests began to take shape, Mr. Andambi was called in to answer the questions but he said that he could not address the issue because “it was a difficult question”. It is at this point that the group decided to look for Purity to make their point. The confrontation was spectacular because they minced no words.
They told Purity that lack of key drinks at the reception was a violation of the rights and freedoms of others to choose. While threatening to boycott the event next time if their demands were not met, others vowed to bring their bottles of Whiskies and Heinekens next time, just in case their statement was not acted upon.
“We are capable of bringing our own drinks to the reception because there are people who do not consume wine or other poisons that were being served”, a Kenyan roared amid applause.
“The Embassy must learn to respect the rights of Kenyans to choose what they want to swallow when food is being served because Kenya now has a new Constitution”, another citizen said firmly.
What is not known is whether Purity will be around during the next Jamhuri because her tour of duty has already expired. Since August, she has been living on borrowed time because Kibaki, who is supposed to recall her, has been sleeping for much of the time at State House, Nairobi.
Okoth Osewe
About the Author
That’s Purity for you. You praise her kitenge then realize her treatment of Kenyans is still bad.Last year when Prime Minister Raila visited, Kenyans were treated to water and soft drinks with no drop of alcohol to flush down their food, yet she entertains other foreigners with the same hard drinks.