Chepararia express

Chepararia is right after Kapenguria town. Kapenguria to those of us from especially Central and Eastern Kenya is kilometres from Eldoret town.

The return journey from Nairobi to Chepararia is 923 kilometres. Both ways done overnight. We stopped at Eldoret for 2 hours on our way and about an hour at Chepararia on our way back.

The road is in excellent condition(It beats many Nairobi roads) all the way save for some short distance between Eldoret and Kapenguria. This road extends all the way to Lowdar.

Chepararia is extremely beautiful or even mystique you could say. The hills slide into each other beautifully and the fauna is breath taking. My ignorance had informed me how dry the place is-judge from the pictures yourself and see how wrong I was.

When I told a couple of my friends I was going to Chepararia, West Pokot county the questions I was asked included:-

1. Is there a 6.00 to 6.00 government curfew? No

2. Do you have armed escort?No.

3. Do you own a gun or do you know someone with one? No- ( You thought I could say yes).

4. What will you do when you see cattle rustlers or armred bandits? Run like Kemboi. No.

5. Is this place the same as Cheparpar? No

Anyway, we got to Chepararia safe and sound. Thank God. The place is hot. The people there are extremely welcoming. Very welcoming. It felt like home.

And for the first time I felt glaringly light skinned. I have not been in gathering where 98% of the people are truly dark skinned. That means when I walked inside the maze of people they could identify where I was by just looking up. I was an extreme minority!

Then the little matter of the bathroom(shower) arose. Let me point out here that this community is still inherently and strongly parochial. The men take their bath in the river. Women are not allowed there. I tried eveything in the book to try and have a look at it- they refused completely- threating to even invoke our ancestors.

Back to my shower area. I am told "there is the bathroom". I look and see nothing, a mtungi and basin. I ask again, where? There- same thing. They were talking of an empty area behind some massive ant hill (they are common there). That was where I was being directed. That is where I showered. I tell you, necessity is the mother of invention.

The whole funeral service was conducted in the Pokot language so we heard not even a single word. Even the P.S, Deputy governor, MCA's, Knut officials , church officials spoke in that dialect. And the community is very cohesive everyone was there. And the dear departed was a teacher- a female for that matter. A favorite in the community.

I never saw any food crops growing. Interestingly though, I saw some children and women climb a tree to get some " mboga" apparently ni "tamu sana". #TembeaKenya uone tofauti za tamaduni na nchi.

Rest in peace Mwalimu.

Sojourner.

My traveling family thanks for making this possible.

P.S I got a marriage proposal- a million shillings was put on the table....,.....