Kenyan Welcome

It was 10:30pm and the air was hot and muggy.

We'd just arrived at Nairobi Airport to a warm welcome by our Kenyan host Dr Francis Ndungu. This was my second time in Africa, but my first time in Kenya. As we drove up to a vantage point overlooking the city I noticed the streets were fairly empty (something which would rarely be the case). Through a mask of barbwire we looked across at the haze covering the sleeping metropolis.

Some places were open including the American-style burger joint that was next on Francis' list. To my surprise, it was no cheaper than its western cousins.

Over that burger we learnt more about Francis who was turning out to be a walking paradox. A highly intelligent man at the top of his field of dentistry, who has lost count how many times he has played golf with the president and yet choses to spend his wealth on building up the nearby slums of Marurui.

The vast gap between 'the haves and the have-nots' was starting to open up before our eyes as we entered Ridgeways and Runda, two of the most expensive suburbs in Nairobi. Franics lives with his family in the latter, although he has given much of his posessions to the poor. He lives on the cutting edge between two worlds.

We would go to the slums on our return to Nairobi, but for now it was time to crash under mosquito nets as tomorrow we would embark on a 10 hour road journey to an orphanage in the distant western provinces of Kenya ...

The picture is of Francis (left), Lincoln (centre) and Tony (Francis's son - right)