Patriotism in armband craze

I'm always amazed by the ingenuity of Kenyans. Browse around you for things uniquely Kenyan. I bet you will point out a marvel that speaks volumes about the creative genius behind it.

I will steer away from influencing your observation by way of hints. Recently, I had a sit-down with a Zimbabwean acquaintance in Kenya on business. A real bubbly fella with an opinion on everything under the sun. We met for tipple. He is a whisky guy, so before us was a bottle of Chivas. The conversation got off to a shaky start, I guess we were sizing each other up prodding at our comfort threshold.

Gradually, the liquor took the edge off and our conversation rambled on with relative ease. But there is so much one can ask about Uncle Bob. Each response I got sounded like something I've seen in a #someonetell tantrum on Twitter. In time, we exhausted politics, business and were onto the social realm. As our conversation progressed, we got to discussing peculiarities.

It was here that my acquaintance mentioned the armband, themed around the Kenyan flag. So he says to me, he has been to several African countries but it’s only in Kenya that he has come across this flag adorned armband craze.

I posed for a moment to reflect. Indeed, I have seen people rock those armbands as I make my everyday rounds but put very little thought into it. That revelation left me a tad patriotic. I made a mental note to acquire the subject armband next time I spot them on sale.

Look, don't you just feel a tinge when you see our runners donning garb tailored out of our national flag colors trouncing competition? Or better yet our rugby sevens team in their flag
t-shirts pulverizing competition cheered on by a handful of Kenyan fans, who drown any other noise in the stadia hysterically waving our flag?

Well, I don’t know what gives you that feel good kick about being Kenyan, whatever it is, rock it with pride today.


Courtesy of Richard Miriti