In the City Of Rats

L. Akitelek Papakemus on the aggression of the Nairobian.

I however know for certain that I am not a big rat by Nairobi standards. This is evidenced in a series of signs posted on several unfortunate trees along Ngong Road: “Hapana kodjoa.”; “Hapana kodjoa hapa!”; “Usikodjoe hapa kabisa”; and finally with all the pent up frustration of an unheeded sign writer, there was, “Usikodjoe hapa mjinga wewe!” When I get to be that big a rat, I’ll put in an application to drop out of the rat race. Meanwhile “if you can’t beat them join them”, and perhaps strive to be the best (but not the “biggest”) rat you can be.

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