Maddening Thicker Road

it's official, Thika Road has now been designated Thicker Road. And only because it's the only road in Nairobi that can miraculously transform itself from a two lane highway into an 8 lane highway in the same speed it takes a porsche to attain maximum speed 0-100mph in 4 seconds...or something along those lines. I was driving upcountry to Nanyuki to spend a lovely madaraka day weekend. In extremely typical fashion, a guy in a peugot 504 (which have become extremely rare contraptions in this Toyota country) has car problems on the right lane and makes the utterly wise decision to deal with said problems on the spot. To his right, is the road shoulder, not even 3 feet away where he and the other male occupant of the car could have pushed the problematic car. To his left is a long snake of at least 3 semi-trailers heavily laden with goods en route to the North Eastern frontier that have reduced traffic to a snail pace.

In the time it takes to say, what the bloody hell, sixty four matatus have taken the very space that 504 man should have parked his vehicle to form another 4 lanes of traffic to maintain the Soul II Soul mantra of "keep on moving". Needless to say, we came to a complete standstill at the bewitching hour of 1 p.m. A few kilometres ahead, another road block, this time a pedestrian who probably should have been looking right instead of left, lay prostrate on the ground, blood oozing from his mouth and his limbs unnaturally twisted in ignominous death. He had been hit by a Canter whose windscreen was smashed with little else damaged. I said a silent prayer for his family who would be waiting for him to come home that night wondering why he was late.....