The streets of Githurai at night and during the day!
Welcome to Githurai, the land of milk and honey since kitambo before the coming of Mr Googz. Remember na wasee tumetoka Githurai? Guess walihama. This is that place you walk wary of everything and anything. From pickpockets and drugging if not being ran over by the careless and ever in a hurry matatu drivers. They are ever rough if not rude. Thugs here don’t use force unnecessarily, you chat like old buddies as you had over your valuables. On rare cases they will brandish guns but hardly shoot, only when you prove to be too stubborn or too intelligent for your own good.
Then the mitumba hawkers who will sell to you by force. Ladies here are most vulnerable. He will get hold of your arm saying ‘Ni bure kuona na kupima’ such are hawkers everywhere including Ngara. Well, need I say?
The landlord will start a 6 storey building that he expects you to enter before it’s complete and start paying quickly so that he can pay that loan. Did I tell you that when constructing the foundation, water was oozing from underground and that the masons had to use buckets to get the water out? The land was initially a swamp. That kind of explains the mayhem that happens when it rains. Previously, the land was green with arrow roots which mama mboga told you, came from Githunguri. Deal with it, now you know! This water normally mixes up with the sewer outside every apartment. I’m just saying!
The estate (hic) comes to life at night when the food sellers come by the road sides, you would be forgiven to think that it’s the great exodus. The chapatti guy who is ever rooted on the same spot. In the morning before you wake up he is there all the way into late night. Did I tell you that his chapattis are addictive?
Walking on the streets in the evening you breathe in different air with each step. Dust, chapattis, githeri, mutura, car fumes, beer and sewer.
Forget Zuri there are the matatu vans owners and operators I must congratulate that they are still in business with such stiff competition. But again the place is over populated. You rub and bump shoulders taking extra care not to step on people’s feet, wares on the ground and ever watching the vehicles whizzing past you in great speed.
Every street corner in Githurai is infested with food joints and salons. Wait! Did I mention water holes? Oh! The mutura sellers of the meat of your choice from beef, mutton, pork, and chicken you name it. Sausage and samosa sellers’ hadi za waru and ndengu. Jeez! You need to visit this place yawa! If this isn’t the Promised Land then I don’t know what is!
Maziwa ATMs and chips mwitu are in plenty. I can’t and won’t forget the carpenters and their expert handicraft exhibited right outside their premises. Normally they will be perched on the expensive looking couches waiting for their potential customers like birds of prey and will pounce on you should you go sticking your nose in their business.
Ever, season in season out there is always a new building being constructed. I wonder where this space comes from! People complain that it’s overly populated but this guys must be performing miracles of space building. That is the infamous Githurai.
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