I have been on leave:

I have just completed my leave and it was a well-deserved two weeks of rest and recreation – R&R. as my family is based in Nairobi, the Nairobi traffic was my biggest irritant and I now even more than ever before wonder how I was able to survive all that time in the big city. I also found out that we are now a nation of tortoises and sloths driving around at zero speed and clogging up the roads in the process.

On one memorable drive along the Nairobi-Limuru Road while on leave, there was a solid line of traffic on both outbound lanes as private vehicles tried to keep up with the long distance trucks just below the 50 kilometers per hour speed limit. How ridiculous you might think until you are the one facing a roadside magistrate and being slapped with an over speeding fine!! Nowadays people are so scared of being caught over speeding that they would rather err on the side of caution and therefore crawl through life at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour or less……..only in Nairobi!!

The issue of speeding is now one of the conversational topics you are likely to have when you meet up with friends as well as warning anyone new into the country to be aware of the speed rules and therefore they should drive sloooowly!! Alcoblow comes a close second in favorite topics for discussion.

But I am now back to Nyeri and what a difference two weeks has made. The main road into town is now being re-carpeted and in some sections being completely redone. The abandoned section of the road just after Gatitu at Wambugu Farm has also been completed. Traffic flows have been seriously affected as they have closed off parts of the road and diverted traffic to use alternate (almost none existent) roads as the asphalt laying machine does its thing. It almost feels like a mini Nairobi what with the resultant traffic jams.

I am not sure if road closure notices are a legal requirement as I have not seen any notice of intention to close the roads to vehicular traffic in Nyeri but all seem to be taking it in their stride though I would like to bash someone over the head for increasing my commute time to work by a factor of almost 4 – from 4 minutes to 15 minutes!!

All in all I am well refreshed and raring to go through this rat race called life even as we hurtle to a crescendo in this final quarter of the year 2014. Before we know it we shall be celebrating Christmas and the New Year!!