Nothing is off limit in Nairobi, and why KQ is set to fly high

I have never been to Nairobi, or even Kenya. As someone who travels almost constantly, this is a serious omission on my part.

It is certainly not by design. On the occasions where the opportunity has presented itself, the stars just haven’t quite aligned. This week I am able to right this long-standing wrong.

After many years of travelling, this trip will also offer up a rare opportunity: A completely new experience.

Just over a week ago I boarded what is currently the world’s longest flight: Singapore to New York. Now I’ll admit that I’m a bit of an aviation nerd — there is something magical about these great metal birds that blast their way into the sky, defying gravity and whisking you above the clouds to somewhere new.

However, this was something else: A new frontier, something that truly pushes the boundaries of technology and takes the state of the art that little bit further. I loved every moment of all 18 hours of it. It was a new, unique experience.

SIMILAR SENSATION
This week I’m sure will bring a similar sensation. Of course I know things about Kenya and East Africa. I’ve interviewed many of Kenya’s business leaders and politicians. I’ve spoken at length to colleagues who have reported on all the twists and turns of the country’s economy. I know about its growing promise, the challenges and the pace of change. I’ve seen the ambition, the ideas and the energy that emanate from Kenya. I’ve read about the architecture, heard the music, and looked at photos of the art.

But this week, finally, I will have the chance to listen and learn for myself, on the ground, in the thick of the action. It’s a rare and wonderful opportunity. I am excited. There is so much to see and do. I cannot wait.

Day One

Gliding into Nairobi’s airport early on Monday morning, the first thing I noticed was the light. Even over the terminal buildings, it was just gorgeous. I was back in Africa.
Almost immediately, my reasons for coming were further reinforced.

Yes, there were queues at immigration, but no more than one might find during a busy period at JFK or Heathrow. Perhaps it felt a little chaotic, with some confusion in arrivals about where exactly passengers should go and what was required of them. But overall it worked. The staff was excellent and determined to help. The building was modern, clean, attractive and made sense. The lines outside for taxis and Ubers were neat and orderly.

Of course, once I began my journey into the city by road, the cliché of traffic-clogged streets revealed itself to be true. At one point I was able to hop out of the car to stretch and remove my jacket, with no fear whatsoever that my driver would gain more than a few inches of ground on me.

KARURA FOREST
As we reached the city centre, that cliché was overtaken by something else: A sense that Nairobi’s citizens take pride in their home. The flower beds and neatly trimmed trees, the new roads, the signs, the general respect for other road users. There is something both gentle and genteel about it.

We spent the afternoon in Karura Forest. If you wanted something to underscore this sense of pride you would be hard pushed to find a more pristine example. Here is a park that rivals New York’s Central Park, London’s Hyde Park, or Sydney’s botanic gardens.

Of course I discovered Karura’s remarkable history, learnt about its sometimes checkered, shady past, the land grabbers, and the ultimately successful campaign to save it for the people.

But more than that, I saw a place that Kenyans have taken to their hearts. This is a place that is ring-fenced, literally and figuratively, for ordinary Nairobians to enjoy.

We saw couples hand in hand, joggers, women walking alone. We also saw wildlife, different species of monkey, all kinds of birds, all around us.

It was safe, spotlessly clean, peaceful and completely beautiful. All this, just minutes away from the city centre. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting this. Our guide told us that 37,000 people visited Karura last month. I can see why. I’m more than impressed.

Day Two
Day two in Nairobi took me back in time. It’s been many years since I presented a breakfast show on CNN International. Back in those days I would get up at around 3.30am, so there was barely any point going to bed. This morning I joined the energetic Maqbul Mohammed in his radio studio. It was a free-ranging discussion that took in everything from my upbringing in Liverpool, through to Kenya’s economic, social and cultural challenges, via Brexit and even a blast of Gloria Gaynor.

It was also an invigorating, eclectic wake-up, and showed that no topic is off-limits here in ‘open and liberal’ Nairobi. The same was true an hour later, when I joined outspoken morning host Shaffie Weru and his colleague Maina Kageni for another free-wheeling half-hour or so on the airwaves.

The morning was a reminder of the immense skill that it takes to deliver great radio, and it was hugely enjoyable to spend it in the company of such talented professionals.

Shaffie joined us for the afternoon, too. We visited CJ’s on Koinange Street, where we got down to a serious talk for my show, Quest’s World of Wonder.

FRANK EXCHANGE

You’ll be able to see more of our chat in a few weeks’ time; but suffice to say it was another frank exchange. I have so appreciated the opportunity to take on tough topics here in Kenya — it isn’t the case everywhere in the world, and it’s a positive sign.

Being able to say what you want, to tackle taboos and confront issues is so important for a country. Put simply, it is good for people, and good for business. The more open, the better; I hope Kenya remains on that trajectory.

At CJ’s I also noticed signs above the tills carrying the number needed to pay with M-Pesa.

What a wonder that is, and one that speaks to the innovation inherent in the economy here. When you see hawkers on the street taking payments in M-Pesa, it truly is a remarkable thing. There was, however, one constant that has remained during my visit, and today was no exception. The traffic!

Day Three
Having spent the first couple of days of my trip looking at Nairobi’s contemporary, dynamic side, today I delved a little into its past.

Our day began before sunrise, driving out to the Giraffe Manor resort to experience one of Kenya’s famous Big Five at close quarters.

I had not expected that this trip would involve lip-to-lip contact with a giraffe, but with a food pellet in my mouth to temp the elegant creature in for a kiss, I was reminded that every experience has a price.

Giraffe Manor is a surreal place, a luxurious resort that also performs a valuable role in animal conservation, in a building that is the quintessential colonial relic. It is beautiful. However, at the end of the day, it is also an experience reserved for the wealthy.

We drove on to Uhuru Gardens and the monuments commemorating Kenya’s hard-won independence. It began to rain a little as I walked quietly around the 20th anniversary monument, looking up at the statues of freedom fighters lifting the Kenyan flag.

SHARED HISTORY
It is inevitable, as a visitor from Britain, that I must reflect on the difficult shared history between our two countries.

Standing beneath the statues and contemplating what they represent was pause for thought.

The past should not be forgotten; but today, with an eye on the future, I also celebrate the close ties between the UK and Kenya.

Our next stop, the Nairobi Railway Museum is an essential one for any visitor. Nairobi didn’t exist before the railway.

Looking at these old, slightly decaying, beautifully engineered steam trains in the centre of the city, with Nairobi’s modern skyline growing around them, was almost as incongruous as my breakfast with the giraffes.

Amid the hardship and misery endured by those who built the East Africa Railway, there is an incredible story of achievement. Their immense sacrifices literally created Nairobi.

The Railway Museum is a monument to that time and those people, and also a reminder of the power of transport to change our world and, ultimately, bring us together.

I will be thinking of those steam trains as KQ’s Dreamliner takes off for New York on Sunday.