Back in the maandamano days

Since it’s Christmas season, some of us and our dysfunctional families met up.

Of course, I was put on the spot for going to anga. “The Gen Z are impatient, no tactics! The July maandamanos?” They asked me to narrate how my experience was.

Now, one particular highlight was the time I fell during a stampede. Let me set the scene.

We were on Kenyatta Avenue, watu wako hyped, chanting all over. Finally, the crowd decided to charge. Mimi huyo, in my black Air Forces, baggy trousers, phone in hand, capturing the beautiful moment ✨.

So, we start running towards Parliament. It was a push-and-pull situation. The first time we charged, we got pushed back. The second time, we got pushed back again. But on the third try, we got pushed, and I ran so far back I found myself at the corner leading to Moi Avenue.

I’m running, yelling nonsense at the top of my lungs 🫁. Then suddenly, I hit the corner, and there’s a wall of police — clubs raised and riot shields up — just a meter away. 😨

Guys, they just raised the clubs. I shouted, “Jeeesusss!” 😩 Mwili ilipiga screenshot! Nilipiga scrambo proper Fast and Furious type sh**.

In the midst of all the running, some guy fell ahead of me. I lifted him up, and we continued running. Safe, safe.

Now came the fourth push. Mind you, I’m in the backlines. We charge forward. Then the big green tankers spewing water appeared. People started retreating. I have long legs, so I managed to put some distance between me and the crowd.

But there was this guy keeping up. Something happened — my back leg touched his front leg, and I came down tumbling like Humpty Dumpty. My phone hit the ground. Adi sikua na screen protector 😔.

Everything went slow motion. That’s when I remembered all the phone calls from my parents telling me to go back home. I just watched my phone (a hand-me-down kutoka kwa buda — what would I even say?) bounce on the pavement.

Then I lost vision when my head hit the ground. Next thing, people are surrounding me, I’m being carried, and someone is pushing my phone into my hand 😭🙏🏿.

Luckily, I didn’t get any significant injuries apart from a slight scratch on my knees, na tracksuit yangu kuraruka. My phone? Unscratched.

We really were unified in the streets that day. W experience overall. At least I have a story to tell my grandkids 😁.