Nairobi Nagar

Share a Coke with Hezi, Raju, Hamisi, Kevo, Mato, Maiko, Hamed...

Often we find, that travelling is a process of unlearning and relearning several things about the places that we visit. During my time working as a sales representative, I got the chance to visit several corners of the country and the world which I had never seen before. I have been fortunate to have had the chance to see their cultures first hand. However, being the Indologist that I am, my interest often revolves around the Indian diaspora. With every visit to a different part of the world, the diaspora has awed me with its brilliance amidst diversity.

In July 2015, my work required me to travel to Nairobi, Kenya’s economic and political hub. Often, one identifies an international business visit (even a modest one like mine), with western food, monotonous hotels, an alien society and homesickness. Here’s my experience: a Masala Dosa or Upama for breakfast, occasionally a Missal for lunch, Punjabi dishes with warm Phulkas for dinner, weekend excursions where my colleagues took me to the local RSS Shakha, or the colossal ISKON temple, and several work days ending with a hard earned Kulfi ice cream or a Kalkatta Paan. My ears had never heard so much of ‘Kem chho’ or ‘Ki haal tussi’, until I set foot in East Africa.

‘Nairobbery’, as it is dubbed by the western media, is a bustling metropolis with a unique social fabric. The weather is immensely pleasant, as are the people. Soon after I left the airport, the sheer number of Indians there grabbed my attention. With two weeks in the country, hosted by a highly knowledgeable colleague and a wonderful friend, Bhavik Shah, who is also a sixth-generation Kenyan Indian, my visit was nothing less than a roller coaster ride.

The street is full of colorful advertisements like these.

There are several amazing things that I have seen in this country: their natural wealth, the unique tribal composition, their indigenous English dialect being a few. What captivated my attention as always, was the role that the Indian diaspora plays in the country.

Here’s a summary:  

Shah, Singh and Reddy  

Now Indians, the race that we are, have a proclivity to divide ourselves up on societal lines wherever we go, be it caste, religion, region, language, or any reason imaginable. No matter how homogenous our social group may be, we will still find ways and means to classify ourselves. This postulate also applies in the case of Kenya’s Indians, a seemingly uniform group, majority of which are comprised by Gujaratis of the Vaishya caste, along with large communities of Punjabis and Telugu speakers.

The Gujaratis have their own established hierarchy, with the powerful Nizari Shias (the Aga Khan Muslims) at the top of the economic ladder having stakes in every other major economic vertical, and the Aga Khan is known to have raised humongous donations from followers in this country. They are followed by the Oswal Jains who are a close second. The close-knit community, who have always been influential in Subcontinental history, be it financing the British in the Battle of Plassey, to deciding the rules of the game of the modern Indian stock market (Motilal Oswal), have their own Panchayat and a luxurious clubhouse in the heart of Nairobi, where they meet on weekends and festivals. After the Nizari and Oswal, are the Patels, along with other kinds of Gujarati people such as the Vaishnav and the Dawoodi Bohra ruling the roost. The Punjabis also enjoy a lion’s share in the power game here.

And a Chhaganlal Morarji.

A common sight on the street: shops having Indian names. Here's a Bachulal Popatlal.

The Gujaratis and the Punjabis being entrepreneurial in nature, have their muscle rivaled only by the rich and landowning Kikuyu tribe of the country. Such is their might, that when I visited remote Kisumu, a sleepy town of a few hundred thousand people on the banks of Lake Victoria, almost 400 kilometers away from Nairobi, I could only see shops and businesses with names such as Gulabchand, Popatlal, Harilal, along with an equal number of Singh & Co., Singh Brothers, Nanak Enterprises. During the day, the Gujarati and Punjabi communities call the shots in every notable sector of the economy of the country, while in the evening they unwind at the tranquil Nairobi Gymkhana in the plush City Park area of the city. The Nairobi Gymkhana is also, unsurprisingly, the abode of cricket in the country, being the home stadium of Kenya’s national cricket team and hosting several international matches.

After the Gujaratis and Punjabis, the large community of Telugu people also deserves a mention. Making up most of the white-collar workforce in the Gujarati and Punjabi businesses, they act as the managers and skilled labor in these firms, forming their backbone, and enjoy the trust and respect of their bosses. The Marathis, enjoying fame for several decades as able teachers and doctors in the country, are now fast disappearing, with the lone Maharashtra Mandal in the city often wearing a deserted look. The legendary Marathi actor, Dr. Shriram Lagoo, is known to have practiced as a physician for several years in Kenya.

There is a full fledged RSS Shakha, Hindu Sewa Committee, Gurudwara Committee, Indian Muslims organizations belonging the Nizari, the Bohra, etc.

RSS oldies getting older.

Lion Spotting!

Samosa and Paan

On several occasions, my colleague Bhavik had this to add, “Om, Kenya is a microcosm of India, only worse.” For the first few days, I admit that I thought this claim was exaggerated. But soon enough, I realized that this was uncannily true. Diverse tribal groups, a corrupt bureaucracy, opportunistic politicians, and yet a booming economy. Amazingly, the Kenyans have also learnt our ways and means. Samosas have become a staple snack, with the native population taking to it in style. There is a 24 hour Indian radio channel running the latest Indian songs, replete with Indian origin RJs. Two shopping malls selling exclusively Indian goods are always packed.

In spite of what we may think on the mainland, the Indian diaspora here, while having maintained their native Indian traditions, have completely assimilated in the Kenyan society, adding to its prosperity and diversity. In neighboring Uganda, which along with Kenya and Tanzania comprises the Swahili speaking East Africa, it is said, the Indians played an even bigger role. Explains Bhavik, “If that nutcase Idi Amin hadn’t thrown out our people back then, East Africa as a whole would have been one of the fastest developing regions of the world,”  referring to the forceful expulsion of Indians in 1972 by the unruly dictator.

Once while talking to a customer, Bhavik spells his name in the Swahili alphabet, to which the customer, startled, replies, “Ay Baba, your Swahili is better than mine, we rarely pronounce the alphabet right.” Smiling, Bhavik later says to me, “This is home. We belong here.”

Street food #2:
Ugali is the Kenyan staple: a sticky flour pudding.
The whole world gobbles it down in minutes.

Street food #1:
Fried food is a rage. But beware! 
Kenyans can also end up frying their food in motor oil.