GEMx Blog

Post by Joachim Nsubuga Kikoyo, final year medical student from Makerere University Medical School.

I wake up, time check 7:46 AM, I know it’s a different morning, one that is starting the day that I am going to have the longest and funniest journey of my life. Deep into my heart, I sing, “I am going to have the most amazing time for the next month.” My name is Joachim Nsubuga Kikoyo, a final year medical student from Makerere University Medical School and this is my four-week experience in Nairobi.

 

TRAVELS

Well anticipated, me and my colleagues including; Bitira Lyness, Wassajja John Bosco, Akanyijuka Abel, Mayindi Frank and Ebele Isaac Gift had already paid our bus tickets two days prior; so we are already at the bus station at 6:25 PM. Our luggage is packed and there we are, setting off at 7:09 PM.

4 hours later, we are at the Uganda-Kenya border, cleared everything normally, but then one thing is messed up. Our bus has broken down. We are stuck for almost one and a half hours until we get back to the road. One good thing was that we got to have a wonderful view en route including the Naivasha Game Park, and Savanna Vegetation! It was some sort of a blessing. We however arrived and settled in Solomon plaza, in Kahawa Wendani in Nairobi.

FIRST DAY

I can’t completely describe the feeling, the wonderful environment, friendly people, the food, the glamorous weather, etc. To make this interesting, I will split this into parts.

a) Food

The food is not so much different from our food.  Just what we eat at home as snacks are what they actually eat as lunch, and supper. For example one can have a Chapatti (Chapo) with any sauce, beans, meat, etc. well they have lots of new foods I’ve never eaten, seen or even heard before, say for example; Ndegu, Mutura, and Mukimo

Ndengu;

I always call these ‘tiny peas’. They almost have the same taste. They are greatly delicious especially when served with rice.

Mutura:

My favorite; I almost ate it every day. It consists of offal’s packed with minced meat and usually some fats. It is either fried or grilled and then served with salad or chili. The taste is confusing between offal’s and meat if you have ever tasted both separately.

 

 

Mukimo:

A mixture of Irish potatoes, maize and pumpkin leaves that gives it the green color, all mashed together to form one solid chunk. The taste too is combinational, though the Irish potato taste is prevailing.

 

b) The people and the language

I can possibly say, Kenyans are the friendliest people I’ve ever met. Not that I haven’t met all of them, but it gave me that ill feeling that I don’t usually act in the same way when other visiting international students come at Makerere. I mean, who stops and asks if you are lost; and then after directs you, where you desired to go.

One only challenge though is the language. Kenyans speak, mostly Swahili, English and some speak some Kikuyu and other native languages. It’s funny that I don’t speak Swahili yet I come from the great East African region that is thought to be speaking Swahili as a joint language. But anyway I labored to learn how to speak some including: How you would inquire about a price, Ordering some food, Asking for directions and of course How to greet I still got many friends though, including; Punam Raval Ajay, Brian M Mbogo, Vugutsa Magada, Daudi E Musokyi, Dennis Mukabati, Juliet Wanjiri N .

An interesting thing though is that people who speak English are often thought to have more money, “a rich kid.” When you are negotiating prices you will always be charged extra despite your resemblance to the natives if you can speak English.

On Sundays, I took off some morning hours to attend mass. The mass was amazing attending one in a new community. Everything was however normal since it’s the same procedure like one at home, just the language though.

 

c) Transportation

Well if you are from Kampala and you are used to the boda-boda guys; in Nairobi they are rare, if you are to get one, which is possible, they are a bit high at cost and usually not allowed in the city center. So you will probably enjoy their great matatus (taxis). One funny thing with them is that, if you are to board one of them (that is if you are lucky) it will feel like you are entering a club. The matatus have loud booming music, flickering lights, and a large TV set in the front. The ride is inexpensive as a 2 km distance can cost you as low as 10KSHS.

d) Prices

The standards of living in Nairobi are kind of higher than that in Kampala. It’s worse if you don’t know where to buy the cheaper stuff if you can’t speak Swahili and worse if you are bargaining in English. So if you have a Kenyan friend, stick to that one, he/she will probably save you.

e) The Weather and Climate.

Not so much from the one in Kampala, its rainy season in June and so in Nairobi. It’s too cold, you will probably consider coming with winter clothes to be on a safe side.

f) Sports and Leisure.

A lot of sports activities exist at Kenyatta University; Soccer, Hockey, Basketball, Handball, etc. The sport I am interested in is soccer. It is fun to play around with my Kenyan brothers, even when communication skills are poor. At least you can use sign language or even struggle to shout Swahili words, but anyway, the major thing is I enjoyed playing soccer.

HOSPITAL WORK

Kenya organizes their health system in a stepwise manner so as complicated cases are referred to a higher level i.e. from level 1 (Community Level) to level 6 (National Referral Hospital).

I was stationed at Kiambu Hospital, a level 5 facility, with almost all facilities to manage most of the conditions in Kiambu County of Kenya. I was rotating in Pediatrics and it consisted of three wards; Newborn unit (NBU), Ward, 1 and Out-patient Department. I decided to rotate in each of these wards weekly.

a) NBU

Not so much different from the one in Mulago, with nearly all facilities, with a good sense of organization and yeah the crying cute little ones who I loved to be around with. One other thing though, it’s kind of too hot in there, so it was usually my safe haven for the freezing cold weather during that week. At NBU, that’s where I got to be taught by Dr. Mugane a neonatologist, who took me through the common conditions managed at their unit and how and they are handled.

 

 

b) Ward 1

The ward consists of the resuscitation area, the acute respiratory emergency management, and others. One specific thing, however, is that I was lucky to be taught by the pediatrician, Dr. Grace Akech Ochieng, a consultant pediatric cardiologist, who took me through the echocardiography. I learned how it is taken, read, and interpreted. It was my first time seeing one be done.

 The Medical Camp

This involved boarding buses to Isinya in Kijiado County, South of Kenya at a children’s center (Brydges center). It involved examining the kids, providing them with prophylactic treatment and distributing hygienic supplies. It was fun to hang around small kids even when I know we can barely communicate.

THE TOUR OF THE NAIROBI SAFARI WALK

My colleagues and I got to visit the only game park in the capital of the nation.  This involved sight and sound of different animals, trees, the river and the people. Though it is not my first time to see animals like the ostrich, hippopotamus, hyena, buffalo, crocodiles, and many others, it was however too long since I last saw any of them. I guess my last time was when I was 8 or 9 years old. The best part of all of the tour was being able to hang out with the newly acquired friends and enjoying every moment of it.

THE LAST DAY

I hate goodbyes, but unfortunately, that’s life! Everything has a beginning and an end. It was the end of the four weeks; I knew this would be hurting to leave. So I had to say the hard words. Even though I know I will see them again.