Sunday 24 April

Sunday, Easter Sunday

Tonight, I’m heading out to a soul night at the Carnivore in the Eastern part of Nairobi.  The Carnivore is one of the oldest nightclubs and restaurants in Kenya, set up in the 1980s.  I am heading out with Alex, and Nat, Fiona’s son.  I am looking forward to a night out in Nairobi, wondering how different or similar it will be to what I know.  

Going to church ...

But first things first.  Fiona has invited me to church today and I accept the invitation.  I have rarely been to church in the last few years.  (Don’t ask me why – my mother’s reading this!)  I’m also not a fan of Pentecostal churches but given the rapid increase of these churches in Kenya in the last decade or so, I’m rather interested in finding out what they are like, assuming there’s a stereotype to be found.  My mother’s also texted, urging me to go to church this weekend – this may be the real reason why I’m going today, but I tell myself otherwise.     

Pentecostal type churches seem to have taken over Eastern Africa in recent times compared to their emergence and rapid growth in the 1970s and 1980s in West Africa (Ghana and Nigeria at least).  According to The Economist 1 July 2010 issue ‘Slain by the Spirit’

‘Officially Pentecostals and other “charismatics” count for no more than 5% of the population [in Kenya]. In reality, their ministers preach to about a third of the country every week. Their rise reflects an important trend across Africa.’ 

Similar to Ghana, I often hear people say here in Nairobi, in response to most things, ‘leave it to God’, or ‘pray to God’.  I’ve always found this concept rather intriguing but not surprising.  The same article in The Economist 1 July 2010 issue adds that,

‘According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, about 17m Africans described themselves as born-again Christians in 1970. Today the figure has soared to more than 400m, which accounts for over a third of Africa’s population. And as in Nigeria on the other side of the continent, they are now having a noticeable effect on public-policy debates in East Africa.’

More on this later.  But for now, two matatus and 40mins later, we arrive at the church in the eastern part of Nairobi – House of Grace.  It’s nothing like I expected.  It’s one massive tent with one massive congregation.   They even have television screens on which lyrics can be followed, as well as verses from the Bible, or sermons watched / listened to.  Once again I’m impressed with technology in Kenya.  (In case I haven’t mentioned already, lots of coaches and some buses in Kenya have TV screens in them also.  It seems Kenyans take their TVs everywhere with them.  But for me, it’s also a sign of how technologically advanced Kenya is, compared to Ghana for example, or so I think.  These are not modern buses or coaches with inbuilt TV screens.  These are regular old buses with small TV plasma screens ‘fitted’ into them.  In addition, it’s becoming clearer to me how strong and powerful the use of media is becoming in this part of the world).  

At the church, we find seats. It is everything I know Pentecostal churches to be – ear piercingly loud, dramatic and long.  Still, for the entire three hours or so of the service, the one thing that stays with me are the Pastor’s final words when he invites those in the congregation who have no means to lunch that afternoon, to help themselves to free food being provided in one of the tents.   I find this very commendable indeed.  I find out later from my host mother that the church carries out other charitable activities including a regular mobile medical surgery in and around Nairobi.  I find out that they are also looking into purchasing a bus to transport older people from places like Kibera to the industrial area where a lot of them travel to daily in search of manual work.     It seems to me that regardless of which context I find myself in, people are definitely very keen on giving back to, and supporting, their communities.  

... and partying at the Carnivore later

Later in the evening, Alex is again a few hours late, running on African time.  He collects Nat and me at 11pm instead of 8.30pm.  Nights out in Nairobi start really late so his timing is OK.  We arrive at Carnivore at about 11.30pm.  It’s definitely a popular place with people from Nairobi.  The decor is amazing and very ‘African’, if I say so myself.  It’s like nothing I’ve seen anywhere else.  Obviously, most things if not everything is made from wood and is some sort of carved design – it’s simply a work of art that I cannot describe well enough.  I’ll put photos up when I have them.  It’s soul night tonight.  The music’s great, some I haven’t heard since I was about 8 I think.  My first night out in Nairobi proves to be a good one, and as always I take photographs of drinks including cocktails to remind me of it.