DAY 9: London World Championships Notebook

Team Kenya fan at the VIP box

*****
The VIP lounge at the London Olympic Stadium is an interesting place to be in during these championships. There’s unlimited supply of free food and lots of alcohol. One inebriated British VIP, beer glass in hand, was seen dancing and singing Jambo bwana, habari gani, mzuri sana as Asbel Kiprop and Elijah Manangoi coasted through the 1,500m semis on Friday, probably to display his knowledge of Kenya to his VIP drinking mates…

Respect galore for Kenyans

*****

Still on Kenya in London, the British hold huge respect for Kenyans as we have noticed right from security checks to bar counters and also at the media centre. “Jambo” they will greet us once they notice the name ‘Kenya’ on our accreditation tags. Interestingly, no-one is bothered about the Kenyan elections, but they all know quite a bit about our world-beating athletes who continue to shine here. This makes us proud to be Kenyan.

Only the brave go to Brixton

*****

Brixton is considered as one of the most dangerous addresses in London. The other night I ventured there looking for a late night pub and some reggae vibes, but my courage was challenged by a group of rather worse for wear ragamuffins who, to their credit, looked on as I confidently strolled past to the nearest bus stop. Foreigners are advised to be cautious when moving around this area which is densely populated by Africans and Jamaicans. Some of them violent.

Team Kenya merchandise loved

*****

Team Kenya merchandise is very much sought after here with some hawkers at the Westview Shopping Mall in Stratford making a killing selling miniature Kenyan flags to fans streaming into the stadium. A small Kenyan flag, which would cost Sh50 in Nairobi, goes for five pounds, or about Sh700 here. Team Kenya lapel pins, T-shirts and caps are other items on huge demand here, especially after the medal winning exploits of our athletes.