STOP...and smell the hubiscus

I had really hoped to do a week on the elections and dedicate my time to taking photos of things which would spark debate and raise awareness...and then I realised that during all of this hype and tension and uncertainty, it is important to take time to smell the flowers. And that is what I did today.

The debate last night, well, the bits I saw, were so discouraging on the one hand - plenty of corruption allegations surrounding those in power but the Teflon politicians were good at not having the allegations stick. But on the other hand, there is a huge amount of political space created within this society! People are talking about issues and corruption and are confident enough to even challenge those involved. When I first came here back in 1988 we couldn't even mention the name of the President (Moi at that time) for fear of incarceration! In fact, that was part of our orientation, "don't talk politics in public places."

So as we grapple with who will be our next President and as we lament about the choices we have...at least we have choices and at least we are talking. Sometimes it is important to stop and smell the roses...or at least the hibiscus.