Laikipia
When I saw the Chief in his Land Cruiser filled with hangers-on bouncing towards me through the bush I knew he was after his Christmas fatted lamb. It is customary in this part of the world for ranchers to hand out barbeque-ready slaughter animals to our local officials as thank-you presents for the help they genuinely give us through the year. At the time of Uhuru, the Europeans and Africans used to sit down to consume such gifts together while discussing the issues of the day. Sadly, these days the government vehicles tend to tour farms to pick up sheep and goats that are scoffed at ceremonies to which we are not invited.
‘Hello, Chief,’ I said. ‘After a sheep, are you?’ ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘But apart from that what I really want are some more books.’ Of course, I realised, it had been a few weeks since the Chief’s last visit.
For the African outback our area is amazingly literary.
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