KICC
2 a.m. and the noise from the pounding disco and street traffic are starting to diminish a bit. At first I just fell asleep from exhaustion, but then the constant noise slowly started waking me back up. Maybe in a little bit I can fall back asleep again.
The forum starts today with a peace march from the Kibera slum to the Uhuru park in the center of town. For the last several days, delegates have been registering at the Kenyetta International Conference Center (KICC). White tents are spread around a peaceful green space that provide information, and then registration itself takes place in the tall, circular building. A story in the paper notes that the KICC used to be one of the premier conference centers in Africa, and indeed in all of the world. With neglect, it had declined but the government is pumping funds to restore it to its previous glory.
The forum originally was to take place in the KICC which is located in the center of town and close to many of the hotels–just a couple of blocks from Hotel Gloria. Several months ago the location was moved to the Moi sports complex 10 kilometers from town. No one seems to know how or why that decision was made. It seems to complicate some of the forum’s logistics. It makes me hope that I can move out to a home stay closer to the stadium and away from this very noisy corner that are leaving my nerves feeling completely shot.
5 a.m. and small buses with very loud airhorns blast outside the hotel for passengers. Nairobi: the city that will not give me any sleep.
9 a.m. and the street is incredibly quiet. But now it is time to get up and start the forum.
The forum starts today with a peace march from the Kibera slum to the Uhuru park in the center of town. For the last several days, delegates have been registering at the Kenyetta International Conference Center (KICC). White tents are spread around a peaceful green space that provide information, and then registration itself takes place in the tall, circular building. A story in the paper notes that the KICC used to be one of the premier conference centers in Africa, and indeed in all of the world. With neglect, it had declined but the government is pumping funds to restore it to its previous glory.
The forum originally was to take place in the KICC which is located in the center of town and close to many of the hotels–just a couple of blocks from Hotel Gloria. Several months ago the location was moved to the Moi sports complex 10 kilometers from town. No one seems to know how or why that decision was made. It seems to complicate some of the forum’s logistics. It makes me hope that I can move out to a home stay closer to the stadium and away from this very noisy corner that are leaving my nerves feeling completely shot.
5 a.m. and small buses with very loud airhorns blast outside the hotel for passengers. Nairobi: the city that will not give me any sleep.
9 a.m. and the street is incredibly quiet. But now it is time to get up and start the forum.
