Let me tell you about Dar es Salaam the city have of peace which was founded several centuries ago. The Coastal City of Dar es Salaam’s two half-lifes are separated literally by what for lack of a better word, we shall call kanga moko {if you have just arrived from mass, that means one khanga}.
There are two halves of Dar es Salaam, make no mistake. One half lives on less that Sh2,000 a day and the other half lives on, let’s just say, enough to make half one live for 20 days.
Let me tell you about Dar es Salaam the city have of peace which was founded several centuries ago. The Coastal City of Dar es Salaam’s two half-lifes are separated literally by what for lack of a better word, we shall call kanga moko {if you have just arrived from mass, that means one khanga}.
On the one side of the imaginary Khanga Moko lives the people who eke out a living in a manner that philosophers would refer to as surviving.
In this Khanga Moko half –life of Dar es Salaam, everything goes and it is pretty much exemplified by the women in their sometimes drenched Khanga that have seen better days that denotes their readiness for the eventuality that may never happen but must be prepared for i.e sudden birth pains for expectant mothers.
However the Khanga Moko side of life comes to real life during the weekends when weddings, engagements and weekend entertainment live-advsrtisements are made.
This is the moment when Khanga Moko side of Dar es Salaam life crosses from its seedier side to the other half where Khanga Moko is alien.
The Khanga Moko has its many uses in this half of Dar es Salaam which carries the larger percentage of the estimated 6.3 million going to 7 million inhabitants of the Haven of Peace.
This side or rather this half of the city knows no privacy. In this half of the city, there are no mighty gates only almighty presence of churches, faiths and more denominations. The poor it seems need the almighty more than the financially mighty.
In this half where the Khanga Moko serves as a piece of clothing, a shawl, a carrier bag, a shroud, a basket, a head dress, a baby cot and an entertainers stage wear all dependent on how it is won, all is fair game. The thief can very easily turn the crowd baying for his blood back to the victim. In this rather seedier side of town, language grows overnight like an illegal weed.
The latest code statement in this seedier part of town is watapata tabu saana {they will run into all sorts of unexpected trouble}. It is not clear how and why this side of the city finds its inspiration to coin such beautiful adages this one preceeded by the vyuma vimekaza {life is hard} one.
The starnge thing is for all the ph;osophizing due to hard times the Kanga Moko side of Dar es Salaam seems to make the most of their supppossedly challenging lives. All the faiths as we said find home in this side of town and the most zealous of preachers and Imams are to be found Khanga Moko side of Town.
It is this side of town that has the most famous names of Bars and the latest fads, pubs. Named after the famous.
These are bards coined on the Nairobi-Dar es Salaam road i.e. owners travel on that route and pick famous names there and come plant them. But of course there are Serena’s and Silver Springs that you wouldn’t set foot in if you knew the original brand.
Still, this half comes to life when two leading football clubs clash. The yellow and gold of Young Africans and the Red and white of Simba Sports Club brings the best or is it worst out of the Khanga wearing women of this sedier side of town. The chips binging ladies with enough bossom to kill {for} do their thing usually poised on the windows of moving busisses that criss cross the twon for all to see.
The other half of Dar es Saalam has no such drama like Dr Louis Shika and his mega millions and instant fame. This other half lives beyond the high walls fronting the sea and drink in 5 star Lounges while sifting therough their high end mobiles wondering what Khanga Moko side has for their entertainment.
Oyoo is a research and communications consultant with Midas Touché East Africa
