My mind is bombarded with all these images: Russia invading Ukraine and Vladimir Putin leaving the world in limbo, the ouster and assassination attempt of Pakistan's prime minister ( Imran khan), Elon Musk buying Twitter and making drastic changes across the company leadership, Queen Elizabeth; Britain's longest reigning monarch dies at the age of 96, the world population crosses 8 billion, Trevor Noah exists the Daily show and Lionel Messi
proves to the world that he is the G.O.A.T by the winning the 2022 world cup. This is no fiction. 2022 was a year that had it all. Spiced with drama and controversy, 2022 has been alive with activity. And yes guys, just like the late Honourable Daniel Moi, it is a wrap.
Here in Kenya, it was no different. It has been a roller-coaster of some sort. We dealt with a lot of ups, downs, trials, and triumphs. It has been one of the most eventful years. The country mourned the demise of former president Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki. Politics took a center stage as the 2022 general elections dominated the year. There was a lot of drama during the elections period till the day of the swearing-in. Remember Juliana Chererah, the IEBC chairperson with the three other commissioners disputing the outcome claiming that " we, therefore, cannot take ownership of results that were going to be announced " due to its "opaque nature". She managed to get the entire country to work on percentages and Kenyans proved to the world that they are all Mathematicians. The Keyboard warriors on KOT never disappointed as the 0.01% ignited the hilarious Mathematics VS Mazematics debate on Twitter. I just can't stop laughing. There was chaos at the Bomas of Kenya -the national tallying center during the announcement of the presidential elections. And after the supreme court upheld the 2022 election results, a historic moment was made as Kenya got a new commander in chief of the armed forces, His Excellency William Samoei Ruto, and the deputy president got a new name. Am sure you know it. Call him Riggy G and he will be more than happy.
And if you think that it's only politics that made headlines. Am proud to tell you that you are wrong. 2022 was a turbulent year for the economy as the consumers really felt the squeeze. Prizes of oil soared bringing windfall profits to oil companies but a huge pain to consumers. Most petrol stations were empty and this made traveling difficult and expensive. We also faced price hikes for food, electricity, and other basic commodities. Inflation was at its peak.
Even after breaking the world record by breaking the 2 hrs barrier at the Vienna Ineos 159 challenge in 2019, Eliud Kipchoge
continued to put in an extraordinary performance that seemed almost inhuman going above and beyond to break his own marathon world record at the 2022 Berlin Marathon proving that it's in deep true that no human being is limited.
He tweeted:
“Limits are there to be broken. By you and me together …”
Throughout the world, mother nature put on quite a show in 2022. The world's largest volcano erupted off the coast of Tonga after nearly 40 years. Extreme weather events became more the norm due to climate change as we saw some of the deadliest disasters that threatened humanity including the floods in
Afghanistan, India, Brazil, and drought in East Africa. There was a relief as the COP27 summit in Egypt ended with the historic loss and damage fund for nations most vulnerable to the climate crisis.
The action in the show biz industry throughout the world has been in plenty and the juice has been sizzling hot with some of the entertainment headlines that had all of us talking. The 2022 Oscars was marked with a slap scene that was heard around the world with the infamous incident between will smith and Chris Rock. At first, I thought it was a clout-chasing stunt and soon I came to realize it was real. And boy, my, oh, my that slap stunned a worldwide audience.
As you ponder on the historic slap, do you recall Johnny Depp and Amber Heard? They had sued each other for defamation and after weeks of a long trial, Depp prevailed. Rumors have it that he's literally the first man to win a case over a woman. Funny. And don't forget the dramatic Samidoh and Senator Karen Nyamu Shenanigans. Women, these lovely beautiful beings we treasure so much never cease to amaze and disappoint us in equal measures.
And when we thought that 2022 had served us enough on our plates and we are ready to wrap it up...it doesn't stop disappointing. The world is mourning the death of the Brazilian soccer legend. The famous Pele. He really set the bar in the world of football. And here in Kenya, we are mourning the death of the Veteran television broadcaster Catherine kasavuli. She also set the bar high being the first female news anchor in the country. Her legacy and prowess will endure. She was indeed an inspiration to many female journalists. It is so sad. May their souls rest in peace.
What are some of your unforgettable moments in 2022? What made you smile and what made you cry? I was ‘officially initiated to the city’ I lost my phone. As Mejja put it in his song “Karibu kanairo, Karibu Kenya” Translated to Welcome to Nairobi, welcome to Kenya. But how I lost my phone is a story for another day.
And as you think of the good, the bad, and the ugly of 2022, for me it's a goodbye. Let's be more kind to one another out there. Remember we need a more just world.
A world where people step into other people's problems and you experience them like your own problems and you do something about them. I call that basic human decency. Don't forget it. Every single thing counts. Stay safe wherever you are. I need you in 2023. The world still needs you. I wish you all a prosperous and Happy new year. I love you all.
Love and let live! Adiós.
THIIIIIIIS!!!!! It's so nice😊
Stupendous content bro.