Kisumu musings

So it’s a hot night in Kisumu. My daughter Ellie and her boyfriend Andy are starting their journey home tomorrow so we’re staying in our favourite guest house, (St. Anna’s), and have just eaten. Having survived all of the dietary challenges of our place at Kosele Andy is feeling a bit provisional in the tummy department tonight. We’ve prayed for safe deliverance before they travel tomorrow. It’s still quite early so the howl hasn’t started yet and the church service that kicked off just before midnight last time we were here is probably still waiting for a congregation.

It’s been fun spending time in Kisumu. Ellie, my son Tom and I lived in Kisumu for a short time during the year we lived in Kenya and Ellie always enjoys retracing her steps around town when she is over here. The centre of town hasn’t really changed all that much. A few more buildings, some additions to the local tourist attraction called Impala Park. Most Kisumu residents are hoping that the new airport terminal that was opened this year will make a significant difference to the fortunes of the town. Compared to the old airport building the new one is a significant improvement. It has the capacity to handle international flights and there is clearly a desire to open up tourism in a big way. Reading a local business magazine this afternoon I learnt that a new tourist resort has opened in a ‘secluded’ location by the lake. From the pictures in the magazine it looks very impressive. I hope the tourism initiative is successful. Lake Victoria could be developed in a number of ways and Kisumu certainly needs the jobs that tourism could create.

Tomorrow I will be visiting a High School in Kisumu that teaches IGCSE, (International GCSE), qualifications. It will be helpful visiting a school that has experience of doing these qualifications as our Agriculture College students will be taking them in November next year for the first time. My wife Judi sent me a text this afternoon to say that she was reading a Sunday newspaper article in the UK which was extolling the rigor of the IGCSE. It’s encouraging to know that our trail blazing initiative in Kosele is part of a wider international movement. I can’t wait to tell the guys back in Kosele.