Far Away from Home; the Centre of America

FIRST WEEK (March 31 - April 6)



I flew in to Kansas City on March 31 hoping for the best but also preparing for the worst. I got the best.

En route, I made many enquiries from my mentor, Mará Rose Williams, about the weather, hospitality of the people and, yes, the home of the man I was going to live with for a week before I moved into my apartment. She kept assuring me that all will go well and that I needed not to worry.

On landing at the local airport, Mara's husband, Ceasar Williams, was waiting for us. He gave me a warm hug that almost confirmed that his wife had not lied about how welcoming the man, a seasoned journalist, is. He drove us to his home, where a fabulous dinner was ready. I ate to my full and forgot how cold it was outside. I got a chance to speak to their younger boy, Jordan, who harbors dreams of becoming a doctor.

Ceaser turned on an interesting movie that got me so glued that it took Mará to inform me that it was time she took me to my temporary host. It was Randy Smith, a senior editor with my host newspaper, The Kansas City Star. Randy has been to Kenya once, when he helped set up a thriving partnership between my home newspaper, Daily Nation, and his own, The Kansas City Star. So I knew he understood well where I was coming from. When he was in Kenya, in 2006, Randy acquitted himself as a gentleman - a man who gets on well with others easily.

Once we were at his home, he received us very well. He was all alone in the large house as his wife, Joyce, and son Jack were away. He has two other children who are away pursuing higher education.


Immediately, he took me round and helped me select a room that I would call home for a week. And then he introduced me to his dog - so big that it threw a chill down my spine, although I naturally loved the creature. But the dog was happy and jumped up and down, an issue Randy told me confirmed he had love me. Here, I learnt, Randy does not only get on well with people but also animals. Few people do that. That evening we had fun talking about Kenya together with Joyce. They enjoyed my tales about the turmoil that swept the country after last year’s disputed presidential election. Then we slept.

The following day, I accompanied Randy to the office at The Kansas City Star for my first day. I met Mará who immediately started taking me around the expansive newsroom. All the staff appeared well aware of my arrival, what with my picture posters in all the vantage points in the newsroom.

At 10am, I went to the morning editors’ meeting where weekend papers were put under scrutiny. Here, the editors also look at the budget for the day. I liked the format of the meeting as it was a good postmortem at the company’s product all in a most fair way.

On Tuesday, I was treated to an editors’ luncheon where we exchanged ideas, especially on how journalism works in Kenya. Among those who attended were Mará, Metro editor, Anne Spenner, Editorial editor Miriam Pepper, Steve Paul, from features, and Randy. Later that evening, I accompanied criminal justice reporter Tony Rizzo to a multiracial family circle function. By good fortune, I met an American woman who is involved in constructing a maternity wing in my home country. I immediately saw a window for a good story for my host paper. I booked an appointment with the lady, Heather Geary, for Thursday at The Star offices.

One Wednesday, I had my first assignment. I needed to conduct interviews regarding a geography competition that was to take place that Friday. With the help of Mará, we got telephone contacts from the directory as I learnt most people here have their home contacts listed. I spent most of that day conducting interviews and filed the story on Thursday. I gave it to my assignment editor Chick Howland who edited it, before I sat down with him to go through it together. It was published on Friday, April 4, just four days after my arrival. I also wrote an editorial on Zimbabwe that was published on Saturday, April 5. Publication of the two pieces became a catalyst for me to aim higher at my new duty station.

On Thursday, I interviewed Heather for the project she is conducting in Kenya.

Come Friday, a meeting was held in the publisher’s conference room to welcome me to The Kansas City Star family. I made a 45-minute presentation about journalism in Kenya. About 50 members of the staff attended. Randy had to step in to end the meeting because staff were enthralled by the presentation, especially how we worked during the post-election violence that followed the disputed presidential election result on December 27. I used the opportunity to show how journalism in my country is witnessing growth, a reverse of what is happening in the U.S.

Saturday came. And I was not too happy. For time had come for me to move to my apartment, away from Randy’s family that I had now been accustomed to. But since a lot of money had been spent on the apartment, I had to leave with a farewell message to Randy: “Thank you for your hospitality. But remember to invite me back again.” At the flat, I was dumb founded. It is massive – offering me enough room to work out when I am not in the mood of going to the fitness centre. It often tempts me to stay in doors under its comfort, sometimes putting me at the risk of missing important assignments.


WEEK TWO (April 7 - 14)
I started the week by writing the story on the Kenyan maternity wing. Once I handed it to Chick, he also polished it even more and slotted it to run on Monday. It did.

On Wednesday, I visited the University Missouri-Kansas City for an interview over a story I am following. Look out for it as it is expected to be a big report.

On leisure, the two weeks have been impressive. On Monday last week, I went out with colleague Mike Mansur, an investigative reporter, to play football/soccer. I scored one goal but paid the price of bruising my knee. That kept me out of yesterday's game and my team paid heavily by losing the game.

On Thursday, I accompanied Randy to watch a baseball game where he had a difficult time explaining to me what it was all about. It was my first time to watch the game and at the end of it, I felt I had had a good experience of it.

The following day, I went out to watch the more familiar soccer together with immigration reporter Lynn Franey and her four year-old son, Declan. I enjoyed the Major League Soccer game though I found the standards a bit lower that the English premier league, more specifically Manchester United games.

That was why on Sunday, I went with Lynn and her son to watch Man United demolish Arsenal at the Old Trafford. United now seem poised to bag the premiership trophy for the second successive period, explaining why my son, Neville, shares the name with the team's captain Gary Neville. But few Americans care to watch the English league, something that has been unsettling for me.

So far, I have sharpened my skills in writing news, features and editorial (the second one is due soon). I have also made new friends and enjoyed my leisure. Meaning my next posting will have fascinating newsl.