So you can see Kenya has aged, but there is hope for the country at 50.
Just like the men and women who have renewed themselves with age, found new hobbies and new callings in their mature years, Kenya is trying to make the most of its mid-life crisis.
It has a 2030 vision, external to propel it into middle-income status by 2030.
High-speed commuter trains – the equivalent of a flashy sports car for the man chasing his youth – will replace the chaotic and inefficient public transport system of today.
A fully digitised society, complete with laptops in schools, an electronic-government, and internet-enabled rural villages will complement a new oil-driven economy.
With improved eyesight, a sharper sense of hearing, greased knees and joints, as well as memory-enhancing exercises, I feel confident that Kenya, with its dyed hair, will be unrecognisable when it sits amongst the world’s leading economies in the year xyz.
For now in advance of the big day, let me say, “Happy birthday Kenya!”
Even without teeth, you are still a great companion to live with at 50.