By Otieno Amisi
Kenyan hospitals are not known to be the most hospitable of places. The nurses are often rude, the meals tasteless, and the doctors too money minded to care. So when theatre group Better Pill sent me an invitation to preview their latest production last week, I was eager to see how thespians would hit back at arrogant hospital staff. In fact, I have been thinking of suing a doctor since I left Kenyatta National hospital a few months ago. The surgeon behaved most unethically towards me by delaying making an important decision on whether my left hand needed a second operation or not. For that indecision, I had to endure another two weeks at the hospital at my expense. To make matters worse, the doctor, when he did come to my bedside, literally shouted at me for overstaying at the ward, yanked my sick arm and sent blood spurting out of the fresh wound he had inflicted. Now I avoid government hospitals like the plague and I am now seeing another doctor who is kinder, but more expensive, of course. Better Pill Productions presents the play O.R. on Sat 9th and Sun 10th June 2007 starting 3.30pm both days at the Nairobi Cinema auditorium. In the play, two doctors are just about to undertake an operation in a hospital’s Operation Room.
Dr. Tunda is opposed to the operation due to its moral implications. Dr.Fees, on the other hand, is determined to go ahead with it. The doctors are however welcomed to a shocking revelation as they discover that the supposed female patient has an Adam’s apple…and beards to boot. She’s actually a man!
In the ensuing confusion, the doctors come face to face with dumbfounding revelations with the man’s dramatic account of his life as they attempt to discover the identity of this stranger and the reason behind his being in the O.R.
The riveting expositions of this student of life’s school of hard knocks bring to light some of the impending evils in the society bordering on the family, relationships and unethical practice in medicine.
The play is brought to a dramatic climax with the discovery by the two doctors that the mysterious stranger is indeed much more than what they see and he says, bringing to light their own ethics in the practice of medicine. The play is written and directed by Paul Ekuru assisted by Jimmy Gor. The cast includes Edijoe Kihara, Fred Masidza, Tony Otieno, Anthony Mwas and Paul Ekuruh.
Meanwhile, Alliance Française has been busy right from the start of June. After presenting a film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, in early June, the centre hosted the Climate Change Orchestra which was celebrating World Environment Day on 5th June. This was followed closely by a photographic exhibitions, ‘In Passing’ and ‘Doors and Windows of Zanzibar.’ An Inconvenient Truth’ by Davis Guggenheim takes the viewer through a keynote presentation where the former United States Vice President, Al Gore reviews the scientific evidence for global warming, discusses the politics and economics of global warming, and describes the consequences he believes global climate change will produce if the amount of human-generated greenhouse gases is not significantly reduced in the very near future. The film show is followed by a discussion moderated by Christian Caldara, with the participation of Peter Usher, the former Chief of Atmosphere Programme at UNEP and representatives from the Green Belt Movement and National Environmental Authority of Kenya. Initiated by ‘Friends of Nature’ Kakamega, the Climate Change Orchestra brought together artists to celebrate the World Environment Day using Afro-jazz, benga, nyatiti fusion, poetry and spoken word. But the most memorable event for artists was Poetry of Reason & Ferocious Love held on 9th and 10th June. Using a fusion of poetry, song, percussion, music and movement, the cocktail experience was truly refreshing. Ferocious Love Poetry sought to quench the thirst of the love birds and love-lorns alike. It was about outrageously absurd love pleas and the most interesting love stories ever told. And the session, Poetry of Reason illuminated positive change in our socio-political space.The strong cast included: Carol Radul, Robert Ageng’o and Valentine Kamau, Wangechi Wachira, Odek Ochung’ and Abubakar Mwenda. The shows were directed by Peter Mudamba. And the University of Nairobi has chosen to honour former freedom fighter Bildad Kaggia. An exhibition of the best entries in a student competition initiated by the Department of Architecture & Building Science, University of Nairobi opened in the first week of June at the Goethe Institute. According to Dr. Apollo Njonjo, Patron of the Bildad Kaggia Foundation, the foundation requested the University to propose a design of a museum dedicated to Bildad Kaggia. The Department then initiated a student competition. This exhibition displayed the best entries of that competition. Njonjo says the name of Bildad Kaggia is usually mentioned alongside
Kenya’s other founding fathers, but often just superficially. Bildad Kaggia was one of the famous “Kapenguria Six” freedom fighters who were detained by the colonial government during the struggle for independence in Kenya. The exhibition pays tribute to Bildad Kaggia and also portrays architecture as the strongest medium of cultural memory. Most importantly, this exhibition will make a contribution towards a debate about memory.” The exhibition ends on 15th June.
Posted by otienoamisi 
