Teaching physics at Kenyatta College just outside Nairobi from 1969 to 1971 was often an adventure because of the lack of experience of my students.  They were the most intelligent group of students I ever taught in my thirteen-year teaching career, but they lacked practical experience with what we might consider everyday things.  Since they had come through the Kenya-British educational system, they all had taken a secondary school leaving exam after finishing their four year O-level secondary school years.  Their test scores placed them in the eightieth-ninetieth percentile of students nationally.  The top ten percent were offered positions in the University of Kenya.

Each year the students went back to their home villages during our Christmas break.  Duncan Kimamu, a third year student, was from the Gala district in far northeastern Kenya, not far from Somalia.  In order to go home, he had to ride the train to Mombasa on the east coast, an overnight trip, then get on a bus for an all day ride north to Wajir.  His family were nomadic herders so moved from camp to camp following their cattle to wherever the infrequent rains had produced enough grass on which they might forage.  After arriving at the nearest village, Kimamu visited with the locals  to find where his family was at the moment.  He then walked several hours through the bush to find them. 

When he returned to Kenyatta College after the vacation, he related a story about visiting with his grandfather while at home.  His grandfather wanted to know what he was learning in college.  Duncan replied that they were learning about electricity.  His grandfather wanted to know what this thing called electricity was.  Duncan explained that, using electricity, you could listen to people talking on things called radios.  The grandfather had listened to a transistor radio so he accepted that.  Duncan then said using electricity you could use light bulbs to light your shamba at night.  Finally, he said that you could use things called electric motors to do work for you on your shamba.  The grandfather exclaimed, “That is not possible!”