Pope Francis Has Landed in Nairobi: Karibu

Pope Francis' (Alitalia) plane landed at JKIA in Nairobi some 8 minutes ago (around 4:38 p.m., GMT+3). Plane's flying two flags -- Kenya's and, I suppose, the Vatican's. Pope exits the plane, whose main door opened several minutes ago, at 4:50 p.m. Greeted with ululations. A Catholic choir sings choice songs of greetings, all in Swahili. President Uhuru Kenyatta, First Lady Margaret, Catholic Church leaders and selected dignitaries are all there to meet and welcome His Holiness. There's little visible pomp for this Pope.

As the entourage 'flows' away from the plane and, I suppose, toward the exit, the Pope takes time to bless the airport crowd, and to soak in some traditional dancing. There's no lingering around, is what I'm seeing, as the dignified flow soon leaves the open spaces and into the built (5:05 p.m.).

Then everyone -- Pope, President (First Lady),Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Nuns, Diplomats, Politicians (who revel in bolidiks 24/7), Singers, Dancers and the adoring wananchi -- 'splits' in various directions, just as their transport arrangements dictate. And then the airport do is all over (5:15 p.m.), but for residual TV images.

Soon attention pivots toward Mombasa Road, which 'passes the baton' to Uhuru Highway at Nyayo Stadium, which then just glances by downtown Nairobi (this city with many tales to tell) to places beyond. The Pope's next stop is State House.

This post ends at 5:45 p.m., with the Pope already at State House.

PS: I've been watching the Pope's arrival from home (via KTN), if you wanted to know.


READ/SEE MORE:
1. NBCNews "All Systems GO: Africa Ready to Host Pope Francis"
2. The Telegraph: Pope Francis in Pictures: The 30 best photos from his first year in office
3. Google: Images of Pope Francis Visit to US
4. BBC News: Pope Francis Celebrates Brazil Mass in Copacabana Beach

Hillary's Long Goodbye

I watched Hillary's concession speech, and her endorsement of Obama as their party's presidential nominee, on CNN, Saturday evening. She should have endorsed him sooner, though. I think the "long" delay has done only damage to the already shaken Clinton legacy. Still, I was impressed by the historicity of the moment, and by her no less historic delivery. I felt admiration for her dry, dry-eyed and inner strength -- in contrast to the all-red (all out) Bill. And I felt genuinely sorry for her, wondering why she should not try again in 2016.

She has moved closer to having an important role in the coming Obama administration -- and it is surely coming. As I have pointed out in my blog, however, there are great risks to her being Obama's running mate. Not in 2008 -- perhaps in 2012, should there be an opening.

I think the first female President of the US will most likely be one who has shattered, really shattered, the glass ceiling into more than 18 million pieces all on her own -- to the much debatable extent that heroes do these things alone -- and not, as was tragically Hillary's unsolicited and inescapable fate, essentially on the back of her husband's record (as a two-term US President!). But by 2016 Hillary (who's healthy enough, it seems to me) will most certainly have "atoned" (with extended duty and absence from the highest table)for her easy path to the 2008 campaign, as a former First Lady, and may be that female who at last shatters what now remains only, though so enticingly, cracked.