Saturday 17 November 2012

Particular Stumbling Block



Note for the folks at home: One of my favorite jokes heard in Kenya came from my good friend Abdi. First, some background information: Idi Amin was a violent dictator who held power in Uganda in the seventies. Known today for his extravagant self-image and less than extravagant intelligence, this is the tyrant who gave himself the actual title: "Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular". NOW FOR THE JOKE: As Idi Amin was wresting power for himself in Uganda, foreign residents began flooding out of the country for their own safety. In their wake, they left thousands of offices empty. Amin strolled through one of his freshly-emptied cities, and angrily asked one of his aides, "Who the hell is this Sal-e, and how is he so wealthy?!" The aide asked for clarification, and Amin replied, "All of these businesses have signs that say 'For Sal-e'! We have to find this Sal-e and kill him!"
(rimshot)