| When you go through customs control on entering Kenya you are supposed to surrender all your plastic bags. Last year, plastic bags were banned in Kenya outright. This impressed me for two reasons. Firstly, it shows Kenya's strong commitment to conservation, which, as I subsequently found out, is abundantly evident in the stewardship of Kenya's game reserves and national parks. Second, it shows a very high level of social discipline. (Can you imagine the hoo-ha if all plastic bags were outlawed in Britain?) And the ban is strictly observed: I have seen Swahili traders measure out sugar and flower into paper cones – the traditional receptacle, now restored.
I write this article partly to counteract the relentlessly negative press coverage that Kenya received from the Western media last year – particularly during the first Presidential election which was certainly marred by violence. I can report that the country – which I have traversed over Christmas and the first week of the New Year – is now calm and is humming to the rhythm of progress. Kenya, after South Africa, can claim to be one of the most advanced nations in Africa and the sense of optimism is palpable. This ought to be better known. | 
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