Freedom.
It’s a word that stirs something deep within us, the idea of choice, movement, and living without limits. But what if freedom isn’t about open spaces or breaking barriers? What if it’s about how far our souls can roam even when the body is confined?
Barry had dreams bigger than his small-town in Ugenya, dreams of building something for himself and conquering life on his own terms. In school, he was the loud one, the curious one, the one who always asked, “What if there’s more out there?”
When he finally moved to the city, Nairobi felt like freedom. The endless lights, the noise, the rush it was everything he had imagined. But over time, freedom began to look different. The city demanded more than it gave, rent, bills, deadlines and expectations. He worked longer hours, smiled through exhaustion, and told himself that this was the price of chasing dreams.
Deep down, something shifted. The fire that once burned wild within him dimmed under the weight of survival. He realized he wasn’t as free as he thought. He had simply traded one cage for another the cage of routine, of fear and of responsibility.
It’s the same paradox that lives inside Nairobi National Park, where lions roam the savannah against the city skyline. To an outsider, it’s freedom vast land, open skies. But even there, fences define how far they can go. For the lions in the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, rescued from harm but unable to return to the wild, their world is even smaller.
They’re safe, cared for, admired, yet confined. Just like so many of us. We chase freedom, but often end up fenced in by comfort, careers, or circumstance.
The lions remind us that freedom isn’t just about space it’s about being able to live as you were meant to. For them, that’s the hunt, the roar and the wild. For us, it’s purpose, peace, and authenticity.
Not all that are wild are free and not all who seem free truly are.
Because sometimes, even kings live in cages.
Also Watch: Inside the heart of Nairobi National Park – Porini https://youtu.be/HUupSM-fDUs
