Tragedy of Titan should embolden us to explore

For a whole week, the world was glued on a story of a submersible called Titan which rhymes with Titanic - the ship that sunk in 1912 and the wreckage discovered only in 1985.

OceanGate's Titan was on its way to see the wreckage of the Titanic.

Sadly, it was confirmed that Titan imploded and like the Titanic, will lie under the cold Atlantic waters, indefinitely. The sinking of the Titanic is immortalised by a movie of the same name. Do you recall the couple in the movie that refused to separate as the ship went under?

Coincidentally, the wife of one of the gentlemen who died in Titan descended from the famous couple aboard the Titanic, Isidor and Ida Strauss. The name is immortalised by a student hall by that name at Harvard University.

How do we name students' halls in our local universities? The search and the resources gathered to rescue these explorers of the deep left my mouth agape. It demonstrates how much these countries value lives and their state of cooperation during crises - from the war in Ukraine to the second world war (WW II).

Do you recall how East African countries acted alone during the Covid-19 pandemic? Any lessons for us from this search and rescue mission? One, it's amazing how a shipwreck more than a century ago has fascinated us endlessly.

This accident will add to the fascination. Many other ships are under the water, including warships. This includes Khedive Ismail, sank by the Japanese with some Kenyans aboard during WW II. The late Mburu Mwikonyi, who was in another ship witnessed that sinking en route to Burma on February 12, 1944. Like many others, he fought for the Empire but that did not save him from detention during Mau Mau. Two, by spinning a story, we can create a connection to a place and mint money.

Think of the pyramids of Egypt. Each tourist boarding the Titan paid $250,000 (Sh35 million). Do your maths. Respect entrepreneurs! Why have we not spurned stories around our sites to attract tourists and their dollars? Think of "footprints on stones" in Migori, the plane wrecks of Mt Kenya and the Aberdares. What of the palace of Nabongo Mumia? Where is Chief Kivoi Mwendwa buried?

Money minters

Every county has places that could become money minters - our Titanics. That could shift us from the Big Five wildlife animals and beaches.

Three is the risk the rich and affluent can take. Add the confluence of nationalities, among the famous five.

The men in Titan searching for the Titanic were self-actualising themselves, extending the frontiers of human possibilities. What extraordinary things have our rich and affluent done? I am asking in good faith.

Four, we should be impressed by the five men and their determination to push the frontiers. They a

re not alone; think of Elon Musk and space tourism, flying into orbit and seeing the Earth from space. The spirit of exploration spices our lives.

I learnt that not by going to see the Titanic or space but by exploring the region around Lake Victoria two weeks ago; from Osieko beach through Luanda Kotieno to Rusinga island up to the rice paddies of Ahero.

Five, you need not be a billionaire to become an explorer. Just start with your sub-location and county. Think of it, Arusha, Tanzania the headquarters of the East African Community is nearer to Nairobi than Kisumu. Have you been there? How many counties have visited purposely, not because a matatu transits through there?

Six, exploring goes into intellectual circles too. Do you go beyond your area of specialisation? As an engineer, do you explore economics or psychology?

As a HR (Human Resource) expert, do you want to know how the Covid-19 vaccine is made? This lack of curiosity and the urge to explore has made our lives boring and left a void filled by muchene (gossip) and I dare add alcoholism and cultism. Seven, a good communication network and a sense of history can arouse our curiosity and sense of exploration.

Should we explore the detention camps at Mageta island in Siaya County where men we know spent time during Mau Mau or dig up fossils of Zinjanthropus and its relatives? Should we explore the wreckage of WW II bombers in the Aberdares or watch action movies?

I asked a few Kenyans if they could go under the water to watch the wreckage of the Titanic. The answer was no. I asked my students if they can take a one-way ticket to Mars to make the spacecraft lighter with no need for fuel on the return journey and the answer was usually no with trepidation.

The implosion of Titan should not freeze the human spirit of exploration to live under the long shadow of fear but It should embolden us.

Eight, accidents happen, and no technology is perfect. I am sure a thorough investigation close to the "air crash "investigation programme will shed light on what happened to Titan.

Plane wreckages

We shall build better submersibles just as we have kept improving cars with safety belts and airbags.

I hope one day, I too shall explore the wreckage of Titanic just like the plane wreckages of the Aberdares. How can we fear when so much has not been explored on this planet?

Nine, once through with the earth, we have space, the solar system, the exoplanets, and the endless universe. The exploration journey is endless. This accident should be seen as a pause on our endless journey to know our planet and the universe. The five men are heroes, they have shown us what's possible.

Let's improve from where they left as that is the best way to honour them. Finally, we may not go to see the wreckage of the Titanic, but you can explore while in Kenya.