We are a people largely stuck in April Fools Day

By Njoki Ndung’u

Yesterday was April Fools’ Day when around the world this day has the strange tradition of being celebrated through playing funny tricks on others. The origin of this day is not certain, as there are many accounts, some more credible than others.

Found on www.aprilfools.com and reported widely by Press in 1983, is one by Joseph Boskin, a professor of history at Boston University, who explained that the practice began during the reign of Constantine, when court jesters and fools told the Roman emperor that they could do a better job of running the empire. Constantine, amused, allowed a jester named Kugel to be king for a day. Kugel passed an edict calling for absurdity on that day, and the custom became an annual event.

Boskin clarified: "In those times, fools were really wise men. It was the role of jesters to put things in perspective with humour."

There was only one catch: Boskin made the whole thing up. It took some weeks for the Press to realise that they’d been victims of an April Fools’ joke themselves.

In most cases it is the print and broadcast media that are notorious for pulling our legs on April 1.

Here are some of my personal favourites:

In 1987, newspapers in Norway published that the Government was planning to distribute 10,000 litres of wine confiscated from smugglers. There was near riot when hundreds of citizens who turned up carrying empty bottles, buckets and all paraphernalia to collect the spoils, found out it was a prank.

In 1965, strange looking dogs were sighted in Denmark, after a report that Parliament had passed a law for all dogs to be painted white to improve road safety at night! And in 1996, an e-mail advised that the Internet would be shutdown on April 1, for spring-cleaning and users should disconnect their computers. Imagine, thousands of gullible people complied.

The gist of the practical joker is that the story must be so ridiculous that anyone who really believes it is truly foolish. As it is often put, there is no fool like an April fool. Having been a victim of many practical jokes in the past, I try to be vigilant by spotting headlines, which are specifically so designed.

Yesterday’s The Standard exclusive story on the introduction of conjugal rights in prisons is the first prize-winner for this year’s April fool prize. A close runners-up is the report in another daily about inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency approving Kenya’s application for its first nuclear power station. The Jury is still out on whether the report on Mobile Number Portability, which will allow consumers to switch between providers while maintaining their phone number is a prank.

But it is difficult to sift true stories from false, because there are those real but stranger than fiction tales, which are even funnier and more unbelievable.

Just look at the report about an albino python that gave grief counselling and marital advice to a widower; or the one on wealthy personalities flying by chopper for a five minute visit to a medicine man whose single cup of magic potion cures all terminal ailments for Sh30.

The best of this decade are about the baby hippopotamus that survived tsunami waves after being swept down Sabaki River into the Ocean and then adopted by a male tortoise; and the lioness that adopted a baby oryx – twice!

Anywhere else in the world these stories would definitely be considered prime material for April Fools’ Day.

The writer is an advocate of the High Court.