Some people in Kenya use their mobile phones with decorum, but a few others are a disgrace to the cell phone technology in Kenya. Mobile phone etiquette in Kenya and more so in public areas is a matter that should be keenly addressed in Kenya. Considering that every one of legal age in Kenya owns a mobile phone these days, we would not like to be caught up in one massive noise competition in the streets of Nairobi.

For instance, my workmate Christy is always on call in the office in Nairobi. She is always discussing her heinous escapades over the just elapsed weekend. She will go on, and on about the Tequila-Rose shots that sent her straight to an alcoholic high in such loud volume you will think she is telling the story to somebody in Congo. Worse still is her ringtone that vibrates to those sensual club tunes in again, a disturbing volume. Christy will go as far as discussing her domestic issues in Nairobi, usually called “domez” with her boyfriend Mburu in the office. She has absolutely no cellular etiquette. But she is not alone, most Kenyans lack cellular etiquette in public places.

I particularly abhor the way she discusses personal matters in the serene office environment in Nairobi. She lacks the common courtesy to step out and answer her personal talks. She stays on the phone for over 30 minutes discussing nothing of progressive interest. Common sense dictates that Kenyans should step out for calls outside especially when you intend to stay on a call for long. If you decide to take a quick call in the office, keep your voice to reasonable levels. Don’t yell!

Again it is rather immature to have an “Ashawo” ringtone at volume 5 in an office set up in Kenya. That should be left to the teenagers in Kenya who have just acquired their first phones and are still excited about having a phone that is actually movable and has the title “My” when referring to it.

In as much as our mobile phones in Kenya are personal belongings, it is key that we save people’s contacts in a decent and respectable manner. It would be rather embarrassing if say, your phone rang, and you asked someone to pass it to you only to find their names flickering to the vibration, “Mercy –Snub”, “Angie- debtor” or “Paul –bad breath”. As much as these adapted wild nicknames and pseudonyms in Kenya help us to identify exactly who this person is, they are better left unsaved.

Finally, do not text or be engrossed in your mobile phone while in the company of other people in Kenya. I am sure no one would enjoy sitting in silence as there dining companion whisks time away over a texting or online chatting in Kenya. Being a captive to audience to a phone conversation between a second and third party is obviously no one’s idea of "having fun". More people in Kenya could use this common mobile etiquette in Kenya.