(By VICTOR OKWARO) Yellow fever is a condition that ails millions of men around the world. Black and African men are particularly susceptible to this illness. This is not the well-known yellow fever that you usually need a certificate for when traveling abroad, oh no. This is a unique strain. There is no injection that can protect you from this particular ailment, as there is no known cure.

Yellow fever can be clinically defined as the attraction to beautiful (and sometimes not so beautiful) light skinned ladies. In Kenya they are referred to as yellow-yellows, while in the U.S the urban slang term used is ‘yellow bone’ or ‘red bone’.

In the Kenyan context many of the ladies who would fall in this category would include mixed race or .5s, many ladies from Central Kenya, Kambaland, Coast, Taita taveta, Maasai, and a number of other regions. Infact in areas like Nyanza, getting a light skinned Luo girl is akin to getting Gold, as finding one is a rare occurrence but a major catch and in very high demand. Then of course there are the Somali Kenyans and Ethiopians.

Symptoms of the ‘yellow fever’ condition may include; dilated pupils, slight fever, cold sweats, reduced concentration levels, confusion, incoherent speech and swearing under one’s breathe when in the presence of the said type of lady, and so on. Chronic symptoms include professing ones love on first date, premature marriage proposals, continuous conspicuous spending, extreme possessiveness and in rare cases madness.

You may be saying to yourself ‘not my man!’ Well, there is a simple test to see if your man has ‘yellow fever’ or not. Simply switch your television to citizen TV at 9.30pm, and watch his reaction as Michele Morgan reads the Business News. If you can’t seem to get his attention and he shows any of the above symptoms, then your man too has ‘yellow fever’.