09/11/2003
WECHE MOKADHO
JEXJALUO ****
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If you didn't find it not boring enough to continue with my eulogy of the late VP Michael Christopher Simiyu Kijana Wamalwa (Mike) the eighth vice president of the republic of Kenya who is now dead, and whose burial is set for Saturday in my former neighbood and a domiciled home town (Milimani Kitale) I'm now in the second phase of this very very sad long story.
I take the advantage of the internet because it is s free press unregulated. Calling all his names reminds me of the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga aka double O. But "the fallen" VP, I take issues with the Kenyan press the way they refer to things sometimes. Mike is not a fallen hero. He was not a soldier fighting in the battle field. He died peacefully, he should be referred to as the "departed hero". I'm here still typing with my left index finger (pinky) but I can still make correct references. I have to warn you this text is not edited don't worry about typos. Pinky is not always accurate.
Back to Jaramogi:
It is Jaramogi who passed the torch of Ford-Kenya leadership to Mike when the revered doyen of the opposition passed in 1993. Jaramogi like I said back then was a demi-god. His name was even much longer. This god was called "Jaramogi Obadia Adonijah Oginga Ajuma Odinga" He was a public figure (politician) but again it was a good luck even to come closer and shake his hand. I had the opportunity to shake his hand first at a public rally in Kitale, then later on I had several opportunities to visit with him privately.
When he came to Kitale, shortly after the demise of another god Omwami Masinde Muliro, Jaramogi was sad that he lost a great friend. Had Masinde Muliro not died, the original FORD would have remained united to remove president Moi in 1992. It is Muliros death which trigigered the division within FORD with Ken Matiba and Martin Shikuku claiming that they are the real owners of Ford.
Thus they renamed it Ford-Asili (True -Ford) On the other hand, Jaramogi and his team of young turks ( very intelligent young men) decided to name theirs Ford-Kenya ( Ford which belongs to the people of Kenya) It was the name which caused the tug of war. Everybody running was smelling presidencial throne and they were very hungry for it so long as they can keep that name alive.
Jaramogi's premonition was certain that with FORD party split, removing Moi won't be an easy job. So he came to home tuff of Masinde Muliro, his old friend to to appeal to Kenyans, but specifically to foster a merger with Bukusus. When Jaramogi was eulogizing Masinde Muliro, he told the Bukusus that his friendship with Muliro goes way back when Bukusus were still living in the areas of Kimilili, Misikhu, and the Kamkoiywa where the late VP was born and raised (nawdays known as kwa-mfupi) Bungoma district.
Jaramogi said in Kiswahili and I quote " Leo nataka nyinyi natega masikiyo. Mimi na Miliro tulikuwa rafiki ile Jaluo na sema mangita gidel, awu chanda na pete, kitambo sana wakati raia ya bukusu bado wanaisi kimilili. Mimi nilimwambia Miliro, kama wewe nataka ngombe ya masiwa lasima wewe nafuga ndama, chukwa watu yako, hama na hoa mpaka trans-nzoia pahale bado iko michanga alafu jenga nyumba huko. Wakati hiyo mimi nalikwa na tembelea Miliro, nili endesa baskil kutoka kisumo mpaka charanganyi. kama mini nesame owuongo newesa kuulisa bibi yake Masia.............."
Translation: I want you all to lend me you ears today. Muliro and I have a friendship which goes way back, like the Luos always said in a proverb of a pipe and a skin. In those days Bukusus were still inhabitants of the areas of Kimilili, and I told Muliro if you need a cow which produces milk, you must first of all make it give birth to a calf. Take your people with you and expand the land of the Bukusus across all the way into trans-Nzoia. Build a house there. When Muliro moved with his people to expand the bukusu land, I jaramogi used to ride bike from Kisumu to Charangani to see him. If I'm lying, Mrs Muliro (Mercy) can prove me wrong.
This is the historic politcal rally at Kenyatta staduim which I was saying I had the opportunity to shake Jaramogi's hand after I was introduced to a sea of human beings closer to 200,000 people as the leader of the Operation Moi Out (OMO) by Mr. Zachary Simechero who was the master of ceremony. This was the day the Luos were sealing their merger (political brotherhood) with the Bukusus which was to continue, and which later on gave Jaramogi 150% votes of the Bukusus in the 1992 presidential elections.
On the day of the elections, all the Bukusus turned out and gave their votes to Jaramogi. It is very unusual for Bukusus given their overzealuosness to their culture and traditions vote for a person they know is uncircumcised. This ritual is the life of the Bukusus. it means everything in their world. You must kill a Bukusu first and bury him six feet under to make a leader who is omunyolo (uncircumcised) as they refered to the Luos.
But when the polling day came, they all emptied their votes to Ford-K without question. Their new leader Mike told them to go out in their thousands and vote for Jaramogi. Whom they mispronuonced his name as" Okinga Otinga" but it didn't matter they voted like crazy to him and members of his party. Nevertheless, this is the day the late VP was being coronated as the Omwami (Tribal King) of the Bukusus in replacement of Omwami the late Masinde Muliro.
Also, this brings us to the reason why when I was given the Mic to speak they detected some Luo aksent and they wanted to know if I live in Kitale or I came with Jarmogi from Kisumu? They were curious. It did not matter to the Bukusus whether or not I'm a Bukusu or A luo. All they wanted to know is where they can catch up with me later on, and that is why Kitale was my constant answer to every question. I was not only shy but I was scared whether or not the Bukusus will seal a politcal deal with the Luos. But that day it was realized.
When the late VP stood up to speak, the stadium went dead silent as if there is nobody in it. You could tell he is now the Omwami of the Bukusus. Before he finished his speech, he reintroduced to the subject of OMO again and explained its policies more than I did. He planted a trust on me and support. OMO was not a thugish group like YK92 which was terrorising people. OMO was a pressure group of some very brilliant youngmen who were good schemers and our job was to go around to teach the people of the republic their rights and also the pros and cons of a multiparty system which was coming into Kenya for the first time and they did not know what it really is.
When the rally dispersed, Jaramogi excused himself to leave because he was running late for several other appointments. I wanted to shake his hand again. At this time I was with my comrade my name sake "Harrison Oluoch" he used to write for the daily nation. Nowadays I hear he is editor of some Magazine. This guy was previously intouch (close contact) with Jaramogi's personal assistant ( a young guy called Ja-Kobuya) Oluoch and Ja-Kobuya were real buddies, and knowing Ja-Kobuya means limited access to Ja-ramogi.
Back then it was Ja-Kobuya who decides who, and when to see Jaramogi. When I shook his hand again, he asked me "do you know Ja-kobuya" ? I was hesitating but my friend chipped in quick and said yes! Jaramogi then said, keep me posted thro' Jakobuya also known as David Dimba. he was probably my age or a little older. In future I never kept Jakubaya posted but my comrade did. They spoke almost on a regular basis.
Jaramogi was not going to have dinner with everybody at the home of a former Kitale Mayor "Ezakiel Okul" who was also one of the Luos privileged to have harvested Bukusu votes in trans-nzoia. It was at the home of Okul where the late VP sported me and started to lough. The guy had a big smile you could see his 32nd tooth, and he was kinda gentle. I was behind him but he let me go ahead in the queue to get my food first. Then he told me next time you need to watch me handling questions from a crowd like that. But I like the way you handled the crowdtoday. Just hang' in there you will learn.
More of Jaramogi.....
There was a time I went to speak with jarmogi in Kisumu. You have to go thro alot of redtape to have 15 minutes of jaramogi. I was with my friend Oluoch who talked Ja-kobuya into letting us speak with the old man. When we went in the house, he was upstairs. he was in there drinking poridge his favorite brakfast. the oldman was not eating regular food but old traditional foods like kuon bel, dek, kal, rabuon, and nyoyo. Foods which are cooked with kimbo never crossed his mouth. We went in looking terified like crazy shaking like grass. he wasn't even looking at us. he just said sit down in that chair.
Then he ask..... Nyithindo awinjo ni ua kitale? ( Kids I hear your are from Kitale?) yes jaduong'! Ung'e osiepna ma Miliro? Do you know my friend Muliro? Yes Jaduong'? Then he turned around and asked us ..... where do you come from in Luoland? My friend Oluoch said... he is from Ugenya.... Mmmmmmm.. ugenya mano piny jemsi orengo ( mmmm ugenya that is the land of james Orengo) yes jaduong' To wuoyi matin into ia kanye? how about you youngman where do you come from? I reminded him that I'm the Arson (harrison in Kitale) but I came from mbita (subaland) at that time he looked up? Mbita Risinga? yes jaduong' but mainland... however, my mama comes from the Rusinga! he then picked up his glasses... his glasses are thicker than the bottom of coke bottle. he thrust them on... and told me.... youngman I see alot of Tom Mboya in you...
But I want to tell you one thing. I told mboya but he never listened.. politics is a very dangerous game you must go easy on it. You have a brand new engine in you and if you tread carefuly you will survive it, but if you play like singura mijanja (cunning rabbit) you will perish. mboya was very sly... he actually didn't have his original ideas however the world say he was very brilliant.. mboya was a good listner and whenever he had somebody say something, Mboya would tak it and modify it.
he modified it in a way that it was so brilliant and powerful message. The next day he took it to the people and fire them with it. I always asked my friends, is isnt' what mboya is saying we were proposing yesterday? how comes he solved it that easy? Jaramogi then said... when we were still talking about something.. we had to hide from Mboya not to hear it until the day we are ready. Mboya was so smart I wonder how he got the pope to cook tea for him when he got married? Do you know he was a close friend of the Kennedy's? Well, he never listened to me. Mwache ne onege? They killed him.
Bact to the VP
I later on realized that his gentlmaness exceeds the bounds of acceptable courtersy. In his house. He would cook meat on the grill and when it is time to serve, he would serve everybody with the ladies first. he would hold the kettle with hot water for them to wash their hands, and then fill their plates. He would turn around and serve the men. He would put them to shame. That is what kind of a gentleman he was. You can see in the African tradition men don't care about the women.
No man, especially his calibre would cook and serve the ladies in the presence of other men. There was a time the former U.S. Ambassador Orelia Brazeal come over to Milimani, Kitale to visit with other officials from the U.S. Embassy. Someone suggested the dinner at the Kitale Club, but the VP snubbed him. the VP was a snr. BA back then, he said " they will sleep at the Kitale club but I will cook the dinner. They will eat in my house. When dinner was ready (prepared by him) he served all the ladies first while the men are watching.
The late VP loved good life. His lifestyle was even surprising to the Westerners who think they are the most civilized people. Kuka Nyongesa (Dr. L .Franklin Curtis)a mzungu turned Bukusu was always asking me " what kind of a person is this guy" ? I don't get it. First, he was speaking the oxfordian English, the mzungu was floating, then he was a gentleman, excellent cook, table games, Mozart, cartoons, literature (shakespear) latest clothes etc. He lived like a duke. He never called a person with their last names either. And even if he called a person with their first names, he never finished it. He shorterned it. He called me Harry.
I remember when he was house hunting he looked at several houses in the Milimani area, but there were only two houses which cought his eyes. He loved those houses with storey. Unfortunately, there were people aready living in them. I realized that he loved storey houses. He told me he loves to sleep upstairs. The reason why he went hous hunting in Milimani ( I have to correct the press again because they keep referring to this place as a farm) Milimani is a low density area ( it is the Runda of Kitale) How can it be refered to as a farm?
Back then Mike was the chair of the Ford-K and he was mostly in Nairobi, and when he is in Kitale he stayed at the Kitale club. One day I wanted to introduce this Kuka to him, and I had an appointment with him to meet at the Club 9AM in the morning. I had previously cought up with him( the day before) at the gate of the club dishing out money to the people who followed him. I always wondered where this guy got his money. He woud dish the 500 bills to almost everybody with their hands out.
When some old mamas saw him they run towards him almost got a heart attack from running- but when they cought up with him, he plucked 1000 bills to all of them. One mama told him " asante mtoto yangu nimikusikia tu jina lako kwa radio lakini leo nime barikiwa kukuona" Thank you my son, I have always heard your name only on the Radio but today I'm blessed to see you personally. The rest of the mamas were smiling tucking their money at the coner of their lessos.
The next day I came with Kuka Nyongesa. Kuka was a ka-Mzungu from North Carolina, he traversed Western Kenya in and out. He was in Kisumu, Bungoma, Kakamega, Busia, Chwele, Webuye almost on a daily basis. He asked me to go with him most of the times. He was assisting the poor people, creating setlight Bible schools, financing water projects etc. He was suppose to be a missionary but his lifestyle was far from being a missionary.
People thought he is a disquised CIA because Missionaries don't play golf and drink beer at the Kitale club. A while back president Moi was skeptical of mzungus of this nature. He deported them. Before Kuka there was Hamilton (Simiyu) President Moi woke up one day and ordered his deportation within 24 hrs. He was being accused of arming the Pokots to fight the Ngoroko war. Every morning Hamilton would fly his Helicopter from his Milimani compound to the regions of Pokot and Turkana. he was supplying them with free medicine. But the Governement was skeptical.
Back then the government allowed those who have Copters to just land them in their compounds and keep them there. Later... they changed the rules that all planes must be kept at the Kitale airstrip. Then the Pilots can drive home some 20 KM. One day a huge Contingent of weapons were seized coming into Kenya thro' the Border of Kenya and Sudan and it was speculated that Hamilton was bringing them in the country to arm the Pokots.
He loved the Pokots and gave them almost everything they needed. But Hamilton defended himself that those were toy guns. President Moi was furious. He ordered that the Military Copters spray the Pokot hide outs and disarm them. They were smoked out. Hamilton was taken to the airport and flown back the U.S. in 24 hrs. That is why when Kuka arrived and was traversing the western region, Special Branch and CID wer on his trail. I can't remember how many times I was hauled up into the Special Branch's office to explain something because I was his associate.
That morning I brought Kuka Nyongesa to meet Mike, the gate of the Kitale Club was blocked by the people who wants to speak with the VP. Some were there as early as 5AM they come from as far as Bungoma. They had all the needs eg school fees, mbolea (farm inputs), Harambees (fundraisings of all kinds) Hospital Bills and even dowry. Some were only there to get something and then go get drunk.
You would find the guy who told him his kid in in the Hospital later on so drunk he don't even know what time it is. The Club is a members only private Country Club which do not allow none members to get in and so these people were locked out. Sometimes if they are not controled they would kick the gates in, yu don't want to anger them. Mikes aides would wake up aerly to go control them until he is ready to see all of them and meet their needs.
Since the Club found that a menace and insecurity, they wanted the VP to find a solution and that is the time he decided that he needs to buy a house in Milimani where he can freely entertain his constituents. Also he was getting ready to run fro president. he and Kuka got into a lot of stories he forgot the crowd are losing it outside. they can't wait to see the boss. Kuka was asking him about his married life? He told Kuka that his married had once colapsed, and he felt very bad about it. he was heart broken. He was in deep thought.
He said he was married to Gathoni Mungai the daughter of a very powerful Cabinet Minister in the Kenyatta regime. They lost a baby due to Leukemia and the marriage broke and so was his heart. He just wanted to stay calm for sometime in life. But Kuka said, the presidential race is closing in do you think Kenyans will vote for a BA? But Mike is witty he said the current president Moi is a Snr most BA. Then he suprised me he told Kuka that right now I'm working on this marriage thing and I'm in love with a girl from Harry's homeland (Subaland) she is a journalist and she has covered most of my press conferences.
The house that i said the VP wanted in Milimani was already preocupied by a Baptist Missionary it was one of the most beautiful homes in Milimani sitting on almost 6 acres of manicured lawn. The other house he loved to have bought was a very big storey house build of marbles and granites not far from this other house but the owner (kitale Timber) died and the family was undecided what to do with it. Mike said if this house was available, i wouldn't bargain for it. Unfortunately, he missed that one.
The only one which was remaining and I didn't think if he would love it was a house sitting on a 4 acres of land directly opposit my house but facing the east. it was a bungalow an old colonial building on the most beautiful peice and. it wasn't very big.... but when the VP saw it, he was very happy with it and i wondered why because it wasn't a storey and it wasn't big. Even though it was later in the evening, the sun was going down the horizon and the beautiful rainbow and the sunrays covered the Cherangani hills.
When you stand on the veranda, the whole charanganis is thrust right on your face. Then he asked..... am not standing here on this veranda and seeing Masinde Muliro's home in the Cheranganis? I said yes sir, those tall trees are in the coumpound of Omwami. You can't see the house though, the trees covered it. Then he turned around and the front of the house was made of a wide glass windows and steel doors. Infact, the whole front was glass. All he said is " we will take it" I realized he had in his mind that he would buy more land 15 acres in the front and develope it. I realized later on that the VP loves glass. later... on the work started and he ordered his furnitures from Italy.
One day I was standing by my gate and he pulled over and he told me, last week you thought I got furnitures but now I want you to come down because i have a truck coming from behind there and you are yet to see furnitures. A huge truck zoomed by and later on when I went to his house, everything that was coming out of that truck was glass. The beds were all made of glass and i saw something which looked like a space ship and when I asked him what it is he told me that is a bed. he ordered that it be put in the guest house.
I want that bed in the guest house. i asked him I thought that is yours. then he said oh no! I got somebody coming who will love that bed. Inside the guest house he wanted the fundis to fix as many glasses and mirrors as possible. he then told me i want the guest house to be fitted with every beauty because in a few days my son and his fiance will be coming here from Denmark and i bet you they are the people who will love that bed you said looks like a space ship. That was this guy called jabali and that was 1994.
To be cont.........
Later....
Donde was a making of the VP he visited Kitale often ( he wasn't that talkative until he came up with the donde act in parliament) Wen i met him he wasn't talking that much. When the VP introduced me to him, he only smiled..
Oregno was his ally ( he slept in the guest house and visited the VP's large conrn fields as well as rallies)
Former Kisumu Mayor Oile came over looking tired and sleepy ( he was sneeky tho he didn't want people to know he associates with the VP)
The VP called jaramogi his father, he was the heir of his party Ford-Kenya
The VP refered to Raila as his brother (only ideologies differed ) he admitted that he is acting slow for Railas pace.
People said that the VP got a cut from Kamlesh Pattni wehn he was PAC chair ( it was rumor)
His debts were as a result of his relatives and friends going places to spend on his name ( country clubs etc he paid the debt and took the embarrassment. he didn't complain.
Harrison Wayoga
Albany, GA.
Ka in gi mari moro ma di wandik ka to
orni
Akelo nyar Kager
jaluo@jaluo.com
Daher winjo dwondi in bende,
iwinjo?
Inyalo oro twak kod weche manyien ne: Mig. Ajos wuod Atiga
WuonAbila@jaluo.com
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