Tonny Nyadundo Update: Lilla Wien Event Cancelled
Due to unavoidable circumstances, the Tonny Nyadundo ”Meet the People hour” at Lilla Wien aka ”Little Nairobi” today Friday, has been cancelled. The King of Ohangla music will however perform at the Red Line Disco tomorrow, Saturday 1st January 2011. The show starts at 21.00 hrs sharp and revelers are requested to be on time.
The Network for Africans Unity in Sweden, Afrojam and Lolwe International, who are organizing the Tonny Nyadundo Stockholm tour, apologizes for any inconveniences as a result of the cancellation of the Lilla Wien event.
Okoth Osewe
Tonny Nyadundo Coming to Stockholm: Sat 1st January
Through the courtesy of Network for Africans Unity and Afrojam, the popular Kenyan Ohangla King, Tonny Nyadundo, will be thrilling the crowd in Stockholm on Saturday 1st January 2011 at Sätra from 21 hrs sharp.
According to details made available to KSB, Nyadundo will jet in on Friday 31st December and will immediately get to action at Lilla Wien aka Little Nairobi at around midnight to receive the New Year with his fans who are expected to throng the venue. The Big Tonny nyadundo show will however be on Saturday, 1st January at the Redline Disco in Sätra (Sätratorget 18). It is the first time the musician will be in Stockholm and it will be a big opportunity to experience one of the greatest Ohangla artists of our time.
Okoth Osewe
Kenya Stockholm Year in Review: April
Sigalame: Spreading HIV?
On 1st April, Sound of Blackness circulated a flyer with information that Ali Kiba, the popular Tanzanian musician whose beats have been well received across East and Central Africa, was destined for Stockholm to entertain his fans. Interestingly, Sam Pippo thought it was just another April fools’ day joke but Ali Kiba did come to town and he did rock his fans. An entry at KSB about the Ali Kiba show could summarize the storo…
“This could get out of hand but look at it this way. How do you re-tell the story at KSB when, in the middle of a “model dance” (in a black tight that gives you all the necessary configurations), the hindquarters are systematically brought down so low that a rough calculation between the “main goods” and the hard floor is just about two centimeters? It could be an awkward way of reporting the news but a guy who was apparently making a similar calculation cracked me up when he wished that his equipment “was pointing somewhere in the vicinity” on the floor as stuff came down!…”
The first few months of 2010 were nasty. From January to April, hardly a month passed without a Kenya-Stockholmer being bereaved. Four days into the month, Lisa Wanjera and Judith Wanjiru lost their brother prompting them to organize an emergency trip back home to attend the funeral. Returning home to pay last respects to a departed relative is normally very painful but the best friends can do under such circumstances is to show solidarity.
Although Sam Pippo back home have always accused Kenya-Stockholmers of being lazy or “just living in luxury ulayani”, Kenyans here are very hard working. April was the month when Pastor Beatrice Kamau opened a brand new Church in town which was touted as different from other Churches. The main concept was that the Church would train Missionaries who would then go out to convert people to believe in Jesus Christ. Pastor Beatrice is one of the few qualified Pastors in Stockholm, having studied Theology at Uppsala University. Preaching in Stockholm can be a highly controversial engagement because Kenyans here like politicizing matters especially religion.
In April, two other Kenyans who proved that they have been doing well are William Gilbert Wamae and Colins. Probably, they are the only known Kenyans to have started a business throughout last year and went public about it. After joining together in partnership, they set up the “Collins and Williajms Trädgådsjänst” whose market area included both companies and private entities. KSB could only wish them good luck.
Just as I mentioned earlier, it was as if the year 2010 was the year of bereavements. Jared Odero, a Kenya-Stockholmer lost his Dad in April and once again, friends and well-wishers joined Odero in solidarity. The Kenyan had to travel home at short notice to attend his father’s funeral and when he came back, he thanked everybody who joined him during his hour of need.
Many Kenyans must have heard about the Network for African Unity in Sweden, an organization in which Col Samson Mande has been playing a very big role. Together with Pablo Machine, who runs the Afro-Jam, the two organizations have been working together to promote African entertainment. In April, the Network organized several African gigs that helped bring the community together.
During any given month, there is always what Kenyans call ”vituko”, a Swahili word which roughly means something really “amazing”. In the middle of April, a very amazing storo was published at KSB – the case of lady Sigalame who was dishing HIV “like charity food at a refugee feeding center”. Apparently, the lady had been warned by Swedish Doctors that she had very limited time to live on planet earth and that this news made her to begin distributing the virus even to the lowest bidder.
It was a sad story because prior to getting out of control, Sigalame was a very respected woman within the Kenyan community despite her disease. The funny part was her motivation for spreading the virus. According to the KSB report:
“An agent who has been following the story, said that she mainly targets males (black and white) who do not know her with various levels of justifications. Her motive for targeting white males is to “revenge” against whites for manufacturing the HIV virus which has shortened her life while nigger bulls who fall into her trap are said to be under “punishment” because of the ill treatment she has undergone on the hands of Africans, many of whom she says, have exploited her sexually then dumped her without sympathy. Contacts say that the lady “has very little brain” left in her cranium and that she appears to be losing touch with reality almost on a daily basis”. HIV is like any disease but when one begins to knowingly and willingly spread it around, the is always cause for alarm.
Some rumours said that finally, the lady was arrested and sent to prison, others said she was isolated while some channels had it that she returned to Kenya. Can someone provide some “leaks” as to what happened to her?
Kenyan woman raped in Stockholm
Could the real "Dr. Andy" have been traced?
Another tragic event that happened in April was the rape of a Kenyan woman who had to be admitted to hospital after her ordeal. According to information that reached KSB, the woman was drinking in a pub with four men and when the pub closed down for business deep into the night, she left the pub to return home. Apparently, the four men followed her as she passed through a park and raped her in turns until she passed out. She was found by a good Samaritan who took her to hospital. Despite the tragic nature of the case, some Kenyans did introduce some politics into the mix.
According to these people aka Watu Wengine, the storo was curious because they questioned how people the woman had been drinking with all evening could have raped her. “As a woman, you don’t drink with strangers then proceed to cross a park alone well after midnight”, a Kenyan told KSB.
The statement was so sensitive that it could not be published at a time when the woman was still recuperating in hospital. KSB’s Editorial Board thought that it could have been barbaric to carry everything some critics were saying at that point in time but given the amount of water which has now passed under the bridge, such details could be converted into “leaks” then released. Whatever happened, KSB did not take sides in the story which disturbed many Kenyans.
If you have never heard about Dr. Andy, then you may not be a KS-Beer. The guy is reported to qualify for a Guinness Book of records entry because of his skills in confusing women, hanyaring them at will then abandoning them with huge swollen tummies. Some of her victims have actually been trying to expose him at KSB. For the first time during the month of April, a lady sent a photo of the guy which was published at KSB. It is understood that the Kenyan police have been looking for the “Doctor” who is reported to have gone underground in Kenya. He is said to have ruined many young lives and in order to prevent him from causing further damage, authorities wanted to lock him up. It is not clear whether he is still free and confusing girls or whether he is in total hiding.
Then, came Apostle Karanja from the United States as debate focused on religion and Kenya-Stockholm’s Wafarisai. Whichever way you look at it, Kenyan Christians are a divided lot and to get them to agree on one single issue (even in the interest of Jesus) is very difficult. When the Apostle first came to Stockholm, there was a huge crowd that supported the move but after he left, Kenyan Christians basically fell apart.
The crisis came to light when the Apostle returned to Stockholm the second time. During this trip, some Christians boycotted the function while cash that had been raised to carter for the Apostle’s expenses had to be refunded to contributors because of a huge crisis that had exploded within the Kenya Christian Union which later disintegrated.
Despite the difficulties, something positive was that when the Apostle was here, some Kenyans did see the light and they got saved. Men were reported to have quit booze while women who were allegedly hanya hanyaring haphazardly accepted the Lord and ended their bad practices.
Okoth Osewe
Kenya Stockholm Year in Review: March
Abandoned by paper-maker
The month of March opened with both politics and tragedy. On the political scene, Mr. Martin Ngatia, the Chairperson of the Kenya Red Alliance (KRA) took the stage to intervene in Kenyan politics. Speaking on video, Mr. Ngatia took up the issue of police trying to disarm pastoralists especially in North Eastern Province while he also attacked the Kenyan government for being incapable of providing security to millions of Kenyans who were being killed by police and criminals alike.
Traditionally, cattle rustling in Eastern and North Eastern provinces has been a major problem and livestock owners have lost thousands of cattle stolen by armed bandits who sometimes operate from neighboring countries. Although it is the work of Kenyan security forces to protect livestock farmers and deal with cattle rustlers, the government has, more seldom than not, failed in its responsibilities. When the situation got out of hand and it became clear that Kenya’s security forces were incapable of dealing with cattle theft, many farmers in the affected areas decided to arm themselves in self defence with the same weapons the rustlers were using. They took up AK47 rifles.
As is to be expected, the government became nervous when citizens began to take up arms to address major security failures that were leading to deaths and loss of property. When Mr. Ngatia learnt that the government was intending to disarm pastoralists under the prevailing circumstances, he took a strong stand and said that the pastoralists should resist disarmament because they had no option but to defend themselves. For further details, check the Ngatia videos.
New music releases by Kenya-Stockholm Artists
A tragic piece of news at KSB that was not directly linked to Kenya-Stockholm was the case of Judith Omondi, a 30 year old Kenyan lady who was accused in Finland of spreading HIV. Shocking pictures depicting the Kenyan in a horrible physical state were splashed across the World media following the arrest of Judith. A number of Kenyans in Stockholm are known to suffer from HIV infection but so far, there has been no “media scandal” that can be likened to what was witnessed in the Judith Omondi case. Many Kenyans who suffer from the disease in Stockholm live quiet and disciplined lives although there have been a handful who have been exhibiting traits of recklessness.
During the first week of March, and just as the case of Judith was sinking into the consciousness of Wananchi, DJ Daddie, a Kenyan Artist, released a song which was circulated via Youtube. DJ Daddie has been doing well although he has not yet made a major breakthrough in the industry. Having arrived from Kenya not so long ago, it would be safe to say that releasing a song within such a very short period of time was a modest achievement. KSB can only wish DJ Daddie well during the coming year.
If DJ Daddie’s achievement was “modest”, Rapper Billy Boy’s release of the song “Odiero” was a “breakthrough”. Odiero became so popular that soon, it was being played on Kenyan radio stations. Locally, Billy’s fans flooded KSB looking for a way of getting this incredible composition that tended to exploit the inter-racial love theme. With his group, the G-Ruffs, Billy has proved to be one of the most prolific and resilient Kenyan Artist in Stockholm. Part of his success is now noticeable in Kenya where a branch of G-Ruffs (G-Ruffs Takatifu) has been in the news.
Escape from knife attack at night
Every Kenyan resident in Stockholm somehow understands the ups and downs of life. In March, there was a rare case of success when a Kenyan girl who had been deported to Kenya after she was found paperless by police, returned to Stockholm well loaded with them Mapepe.
Apart from her success, the lady surprised KSB with her level of courage when she popped up with news to say that she wanted to notify all her friends and Kenyans alike that she had bounced back following her deportation. She was arrested partying in a pub in Märsta and since the news about her arrest also featured at KSB, she thought that it was time to update readers that she was back and swinging in town. By asking KSB to publish news about her return, it was like throwing a tortoise into the water because the storo found its way at the blog in less than 24 hours!
March also brought with it a near tragic development which shocked many readers. One morning, readers woke up to learn that a Kenyan woman had narrowly escaped a knife attack by a fellow woman assailant who apparently wanted to dispatch her to the next world. It was not very clear how the battle started but what is known is that police had to be called in to help as the Kenyan woman fled to safety. The cops were called to recover the Kenyan’s hand bag which remained behind in the attacker’s apartment during a moment of flight for dear life.
Ochieng Smalls’ wife passes on
Just like in the previous month, Kenyans were hit by another bereavement. The difference was that a Kenyan had not lost a close relative back home but rather, a Kenyan had passed away in Stockholm. Many Kenyans may not have known Mr. Arnold Okaka but few who knew him like Mr. Joshua Oyugi and the Oduya family did whatever was necessary to ensure that his body was transported home for burial. Luckily, there was no controversy surrounding his funeral and after the brother landed in Stockholm to pick up the body, things went like clock-work and eventually, the body was laid to rest in eternal peace in Kenya. It was sad that once again, the population of Kenyans in Stockholm had been reduced by at least one person.
Just as the shock absorbers were working on Kenyan souls to contain the shocking news following Okaka’s departure, fresh and sad news hit the Kenya-Stockholm community. This time, Ochieng Small, a Kenyan, lost his wife back home. A harambee was called to help Ochieng travel for burial but unfortunately, not enough funds were raised and this delayed Ochieng’s trip considerably.
Abandoned by woman paper-maker
At KSB, there are some news items known as “forgotten storos”. A storo can be forgotten when a lot of things are happening at the same time, making KSB’s Editorial Board to run out of time for follow-up. An example of such a situation is the story of a Kenyan male who was abandoned in Kenya by a woman “Paper maker”. After part one of the storo was published at KSB, events could not allow for publication of the second installment.
The Kenyan dude had spent a fortune to try and settle in Sweden and after securing a lady paper-maker, he went home to await for them Mapepe. The Kenyan noticed that he had been dumped when he was updated by a Kenya-Stockholmer that his wife had filed a divorce and that she appeared to have fallen in love with a new guy who was hanyaring her in Stockholm. After failing to sort out the mess, the guy contacted KSB with his storo and part two is scheduled for next year. The story needs to be brought to a closure.
Fund raising at Continental Hotel
St James, a well known Kenyan Artist, has his own way of making news. In March, KSB intercepted his responses to a Journalist’s questions about his wealth, health and other stuff. For a glimpse, here we go: “On a personal note, I gladly go to the local watering-hole in Stockholm, and having learned that ‘Mwenye kununua pombe ovyo-ovyo ni either karao, ama mwizi’, I keep certain pertinent details to myself, out of pure neccesity. (In other words, I will gladly take the subway, or a rickety turkish cab home with my cronies… without them ever knowing that my Armed-chauffeur driven Lincoln Town-Car is never far behind)”.
As they say, death comes as a surprise. Kenyans will remember that it is the same month of March when Emperor, a Kenyan resident in Stockholm, lost his brother back home and he had to travel urgently to attend the funeral. If you have good friends in Stockholm, they can always back you up in times of crisis. A funds drive was called at Continental Hotel in a moment of solidarity with the bereaved Emperor. During the harambee, the tendency of Kenyans organizing harambees at Continental came under debate with the dominant view having been that a lot of money is lost by fund raising at the Hotel because drinks are expensive while no proceeds from drinks are ever recycled into the harambee kitty.
“Have you cooked ugali…”
During the third week of March, a big story that hit the headlines was that of a guy called Mashaka. After splitting with his wife, he went back to Kenya with one objective – to fix a typical and simple village wife who would never bring him problems in Stockholm, the kind of trouble that his sophisticated Stockholm wife brought about leading to an end of his long standing marriage. Part of the problem was the tendency of the wife to abandon Mashaka in the house as she went out on night boogies during the so called “Ladies Nights” then returning home totally zonked and asking whether Mashaka had cooked ugali na nyake.
“You mean you have not cooked for your wife, you silly husband… don’t you know this is Sweden where men and women are equal?” are the kind of confrontations that disturbed Mashaka. He told KSB that he felt as though he had been castrated.
The relationship entered into crisis when Mashaka “could no longer take it”. As Mashaka went to Kenya for a unique alternative, his ex was taken over by a dude from Zaire who established himself in Mashaka’s former flat as he began to chew the goods under a new arrangement.
Relocation to Kenya gone awry
Sometimes, life in Stockholm becomes so boring that you organize to relocate back in Kenya. Normally, this means fixing the finances so that when you land in the motherland, you are basically sorted out. In March, a Kenyan who had relocated back home resurfaced in Stockholm after his bizz plans (that formed the basis of his relocation) went hay-wire, forcing him to catch a quick flight back to Kenya-Stockholm. One positive element with this case is that the Kenyan never shies away from telling his fellow countrymen what happened. We will not go into detail here because this is a review.
But to put it briefly, business plans that started off quite well began to enter into serious difficulties and with time, money flow from the investment began to slow down. When it became clear that recovery plans had reached “rock-bottom” and no bail-out from any bank or government agency was forth coming, prospects of returning to Stockholm also began to take shape in the mind of this dude. A lot of last minute efforts to revive the bizz were frustrated because Kenya is a “swamp of corruption” and every move to re-energize the venture simply collapsed like the World Trade Center which came down on 911.
The business soon entered into irreversible “liquidity problems” and the best that could be done was to auction any tangible assets as ways of returning to Stockholm were looked into. When KSB met the Kenyan after he landed, he was very candid. Many Kenyans who plan to relocate could learn a lot of lessons by talking to him because another good thing is that this hard working son of Kenya is not in hiding after his plans went up in smoke. We can only wish him the best as he recoups in turbulent Kenya-Stockholm.
Human “natural resources” on sale
When it comes to sensation, there is a piece of news that could scoop the ultimate prize. KS-Beers switched on their computers one day to learn that “Kenyan sperms” were in high demand in Sweden and that for “a shot” collected through a program at Karolinska hospital, the donor was paid Ksh 4000.
The news could have been treated as a bluff had it not appeared in one of the regional Swedish newspapers. Kenyan sperms were in high demand because the “market” had been boosted by the election of Barack Obama as Prezzo of the United States. Soon, Kenyan males were trooping to Karolinska “to have their equipments milked” by cute Swedish blondies whom, according to the storo, “were trained to do anything” to get them spunjetos. It was very interesting that some Kenyans even took a “working holiday” at Karolinska “to make some money” by selling what they termed as “natural resources”.
Unfortunately, the month of March ended with another bereavement. George Ochieng Dokta lost his brother in Kenya and so he had to rush home to attend the funeral. Friends quickly congregated at Dokta’s residence to condole with the bereaved family. That is how events unfolded during the month of March. Watch out for events in April.
Okoth Osewe
Kenya-Stockholm Year in Review: February
Masumbuko with Annika who saved him from deportation
Just like in Kenya, the debate about the draft Constitution continued to rage in Stockholm during the month of February. According to Mwandawiro Mghanga, a Kenyan who was formerly exiled in Sweden, the Constitution that Kenyans had written had elevated the country’s top leadership from an Imperial president to a King. Mwandawiro made the remarks in an opinion article that was published at KSB.
Contributing to the same debate, I argued here that in as much as it was important for Kenyans to have a new Constitution, it must not be forgotten that the Constitution is a piece of paper that could be violated by the ruling classes if their interests were at stake. My position was that the promulgation of a new Constitution could advance the democratic struggle in Kenya but that the document alone could not be relied upon to put food on the table or guarantee Kenyans health services if its implementers are not acting in the interest of the masses of the Kenyan people.
Apart from politics, other developments took place during the month of February. During the first week of the month, Moses and Pamela organized a highly successful baby shower that was attended by a cross section of Kenyans including Mr. and Mrs. Muirani, Mr. and Mrs. Njenga, Mr. Ken Munge, Ms. Irene Wakonyo, Ms. Sophia Njoroge and Ms. Catherine Maundu. The combination of top personalities who attended the event was significant because majority of those who attended are the same Kenyans who congregated to set up the ill-fated Kenya Christian Union (KCU), an organization which later turned into a battle ground of “Christian wars” ahead of Apostle Karanja’s second visit to Sweden.
At KSB, sensational news can come from any direction. As the month progressed, news about a paperless Kenyan chick, who was ballooned by another Kenyan, came back on the limelight. This time around, it was good news because the chick had delivered while the Kenyan who was responsible for distributing the “fireworks” also accepted to take responsibility for his actions. The couple moved in to live together in what many observers hoped, would be a life of eternal bliss.
In Kenya-Stockholm, intermarriages, especially between black Kenyans and white Swedes, are a permanent feature of the tiny community. As older relationships wither or collapse, new ones are started because the generations come and go. What changes are the dynamics of these relationships and in February, the famed Kenyan, Masumbuko, entered into problems which nearly led to his deportation had he not been saved by Anika, a secret girlfriend he had been hanyaring on the sidelines when his Swedish girlfriend was heavily pregnant. The game ended when Masumbuko split up with his first girlfriend to live with Anika who helped him fix his Mapepe.
A year could be very long although it could also be very shot. In February, a significant change happened at the Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm. Ms Jenipher Awuor, the second in command after Purity, was recalled. Awuor’s departure was a big blow to Ambassador Purity Mihindi because she is the only member of staff who fused well with Purity’s personal chemistry. Apart from her pompous style and authoritarian methods of leadership, Awuor had somehow perfected the art of keeping away from Kenyans, a trait that was inherited by Purity when she was posted at the Embassy. The two Embassy ladies seemed to share a general dislike of Kenyans because they believed that Kenyans consume too much booze.
Okoth Osewe as Miguna Miguna
However, what made Awuor grab headlines at KSB was her tendency of acting as a “hand bag carrier” for Purity during official functions. When she was eventually recalled, no Kenyan shade any tears because her departure was more of good riddance than a significant loss. For many Kenyans, what was important was that Awuor was replaced by a new staff member by the name of Mr. A. Andambi. Initially, Andambi kept a very low profile, probably after being warned about the unpredictability of Wakenya. In fact, one could sympathize with Andambi because he entered the scene when Purity had been working hard to isolate key Embassy staff from Kenyans here.
If Andambi was to come in and begin an aggressive integration program, he could have rubbed Purity on the wrong side because he could have been seen to have been opposing official policy of “no interaction”. Andambi appears to have taken his cue because although he tries to exploit every opportunity to mingle, he makes sure that he does not overdo it. In short, he knows that there is a limit as to how deep he can penetrate without hurting Purity. Andambi’s biggest nightmare is that if he makes any miscalculations, a phone call to Kibaki by Purity could lead to him packing his baggage back to Kenya even before the end of his “tour of duty” so it is in his interest that he toes the line.
Without politics, Kenya Stockholm becomes very boring. At some stage, active Kenyans have always intervened in the country’s politics back home and this is a very strong tradition. During the month of February, Mrs Hellen Opwapo, the Chairlady of ODM Scandinavia, blasted William Ruto, the renegade ODM MP, for his disruptive activities within the Party.
Responding to allegations of corruption, Mrs. Opwapo called on Ruto to “step aside” and allow for investigations into the corruption allegations. ODM-Scandinavia is one of the political Parties that has remained active in Stockholm and the intervention of Mrs. Opwapo was not out of the blue. It can only be hoped that the Party will keep itself busy by providing direction to political events back home.
On the Entertainment scene, winter was beginning to ebb away and Sound of Blackness threw a “Spring-break Jam” Party to warm up Wakenya and prepare them for Spring after one of the coldest winters in Swedish history. It is about the same time when Chebet, a Kenyan teacher, called on Kenyans interested in the teaching profession to get in touch with her for some tit-bits.
February was also the same month when calls for the resignation of Ambassador Bethwel Kiplagat from the Truth Commission intensified in Stockholm. According to views that were expressed, Kiplagat could not chair the Commission because he had been implicated in several human rights abuses while others alleged that he may have been linked to the murder of former Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Robert Ouko.
As February came to an end, news arrived in Stockholm that a Kenyan Weekly had mistakenly published my picture thinking that I was Miguna Miguna, a Kenyan who works at PM Odinga’s Office in Kenya. Naturally, I seized on the opportunity to confront the paper and demand for corrections although I never had time to follow up the matter because it was petty. The Weekly had portrayed Miguna Miguna negatively using allegations which could not be authenticated but that is how the Kenyan gutter Press operates.
Okoth Osewe
Kenya-Stockholm Year in Review: January
Kipepeo: created sensation in January
After last year’s New year messages were delivered across Kenya-Stockholm, individuals recovered from Party hangovers and new resolutions began to be converted into reality by their creators, new developments also began to unfold.
During the first week of January, some Kenya-Stockholmers reported that the Kenyan flag at the Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm had become a constant source of shame because the flag was too weather-beaten. Without mincing words, the Kenya Red Alliance (KRA) seized on the opportunity to throw salvos in the direction of the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia, H.E. Mrs Purity Muhindi, who was accused of being insensitive to a “respected component of the Kenyan nationhood”.
In an open letter to the Ambassador, KRA wrote: “The situation is worsened by the fact that you and other members of staff sit in that office on a daily basis after passing under the same flag to gain access to the Embassy where you represent the interest of Kenya in Scandinavia. Under its current state and condition, and given the national symbolism attached to the flag, KRA demands that your office take action and rectify the situation as soon as possible”.
When the issue became “too hot” for Purity, she quietly gave in and set up a new flag. It was clear evidence that she had given in to pressure and KRA also took a break to celebrate.
January was also marked by death-related news that struck members of the Kenya-Stockholm community. Man Keegan, a humble son of Kenya, lost his Sister in Law back home prompting Kenyans to show solidarity. It can be said that it was the first bereavement of the year.
As news about the Keegan bereavement sunk deeper in Kenya-Stockholm, the family of the late Mr. Owili Ongaro also returned from Kenya where they had gone to attend the burial of their loved one. Mr. Owili passed away in December 2008. Upon their arrival back in Stockholm, they thanked everybody who helped raise Ksh 450.000 to transport the body of the late Owili to Kenya for burial. The bereavement was marked by controversy between the Owili family on the one hand and Hassan, Owili brother, on the other.
The controversy “was attention capturing” because almost everything that touched on funeral arrangements became open to disagreement. The most interesting development was the alleged failure of Hassan to benefit from funds that was raised at the Owili funeral. According to reports, Hassan was supposed to get a cut of the money for his air ticket but when he left the harambee empty handed because of disagreements, a group of Kenyans quickly congregated at Continental Hotel and raised Ksh 8000 for Hassan, enabling him to travel home to attend his brother’s funeral. It was one of the most talked about cases after the case of the late James Wuod Maggero whose body was cremated in January 2007 in Stockholm amid protests by Kenyans (especially members of the Luo community) whose attempts to stop the cremation failed.
The Hassan drama was followed immediately by a new tragedy which struck the family of John “Holiday” Okulo. The Kenyan, who is one of the few “veterans” remaining in Stockholm, lost his sister, Nevea Oulu Nyambok due to illness. When Nivea’s daughter, Grace Olewe, received the news, she collapsed and died as the family entered into deep mourning. An appeal was sent to Kenyans for fund raising.
Entry of Lady Kipepeo in Kenya Stockholm
Just as Wakenya were recovering from multiple bereavements, a new and intriguing piece of news hit the scene. David Karoki, a Kenya-Stockholmer, called KSB to assert that he was “alive” despite propaganda that was being spread by his enemies that he had passed away long time and probably buried somewhere. A story published at KSB said in part:
“Mr. David Karoki, a Kenyan national who has been resident in Stockholm, has told KSB that he is not dead as is being alleged by people he believes are against him. Speaking to KSB on telephone, Mr. Karoki said that he was surprised to learn that rumours are spreading in Kenya-Stockholm that he died long time ago and that his remains were sent six feet under”.
According to Kenya-Stockholm’s rumour mills, Mr. Karoki had apparently passed away during the December 2007 Post Election Violence (PEV) and that his soul was actually resting in peace six feet under somewhere in Central province. Karoki is a well-known Kenya-Stockholmer and the news shocked observers who wondered how such a serious tragedy could have struck a community member without concrete news filtering across the thriving Kenya-Stockholm’s underground news channels. It was therefore a big relief when Mr. Karoki surfaced to dispel the rumours.
Apart from the “Karoki was dead” storos, other Kenyans had a different explanation as to why Mr. Karoki had gone out of circulation. According to Karoki, other miscreants were peddling lies that the Kenyan had been sent to prison for offences which were never named. Countering the lies, Karoki said that he had actually been globe-trotting, having travelled to Denmark then to London before settling in Canada from where he returned and called KSB. The rumours about Karoki were further evidence that in Kenya-Stockholm, you never know where rumours originate while some rumours can be shocking to say the least.
As the month of January approached mid-ground, a new sensation hit Kenya-Stockholm. Lady Kipepeo, a “mouth-watering” Kenyan cutie, had landed at Arlanda from the motherland, literally setting Kenya-Stockholm’s bachaleros on a “mhanyo mode”. The impact of Kipep’s arrival was “a race against time” by the bachaleros who embarked on a wild trial of all tricks in the book to try and win her heart. Unfortunately, Kipeps was no neophyte in the department of seduction and as her scanty dressing style increased romantic temperatures and multiplied the rate of blood circulation in men’s dangling equipments, observers could only wait with anticipation to know the winner. Eventually, Kipepeo was scooped by a stylish dude who took her home in a BMW as she began to weigh her options in her new crib, a development that ended the competition.
Still on the trail of bereavements, Cucu Damaris passed away, precipitating yet another funds drive to transport her body back to Kenya. Cucu’s body left for Kenya on the 18th of January following a successful harambee that was organized by the Thugge family.
As January came to a close, Pastor Karanja (who is based in the United States), arrived in Stockholm to preach the Gospel. His moving sermons led to a couple of Kenyans accepting Jesus Christ as their personal savior and the baptism of over 25 children. Another key event that occurred as January came to an end was news that Jane Nyakairo, a Kenya-Stockholmer, had lost her Sister in Law back home. A funds drive was held for Nyakairo who had travelled home ahead of the harambee to attend the funeral.
On the whole, January was marked by bereavements among Kenya Stockholmers although the entry of Kipepeo and intriguing news about Karoki’s alleged death provided some exciting detours.
Okoth Osewe
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