The week-end harvest of stories is over and we begin with the function at the residence of Mr. Daniel Mwaura which was thronged by Kenyans who came to welcome Mwaura’s family in Sweden following their arrival from Kenya. Mrs Jane Koikai, the woman of the house, arrived in Sweden recently together with her three children after a long struggle Mwaura waged with the Swedish Immigration authorities.
The house was packed to capacity by Kenyans from all walks of life and there was nowhere to stretch a leg. Soon, Mr. Laban Mberi, the Master of Ceremony, arrived and the evening’s Program began in earnest. There was plenty of food and drinks and you just needed to help yourself by picking what your heart desired.
According to Mzeee Peter Mukundi who is related by blood to Mr. Mwaura, “every region of Kenya” was represented. Coupled with the fact that Mwaura is married to a Massai girl, Mzee Mukundi was right in positing that Mwaura is not a tribalist.
It is not possibly to capture (in its entirety) the jocund atmosphere during the occasion which was punctuated by sporadic outbursts of traditional Kikuyu welcome songs and sharp ululations by women, much to the amusement of Mr. Mwaura and family.
Even if you could not understand Kikuyu, you only had to add one plus one. For example, there was a central song which featured the word “welukamu” which, in all fairness, could only have been referring to “Welcome” as Kenyans danced in unison to welcome the family in Stockholm.
Non Kikuyu speakers like myself, Mark Gaya, Jasper “Wendo”, Dancan Munala, Gerry Changa Midenyo and others then got lost as the song meandered into Kikuyu lanmguage before the word “Sitidaoni” surfaced again in what could only have been interpreted to mean “sit down”. I did not bother to ask but I guessed – rightfully or wrongfully – that the song could have been welcoming Mrs Mwaura then after some words of advice, inviting her to “sit down” and relax.
One thing you notice when you mix with Wakikuyu is the rich heritage of songs for almost each and every occasion. The women kept reminding the Master of Ceremony Mr. Mberi that it was time to begin the “women’s songs” but Mberi took it easy and told them politely that the Program was just beginning.
The neighbours had been warned in advance otherwise they could have found it difficult copying with the high-pitched sounds that were coming from the flat at short intervals.
Kenyans in Stockholm have a wealth of wisdom sitting in the heads of Wazee wa Kazi, wisdom which you never come into contact with unless you attend certain occasions. Kenya-Stockholm is known to be a very complicated constituency especially when it comes to hot gossip and propaganda from all directions – social, romantic, matrimonial, political and what have you. This aspect of life was never left out of the scope of advise. It was like an open admittance that “We Kenyans are gossipers, rumour mongers and propagandists”. If you ask me, Wakenya are not better than the Swedes!
WHEN MWAURA “IS UP”, KOIKAI NEEDS TO “GO DOWN”
Anybody who was at the Mwaura function must have appreciated the dexterity and style in which elderly members of the community delivered their pieces of advice. The wisest messages came from the “Grand father- grand mother class” who tackled the sources of family splits, misunderstandings and conflict with so much acumen that as they screwed in the most significant points, the crowd could not help agreeing through quiet nodes and occasional sounds of “Mmmm”.
Despite the ululations and songs of praise, Mwaura’s wife was reminded to “be careful” with Wakenya in Stockholm because they are known to be “destroyers of families”.
“Do not listen to anybody who says that Mwaura was this and that”, said Mrs Rosemary Mukundi, a former headmistress in Kenya who outlined her family relationship with the Mwauras and who welcomed the family in Stockholm together with her husband Mzee Peter Mukundi. Mzee Mukundi was the oldest Kenyan among the gathering who was also honoured with the responsibility of introducing the family.
That was after Pastor Beatrice Kamau and Brother Samson had led the gathering into prayers to welcome the family before giving way for the day’s agenda to proceed.
Mrs Mukundi told Mwaura’s wife that out of all the Kenyans who had turned up at the function, non of them had gone to fetch her from Kenya and that under the circumstances, Mwaura is the first person she ought to consult on family issues. She told the couple that they have not been living together and that they did not therefore know or understand one another yet. She said that one of the biggest responsibilities the couple was facing was to begin the process of “knowing one another”.
Mrs Mukundi then invited Mrs Mwaura to the family “of those who do not leave their husbands” as the crowd burst into laughter. She had earlier advised Koikai that when Mr. Mwaura “is up”, she needs to be tactical “by going down” because at the end of the day, they needed one another. Some married Kenyan men who were present wished that their wives were around so that they could get a dose of African wisdom.
The “when he is up… you need to go down” bit could be interpreted in different ways but what Mrs Mukundi seem to have been saying is that there was a need for the couple to try and reach an understanding during times of differences.
Mwaura was himself warned by Mrs Grace Nyambura that she must understand that he now had a family and that it was no longer possible to live like he was single. A special Kikuyu song was sung to remind Mwaura about this point and the crowd was thrilled. Those who did not understand the lyrics quickly asked for translations and when it was rendered, it was all laughter. Mr. Peter Mukundi told Mwaura that now, he had a right of turning down appointments because of family engagements without being apologetic.
IS MR. MUIRANI UNDERGOING A TRANSFORMATION?
In summery, speaker after speaker told Mrs Koikai Mwaura not to rush with family issues to Wakenya who are likely to convert any information into propaganda to try and bring down the relationship. The event came as Kenyan relationships were collapsing one after another. In the last six months, long standing relationships have disintegrated as blame is placed on different quarters.
In a moving speech, Mr. Githuku wa Muirani literally preached about the need for Wakenya to accept their mistakes of the past, apologise, mend their ways and move on. He said that “With God all is possible”and gave himself as an example of what is possible. Muirani invoked the name of God several times, saying that people may think that they are beyond reproach or perfect but that this is not the case. He appealed to Kenyans to reconcile their differences and live together in peace and harmony.
Muirani who was present at the function together with his family, wished Mr. Mwaura and family well and appreciated the fact that he was able to attend the occasion of welcoming the family to Sweden. Mr. Muirani’s strong religious message left some Kenyans wondering as to whether the Kenyan politician was moving in the direction of “being saved” or whether he had already “been washed by the blood of Jesus”.
Two weeks ago, Mr. Muirani was spotted at Bargarmossen church where it is reported that he sounded very reconciliatory and going by the line of his address at the Mwaura function, Wafarisai could be on the verge of saying Haleluyah to welcome Muirani into their crowd or something of that nature. Much still waits to be seen although it was clear that Mr. Muirani could have been undergoing some transformation of sorts.
There was a long line up of speakers although Mr. Laban Mberi was able to handle the Program quite well. Others who spoke were Mr. George Kinyua, the outgoing Kenyan diplomat at the Kenyan Embassy, Mr. Patrick Kimondo, Mr. Gerry Midenyo, Mrs Magdaline Mwiriki Kinyua, Mrs Mukaru Nganga (who came all the way from Uppsala), Mrs Janet Chege, Mrs Teresa from Märsta among others. Teresa introduced her daughter who arrived from Kenya about a month ago.
Apart from Pastor Beatrice Kamau and Brother Samson who prayed for the family, those who joined in leading the crowd into prayers were Mrs Margarette Njihia and Naomi Wambui. Naomi took the opportunity to once again thank the crowd who recently attended a harambee at the residence of her sister Janet to help raise money towards her medical treatment.
There was a lot of happiness in the atmosphere and Wakenya agreed that the community is really united despite propaganda to the contrary. Other big names who attended the function were Mr. Martin Ngatia, Mr. David Nyori, Mrs Susan Mukami (Kesofo Chairlady), Mr. Dancan Munala (Kesofo secretary) Mr. Nashon Mbugua and his wife Regina, Mr. Clay Onyango, Mr. Jamlik Muritu and Mr. Keegan Kaagwe.
Speaking to KSB, Mr. Mwaura thanked everybody who turned up for the occasion. “My family is very happy and the big turn out has shown my family that I am a man of the people”, Mwaura told KSB.
Okoth Osewe
About the Author
