It did not take long. Haya. A Kenyan lost a sister and called a harambee. If we go by the rules, this should have been a genuine case where nobody was supposed to say anything. What happened after more than 10,000 kr was raised?
Maneno came out that the Kenyan’s sister never actually died but that the Kenyan had simply tricked Kenyans in order to raise funds to go for holiday in Kenya. The only “evidence” that was produced was talk that the Kenyan had travelled with his girlfriend to Kenya after the harambee to enjoy life.
For some Kenyans who never go to sleep, they could not overstand how the Kenyan could have travelled to Kenya with his fiancée because since he was faced with a funeral, he could have used any extra money to fund the funeral instead of buying an extra ticket and travelling together. To make matters even worse, some Kenyans claimed that it is true that the Kenyan’s sister died but that it was a long time ago and that the Kenyan “rewinded the death” because he had an agenda. Holy smoke!
THE CASE OF A PLASMA TV “BOUGHT WITH HARAMBEE MONEY”
That was after another Kenyan organized a harambee to raise funds for a children’s home. A disco was organized and the thing was well attended. In fact, it was one of the best moments of solidarity with music, culture and fun. But after people dispersed, the propagandists went to work and when they came back with their package, they claimed that cash that was raised was never sent to Kenya.
Interestingly, they knew what the Kenyan had done with the money – bought a plasma TV. The argument was that the Kenyan never came back in public to tell them exactly the amount that had been raised while they also claimed that the Kenyan went silent on the children’s home immediately after the harambee. Another “piece of evidence” was that the Kenyan bought a Plasma TV soon after the harambee. They expected updates about the number of kids who had been sent to school, fed, clothed etc but that instead, spies reported that the Kenyan had entered into the League of “Kenya Plasma” addicts.
Recently, a Kenyan lost a sister and called an “Open House”. As usual, this was another “genuine harambee” and one should not have expected any shit talk but guess what? People came and changad about 8,000 kr but after they left the place, there was a “short period of observation” when nobody said anything then things suddenly exploded.
Stories emerged that the Kenyan had “eaten the money” because she never made any trip home to bury her sister. What was the big argument in this case? That a sister had passed away, Wakenya came and changed 8 thao and she never went home despite the fact that the money was enough for a ticket.
If she didn’t have enough money to spend once she arrived, critics even theorized on what she could have done – told home people that she used all the money she had to buy a ticket and that she had no extra money to spend on anything because her main agenda was to attend her sister’s funeral. “Home people should have accepted this kind of argument”, said a critic who called KSB.
Obviously, the next logical explanation is that this Kenyan may have sent the little amount that was raised to Kenya to help with funeral expenses but if you ask critics, they want proof. Do you mind what someone does with money once you accept to contribute or do you contribute then leave the person to deal with his/her conscience regarding the money raised? The message here is that once Wakenya wamechanga because a brother or sister has died and the amount is enough for a ticket, you have travel upende usipende.
The brother of another Kenyan who lives in Uppsala died. Some Kenyans traveled all the way to contribute. What I don’t know is how some Kenyans in Stockholm knew that the Kenyan never travelled home because Uppsala is far. Stories were soon in the air that the Kenyan haku safari and that he was seen buying bottles of whisky at the System (liquor store) at about the time people changaad. You then begin to hear stories like “Wakenya wanagongwa…”. I have to go now.
GOING UNDERGROUND INSTEAD OF TRAVELLING FOR FUNERAL
On another note, I rarely hear negative talk about a bereaved Kenyan who calls an “Open House” then travels for the funeral. It looks like the only way to be on the safe side is to call an Open House then make sure you travel to Kenya otherwise watakusema. When a Kenyan lost his mom, he called an Open House in Skågos then travelled home. I have never heard anything. That was after another Kenyan lost a brother and called Wananchi at Lidingo. He travelled to Kenya immediately and I have never heard anything.
A Kenyan who lost his father and failed to travel had his own problems when he was seen buying a chicken at a store at about the same time he was supposed to have been mourning with relatives in Kenya. Whoever saw him soon got busy on the phone and when people tried to call him, he refused to answer the phone, probably because he was “officially” supposed to be in Kenya.
According to this piece of gossip, the Kenyan had planned to go underground for two weeks then surface but the problem is that he never stocked the fridge and never calculated that someone who heard him say that he was paying for a ticket the following day would be privy to information that he was seen buying chicken at a local store. This appeared to have been a genuine case because he said he was travelling and people raised enough money for a ticket.
We have heard about the “Outreach Ministry”, the “Ministry of the Wings of Love” and now, welcome to the “Ministry of the Legs of Gossip” in Kenya-Stockholm. The committee will soon organize a symposium to discuss “The General Trends in Kenya–Stockholm Gossip” and the Guest of Honour will be the Minister of Gossip and Rumour Collection Professor Sambaza Maneno. Keep tuned.
Okoth Osewe
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