Hardly a day passes before you hear something like “Wakenya in Stockholm ni wabaya sana”. There are Kenyans here who believe that someone is always trying to destroy them and any failure has to be blamed on another Kenyan. There is one who lost his driving license after the Swedish police caught him driving while zonked.
When he emerged from the shock, he began to blame a friend he had been drinking with claiming that the
friend encouraged him to drink although this crooked friend knew that he was driving. The only reason why the friend did this, he reasoned, was because the ka friend wanted him to lose his laiso.
And then, there is the breed of Kenyans always blaming their countrymen for spreading rumors as if rumor mongering was invented by Kenyans in Stockholm and as if this art is exclusively practiced by Kenyans (Kibaki would say “kwendeni huko”).
Rumor is part and parcel of every society (including the Swedish society) and to suggest that Kenyans in Stockholm are evil because they like spreading rumors is to say that other communities do not practice rumor mongering, a conclusion that, according to sociological research findings, is not correct.
Kenyans in Stockholm are very hard working people and if they spread rumors, they are just acting normally. Of cause! The rumor can be hot or cold depending on what has happened and rumors are mainly fuelled by lack of information or contradictory situations which do not make sense but which are being pushed as pure logic. Take the latest rumor for instance.
After Kashito passed away in his sleep, all sorts of rumors have filled the air. A harambee that was supposed to be held on Friday November 28th was cancelled without explanations and if rumor was flowing water, what happened later in the Kashito case has fuelled the kind of rumors that could fill the biggest water tank available in Stockholm.
At first, Bryan Njoroge aka Njoro, a Kenyan who was deeply involved in the planned Kashito harambee and who has been circulating briefs about Kashito, told Kenyans that at least 60,000 kr was needed to settle Kashito’s hospital bills. He wrote:
“It is understood that there is no financial pressure at the moment while investigations to determine the cause of death are still underway but when these are over, in about three weeks time, then the bills will start coming in. It is then that the body will be released for burial. At the discussion-open house, a rough bill estimation was made of about sixty thousand Swedish crowns as expected to come up”.
DID KASHITO HAVE MEDICAL BILLS TO BE SORTED OUT BY KENYANS?
Here we go. There was “no financial pressure” yet every Kenyan who understood the circumstances knew that Kashito’s body had to be transported to Kenya thereby creating one of the biggest financial pressures known among Kenyans in Stockholm under the circumstances.
According to Njoro, 60,000 kr would be needed when the bills “start coming in”, a statement which suggested that medical bills had accrued and that Kenyans needed to get ready to sort this bill out.
Earlier, Kenyans had been told that Kashito was a student here meaning that he had the right to medical care as long as he held a valid student’s visa which comes with medical insurance so even if he had been ailing, why should Kenyans in Stockholm foot his medical bills? Kenyan rumor mongers began to smell a rat but they still kept quiet, save for whispers here and there.
The suggestion that Kashito may have been sick and that his medical bills needed to be sorted out came after the Kenyan community had been told that Kashito was a healthy and youthful Kenyan who passed away in his sleep in the wee hours of the morning. Some multiplications and additions started tallying like the Kenya December 2007 election results.
According to Njoro’s statement, the bills would have to be sorted out and “it is then that the body will be released for burial”. What Kenyans were being told here is that once they had fund raised to sort out the medical bill, the community would still have to fund raise to transport the body home because (according to logic based on Njoro’s statement) the body would not be released before the bills were sorted out. The need for cash was so urgent that two accounts were provided to facilitate the process. Njoro wrote:
“For those willing to make a donation and might not make it to the fundraising event, an account number is available for deposition. The account is 8327-9 993 590 272-7, Swedbank and the account holder’s name is Anne-Serah Kinuthia”.
At this point, everything seemed to have been running smoothly and Kenya-Stockholmers were preparing themselves psychologically for the gigantic fund raising on 28th November that was set at Flemmingsberg. Although question marks had been cast by the advanced layers of rumor mongers on why the medical bills had to be sorted out, there was a general agreement that Kashito’s body had to be transported to Kenya by all means. Then, something happened, firing all the known rumor mills in Kenya Stockholm, from Norsborg, Hallunda to Alby, Tensta, Rinkeby to Vällingby.
Mr. Richard Nganga Chege and Mrs Margareta Chege, Kashito’s parents, arrived in Stockholm accompanied by their son Mr. Charles Saa Nganga to collect the body. It is rumored that this arrival got the Kashito Stockholm Committee that was planning fund raising by total surprise prompting Njoro to make it a “Breaking news” kind of item because of its unexpectedness.
It was expected that the Kashito Committee in Stockholm had links with family members in Kenya and that a big event like the arrival of Kashito’s parents in Stockholm should have been pre-empted by the Committee instead of being converted into a “breaking news” event and AFTER they hand landed in Stockholm.
KASHITOSHITO’S HIDDEN NAMES
In the past, all Committees that have organized the transportation of bodies of Kenyans back home have had close contacts and almost daily communication with family members back home. In cases where family members have had to travel to Sweden to accompany the body, this fact had been known in advance.
When the brother of Ayieko Singoro, a Kenyan who died in Uppsala, travelled to Sweden to accompany his body, the fact was well known in advance by the Committee while when relatives of the late Mwangi (who used to work at the Canadian Embassy) arrived in Stockholm to collect his remains, the Mwangi committee was part of the planning of the journey from Kenya.
In the Kashito case, the Committee was caught unawares and what the leadership did in a public display that it was still in charge was to “break the news” after the event had already happened. By “Breaking the news” the Committee was avoiding a situation where Kenyans would wake up in the morning to find that Kashito’s parents were already in Stockholm together with his brother without the news having been made public earlier.
For many Kenya-Stockholm rumor mongers, the breaking news story was a cover up for a major crisis in the situation – evidence that the Committee was not in touch with the family although it was fund raising to “sort out medical bills” and to raise cash for the transportation of the body to Kenyan for burial.
Where did Kashito’s three family members get cash to travel to Sweden to accompany the body when Kenyans were preparing to empty their wallets to fund raise so that the body could be transported to Kenya? This is another key question that the Kashito Stockholm committee has never commented on thereby fuelling even more rumors. If Kashito’s family was financially well off to an extent that they could afford to pay for three air tickets within such short notice, why were Kenyans in Stockholm being kept in the dark?
For example, there could have been no problem if the Kashito committee told Kenyans that the family was capable of sorting out the bills but still proceed to fund raise for those who wanted to contribute. It could have been accepted and Kenyans could have contributed without stress. Instead, the Committee went ahead and cancelled the November 28th fund raising without explanations soon after Kashito’s family arrived in Sweden, fuelling further rumors.
After an analysis of much of the rumors in circulation, the sixty four dollar question is where money came from to sort out the huge bills at a time when Kenyans here were being told to fund raise. The explanation that was given by the Committee was weighed on the balance and found wanting. In any case, how comes the Committee did not know Kashito’s real names following his death because a key Committee member was described as a “close family friend” of the Kashito family.
According to Kenyans in Stockholm who have called KSB on a serious note to question the circumstances, Kashito’s real names were rushed in the blogs soon after these names were published on the Kenya-London based web site mrseed.com. After Kashito’s story was broken at the site, the Stockholm committee appears to have instructed Njoro to report that Kashito was not just “David Acquinas” as Kenyans had been told. Suddenly, the Committee had made a big discovery.
According to Njoro, “Kashitoshito’s, it can now be revealed, real names were David Aquinas Nganga but Kashitoshito is the name he preferred to use. He has a sister in London, Ann Nganga who is now in constant contact with the Kinuthia family and the Kashito Fundraising Committee. The Kinuthia family and the Ngangas are close family friends and neighbours in Kenya”. Information about Kashiot’s sister based in London had also gone missing in Kashito committee reports until the mrseed story. Did the Kinuthia family know Kashito’s real names and if yes, why was it made an “it can now be revealed” kind of news by our Njoro?
Surely, if Kenya-Stockholmers begin to germinate rumors in these kind of situations, who should be blamed? Rumor mongers or “information keepers”? In our next installment, find out how the Kashito committee was bullshitted by Ambassador Purity who refused to meet its leaders and the controversy about Kashito’s nationality.
Okoth Osewe
About the Author
This is a great assessment of the rumors and unclear circumstances surrounding the late Kashito’s death. In addition, it raises more questions on the type of coordination that the Muirani-led funeral committee had with Kashito’s London-based sister and family in Kenya. I am eagerly waiting for “Part II” of this story as promised by Osewe, especially on how Kenya Embassy’s “Queen of Mean” Ambassador Purity Muhindi snubbed the Stockholm committee.
Since Njoro has been relaying information concerning the late Kashito, can he explain to Kenya-Stockholmers what has changed concerning: “… a rough bill estimation was made of about sixty thousand Swedish crowns as expected to come up” (Reported on Nov. 9, 2008)?
On Nov. 18, he reported that: “So far Kenyans, friends and Kashito’s colleagues in Stockholm had raised a solid 27thou sek in a show of solidarity with the Nganga family but further fundraising will not be necessary since all costs will be met.” Who will meet or has met all the expenses? What happened to the 27,000 SEK raised by Kenya-Stockholmers?
It was also reported by Njoro that the Stockholm and London funeral committees would be coordinating. Can he explain how much has been raised in London and whether they have also stopped raising more money? Why did Kashito’s sister in London not attend the memorial service held on November 23 in Stockholm?
If it is true that the Stockholm funeral committee was depending on information from mrseed.com (a Kenyan owned website), then it explains why the arrival of the late Kashito’s parents and brother was “Breaking news.” It probably also means that there was very little or no communication with the sister on phone. The London committee seemed more organized than the Stockholm one in terms of reporting. One might argue that “of course yes” since the sister resides there, but it also exposes a weak communication link between them.
On November 26, Njoro reported about the memorial service held on November 23. However, as an aside he should also have informed whether the body was transported on November 20 according to his November 18 report. Is the late Kashito’s family still in Stockholm or they have left as per his earlier report that they would be here until Monday 24th?
Clarity of information is very important in such circumstances, to allay the fears and doubts that continue to enshroud fundraising operations in the Kenya-Stockholm community. Whoever is responsible for reporting, should give updates on all the steps taken until the deceased is finally transported back home and the funeral committee(s) wound up.
I will await reactions from those who normally castigate KSB for continued attacks on Ambassador Purity Muhindi, after Osewe writes on how she shunned the late Kashito’s Fundraising Committee in Stockholm.
During such moments of tragedy, the Ambassador should show leadership by sending condolences to the grief-stricken family and friends on behalf of the Kenya Embassy in Stockholm. She could even do so via that latent electronic space they call a “website.” But nay, she did not even send a delegate to meet the late Kashito’s parents and brother or attend last Sunday’s memorial service.
What can the “Walambaji” who have been eating and drinking at Purity’s secret meetings and parties say about this? What can the students who are frequently herded into these parties say? We have been informed that the late Kashito was pursuing a Master’s Degree; how does this reflect upon his Kenyan colleagues who now know that Purity thwarted efforts by his funeral committee to meet her?
Kenya-Stockholmers should judge Purity by her recent deeds which are similar to her past (non)responses to crises that involved the land-grabbing incident at her official residence, Mr. Njenga’s unpaid services to the late Mr. Kiboi and Mr. Cheruiyot’s near-deportation to Kenya.
If Purity cannot even be there for Kenyans during a tragedy, then why do some people attend her meaningless food and drinking sprees?
This made extremely interesting reading and the analysis is flawless. Kenyans are waking up to a new era of transparency and accountability. Sweeping statements and behind the scenes intrigue will no longer suffice as mediums of information dissemination.
The Kashito Committee has been thrown a very clear challenge. Harambees are progressive events which Kenyans here should continue with but at the same time, there has to be transparency. Mr. Osewe has raised the issue using facts on the ground and I think that Kenyans in Stockholm deserve answers to the questions being raised. I am too in the dark as to how the fund raising was suddenly cancelled when Kenyans were getting ready to chip in.
Can the Committee circulate a financial report detailing how much was paid for the medical bill, how much was paid for body transportation and family tickets plus where this huge amount may have come from, given that Kenyans were told that they needed to fund raise.
The risk is that if no information comes up, speculation already in the air as to where the cash came from will begin to stick and this will damage the reputations of Kashito committee members.
Remember, the Committee has been very quiet on funding sources, a very sensitive issue after they went public calling for financial help. Kenyans should encourage openness in these kind of issues.
I can see Njoro is already running helter skelter as if he has been shot with an arrow. I now begin to understand Osewe’sdilema with these kids. The issue is not about him and he is already throwing rockets at both Osewe and KSB. It is about transparency and accountability. The point he makes in his tirade is that he was a messanger in the situation and had nothing to do with the Kashito committee. Osewe simply quoted him in the process of stating the facts. Writing is surely a hard business. Osewe, keep them coming, looking forward to part two.
Mr. Osewe, you’ve revisited issues that have perpetually dogged Kenya-Stockholmers whenever they raise money for a noble cause.
In this case, the adversely mentioned parties have a moral obligation to explain their position to Kenyans.
Fellow commentators, I fully concur with all of you. I sincerely hope that this thread will make Kenyans realize that they must demand for answerability when it comes to sponsoring various matters affecting them. Tragedies are never planned, but whenever they occur, it is the spirit of “harambee” that brings Kenyans together to make an impact.
In my opinion, Njoro should substantiate the doubts pointed out in his various reports, while Muirani should state clearly how the raised funds were used.
Why is it that whenever KSB sneezes, other blogs begin to cough? This issue is a communal and not a personal Osewe issue. Part of the question is whether Kenyans were being told to fund raise when cash was available. When Kiboi died, we never fund raised but people still crowded Kiboi’s place daily to console the family.
If 27,000 kr was raised by Wakenya as we were told by Njoro, how was the money spent? Let us stick to issues. Kenyans need an explanation to all the issues which are hanging. Kashito committee should rise to the occassion.
Wakenya wenzangu, ni lazima tujitokeze hadharani na kudai maelezo iwapo tunashuku ufisadi katika matumizi ya pesa tunazochanga kwa misiba mbali mbali mjini Stockholm. Mbona tufe kingoto?
Kamati iliyoongozwa na Ndugu Muirani lazima ieleze jinsi fedha zilizochangwa zimetumika.
Lahaula! Eti Balozi Purity Muhindi alitupilia mbali juhudi za kamati ya mazishi ya Ndugu Kashito kukutana naye. Ni aibu kweli na twasubiri Ndugu Osewe aelezee zaidi. Purity asijifanye kindakindaki na akome kutuona wazuzu.
I fully agree that the mentioned parties involved with the said issue should show caurse and explain their position to Wakenya.Their is something latent in this,that is not being divulged,because ,if the deceased was truly a recipient of scholarship to KTH,then the diplamatic authorities(namely purity)would have been involved in full to brief wakenya as to what arrangements they sort with the swedish authorities and collage sanate,and pursuing to bring and settle the circumstances surrounding his death,I think it would have been the prerrogative of the embassy to annaunce the arrival of the deceased parents..if truly the said(deceased) was a subject to kenya_swedish sholarship,unless he come to master on a PRIVATE CAPACITY.One disturbing find,is that,when i happen to call a few kenyan in one faculty who are involved in variouse programs at KTH,if they were aware of the demise of their colleage in another faculty?the answer was that they were not aware…something is not adding up…..well!!as per Osewes analysis, i think its at per with the subject involved.Purity where are you when wakenya in stockholm need you!!!???
Commentators at KSB: I wish to mention that once a comment is sent, it might not appear immediately because I am never online 24/7. The comments are with held by the system for approval. You don’t have to send mail wondering what happened to a comment.
Secondly, comments with links may end up in the spam duct and I may not notice it immediately. Try to avoid personal attacks. Some comments have had to be deleted because they were deemed personal attacks.
There is zero tolerance for these kind of attacks here. Discuss the issues without bringing people’s wives, divorce cases, physical features, what they stole from who, level of drinking or their children into the debate. Thank you.
In the name of transparency and accountability, is it wrong for kenyans to ask some burning questions? With all due respect, there are rumours that the late Kashito was not a Kenyan citezen and that his body was burried here in Sweden. Can someone from the Mr.Muirani committee shade some light on the above? If Kashito’s parents came to Sweden to accompany their late beloved son Kashito, how comes his body was transported to Kenya 4 days before his parents left Sweden? Just wondering, can Muirani group tell us something about what happened when they went to beg for free alcohol at the embassy on Monday last week? Why did lady Purity turn them down? Despite the case that Kashito’s family is going through hard time, in the spirit of solidarity and for those who wants to know more can someone come out clear the air on the above issues. Thanks.
There goes Njoro playing around with words in response to this thread. He just threw tantrums and unnecessarily invoked the late Kashito’s name in branding others jealous of his achievement. I quote him: “There is no issue about Kashito’s case to the extent of a controversy unless you want it be. Kashito’s life, adventures in life, accomplishments and goals can cause a jealousy like intellectual inferiority complex to many but the fact that he may have been a better human being than the-who of Stockholm is the thorn in the behinds (mean asses) of some.”
Honestly KSB readers, I was initially impressed with Njoro’s emotional updates concerning the late Kashito. However, he has disappointed me today with his antics because he assumes that Osewe is attacking him; thus the poorly-worded defense. Njoro must accept constructive criticism especially when weaknesses are pointed out in his reporting.
From Njoro’s past calls for unity among Kenyans, I have always thought that as a young man, he should exhibit a broader perspective in social issues among Kenya-Stockholmers. Nonetheless, I feel that his current writing is frivolous.
“Seriously Njoro, this thread is not an interrogation demanding a blow by blow description of what you did yesterday. Instead, it is asking pertinent issues relating to certain flaws in your reporting. Don’t hate Osewe who introduced it, otherwise how else would Kenyans evaluate the processes undertaken in Kashito’s fundraising? I mean, one can only draw conclusions after the processes of gathering information are completed. In this case, it is pointless running to your keyboard to throw down the gauntlet. Kenyans need answers.”
Dear Kenyans, this is how low some of us can get when hit by questions demanding accountability. Nobody wants to shoot the messenger, but citations have been made on the contradictory sections within Njoro’s reports. His response toys around with words and phrases but account for zilch.
How about admitting that although his work was to report on behalf of the Muirani-led committee, he had rather not be held accountable beyond what he reported and should let Muirani respond to the spelt out allegations. But alas, just like our dear Members of Parliament in Kenya, he had to twist and turn words around to even suggest “jealousy” for those demanding answers. Pitifully, Njoro is a young man craving for “change”. However, his words depict the age-old ailment in our society called: IMPUNITY!
I hope Brother Muirani will show maturity in responding to this thread. Come on Njoro, you can rise above this endemic pettiness! “Gumption, Bryan Njoroge aka Njoro, is what you need to make that change you crave for. Don’t behave like the old-timers you loathe so much.”
Headaches, cramps, fever bouts and anger all grip me when I read emerging rumors concerning the late Kashito. Njoro has not answered whether the body was transported to Kenya last Thursday as he had reported on November 18.
Munala wa Munala has now chipped in by explaining that Kashito might have been buried in Sweden. Surely, if his parents came all the way from Kenya to collect his body according to Njoro, why would they send it in advance before their departure? OK, they might have sent it last Thursday so as to leave this Monday, but who saw the body being transported last Thursday? Who went for the body viewing at Karolinska Hospital last Wednesday? Have the parents returned to Kenya? For those who met his parents at the memorial last Sunday, did they look like people who could even afford air tickets to Sweden?
To the Kinuthias: Can you answer the doubts surrounding Kashito’s fundraising? Can we even know what caused his death? There are rumors that Ambassador Muhindi refused to acknowledge Kashito as a Kenyan, deeming him a foreigner. Can Muirani or the Kinuthias explain why?
We are confused at KTH.
Njoro’s latest response (November 27) still doesn’t answer pending questions. I quote him: “That it was later discovered that the estimated amount of 60thou sek did not need to be raised by Kenyans in Stockholm was all good.”
We ask again at KSB: Why the sudden cancellation of the funds drive? Who paid for the estimated costs? When was Kashito’s body transported? Who saw the body off? Why did Njoro not report if the parents sent off the body at the airport? Njoro should know that he is not the only one being targeted in the debate, but also the Kinuthias and Muirani, the funeral chairman. Since Njoro is the “messenger” for the group, why can’t he just answer all the questions that have been streaming the whole day at KSB? He is instead being defensive, raising more suspicions.
Njoro, answer the following according to what the Committee informed you:
1. Who attended the viewing of Kashito’s body at Karolinska Hospital?
2. What happened to the 27,000 SEK contributed as part of the initially estimated 60,000 SEK?
3. Who paid the so-called accrued medical bills for the late Kashito?
4. Are Kashito’s parents still in Stockholm?
5. Can the Muirani-led funeral committee shed light on all the rumors surrounding the late Kashoto’s fundraising?
6. Is it true that Kashito was buried in Stockholm according to Munala wa Munala?
7. Why did Ambassador Purity Muhindi have doubts concerning Kashito’s nationality?
8. What caused Kashito’s death?
9. How much money was raised in London by the Kashito funeral committee and was it sent to his parents when they came to Stockholm?
Njoro is just being a typical Kenyan who when cornered, claims witch-hunting, personal attacks, lynching, etc. The term “Denial” sums up the behavior and the so-called “victim” starts claiming others are jealous and are only after “finishing” them. This basically describes the lame excuses Njoro is now using to run away from transparency and accountability. He is now under public scrutiny concerning his reporting of the late Kashito’s case. He is vehemently defending himself of any wrongdoing, yet he had offered to be the reporter for the fundraising committee led by Muirani.
Muirani often comes out in public to speak or write to clarify situations. However, I am currently disturbed by his silence in the late Kashito’s case but hope to read from him soon to clarify the pending questions. As for Njoro, some commentators have started showing his raw side that is not so different from those Kenyans he normally holds accountable in his writing by claiming he is from a younger generation that can make a difference. Where is that difference if his reporting is clouded with refutations similar to those of our Kenyan MPs? Njoro still has the chance to redeem himself by being more transparent in this issue.
As for those attacking Osewe elsewhere, shame on you! He has unearthed an emerging scandal that concerns public money from Kenyans and a conspiracy that might be so huge we still don’t know its details. Has Kashito been buried in Sweden yet Kenyans were told by Njoro that his body was to have been transported last Thursday? Kashito’s KTH colleagues are equally concerned. How come some of them now doubt if the body was sent home?
Njoro, Muirani and the Kinuthias must come clean and answer these questions. Njoro should be smart enough to ask the committee these questions since he volunteered reporting the case. If not, his credibility as a reporter will be in a sling from now onwards.
There is need for some moderation in this discussion as majibu are awaited. Kenyans asking questions should not be dismissed as rumor mongers. If you are a messenger transmitting a message, do not attack other messengers.
The onus of delivering answers to questions in this case does not rest with messengers but with the Kashito committee headed by Mr. Githuku wa Muirani. It is very strange that while Muirani has been intervening at every blog on petty issues, he has not come up to give direction in this debate.
The most serious rumor that was conveyed by Mr. Munala wa Munala and which needs to be addressed urgently is whether Kashito could have been buried in Sweden.
One does not need to have contributed money to demand for accountability. Once the collection of money begins from the public, members of the public also assume the right to demand for accountability whether of not they contributed.
This case is not the same as when one is bereaved and calls friends in an “Open House” because such functions remain private even if money is raised. Let us not confuse fund raising to transport a body to Kenya and donations in cases of bereavements.
Some Kenyans are not attending harambees because harambees have been abused and a clarification will restore confidence in harambees.
It was very positive that Kenyans did not have to raise a large amount of money in this case. But, it would help for the Committee to simply say that the family footed the bill (if this was the case) probably because they are well off.
In terms of information, the final authority here is the Kashito committee and the silence is not helping. Let’s hope that the Committee is still consulting on a comprehensive statement to be released as soon as possible because if this does not happen, rumors will not only grow but there will be much more damage to the reputations of personalities sitting in the Kashito committee.